Lake Ohau Alpine Village
{{Use New Zealand English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name = Lake Ohau Alpine Village
| settlement_type = Village
| motto =
| image_skyline = Lake Ohau Alpine Village 27.jpg
| caption = Lake Ohau Alpine Village in summer (with the Ōhau Ski Field in the background; Feb 2018)
| pushpin_map = New Zealand
| subdivision_type = Country
| subdivision_name = New Zealand
| subdivision_type1 = Region
| subdivision_name1 = Canterbury
| subdivision_type2 = Territorial authority
| subdivision_name2 = Waitaki District
| utc_offset = +12
| timezone = NZST
| timezone_DST = NZDT
| utc_offset_DST = +13
| coordinates = {{coord|44|16|15.6|S|169|50|49.2|E|region:NZ-OTA|display=inline,title}}
| population_footnotes =
| population_total =
| population_as_of =
| blank_name = Local iwi
| blank_info = Ngāi Tahu
}}
Lake Ohau Alpine Village, often referred to simply as Lake Ohau, is a village on the western shore of Lake Ōhau in New Zealand.
Lake Ohau village is located in the Waitaki District in Canterbury, {{Convert|20|km||abbr=on}} west of Twizel. There are about 140 sections available in the village, with about half of these have houses built on them with a total of 75 houses. Of these, 48 are now uninhabitable or have burned to the ground.{{Cite news|date=2019-07-03|title=Lake Ohau Village takes on Waitaki District Council over water supply|url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/life/113862727/lake-ohau-village-takes-on-waitaki-district-council-over-water-supply|access-date=2020-10-04|work=Stuff|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606000137/https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/life/113862727/lake-ohau-village-takes-on-waitaki-district-council-over-water-supply|archive-date=2020-06-06|url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Walton |first1=Steven |last2=Sherwood |first2=Sam |last3=Holden |first3=Joanne |title=Govt contributes $100,000 towards Lake Ohau fire devastation |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122979372/govt-contributes-100000-towards-lake-ohau-fire-devastation |access-date=5 October 2020 |work=Stuff |date=5 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005011601/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122979372/govt-contributes-100000-towards-lake-hau-fire-devastation|archive-date=5 October 2020|url-status=live}} Many of these houses are holiday homes, with 18 permanent residents across 12 houses before the October 2020 fire.{{cite news |title=Homes destroyed in 'devastating' Ohau fire |url= https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-canterbury/homes-destroyed-devastating-ohau-fire |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=Otago Daily Times |date=4 October 2020|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005011431/https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/south-canterbury/homes-destroyed-devastating-ohau-fire|archive-date=5 October 2020}}
History
There were a number of attempts over the years to develop a village on the shores of Lake Ōhau. Sections were first offered in 1981. In 1983 planning consent was obtained from the Waitaki District Council. The first stage of the development involved 31 sections with an average size of 600 square metres. House were to be no higher than 4 metres tall and fences were not permitted in order to avoid the view of the lake being blocked out. Work started on the subdivision in 1985 with the first houses built in 1986. No commercial buildings were ever permitted by the Waitaki District Council. The second stage of the subdivision was planned for 1995 but only started in 2003.{{Cite book|last=McMillan|first=Eileen|title=Frugal country and hard on the boots : a history of the Lake Ohau valley|year=2012|isbn=9780473221362|location=Twizel, New Zealand|pages=425}}
In 2010, residents formed the Lake Ohau Alpine Village Ratepayers and Residents Association, which has actively lobbied for issues such as a reduction in street lighting to enable better star gazing conditions.{{Cite news|last=Bruce|first=David|date=2010-08-23|title=Casting light on village concerns|url= https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/casting-light-village-concerns|access-date=2020-10-04|work=Otago Daily Times|language=en|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005011212/https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/casting-light-village-concerns|archive-date=5 October 2020}}
The Lake Ōhau water supply has been unsafe to drink without boiling first for a number of years. In December 2018 the Waitaki District Council intended to upgrade the water supply to make it compliant with the New Zealand Drinking Water Standards.{{Cite web|date=2019-08-30|title=Tensions escalate over Lake Ohau water supply|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/115337523/tensions-escalate-over-lake-ohau-water-supply|access-date=2020-12-05|website=Stuff |language=en}} This planned water supply upgrade for Lake Ōhau was put on hold in September 2019.{{Cite web|last=Birchfield|first=Daniel|date=2019-09-25|title=Council puts Lake Ohau water upgrade on hold – for now|url=https://www.odt.co.nz/regions/north-otago/council-puts-lake-ohau-water-upgrade-hold-now|access-date=2020-12-05|website=Otago Daily Times |language=en}} Talks were to resume in February 2020. There had been disagreements over the upgrades with residents complaining about the "overblown" proposal by Waitaki District Council.{{Cite web|date=2020-01-20|title=Lake Ohau Village water supply upgrade talks to resume|url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/timaru-herald/news/118825130/lake-ohau-village-water-supply-upgrade-talks-to-resume|access-date=2020-12-05|website=Stuff |language=en}}
In the early hours of 4 October 2020, a large vegetation fire broke out nearby. High winds fanned the flames through the village and many of the village homes{{Cite news|title=Lake Ōhau fire one of the most expensive in New Zealand's history|language=en-NZ|work=TVNZ|url=https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/lake-hau-fire-one-most-expensive-in-new-zealands-history|access-date=2020-12-05}} burned down. Residents and visitors evacuated themselves before the fire arrived.{{cite news |last1=Kenny |first1=Lee |last2=Holden |first2=Joanne |last3=Littlewood |first3=Matthew |last4=Sherwood |first4=Sam |title=High winds to remain a problem in devastating Lake Ohau firefight |url= https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122975420/high-winds-to-remain-a-problem-in-devastating-lake-ohau-firefight |access-date=4 October 2020 |work=Stuff |date=4 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201004110514/https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/122975420/high-winds-to-remain-a-problem-in-devastating-lake-ohau-firefight|archive-date=4 October 2020|url-status=live}} On 5 October, local authorities confirmed that 48 houses had been destroyed as a result of the fire.{{cite news |last1=Moodie |first1=Kim |last2=Feek |first2=Belinda |last3=Russell |first3=Emma |title=Lake Ohau blaze: Residents flee for lives as huge flames bore down on homes |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12370203 |access-date=5 October 2020 |work=New Zealand Herald |date=5 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201005011047/https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12370203|archive-date=5 October 2020|url-status=live}} The fire insurance claims are estimated to be $34.8 million. These include 154 house and contents claims, 24 motor claims, and 19 business/commercial claims.{{Cite web|last=Olano|first=Gabriel|title=Lake Ōhau fire insurance bill close to $35 million|url=https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/nz/news/breaking-news/lake-ohau-fire-insurance-bill-close-to-35-million-239946.aspx|access-date=2020-12-05|website=www.insurancebusinessmag.com|language=en}}