Back-country skiers should be conservative in dangerous conditions such as those which claimed the life of a heli-ski guide in an avalanche yesterday afternoon, a mountain safety expert says.
Whitebait are running in the Clutha River, an unusual occurrence for Otago, which usually experiences a slow start to the whitebaiting season, the Department of Conservation says.
A Dunedin man is angry and concerned about the safety of mail after having a letter sent to him minus its contents, but New Zealand Post defends its processes, saying it takes the security of mail seriously.
A New Zealand sea lion and a leopard seal have been "gunned down and left on the beach to rot" in two separate incidents on the Southland coast in the past week.
The abandonment of a population management plan for one of the world's rarest sea lions is a disappointment, the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust says.
An injured endangered royal northern albatross chick has been flown to Massey University's wildlife health centre in the hope its life can be saved.
A Dunedin rare book dealer made the winning bid for the 233-year-old gold filigree snuff box once owned by Robert Burns, but it is not yet known if the historic piece is for sale.
Two southern right whales spent yesterday lazing about in the sun in Waikouaiti Bay, providing Department of Conservation staff with the perfect opportunity to gather another sample to add to the database of genetic information on the nationally endangered whale.
Paua reseeding off the coast of Papatowai has shown that if hatchery-reared paua are put out in the right habitats they will make a very significant contribution to paua numbers, Dunedin fisheries scientist Bob Street says.
Otago Regional Council chief executive Graeme Martin will neither confirm nor deny whether a code of conduct complaint has been laid against any councillor.
Drainage works in the Paretai area on the lower Clutha River are struggling to cope with more intensive land use and coastal erosion.
The proposed use of external consultants to help the Otago Regional Council find a new site for its headquarters has been questioned by Cr Michael Deaker.
The Otago Regional Council has decided it will appeal to the Conservation and Environment Ministers to amend the water conservation order on the Kawarau River to allow its planned flood-protection works to go ahead.
Two Otago regional councillors have questioned the appropriateness of chairman Stephen Cairns carrying out both chairmanship and real estate roles, in a process a third councillor later called a "kangaroo court" while another dubbed it "despicable".
Sitting at the dinner table, 5-year-old Grace Hughes has a plate of food in front of her. She even loads her fork, but it is all pretend.
What action the Otago Regional Council should take in light of a decision to turn down resource consents for a proposed flood protection training line on the Shotover Delta will be decided at a council meeting today.
An eight-step plan for selecting a site for the Otago Regional Council's headquarters has been outlined for councillors to consider tomorrow.
The Otago Regional Council's first payment towards the Forsyth Barr Stadium, due on August 1, has been delayed while "trustee responsibility" for regional ratepayers funds is "explored and optimised".
Maniototo water take consent holders who are significantly non-compliant could face enforcement action if they do not meet their conditions by their next Otago Regional Council inspection.
Yellow-eyed penguins are nesting in greater number at Sandfly Bay, giving the Department of Conservation hope its programmes to reduce human impact on the endangered species are working.
