Hamish MacLean

Ready for the 81st annual Oamaru Performing Arts Society festival beginning tomorrow are (front, from left) Lucy Mavor and Katie Murphy jjoined by (back, from left) Isla Selfe, Neve Mavor, Hannah Lewis and Sarah Jamison.

More cash would be better than debt relief, trust says

More cash would be better than debt relief, trust says

Cash from the Waitaki District Council would be better than debt relief, Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust operations manager Dr Mark Smith says.

Council service culture attacked

The Otago Chamber of Commerce blasted the customer service "culture'' at the Waitaki District Council yesterday - and then asked it to consider a $10 million revamp of Oamaru's CBD.

57% against rec centre idea

More than half of those who responded to the Waitaki District Council’s long-term plan consultation have said "no" to a proposed $14 million indoor recreation centre for Oamaru.

Club wants downhill trail to new BMX track; mayor ponders funding

A downhill mountain bike track leading to the BMX track under construction in Oamaru could help "keep more kids on their bikes", Mountain Biking North Otago says.

Forest & Bird asks to get track reopened

The Waitaki Branch of Forest & Bird has asked the council to work with the Department of Conservation (Doc) to reopen Graves Track along the sea-edge of Cape Wanbrow in its submission to the...

Call for ‘proper discussion’ over increasing assistance to trust

The Loan and Merc building in Harbour St, Oamaru. Photo: ODT

Call for ‘proper discussion’ over increasing assistance to trust

Without increased funding for the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust, historic Harbour St could lose its character, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher says.

Council writes off Fenz loan

Waitaki rural firefighters control a blaze on a Waitaki River island in January 2016. Fire and...

Council writes off Fenz loan

The Waitaki District Council has burned a $285,145 loan to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) off its books.

Shag viewing area proposed at wharf

The Waitaki District Council could build a viewing area for the increasing number of people...

Shag viewing area proposed at wharf

Building a viewing area on Sumpter Wharf for the growing number of visitors to Oamaru who stop for a look at one of the largest colonies of Otago shags was one of four projects to receive the go...

Touching the prize

Touching the prize

Thrilled to get their hands on the Women's Rugby World Cup are (from left) Taliyah Mathewson (11), of Weston, Evie Wilson (11), of Weston, Dunedin-raised Black Fern Victoria Subritzky-Nafatali,...

Pipeline work to go ahead

Pipeline work to go ahead

The Waitaki District Council will go ahead with a ''private pipeline'' to ease regular flooding on a rural road south of Oamaru.

Decision about pipeline today

Papakaio Rd in the Waitaki Plains is closed due to flooding. Photo: Hamish MacLean

Decision about pipeline today

The fix for a regularly flooded rural road south of Oamaru will be decided by the Waitaki District Council today.

Novel event to replace Fire and Steam

Revellers enjoy last year's Fire and Steam in Harbour St. The event was dropped by Tourism...

Novel event to replace Fire and Steam

A yet-to-be-named event will replace the cancelled Fire and Steam to kick start this year's Steampunk NZ Festival weekend in Oamaru at the end of the month.

Drop in numbers top topic

About 250 breeding pairs of yellow-eyed penguins exist on the New Zealand mainland. Photo: ODT...

Drop in numbers top topic

The drop in numbers of yellow-eyed penguins was top of mind for the 70 people attendingt this year's Oamaru Penguin Symposium, organiser Dr Philippa Agnew says.

Plan needed to halt deaths of penguins

Moeraki's yellow-eyed penguin colony was among the hardest hit by avian malaria, which had not...

Plan needed to halt deaths of penguins

Avian malaria has killed nearly 30 of the world's rarest penguin species this year, and a plan needs to be in place to deal with the blood parasite before the next breeding season.

Young shooters set their priorities, to little avail

Paddy Henwood, of Mid Canterbury, Bryden Skinner, of Papakaio, and Mason Kinzett, of Oamaru,...

Young shooters set their priorities, to little avail

The ducks were flying a bit high in North Otago for a successful start to duck-shooting season for the young guns of Paddy Henwood (17), of Mid Canterbury, Bryden Skinner (17), of Papakaio, and...

Company to demolish main street building

Company to demolish main street building

The earthmoving company that backed Waimate’s event centre is pulling down a derelict building in Waimate’s main street to make way for a new development.

Fire and Steam event canned after pull-out

Fire and Steam event canned after pull-out

The first major event when steampunks take over Oamaru at the end of the month has been pulled.

Metal moa will soon have company

North Otago artist Matt King has begun work on a life-size found-metal Haast’s eagle that will be...

Metal moa will soon have company

At the brewery hole in Duntroon, an unsuspecting moa stands unaware of the danger that will soon appear above it.

Geopark in all but name before Unesco approval

Surveying the karst landforms of the Waitaki are (from left) Terry Baines, of Sandspit, New...

Geopark in all but name before Unesco approval

Securing Unesco status as a global geopark would be "enormously exciting" for the Waitaki district.

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Hamish MacLean