ODT.co.nz | Otago Daily Times | Latest South Island News

DunedinAugust 25

‘Come outside’: Armed police in standoff at Corstorphine address

Cordons are in place on a Dunedin street while armed police work to locate a person of interest.

Laine Priestley

SouthlandAugust 24

Police complete reinvestigation into death of Gore toddler Lachie Jones

The results of a police reinvestigation into the death of Southland toddler Lachlan Jones have been handed to the coroner.

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DunedinAugust 24

‘It was horrific’: victims fear youths will go unpunished over unprovoked Dunedin pack attack

A trio of first-year University of Otago students are shaken after a “horrific” unprovoked pack attack by a group of youths — with one so frightened she left town.

Felicity Dear

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DunedinAugust 24

Elderly woman convinced she is in Sir Sam’s will has lost at least $40k to scammers

An Auckland woman is at her wits end after a scam artist convinced her mother that she has been in an online relationship with the late Sir Sam Neill, who has left her part of his vineyard in his will.

John Lewis

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DunedinAugust 24

Residents unable to return home after being rescued from burning building

Laine Priestley

NationalAugust 24

Govt puts 4% cap on council rates rises

NationalAugust 25

Poll: Have your say on the proposed social media ban

ODT QuizAugust 24

ODT quiz: August 25

Dunedin

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DunedinAugust 24

Derelict buildings could be targeted in DCC rates review

Charging owners of vacant buildings higher rates and being more transparent about rates for Forsyth Barr Stadium are two matters that could be explored in a Dunedin City Council review.

Grant Miller

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DunedinAugust 24

‘Predator’ Uber driver found guilty of kidnappings, sexual assault and harassment

The victim of a predatory Uber driver says “Dunedin is a little bit safer” after he was convicted of kidnapping two women and locked up.

Rob Kidd

DunedinAugust 24

Council apologises for carpark jam

The Dunedin City Council has apologised after a carpark barrier arm malfunctioned, preventing vehicles from leaving.

Grant Miller

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DunedinAugust 24

Whale up and about on a windy day

Otago Harbour was far from ideal as a playground on Sunday afternoon — with an Antarctic wind sailing up the harbour and waves flying around.

Steve Hepburn

Latest News

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NationalAugust 25

Housing an 'enormous challenge' in NZ: Chris Bishop

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DunedinAugust 25

‘Come outside’: Armed police in standoff at Corstorphine address

3

NationalAugust 25

Poll: Have your say on the proposed social media ban

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WorldAugust 25

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on autos in Canada trade fight

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WorldAugust 25

Data centre energy use set to skyrocket across Australia

Otago

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WānakaAugust 24

New Zealand 20 years behind on wildfires

Albert Town’s bushfire highlights Wānaka’s vulnerability to winter wildfires, but an expert has warned of increasing risk with New Zealand’s response decades behind world leaders

Ruairi O'Shea

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QueenstownAugust 24

QLDC councillors disappointed, not surprised as National rules out bed tax

Costs to address Queenstown Lakes’ infrastructure issues may fall solely on residents’ shoulders after the National Party’s “shock” announcement ruling out a bed tax, the district’s mayor says.

Ruby Shaw

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Central OtagoAugust 24

Santana application quality questioned as time continues to tick by

Santana Minerals has been criticised for the quality of its application and needs to come up with answers to get the consent process back on track, the hearing panel says.

Steve Hepburn

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Central OtagoAugust 24

Public transport to and from Queenstown hits the council table

Public transport to link workers into Queenstown from as far away as Alexandra has been proposed but will not start until 2028

Steve Hepburn

Canterbury

SelwynAugust 25

Canterbury home being auctioned off for charity

A charity which helps New Zealand families will benefit from the auction of a brand-new Rolleston home when it goes under the hammer on Thursday.

ChristchurchAugust 24

Wheels rolling on proposed new cycleway

A planned new cycleway connecting central Christchurch and New Brighton is now a step closer to being built.

ChristchurchAugust 24

Fenz working to identify ‘hazardous substance’ that led to evacuations

Fire and Emergency NZ is working to identify the hazardous substance that forced businesses to be evacuated in Christchurch on Monday afternoon.

ChristchurchAugust 24

Inquest into death of Christchurch teacher continues

The coroner's inquest into the drowning of a Christchurch teacher in Wellington Harbour in 2023 has resumed.

Mary Argue of RNZ

National

NationalAugust 25

Housing an 'enormous challenge' in NZ: Chris Bishop

Housing Minister Chris Bishop says there is "an enormous challenge" around housing in this country.

NationalAugust 24

Chris Penk returns to Parliament, won't say if he challenged Christopher Luxon

Sacked defence minister Chris Penk has returned to Parliament but is refusing to confirm or deny whether he challenged the National Party leader.

NationalAugust 24

Fringe religious group leader and wife jailed over death of follower

The leader of a fringe religious group Kaixiao Liu has been sentenced to 10 years and five months imprisonment for the manslaughter and kidnapping of one of his followers - 70-year-old Shulai Wang.

NationalAugust 24

Daughter avoids conviction after sexual affair with her father

A father and daughter who had consensual sex could be heard in the act by other house occupants, a court has heard.

Belinda Feek, Open Justice multimedia journalist

Southland

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SouthlandAugust 24

‘Iconically Gore’ tower defended

A call to stop the restoration of Gore’s landmark clock tower has been met with dismay.

Gemma Sinclair

SouthlandAugust 24

More road closures due as avalanche season starts

More road closures of State Highway 94 between Milford Sound and Te Anau are likely this week due to an increasing avalanche risk.

Sport

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SportAugust 24

Dunedin ice hockey player recovering after heavy hit

Dunedin Thunder star Cole Beckstead is recovering from a nasty head knock he suffered in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League finals.

Hayden Meikle

UPDATED: 12:30

NetballAugust 24

Another Steel Silver Fern to leave for Australia

Southern Steel fan-favourite Carys Stythe has signed with the Melbourne Vixens.

Kayla Hodge

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SportAugust 24

Otago rowing pair racing at world champs

Eva Hofmans is no stranger to a world championships.

Kayla Hodge

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SportAugust 23

Taieri Tuataras win third straight men’s hockey title

The Taieri Tuataras played spoilsport in front of a bumper crowd of University fans on Saturday.

Nicholas Friedlander

Lifestyle

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TravelAugust 24

What you miss out on if you do not stop in the Mackenzie Country

For years, Mackenzie was, for my wife Carolina and myself, a place we passed through rather than visited.

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The MixAugust 22

The spice of life

There are certain flavours that belong to winter, and in my mind cinnamon is close to the top of the list.

Penelope Maguire

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The MixAugust 21

Anderton’s politics of principle

New Zealand was the Kampuchea of free market ideology back in the 1980s, economist Bruce Jesson wrote in his book on the period, "Only Their Purpose is Mad".

The MixAugust 21

New walking guide uncovers Dunedin’s extraordinary architectural treasures

Dunedin has an impressive trove of architectural stories, author John Walsh says.

Business

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BusinessAugust 24

FMG shareholders oust Taggart from board

Former Alliance Group chairman Murray Taggart has been dumped from the board of FMG.

Sally Rae

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BusinessAugust 24

Possible US-based risks to record red meat farm gate returns

Downside risks are starting to appear in the red meat sector where farmgate prices have been at or near record highs.

Sally Rae

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BusinessAugust 24

Removing household clutter turns into business for Christchurch student

Christchurch engineering student Zac Hemmings developed a second-hand selling startup after seeing family members struggle with decluttering their homes.

Tim Cronshaw

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BusinessAugust 22

Lying claims as customer takes aim at liquidated Otago boat builder

More customers have come forward in the fallout from the liquidation of a Central Otago boat builder, with one saying he was “lied to” from the start.

Tim Scott

Rural Life

Rural LifeAugust 24

Free-range lockdowns used to manage risk amid bird flu threat

While the threat of bird flu still hangs over the egg industry, the Egg Producers Federation says it's likely free-range chickens will be going in and out of lockdown in coming months.

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Rural Life OtherAugust 23

Continuing the family transport business a focus for young award winner

Two-generations of the Scully family were recently recognised at the Groundspread NZ annual awards gala.

Sally Rae

Rural LifeAugust 20

Critics fear drone fatalities on farms after govt scraps some rules

The government says it is freeing up farmers to use drones more but critics say it increases the chance that a machine could veer off and kill someone.

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Rural EventsAugust 19

Hunting wild goats is a great way to fill a freezer with flavourful meat, Dunedin mum says

Wild goat meat is a great way to feed a family, Dunedin mum Chantalle Harrison says.

Shawn McAvinue

Food & Wine

North CanterburyAugust 20

Wine, food and music festival moving to a Saturday

Robyn Bristow

North CanterburyAugust 20

Marlborough Wine & Food Festival shelved in shock move

Paula Hulburt

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Food & WineAugust 18

Michelin star ‘amazing surprise’ for Wānaka chef

Rebecca Fox

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Food & WineAugust 18

Pumpkin spiced loaf

In Season: Alison Lambert

World

WorldAugust 25

Trump threatens 50% tariffs on autos in Canada trade fight

President Donald Trump has threatened to raise US tariffs on all cars, trucks and automotive parts from Canada, escalating a trade fight after negotiations collapsed last week.

WorldAugust 25

Data centre energy use set to skyrocket across Australia

Artificial intelligence will stretch parts of Australia's electricity network, with energy demand from data centres expected to rise by almost seven times over the next decade.

AAP

WorldAugust 24

Trump's approval at record low as support for Iran war falls

US public approval of the war with Iran fell to its lowest level since the conflict's early days, helping to hold President Donald Trump's popularity at a record low.

WorldAugust 24

Rent stress continuing to rise across Tasman

Australians need to earn about 75% more than the median income to be able to afford the median rental, the latest dire snapshot of the housing market shows.

AAP

West Coast

West CoastAugust 21

Former mayor, now NZ First candidate grilled over council policies

A former West Coast mayor who is running for Parliament has faced tough question over NZ First’s plans to support councils.

Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy reporter

West CoastAugust 20

Solution for slip-prone section of West Coast highway edges closer

An investment case to find a long-term solution to the Epitaph Slip on SH6 in South Westland has now been completed but work on a permanent realignment could be years away.

Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy Reporter

Video

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DunedinAugust 24

Whale up and about on a windy day

Otago Harbour was far from ideal as a playground on Sunday afternoon — with an Antarctic wind sailing up the harbour and waves flying around.

Steve Hepburn

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WānakaAugust 24

New Zealand 20 years behind on wildfires

Albert Town’s bushfire highlights Wānaka’s vulnerability to winter wildfires, but an expert has warned of increasing risk with New Zealand’s response decades behind world leaders

Ruairi O'Shea

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SportAugust 24

Dunedin ice hockey player recovering after heavy hit

Dunedin Thunder star Cole Beckstead is recovering from a nasty head knock he suffered in the New Zealand Ice Hockey League finals.

Hayden Meikle

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WānakaAugust 23

‘An explosion without the noise’: frightening scenes in Albert Town fire

A large blaze that forced 22 homes in Wānaka to be evacuated resembled “an explosion without the noise” and brought back memories of the 2020 Lake Ōhau wildfire, a resident says.

Tim Scott

Opinion

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EditorialAugust 24

Exploring with Captain Luxon

Exploration has always been a hazardous undertaking: venturing in to the great unknown with only one’s wits and instincts to guide you to see what can be found.

Editorial

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OpinionAugust 24

Building a new hotel and saving some of our vintage buildings is good news

Another victory for the old buildings which make Dunedin New Zealand’s best preserved Victorian/Edwardian city.

Jim Sullivan

OpinionAugust 24

Gearing up for Glasgow at the Cally

A major high light for New Zealand at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games was undoubtedly Zoe Hobbs win in the Woman’s 100m sprint.

Joss Miller

OpinionAugust 24

Beware the political pies in the sky

The electoral horizon draws ever closer with the promise of free lunches for all and (likely) unachievable delivery.

Gerrard Eckhoff

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OpinionAugust 24

Cartoonist’s view: August 25

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.

YeoCartoonist

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OpinionAugust 23

Cartoonist’s view

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.

YeoCartoonist

100 Years Ago

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NewsAugust 24

Passenger launch for Lake Wakatipu

A handsome new 40ft tuck-stern passenger launch was launched last week from Mr J. McPherson’s yards near the boat harbour.

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NewsAugust 23

Petite and dainty wedding

The bridegroom was Mr Arthur Espie Porritt, the 1923 Rhodes Scholar from the Dominion and brilliant athlete.

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NewsAugust 21

School of ed celebrates jubilee

The fiftieth anniversary of the establishment of the Dunedin Training College was formally celebrated at a function in the Allen Hall on Saturday morning.

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NewsAugust 20

Driver falls off; tram crashes

AUCKLAND, August 20: The falling off of a motorman and the subsequent loss of the control of a tramcar travelling down Symonds street resulted in a sensational accident shortly before 5 o’clock to-night.