A new smartphone “app” has landed in Waitaki, and its drivers are hoping it will change how people access local news and information.

The Waitaki App, which launched on Thursday evening (November 24), at Oamaru’s Business Hive, is part of the iApp Network, based in Wanaka. Others in the network include the Wanaka, Queenstown, Southland and Central Apps.

Present at the launch are (from left) Fraser Lewry, Daniel Eisenhut, Rebecca Finlay and Cara Tipping Smith. PHOTO Waitaki App

The team behind the Waitaki App is Business Hive owners Cara Tipping Smith and Alex Regtien, together with Real 104FM’s Dan Lewis, and Alexandra-based Central App owner Vicki McLean.

Cara said they thought the app was needed in the district for three main reasons, the most important of which was to provide “community connectivity”.

“I don’t think there’s anyone who’s been in Oamaru more than a week, who doesn’t think, ‘wouldn’t it be great if we had a community diary where everything was in one place’.”

Cara had tried to set up different versions over the nearly six years she and Alex had been in Oamaru, including a Waitaki events calendar on Facebook, but her efforts were hampered by a lack of budget to promote it.

“It never got traction for everyone to use it, and of course it’s on Facebook with all the comments and everything else.”

The key was, it had to be a sustainable model, and user-pays seemed unfair, as it meant only those who could afford it could access the community diary, she said.

“So therefore it has to be an advertising model.”

It was key the app provided an “affordable, agile’’ advertising platform for local small businesses.

“Our business people are our community, and our community are our business people, and so if they’re paying for advertising, then that’s money that’s not going home or somewhere else, so it’s kind of finding that balance.”

The third reason was to provide a source of information for visitors, without them having to enter the social media realm.

“We’re all a little bit embarrassed by some of what goes on on social media, so if there’s a comment-free way of finding out about this place, that’s great.”

Having Vicki on board, with her experience running the Central App, and seeing its success in other places, gave the group confidence it was a “robust platform’’, and they could learn from her and “get it right”, Cara said.

News was an essential part of the app, keeping people regularly informed on local issues.

Community Waitaki turns out to support the launch of the new app. PHOTO Waitaki App

“Journalism is super important these days, especially in this world of disinformation and misinformation, so we want to make sure we get this right from the outset.”

The Waitaki App was more than information for visitors to Oamaru, and the all-important “community connectivity” meant people had easy access to what was going on in the further reaches of the district, allowing Waitaki to become more of a “community-wide district”.

Members of the public were encouraged to download the app, in either Apple or Google Play app stores, or could scan the QR codes scattered around the town.

“If you see the QR code, scan and jump on board, and share. Tell everyone. This works if people get into it,” Cara said.

Feedback was welcome, and users were encouraged to get in touch via the “Contact” button on the app.

“We really want to hear from people. We want this to work for everyone.”