The geopark trust submitted its application for Unesco global geopark status in November 2019, but the border closure has prevented international evaluators from visiting New Zealand to assess whether the Waitaki geopark is suitable.
After Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced last week the international border would be reopening this year, Unesco got in contact with Waitaki Whitestone Geopark manager Lisa Heinz to start organising an evaluation. All going well, the evaluators could be in Waitaki as soon as May.
"So we’re just organising the dates and everything that comes with it," Ms Heinz said.
"So that’s really good news — we’re really excited that this can move forward now."
Two international evaluators would spend about five days in Waitaki, before making a recommendation to the Unesco Global Geoparks Council.
"[They will] talk to the community, see what we’ve done and really check that the application we’ve sent and everything we’ve done is up to the standard that it would be for Unesco geopark," Ms Heinz said.
Over the past two years, the trust had developed a new strategic plan, with a focus on education and community development.
Geoedcuator Sasha Morriss had been working on creating the School of Rocks, which would launch later this year, new signage was being created, and beach clean-ups, a community wetlands day, and a public talk series had also been organised.
Ms Heinz now had a busy few months ahead, planning and preparing for the evaluators’ arrival, she said.
