Shannon Gillies

Wind picked up discarded embers of wood used to warm tubs at Hot Tubs Omarama, starting a fire at the facility that lasted about 20 minutes, the town's fire chief says.

Landowners who take water from a Kurow-Duntroon Irrigation Company Ltd water race at Otekaieke want a meeting over the way an upgrade for the race is being managed.

Oamaru's Criterion Hotel which was packed with dozens of people who wanted to welcome the new year in with dancing and jokes.

Whether it is picking up the body of a road crash victim, or helping patch up the lives and bodies of battered family violence victims, police staff rostered on this festive season would probably rather be anywhere than at their jobs.

Almost a year after the Otago and Southland specialist drink-drive road policing units were disbanded, one of the police managers entrusted with what remains says it is still too early to tell if the restructuring has been a success.