22 Nov - 28 Nov
LOCALLY OWNED SINCE FOREVER
No 878
LAKES WEEKLY BULLETIN
JO
BS
24 IN 0 S ID
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It’s a marathon and a sprint
Lining up for the start of the Queenstown half marathon on Saturday, the scale of the problem became apparent. Stretching about half-a-kilometre along the beautiful tree-lined Speargrass Flat Road, there was a crowded sea of bobbing heads, nervous excited athletes waiting to pass under the arch and start their 21.1km run. More than 12,000 runners and walkers signed up for the whole event, the full marathon, half, 10km and kids run. It’s a life-affirming occasion with a unique buzz, genuine camaraderie, self-inflicted suffering, grit, joy and relief, brought together by the hundreds of energising volunteers and the kind, fun-filled commentary of Councillor Craig ‘Ferg’ Ferguson at the finish line. But it hit town in the same week that Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism floated the idea that Queenstown Lakes’ visitor industry could set the revolutionary goal of becoming Carbon Zero by 2030. That’s eight years away. And we’re not talking about dubious off-setting, the aim would be to make the industry itself net zero carbon. About 90% of the marathoners had travelled from out of town, many flying in from Auckland, and 14% were international. So, as I waited to start the half, hoping Red Bull, UP & GO, new socks and copious amounts of Vaseline would compensate for a lack of training, I looked over the thousands of heads and realised how big the task would be to reach carbon zero. The huge crowd, about 6000 half marathon runners, represented about 0.2% of the three million international and domestic visitors who came to Queenstown the year before Covid hit.
Robin and the team at their Grand Opening of the Drop Café x Ilabb on Shotover Street on Thursday night.
To make the visitor industry carbon zero will be, somewhat literally, as difficult as turning around an oil tanker. It would require a huge commitment to change, through all levels of business, government and community, and embracing technology that is only in its infancy. The idea is Queenstown Lakes would become a test case for a zero-carbon tourism future, attracting the best and brightest ideas, a first customer for companies focused on reducing emissions, not to mention supercharging local environmental projects, while changing the visitor marketing to target those who don’t have to travel very far, and focusing on yield rather than numbers. Is it achievable? Probably not. Is it enough? Again, probably not. We likely need to radically alter the way world travels and consumes to keep global warming under 1.5 degrees, including making major sacrifices, among them international long-haul holidays. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t give it a crack. At least it’s visionary, a step in the right direction from Queenstown Inc. and what the majority of the community have been calling for. It could set the wheels in motion for greater change. I can’t see much evidence of the individual behaviour change. Most people are still driving, still consuming, still flying, so an industry-led approach is a good starting point. Hopefully, we can find a way to continue enjoying events like the marathon, while also tackling global warming. Paul Taylor | Queenstown Media Group
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