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DunedinNovember 1

Call for government to step up and protect NZ’s cultural heritage

A director of several Dunedin museums, galleries and cultural collections has called for the government to stop being a “bystander”, and commit to long-term cross-party action that will provide a sustainable funding model to protect New Zealand’s cultural heritage.

John Lewis

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DunedinNovember 1

Forecast stokes Fenz fears over fireworks

Halloween’s usual ghoulish costumes and over-consumption of sweets is now out of the way, and the next frightful event could be Guy Fawkes, with fireworks going off in hot and windy conditions on Thursday.

John Lewis

South OtagoNovember 2

Victim ‘incredibly shaken’ after alleged serious assault at Balclutha campground

Police are investigating an alleged serious assault at a Balclutha campground that left the victim “incredibly shaken”.

Tim Scott

ChristchurchNovember 2

More mental health patients allowed leave at time of murder, inquest told

An increasing number of patients at Christchurch's Hillmorton Hospital were given community leave around the time a woman was murdered by one in the street, an inquest has heard.

RacingNovember 2

ODT Racing Chat: Wingatui gears up for Melbourne Cup

Paul Dwyer

DunedinNovember 2

‘We can’t take away this betrayal’: Minister revealed as child sex abuser lived in Dunedin

Tim Scott

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DunedinNovember 1

‘Monstrosities’: Residents dismayed by comms tower construction in Kew

Steve Hepburn

ODT QuizNovember 1

ODT quiz: November 2

Dunedin

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DunedinNovember 2

‘Really disappointing’: Council’s bid for $1.5m funding for Forbury flood works knocked back by govt

A plan to use Forbury Park for flood mitigation works has suffered a “really disappointing” setback after the government rejected the Dunedin City Council’s funding plea.

Ruby Shaw

DunedinNovember 2

Spike in Subaru thefts in Dunedin area

Police are warning Subaru owners to be vigilant after nearly 30 vehicles of that brand have been targetted by thieves in the wider Dunedin area.

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DunedinNovember 1

‘Cost of greed crisis’ top of topics at Dunedin political forum

The “Cat in the Hat” political forum in Dunedin, again raised the ongoing spectre of New Zealand’s cost of living crisis, with one political candidate going so far as to describe it as a “cost of greed crisis”.

John Lewis

DunedinNovember 1

‘Spells of unusually warm’ and dry weather forecast for Dunedin this summer

Rather than the usual Lakes and Central Otago district holiday hotspots, it appears “spells of unusually warm” weather may make Dunedin the place to be this summer.

John Lewis

Latest News

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ChristchurchNovember 2

More mental health patients allowed leave at time of murder, inquest told

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BusinessNovember 2

Nappy company told to investigate after complaints of rashes

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WorldNovember 2

Police with assault rifles begin Sydney patrols

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NationalNovember 2

Two-speed economy poses dilemma for National

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NationalNovember 2

Concern as thousands of young people lose access to unemployment benefits

Otago

Central OtagoNovember 1

‘Inaccuracies’ in consent application for Lauder human waste dumping

The Otago Regional Council will review a controversial consent to dump treated human waste from Wānaka on farmland near Lauder after discovering inaccuracies in the original application.

Central OtagoNovember 1

One taken to hospital after burn-off ‘exploded’ at Millers Flat

One person was transported to Dunedin Hospital with moderate injuries after a controlled burn “exploded” as it was being lit.

Tim Scott

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QueenstownNovember 1

Guiding company hits out at Remarkables expansion; NZTA concerned about traffic demands

A guiding company says the proposed Remarkables ski area expansion will have a severe effect on its business and take away the most accessible and cheapest area in Queenstown for back country skiing.

Steve Hepburn

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South OtagoNovember 1

Heritage day celebrates steam, smoke and song

Visitors immersed themselves in steam, smoke and song in Lawrence on Sunday, as the town held its annual Heritage Day.

Richard Davison

Editor's Picks

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DunedinOctober 28

Fall of a beauty queen: Pageant runner-up involved in ugly Octagon assault, luxury hotel rip-off

A former pageant queen racked up a $2700 bill at a five-star Queenstown hotel then scarpered without paying, a court has heard.

Rob Kidd

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QueenstownOctober 30

Jason Momoa-owned company caught up in Queenstown restaurant collapse

Tim Scott

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WānakaOctober 27

‘Dressed like they’re working in a strip club’: Wānaka gym owner hits back at ‘sexist’ review

Ruairi O'Shea

Canterbury

CanterburyNovember 2

Nitrate levels in rural groundwater remain a concern

Greenpeace says Environment Canterbury's latest groundwater survey shows the region is still in a nitrate emergency.

David Hill, Local Democracy reporter

Mid CanterburyNovember 1

Selwyn’s booming growth delivers $104m surplus

Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon says the council's $104m surplus “is not cash” sitting in the bank of the country's fastest growing district.

Jonathan Leask of LDR

ChristchurchOctober 30

Prisoner to be disciplined after lighting fire in Christchurch cell

A prisoner will be disciplined by Corrections after lighting a fire in his cell at Christchurch Men's Prison.

ChristchurchOctober 30

Nurse Maude inspiring young people to enter the healthcare sector

Canterbury home care provider Nurse Maude has gifted a book about healthcare heroes to primary schools across Christchurch to inspire the next generation and mark the organisation’s 130th anniversary.

Election 2026

NationalNovember 2

Two-speed economy poses dilemma for National

As NZ emerges from years of sluggish economic growth, its lagging urban sector presents a challenge for National to retain votes in the cities of 30,000 or more that are home to about 65% of a population of 5.5 million.

Lucy Craymer and Alasdair Pal of Reuters

NationalNovember 2

Labour pledges crackdown on 'unfair' household bills

Labour has promised to prevent phone, internet and insurance companies charging loyal customers more than new ones, if it is elected on November 7.

NationalNovember 1

'Effectively being cyber-bullied': Chlöe Swarbrick hits back against Nats’ attacks

Greens co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the National Party's attacks on her in the election campaign amount to "nasty" hysterical cyber-bullying.

SouthlandNovember 1

Questions arise over timing of govt train loan

Invercargill's mayor says ratepayers should not be asked to pay for a new train service, at a time when the government is asking councils to cut down on spending.

Southland

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SouthlandNovember 1

Wind, wins and wives: Tour of Southland legends reflect on 70 years.

Nightcaps — a small dot on the western Southland map, but it played a big role in the lives of several Tour of Southland champions — inspiring one future winner and introducing another to the then-school girl he would later marry.

Toni McDonald

SouthlandNovember 1

'We’re globally important': Inside the rise of a Kiwi space company

Matthew Rosenberg

SouthlandOctober 30

‘Blight on city centre’ to finally be demolished after destructive fire

National

NationalNovember 2

Concern as thousands of young people lose access to unemployment benefits

The government has ended Jobseeker payments for 18 and 19-year-olds whose parents earn a combined income of more than $67,225.

NationalNovember 2

Response for at-risk victims ‘outdated’: police staffer

A senior police staffer involved in the multi-agency response to family violence has publicly criticised the system used by agencies to respond to at-risk victims describing it as "outdated" and "no longer fit for purpose".

Sam Sherwood of RNZ

NationalNovember 2

Fraudster stole identities of 22 victims

After calling the national transport agency on a private police-only number from prison, inmate Hayden Gobey gave staff an ID number and fake name and listed his rank as either constable or detective.

Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter

NationalNovember 1

Labour leads National on all top five voter concerns

The latest Ipsos poll adds pressure on National in the final week before election day, even as the party clashes with its coalition partners over vote-splitting.

Sport

MotorsportNovember 2

Antonelli makes history as youngest F1 champion

Kimi Antonelli is the first Italian Formula One champion in 73 years.

Reuters

NetballNovember 2

Why plug pulled on Mowbray-Williams netball deal

Netball NZ says it is already working on an alternative pathway to ensure an elite domestic competition can go ahead in 2027.

Dana Johannsen of RNZ

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CricketNovember 1

Otago fight back to beat Central Districts

Never give up, people.

Adrian Seconi

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BasketballNovember 1

Hoiho clinch playoff spot with win at the buzzer

The Southern Hoiho have locked away a playoff spot with another down to the wire thriller against the Tokomanawa Queens.

Kayla Hodge

Lifestyle

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The MixNovember 6

Throwing Muses frontwoman is focused on the songs

Sometimes you have to go it alone.

Matthew Littlewood

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The MixOctober 30

Community holds the solution to climate change

As a new report underlines the threat of climate change, long-time climate researchers say we already know how we need to respond, Tom McKinlay writes.

By TOM MCKINLAY

The MixOctober 30

Nurturing success at Orokonui Ecosanctuary

It’s been a year of mounting successes beneath the peaks of Māpounui and Mihiwaka, Madison Kelly writes.

The MixOctober 30

Book review: Sombre moments in military, commercial helicopter careers

Lucky You’re Tough is a book of two halves.

Jim Sullivan

Business

BusinessNovember 2

Nappy company told to investigate after complaints of rashes

Consumer NZ says the country is not acting strongly enough to protect babies from potentially unsafe products.

RNZ Checkpoint

BusinessNovember 1

South Island businesses report Eftpos outages

Multiple South Island businesses are reporting Eftpos outages on Monday.

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BusinessNovember 1

Nesting birds spark millions of dollars in claims for tractor fires

Pesky starlings building bird nests are causing $1.2 million of claims in farm machinery fires for rural insurer FMG each year.

Tim Cronshaw

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BusinessNovember 1

Four generations later and Christchurch’s HamiltonJet still going strong

Sam Hamilton accepts there might be less time on the water for jetboating as the new chairman of a multi-generational business in Christchurch.

Tim Cronshaw

Rural Life

DairyNovember 2

Environmental breaches on dairy farms leading to bigger fines

Some dairy farmers are starting to feel the impact of stiffer penalties of up to a million dollars introduced last year under the Resource Management Act.

DairyOctober 29

Improving demand boosts milk price forecast

Fonterra has lifted its forecast farmgate milk price for the current season by 25 cents.

RNZ

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DairyOctober 28

Eastern Southland dairy farmers collect supreme award as they seek to progress

Eastern Southland contract milker Jippy Singh is using his recent award success as fuel to take the next step in his dairy industry career.

Shawn McAvinue

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HorticultureOctober 28

Orchard workers arrive to good-looking fruit crops set up by favourable spring conditions in Central Otago

The season has been favourable so far but it may face a blight of rising freight costs, tighter retail margins and a staff accommodation shortage, Central Otago fruit growers say.

Shawn McAvinue

Food & Wine

Food & WineOctober 27

Healthier and more equitable food system needed from political parties

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Food & WineOctober 27

Cheddar, potato and caramelised onion focaccia

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Food & WineOctober 27

Grilled asparagus, melted curds and frozen lemon

In Season — Alison Lambert

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Food & WineOctober 27

Harvesting hops at night to enhance the flavour

Beer — Ric Oram

World

WorldNovember 2

Police with assault rifles begin Sydney patrols

The measure is the first of its kind in Australia, where the presence of heavily armed police officers is rare.

Reuters

WorldNovember 1

Nine people killed in Learjet crash in Florida

A Learjet 60 with nine people on board has crashed in Florida, killing all nine people on board.

Reuters

WorldNovember 1

Trump makes plans for Democrats win in midterms

US President Donald Trump's White House has spent months preparing for a possible Democratic takeover of Congress.

WorldNovember 1

Shops looted as German cost-of-living protests turn violent

Rioters looted shops in central Frankfurt late on Saturday as clashes erupted in German cities over the cost of living.

West Coast

West CoastOctober 29

WorkSafe seeks witnesses to ‘serious incident’ where teens plunged 12m to ground from Ferris wheel

A teenager has had nightmares since watching her friend fall 12m from a Ferris wheel at a West Coast agricultural show after a seat broke.

West CoastOctober 29

Rising riverbed risks Franz Josef disaster

A leading NZ hydrologist says Franz Josef is only one flood away from disaster as the Waiho (Waiau) Riverbed continues to rise at an alarming rate.

Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy reporter

Video

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DunedinNovember 1

AI wildlife trackers and Lego robots: Otago’s young tech innovators go head-to-head

Young Otago innovators went head-to-head in a high-stakes battle of coding and creativity at a regional robotics competition.

Laine Priestley

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DunedinNovember 1

Works of art, on the run

A Dunedin family participate in the Night 'n Day Rainbow Run at Logan Park, on Sunday.

John Lewis

OtagoOctober 31

Wind warning for inland Otago as front bears down

Forecasters are warning of strong winds which may become severe gales in inland Otago on Sunday.

SouthlandOctober 30

‘Blight on city centre’ to finally be demolished after destructive fire

An historic building described as a blight on the Invercargill city centre will finally be demolished three years after it was gutted by fire.

Opinion

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OpinionNovember 1

When they were bad they were horrid

When I was a little girl, I had a little curl in the middle of my forehead. In fact, I had a whole head of blonde curls, springing like corkscrews from my incorrigibly round and sturdy head.

Jean Balchin

OpinionNovember 1

The don’t blame me, blame yourself, approach to climate issues

In the recently released movie Digger the oil tycoon Digger Rockwell faces a crowd of angry legislators who blame him, quite rightly, for his oil-drilling directly causing a major climate catastrophe.

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OpinionNovember 1

Have the political winds changed direction?

It has been quite a week.

Gwynne Dyer

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EditorialNovember 1

Pay equity farce

The bizarre stalling of the hospice nurses’ pay equity claim revealed last week illustrates the shallowness of the government’s rhetoric about the new scheme.

Editorial

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OpinionOctober 30

Are you for them, they, those, or the others?

How often do we hear party leaders say they are only interested in the poll that counts – the election itself?

Civis

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EditorialOctober 30

A glimmer of hope for democracy?

Might we be seeing the first signs of rocks crumbling beneath authoritarian and far-right leaderships across the world?

Editorial

100 Years Ago

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NewsNovember 1

Pope marries niece

100 years ago

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NewsOctober 30

Catholics mark new feast day

To celebrate the newest feast-day in the calendar of the Roman Catholic Church — a day set apart in honour of Jesus Christ as a spiritual King — October 31, 1926 was fixed by his Holiness Pope Pius XI, on which date all the Catholic Churches of the world were to join in common worship.

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NewsOctober 29

Champs to take on Victoria regatta

100 years ago

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NewsOctober 28

More land for Port Chalmers

100 years ago