A record dividend paid out by Whitestone Contracting Ltd to its owner, the Waitaki District Council, could dampen rates rises in future years.
Otekaieke water-race consumers will vote in July on whether the scheme should be transferred into private ownership from the Waitaki District Council.
Only one group is likely to oppose a new $900 million power scheme proposed by Meridian Energy Ltd on the lower Waitaki River in an Environment Court hearing next month.
The Waitaki River is slowly falling almost a week after heavy rain brought major in-flows into the upper catchment hydro storage lakes.
The Omarama Airport is enjoying a surge in activity, with aircraft movements exceeding those of last year.
A new flood protection system saved at least five houses from flooding in the Waitaki Bridge camp when water ponded in a neighbouring paddock from high flows in the Waitaki River this week - and was lapping nearly at floor level.
Hydro-electricity storage lakes in the South Island may be overflowing, but consumers will not get cheaper electricity.
A second major opponent of a new $900 million power scheme on the lower Waitaki River is withdrawing its opposition after reaching an agreement with the project's proponent, Meridian Energy Ltd.
High flows into hydro storage lakes in the upper Waitaki catchment are starting to ease, but the Waitaki River is likely to remain in flood until after this weekend.
The mobile surgical bus service will perform its 10,000th operation when it visits Oamaru Hospital next week.
Farmers and people living on low-lying areas by the Waitaki River were being warned yesterday the worst may not be over as the lower river continues to flow at flood levels, the highest since December 1995.
Every cloud has a silver lining and heavy rain and flooding brought one for Omarama School yesterday.
The state of Omarama's water supply after flooding in the town at the weekend has raised the ire of one resident, but the Waitaki District Council has defended continuing to pump from the discoloured Omarama Stream into its reservoir.
Waitaki Mayor Alex Familton is confident Parliament will clear the way for the Waitaki District Council to go ahead with its luxury residential subdivision on Cape Wanbrow in Oamaru.
Water theft from rural water schemes has sparked the Waitaki District Council to take action against offenders.
The twin bridges at Kurow on State Highway 82 were closed last night and the lower Waitaki River was in flood after heavy rain in the upper catchment forced Meridian Energy Ltd to spill water from over-full hydro storage lakes.
High flows in the lower Waitaki River are expected to continue "for days, if not a week" as Meridian Energy copes with more than 550mm of rain which has fallen in the Mt Cook area of the Southern Alps in the past five days.
The effects of building a cement plant in the Waiareka Valley ranged from acceptable to unacceptable in contrasting arguments put to the Environment Court.
A multipurpose building at the Whitestone Contracting Stadium to house North Otago sporting organisations has been suggested by the North Otago Rugby Football Union.
The problem of sewage disposal at Hampden has again prompted a request for funding from the Waitaki District Council for another investigation.