Much of Central Otago's high country has been reclassified in the district plan as being an outstanding natural landscape, which may add more hurdles for developments such as wind farms to gain resource consent.
A change of heart by the Central Otago District Council on the exclusion of Oamaru stone as a building material for rural homes has been hailed as a victory for common sense.
Submissions to this year's Central Otago District Council annual plan total only half the number filed last year.
The Central Otago District Council has aired its concerns about the restructuring of Central Stories' leadership.
Pay rates for Central Otago District councillors and the mayor were approved without comment this week but mileage allowances were labelled "a crock".
Vast areas of Central Otago farmland could be "arbitrarily" classified as having significant native vegetation or providing a habitat for threatened or rare native fauna, under a national biodiversity policy being opposed by the Central Otago District Council.
It's a steep learning curve in the top job, but Tony Lepper is pedalling hard, Lynda Van Kempen reports.
The Central Otago District Council met in private this week to consider a report on its management structure.
The Central Otago District Council's rates take will increase by 2.8% for the coming year, with swimming pools in the district soaking up 5% of the rates.
The council plans to collect $21,027,063 in rates for the 2011-12 year, an increase of $577,553 on the previous year's figures.
The Central Otago District Council is surprised a review of its gambling venue policy failed to attract any response from the "anti-gambling lobby".
Planning consent has been granted for some aspects of the Clutha Gold Trail but the decision could still be appealed.
It might have taken half a century to formalise things, but moves are finally under way to vest the St Bathans tennis courts as a reserve.
The fate of four sections in the centre of St Bathans which the Central Otago District Council planned to have declared "abandoned land" will be determined next week.
More money will have to be spent - probably millions - on Maniototo roads in the coming years to cater for more intensive farming, the Central Otago District Council was told at its estimates meeting this week.
Vincent ratepayers face a ward rates increase of 2.8% for the coming year, after community board members trimmed the budget back to "needs, not wants".
The fact he does not live in the ward he will be representing on the Central Otago District Council is not an issue for newly elected councillor Jeff Hill.
Owners of large residential sections in Ranfurly and Naseby will have a year's grace from bills for excess water use, in the wake of more debate about the fairness of water metering in Central Otago.
Groups of freedom campers near the Alexandra boat ramp are spoiling the look of one of the main entrances into the town, a resident says.
A proposal to rename Thompson St in Alexandra, named after a former mayor of the town, was rejected by the Central Otago District Council at a meeting in Alexandra yesterday.
The Central Otago mayoral candidate who spent the most on his election campaign, Malcolm Macpherson, attracted the lowest number of votes.
