History 2011 - 2020
2011
Construction at 190 Waenga Drive is underway
The first two Trust Chairs, Peter Mead and Duncan Butcher open the new building at 190 Waenga Drive, Cromwell
The Trust’s new building, which still serves as a property investment in our current investment portfolio, located at 190 Waenga Drive, Cromwell was officially opened on 21 November 2011 by the Trust’s first two chairs, Peter Mead and Duncan Butcher.
2013
The Swim School programme commenced in 2013 as a joint initiative between Central Lakes Trust, Sport Otago, CODC, QLDC and the schools in the Central Lakes Trust region. The aim was to improve each child’s confidence and ability to survive in the water by providing primary school children throughout the Central Lakes Trust region 10 swimming lessons annually. Over time it has transitioned from traditional swimming strokes to the Water Safe NZ, Water Skills for Life syllabus, and continues to this day. Since the programme commenced in 2013, 29,993 students have received 234,670 swimming lessons.
With the stepping down of Sir Eion Edgar (chair) and Graeme Bell (deputy chair), having both served their maximum of three terms, or nine years, trustee elections took place in November seeing the four incumbent trustees return for a further term, with the addition of Cath Gilmour and Tim Cadogan as new trustees. Dr Malcolm Macpherson became chair of the Trust.
Trustees 2013 – 2016
L to R: Bernice Lepper, Greg Wilkinson, Malcolm Macpherson (chair), Cath Gilmour, Alex Huffadine, Tim Cadogan
2016
The prime minister’s announcement of government support to link Central Otago’s great rides - Carrick Winery 2016
L to R: Bernice Lepper, Jennifer Gillan, Moy Sainsbury, Sir Eion Edgar, Susan Finlay, Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. John Key, Alex Huffadine, Jackie Dean, Paul Allison, Greg Wilkinson.
The cycle trail in use at Bannockburn - 2020
CLT’s largest ever grant of $11.15 million over five years was granted to link Central Otago’s Great Rides to create 536km of trail network, linking the four existing rides, the Queenstown Trail, the Otago Central Rail Trail, the Roxburgh Gorge Trail, and the Clutha Gold Trail, creating one the of the largest continuous trail networks in the world, in some very special landscapes. Delayed only slightly by COVID-19, the Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail was completed in early 2021.
The project, estimated to cost $26.3m, with government support secured for $13.15m, was announced at a function held in Carrick Winery in May 2016, which was attended by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. John Key.
Recognising the diversification of its portfolio of investment, Pioneer Generation changed its name to Pioneer Energy Limited in January 2016.
In 2016, Tim Cadogan was elected as mayor of Central Otago, stepping down from the Trust after two terms, elected in his place was Tony Hill. As part of that 2016 election the community voted on a referendum to allow the Trust to appoint three trustees to the board, changing the board’s composition from six elected representatives to five. The appointed trustees are to enhance the composition of the Trust, ensuring it can recruit for the specialist skills and knowledge it needs, while sustaining majority elected community representation, and greater continuity at a governance-level.
Trustees 2016 – 2017
L to R: Bernice Lepper, Malcolm Macpherson, Alex Huffadine, Tony Hill (chair), Greg Wilkinson, Cath Gilmour
2017
On 1 December 2017 Linda Robertson and Michael Sidey, were the first two of three appointed trustees to commence their roles under the new governance structure vote in the November 2016 referendum.
Trustees 2017 – 2018
L to R: Greg Wilkinson, Bernice Lepper, Tony Hill, Cath Gilmour, Linda Robertson (chair), Malcolm Macpherson, Alex Huffadine, Michael Sidey.
2018
For the first time in the Trust’s history, the Trust was oversubscribed, seeing a 60% increase in both the number of grants (from 95 to 152) given out and the level of funds required to support the community. With the extreme growth and changes in the population demographic, the needs of the community had changed.
The board spent considerable time reaffirming funding principles and considering grants distribution policies to ensure there is balance between the here and now (giving back to the community) and the long-term (funds in reserve).
Hetty Van Hale was appointed on 1 December 2018 as the third appointed trustee to the board of Central Lakes Trust. Each appointed trustee has a term of three years, as do the elected trustees.
Trustees 2018 – 2019
L to R: Tony Hill, Bernice Lepper, Michael Sidey, Malcolm Macpherson, Linda Robertson (chair), Cath Gilmour, Greg Wilkinson, Hetty Van Hale, Alex Huffadine.
2019 - 2020
McNulty House restoration
The Old Cromwell Precinct will be further restored and preserved for generations to come with Old Cromwell Incorporated’s restoration project of McNulty House. With a grant from CLT for $233,747 for earthquake strengthening and restoration of this Heritage NZ listed building, the group have been able to further fundraise, raising $580,000 of their $760,000 goal.
The majority of the house will be set up to display how a family lived in the area in the 1880’s and will be open daily to the public. The rear of the building will be functional storage and meeting space for the society and other community groups.
CLT have previously assisted the Cromwell Community Board with the purchase of the house back in 2012, granting $376,250 towards its purchase. Since then, Old Cromwell Incorporated have committed substantial time and resource to restoring the surrounding grounds and carpark of McNulty House, as well as rezoning it from residential to heritage, to get to the point they are ready to preserve the building.
Bullendale Phoenix Mining Company’s hydro electric power plant saw the first commercial use of electricity in New Zealand in 1886 in the remote high country north of the former Skippers settlement. Wakatipu Heritage Trust with a
grant from CLT are to construct a replica of the powerhouse structure, and restore and preserve the surviving equipment at the remote site. The power plant, was perhaps the inspiration for the subsequent establishment of the Teviot Electric Power Board and the Otago Central Electric Power Board, assets of which were bestowed to Central Lakes Trust in 2000. The powerhouse was dismantled in 1919, and the materials used to build the Dynamo Hut, which is now a trampers’ hut owned by the Department of Conservation.
Dynamo Shed, Bullendale
L to R: Queenstown Lakes District Mayor Jim Boult, Chris Fleming CEO of the Southern DHB (SDHB), Central Lakes Trust CEO, Susan Finlay, and Terry Moore CEO of the Southern Cross Hospital Ltd (SCHL) view progress made on the joint venture; Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital
In October 2019, as part of a joint venture with Southern Cross Hospitals, the Trust announced investment in a new surgical hospital to be located in Queenstown. The hospital is to be known as Southern Cross Central Lakes Hospital. It forms part of the Trust’s investment portfolio and is currently under construction, due to be completed by late 2021. This investment forms part of the Trust’s strategy on social impact investing, where the Trust can invest a portion of its investment fund in investments that generate a community benefit to our CLT region, alongside a financial return.
Every three years in November, the Central Lakes community vote on who will be elected to represent them and serve on the board of the Trust. 2019 saw considerable change in the board, as four trustees were mandated to retire, having served nine years.
A record 25 candidates were nominated to stand, the largest number since the trust’s commencement. 28.37% of electors, being 10,749 voters elected Lindsay Breen, Cath Gilmour, Tony Lepper, Rosie Hill and Kathy Dedo to the board of the Trust to serve alongside our appointed trustees.
Trustees 2019 - 2020
L to R: Cath Gilmour, Hetty Van Hale, Linda Robertson, Michael Sidey, Kathy Dedo, Lindsay Breen, Tony Lepper, Rosie Hill
Representatives from St John, Central Lakes Trust and Otago Community Trust at a ceremony to bless the site of the new St John Hub in Cromwell – September 2020
A recent blessing of the ground at St John’s site for a new state-of-the-art ‘ambulance hub’ marks the commencement of the year long build to construct the new 574sq ambulance hub.
Supported by Central Lakes Trust with a $1.65 million grant, the new Cromwell based facility is based on St John’s successful hub and spoke model in Christchurch.
Strategically located in the central location the ambulance hub will service the surrounding district allowing better management flexibility of the 19 ambulance and operational vehicles based in seven stations across the region.
St John provide a crucial and highly valued service for the community. The demand for ambulance services continues to increase. Even with government funding, St John need to raise $85,000 a day to keep the service going nationwide.
Significant in promoting culture and the arts to the young of our district, The Miharo Group’s inaugural Central Lakes Polyfest, first held in 2018, ensures inclusivity and participation from a young age. The 2018 local event saw 20 local groups of school children from early childhood right through to secondary school participating. The successful event was supported by the Trust again in 2019, seeing growth with 29 groups and over 1,000 students participate.
While the 2020 event was cancelled due to COVID-19, the Trust looks forward to seeing the numbers continuing to flourish in years to come.
Central Lakes Trust has been a regular funder of the youth trusts in our region for many years. The five youth trusts include Cromwell Youth Trust, Kahu Youth Trust, Wakatipu Youth Trust, and more recently, the Alexandra & Districts Youth Trust, and the recently closed Teviot Valley Community Christian Trust which have received a combined $4.2 million of funding since inception.
The youth trusts exist to have a positive impact on the lives of young people; to increase young people’s community awareness and participation, and develop and improve life skills. Each youth trust runs individualised programmes based on the need in their area.
Cromwell Youth Trust has seen an increase of over 200% in youth participation numbers for their after school activities at the youth hub dubbed ‘The Hangout’, as well as oversubscribed holiday programmes in the past year.
Pioneer Energy CEO Fraser Jonker, CLT CEO, Susan Finlay, with Pioneer Energy Chair Stuart Heal, at the opening of the Upper Fraser hydro scheme, September 2019
Central Lakes Trust is proud to retain 100% ownership of Pioneer Energy Limited. On 17 September 2019, Pioneer Energy, having had an outstanding year, announced a record dividend of $10 million to Central Lakes Trust, $1.2m more than anticipated for the financial year ended 2019. The Trust’s annual grant budget of approximately $9m is derived from the prudent and diversified investment of the Trust’s assets, of which Pioneer is a critical component.