A pest species could provide an economic opportunity.

Because tourism has been such a big part of Queenstown's economy, the restrictions on domestic and international travel due to COVID-19 have had huge economic impacts for the community. One of our Communication Design students, Hanna Anstiss, wanted to do something in response, to use design-thinking to try and find some solutions.

One idea of her initiatives is a brokering service called On Set. The Queenstown Lakes District Council's economic diversification plan includes creative industries, and many properties are sitting empty at present. This service would link photographers with properties as locations for photo shoots. Hanna has built the online platform for On Set and hopes that someone will pick this up and run with it.

Another local issue is the wilding pines that are a pest species in the hills around Queenstown. The removal of these pines creates an opportunity to use them as an economic resource. Hanna soaked pine chips to make paper, then made ink from charcoal she produced from burnt pine. The ink can be used to print on the paper to create sustainable packaging, which would be especially suitable for a pine oil product. 

• Work with our Communication Design students