Latest News & Resources
Wao Green Drinks Recorded Session: Resilience Response with Nathan Surendran
Recorded Session: Global instability is no longer a distant threat, it’s already reshaping life here in Aotearoa. In this recorded Wao Green Drinks session, Nathan Surendran breaks down what’s coming and, more importantly, how communities like ours can respond with clarity, confidence, and practical action.
Understanding the Energy System We Built Our World On, and What Comes Next.
We’ve built our modern world on something we rarely stop to think about - energy. Cheap, abundant, and reliable energy has shaped how we live, move, build, and grow. But the conditions that created that world are changing.
Wao Podcast: navigating New Zealand's food systems into the future with Jane Lloyd.
Jane Lloyd is a leading voice in food systems, bringing her expertise back to New Zealand to tackle pressing issues like food resilience and climate change. Her passion for creating sustainable solutions is evident as she advocates for a non-partisan approach to food system resilience, recognising its critical role in our economy and wellbeing.
Partner Spotlight: Think Solar
At Wao, we believe better communities are built on connection, when locals open their doors, share their stories, and show what’s possible when we act together. That’s why we’re thrilled to partner with Think Solar as sponsor of our Community Walking Tours.
Partner Spotlight: Community Link
At Wao, we know that real change happens when communities come together and we’re incredibly grateful to have partners who embody that spirit. Community Link is one of those partners.
Food Demand in District Could Double – Even Triple – by 2050
Queenstown Lakes will need at least double - possibly triple - the food it consumes today by the mid-2050s, according to our new Food Resilience Report released this week.
Shaping a Future Where Everyone Thrives
The opening night of the Wao Summit on 28th October is where our mission comes alive. Jpin us at Rippon Hall, surrounded by community, kai, and kōrero, as we gather to ask the essential question: what does a thriving Aotearoa look like in 2125 — and how do we start shaping it now?
First Timer’s Guide to the Wao Summit
Welcome to your first Wao Summit! Whether you’re here to explore sustainability, learn how to improve your business, or engage with community resilience, this guide will help you navigate key events and make the most of your experience. This blog is a day-by-day, class-by-class breakdown, highlighting must-attend sessions for first-time attendees
First Timer’s Guide to the Wao Summit 2024
Welcome to your first Wao Summit! Whether you’re here to explore sustainability, learn how to improve your business, or engage with community resilience, this guide will help you navigate key events and make the most of your experience. This blog is a day-by-day, class-by-class breakdown, highlighting must-attend sessions for first-time attendees
2050: Who Will We Be and How Will We Feed Ourselves?
Conversations around our changing future can be slanted with a negative bent these days, and the complexity of the issues can seem overwhelming. More climate-related disasters along with an increasing population can put stresses on food, energy and infrastructure. But Wao Aotearoa director Monique Kelly likes to bring an imaginative lens when it comes to envisioning what the future might look like.
So much food but nothing on the table?
As New Zealand’s $25 billion grocery sector grows ever more concentrated, the need to develop alternative food systems becomes clear. The Wao Summit’s Food Resilience Day offers the tools, insights, and connections needed to shift the balance of power from corporate giants back to communities.
On a mission to build food resilience.
Our region would need one Hercules aircraft to land every 21 minutes full of food to provision those in the district in case of a major event cutting road access. That is a worrying thought.