Author: Press Room

Local Māori have opposed the expansion of New Zealand’s largest gold mine, north of Dunedin, saying not enough is known about its long-term or cumulative effects on the environment. Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki, Te Rūnanga o Moeraki, and Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou — submitting as Kā Rūnaka — said OceanaGold’s application to expand its Macraes Gold Mine did not adequately address “the magnitude, severity and ongoing impact” of the effects arising from their plans. “Furthermore, the conclusions contained in the application regarding the effects arising from the application have been reached without an assessment of the cultural impacts of…

South Dunedin’s St Kilda Tavern could soon serve its last drinks after being stripped of its liquor licence due to concerns about its Auckland-based owner. That was despite Dunedin’s district licensing committee saying there was “no evidence” to support concerns raised by police about the links between the tavern’s current and former owners. The tavern’s on-licence and off-licence renewal application was opposed by police, the medical officer of health and a licensing inspector. In its decision, committee secretary Kevin Mechen said they visited the premises twice in the week leading up to a reconvened hearing last month. On both occasions,…

Sheep have been killed and others have had to be euthanised after a stock truck rolled in Southland this morning.Police were called to the single-vehicle crash on Tokanui Gorge Rd Highway near Fortrose at around 7.45am on Monday.The road was completely blocked and expected to be closed for sometime while the scene was cleared.”Fortunately, the driver was not seriously injured, however the road is completely blocked,” a police spokesperson said.Southland District Council confirmed some animals were killed in the crash while others had to be euthanised due to injuries.Fire and Emergency responded with crews from Waimahaka, Tokanui and Kingswell.It’s the…

A Mosgiel-based building company did not complete its last building contract prior to being put into liquidation, the first liquidator’s report says. A&H 2016 Ltd was incorporated in March 2016 and operated in the residential building and construction industry. Its sole director and shareholder was Andrew Stuart John Innes. Trevor and Emma Laing, of Laing Insolvency Specialists, were appointed liquidators by a shareholders’ resolution last month. In the report, the liquidators said Mr Innes had been requested to provide details about the factors that contributed to the company’s financial situation, and they awaited his response. The company ceased trading some…

A weka who travelled from the West Coast to Christchurch over the Alps has been returned home after his roadie adventure. The endemic bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite in Buller Gorge while packing up from their Easter getaway. The gear was split between campers Kim Ranger and her partner Ian’s two vehicles, with the weka going unnoticed, hidden in dog blankets in Ian’s ute despite multiple stops.  “He didn’t hear it, didn’t see it, nothing. He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn’t notice the weka,” Kim said. “When I got…

ADVERTISEMENTThousands of people have lined roads in central London around the Houses of Parliament and Buckingham Palace as British and allied troops paraded to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. The VE Day commemorations will continue for four days with Britain starting celebrations three days ahead of the actual 8 May date and starting celebrations on the Monday Bank Holiday. During the event, Big Ben tolled noon and actor Timothy Spall recited the speech that then Prime Minister Winston Churchill gave to roaring crowds in 1945. The Cenotaph, the national war memorial, was…

Cadbury’s might be long gone but Megan Fairley is still Dunedin’s “Chocolate Queen”. So much so that the former employee has trademarked the slogan in case it is snaffled by another chocolate company. Wearing a Chocolate Queen T-shirt in the small fashion boutique Notion behind her Musselburgh home yesterday, Ms Fairley said it had always been a dream to have that as the theme of a business. And she is not the only member of chocolate royalty in the city; she is among a group of former Cadbury’s employees, known as the Chocolate Kings and Queens — “because we’re always…

Exclusive by 1News Political Editor Maiki Sherman and Political Producer Tom Day.Education and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget announcements to her personal email prior to them being publicly announced last year, 1News can reveal.The revelation is just one of tens of examples of Stanford using her personal email for ministerial business over the course of her time as a minister.The emails, which were released following an Official Information Act (OIA) request, show Stanford putting her MP business signature on her personal email while communicating with her staff, school principals and various organisations.Education and Immigration minister has put her MP…

ADVERTISEMENTUkraine cannot guarantee the safety of foreign officials planning to attend Russia’s Victory Day parade in Moscow on Friday, Volodymyr Zelenskyy said. “Our position is very simple for all countries travelling to Russia on 9 May: we cannot be held responsible for what happens on the territory of the Russian Federation,” the Ukrainian president said on Saturday. “They are responsible for your safety. We will not provide any guarantees, because we do not know what Russia might do on those dates.”This statement sparked further diplomatic tensions with Slovakia. whose Moscow-friendly Prime Minister Robert Fico criticised Zelenskyy’s warning. “I reject such threats for…

A large-scale Southland farming company has been fined $82,500 for discharging effluent in a manner which could have entered waterways.Gladvale Farms Ltd committed the offending on two occasions in October 2019 at an Oreti Plains farm, north of Invercargill.The company was sentenced on Monday after being found guilty in February following an August 2024 judge-alone trial.Legal action against the company began when Environment Southland alleged the Resource Management Act had been breached through effluent discharge on or into land which could have resulted in the contaminant entering water.It was alleged the defendant irrigated at night without monitoring due to employees…