Hamish MacLean

A suspected 20 million-year-old fossilised whale, which for the past 12 years has been lying in an Oamaru backyard, could now help answer questions about a "dark age''.

A motorcyclist died in a four-vehicle crash on the Waitaki River bridge shortly before noon yesterday.

Inappropriate "highly visible alterations" to an Oamaru commercial building have been stopped.

An apparent arboricide application at Oamaru's 1876 public gardens may have failed to fell several mature gum trees at "Milligans Corner", the Waitaki District Council says.

Up to $5 million could be injected into the Waitaki economy after the New Zealand Airline Academy inked a training deal with budget carrier AirAsia India this week.

Waitaki District Council contractors work on the council's recently acquired Thames St property to ''fine-tune'' best practice for maintenance and repairs on Oamaru's heritage limestone buildings.

The 30-year plan for Oamaru Harbour is now likely to go to the public for consultation in July, Waitaki District Council assets group manager Neil Jorgensen says.

Once considered a vagrant species, leopard seals have been granted resident status by the Department of Conservation.

A step has already been missed in the creation of a master plan for Oamaru Harbour - and the $200,000 process may also be behind schedule.

The road to Moeraki is paved and open for traffic.

Survey says ... rebuild the wall.

After up to 900 red-billed gulls nesting atop Countdown Oamaru caused the supermarket grief, its plans to ensure its rooftop is not again inundated are nearly complete.

Pohutukawa trees in planter boxes could replace the sycamores the Waitaki District Council removed in Tyne St earlier this year.

Nothing to see here, no drama, "vastly different".

A couch-surfing New Zealand sea lion seen at Kakanui at the weekend is a young male, most likely from Stewart Island, the Department of Conservation says.