Tracey Roxburgh

A strong summer has sent the Queenstown Lakes District Council's holiday parks back into the black, with a report to the council's finance and corporate committee showing the books are $67,000 up on last year.

Wakatipu had another hard-fought win on Saturday at the Queenstown Rec Ground, beating Cromwell A 11-8. The home side scored all its points in the second half and retained the White Horse Cup.

Thirty-two Dunedin residents rode in style to Queenstown on Sunday, on the first Mount Cook Denning Jumboliner, made in 1977.

SkyCity Entertainment Group has further increased its interest in Queenstown, buying Otago Casinos Ltd, which holds the licence for Wharf Casino.

A report into a planned ''boutique'' rental housing development in Arrowtown, valued at more than $3.5 million, recommends the community be consulted over the proposal, Local Government Act 2012 requirements appearing to have been satisfied.

For Arrowtown couple Hayden Finch and Bex Harrex, yesterday's Budget was not what they were hoping for.

A new ''boutique'' affordable housing project could be on the way for Arrowtown if a $1 million grant from the Crown is approved and the project is endorsed by the Queenstown Lakes District Council and the community.

St Joseph's School pupils (from left) Emy-Jane Robert (12), Isaac Norton (13) and Luca March (12) enjoy some of the thousands of books delivered to the Queenstown school before its annual book fair this weekend.

Freedom campers caught breaking the rules in the Queenstown Lakes District have been hit in the pocket to the tune of $117,000.

Information relating to ratepayers' paying of rates in the Queenstown Lakes district included in the council's organisational review report is misleading, the council's finance general manager says.