In 2016, the Teviot Valley was one of 12 regions awarded $240,000 over three years by the Department of Internal Affairs to assist with grass-roots community initiatives.
It had five projects to fund: helping businesses capitalise on the cycle trails, integrating seasonal workers, better access to broadband, supporting community events and celebrating the valley’s heritage.
Scheme chairman Stephen Jeffery and officer Jennie Clarke said the heritage project began last week and all other projects were under way.
Last week the governance group, council employees and heritage workers visited museums in Glenorchy and Arrowtown to get ideas on how the Teviot Valley heritage sites could be further developed.
"Now it’s a stocktake, a look at what’s available in museums," Mr Jeffrey said.
They hoped to develop a heritage plan in the next year.
Mr Jeffrey said integration of seasonal workers was "ongoing". They were starting to give employers information on what seasonal workers could do in the valley.
Fast broadband was already available in the valley but Mr Jeffrey said it was not fast enough. Houses in some areas could get wireless service from repeaters on top of hills, but many houses were in locations where that was impossible. Mr Jeffery and Ms Clarke said they understood the Government had committed to providing ultra-fast broadband in the valley by 2024, but he wanted it earlier.
"Rural areas should have parity with urban areas when it comes to reliable and affordable high-speed internet access," Ms Clarke said.
A digital hub plan had been written for the governance group by Christchurch company Plato Creative and the group was looking at it to identify the next steps. It hoped to house the hub in the Roxburgh Service Centre. Mr Jeffrey and Ms Clarke said Cherry Chaos, held in January over the past few years but not in 2018, was one of the events the scheme wanted to support.
Several workshops were held last year to help business owners develop their skills in the wake of cycle trail tourism.
Last year they had seven workshops in seven months, helping 45 local businesses.
