PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY
In February, then Central Otago mayor Tony Lepper said the town, which has a population of about 4500, was ``leading the way'' in Central Otago and had for some time.
Permits were granted for 106 new homes in the wider Cromwell area last year, which equated to 65% of the homes being built in the whole district.
It is a far cry from the mid-1990s, when the town's population dipped to about 2500 after the completion of the Clyde Dam.
The photograph shows how close Cromwell is to Lake Dunstan and (at top left) the lake's Kawarau arm.
