Waste Management New Zealand also recorded 75 battery-related fires across its vehicles and facilities in the last 12 months. Fire and Emergency New Zealand warns these types of fires are more difficult to extinguish, with more resources needed compared with other blazes. Waste Management New Zealand managing director Evan Maehl said the fires are placing drivers, site teams and emergency responders at real risk. Auckland Council waste management specialist Lyndon Collie said the rubbish truck fires are dangerous for the drivers, as they produce toxic fumes. Photo / Auckland CouncilZero Waste Aotearoa advocate Sue Coutts said insurance premiums are skyrocketing for waste management companies because of the risk of battery fires.

Former Cadbury employees and mental health advocates (from left) Fiona Dobber and Megan Fairley with I Am Hope ambassador Mike King in Dunedin. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONA group of former Cadbury employees are doing something "phenomenal" with their mission to fundraise for mental health at their old work’s carpark, an advocate says. I Am Hope ambassador Mike King flew into Dunedin to help them out at the weekend. Last year in April, the former Cadbury employees reached $100,000 raised, mainly through gold-coin donations. Former Cadbury employee and mental health advocate Megan Fairley said they would keep adding to the donation tally for as long as they could.

PHOTO: SUPPLIEDA pared-back approach to Dunedin’s annual plan consultation clears the way for early and significant engagement on the next decade of spending, the council says. During a two-day budget meeting this week, Dunedin city councillors will consider an engagement approach on the draft 2026-27 annual plan, which proposes a 10.5% rates increase. Her report recommended a "focused and proportionate engagement approach" rather than asking for broad feedback. Under the proposed approach, the annual plan consultation period would run from March 30 to April 29, while long-term plan pre-consultation was planned for mid-April to end of May. A two-day council meeting in late May for annual plan deliberations would become a one-day meeting renamed "annual plan budget update".

Daniel Hillier, of New Zealand, celebrates winning the 105th New Zealand Open at Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown yesterday. PHOTO: CHRIS SYMES / WWW.PHOTOSPORT.NZDaniel Hillier went from groom to New Zealand Open champion in the space of eight days. The newly married Wellington golfer sent the Millbrook crowd delirious when he sailed home to win the $2 million Open by two shots yesterday. "That is the second-best day of my life behind my wedding last week," Hillier told Sky Sport. "To break the Kiwi drought ... pretty special to do it in front of my family, all my friends, my wife.

Demonstrators holding posters of late Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shout slogans during a protest against Israel and the U.S. strikes on Iran. PHOTO: REUTERSA power vacuum in Iran could be chaotic on the ground, an Otago expert on the Middle East says. There was no clear successor to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was reportedly killed yesterday, Dr Leon Goldsmith, of the University of Otago, said. Dr Goldsmith said the Israelis and Americans, despite having immense military power, could not control what would happen on the ground inside Iran. "They couldn't even protect the Supreme Leader when it was all signalled well in advance what was going to happen," he said.

REPORT & PHOTO: NINA TAPUOut-of-towners Hoa and Mark Davis get comfortable on the Invercargill Workingmen’s Club floor with their baby son, Emil for the Teddy Bear’s Picnic. They brought a blanket and joined about 150 other families who had come to enjoy free children’s games, face painting and a magic show. Invercargill Plunket moved the picnic to the Workingmen’s Club from the Queen’s Park Rotunda after wet conditions forced organisers to hold the long-standing event indoors. This was the first time in 14 years that the picnic had been relocated to an indoor venue. Invercargill Plunket community services co-ordinator Judy Cook said she was delighted by the turnout and was grateful to the volunteers from the Invercargill Public Library and Aurora College for their help.

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Keeping equity funding at the status quo risked sending Dunedin Stadium Property Ltd debt from $85 million to $194m in 2060, they were warned. Councillors are this week set to consider assigning more money annually for stadium debt repayment, amid rising operating and capital costs. The option recommended by Dunedin City Council staff is to provide additional funding of $1.25m to Dunedin Stadium Property Ltd in 2026-27 and increasing it by another $1.25m the next year. The recommended option would do this comfortably, making the estimated debt $37m by 2060. The recommended option for stadium debt repayment would take the non-water component of the projected rates increase from 6.1% to 6.9% in 2026-27.

It is an arduous task, as judges at the Dunedin Horticultural Society’s Summer Flower Show in St Kilda found out on Saturday. Dunedin Dahlia Circle member Mark Penty said loads of "pretty perfect" dahlias were on display. Judges at the show critiqued flowers from 11am to 2pm, and there was a large collection of different varieties to look at. Now I can forget about the garden," Mr Penty said. Dunedin Dahlia Circle vice-president and patron Stuart Brown said there were several first-time entrants, who were all very keen.

Enjoying the sun and an ice cream at the North Otago A&P Show on Saturday are (from left) Kyan, 10, Jason and Peyton, 7, Caldwell. PHOTO: NIC DUFFThe North Otago A&P Show was a hit in Oamaru on Saturday. The annual event drew in big numbers, North Otago A&P Association administrator Catherine Gardner said. The terrier race was hotly contested once again as well. "I’m a sucker for the terrier race ... it’s just so lovely."

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“Then we heard a couple of booms.”Renowned restaurateurs Sid and Chand Sahrawat. “We’re in Business Bay, which is the centre of the city.”Despite the ongoing drone strikes, Sahrawat said Dubai was still a safe space and “feels quite protected”. Sid and Chand Sahrawat in front of Cassia at SkyCity. Photo / Babiche MartensSid Sahrawat has won several accolades and awards for his cooking. He previously worked as a journalist at Black Press Media in Canada and won a fellowship with the Vancouver Sun.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Financial Services Council chief executive Kirk Hope. (Image: Supplied)Technology, automation and AI were the talk of the financial services industry breakfast on Friday morning.At Auckland’s Hilton on Quay Street, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon addressed the Financial Services Council (FSC) and its members on his outlook for 2026, following the launch of a new report by the council into the state of its sector.Instead of a speech and slide deck, Luxon sat side by side with council chief executive Kirk Hope for a Q&A, where he said leveraging AI is the key to boosting productivity and the economy in Ao...

The New Zealand Open should be back to a multi-course tournament within three years. "We’ve always said we will go to the multi-course model when it’s going to make it work," New Zealand Open chairman John Hart said. "Hogan’s Gully is going to be part of the New Zealand Open, there’s no doubt about that, and it is a spectacular golf course. "I would think 2028 is a possibility, but not likely, for the two courses here at Millbrook, and Hogan’s Gully. "Ultimately, the dream is 18 here [Millbrook], 18 at The Hills, 18 at Hogan’s Gully, and always finishing here."

Christchurch tech firm Jade Software has big plans after buying local dairy supply-chain management software company Contec Group International. PHOTOS: JADEChristchurch tech firm Jade Software is eyeing up more investments after buying a software system operated by some of the world’s largest dairy companies. He said Jade was won over by the software’s growth value both in-house and in diversified revenue streams. "That’s our north star from a commercial perspective and we see that growth coming through [financial crime detecting software] ThirdEye, Madcap and helping the Jade entrepreneurs scale their products." Mr Mercer said the latest results would show revenue growth as well as investment from the bottom line into some of the initiatives to accelerate product growth.