The prospect of a luxury hotel development in the heart of Dunedin is "a step closer" after four interested parties put their hands up to be involved, the Dunedin City Council says.
Tales of old coal mines underneath part of the Dunedin suburb of Fairfield have brought back memories of adventure and death inside the tunnels for one former resident.
Dunedin city councillor Lee Vandervis has been censured by his colleagues after a investigation found he engaged in "loud, aggressive and intimidating behaviour" towards a staff member.
The reopening of a bridge across the swollen Rangitata River means the two halves of the east coast of the South Island have been reconnected, but parts of the West Coast remain isolated.