By Hamish McNeilly of 
Waipori Falls Village is about 60km from Dunedin. Photo: 123rf.com
- Waipori Falls Village is 60km from Dunedin
- A village member is allegedly stopping people from accessing the village.
- That has led to the village committee warning the police might be called
Fingers are being pointed and rumours are circulating in a remote Otago village.
Waipori Falls Village is about 60km from Dunedin, and consists of around 28 permanent residents and 33 properties which are in a body corporate.
But one of those residents is hiding a dark secret.
On Thursday an email was sent on behalf of the village's committee with the subject line: 'Body Corporate 23599 - Waipori Falls Village - Notice regarding impersonator.'
In addition to the body corporate requiring residents to pay levies to upkeep the village's infrastructure, including a sewerage plant and a water treatment plant, it was also on the lookout for an impersonator.
"It has come to our attention that someone from the village has been stopping vehicles on the Waipori Falls Road, on the narrow gorge section, and instructing them that they are no longer allowed in the Waipori Falls village," the email began.
But when that claim was queried by one would-be visitor to the village, the person claimed he was a member of the body corporate committee, "and that Waipori Falls Village is closed to the general public and that written permission needs to be obtained from the committee in order to come into the village".
Pam Murray, who wrote the email, reminded residents that she was the chair of the local committee.
"I can categorically say that this person is not a member of the committee and has no right to be telling the general public or anyone else that they are not welcome in the village."
She noted that Waipori Falls village was located on the main thoroughfare to Lake Mahinerangi, as well as a back way to Lawrence and various farms in the area.
"Our village gates are never shut and the local police and emergency services deem the roads within the village as public roads because of this."
A map showing the location of Waipori Falls. Photo: Google Maps
Murray, who has been approached for comment, said all public road laws applied to the village roads.
"We will get the occasional public car driving through the village, especially looking to view Crystal Falls, now that the walk has been closed."
"Thank you all for your understanding. If this behaviour continues to happen, then it will be reported to the police.
Many of the properties in the village date from when workers built the nearby hydroelectric scheme.
That power scheme was later sold by the Dunedin City Council to TrustPower in 1998, which followed the sale of many of those same properties.
In May 2023, Stuff reported that some residents were paying thousands more in levies than others, with the lowest levies in the village assessed as $1224, while the highest was $9909.
Those levies were based on buildings when the village first transferred into a body corporate, and did not take into account later developments.
- Stuff
