Andrew Ashton

A ''missing'' Canadian tramper was yesterday found safe and well - although the man had no idea he had been reported as missing.

Long-running efforts to progress a multimillion-dollar upgrade of cultural facilities in Oamaru are again on hold.

Work began this week on a four-year project to refurbish the Waitaki dam and power station, at a cost of $40 million.

Plans to boost Lake Tekapo township by redeveloping the town centre and lakefront are expected to be put into action later this year. It is hoped the plan will attract more permanent residents to the town and bring an extra $1 million into the local economy.

For many in New Zealand, Anzac Day is a day of national remembrance, a day to remember the collective sacrifice of Commonwealth soldiers, but for the far-flung rural communities of the Waiareka Valley in North Otago, it is a deep-rooted and very personal affair.

The Otago Chamber of Commercebelieves Waitaki residents may be facing larger rate increases in ''real'' terms than they are being led to believe.

Residents in Oamaru's north end, fed up with almost daily mishaps at a pedestrian crossing there, are taking their safety concerns to the Government.

A cross-district approach to the sale of alcohol is being considered in an effort to ensure a consistent approach to hotel and bar opening hours on both sides of the Waitaki River.

Although new Oamaru residents are complaining they are being put on waiting lists or turned away completely when trying to enrol with some general practitioners, the Southern Primary Health Organisation (PHO) says people should not have an issue finding a doctor.

A six-year project to repair an 89-year-old steam engine finally came to a close yesterday, much to the relief of the unpaid volunteers who made it happen.