Nash finally gets to visit ‘iconic NZ’
Tourism Minister Stuart Nash says his first-ever visit to the Mackenzie Country has given him insight into the effects of Covid-19 on the touristreliant district.
He visited Fairlie and Lake Takapo¯ /Tekapo yesterday, stopping for meetings with the Mackenzie District Council, Fairlie Bakehouse owner Franz Lieber and representatives from Dark Sky Project and Tekapo Springs.
The Mackenzie is one of five districts recognised as being adversely affected by no overseas tourists and will benefit from the Government’s $200 million Tourism Communities package.
During his Fairlie Bakehouse stop, Nash told The Timaru Herald some districts have done it harder than others with Covid-19.
‘‘Mackenzie is one of them that has been reliant on international tourists.’’
He said the meeting with the district council had given him insights into what was happening in the district.
‘‘It’s given me insights into the current situation but also and probably more importantly into the future of Mackenzie and how we can work together to get there.’’
Nash, who grew up in Napier,
said the Mackenzie was ‘‘a beautiful part of the country’’.
‘‘It’s iconic New Zealand with the iconic landscapes we use to promote the country.’’
Fairlie Bakehouse’s co-owner said he managed to retain all 47 staff through the pandemic, by them taking annual leave over lockdowns, and the wage subsidy which he received once, just to get through.
‘‘I followed the Government’s instructions, that if you have a good business you will have a good business again,’’ Lieber said.
He told Nash that some business owners panicked and laid staff off and then when things were back to normal they had no workers to function properly.
Aorangi Electric co-owner Owen Hunter also managed to keep his team of seven employed, thanks to the wage subsidy and going down to a four-day week, but he said it still cost him as he and his wife Helen had taken a wage drop.
He is still struggling with the loss of about 50 per cent of business. Before Covid he said they had a three-month waiting list for jobs now they could attend on the day.
When Covid struck, the jobs to wire 16 new houses in Takapo¯/ Tekapo were cancelled.
‘‘Owners realised the tourism market had disappeared and put everything on hold,’’ Hunter said.
To keep the business afloat he has diversified into electronics and security alarms but said supply was an issue.
Hunter cannot source Residual
Current Devices which monitors three circuits, instead he has to purchase a different one which only copes with one circuit, increasing his costs by triple.
‘‘I can’t get a quote for a cable for longer than seven days because the price keeps going up. It’s hard,’’ Hunter said.
Fairlie Hotel owner Ness Apes was disappointed Nash’s visit was not publicised and open to people asking him questions.
‘‘We will never recover what we lost [over Covid]. We were very lucky we were allowed to deliver alcohol, or we wouldn’t be here,’’ she said.
She estimates business is down about 50 per cent and would like to see the Government spend money promoting what Fairlie has to offer.
On the flip side, The Little Red Fox business owner/operator Olivia Sullivan said her business had benefited from domestic visitors and was up about 10 per cent.
She said the Bakehouse had become a destination which had a positive ripple effect for businesses such as hers, but she would like to see the region promoted more to the rest of the country.
Mackenzie District mayor Graham Smith said he was grateful for Nash’s visit and understanding, and the Government’s visionary work of regenerating tourism and developing a model that is sustainable.
‘‘It’s given me insights into the current situation but also and probably more importantly into the future of Mackenzie.’’
Stuart Nash