Matthew Haggart

A call from the New Zealand Taxi Federation to establish clear rules to monitor private-hire vehicle operators has been rejected by Minister of Transport Steven Joyce.

Insurance cover for Dunedin's historic Presbyterian churches is set to expire this month, after their main insurance provider has quit the New Zealand market because of earthquake losses.

A scholarship funding shortfall claim by two University of Otago PhD dental students is under review, in the wake of the conviction of their former clinical research supervisor last year and his recent suspension and censure by the Health Practitioners Disciplinary Tribunal this month.

Parades galore are coming to the city's central retail area next month, when central Dunedin hosts several graduands' parades and Christmas-themed events, alongside cruise ship visitors.

The University of Otago has forecast it will struggle to meet a minimum requirement for its operating surplus target in 2012, as set by the Tertiary Education Commission.

Prime Minister John Key, during a visit to a Green Island factory yesterday, challenged Dunedin's manufacturing and engineering industries to change.

The University of Otago is remaining tight-lipped over how much it spent to develop a campus master plan outlining a 25-year vision of development for the city's landmark tertiary institution.

The Rail Maritime and Transport Union has alleged KiwiRail is breaching an agreement at Hillside Engineering by bringing in contractors to carry out rail engineering duties less than four months after 44 employees were made redundant from the landmark South Dunedin workshops.

A head-on collision between two vehicles on State Highway 1 along the Henley flood-free highway left a Mosgiel man trapped and injured in his wrecked 4WD vehicle, near Waihola, last night.

Domestic fees were increased by 4% for the 2012 academic year at a University of Otago council meeting yesterday, after much debate about how students were bearing the brunt of under-funding to the tertiary sector.

Venue managers of the Elton John concert want an expected walk-up crowd of more than 34,000 to consider alternative pedestrian routes to Forsyth Barr Stadium to help ease potential traffic congestion on Friday.

University of Otago students face the prospect of a 4% hike in their 2012 tuition fees - the second year in a row the maximum increase possible has been considered.

An interim payment of $2 million from the University of Otago has been made to the Dunedin City Council as the two parties continue negotiating shared costs for Forsyth Barr Stadium and University Plaza developments.

Dunedin North election candidates put their party policies on the line at a political forum held at the Opoho Presbyterian Church last evening, undeterred by the threat of a supersoaking.

A sponsorship agreement between Forsyth Barr Stadium and Dunedin Taxis will not compromise access for any elderly or disabled passengers choosing to use alternative cab services, the venue's commercial manager says.