Hundreds of trans-rights activists have gathered in Dunedin to protest against proposed gender legislation New Zealand First has proposed a bill which would ensure the term "woman" is interpreted as "an adult human biological female" and "man" as an "adult human biological male" across all laws About 400 people have gathered in the Octagon - with rainbow banners and posters saying "Respect existence or expect resistance" The protest has been organised by the International Socialist Organisation One speaker told the crowd that Winston Peters is trying to erase people and give them no legal status Winston Peters and his party recently defended the new legislation in a recent interview with RNZ Peters said New Zealand First had been arguing the matter "for years" and it aligned New Zealand with the majority The bill is not government policy and will only be debated if it is pulled at random from the ballot "It would be catching up with the mass majority of people in the world and not going down some woke leftist ideology track where no-one knows what's what." Peters said the government had "no place in the nation's bedrooms" but the proposed law was simply "putting the facts out there that are biologically correct" Peters said transgender women would not be challenged until they walked into a single-sex space or if they wanted to participate in a sporting situation like rugby or boxing Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand First is pushing for the term "woman" to be defined in law as "an adult human biological female" as the party vows to fight "cancerous social engineering" and "woke ideology" The NZ First leader has mounted a defence of his party's proposal to define "woman" in law when questioned over its enforcement New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image Emergency services attended two crashes on Dunedin roads within minutes of each other this morning Hillside Rd was closed after a car crashed into a power pole A car was also towed after a crash on the Southern Motorway An Otago Daily Times photographer at the scene said the car crashed at the Concord off ramp of the motorway's southbound lane Police confirmed they were called to this crash at 7.07am They said in a statement that it appeared to be a "nose-to-tail type crash" "Discord" among doctors and the community about the Dunedin Hospital cut-backs are regarded as an "extreme" risk by health authorities Health New Zealand was aiming to handle the hostility by identifying "project champions to sell the message" according to the two latest project updates released to RNZ under the Official Information Act The updates also reveal that about $20m of extra costs arose from the project being put on hold last September until it was reactivated earlier this year Locals have expressed concern at newly-reported cuts to dementia But the government said it announced the changes in scope back in January The latest updates list 10 "extreme" risks around the inpatients block One risk that was not redacted had noted discord among clinicians might be sparked by a possible reduction in capacity affecting healthcare outcomes The solutions for this and community discord were listed as "clear messaging" identifying champions or a "single trustworthy spokesperson" and "common messaging accentuating the positive aspects of the project" Tens of thousands of people protested in Dunedin streets in September over the government pausing the project after it said a blowout threatened to push the cost to $3 billion - although three official reports related to cost estimates were withheld by HNZ The government hired eight firms of contractors and consultants to rethink the project which it eventually decided would go ahead at the site already chosen The OIA response shows those eight firms have cost taxpayers $3.5m so far Costs due to the delay were also mounting and had been running at $3.4m a month The fees - plus five months of delay - amounted to about $20m the OIA response showed there was still no revised building programme for the crucial inpatients' building "Programme options are being actively considered and prepared the procurement pathway is yet to be decided and therefore is not at the stage where a revised building programme exists," Health NZ Te Whatu Ora told RNZ "We continue to work within the approved project budget of $1.88b." This compares with the $2 billion for five new naval helicopters the government announced on Sunday as part of $9b in new spending over four years on defence there were renewed protest after reports of the new inpatients having 20 intensive care beds instead of 30 - though with the option to expand including details of how the options for a revised build were assessed prior to January HNZ was rebuked last month for its "defensive" approach to OIA requests by the Ombudsman Oversight and governance of the Dunedin build has been a "mess" and a "struggle" for years The January update said "a single party should be made responsible for preparing and maintaining the overall development programme .. to ensure a consistent level of detail/rigor is applied" The eight consultants - comprising architects Warren and Mahoney and analysts Sapere and TSA Riley - looked at two options One to go ahead and build on the old Cadbury site where piles had already been driven and the other to retrofit the old hospital The other part of the project - the new outpatients block - was rated "amber" It was on track to be finished in July 2026 which blanked out one extreme risk and three "high" risks Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Health New Zealand has cut a previous plan for 30 ICU beds to 20 when the hospital opens Local Labour MP Ingrid Leary says residents are increasingly alarmed by revelations of reduced elderly and mental health care capacity at the city's new hospital Treasury was warning the hospital project was "in doubt with major risks" NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi’s (NZTA) inaction on sun strike has been criticised as "irresponsible" after another crash on a dangerous section of State Highway 1 A two-car collision backed up traffic on the Southern Motorway near the Saddle Hill overpass about 5pm last Friday AA Otago district council chairman Malcolm Budd said the crash was just the latest one caused by sun strike on that particular section of road Sun strike was particularly significant in that area at this time of the year with daylight saving ending "There’s nothing worse than arriving on top of a hill and suddenly you’re blinded by the sun people are braking very heavily and causing other vehicles to run into the back of them." There had been several accidents near Saddle Hill in recent winters including three within 45 minutes of each other about three years ago that all safety measures should be taken into account "We just think that it’s a wee bit irresponsible of NZTA perhaps not taking that on board." AA had suggested installing signs warning of sun strike near the Saddle Hill overpass on the southbound and northbound lanes of the Southern Motorway Mr Budd said while signs would not prevent all accidents caused by sun strike they would help warn motorists to move forward with caution NZTA did not respond to the Otago Daily Times’ questions by deadline yesterday A 50-year-old man was driving when he failed to stop for slowing traffic ahead He collided with the back of a vehicle driven by a 68-year-old man and the accident caused a large blockage on the motorway There were no injuries and no alcohol involved in the crash mark.john@odt.co.nz this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read The Hurricanes’ 35-17 spanking of the table-topping Chiefs was as remarkable a match as there’s been in this vibrant Super Rugby Pacific season whose display in general was more proof that he’s ready for an All Blacks recall had a pass intercepted by Chiefs flier Daniel Rona Down 17-9 at halftime to a team as competent as the Chiefs should have been a death knell for the Canes the second half was the perfect antidote — the best of the Super season The 26 unanswered points the Canes ran up in the second 40 minutes were impressive in themselves What was even more notable was that all four tries in that tally came from one man who replaced the injured Kini Naholo after just seven minutes Sullivan was nerveless and accurate as he destroyed Chiefs’ hopes Sullivan had to share top billing with Canes first-five Ruben Love Love’s goal kicking and general play were brilliant His tactical kicking skills were perfectly demonstrated in the 65th minute with a crosskick Sullivan seized for his third try he was in the form that won him an All Blacks jersey last year there may well be a preview of the Super Rugby final when the Crusaders take on the Chiefs A stung Chiefs against a Crusaders team that’s found its mojo With their 40-19 bonus-point victory over the Western Force at Eden Park on Friday night the Blues started the huge job of clambering out of the massive hole they’ve dug for themselves on the Super Rugby table It took a while for the Blues to settle on Friday There were jittery moments at first-half lineouts A terrible decision by hugely gifted 20-year-old midfielder Xavi Taele in the 23th minute to not pass to an unmarked Rieko Ioane had a hint of the dreaded “I can win this on my own” malaise that can affect a struggling side But following the terrific examples of captain Patrick Tuipulotu and Dalton Papali’i they buckled down to dispose of the men from Perth Blues coach Vern Cotter tried a ploy usually associated only with French sides; the man in charge criticising his own team to the media after his squad disobeyed his order to not go out after a game They unexpectedly reached the final at Eden Park two weeks later Cotter’s comments after the Reds rolled the Blues on Anzac Day were “There was a little bit of softness in our play in the first 20 minutes,” said Cotter in Brisbane “We have to toughen our game up if we’re going to be competitive.” His remarks obviously stung the Blues and appear to have done the job We’ll know exactly how well the Blues are back on track on Friday night The Drua have spent most of the season bottom of the table who were outgunned 36-33 in Suva on Saturday you might have guessed the Drua in particular had run the ball to their wings at every opportunity the Drua mostly smashed the ball up field with one-off passes The Blues will face a brutal test of character and commitment on Friday There was an almost fairytale quality to Moana Pasifika’s 34-29 edge-of-the-seat victory over the Highlanders in Dunedin yesterday they needed a first win over the Highlanders Victory was sealed with two minutes left when replacement halfback Melani Matavao scored a spectacular chargedown try But at the heart of the win was Moana captain Ardie Savea nudging it further forward with his left knee Moana edged the Highlanders 34-29 in a nine-try heartbreaker for the hosts Coming off a comprehensive 35-15 win against Fiji Drua ninth-placed Moana Pasifika aim keep their playoff hopes alive as they now shift their focus towards the Highlanders in Dunedin The home side are one place below in 10th and in desperate territory as they try and avoid being the lowest-ranked NZ side Contrasting fortunes for both teams last weekend: Moana had a good win over the Drua while the Highlanders were blown out by the Crusaders Minimal changes to Jamie Joseph's forward pack with co-captain Hugh Renton returning to number eight With many of Joseph's backs still on the mend Timoci Tavatavanawai will move back into the midfield alongside Thomas Umaga-Jensen whilst Sam Gilbert is pushed out to the right wing Nathan Hastie once again starts ahead of Folau Fakatava at halfback Tana Umaga has named two players to debut off the bench - Ofa Tauatevalu and former Wallabies prop Pone Fa'amausili while Kyren Taumoefolau returns to the starting lineup at left wing Tevita Ofa joins him on the right wing after a stellar performance against the Drua The Highlanders have scored 35-plus points and won both of their two games against Moana Pasifika at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Super Rugby Pacific including a 35-21 win in their most recent such fixture Moana Pasifika have lost eight of their nine Super Rugby Pacific games when playing as the away team conceding an average of 44 points per game in that stretch Moana flanker Miracle Faiilagi has scored seven tries across his last six Super Rugby Pacific games but has not scored any tries from three career appearances against the Highlanders "We've got to start well; we gave them too much of a start the last time We tried to chase it down in the second half but we couldn't get there in the end." - Moana Pasifika coach Tana Umaga the chat in our leadership is we have to be the best on the field in our positions and everything else is easier for us to lead." - Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea Culture Round saw a thrilling topsy-turvy match between the two sides With majority of the first half dominated by the Highlanders Caleb Tangitau pinched a 90 metre intercept try to boost his teams lead to 31-10 at the half the second half saw the script was completely flipped with Moana Pasifika scoring three tries Moana fell short but it set the momentum for their subsequent wins Moana can potentially rise to sixth spot and set a foundation for what's shaping up to be a tough run home while the Highlanders just need to find the form that saw them start the competition with two wins from their first three games so there's no excuse for both sides not to run the ball from everywhere The replacement winger scored four tries in a crucial win in the capital The Fijian Drua have turned it on in front of 10,000 fans in Suva to pip the Queensland Reds 36-33 in a Super Rugby Pacific round 12 clash Both sides are coming off strong wins for Saturday's clash in the capital the Crusaders just showed their credentials as they tackled their rivals into submission We have regular online commentary of local and international sport Sport RSS submitter Tim Vick told councillors upgrading three of Dunedin’s playgrounds to destination status was the "wrong way to go" He suggested the council focus on developing one destination playground at Woodhaugh Gardens The council has decided to create three such playgrounds proposing $11.22 million be allocated in the long-term plan to redevelop playgrounds in Marlow Park ($4.62m) The council’s consultation document describes destination playgrounds as large catering to all ages and abilities and offering something "unique" to attract large numbers of residents and visitors Mr Vick said splitting the budget to build three "good" playgrounds would not have the impact of one well-funded "suburb" destination playground — "do it once "You are not going to have the same impact." "A destination playground should be just that — a single destination." Woodhaugh was more centrally located and more sheltered than the proposed Mosgiel and Marlow Park sites The best comparison Dunedin could have was Christchurch’s Margaret Mahy Family Playground which his family would go out of their way to get to "The reason you go to this place is the park it’s not for the other things that may or may not already be there." The hearings are expected to run for the rest of the week ruby.shaw@odt.co.nz It seems the Easter Break was well-needed for the OUSA Exec who showed up to their first meeting back looking a bit sleepy – except for the golden labrador who enthusiastically chewed his squeaky toy the whole time President Liam had worked throughout the break something he admitted may or may not have been a good idea and had packed out the agenda with four big (perhaps overly ambitious) campaigns that he wanted to run this year The hour-and-a-half meeting included “robust discussion” (again) with equal moments of tension and celebration (it was Ngātiki’s birthday) Liam and Academic Rep Stella’s voices rang out the loudest in the discussion Stella warned that despite there being only 15 minutes left in the allotted meeting time (Wednesdays 9am-10am allegedly) she had a lot of questions to ask Liam prefaced by saying that he would be happy to amend anything especially the proposed budgets which he admitted were “quite grand” according to Finance and Strategy Officer Daniel and were a number that Liam had “pulled out of [his] ass” There was $4,300 budgeted total for campaigns this year (a combination of $800 from OUSA and $3.5k of Liam’s Uni Council pay) and Liam had given $5,000 to the printing budget in the local body elections campaign alone so it’s no wonder Daniel looked a bit nervous The typically quiet Daniel also chipped in He was worried they were trying to do too much the Exec already look tired as fuck,” he said “As passionate as we are [...] I’m worried that we’re going to burn out.” He referred to the presentation from the Uni’s Dean of Learning and Teaching Tim Cooper they’d had earlier in the meeting who had listed the odds stacked against them: full-time study being part of multiple committee groups each and attempting to balance general life commitments outside of this it’s hard to get anything done,” Tim had said The concerns about loading already full plates with these plans – on top of the personal goals that each Exec member had campaigned on – were a tough swallow for Liam who noted that they could have been raised before he spent the Easter Break planning each campaign “This is a very ambitious plan,” he admitted that we can handle it.” He noted that he was keen to front-foot the VSM campaign and “maybe” the housing campaign Bailey’s dad (AKA Residential Rep Callum) had already had boots on the ground consulting with subbies for the subwarden campaign one aiming to address “identified inequalities” in the job and that had had 95% interest among subbies he’d spoken to The next question from Stella took aim at the local body elections campaign which included plans to “endorse” candidates “I am quite against supporting a candidate or group of candidates,” she firmly stated She reasoned that their role should be to “facilitate an environment where students can be educated” This was especially important given the left-leaning Exec (both Jett and Liam are Labour members) which would alienate students aligned with parties such as National who “do come up with good policies on the odd occasion that are really good for students” Liam accepted that evaluating candidates based on their alignment with student interest Before the squabbling had begun was a rapid-fire round-up from everyone It revealed that Liam’s ANZAC Day speech may be appearing in the Otago Daily Times Vice Prez Amy had a meeting with the Proctor (“lovely man”) about a safe streets campaign for walks home that aren’t dodgy Stella is still chipping away at her lecture recordings policy which the Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Pro-Vice-Chancellor Advisory Group are set to make a decision about anytime now Jett has been busy with submissions and got a brief telling off from the rest of the Exec for sending them in for consultation a bit tardy (the most recent being sent to Exec at 8pm the day before it was due) There was also an update about the Aotearoa Tertiary Students’ Association (ATSA). The latest Critic Te Ārohi reported on ATSA was in a lengthy rabbithole of a feature (Issue 8) detailing the history of its predecessor New Zealand Union of Students’ Associations (NZUSA) that went to shit (it’s in liquidation now) one which Liam has been heavily involved in He sadly couldn’t make the last meeting because of a lecture “The meeting ended very quickly because you weren’t there.” Liam said things are “starting to get going which is good.” There’ll be a conference in May where Critic Te Ārohi will be in attendance the meeting was wrapped up at 10:20am and the supermarket mud cake was sliced for Ngātiki’s birthday For full archives click here ... Critic Te Ārohi is the student magazine of the Otago University Students' Association Critic is a member of the Aotearoa Student Press Association (ASPA) Disclaimer: the views presented within this publication do not necessarily represent the views of the Editor Press Council: people with a complaint against a newspaper should first complain in writing to the Editor and then Complaints should be addressed to the Secretary She told the party’s Mainland Regional Conference in Dunedin on Saturday the hospital was a project the government would deliver on "Instead what they’ve done is have endless working groups and meetings promising everyone who wanted something from that hospital that they would have everything." Work is progressing on the outpatient building component of the hospital build has been largely completed but work on that site was stalled while the government considered its options on how to progress the project Earlier this year Health Minister Simeon Brown announced the 11-storey build on the former Cadbury’s site would continue as planned although some rooms would be shelled and developed in the future Ms Willis said when the new government took office it found Labour had not put enough money in reserve to fund the hospital build "There was absolutely insufficient funding in the budget for that project and in fact one of the first things we had to do which we did proudly because we believe in that project was we put aside another $290 million to keep it going," she said far from reducing funding for Dunedin Hospital our government increased the funding available for Dunedin Hospital and we have now been doing the important task of ensuring that we actually deliver it in a way that’s sensible and practical and achievable." The government recently issued a tender to complete the inpatient building substructure while commercial negotiations for the main construction continued "There will be more work continuing in the latter half of the year on that project," Ms Willis said "We are committed to it - we will build it - but we’ve got to keep at it a lot better than the last lot." Ms Willis later told the Otago Daily Times that upon taking office the government had had to boost funding for the new hospital "That was necessary in order for it to look at all viable — without that additional funding it wouldn’t have," she said "We asked what do we need to do to make sure that this project is still affordable and deliverable because part of what we want to see is that that new infrastructure comes into service and it isn’t a project that goes on into infinity "This is a project that will take time to deliver under any scenario and so I’m conscious that the way that we’re approaching it now by making sure we’ve really thought it through and we’ve got the planning in place will minimise future costs." The comments arise as the Dunedin City Council begins deliberations on its draft nine-year plan The draft plan includes an infrastructure strategy for the city but not one specifically for the increasingly busy student quarter "The university is anticipating growth in student numbers over the period of this plan .. There is presently no acknowledgement of this growth in the plan The university’s submission also said it did not feel it had been factored into any models for city-wide growth it wanted to contribute to any further review of housing capacity Otago University Students’ Association president Liam White said students shared many of the university’s concerns about the council’s lack of planning "The university is predicting significant growth over the next 10 years and I always ask the question every time it comes up ‘where are they going to live?’ "I think sometimes this can create a bit of panic Mr White said while growth in student numbers would be a good thing he wanted to ensure the right infrastructure was built alongside it More effort could be put into upgrading and expanding halls of residence or developing more university-owned uni flats "I think the university has identified the correct problem but what I don’t want to have happen is the development of student slums that is kind of what happened in North East Valley." Mr White said the best minds in Dunedin needed to tackle it "The tertiary precinct planning group used to exist and it used to have OUSA [and] the Otago Regional Council and we all used to get together and plan what the future of North Dunedin would look like and around our university "I think now is the right time to get everybody back around the table and thinking about the future of the area." OUSA will speak to their submission to the city council this week matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz Critic Te Ārohi has decided that semester lengths are such a hot topic that they deserve two weeks of coverage please.” Because apparently I’m the only student who knows how any of this works may this article serve as excellent kindling why does Otago get just a single week off in the middle of each semester Why are we the university equivalent of the forgotten eldest daughter after her dad remarries and starts a new family my parents are lovely.) It’s all thanks to our decision to move to 18-point papers That change meant we needed more time to teach and assess content why not,” and extended the semesters – at the cost of our precious mid-semester breaks We’ve got to start and end the academic year at roughly the same time every year because our semesters are sandwiched between two lots of Summer School There simply aren’t enough weeks in the year to have long mid-semester breaks Was this change quietly shuffled through the University Senate If you didn’t exercise your rights as an OUSA member and come sit in on Exec meetings then yeah you definitely didn’t know this was happening then again in September at the Advisory Committee on Student Advising (yes So while it might have felt like this change came out of nowhere you can bet your bottom dollar that I was in all the meetings I argued that longer mid-sem breaks + shorter semesters = less student misery while everyone wondered why they let me on the committee If you’re out of study for more than three weeks your Student Loan or Allowance can get cut Our current mid-year break goes over that 21-day limit Otago has made special arrangements with Studylink to ensure that we aren’t affected.  But that’s not where decisions are born ACoSA (that student advisory committee with the absurdly long name) makes recommendations to Senate who then recommend things to the University Council But the actual solution – the thing that fixed the Studylink problem – came from a staff member who just genuinely wanted students to have a better experience If I had a dollar for every time someone in the Clocktower had our backs… well I’d be able to pay extra for oat milk in my coffee Maybe you read this article thinking it’d save you money on toilet paper Or maybe you’re a closet fan of UoO bureaucracy For full archives click here ... Pupils from Halfway Bush School had the opportunity to meet with Dame Joy Cowley at her home Summerset at Bishopscourt Retirement Village The book is Dame Joy’s follow up to her award-winning collaboration with illustrator Gavin Bishop Her new book captures the essence of friendship and provides a gentle reminder to be kind to others and to avoid name-calling Dame Joy said the inspiration for Twigs and Stones came from a childhood experience when she tripped backwards over a milk crate in a classroom and her teacher said "watch your feet all the children called me Jumbo and I hated it because I was called that at the school always," Dame Joy said Teachers used to ask her to write something about name-calling because she found it distressing and they were not sure how to talk to children about it Dame Joy did not want to write a story that was too "preachy or teachy" and used snake and lizard characters to talk about the issue without pointing fingers at children The book had resonated well with the children as a result Dame Joy also presented the Halfway Bush pupils with $500 worth of vouchers from University Bookshop Otago for their school library Until recently they did not have a school library and a parent Lizzie Kennedy volunteered her time to help create one "A school needs a library," Ms Kennedy said Website intended for a New Zealand health professional readership zthompson@nzdoctor.co.nz Kia ora and welcome to New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Not a subscriber? Unlock this article by subscribing here. Hall discusses the evaluation of thyroid nodules which primarily aims to determine the likelihood of malignancy He then reviews the treatment of thyroid nodules and thyroid cancer New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is intended for a New Zealand health professional readership. Use of this site implies acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Statement New Zealand Doctor Rata Aotearoa Online is not a consumer medical advice service Consumers should seek advice from a health professional and not act in reliance on any statement contained in the information provided A MetService forecaster said the Musselburgh weather station recorded a temperature of 12°C at 2pm yesterday that top temp is due to head upwards as the week progresses She predicted the sunny weather would hang around as New Zealand was hit with a high-pressure system but the lack of cloud would mean cool overnight temperatures "We have quite high daytime temperatures in the high 10s and on Wednesday it would be going up to 21°C." those temperatures could dip to the single digits Dunedin may be due for some rougher weather with a cold front hitting the South "It does look like there’s going to be a period of rain there through the day and some showers to follow that into Friday morning." the skies were predicted to start to clear up again with Saturday enjoying some settled weather there would not be much wind anywhere until Thursday when the cold front came through and some northerly winds hit that front laine.priestley@odt.co.nz The Labour Party says Dunedin locals are concerned and fearful after further reported bed number cuts for the city's new hospital The Otago Daily Times reports there are plans to halve the number of dementia and psycho-geriatric beds from what the current hospital has now That would be on top of a planned cut in intensive care beds that came to light last week Labour's spokesperson for seniors and mental health said residents were alarmed as it was becoming clear downgrades were being hidden "Now they are hearing there are cuts to ED beds and they're feeling really worried about what could happen to them should they need those services and the beds simply won't be there." said the area had a high average age and the population was aging "These complex specialist issues of psycho-geriatric care and elderly persons' mental health are going to get worse before they get better and yet the government is slashing the support that's available," she told RNZ "The way these cuts have crept in is insidiously rather than through open and transparent announcements." But Health Minister Simeon Brown said Leary was wrong "She's completely incorrect - we announced the decision back in late January as one of the first decisions I made as minister of health was to give certainty to the people of Dunedin that the hospital would be built on the old Cadbury site we announced the scope changes at that time what she's simply doing is looking to try to create controversy where we've provided certainty." RNZ asked Brown repeatedly if the newly reported figures were accurate but he would not say "All decisions as part of the scope were made in consultation with lead clinicians to ensure the services provided to that community could be maintained and enhanced Our focus now is getting on and getting this hospital built." Dunedin's mayor says he's frustrated the building of Dunedin's new hospital has progressed slowly despite figures showing almost a quarter of the budget has already been spent The new plan has fifty-nine fewer beds than originally planned though the government ensured the finished space would have flexibility to add on facilities to match demand when the hospital opens… Audio Simeon Brown has released what he says is a first-ever plan for a national assistant signal and electrical engineer of the Railway Department explained that the track between Dunedin and Ravensbourne is divided into four sections by insulation from one rail end to the other Entry to each by trains is governed by three-position coloured-light signals — red Red means that the section ahead is occupied by a train Yellow means that the section ahead is clear Green indicates that the section ahead is clear and that the signal on the next signal is either at caution or at clear — that is A train on the rails prevents the electrical energy from reaching the relay which controls the signals; therefore the whole thing being automatically controlled to prevent any possibility of accident In addition to the saving of a few minutes on the journey much valuable land will be available on the city side on the rails and everything is now in readiness to proceed with the construction of the highway to the Exhibition grounds The Committee of Inquiry appointed by the Minister of Health to investigate and report upon the necessity for special care and treatment of mental defectives and sexual offenders has completed the report of its findings which are of intense interest to the dominion The whole report may be described as an intensely human document of paramount importance to the general health and welfare of the community there has been a growing feeling of anxiety among the public owing to the number of mental defectives becoming a charge upon the State and also the alarming increase in their numbers through the uncontrolled fecundity of this class there was a strong demand that some action should be taken to prevent further acts of this nature; it being suggested that the law should be altered to make it possible for surgical operations to be performed upon these offenders It is far from correct to suppose that all feeble-minded persons are sexual offenders or that all sexual offenders are mentally defective among sexual offenders of the worst type are persons possessing intellectual and artistic powers above the average but not the "intelligent quotient" which is at fault The committee is of the opinion that the unrestricted multiplication of feeble-minded members of the community is a most serious menact to the future welfare and happiness of the dominion and it is of the utmost importance that some means of meeting the peril should be adopted without delay Seafood and ice cream is not a combination on many menus — but the team at Patti’s & Cream felt it was time for the two ingredients to come together is part of a city delegation to national tourism conference Trenz in Rotorua this week They wanted to share some of the city’s culinary delights with the Rotorua audience and decided to work with Southern Clams and local restaurant Moiety on their latest concoction It would join the variety of "savoury" flavours on the menu There was a lot of "back and forth" before they settled on the clam and tomato-flavoured ice cream recipe "We had a couple of other ideas — we actually did try to make a cheese roll ice cream as well "Chef Sam Gasson has got access to some pretty unique equipment at his restaurant Moiety — so there was a lot of deliberation on getting this right." They had considered turning the ice cream into a smoked clam powder "We wanted to bring a bit of Otepoti into the ice cream," Ms Tabor said "It’s just trying to bring something that’s palatable that people are going to enjoy and that’s interesting "That’s definitely the most challenging part "It’s a bit of a project trying to do this at the same time when you’re running a busy restaurant and a busy shop." Other Patti’s & Cream ice cream flavours on display at Trenz will be Emerson’s London porter and spicy peanuts "I think we take for granted how many creative people there are in Dunedin and how easy it is to make a connection with them "There’s so much opportunity for collaboration." The flavours would be on the menu at her stores in the city centre and Mornington shortly she had "lots of ideas" for other flavours "Watch this space — who knows what could come next?" matthew.littlewood@odt.co.nz  and  Saraia Allais 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 committee secretary Kevin Mechen said they visited the premises twice in the week leading up to a reconvened hearing last month a committee member was told there was no food available and it appeared no food had been prepared at the premises since the beginning of the year The on-site manager had not maintained the food provision to the standard required by law "has made no effort to inspect the premises for even the basic requirement of his licence," Mr Mechen said the committee is not confident the premises is being operated properly and that the applicant despite undertaking to come to Dunedin for 10 days per month does not have processes in place to ensure the premises will meet its statutory obligations The applicant could not trade beyond next Wednesday and had been given until then to formally close the business A staff member who identified themselves as a duty manager declined to speak to the Otago Daily Times on the record yesterday had been continuously licensed since opening as a hotel and had been a tavern since 1970 Its potential closure comes after the Carisbrook Hotel ceased trading in June 2023 as well as the forced closure of Mitchells Tavern the same month after it was gutted in a fire Committee chairman Colin Weatherall said yesterday it was "certainly not a regular occurrence" that an application for a licensed premises as established as the St Kilda Tavern was declined "The committee is very conscious of the community it serves but the application in its own right failed to meet the criteria of the [Sale and Supply of Alcohol] Act in more ways than one." Ownership of the tavern had reverted to the landlord who had indicated they may try to sell the establishment as a going concern The committee heard at the hearing in February Mr Singh lived in Auckland at present and planned to come to Dunedin once or twice a month for two or three-day visits at a time He later made a commitment to be at the premises for at least 10 days in every month for the first year of business Much of police’s evidence was subject to a non-publication order and part of the hearing was excluded to the public The majority of this evidence related to the previous owner and not the applicant It was suggested the applicant was a friend of the previous owner and there was a business connection between the two but "no evidence was produced to support this assertion." tim.scott@odt.co.nz pleading their case for safety improvements around their school did not escape a few tough questions from one Dunedin city councillor three Portobello School pupils asked the council to finish Te Awa Ōtākou which they said would fix dangerous roads around their school forming part of a shared path around Otago Harbour but sections on the peninsula remain incomplete Bella Monteith and Ivy Larkins had submitted on the same topic at last year’s annual plan hearing and again "respectfully" asked the council to finish the project "Are you aware that we’ve already spent over $100 million on the cycleway out to the peninsula?" he asked "Are you aware that the extra bit of cycleway you’re talking about doesn’t meet [NZ Transport Authority Waka Kotahi] safety priorities "And are you aware that the data that we now have on the last four years of cycleway use shows that despite all the money we’ve been spending that cycleway use hasn’t increased in the last four years?" Portobello School teacher Cheryl Neill stepped in to answer "We do know that you’ve spent an awful lot of money but we would really like it just down to the end of Harington Point Rd." Cr Brent Weatherall asked if it was fair the final stages of the project would be entirely council funded Ms Neill said in an "ideal world" there would be government funding — "but no The pupils told the council the road past their school was unsafe — a section of road some called "the death hole" walk when we go to school or take our young siblings to kindergarten," Ivy said Speeding locals and tourists and big vehicles did not leave much room for error four other submitters spoke in support of Te Awa Ōtākou including Te Rūnanga o Ōtākou ūpoko Edward Ellison who also asked the council to complete the project Mr Ellison said he was pleased to see the completed sections of Te Awa Ōtākou were well used — completing the project would improve safety for all road users "It came as a surprise to us to find that after the upgrade had been completed that we are left in a bereft situation from Portobello out there’s much more of it and people are not stock-aware The final scores are in for the sixth round of Dunedin premier rugby said police arrested a 57-year-old man for exposing himself and performing an indecent act in front of members of the public living on Queen St and was later bailed to appear in Dunedin District Court at a later date A Dunedin apprentice plumber has sealed the top spot at a nationwide plumbing award show 21-year-old Masterlink apprentice plumber Trent Toomey was named the overall winner of the Plumbing World Scholarship presented by the 2025 New Zealand Plumbing Awards Ceremony held in Brisbane He was awarded a $1000 credit at Plumbing World and a registration to the 2026 New Zealand Plumbing Conference accommodation and a guest ticket for the New Zealand Plumbing Awards Gas and Water owners Shelley and Sean Reynolds said Mr Toomey turned up to work every day with a "smile on his face" "Trent actively seeks out areas where he can contribute "If Trent completes his scheduled work before the end of the working day he does not hesitate to request additional jobs." gasfitting and drainlaying registration exams with high marks This was not his first award in his short career Last year Mr Toomey won the Trustees Apprentice Award for Otago at the 2024 Mac Mackenzie Trust Awards which recognises second-year apprentices who excel in their training or overcome significant challenges Masterlink regional manager Danny Ledwith said Mr Toomey’s "proactive attitude" while completing his apprenticeship was a clear demonstration of his "personal growth and maturity" Trent took full responsibility for his learning and committed to completing all of his online and on-job assessments impressively getting ahead of the curriculum by finishing assessments before they were even released," he said The councillor at the centre of the matter has now decided to speak out saying she is well-equipped to deal with the perceived conflict of interest said her selection was "a positional appointment ‘Can’t be both’ heritage advocate and panel member Otago Housing Alliance strategic lead Aaron Hawkins raised concerns about the appointment of Cr Barker to the hearings panel for plan change 1 which will later this month address the Dunedin City Council’s proposal to protect 146 more heritage buildings Mr Hawkins argued Cr Barker’s ongoing advocacy of heritage matters should concern those opposing the council’s proposal to add restrictions to their properties and "puts the integrity of the process at risk of legal challenge" The three-person panel consists of Crs Barker and O’Malley as well as independent commissioner Rob van Voorthuysen After Mr Hawkins’ concerns were reported in the Otago Daily Times "Pity Mr Hawkins doesn’t appear to remember his own actions," he said And there were times he had believed there was "direct conflict" with Mr Hawkins’ previously stated views including issues that were associated with the district plan (2GP) process in which Mr Hawkins was heavily involved with as a 2GP commissioner Cr Whiley said he went so far as to complain privately to the council chief executive in 2019 about an apparent conflict when Mr Hawkins was appointed to chair a hearing regarding high-class soils despite having "repeatedly made his views known on the issue" Cr Whiley noted the chairman for the upcoming plan change 1 hearings had sought and obtained an independent legal opinion after Mr Hawkins first raised his concerns in March And Mr van Voorthuysen had now stated publicly he was satisfied Cr Barker did not have a conflict of interest and that she would bring an open mind to the panel "Cr Barker is an extremely hard-working councillor who has great integrity and is across all the issues facing heritage she is not chairing the hearing and there is another experienced councillor (Cr O’Malley) sitting on the panel "Both councillors are also experienced RMA commissioners working with an experienced hearing chair." Cr Whiley later suggested Mr Hawkins was raising the issue because he was eyeing a return to local government after having been voted out as mayor in 2022 He said the example Cr Whiley used from 2019 was not the same as the present situation "This isn’t comparable to assessing the merits of a landowner wanting to undertake activities contra to planning rules "A higher bar should be set for decision-makers where council is proposing restrictions that aren’t supported by the landowner," he said "It’s bizarre to suggest that people who made decisions on planning rules should be somehow restricted from implementing them "The RMA is not a ‘both sides’ political instrument." Cr Barker had a sustained involvement in advocacy on heritage issues that should disqualify her from the panel especially because a higher bar should be set for proposing heritage-building restrictions "that aren’t supported" by the landowners When the ODT first raised Mr Hawkins’ concerns with Cr Barker she referred comment to the hearings panel chairman she said she had a lot of experience in managing perceived conflicts of interest and had "always dealt with them" "I come to the hearings and decisions-making space with an open mind no preconceived outcomes and am eager to hear expert advice and weigh up the evidence when I am presented with the information during the process "I am very aware that an RMA commissioner’s role is quasi-judicial and the responsibilities that come with that role the training and gravitas that that role entails," she said Cr O’Malley said he selected the panel along with staff help and due to the nature of the hearings which included changes to the district plan beyond heritage as well he appointed himself because he was chairman of the infrastructure services committee and Cr Barker because she was the chairwoman of the strategy And Mr van Voorthuysen was chosen because of his experience Cr O’Malley’s selections were then ratified by a council vote "A well-trained and experienced commissioner such as Cr Barker knows full well that the pre-eminent position a commissioner must take is that natural justice is served and in doing so place the process above any personal views," he said hamish.maclean@odt.co.nz began their journey around the fourth-longest river in New Zealand on a cold morning on Easter Monday Over the following seven days they hiked through "tiger country" and set new limits for how far they could go together Mr Wilson said he wanted to hike around the Taieri after returning from Germany six months ago He said he had walked around the Tauber River in Franconia during his time abroad and wanted to cover the river he had grown up around It did not take a lot of convincing to get his sister "It was such a meaningful adventure," he said The siblings grew up on the Taieri Plain and a lot of the walk was nostalgic for them He could remember going fishing with his grandparents and had other fond memories Mrs Bonner contacted about 25 farmers before the trek and they were all very helpful he was not sure if he could manage the long distances consecutively for seven days The hardest sections of the walk were where there was no tracks and going through the Taieri River Gorge Mr Wilson only had two blisters on his left foot and Mrs Bonner only had a few more Mr Wilson said he was pleased to have his sister with him during the walk having someone with you was necessary and not just for your safety but also for your sanity." There were not always tracks to follow so the duo resorted to using paper maps a compass and the Taieri itself to get directions There was a lot of "bush bashing" involved to find their way through massive tussocks "It was exhausting — there was probably a dozen times when I thought about stopping "Her shins started swelling; my right knee started getting sore." by day 7 the pair were still having a lot of fun despite first questioning if they would be able to make it "I think it’s recognising we have perceived limits of our ability .. but now I look back and go ‘jeez we almost did 250km in a week’." The pair’s families joined them for the end of the journey and their respective children awarded them with medals they made for them at the end of their adventure said police were driving in Union St West when a car sped towards them at 1.30am on Sunday The 20-year-old driver then pulled up on to the footpath in full view of officers When police spoke to the man sitting in the drivers seat The man underwent breath testing procedures and recorded a breath alcohol level of 491mcg His car was impounded and his licence was suspended for 28 days The man would appear in Dunedin District Court at a later date a 33-year-old man driving behind a patrol car in Princes St was caught speeding at 64kmph in a 50kmph zone he was found to have been drinking the night before He underwent breath testing procedures and recorded a breath alcohol level of 442mcg He would also appear in court at a later date The Dunedin City Council will today meet to begin a week of hearings for its nine-year plan as well as the city’s adoption of Local Water Done Well — a government reform programme focused on the future delivery of drinking water Among those who submitted on the plan were representatives of the recently formed Surrey St Flood Action Group convener Lynne Newell said local residents had been complaining to the council for years urgently requesting an overflow of wastewater and sewage in the street be stopped "We are continually flooded with sewage from the diversion of the hill suburbs’ wastewater "This sewage-filled stormwater flows into surrounding streets and increases the volume of water in the streets and thus the level of damage to properties "The health risk is appalling and is a moral duty for the council to immediately address." including that the council was overstating climate change and was downplaying its own culpability for the overflows The group requested the council begin "urgent action" to reduce the risk of further wastewater overflow to zero within the next year and apologise to the people of South Dunedin committee member Julian Doorey said he had "financial skin in the issue of stormwater flooding" creates environmental hazards and serious health risks." The council has declined to comment on individual submissions before the hearings A Dunedin teenager caught driving his new Mustang more than 200kmh told police he "wanted to have some fun in it" said police stopped a 19-year-old at 11.55pm on Saturday after he was seen going 202kmh on the Southern Motorway - more than double the 100kmh speed limit a 2019 Ford Mustang GT valued at about $60,000 He told officers he had taken the Mustang out because he "wanted to have some fun in it" The fun soon ended and due to the excessive speed he was charged with driving at a dangerous speed and his car was impounded for 28 days His licence was also suspended for 28 days and he would appear in Dunedin District Court on May 30 Snr Sgt Bond said driving at those speeds was ‘‘a disaster waiting to happen’’ you're not going to survive any crash — it’s just dumb." Saturday’s rally was organised by the Dunedin branch of the International Socialist Organisation Aotearoa Dunedin branch committee member and protest co-organiser Oscar Bartle said hundreds of people attended "The turnout was a lot higher than expected I think people have really had enough and are ready to stand up and fight back." The rally was organised in response to New Zealand First’s introduction of a member’s Bill to define the terms "woman" and "man" in law The Legislation (Definitions of Woman and Man) Amendment Bill announced last month proposed to define "woman" as "an adult human biological female" and "man" as "an adult human biological male" Member’s Bills are usually only debated in the House if selected at random from the ballot Everything he had asked for would be covered Enterprise Dunedin is the Dunedin City Council’s economic development and destination marketing agency and the council decided in November last year to seek a review of the operation it was disclosed by Cr Whiley last week the cost might have been "eye-watering" — certainly more than $100,000 — "and I wasn’t going to put council through that" An undisclosed quote from EY (formerly Ernst & Young) was not taken up and My Governance was instead contracted to run the first phase of a two-phase review Cr Whiley is chairman of the council’s economic development committee An update report for a council meeting last week said EY was initially contacted to explore the feasibility of conducting the Enterprise Dunedin review alongside its review of Dunedin Venues Management The aim was to leverage information already gathered in that process but Cr Whiley deemed the costs prohibitive and he advised staff to revise the approach Staff said the scope was divided into two phases "to ensure a thorough yet cost-effective review" would involve defining strategic priorities and assessing previous reports and stakeholder consultation The second phase would provide recommendations about governance operational models and implementation strategies "This phased approach ensures a structured data-driven evaluation of Enterprise Dunedin allowing for well-informed decision-making regarding its future direction," staff said Cr Lee Vandervis extracted that the EY figure exceeded $100,000 after objecting to lack of information "If we’re going to make decisions on costs and we’re not allowed to know what those costs are Cr Vandervis abstained from a vote about noting the update Council policy and partnerships manahautū (general manager) Nicola Morand told the Otago Daily Times the amount quoted by EY would have meant the council could not remain within its approved Enterprise Dunedin budget for the financial year "EY provided a comprehensive proposal," she said the primary purpose — to review the operation of Enterprise Dunedin — will still be achieved." She was asked if the council suggested a more limited scope to EY and replied "yes The final report and recommendations will be presented to councillors at the end of July grant.miller@odt.co.nz Southern dominated Green Island in all facets to record a comfortable 36-5 win at Miller Park this afternoon They defended well when they had to and they actually played some pretty enterprising rugby despite the bleak conditions It rained quite hard at times but first five Mackenzie Palmer was a handful Other times he put his teammates into a hole with a fabulous pass and his attacking kicks proved dangerous as well Experienced winger Josh Buchan dotted down twice Hooker Bede Dodd-Edgar tucked himself in the boot and scored twice from lineout drives Powerful loose forward Konrad Toleafoa grabbed a brace of tries as well and made a solid impression at both ends of the field The other games threw up a few surprising results as well Kaikorai cruised to a 40-14 win against University at Bishopscourt The win has seen them climb into the top six while the students drop to seventh in the competition standings Taieri brushed aside Zingari-Richmond 53-19 at Monticello Park and lead the competition Poisoned repeatedly as it slugs its way through Dunedin’s southern industrial zone the Kaikorai Stream spews its gutful of garbage and toxins into a large estuary at Green Island and then the Pacific Ocean manager of the Shetland St community garden at the top of Kaikorai Valley a city settler described the stream as the "purest water" but by 1907 the Otago Daily Times was describing it as a "continuous sewer" and city scandal E.coli and other pollution readings in the worst category and likely degrading further a factory worker says the largest thing that floated past their window was a car and the latest thing was a dead elver — a juvenile tuna/eel one of New Zealand’s precious and declining taonga species should anyone care for a ringside view of the stream’s other fallout The stream’s water quality is tested as terrible and insect counts are low University of Otago freshwater ecologist Gerry Closs says it is tricky to finger-point polluters because there are so many potential sources from 250 storm drains that pipe straight in and from surface runoff including toxic dust from roads Aroha/Love Kaikorai Valley Trust (AKV) has a vision of clean water to the ocean and does things such as stream cleanups and predator trapping She has a message for any purposeful polluters who don’t get in the waka grab an oar and paddle like fury to restore the stream’s life for fish "They are maybe not helping the world and making it a worse place to be in When Tania Sharee Williams (Ngāpuhi) was a child she used to swim in the stream and eat kura/crayfish from it with food on the way because its valley and estuary teemed with fish and birds cars swing in to Kaikorai Valley Rd between the pillars of KFC and Subway and the stream is invisible from behind the wheel swapping to the right around Kaikorai Valley College and finally under the Southern Motorway to the council-owned Green Island tip at the estuary’s edge Its journey passes through private land parcels and is physically impassable when forced under roads into concrete channels and even through buildings numbers of macroinvertebrates — mayflies and other critters that fish and birds rely on for food — are in the lowest category The Dunedin City Council says that its draft 9-year plan includes measures to improve the city’s streams but adds that streams that discharge into the harbour are being prioritised above the Kaikorai catchment Kaikorai Common is between Shetland St and Taieri Rd and there is a stream-side path between Donald St and Townleys Rd but it is currently fenced off and the council couldn’t say when it would reopen "It’s where people come to relax," he says Head of science and longtime stream advocate Dr Simon McMillan points to water edged by trees but no other evidence of nature Water testing has revealed e-DNA evidence that the chronically threatened longfin eel has been here "It goes to show that some parts of the stream are holding on to their life but if I go in and had a look around for some invertebrates An eel is hardier than your average mayfly." which live for years but eventually must try to migrate to the ocean to breed may be constrained to patches of the stream due to weirs and other barriers The stream has a catchment of more than 40sq km reaching well beyond the businesses lining Kaikorai Valley Rd including one from the flanks of Flagstaff and Wakari into Fraser’s Creek and another from around the Balmacewen Golf Course There is likely uninformed polluting by people washing cars and paint brushes into drains general rubbish and more are mentioned in an Otago Regional Council campaign called "only drain rain" grant corporates consents that include permission to drain pollutants in certain circumstances says streams can become "informal tips" and corporate permissions to pollute are "remarkable" Slightly before Kaikorai Valley Rd meets the Southern Motorway there is a suburb called Burnside It is a fiery name for a hard yard where diggers and machinery move and sift steaming asphalt and concrete and the abandoned meat works looms in the background owner of excavation and demolition operator Hall Bros Transport and former councillor He said the yard was previously a "bomb site" covered in broom and gorse When asked if he would plant natives around the stream’s banks He then revised his answer to "in the long term" and "when I get around to it" He hadn’t heard of the community group AKV When asked how he would respond if someone in the community asked him to plant trees around the stream Unless they want to pay for it and do it." there was rubble and rubbish including a large wheel Hall Bros Transport’s website is created by Turboweb a design firm owned by AKV chairman Paul Southworth Mr Southworth says AKV wants to help businesses understand the stream exists needs saving and companies can help by taking steps to stop risk of pollution from their own businesses The stream slowly degrades as it goes down .. says broom and gorse are good for insects and birdlife Industrial activities that operate with council consents are required to meet any environmental conditions and be audited Neither ORC nor the DCC was able to forward any consents required by Mr Hall to operate his yard The DCC said Mr Hall’s screening yard was permitted within the industrial zone and the council had "no power to compel planting on private property" The council forwarded a consent application granted in 2011 when Mr Hall didn’t own the site It allowed excavation rubble to be put on the site that had been dug up when rerouting State Highway 88 and building Forsyth Barr Stadium The consent application said there was an "indication" that the site would then be planted for "visual mitigation and rehabilitation" Despite Mr Hall promising planting nearly a quarter of a century after it was expected a DCC spokesperson said his plan was "positive" There’s surely no life under the former meat works "Nobody wants to see this," boss Ricky Cockburn agrees arborist firm Treeman has started native planting along 100m of stream bank and is feeding a dozen longfin eels It is a glimmer of hope or pointless effort Arborist Nick Boereboom says a sheen of diesel has run across the whole stream Mr Boereboom describes nature as being "squeezed out .. After passing the tip and ducking under the motorway the stream reaches hundreds of ducks at Harraways Oats factory in Green Island but the ducks return because it is "just too tantalising" environmental officer Nigel Paragreen says Mr Koch has led a 19-year community tree-planting effort and gives the ODT a tour of manatu (ribbonwood) and harakeke (flax) Some rubbish is removed but it just keeps on coming downstream Two hectares have been planted with 15,000 trees but less than 0.05% of the stream’s catchment "How many people think their paint containers needs a wash out down the storm drain The water is probably more toxic than the sewers and it isn’t that people are indifferent or don’t care celebrates efforts to save the stream and opportunities for people to learn more and take shared responsibility foster connection between one another and nature and without these stories it is a "free-for-all and you don’t have to be accountable" "The river asks for nothing in return and does its best to provide then everything and everyone can be better off but others will say that is a total possibility." mary.williams@odt.co.nz the city council is consulting on changes to its development contributions policy The council says significant increases in charges are proposed for some areas based on the level of spending planned to accommodate growth there Both developer Allan Dippie — of Willowridge Developments — and Port Otago have waded into the debate calling the proposed increases unjustified "The increases of over $10,000 per equivalent housing unit (EHU) in Dunedin will seriously impact the viability of residential projects and the increases of $30,000 per EHU in the northern settlements of Warrington Waikouaiti and Karitane will simply stop development from occurring there altogether these increases will be reflected in section prices Mr Dippie said the proposed increases in costs were the "difference between development occurring in the city and not occurring in the city" "Council should encourage residential development to both provide housing stock for the city and to bring in more ratepayers which in turn funds ongoing infrastructure improvements." Willowridge has delivered such projects as the Dukes Rd industrial subdivision and the Heathfield and Ocean Heights residential subdivisions Mr Dippie said as increasing the development contributions would have an impact on the feasibility of development all such increases should be reduced or deferred Port Otago has also asked for the council to scrap or reconsider the proposal while it complained about a lack of information from the council about its costing methodology It also criticised the council’s infrastructure predictions saying its experience was "often that its developments generate less demand for infrastructure than is assumed by council" The issue has fired up several developers over the past few weeks particularly after TGC Homes director George Hercus said his company had already been looking at investing elsewhere "Do we want to discourage smaller social or infill housing when greenfields multi-lot subdivisions and large multi-unit developments get the economies of scale to still return better profit margins if you want the rich to get richer and others opportunities to wane survey firms and associated businesses that tended to assist the smaller subdivisions would also suffer whereas larger businesses and developers have greater resources to withstand the reduction in work and could still benefit from larger developers who Submissions on the draft policy close on May 16; hearings will take place from May 19 The council is declining to comment on individual submissions before the hearings a spokesman has previously said development contributions help councils offset the cost of new infrastructure needed to cater for new developments the full cost of this infrastructure would need to be passed on to all ratepayers — through increased debt and higher rates increases — at a time when there is already considerable pressure on budgets for councils and families alike." The money set aside in the Dunedin City Council’s 2021-31 long-term plan for development of a mid-sized theatre was absent from the 2025-34 draft plan They have called for the capital spend to be reinstated but have also been embroiled in a disagreement among themselves An explosive submission to the council from professional theatre advocacy group Stage South included a withering assault on the Mayfair Theatre "Any consideration of further investment into the Mayfair is mistaken," Stage South Charitable Trust spokeswoman Karen Elliot said in the submission on the council’s 2025-34 draft long-term plan "It is fundamentally unfit as a 21st century performing arts venue." She described the Mayfair as having a small inevitably high running costs and multiple technical design limitations" "It’s inherently unworkable for modern theatre and with its strong colonial flavour and lack of community space actively excludes Māori and Pasifika performance," she said "Representatives are unwilling to accept or discuss its limits and have been notably absent in meetings between Stage South the Playhouse and the Athenaeum over the last 12 months." Playhouse and Athenaeum buildings had been jointly pitched for a refurbishment programme but the Mayfair’s status has lately been in question and this has seemed to coincide with input from Stage South Mayfair Theatre Charitable Trust chairman Geoff Patton said the theatre existed because of a small team of volunteers some of its facilities are not the best and it needs money spent on it but that was the whole point of the exercise undertaken with the Playhouse and Athenaeum." The only meeting of significance he missed was one called with 13 hours’ notice and the invitation was sent at 11.15pm Mr Patton said much of the criticism of the Mayfair appeared to relate to professional "We have to remember that the theatre was transformed into a live venue for "The majority of its hires are for musical events "The Mayfair has been the city’s 400-seat theatre for 60 years and if the proponents of the new build can’t raise $30m it will continue to be for many years yet." Dunedin Repertory Society stressed the urgency of work needed to improve the Playhouse Theatre It had previously been agreed among theatre partners the Playhouse should be first Athenaeum building owner Lawrie Forbes said his complex was under-used and had potential to deliver an "unparalleled Neither Mr Forbes nor repertory society representative Brent Caldwell was critical of the Mayfair he is proposing to reinstate a local advisory group that would bring key stakeholders together — representing relevant institutions and the wider region — and meet on a regular basis "This hospital remains a critically important project for our region and the country and we’re all watching closely to make sure the government delivers on its commitments," Mr Radich said in a statement yesterday "While I accept the government’s assurance that 20 ICU [intensive care unit] beds will be sufficient for our needs on opening day there is capacity to increase this number to 40 if needed and our close scrutiny of this project will continue "It’s important to remember that final fit-out decisions will be made in five years’ time and we shouldn’t be shouting wolf at every shadow." His comments come after the Otago Daily Times revealed Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora (HNZ) was reducing the number of planned ICU beds from 30 to 20 upon opening and the number of mental health beds for older people from 24 to eight Mr Radich said he had no problem with the government’s plan to cut a third of intensive care unit beds from the city’s new hospital and had "no intention" of fighting the move Mr Radich said: "council’s advocacy to date has been effective and it is important that it remains so." Details of the advisory group would be firmed up in discussion with councillors next week "This body will play a vital role in monitoring delivery and providing public updates and will be committed to working constructively with government as this project rolls out," Mr Radich said Mr Radich also spoke to Health Minister Simeon Brown yesterday "Our focus is now to ensure this government delivers the hospital we need now and in the future." Mr Brown has said there would be capacity to expand to 40 ICU beds over time while HNZ said it was seeking a new model of care for psychogeriatric and dementia issues yesterday Taieri MP for Labour Ingrid Leary took aim at Mr Brown who in January announced the government would be pushing ahead with a scaled-back version of the hospital at the former Cadbury’s site for $1.88 billion "Scaling back the hospital beds on the basis of an as-yet undefined model of care is at best magical thinking "To make slash-and-burn decisions in this context is a slap in the face to our communities and renders Mr Brown’s assurances earlier this year plain gaslighting." Mr Brown responded: "Decisions about the scope of this project have been made by Health NZ in consultation with senior clinicians to ensure the hospital can deliver the services needed in Dunedin when it opens "The hospital will be future-proofed to allow for increased services as required that will meet the needs of patients from Dunedin and the wider Otago and Southland regions." run by Proctor Auctions and stocked with donations from local businesses will be given to Krystal Brens and her three daughters the land Ms Brens’ home sits on slipped during the October floods Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake will cover a small portion of repair costs — leaving Ms Brens to come up with $141,000 herself Ms Brens said she had been blown away by the support so far A "huge variety" of items had been donated — signed All Blacks jerseys as well as opportunities for bidders to donate "It’s amazing just to see how much the community has gotten up and up behind me to support me and my girls through this horrible situation," Ms Brens said Auction house owner Ronnie Proctor said the auction was a great chance to support Ms Brens and her girls this community spirit [to] getting behind someone and that she [would] do the same for you," he said The auction can be found on Proctor Auctions’ website and closes on Tuesday afternoon Almost 50 pupils from Portobello and Macandrew Bay Schools made submissions on the Dunedin City Council’s nine-year plan (2025-34) the project aimed to improve road safety and formed part of a shared path around Otago Harbour but three sections on the peninsula remain incomplete is a tiny piece of off-cut along the side of the road," one pupil who was involved in a crash said "If a car was coming along there at a high speed it could easily collide into a pedestrian or biker." Others told the council their parents did not let them walk in the area and some shared concerns about the impact on local tourism The council was considering funding $18.5 million through the nine-year plan to complete the project Support from government agencies was unlikely "Can you please finish the path you promised but I love your work so far," one submission said Another was concerned about fellow pupils: "How terrible for Portobello School to not to have a pathway Portobello School teacher and Otago Peninsula Community Board member Cheryl Neill made a submission on behalf of the school saying it was "essential" the council complete Te Awa Ōtākou "In these three areas there are no walkways and no room for error It is dangerous for our tamariki," she said "It's really important for our children to see that their voice can actually make a real difference to things like this." A week-long hearing on the plan begins on Monday A call for Dunedin to invest heavily in achieving its zero carbon plan has been backed by 150 Dunedin residents A collective submission was sent by the residents to Dunedin City Council in response to the council’s draft nine-year plan The submission contained a raft of strongly-worded commentary about the need for the plan to invest in zero carbon planning including one resident saying the "can had been kicked down the road" far enough Another said the council should "stop fluffing about" Another expressed the urgency: "This is an existential crisis who sent their submission under the group name Zero Carbon Ōtepoti Dunedin also mentioned the city’s flooding and the vulnerability of some communities in the face of climate change which aimed to reduce emissions and provide for climate resilience Two investment packages to achieve the plan — one high one medium — were proposed to be included for public feedback in the council’s consultation on its nine-year plan the consultation did not include asking for feedback on the investment packages because councillors had voted to remove the investment package options from the consultation In a covering letter attached to the submission former Dunedin mayor and spokesman for the group Aaron Hawkins said the willingness of people to take part in the response reflected the "growing urgency and a deep frustration at the lack of meaningful action" to leave climate action at the feet of individuals doing all they can within their spheres of influence." The council had a responsibility to tackle the crisis that required a high level investment "The high investment option is the only package that reflects the scale and urgency of the climate crisis We urge council to reinstate and fund it." said she had taken part in the collective submission because of concerns about transport emissions and safety "We really need to ask ourselves what we want for our our kids’ futures I would love to see more investment in safe places to walk and cycle around the city said she joined in because it was "an important way to give people with shared values a louder voice for climate action" Otago Regional Council councillor Elliot Weir was also among residents who took part "If we want Dunedin to be a city that people live in happily we need to invest now and take responsibility for its emissions," he said Mr Hawkins told the ODT that he had found the community engagement in the submission "really heartening" "We knew our community was concerned about our changing climate They’ve now told us they want meaningful climate action from their city council but until you resource them properly they’re meaningless." the clinic has been open from close of business on Friday until opening of business on Monday The clinic was the brainchild of Dunedin women Isobel Topham Lucy Wilson and Ellen Andrews to help deal with the issue of after-hours calls in the profession Dr Topham said the clinic had been very busy There had been a lot more daytime cases than they had expected and fewer surgeries but about what they had expected for evening consultants They encouraged pet owners to call if they had any concerns as there were vets on-site and nobody was being called out to see an animal The response to the clinic from owners had been one of gratitude while the team involved were proud to be there "It’s been super gratifying to know that patients that genuinely need to have someone there with them overnight can have that care that they can benefit from," Dr Topham said "There will always be unfinished business," David Parker sighs looking back on almost a quarter of a century in politics By most measures he has had an excellent career: after kicking off by doing what many thought was impossible and winning the rural seat of Otago for Labour the now 65-year-old lawyer became Attorney-general But Mr Parker is also the deputy and acting party leader who never made it to the top of the greasy pole and the finance spokesman who became the associate minister but never got the senior role he deeply desired It has been a fulfilling career with many achievements but it ends with a nagging sense that Mr Parker never quite managed to achieve everything that he wanted too Would he have liked to have been finance minister "You wouldn't stand if you didn't think that you could do the job I'm absolutely privileged to have been elected by my fellow New Zealanders to represent their interests in Parliament "If I had different roles would I have done some things that I hadn't done but I'm pretty happy with the way things rolled." Little did former National Energy Minister Max Bradford know what forces he would unleash when he came to Dunedin in the late 1990s to try to sell his government’s electricity reforms In the audience for his public meeting was David Parker — a Roxburgh-born and Dunedin-raised lawyer who had already made a mark in his community by helping to set up the first Community Law Centre while studying at the University of Otago "So my values that I learnt in Dunedin growing up here which are a mixture of personal responsibility Jack is as good as his master or his mistress his ire was the catalyst for taking a more active role in local electorate affairs Then Dunedin North MP Pete Hodgson quickly saw Mr Parker’s potential and he became electorate chairman then thanks to Mr Hodgson’s persuasive powers the candidate for Otago — the seat which is now Waitaki and I just got involved and I thought I might have something to offer," Mr Parker said "Then they needed a candidate in the Otago seat which at that stage ran from Mount Cargill up to Oamaru "I really used to love representing constituents," Mr Parker said but you come to realise that the vast majority of New Zealanders live good lives they participate in social organisations like service clubs and they make society better than it would otherwise be and you don't get that understanding of people quite as much as a list MP "I think one of the other dangers for some list MPs is that you can become too engaged on particular issues It drives me crazy how much political capital is wasted by so many people on identity issues these days We're already one of the most liberal accepting countries in the world and yet we put so much energy into some of those issues "I'm not denying their importance to some people but they can get in the way of concentrating on economic matters and issues of economic fairness and prosperity which in the end are also often the key to the delivery of other services like education and health." In Opposition Mr Parker soon settled down into what became his specialist subjects for most of his political career: law reform Mr Parker became his party’s expert on the gargantuan convoluted and much criticised Resource Management Act "The processes under the RMA became more and more convoluted and constrained subdivisions and other housing developments in a way that drove up the price of not just new sections but that flows through to the cost of all housing including existing houses," Mr Parker said "When I was Minister for the Environment we introduced fast-track — we didn't go so far on fast-tracking as the current government has which was to override provisions in the Conservation Act and the Wildlife Act it's stripped out a lot of time and cost from the process "A lot of the provisions that were in our replacement for the RMA that the new government repealed will be carried forward in their legislation I think progress will be made on that issue and I think we'll get to a settled place." That is a compliment which may surprise some but loyal as Mr Parker is to Labour he has never been a blinkered partisan That has earned him great respect from all sides of the House typified by a generous compliment from Prime Minister Christopher Luxon when Mr Parker’s imminent retirement was announced "We are political opponents testing each other and there is a difference," Mr Parker said "Democracy is a fragile and valuable thing and you see what's happening in other parts of the world now where polarisation is breeding a discontent with democracy and you see these instances where people say that they'd rather have an alternative to democracy and it relies on everyone to engage in it and defend it and criticise those that would tear it down." "I would have stood down at the last election but for some unfinished business that I had in respect of what I think are unfair tax settings in the country where people who work for a living and earn their income through salary and wages pay tax on every dollar they earn," Mr Parker said "The average middle class person in New Zealand would probably spend around 30% of their income across income tax and GST on taxation whereas the wealthiest people in New Zealand pay about a third of that and it's a matter of record that I was disappointed that some of the things that myself and Grant Robertson had proposed in respect of that didn't come to pass and so I stayed on to try and influence those outcomes for the future "This comes back to the ethic that we have in Dunedin and I really want people to thrive and be entrepreneurs and succeed but everyone should still pay their fair share of tax the wealth divisions that we already have in society as a matter of arithmetic get bigger year by year and we already live in a country where the top 1% of wealth holders own 26% of everything." Add in improving New Zealanders’ savings habits possibly through an Australian-style retirement savings scheme and there are plenty more unticked items on the Parker to-do list he is now the longest continuing-serving Labour MP (Damien O'Connor has served longer but not in one stretch) and it is time to pass the baton "I haven't advanced any plans in advance of stepping down I'll probably hang my shingle up again as a lawyer [last year] I knuckled down and wrote the best part of the book "Phil Goff would have been a very good prime minister Some other people that I've been there with that would have been good prime ministers include Simon Bridges from the National Party would have been a good leader there's any number of people who could have led the country." "We've got this incredible natural bounty here those beautiful snow-fed rivers that we've got that glisten and carry fresh water over those gravel bases or the little coastal settlements like Karitane "I believe that democracies are being undermined by these tech barons They owe none of the duties that you owe in your newspaper or any television in New Zealand or owes about balance or being responsible for defamation They sell advertising to fraudsters who are trying to rip New Zealanders off their savings and do so successfully at times The distrust that is bred of all authority figures I see the irresponsible social media platforms as being the major problem." 2005: Loses Otago to Jacqui Dean by 1995 votes but re-elected as No 37 on Labour list and Minister Responsible for Climate Change Issues but briefly resigns after allegations he had filed an incorrect return to the Companies Office Cleared and reinstated to Cabinet about three months later Leading figure in Phil Goff’s shadow Cabinet 2013: David Cuncliffe becomes Labour leader David Parker is his deputy and finance spokesman Interim Labour leader after David Cunliffe steps down but finishes third in leadership contest Declines finance role but takes on foreign affairs 2017: Finishes third in Epsom but Labour wins power again: re-elected at 10 on Labour list Made Attorney-General and Minister for Economic Development Trade and Export Growth and an associate finance minister In 2022 becomes first MP to test positive for Covid-19 Becomes Labour’s foreign affairs spokesman — David Parker delivers his valedictory speech to Parliament on May 7 mike.houlahan@odt.co.nz Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea says they want to win the 2025 Super Rugby Pacific title but to do so they will need to win the next matches That was his message after Melani Matavao scored the decider to give the side a 34-29 win over the Highlanders at the Forsyth Barr stadium in Dunedin The Sunday afternoon clash ended after Matavo charged down a clearing kick close to the Highlanders tryline collected the bouncing ball and dived over to score It gave the visitors their first win over the Highlanders in the series since 2022 The win shoots the North Harbour side into sixth spot on the Super Rugby Pacific competition standings with 24 points That is two points fewer than the Hurricanes who sit in fifth place and four points behind the Reds in fourth then take on the Chiefs in Hamilton and the Hurricanes in Wellington for their last two matches "We want to win the championship but first we gotta make the top six," Savea said "And to make the top six we gotta win each week still think it can be better even on my behalf as a leader I put the team under pressure by giving penalties away so I need to reflect on that myself reset away from footy and we come back to play the Blues at home." He thanked divine intervention and praised the players for staying in the game "First and foremost would like to thank the Lord Jesus Christ would not be here if not for him," Savea said "I am exhausted and tired but also satisfied "It's not nice playing the game when it is going back and forth We'd rather be in a good lead but that's the beauty of footy and that's credit to the Landers boys who every year "I am just proud of my boys who against all odds you know we have faith as small as a seed and that seed can move mountains and like what I have said the belief and confidence in the boys is just awesome." A last minute attack by Highlanders co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai was not able to save the side from going down to Moana who themselves were staring at defeat just two minutes earlier As the ball floated over the touchline from the Highlanders' desperate last second attack down the sideline sending Highlanders player sinking to their knees Tavatavanawai said they just allowed his former team too much space through ill-discipline when asked what his initial reactions are to the result "We got in ourselves and just the little details we did not execute that let them in the game "Our discipline kept letting them into the game momentum team and we kept giving away penalties and let them in." spend time with their families during their bye week and return refreshed for another shot at their next opponent Two tries apiece were claimed by the two sides in the first half Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Knepkeens had registered the home side's first try after a blunder by their visitors just after play started But Moana Pasifika struck back with tries to the midfield pairing of Danny Toala and Lalomino Lalomino Fullback William Havili converted a penalty that gave the side 17 points It was a tight game but the team from North Harbour showed more variation and flair with captain Ardie Savea leading them upfront Highlanders' co-captain Timoci Tavatavanawai also featured prominently for his side winning a number of turnovers and continued his lead in the competition's breakdown turnovers While both teams were steady in the scrum battles Moana Pasifika were able to win possession off some of the Highlanders lineouts Jonah Lowe claimed one for the home team as well in the half Savea claimed a remarkable one man try in the 45th minute when he grubbered the ball sliding over the white line and leaving his side with 22 points on the scoreboard That came after Havili was sent off for what was deemed be an illegal tackle and had to spend 10 minutes on the naughty player's chair and he was able to reclaim his spot on the field Halfback Folau Fakatava - who this week signed for Highlanders until 2027 - set up Lowe's second try with a no-look back pass that sent the winger over the Moana Pasifika line as the hosts upped their tempo That try saw the team with levelled scores at 22-all with 27 minutes to go Smelling blood the Highlanders came alive after the try varying their game between their pack and sending searching kicks into their opposition's territory But basic errors hindered their push to take the lead kept banging away and claimed a critical scrum penalty in the 60th minute which set them up for another attack Play seesawed from end to end as the two teams tried to outdo each other and get the advantage they needed on the scoreboard Moana number six Miracle Failangi then dived over in the 65th minute off a maul with Savea sending a pass basketball style to winger Kyren Taumoefolau who fed Failangi who bumped off a defender and reached over the line Savea then won a decisive turn over in the 68th minute which saw his team lined up again inside the Highlanders half but a knock on gave the hosts a counter-attacking chance and the ensuing play resulted in a penalty to the other side Referee Paul Williams then awarded Tavatavanawai another penalty in the 70th after the Fijian heritage player claimed a ball off a tackle The ensuing maul from the lineout saw replacement Jack Taylor dive over converted the spot kick to send the home side to a 29-27 lead Then in the 74th minute replacement halfback Matavao charged down a clearing kick from Robinson collected the bouncing ball and dived over the line to claim Moana's winning try Pellegrini converted from the sideline as Highlanders fans watched in shock Pacific RSS Moana Pasifika's season is well and truly alive following an high-scoring shootout with the Highlanders - the 34-29 victory seeing Tana Umaga's side defeat the Dunedin franchise for the first time ever The result sees the Pasifika side claim their fifth win of the year Waratahs and Western Force into Super Rugby finals contention The Sunday afternoon clash saw the lead change hands multiple times with both sides going try for try for the majority of the match The hosts got on the board early through Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens but the visitors returned fire three minutes later through Danny Toala - the first ten minutes setting the tone for the back-and-forth affair The Highlanders responded with a try to Jonah Lowe before the visitors slowly took control of the ruck their efforts rewarded with a try to Lalomilo Lalamilo - and with a Jackson Garden-Bachop conversion and a William Havili penalty the second half saw the game break open into a frenetic contest with Cam Millar reducing the deficit to three off a penalty that saw Havili sent to the bin Ardie Savea produced a bit of magic to galvanise his side scoring in the 44th minute to extend Moana's lead with Lowe picking up his second try off the back of a magic passage of play from All Black Folau Fakatava holding thanks to a strong try to loose forward Miracle Faiilagi Despite the stars of Moana Pasifika rising the tide the hosts were able to close the gap through several successful conversions before a brilliant rolling maul try saw Jack Taylor draw the hosts level with replacement flyhalf Taine Robinson giving them the lead with a stunning charge down try to Melani Matavao giving the visitors back the lead - and a botched last ditch attack by the Highlanders after the siren put the result beyond doubt The result sees Moana Pasifika climb over the Blues into sixth place - their finals prospects significantly improving off the back of the result The Highlanders drop to tenth - six points outside finals contention - sustaining their third loss in as many weeks Pellegrini; Pens: Havili) def Highlanders 29 (Tries: Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens Official Archive Footage: info@sanzarrugby.com Savea scored a sublime individual try and Moana Pasifika grabbed a late chargedown try to seal a 34-29 win It was the first victory in this fixture for the Pacific Islanders and they rightly celebrated with gusto at the final whistle and the horrible truth is they are a good shot now to claim the wooden spoon Lock Fabian Holland had another immense game – give him an All Blacks starting jersey now – and flanker TK Howden had by far his best performance for the Highlanders and the peerless Savea deserved to be on the winning side There was a distinctly downbeat atmosphere inside Forsyth Barr Stadium for much of the first half but there were snatches of exciting action on the field The Highlanders scored early when Moana Pasifika made a questionable decision to attempt a whacky offload inside their own 22m and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens snaffled the turnover The sharpest decision of the first half belonged to the visitors Toala made a split-second decision to stab through a grubber and midfield partner Lalomilo Lalomilo dashed through and dived on the ball There was plenty of kicking and some willingness in the physical exchanges but the first half was otherwise underwhelming The Highlanders wasted a couple of attacking lineouts while Moana Pasifika lacked the finesse to turn energetic attacks into more points Moana looked odds-on to score a third try but Highlanders captain Timoci Tavatavanawai ploughed his man over the sideline There was just time for one more botched Highlanders lineout and a long-range William Havili before halftime was whistled with the visitors ahead by five The Highlanders changed hookers at halftime but it had little effect as they predictably lost their first lineout The game threatened to turn when Havili was sin-binned for a high shot on Cameron Millar who was knocked out the last time he played Moana and what Savea conjured out of nothing certainly fit that category regather and twisted to score one of the great tries seen under the roof Moana threatened again immediately but Tavatavanawai snuffed another threat with a crucial turnover The Highlanders’ lineout started to function a lot better and when they built on that to get into the red zone replacement halfback Folau Fakatava pulled out an outrageous no-look reverse flick to give Lowe his second try That made it 22-22 with 25 minutes to play and at least there was a boom finish in store for a game that had not hit any great heights Moana made the first move with a strong lineout drive and quick hands that led to Miracle Faiilagi diving over out wide The Highlanders regained the lead from a Jack Taylor try at the bottom of a lineout drive They had a lineout on the Moana 22m as the buzzer sounded and while they kept the ball alive as long as possible there was a soft finish when the ball got flung out of bounds The Highlanders now have the bye to rest some battered bodies before their season finishes with games against the Hurricanes and Crusaders away and the Chiefs at home — King’s beat Waitaki Boys’ 48-17 in the First XV interschool as the curtain-raiser A highlight of the game was a stunning 40m chip-and-chase individual try from King’s flanker Jeremiah Tuhega-Vaitupu Melani Matavo tries; Jackson Garden-Bachop 2 con The Highlanders responded with a try to Jonah Lowe, before the visitors slowly took control of the ruck, their efforts rewarded with a try to Lalomilo Lalamilo - and with a Jackson Garden-Bachop conversion and a William Havili penalty, they would go into the break 17-12 up. However, the second half saw the game break open into a frenetic contest, with Cam Millar reducing the deficit to three off a penalty that saw Havili sent to the bin. However, as he has done all season, Ardie Savea produced a bit of magic to galvanise his side, scoring in the 44th minute to extend Moana's lead. The Highlanders responded quickly, with Lowe picking up his second try off the back of a magic passage of play from All Black Folau Fakatava. Moana struck back ten minutes later, holding thanks to a strong try to loose forward Miracle Faiilagi. Despite the stars of Moana Pasifika rising the tide, the hosts were able to close the gap through several successful conversions, before a brilliant rolling maul try saw Jack Taylor draw the hosts level, with replacement flyhalf Taine Robinson giving them the lead, 29-27 with less than ten minutes to go. However, it would all come to naught, with a stunning charge down try to Melani Matavao giving the visitors back the lead - and a botched last ditch attack by the Highlanders after the siren put the result beyond doubt. The result sees Moana Pasifika climb over the Blues into sixth place - their finals prospects significantly improving off the back of the result. The Highlanders drop to tenth - six points outside finals contention - sustaining their third loss in as many weeks. A former water manager for the Dunedin City Council says shifting operations to a company could be worth considering he said people would be in a better position to know the answer if the council had produced a better consultation document Nigel Harwood was the first submitter at council hearings yesterday to discuss the future of water services Consideration of whether the council should set up a company to deliver water services is happening at the same time as the council’s 2025-34 long-term plan process The council’s preferred option is to keep delivery of water services in-house Reasons for this include that it would "preserve direct community involvement and accountability" and capitalise on existing strengths Mr Harwood said a series of statements made by the council were meaningless such as that leveraging established systems and governance structures aligned closely with the city’s long-term objectives An assertion the in-house model enabled seamless co-ordination of water services with other DCC responsibilities such as urban planning was "rubbish" Mr Harwood said there would be no incentive for a separate council-controlled organisation to do anything other than work with the council on such matters approach that the DCC has had over the decades with regard to water supply my conclusion is that the in-house model is variable at best "but only if better-quality thought is put into the consultation documentation" Dunedin Area Citizens Association chairman Lyndon Weggery said his group preferred the in-house model This would avoid the costs of setting up a company