ODT.co.nz | Otago Daily Times | Latest South Island News

SUBSCRIBER

North OtagoOctober 5

Otago school at centre of student ‘sextortion’ allegation revealed

An Otago high school’s handling of “sextortion” allegations is at the centre of a “comprehensive review” by its board of trustees.

Jules Chin

SUBSCRIBER

Central OtagoOctober 5

Planner says gold mine near Luggate should be declined

A council planner says a controversial proposed gold mine in the Central Otago village of Luggate should not go ahead.

Matthew Littlewood

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

Dunedin-Gold Coast flights attract 50,000 passengers in first full year

The numbers are in and nearly 50,000 passengers boarded flights between Dunedin and the Gold Coast over the route’s first full year of service.

Tim Scott

DunedinOctober 5

Temperatures ‘well above average’ in the South this week

Apart from a couple of proverbial “flies in the ointment”, MetService is forecasting a warm week in Otago and Southland, with “well above average” temperatures reaching up to the 20s.

John Lewis

QueenstownOctober 5

Family, friends left ‘deeply heartbroken’ after fatal Queenstown crash

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

‘Significant financial impact’: Dunedin forestry company dealt $10m blow by windstorm

Tim Scott

SUBSCRIBER

SouthlandOctober 5

Medical staff are so fed up with system they are quitting — health CEO

Gerrit Doppenberg

ODT QuizOctober 5

ODT quiz: October 6

Dunedin

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

‘Stunning’ splash of colour reflects Otago Peninsula’s natural beauty

A mural capturing the essence of an Otago Harbour sunrise has made for a “stunning” addition to Macandrew Bay Library.

Ruby Shaw

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

Hospital move number nine ‘similar to moving house’

When moving into a new hospital space, the patient must come first. With that in mind, Robyn Richards — the migration manager for the new Dunedin Hospital outpatients Whare Mātūtū building — is working to make the move as seamless as possible.

John Lewis

DunedinOctober 5

Woman arrested after fight outside Dunedin home leads to firearm cache seizure

A Dunedin street fight took a turn when a firearm was pulled, sparking an armed offenders response and an hours-long police lockdown.

Laine Priestley

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

Maintenance begins on ‘striking’ cliff face

A historic Dunedin landmark is getting its first maintenance since it was carved up and used to reclaim land in Otago Harbour in the late 1860s.

John Lewis

Latest News

1

NationalOctober 5

Exposure to meth in breast milk likely factor in 3-month-old’s death

2

WorldOctober 5

Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague institute lab worker dies

3

ChristchurchOctober 5

Disappearance of young Christchurch father still a mystery

4

QueenstownOctober 5

Family, friends left ‘deeply heartbroken’ after fatal Queenstown crash

5

NationalOctober 5

National crashes, Greens surge, Opportunity kingmaker in latest poll

Otago

SUBSCRIBER

Central OtagoOctober 5

‘There’s nothing left’: Rating changes for Central Otago will hit growers hard, fruit sector says

Central Otago rates will be based on capital value despite a plea from the district's growers.

Julie Asher

SUBSCRIBER

WānakaOctober 5

New Wānaka development pushes housing density rules

Plans for a 177 home development and clubhouse in Wānaka have been lodged with Queenstown Lakes District Council.

Ruairi O'Shea

SUBSCRIBER

QueenstownOctober 5

Manager stole cash, goods from Arrowtown shop

An Arrowtown woman who stole $5500 in cash and goods from the convenience store she managed has been sentenced to community detention and community work.

Guy Williams

SUBSCRIBER

QueenstownOctober 4

Technology helps drive stellar season at Coronet

Despite a fickle start to this winter, Coronet Peak ski area manager Nigel Kerr has hailed this season as the second-best in recent history.

Tracey Roxburgh

Editor's Picks

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 2

‘We have nowhere else to go’: Taxman blamed as small Otago town loses only pub

A small Otago town has lost its only pub and its owner is blaming Inland Revenue.

Tim Scott

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinSeptember 28

Dunedin lawyer’s courthouse theft leaves career in tatters

Rob Kidd

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinSeptember 30

Dunedin killer driver released from prison more than two years early

Rob Kidd

Canterbury

ChristchurchOctober 5

Disappearance of young Christchurch father still a mystery

Police have completed their examination of the last known address of a missing 21-year-old Christchurch man.

ChristchurchOctober 5

Activist John Minto challenges cost of SodaStream sticker damage

Veteran protester John Minto has told a judge he doesn’t want to waste taxpayer money – but is prepared to go to trial over allegations he caused more than $10,000 in damage to SodaStream products.

Al Williams, Open Justice reporter

ChristchurchOctober 5

Crews battle large fire in central Christchurch

Firefighters have been called to a large blaze at a single-storey property in central Christchurch.

Mid CanterburyOctober 5

Young sportswoman dies ‘suddenly and unexpectedly’ in Canterbury

A young Gaelic footballer and gifted boxer from Ireland has died within months of moving to Canterbury.

National

NationalOctober 5

Exposure to meth in breast milk likely factor in 3-month-old’s death

A 3-month-old baby who died from unascertained circumstances had methamphetamine in his system, partly from exposure to his mother’s breast milk.

NationalOctober 5

National crashes, Greens surge, Opportunity kingmaker in latest poll

National has plunged below 26 percent in a new RNZ-Reid Research poll, while the Greens have surged about a month out from voting day.

NationalOctober 5

Co-pilot accused of attacking captain had spent time in NZ, Australia

The Omani co-pilot accused of trying to hijack a Flydubai flight in a bloody attack last week had spent time in New Zealand and Australia.

NationalOctober 5

Crown outlines case against four over Loafers Lodge fire deaths

The deaths of five men killed in the 2023 Loafers Lodge blaze in Wellington were avoidable, a jury has been told.

Southland

SUBSCRIBER

SouthlandOctober 5

Resident ‘doesn’t feel safe’ as nearby trees hit power lines

A Greenhills resident is living in fear after trees near his property hit powerlines, causing them to arc and smoke.

Tayler Mutton

SouthlandOctober 5

Southland highway reopens after critical injury crash

A Southland highway has reopened after a crash that left four people injured, one critically, today.

Sport

SUBSCRIBER

RugbyOctober 5

Lack of FPC coverage frustrates fans

Lack of televised coverage for the Farah Palmer Cup has sparked an outcry from fans, including some who say the men’s game would never be given the same treatment.

Kayla Hodge

SportOctober 5

Jack Tyro set to carve it up on the world stage

Former Christchurch surfer Jack Tyro will captain NZ's youngest longboarding squad when he paddles out for the world championships in El Salvador this month.

SUBSCRIBER

SportOctober 5

Deans’ silver success at first world cup stop

Dunedin Olympian Caitlin Deans has made a memorable start to the world cup series.

Kayla Hodge

SUBSCRIBER

BasketballOctober 5

Hoiho add another guard to their roster

Casey Valenti-Paea knows how to win.

Kayla Hodge

Lifestyle

SUBSCRIBER

TravelOctober 5

Across Continents With Nana: A journey of legacy, love and African wildness

Some journeys begin as a dream, but mine began with my Nana. At 90 years old, she announced - to her family’s horror - she was heading back to Africa,

SUBSCRIBER

The MixOctober 2

Show employs humour to explore Māori identity

Īhaka Martyn is returning to where it all began with his show exploring the nature of identity, he tells Tom McKinlay.

SUBSCRIBER

The MixOctober 2

Reb Fountain is singing songs for now

Reb Fountain is back with a new album, and touring with a five-piece band.

The MixOctober 2

Communities are putting up green shoots

Communities standing up for nature are benefiting from the seeds they have sown, writes Scott Willis.

Business

SUBSCRIBER

BusinessOctober 5

Pensioners huddling in their beds, struggling on poverty line

Elderly tenants unable to pay all of their bills on a single pension are living below the poverty line in Christchurch.

Tim Cronshaw

BusinessOctober 5

Petrol price hits highest level since start of Iran war

Petrol prices have hit their highest level since the start of the Iran-US war.

BusinessOctober 5

Woolworths changes up its 'three for $20' special

Woolworths' 'three-for-$20' special is no more and has been replaced with a "three-for-$24.99" offer.

BusinessOctober 5

Waiting for economic recovery? Hold on until next year, bank says

New Zealand households probably won't feel much better off until next year, ASB says.

Rural Life

SUBSCRIBER

Red MeatSeptember 30

Six-figure sire hits Southland after North Otago stop to collect genetics

An $100,000 black bull is now in his new home in Southland after a stop in Otago to harvest semen to sell to underbidders.

Shawn McAvinue

SUBSCRIBER

Red MeatSeptember 30

A hope of higher prices for yearling bulls to continue at southern sales

The outlook is positive as the spring bull sale season nears in Southland and Otago, an agent and vendors say.

Shawn McAvinue

SUBSCRIBER

Rural EventsSeptember 30

Commemorating 65 years of fine wool harvesting in Central Otago

Get set to celebrate a New Zealand Merino Shears milestone for two days in Alexandra from Friday.

Shawn McAvinue

DairySeptember 30

Southland dairy farmer seeks position on Fonterra board of directors

Southland dairy farm owner Peter Moynihan is a candidate vying for two farmer-elected positions on Fonterra’s board of directors.

Food & Wine

Food & WineSeptember 29

Simple, nourishing and stress-free meals for families

SUBSCRIBER

Food & WineSeptember 29

New technology allows zero alcohol beers to be poured from a beer tap

Beer — Ric Oram

SUBSCRIBER

Food & WineSeptember 29

Hawke’s Bay New Zealand’s second largest wine region

Wine Times: Mark Henderson

SUBSCRIBER

Food & WineSeptember 29

Crunchy raw kohlarbi salad

In Season: Alison Lambert

World

WorldOctober 5

Dozens quarantined in Siberia after plague institute lab worker dies

A laboratory worker at a plague research institute in Siberia has fallen ill and died in undisclosed circumstances, prompting authorities to quarantine dozens of people, and the head of Russia's health watchdog to fly to the Irkutsk region.

WorldOctober 5

Four still in hospital after NRL fans struck by car

Four league fans remain in hospital after a car ploughed into them as they waited to cheer on their team ahead of the weekend's NRL grand final.

AAP

WorldOctober 5

US removes bombers from UK air base amid security concerns

The US has removed its B-1 bombers from a UK air base a week after several men were arrested there on suspicion of preparing terrorist acts.

WorldOctober 5

Brazil heads to runoff election after son of jailed former president narrowly wins first round

Brazilian Senator Flavio Bolsonaro will face President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in the runoff of a presidential election, after the challenger took some 47% of valid votes in the first round, beating the forecasts in most private surveys.

West Coast

West CoastOctober 5

1080 poison drop planned on 29,000ha of national park

DOC plans to drop 1080 poison over a large chunk of the Kahurangi National Park, including the popular Heaphy Track, in a new predator control operation.

Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy Reporting

SUBSCRIBER

West CoastOctober 2

Drug dealer deemed ‘low risk’, allowed to return to property

Convicted drug dealer Mike Milne has been allowed to return to his secluded Cowboy Paradise property where he grew more than $2million worth of cannabis in an underground bunker due to being deemed at ‘‘low risk’’ of re-offending by the New Zealand Parole Board.

Janna Sherman

SUBSCRIBER

Class ActSeptember 21

Class Act 2026: All the recipients

Class Act celebrates the excellence of young people in our province and now, more than ever, we will be looking to them for leadership.

Paul McIntyre

Video

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

‘Stunning’ splash of colour reflects Otago Peninsula’s natural beauty

A mural capturing the essence of an Otago Harbour sunrise has made for a “stunning” addition to Macandrew Bay Library.

Ruby Shaw

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

‘I'm very conscious of the poverty in Africa’: Dunedin nan racks up 37 years of sponsoring children

Mary McFarlane treasures her memory of a young girl’s delight at being gifted a box of pencils.

Ruby Shaw

SUBSCRIBER

DunedinOctober 5

Onwards and upwards

Less than three months after the first steel column was erected on the new Dunedin hospital  inpatients building site, the facility is rising rapidly from the extensive foundations.

John Lewis

NationalOctober 5

Near-miss with train interrupts Greens' level crossing announcement

While announcing plans to fund the removal of some level crossings over safety concerns, Green Party MPs witnessed something of a near-miss themselves.

Opinion

SUBSCRIBER

OpinionOctober 5

Cartoonist’s view: October 6

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.

YeoCartoonist

SUBSCRIBER

OpinionOctober 5

At election time prepare to be deceived by appearances.

Last week I met a woman who is playing a crucial role in this year’s election.

Jim Sullivan

SUBSCRIBER

OpinionOctober 5

Anti-war novel ‘Slaughterhouse‑Five’ remains a target of censorship

Bruce Severy, a full-bearded, idealistic 26-year-old, moved from Southern California in 1973 to the small town of Drake, North Dakota, where he had accepted a job teaching English at the public high school.

Susan Farrell

OpinionOctober 5

Energy storage for a green grid

The need to invest into energy efficiency and low emissions technologies is uncontentious.

Dr Dougal McQueen

SUBSCRIBER

EditorialOctober 5

Is an eye really worth an eye?

Of the many things which divide opinion, possibly the most fraught is the death penalty.

Editorial

SUBSCRIBER

OpinionOctober 4

You know you can't bomb your ghost nukes bro

“Devastating Iran’s nuclear facilities was . . . very hard to do,” Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin ‘Bibi’ Netanyahu told the United Nations General Assembly last month.

Gwynne Dyer

100 Years Ago

SUBSCRIBER

NewsOctober 5

Thousands mourn Mother Aubert

100 years ago

SUBSCRIBER

NewsOctober 4

Church of Christ opens

100 years ago

SUBSCRIBER

NewsOctober 2

Kaitangata wins cup

100 years ago

SUBSCRIBER

NewsOctober 1

Mole inspection

The visit by members of the Otago Harbour Board to the Heads, to inspect the works which have been recently started there was carried out yesterday.