The Friday Edition - December 20

Visiting private jets not subject to Queenstown rules, the Shotover sewage saga a likely "smoking gun" in a High Court case and how our local council communications compare to the rest of the world.

First of all - Happy Christmas and thanks to all of our paid subscribers!

This will be our last subscriber content for 2024.

Today we look at:

• Why large private jets flying into Queenstown are not subject to the same stringent flight training rules as Air New Zealand and Qantas. We ask how a pilot from the US, Europe, Australia or Asia can fly into our challenging mountain terrain for the first time and be safe.

• We discover a landmark High Court case that seeks to protect the water quality of South Island rivers and lakes. The Shotover sewage saga, uncovered by Crux, might prove to be a decisive factor in the case that goes ahead in Christchurch on February 10 next year. Plus we discover on a visit today that another part of the QLDC’s illegal stop bank looks likely to collapse.

• Crux managing editor Peter Newport has worked all over the world as a senior journalist. He compares how our local councils handle media enquiries compared to other organisations at a local, national and international level.