Hamish MacLean

Breeding season begins as first bird returns

The Royal Albatross Centre on Taiaroa Head. PHOTO: ODT FILES

Breeding season begins as first bird returns

After seven months of soaring the Roaring Forties, a northern royal albatross has returned to the Taiaroa Head colony on Otago Peninsula, marking the beginning of a new breeding season for the...

St Clair cement spill inquiry ongoing

Contractors pour cement for new stairs beside the St Clair Hot Salt Water Pool in this June file...

St Clair cement spill inquiry ongoing

More than a month after DCC contractors spilled cement into the water off the St Clair sea wall, the regional council is unable to say whether the incident had adverse effects on the environment or whether enforcement action will be taken.

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Councillors, CEO called to account over deficits

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Councillors, CEO called to account over deficits

The ORC chief executive and regional councillors are to blame for a string of deficits at the council that has caught the attention of the auditor-general, its interim chief executive says.

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Council’s ongoing use of reserves criticised

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Council’s ongoing use of reserves criticised

The Otago Regional Council has been "hiding" millions of dollars of overspending by covering its annual deficits with money from diminishing reserves, an outgoing Otago regional councillor says.

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‘Cornerstone document’ split in two

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‘Cornerstone document’ split in two

The Otago Regional Council says it has divided its cornerstone regional policy statement into two parts and will renotify the freshwater components by the end of the month.

Harbour rescue as waka crew hits trouble

The incident happened on Otago Harbour near Vauxhall. Photo: Supplied

Harbour rescue as waka crew hits trouble

Three people were taken to hospital with suspected hypothermia after their waka was "swamped by waves" on a windy Otago Harbour yesterday.

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Data shows rate of sea-level rise increasing

High tides at St Clair attract visitors but could also signal rising sea levels. PHOTO: PETER...

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Data shows rate of sea-level rise increasing

Sea-level rise in Dunedin has more than doubled during the past six decades, Stats NZ data shows.

Council consent funding goes unclaimed

The Otago Regional Council handed out more than $10,000 last year to support consent applications for environmentally positive projects.

Seven now positive score in ORC satisfaction survey

A score of seven out of 10 will count as a positive result for the Otago Regional Council now the council has adopted a more forgiving scorecard for its community satisfaction survey.

Storms could cost ORC over $2 million

A swollen Taieri River at Henley this July. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON

Storms could cost ORC over $2 million

Flood damage from four winter storms this year could cost the Otago Regional Council more than $2 million.

New air pollution monitoring reveals trouble spots

Lake Hawea recorded the highest 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration. File photo

New air pollution monitoring reveals trouble spots

New monitoring for fine airborne particles that cause cardiovascular and respiratory disease and cancers has revealed four possible trouble spots in Otago.

ORC to consider reclassifying community survey results

Otago regional councillors could change the scorecard for this year’s community satisfaction survey to get a better result for the council.

Plenty of work ahead for new ORC members

A new term and fresh start may be just what the doctor ordered after a tumultuous three years at the Otago Regional Council.

Smooth Hill landfill plan granted consent

The proposed Smooth Hill site, looking North towards Dunedin. PHOTO: ODT FILES

Smooth Hill landfill plan granted consent

Consent has been granted for Dunedin’s next municipal landfill south of the city at Smooth Hill.

‘More than minor’: Planned dairy farm complex faces strong opposition

‘More than minor’: Planned dairy farm complex faces strong opposition

A proposal to build Southland’s largest dairy-barn complex on the doorstep of Fiordland National Park should not go ahead, the district council says.

Museum returns taiaha to its iwi

Te Runanga o Otakou chairwoman Rachel Wesley takes part in an official ceremony yesterday, when a...

Museum returns taiaha to its iwi

A taiaha once used to block Pakeha from entering the King Country has been returned to Ngati Maniapoto by Otago Museum.

Tomahawk sand mining has locals worried

Tomahawk resident Robert Strang is increasingly concerned about the amount of sand being taken...

Tomahawk sand mining has locals worried

The erosion at Tomahawk Beach has reached a critical point, concerned residents say.

Minister visits wildlife hospital

Conservation Minister Poto Williams stops in at the Dunedin Wildlife Hospital for a tour with...

Minister visits wildlife hospital

If New Zealanders can create a better world for birds, they will have gone a long way towards improving the environment for all indigenous biodiversity, Conservation Minister Poto Williams says.

ORC spent $952,000 over budget on legal fees

The Otago Regional Council spent nearly $1million more than planned on legal fees last year.

Hope drone will find meteorite

Otago University geology students look for a meteorite which they believe landed somewhere Lee...

Hope drone will find meteorite

A global effort is refining the search for a meteorite believed to have struck the earth near Dunedin last week.

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Hamish MacLean