Submissions on cat-limit plan urged
Submissions on cat-limit plan urged
The Waitaki branch of Forest & Bird is praising the Waitaki District Council for encouraging responsible pet ownership.
Hamish MacLean
Council prunes rates increase
Council prunes rates increase
The Waimate District Council shaved almost 1% off its predicted rates rise when it set its rates and passed its ``business as usual'' annual plan at the end of last month.
Poshtel could open in nine months
Poshtel could open in nine months
Plans to convert the former Stringer and Co building at the corner of Thames and Eden Sts into boutique accommodation are under way.
Roading spend rise ‘no brainer’
Roading spend rise ‘no brainer’
Low ratepayer satisfaction with roading in the Waitaki district is partly due to the district council’s ongoing underfunding of roading, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher says.
Draft contract secures funding for hospital
Draft contract secures funding for hospital
After a funding dispute lasting more than a year, financing is about to be secured for the next five years at Oamaru Hospital.
Severn St wall to be restored to three-tier
Severn St wall to be restored to three-tier
The Waitaki District Council has changed course and will investigate a more expensive solution for Oamaru's damaged historic terraced wall on State Highway 1 at the southern entrance to town.
Mayors want help with operational costs
Mayors want help with operational costs
When tourists come to New Zealand to take in its natural landscapes - and, inevitably, answer the call of nature - they could be causing an unfair strain on smaller districts' facilities.
Little eyes
Little eyes
Waitaki children were celebrating Matariki at Oamaru Harbour yesterday morning.
Swim just 'like climbing a mountain'
Swim just 'like climbing a mountain'
For cold water junkies a dip in the ocean at this time of year is only natural.
Rating status to be declared
Rating status to be declared
Some Mackenzie district property owners have until the end of the month to declare whether their properties are being rated properly.
Boom for builders as new houses sprout
Boom for builders as new houses sprout
Twizel is experiencing a building boom as sections and homes are snapped up by buyers priced out of other markets and happy to consider the former hydro project town.
Leading from the background
Leading quietly from the background
Michael Ross leaves behind nearly three decades in local government when he retires at the end of the month. The outgoing chief executive of the Waitaki District Council sat down with North Otago reporter Hamish MacLean this week.
Call on councillors to promote shows
Report calls on councillors to promote shows
The Oamaru Opera House, which ratepayers funded by $843,000 this year and is $3.6million in debt, could lose "high-profile" shows if ticket sales stay low at the venue.
Forrester Gallery project gets vital $330k boost
Forrester Gallery project gets vital $330k boost
The planned $6million redevelopment of Forrester Gallery survived a "hand grenade" and will go ahead after almost all Waitaki district councillors voted to loosen the purse strings for the project.
District ‘sparkling diamond’
District ‘sparkling diamond’
The new chief executive of the Waitaki District Council says the district is a ‘‘sparkling diamond’’ with a wealth of opportunities.
More money sought for project plans and costings
More money sought for project plans and costings
Oamaru's Forrester Gallery redevelopment project has failed to secure $3 million in this year's funding rounds, and an additional request for $1.5 million is also expected to be denied.
Advertising sculpture deemed offensive
Advertising sculpture deemed offensive
A sculpture used to advertise a new business in Oamaru's historic precinct has been described as offensive, the claimant saying it should be taken down.
Crossing upgrade to cause delays
Crossing upgrade to cause delays
A long-awaited upgrade to the Maheno rail crossing on State Highway 1 will go ahead this weekend.
Road network safety concerns
Road network safety concerns
The Waitaki District Council has been told to look at its roading network "through a ‘visitor driver’ lens", in an NZTA report that highlights concerns about the "safety performance" of the council’s North Otago roads.
Mitigation, not restoration, likely
Mitigation, not restoration, likely
Oamaru's 80-year-old Severn St wall is unlikely to be restored completely after a Waitaki District Council assets committee decision last week.