Aspects of life in towns surveyed

Otago University final-year geography students, from left, Claire Newman, Laura Tinker, Amanda Asher and Ella Gordon-Latty were part of a group of 45 students surveying various aspects of life in Queenstown and Arrowtown this week. Absent: Krzysiu Jankowski, Katrina Gray and Anna Leslie. Photo by Joe Dodgshun.

The group of 45 arrived on Sunday night, and was due to return to Dunedin this morning after carrying out hundreds of interviews and surveys.

The group split into six to study perceptions of: transnational workers; age; gender; tourism, and violence in Queenstown. In Arrowtown, the groups studied cleaner air through conversion to alternative heat sources, and colonial town growth.

Those interviewed included Destination Queenstown chief executive Tony Everitt, Queenstown Police Senior Constable Sean Drader, Queenstown Lakes District Council chief executive Debra Lawson, Ngai Tahu Tourism general manager David Kennedy, and chamber of commerce chief executive Ann Lockhart. One group focused on how residents perceived overseas workers in the resort, comparing this with how the workers themselves think they are viewed.

Student Claire Newman said they had by Wednesday reclaimed 120 of the 200 surveys distributed, as well as interviews conducted.

Group-mate Ella Gordon-Latty said it seemed so far that while residents' opinions on international workers were varied and included some negative perceptions, people on the whole believed the workers were essential to the resort.

"Residents seem to accept that transnational workers are a large part of Queenstown - without them it would not be what it is today," she said.

As for the workers themselves?

"They seem to be aware of the stereotypes around transnationals and that they seem to stick to themselves sometimes, but again there is a big range in responses."

Each of the students is required to write an 8000-word report. Results of the surveys are expected in spring this year.