Trust in council damaged by cut
Photos: suppliedReaction to grants allocation changes"Problematic" changes to Dunedin’s grant allocation undermined trust between the council and the city’s arts community, Mayor Sophie Barker was told. At a council meeting later that month, Ms Barker apologised for being unaware of a scheduled and later cancelled subcommittee meeting and the hundreds of applications it was to consider. Ms Barker agreed it was "not a great situation" and the stopgap would address about 300 grant applications waiting to be assessed. In reply, Cr Garey acknowledged the measures were temporary, but said decisions to date had repercussions. "It has already undermined trust with the arts community."
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 16:09 UTC
Meet-up over 40 years in the making
Across Dunedin’s busy railway station foyer, Lynette Kennedy spotted her pen pal of more than 40 years. Mrs Rodlie said her disappointment was palpable. Pen pals for more than 40 years, Lynette Kennedy (left) and Lana Rodlie met face to face for the first time at the Dunedin Railway Station yesterday. "I had about 50 pen pals, including the guy I married. "I don’t think I’ll ever get back here again and I don’t think she’ll [Mrs Kennedy] ever get to Canada.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 16:09 UTC
Opinion: energy policies must go further
While our community safety may not be threatened, the financial reverberations have quickly reached our shores, with the fuel price at the pump being a daily scorecard of the impact on personal finances. Presciently, New Zealand First has long been a champion for national fuel security. My colleague Shane Jones is the Minister in charge of developing a National Fuel Security Plan, an outcome of our coalition agreement with National. We have a Fast Track RMA process to get a wave of new renewable energy projects consented expeditiously. We will regulate to guarantee a fair price for energy exported to the grid — sensible, bold and impactful interventions.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 16:06 UTC
Ong rejects call to resign
Cr Ong was allowed up to 30 minutes to present a defence. Photo: Gerard O'BrienSpeaking to media afterwards, Cr Ong said he had not considered resigning. Asked about people on his Facebook page calling for his resignation, Cr Ong said they were a small minority of the community. Calls for Cr Ong to resign have come while a by-election is being held to replace Cr Jules Radich, who died in January. They related to Cr Ong refusing to remove disparaging commentary online about Ms Graham and disrespectful behaviour towards Ms Barker.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 15:35 UTC
Southlander to make a big step up
Nic Shearer. Southland halfback Nic Shearer has made an almighty leap and will make his Super Rugby debut when he starts in the must-win game against Moana Pasifika at North Harbour Stadium. "Every game Nic has played for the Bravehearts, he’s really taken it by storm, and he’s been in outstanding form," Highlanders coach Jamie Joseph said. Adam Lennox, who has one start at halfback this season, remains on the bench. Jonah Lowe is at centre for his 50th Super Rugby game, and the back three remains unchanged, but there is a big change at second five.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 15:35 UTC
Admission in relation to suicide of bullied inmate
A Dunedin-born man died by suicide after being bullied in jail — an issue which was mismanaged by Corrections — a coroner says. Coroner Allie Cunninghame recommended bullying be "proactively" managed in prisons and said greater training for custodial staff needed to occur. Tragically, in 2016, his father, Russell Braddock, died in an avalanche in France, which led to an exacerbation of Nicholls-Braddock’s alcohol issues. Four days before his death, officers found a tattooing needle, ink and tobacco in Nicholls-Braddock’s cell, which resulted in a misconduct charge. In desperate phone calls to family, Nicholls-Braddock suggested the items were not his and said he had been repeatedly assaulted.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 15:35 UTC
Programme giving prospective drivers confidence
PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHA programme supporting young Dunedin people living with disabilities to get their driver’s licence is being described as a "game changer". Yes Disability Resource Centre southern regional co-ordinator of the I.Lead programme Hannah Butson said the programme aimed to equip people living with a disability with the necessary skills and confidence to pass the national driving test. The programme took into account the multiple ways individuals learned and understood information and used strategies to help mitigate challenges, she said. Now part of the programme’s support team, he encouraged others living with a disability to join the programme. The I.Drive programme aimed to help with that.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 15:34 UTC
Father and stepson's murder-suicide not faked - coroner
The covert conversations continued until March 13 when Mr Beckenridge abducted Mike from his school. Photo: suppliedBorder alerts were immediately arranged in relation to Mr Beckenridge and there was already one in place for Mike. The coroner said Mr Beckenridge would have feared arrest, and "the situation went from desperate to dire". Mike Beckenridge. The coroner said it was indicative of a trial run by Mr Beckenridge followed by the final plunge.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 11:18 UTC
Weather live updates: Red heavy rain warning for Northland, residents urged to evacuate if feeling unsafe
đ© Red Rain Warning issued for Northland đ©Significant rainfall is expected for Northland over the next two days with 270-320 mm of rain expected for eastern areas. There is the potential for downpours from training bands of very heavy rain from Thursday afternoon. An orange heavy rain warning comes into effect for the remainder of Northland, not under the red warning, from 4pm today until 4am on Friday. The system will not only bring heavy rain and strong winds to parts of New Zealand, but waves will also rise. “We are urging people to drive to the conditions and consider delaying nonâessential travel during heavy rain.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 25, 2026 09:07 UTC
Jealous Kiwi jailed for killing wife in front of their kids in Melbourne
Rimoni Muliaga, 44, admitted he killed his wife Lise in Melbourne's west but claimed he was not guilty of murder because of his diagnosed intellectual disability and depressive disorder. In sentencing Muliaga on Wednesday, Justice James Gorton described the killing as a serious case of murder driven by unjustified and unwarranted jealousy. The presence of the children at the murder was an aggravating feature, Justice Gorton said. Justice Gorton said Muliaga's moral culpability was therefore reduced and the mental health conditions would make his time in custody more difficult. Justice Gorton said despite those factors, he still had to denounce the serious case of domestic violence and deter Muliaga from committing another attack again.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 08:15 UTC
Call for 'Buy Kiwi Made' campaign amid factory closures
Photo: Nathan McKinnon / RNZIndustry groups and local government leaders are calling for the resurrection of a Buy Kiwi Made campaign as alarms sound over new job losses and factory closures. Two of the Buy NZ Made logos. Image: Buy NZ MadeHe said there had been some signs that the industry "was in trouble". Buy NZ Made was first launched in the late 1980s with the slogan "Buy NZ Made & Keep Your Country Working", though organised campaigns to encourage shoppers to buy local date back to the turn of last century. The National government suspended the programme in 2008 but BusinessNZ continued to run the parallel Buy NZ Made campaign.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 08:10 UTC
Two found dead in car in rural Wellington stream
Photo: RNZTwo bodies have been found inside a car that was discovered upside down in a stream in rural Wellington this morning. Police, fire crews and Wellington Free Ambulance were called to the crash in MÄkara just after 8am. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) shift manager Alex Norris said crews arrived to find a car partially submerged in the stream on MÄkara Beach Rd - a narrow, winding road between Karori and MÄkara Beach. Our neighbour told me it's quite a common place where people go off - there's about a two- to three-metre drop from the road down to the stream. The road skirts a small stream bordered by wire fencing down the bank from MÄkara Rd.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 08:05 UTC
Endangered whio return to Rees Valley after decades
Photo: Supplied / Southern Lakes SanctuaryConservationists in Otago are celebrating the return of whio to the Rees Valley after more than 50 years. Southern Lakes Sanctuary staff spotted a pair of the endangered blue ducks on a recent trip to install a new trapline in the valley, north of Glenorchy. "Our staff were lucky enough to be watching a pair of takahÄ feeding beside a pair of whio on the river. TakahÄ were released in the Rees Valley last year but the whio had returned of their own accord, Kavanagh said. Photo: Supplied / Southern Lakes SanctuaryIris Scott, who has lived at Rees Valley Station for more than 50 years, said it had been a personal dream to see whio return.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 07:23 UTC
BNZ hits longer fixes again as wholesale costs bite
BNZ has lifted home loan pricing for the second time in a week, responding to higher wholesale funding costs and rising global risk. The bank has now increased several longerâterm fixed mortgage rates twice in eight days, targeting borrowers who prefer to “set and forget” their repayments. BNZ’s standard fiveâyear fixed rate now sits at 5.79%, up 0.40 percentage points from earlier levels, while the fourâyear rate has climbed to 5.59%. Threeâyear pricing is at 5.29% and the twoâyear rate at 4.89%, Stuff, interest.co.nz, and 1News reported.
Source:Stuff
March 25, 2026 07:07 UTC
Lawyer fined for berating client in 'moralising lecture'
Criminal lawyer Richard Keam has been censured for calling a client "offensive names" during a meeting. Supplied photoAn experienced criminal lawyer who berated his client and called him offensive names said he was concerned the young man was “going down a path which would inevitably lead to prison”. The client left the meeting feeling “distressed and humiliated” after a “moralising lecture” by his lawyer Richard Bernard Keam. Now, in a recently released decision, Keam has been censured and ordered to pay compensation by the Lawyers and Conveyancers Disciplinary Tribunal, after admitting to misconduct. Keam is the managing director of Keam Law, an Auckland-based firm specialising in criminal law, family and trust disputes and civil litigation.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 25, 2026 07:01 UTC