Rebecca Fox

The abandonment of a population management plan for one of the world's rarest sea lions is a disappointment, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust says.

An injured endangered royal northern albatross chick has been flown to Massey University's wildlife health centre in the hope its life can be saved.

A Dunedin rare book dealer made the winning bid for the 233-year-old gold filigree snuff box once owned by Robert Burns, but it is not yet known if the historic piece is for sale.

Two southern right whales spent yesterday lazing about in the sun in Waikouaiti Bay, providing Department of Conservation staff with the perfect opportunity to gather another sample to add to the database of genetic information on the nationally endangered whale.

Paua reseeding off the coast of Papatowai has shown that if hatchery-reared paua are put out in the right habitats they will make a very significant contribution to paua numbers, Dunedin fisheries scientist Bob Street says.

Otago Regional Council chief executive Graeme Martin will neither confirm nor deny whether a code of conduct complaint has been laid against any councillor.

Two Otago regional councillors have questioned the appropriateness of chairman Stephen Cairns carrying out both chairmanship and real estate roles, in a process a third councillor later called a "kangaroo court" while another dubbed it "despicable".

Sitting at the dinner table, 5-year-old Grace Hughes has a plate of food in front of her. She even loads her fork, but it is all pretend.

What action the Otago Regional Council should take in light of a decision to turn down resource consents for a proposed flood protection training line on the Shotover Delta will be decided at a council meeting today.

The Otago Regional Council's first payment towards the Forsyth Barr Stadium, due on August 1, has been delayed while "trustee responsibility" for regional ratepayers funds is "explored and optimised".

Maniototo water take consent holders who are significantly non-compliant could face enforcement action if they do not meet their conditions by their next Otago Regional Council inspection.

Yellow-eyed penguins are nesting in greater number at Sandfly Bay, giving the Department of Conservation hope its programmes to reduce human impact on the endangered species are working.

Despite investigations by Massey University wildlife scientists, mystery still surrounds the cause of the skull deformities in endangered yellow-eyed penguins at Okia Reserve and the deaths of penguins from other Otago Peninsula beaches last summer.

"Tinkering" with restrictions on groundwater levels has been suggested for the lower Taieri basin which could protect flows in the Silver Stream and reduce the need for drainage system pumping.