Company served up illegal crayfish worth $250k for lunches
Photo: ODT FilesA Fiordland fishing charter company served up illegal crayfish worth quarter of a million dollars as lunches for paying guests, a court has heard. The company did not have to forfeit its vessel, Southern Secret, if it paid a redemption fee of $47,000. Fisheries New Zealand compliance regional manager south Garreth Jay said MPI received several complaints about charter vessel operators working in the Fiordland Marine Area, including the Southern Secret. He said the crayfish would have cost between $239,610 and $244,500 on the domestic market, based on a retail value of $147-$150kg. This is illegal behaviour from a company does not hold a commercial fishing licence and is not a Licensed Fish Receiver.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 11, 2026 01:41 UTC
Dead possum behind Roxburgh boil water notice
A dead possum in the Roxburgh reservoir has led to a boil water notice being put in place immediately for Roxburgh and Lake Roxburgh Village. The possum was identified during an unrelated inspection of the reservoir today, the Central Otago District Council said in a press release. Two water tankers have been available since about 5.30pm today at Roxburgh Area School and Lake Roxburgh Village Hall. The flushing under way was to ensure that any water that came out of the impacted reservoir is removed, before the boil water notice is lifted — which could be as early as tomorrow. "We know any boil water notice is an inconvenience to our communities, but we must be sure the water is safe to drink.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 11, 2026 01:40 UTC
3G shutdown: Pub owner facing $500 bill to upgrade security alarm, says small businesses shouldn’t have to lump the cost
It will be cheaper for all the telcos to switch to 4G and 5G only. One NZ said it will see a 10% reduction in its power bill because more modern 4G and 5G infrastructure is more power-efficient. Customers on any network can text 3G to 550 to see if their phone is ready for the shutdown. One NZ said fewer than 3% of devices on its network still relied on 3G. The three mobile players say 4G or 5G has been installed in every rural and urban area where 3G service is being withdrawn.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 11, 2026 01:32 UTC
General Debate 11 February 2026
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Source:New Zealand Herald
February 11, 2026 01:07 UTC
Luxury watch nicked in Queenstown turns up in Rotorua
The stolen items included a Cartier watch. File photo: Getty ImagesA handbag stolen from a Queenstown park containing goods worth $34,000 including a luxury watch has been recovered from a property in Rotorua. Sergeant Sam Oram, of Queenstown, thanked the community for their help recovering the stolen property which included a Cartier watch. "At the end of January, a group of tourists were enjoying a local Queenstown lark when a handbag was stolen, containing two iPhones and a luxury Cartier watch. The pair are now due to appear in the Rotorua District Court on February 12, charged with theft.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 11, 2026 00:41 UTC
Navy court martial: Senior officer found not guilty of encouraging junior to kiss her
On Monday, both the former junior officer who was allegedly encouraged to kiss the senior officer, as well as Heslop, took the witness stand. The alleged interaction happened in Fiji in March 2023, when the junior officer first joined HMNZS Canterbury, and officers were given leave for a few days after docking and were drinking at a bar in town at night. The former junior officer, who was the sole witness for the prosecution, said the senior officer first caught the attention of him and another junior officer when she tapped on a glass pane and gestured for a kiss through the other side of the glass, and later gestured for them to come inside the bar and tapped on her cheeks to gesture for a kiss. Photo / RNZ, Nate McKinnonAnother Navy officer called as a defence witness said they’d spent the majority of that night with Heslop and did not see them with the junior officer. The New Zealand Defence Force has been approached for comment.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 11, 2026 00:30 UTC
Winter Olympics: Biathlete Campbell Wright reflects on decision to switch allegiances from New Zealand to USA ahead of second Games
But it was just quite lonely travelling around Europe and doing a full World Cup season by myself with no teammates or anything. “I’m a bit of a social butterfly and wasn’t quite able to spread my wings on the New Zealand biathlon team, as you can imagine.”Campbell Wright represented New Zealand at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing. This month, Wright will compete in his second Olympics and is in the unusual position of representing as many countries at as many Games. “It definitely feels different but I feel like I still represent a lot of New Zealand. Last time I was 19 and kind of felt like a bit of an outsider,” he said.
Source:Stuff
February 10, 2026 23:38 UTC
Illegal crayfish worth $250k served up for Fiordland lunches
Photo: ODT FilesA Fiordland fishing charter company served up illegal crayfish worth quarter of a million dollars as lunches for paying guests, a court has heard. The company did not have to forfeit its vessel, Southern Secret, if it paid a redemption fee of $47,000. Fisheries New Zealand compliance regional manager south Garreth Jay said MPI received several complaints about charter vessel operators working in the Fiordland Marine Area, including the Southern Secret. He said the crayfish would have cost between $239,610 and $244,500 on the domestic market, based on a retail value of $147-$150kg. This is illegal behaviour from a company does not hold a commercial fishing licence and is not a Licensed Fish Receiver.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 10, 2026 23:34 UTC
Storm repair ongoing: contractor
PHOTOS: SUPPLIEDThe cleanup and repair work created by severe spring wind toppling trees and flattening fences is ongoing, a Southland fencing contractor says. He had been repairing fences since the storm and he estimated the work would be ongoing for at least another two months. "When the storm hit the way it did, we were very fearful it might have had a bigger impact." Before the storm hit, many dairy farmers were preparing to artificially inseminate their herd. Some farmers had started mating cows before the storm hit but could continue as planned as they had a generator, she said.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 10, 2026 21:33 UTC
Young man critically hurt in fall from university building
Photo: SuppliedA young man was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after falling about 10 metres from the side of a University of Otago building. The young man fell from the Centre for Innovation building near the intersection of Cumberland and Saint David Sts. Const Stafford-Rogers said Campus Watch staff reviewed nearby CCTV footage which showed the young man, falling from a ‘‘decent height’’. Investigations found a wine bottle sitting on top of a ledge about seven to ten metres above the ground — it is believed that was where the man fell from. Officers made inquiries and spoke to a group of students at a nearby flat who told officers they had been drinking when the young man left the property alone.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 10, 2026 21:32 UTC
Young man critical after 10m fall from Otago University building
A young man was rushed to hospital in a critical condition after falling about 10 metres from the side of a University of Otago building. He was discovered by Campus Watch staff lying alone on the ground at about 12.10am this morning, Constable Eli Stafford-Rogers said. The young man fell from the Centre for Innovation building near the intersection of Cumberland and Saint David Sts. Const Stafford-Rogers said Campus Watch staff reviewed nearby CCTV footage which showed the young man, falling from a ‘‘decent height’’. Photo: Peter McIntoshOfficers made inquiries and spoke to a group of students at a nearby flat who told officers they had been drinking when the young man left the property alone.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 10, 2026 21:32 UTC
Crimson Education names Sir John Key as chairman, hints at IPO, more acquisitions
“I’ve been involved with the business as an adviser for six years now,” Key told the Herald. Sir John Key is on the screen rear left, Sundeep Jain is on the bottom screen. He would use his networks in Asia and China to help grow Crimson’s business in those territories. Crimson co-founder Jamie Beaton (left) with Sir John Key. General partner Mark Vivian joined Crimson’s board.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 10, 2026 20:32 UTC
Unlicensed drunk driver Amani Nolani’s Manukau death ‘difficult to comprehend’ – Coroner
It’s a death which Coroner Ian Telford today said was preventable and served as a tragic reminder to others about the dangers of drink driving. In the just-released findings, the coroner also reminded bystanders of the need to deter drunk drivers from getting behind the wheel. “These individual and collective decisions are difficult to comprehend,” Coroner Telford wrote. Coroner Ian Telford issued findings on the death of Amani Nolani. According to the findings, Nolani was on bail at the time of his death and was due to appear in the Manukau District Court in the following weeks.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 10, 2026 20:31 UTC
Luca Harrington claims Winter Games bronze
New Zealand's Luca Harrington reacts after his third run of the Men's Freeski Slopestyle final at Livigno Snow Park. Photo: ReutersLuca Harrington has claimed New Zealand's second medal at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in Italy, taking bronze at the men's freestyle skiing slopestyle event. The slopestyle event features skiers who slide across rails and perform aerial tricks to impress the judges with difficulty and originality. Team USA have earned a slopestyle medal in every Olympics since the event was introduced to the schedule in 2014. It was a record third medal in the event for Sadowski-Synott, who took silver in Beijing in 2022 and bronze in Pyeongchang in 2018.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 10, 2026 18:31 UTC
Bitcoin's value halves: Should you buy it?
Photo: CFOTO / NurPhoto via AFPBitcoin's value has dropped by about half - but are investors who buy the currency now really getting a bargain? Unlike shares in listed companies, Bitcoin does not generate income, cash flows, or dividends that can be used to estimate an intrinsic/fundamental value. Recent research shows it moves in tandem with stock markets, meaning global uncertainty tends to hurt rather than help its value. "In general, movements in Bitcoin's price are highly volatile and difficult to predict in the short term. This means rising global uncertainty tends to weaken rather than strengthen Bitcoin's value.
Source:New Zealand Herald
February 10, 2026 17:48 UTC