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Visit image gallery to purchase the image The person is one of two players who became millionaires just 17 minutes apart on Monday in what Lotto NZ said was its "biggest day ever for Instant Kiwi" The news comes in the wake of two multimillion-dollar Lotto prizes being won in Dunedin in the last couple of months Region strikes it lucky again with another $5m+ win Lotto NZ’s Head of Corporate Communications Will Hine said the Instant Kiwi wins were "a first in the game’s history" "We’ve never before made two people millionaires from Instant Kiwi in a single day two Instant Kiwi players have won million dollar prizes in the past two years so to have another two joining them within the space of an hour is remarkable.” He said a couple were the first Monday millionaires after claiming their prize at New World Waitaki in Oamaru where they had bought the ticket two days earlier The couple say they are "over the moon and still in shock" “We went to pick up some groceries and I bought a ticket at the same time On the way home my wife wanted to go and see the penguins “She got out to go and watch the penguins arrive The man realised straight away that he had won and quickly put the ticket away as his wife came back to their car and I went straight to our room and put the ticket under our mattress – I wanted to be sure it was a winner before I told anyone!” the man couldn’t stop thinking about the winning ticket tucked away under their mattress the first thing I did was check it was still where I’d left it,” he laughed the man told his wife they needed to pick up something from the supermarket but it was about an hour before I returned and as I walked back to the car I could see she was not happy with me,” the man said “So I held up the claim form and the little receipt that had $1,000,000 stamped on it and told her we had won “She burst into tears and kept saying ‘is this real the couple grabbed some McDonald's and headed back down to watch the penguins and talk about their win We chatted about our future and the difference this win will make in our lives “It means we can buy a home for our family as someone else won $20,000 with a ticket sold at the same supermarket on April 11 another winner picked up $20,000 with a ticket bought at Four Square in Lawrence Just 17 minutes after the first $1m winner claimed their prize another call came through to Lotto NZ’s headquarters – there was another Instant Kiwi millionaire The woman and her family had picked up their ticket at Woodys Winners in Wellsford while on the way to visit family for the school holidays “My husband saw all the ‘big winner’ signs up at the store and said we should grab a ticket for the Powerball draw When he came back out I saw he’d also bought a scratchie.” The family carried on north on their journey only remembering the tickets the following day “I scratched the ticket from right to left and when I saw it was a million I was speechless “We told our family and celebrated with a glass of bubbles – everyone was so happy for us.” so I quickly got up and brought my bag to the bedroom – and slept with it right by my bed,” laughed the woman The woman claimed their prize the next day at Ruakākā Lotto Post & Gift Shop in Ruakākā The family are going to use the money to pay a chunk off their mortgage and invest for their future By Jules Chin of Severe winds flipped and destroyed three tied-down planes at the New Zealand Airline Academy (NZAA) in North Otago The pilot training school - based at the Oamaru Airport - may have to "write off" the three aircraft after they were badly damaged in a sudden wind change a strong southerly wind change buffeted the Oamaru area Academy chief executive Jonathan Manuel said the resulting "sudden gusts of winds like a tornado" had flipped three of the flying school's planes over He said the planes were secured to the ground using concrete poles and strong ropes Some of the mountings were completely ripped out of the ground "It bent the wing of the plane and tossed it around and flipped them over - the damage was very severe Three planes are a total write-off," Manuel said That brings the academy's plane loss to four in a year It lost another plane due to severe weather in May last year Manuel said the Kiwi-owned academy now had a fleet of 25 planes with only one hangar that could accommodate 12 planes at a time the remaining planes have to be parked outside The business' website lists 18 Tecnam single-engine aircraft He said there had been lengthy discussions with the Waitaki District Council over available land at the airport where the academy hoped to build another hangar The North Otago Aeroclub yesterday confirmed it had not been affected as it stores its aircraft in a hanger This story was first published by the Otago Daily Times New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News A 60-year-old Oamaru man has been fined $3500 and disqualified from being in charge of animals for two years under the Animal Welfare Act for ill-treating 10 lambs Ross Murray Macaulay received the sentence in the Oamaru District Court He was moving a mob of 64 lambs from a truck unloading area at the meat processing plant where he worked.  He also kicked the lambs and was working with his dog unmuzzled resulting in the dog biting one lamb.  All of Macaulay’s action were captured on surveillance cameras Ten lambs were hit across the face with force by Macaulay causing facial wounds along with stress to the animals.  The incident is one of a number of smaller animal welfare cases the Ministry for Primary Industries has successfully prosecuted over the past few months Animal Welfare officers take the wellbeing of animals very seriously MPI director of compliance and response Glen Burrell said 47-year-old Gisborne man Matthew Gordon Brown was banned from owning dogs for eight years and ordered to do 185 hours of community work over neglect of two dogs Brown was sentenced in the Gisborne District Court on four charges under the Animal Welfare Act a lack of decent shelter and veterinary care.  Brown was previously directed under the Animal Welfare Act to attend to the physical health and wellbeing of these dogs,  which he failed to do 50-year-old Phillip Gerard Bradly from West Auckland was fined $9600 over his neglect and ill-treatment of pigs living in squalid Bradly was sentenced on eight charges under the Animal Welfare Act in the Waitakere District Court following a successful prosecution by the MPI Bradly had over 120 pigs of mixed age and breed at the Waimauku property and the Court also ordered that he be partially disqualified from owning or being in charge of pigs.  one boar and maximum of one litter of pigs born from that sow and boar at any given time Bradly was also ordered to pay veterinarian costs of $4900.60 to the MPI 53-year-old former farm manager Ivan John Deeds from Hamilton struck a cow with an alkathene pipe Deeds was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on two charges under the Animal Welfare Act MPI investigated and found Deeds struck a cow with a metre-long piece of hard alkathene pipe several times – with at least one blow connecting with the cow’s left eye Further investigation found Deeds struck another cow with at least one of the blows causing damage to the cow’s left eye A veterinarian that examined the animal concluded that injuries left the animal blind in that eye “Animal welfare is everyone’s responsibility and the MPI strongly encourages any member of the public who is aware of animal ill-treatment or cruelty to report it to the MPI animal welfare complaints freephone 0800 008 333,” Burrell said Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome Working as a fencer helped hammer in the physical and mental endurance Private Joel Parsons has needed while serving as an infantry soldier in the New Zealand Army Reserve Force A physically demanding civilian job has meant he can easily focus on his core infantry skills while not worrying about the effects of a demanding weekend of training as part of 2/4 Battalion Private Parsons lives in Oamaru and travels to his Dunedin Reserve Force unit for training and my fencing skills even helped out on recruit training When we set up the defensive fencing barrier on recruit training I went round straightening all the waratahs.” Private Parson’s unit practices mine clearance and extraction of a casualty while on exercise in Invercargill Oamaru’s Private Joel Parsons takes part in a night patrol while on exercise in Invercargill and had the opportunity to assist on Operation Protect – the New Zealand Defence Force’s contribution to New Zealand’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic - for six weeks giving him a slice of military life living at Burnham Military Camp “I was working with the Regular Force on a daily basis and living on the camp gave me a sense of life in the Army “It was a great opportunity to get a taster We worked with the NZ Police too which was really cool.” Working for his father has given him the flexibility to attend training and pursue his interest in the military “It really fits with my lifestyle,” he said “It would be great to see more people from Oamaru come to training I didn’t know anyone who served in the Army prior to joining but I did join with one of my mates from school.” He also recently attended a weekend of training in Invercargill where part of the instruction was mine clearance “I’d never done that before and found it really interesting.” Private Joel Parsons takes part in a night patrol while on exercise in Invercargill The training weekend had round robin stands with different lessons which were later put to the test during both a night and morning exercise Officer Commanding Otago Southland Company says the exercise was designed to help train soldiers in tactical operations by both day and night drivers and engineers attend and the intention is to continue doing this with future exercises so we can share and build knowledge of each other’s capabilities” Each Reserve Force company has its own training programme in line with its battalion’s training focus Company level training typically occurs one weekend a month with platoon level training occurring one night a week My Vaccine Pass requirements have not been set for this event winner of three New Zealand Music Awards Paul Ubana Jones was born in London to a Yorkshire mother and a Nigerian father Paul was playing the guitar by the age of eleven Four decades as a professional decades and nine albums later he continues to perform throughout New Zealand Paul has shared the stage and toured with the best: BB King Tuck and Patti… He has delighted festival audiences at the Dublin Blues Festival Blues at Bridgetown and many others in Europe “A national treasure; Paul Ubana Jones is so much more than one man with aguitar He is a conjuror of unique and original songs rooted in primal Blues and Soul”“The most exciting Electro Acoustic Artist to visit our shores”Good Morning News Officers found the victim in a serious condition after being called to a property on State Highway 1 between Fortification Rd and Oamaru-Alma Rd about 1.10pm Hato Hone St John said one ambulance and one helicopter attended the scene confirming the person was found in a serious condition The person was first taken to Oamaru Hospital before being airlifted to Dunedin Hospital Police located the man shortly after the incident and took him into custody He will appear in Dunedin District Court tomorrow A proposal for Ōamaru's historic town centre and port to be designated as a national historic landmark has been approved by the Waitaki District Council Ōamaru would have the same landmark status as the Waitangi Treaty Grounds in Northland because of its well-preserved Victorian architecture and vibrant history The agency was also proposing recognising the National War Memorial in Wellington as a historic landmark heritage advisor Mark Smith recommended granting consent for Heritage New Zealand to include council-owned property and other owned assets as part of the proposal "Council can secure significant benefits and recognition for Waitaki by supporting this proposal," his report said "The Ōamaru historic town centre and port sites would go from being listed among the thousands of items on HNZ's list to one of a handful of places of exceptional national significance." The report noted the proposal was supported by Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust and Tourism Waitaki Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher told councillors there would be a certain synergy to the site being acknowledged alongside Waitangi because Waitaki was the southern Māori dialect of Waitangi very important to the country and the opportunity to put Ōamaru's heritage buildings on the par with that is pretty special," he said "I'm very happy to support this and look forward to this becoming a reality." Councillor John McCone also voiced his support but was concerned national historical landmark status would result in extra costs for building owners "I will support it on the basis its promotional and doesn't become a cost to the owner," he said Smith told the meeting the process would not create any new legislative burdens for property owners based on discussions with Heritage New Zealand "Nothing new is being added by being part of this historic landmark system," he said When the proposal was first mooted in November Heritage New Zealand's Otago/Southland area manager Sarah Gallagher said she was excited about Ōamaru getting the recognition it deserved "Landmark recognition will honour the town's rich history and the efforts of those who have worked hard to preserve and restore the buildings and streetscapes "This recognition will connect visitors and locals alike to the stories of the town's past." Heritage New Zealand would collect the signatures of building owners by mid-May and submit a report to its board in August to seek permission for nationwide public consultation in September a recommendation would go to Minister for Arts Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Heritage NZ is partnering with the community to get it recognised - which is the highest honour for historic sites in Aotearoa The species usually lay their eggs between late July and mid-November Sow the Seed subject advisor Suzy Newman said it complemented new study units they created for year 7-10 students' science and agricultural curriculum Otago local Julie Hall's Antique Carriages business has a starring role in the new adaptation of the John Steinbeck classic Andrew Hayes received a special presentation at the dawn service at Hakataramea Mr Hayes said he was "surprised" his family were there to support his achievement — but it was not the first time "They also came to support me on my 50th anniversary his grandson and three out of four Hayes siblings were at Hakataramea to celebrate the occasion He also acknowledged Neville Cowles for his 65 years of bugle playing at Anzac services His brother Vernon Hayes said Andrew was "very pleased and blown away" with the tribute The presentation was rightfully deserved." Mr Hayes’ first memory of Anzac Day was attending a parade in Hampden at the age of 9 with his father and grandfather "My father served in the Pacific and Italy in World War 2 and my grandfather served in World War 2 in Sinai and Egypt." It remained important to turn out on Anzac Day to honour their service overseas and he was happy to see commemoration attendance numbers increase in recent years Mr Hayes has been in the Oamaru Garrison band since 1963 he also practises the bugle for up to two months to play The Last Post and Reveille for Anzac Day with the small South Island town transformed into 1800s California The Netflix series East of Eden is an adaptation of John Steinbeck's 1952 novel and filming is now underway in Oamaru's Victorian Precinct Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher says Oamaru probably has the country's best selection of buildings from the era "It's basically been a taking over of our town by Hollywood and something that we're really pleased to see." Florence Pugh and Kieran Heinz were among them "They're making use of the background of our heritage buildings but they're covering several streets with gravel so it takes it back in time and just all the equipment that's around everything that has to backup that from catering through to the hundreds of extras and of course there's a lot of horses needing to be involved.. the crew have been in the area for months preparing "There's a reasonable amount of money being spent it's very obvious that this is a big budget TV series." There were a lot of big beards in the town with local men growing out their facial hair for roles as extras "It's been something that's been very interesting for people and unusally the production has allowed people to be very close to the filming so people taking opporunity to go and basically be an audience for them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Otago's enjoying an unprecedented level of filming around the region at the moment A Netflix flim called The Royal Treatment about to wrap up after several weeks of filming in Dunedin and Oamaru Brokenwood's Tim Balme talks to Amanda Gillies about the New Zealand drama series watched worldwide and Superman - the flicks we can't wait to see in 2025 A vehicle apparently being driven at speed hit a railway level crossing alarm post in Oamaru today hit the Thames St crossing equipment head-on about 2.20pm carrying it forward on to the level crossing and KiwiRail staff were quickly on the scene When the Otago Daily Times arrived at 2.23pm the driver - who looked to be in his late 20s or early 30s - was out of the vehicle having his bloody nose attended to by a paramedic Bystanders told the Otago Daily Times the crashed vehicle was one of a group apparently racing each other The crash occurred just after the vehicle had turned right on to Thames St from Itchen St Several visibly upset bystanders remonstrated with the driver and others who were in another vehicle apparently connected to the man The Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust yesterday gave Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga (HNZ) formal assent to include its 15 buildings in the Harbour St-Tyne St area — forming the Oamaru Victorian Precinct — in a proposal for National Historic Landmark status for historic Oamaru the area will join the ranks of the Treaty of Waitangi grounds Waitangi at this point is the sole site with the status The trust’s approval follows the formal tick this week by the landowner behind the trust’s buildings "We weren’t sure if it would get over the line with council," trust property manager Jacob Barwick said yesterday The district council is also a significant heritage stakeholder for Oamaru its holdings including its headquarters in the former Oamaru chief post office and the Waitaki Archive and Museum and it administers the Oamaru Victorian Harbour Mr Barwick said the next step to achieve landmark status over the entire area was for HNZ to present the case to the Minister for Arts "It is an important document for us because it actually means that HNZ can get on with it "Now that we’ve signed it the procedure is it goes to HNZ to be signed off then on to the Minister of Arts Mr Barwick said it recognised 40 years "of hard work" in the community The trust formed its subsequent work to preserve and promote the significant heritage fabric of the town "It was the civic trust that started the preservation of Oamaru when the trust bought this part of town." Trust chairman Richard Vinbrux said they were excited the council had finally approved and again underlined the crucial value of the trust’s work "Without the work of the trust Oamaru would be a very involved for the trust’s entire 35-year life said personally signing off the landmark process was for him "very significant" It really recognised "a legacy" of countless hours and effort by many volunteers and staff over more than three decades to enhance what now put Oamaru on the map Mr Barwick said the landmark status process had been under way since November 2022 the trust and the district council driving it He paid particular tribute to council heritage adviser Dr Mark Smith and Sarah Gallagher of HNZ for their work to advance the application students and Department of Conservation staff to share their work and passion for penguins It began in the late 1990s as a small gathering focused solely on little penguins but has since grown to include all penguin species — and even the occasional non-penguin seabird topic Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony science and environmental manager Dr Philippa Agnew said the symposium was about more than just presentations — it was a chance to share ideas and engage in discussions about how to better protect our penguins "It’s really cool hearing about the different ideas that people have and the projects that they’re working on." The symposium offers a rare opportunity for people working in the field to connect face-to-face "I just really look forward to catching up with people that I haven’t seen for a while." One highlight came from the penguin colony’s staff member Beth Tremlett who presented early findings from a project launched six months ago The study involved attaching miniature video loggers to penguins to observe their behaviour at sea - a world that remains largely mysterious "There’s lots going on out there that we simply don’t know about," Dr Agnew said "It’s just another tool that helps us understand more about the penguins’ lives." She noted the importance of studying environmental impacts such as turbidity and storm events Such data could help shed light on how seasonal changes affected penguin survival attendees were treated to a viewing of the blue penguins returning home at dusk - a first for many "It’s great to share that with them," Dr Agnew said The symposium continues today with more presentations and opportunities to collaborate on protecting one of the world’s most beloved seabirds Whitestone Cheese's Monte Cristo was the champion of champions and cheesemaker Jonathon Emerson named champion cheesemaker at the NZ Champions of Cheese Awards in Hamilton last night including six highly coveted gold medals at the cheese awards All the medal winners were then in contention for trophies Monte Cristo also received trophies for champion original cheese and best-in-class sheep milk cheese Managing director Simon Berry said they were "thrilled" and his father Bob "ecstatic" Whitestone’s Monte Cristo had been a "pioneering" sheep milk recipe cheese It had taken a long time to perfect from the 1990s on but to go through to win the grand champion just shows the quality of it." Its development came from his parents experimenting with sheep milk supply and working with farmers in Southland and Dr Jock Allison at Invermay "He pioneered it by bringing in the first East Friesian Cross to create a cheese with so Monte Cristo was born out of that," Mr Berry said Judges praised Monte Cristo saying it was "the cream of the crop" An American flag flutters atop Oamaru’s Victorian Heritage Precinct and the town is enthralled Oamaru is hosting filming for a Netflix production this week and some believe its time as "Oamawood" has come While star-gazing locals have spotted lead actor Florence Pugh in town the real star is the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust Victorian Precinct which attracted Netflix in the first place Trust co-chairman Graeme Clark said the series vindicated the trust’s founding vision and work over 35 years The "exposure" of hosting an adaptation of John Steinbeck’s classic novel East of Eden had also not been lost on the trust Mr Clark said the Netflix crew were clearly "very respectful" of the area and the weather was playing ball "brilliantly" to ensure filming Civic Trust property manager Jacob Barwick said their social media page had had an unprecedented 105,000 views in the past seven days "Pretty much every news outlet has either been in contact or written a story about us," he said It had also drawn hundreds of local people to the precinct "who don’t normally come" "It has really captured people’s imaginations." Mr Clark said the latest production coincided nicely with a new economic impact report on the value of the precinct The Benje Patterson report - commissioned by the Waitaki District Council for the trust - found the precinct was clearly the "key sightseeing destination" for the district and a key economic contributor The report noted the area as one of "the best remaining complete Victorian streetscapes in Australasia" "On top of the $4.3 million spent directly by visitors in the heritage precinct another $7.4m was indirectly spent by overnight heritage and arts visitors in other parts of Oamaru during 2023," the report said Oamaru residents spent about $3m within the precinct - the equivalent of more than $200 for each of the town’s 14,350 residents Mr Barwick said they could not divulge exact numbers but the trust and its precinct’s tenants would be directly compensated by "a substantial amount" for the production "The money we get paid for the location all gets invested back into the trust to do restoration of the buildings Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the film production company had expressed to the council its appreciation of the "the people on the ground" This feedback aided what was already a "very positive" image for the district in the film industry but the co-operation and the can-do attitude between the members of the public generally it is really important - it’s great for publicising our district and the economy generally." brendon.mcmahon@odt.co.nz A fire that caused ‘‘substantial damage’’ to a house north of Oamaru overnight is being treated as suspicious A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman said they were called to the fire Crews from Oamaru found a domestic dwelling that was well-alight on arrival A fire investigator had been called to the scene The cause was not obvious and the house being unoccupied made it a little bit unusual so the fire was being treated as suspicious Oamaru Sergeant Tony Woodbridge earlier said the house had been unoccupied for some time He encouraged anyone who may have seen anything in the area at the time to get in touch with police It secured a 37th North Otago senior premiership for the club After winning the toss and electing to bat Oamaru faced early pressure from Union’s bowling attack falling to 29 for three after 16 overs on a slow outfield that made scoring difficult Stephan Grobler (17) and Luke Taylor (43) stabilised the innings with a partnership that took the score to 60 before Grobler’s dismissal Taylor then formed another partnership with Quinn Wardle until Taylor was dismissed with Oamaru at 82 for five who contributed the second-highest score of 29 attempted to take control of the innings before becoming the final wicket to fall Union captain Blake James (two for eight from six overs) took early wickets while Scott Kitto (three for 26 from eight) and Blake White (three for 27 from eight) triggered the final collapse Union also struggled early but were kept in contention by James’ knock of 27 who quickly claimed two wickets as Union slumped to 47 for five A crucial moment came when Brad Flint suffered an injury just before his second spell quickly removing Scott Kitto and Fleming on the way to figures of four for 21 from seven overs Grobler claimed the final wicket as Union fell for 96 in 32 overs sealing Oamaru’s back-to-back Borton Cup titles Union claimed the Club30 title with a seven-wicket victory over Oamaru while the Youth Blast final delivered a nail-biting finish as WBHS Johnson edged past St Kevin’s by one run in a thrilling super over decider was forced in a 2024 interim decision by the Employment Relations Authority to continue paying his wife after she filed a personal grievance against him She filed the grievance after she was made redundant from their brewery business ordering Mr Scott to continue paying her wages while the case was settled He indicated he would appeal the decision in the Employment Court but last month Judge Joanna Holden declined to make several pre-appeal orders Mr Scott sought He wanted the appeal to be kept under wraps did not want to keep paying Ms Scott while the appeal was waiting to be heard and wanted the matter to be prioritised by the courts as it was affecting his business In her March decision Judge Holden said Mr Scott argued he should not have to continue paying Ms Scott as it was affecting the brewery’s bottom line He argued that despite a 34% improvement in gross profits the business had suffered an overall decline in profit of 18% and he wanted Ms Scott removed from the payroll Paying Ms Scott would have a "compounding effect" as Scott’s Brewing continued to take a financial hit yet got "nothing in return" Judge Holden decided the brewery was "not significantly impacted" by keeping Ms Scott on the payroll "Evidence does not go so far as to suggest that paying Ms Scott has any impact on the way in which the business has been and will be carried out would be impacted by a stay being ordered as it would deprive her of the immediate provision of income into the family household." Mr Scott also wanted his appeal of the authority’s decision to be suppressed He did not expect the publicity that came after the authority’s decision and was "shocked by the tone of it" "He says that the articles in the media have given rise to gossip and speculation in the small where Scott’s Brewing operates and where he lives," the decision said noting no application for suppression had been made at the initial hearing Mr Scott’s application to have the matter dealt with urgently was also declined The court confirmed the appeal had since been withdrawn The authority is expected to hear the personal grievance matter later this year June 2023: Tyla Scott made redundant from Scott’s Brewery November 2024: ERA releases decision ordering Phil Scott to continue paying his estranged wife Tyla Scott’s wages December 2024: Mr Scott files an appeal with the Employment Court March 2025: Employment Court declines three pre-appeal applications made by Mr Scott and the appeal is withdrawn shortly after Future: ERA is yet to determine Ms Scott’s claim of personal grievance felicity.dear@odt.co.nz between people known to each other resulted in a serious injury Police located a man shortly after the incident and took him into custody He is head cheesemaker for Whitestone Cheese which alone has already secured an impressive 18 medals at the 2025 Champions of Cheese Awards highlight quality and innovation in the local cheese industry For the awards 30 industry specialists led by master judge Jason Tarrant tasted and evaluated 240 New Zealand-made cheeses Whitestone Cheese was founded by Bob and Sue Berry in 1987 and now employs over 75 staff Managing director Simon Berry said they were "absolutely ecstatic" with the results and Mr Emerson’s nomination alone was "deserved" "Jonnie is an exceptional cheesemaker with a complete understanding of the process and techniques "Every challenge put to Jonnie he has risen to He has developed some magnificent cheeses and improved existing recipes with ease." Mr Berry said Mr Emerson was a "reliable achiever" "with a quiet persistence achieves excellence and consistent high-quality" A modest Mr Emerson said he had "learnt a lot" about the cheesemaking process in his 14 years with the company Customer satisfaction was something he loved about his role "There is a very real connection to what you’re doing and your end result and getting feedback if people like the product." Whitestone was awarded six golds for its Highland Blue Benmore Brie and new cheese Lake Pukaki Blue Brie The judges described the latter as a "lovely custardy cheese and a mild blue flavour — you nailed it" The Lake Pukaki Blue Brie and Monte Cristo cheeses won the only gold in both the new cheese and original cheese categories Mr Berry said more "new cheeses are in the pipeline" with Mr Emerson at the helm "New projects are always met with a can do pro-active attitude .. his humour and humble attitude makes him a valued team member "His leadership is done in his own style and team members all respond so well to his forward-thinking involvement," Mr Berry said dismissing Thomas Anderson and Blake Martin eventually crawling to 94 for eight at the end of 20 overs while Stephan Grobler continued his fine form with the ball Oamaru posted a competitive 175 for eight in their allotted 20 overs Regan George led the charge with an unbeaten 59 off 33 balls supported by contributions of 20 runs each from Luke Taylor Brad Fleming was the pick of the Union bowlers finishing with two for 33 from his four overs This victory marked Oamaru’s record 15th triumph in the Dick Hunt Memorial Rosebowl Oamaru completed a clean sweep of the holiday competitions on Saturday beating Union again in the second grade final Keelan Chetty top-scored with 37 as Union were bowled out for 99 in their 20 overs Joseph Coetzee (two for 12) and Ben Coleman (two for 18) also had success Oamaru chased down the target in 18.3 overs with Hattingh anchoring the innings with an unbeaten 41 as his team finished on 100 for four Hayden Armstrong (two for 29) and Glen Curry (two for 14) bowled well for Union The Borton Cup resumed on Saturday with all three games having decisive results The North Otago Bird Club is hosting the National Bird Show in July in the Oamaru Drill Hall It will be the first time in 15 years and just the second time ever that Oamaru will host the show Holding it here will cost the club more than $30,000 with almost $20,000 of that coming from fundraising assistant show secretary Joanna Anderson said "That’s all through volunteer time through members of the club "One of our major fundraisers has been firewood so we’ve been selling that and we’ve had a huge response from the community." That money will pay for a range of things such as staging for the hall accommodation for the judges and prize money for the winners The national show comes to the South Island once every three years and tends to be in Christchurch North Otago thought they could "give it a crack" I think it’s just a great thing for Oamaru and we’ve got a committee that’s willing to do it." The club expected more than 150 exhibitors to attend They have been advertising to other clubs "what Oamaru’s got to offer" "So that they can be prepared to go to Steampunk [HQ] and the trails and the penguin colony Having the show in town also made it easier for their own members to enter Mrs Tonkin hoped the Oamaru locals would come out and support the show "It will be nice just to show the Oamaru public just what is available out there so that if anybody does have birds in Oamaru that wants to join a club they can come to the show and we’ll certainly sign them up." There would be activities for children at the show and the committee hoped to have face painting as well Mrs Tonkin was also looking forward to the different variety of birds that North Island exhibitors breed The club was very grateful for all the financial support they had received from local businesses Waitaki District Council and Network Waitaki Waitaki is proving a hit with Chinese tourists with Tourism Waitaki’s November Destination Management Report showing the district bucking national trends Spending by Chinese visitors grew by 20% from November 2023 to November 2024 significantly outperforming the national average of a 2% decrease Chinese visitors also demonstrated strong interest in the hospitality industry with the food and beverage sector seeing a 48% increase The report also suggested international visitors were spending more money while in town as international visitor card spending grew by 17% outpacing the increase in international guest nights (11%) although domestic accommodation use increased by 6% Spending figures are only reflective of electronic card transactions categorised by the Australian and New Zealand Standard Industrial Classification product categories Tourism Waitaki general manager Dr Philippa Agnew was pleased with the numbers and said visitor numbers had now returned to much the same level they were at before the Covid-19 pandemic "It’s taken five years to get there but we got there in the end "The China market for us has always been really strong and that’s built on years and years of close relationships with our agents those trade operators who sell overseas into China." There were also fewer people joining tour groups and more people exploring independently This was a contributing factor to longer stays and more spending "Those figures that you can see in the higher spend in food and accommodation probably represent the fact that more are travelling independently so will stay a bit longer eat more in the restaurants and that sort of thing." Dr Agnew expected more positive numbers to come from January with the filming of Netflix’s East of Eden mini-series and Chinese New Year bringing more people to Oamaru "I would imagine all of the operators locally have had a really busy January and first few weeks of February so far." who is also the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony science and environmental manager said the colony viewings had been packed out "The premium viewing stand is often booked out months in advance the general stand was booked every night during Chinese New Year." such is the power of hisvoice and his songs from Music VictoriaCountry Album of the Year (twice) to a New Zealand Country Music Award,with nominations and chart positions along the way.Matt’s voice has been heard in festivals in the United Kingdom and the UnitedStates; in venues small and large across Australia and New Zealand; on radioand playlists and supporting artists such as Chris Isaak and Justin TownesEarle drawn to his amazing vocal toneand his way of bringing the listener closer telling them stories they will carrywith them.Few artists have that combination of indelible songwriting and anextraordinary voice along with the commitment to create better art each timeand bring it to the audience so they have a transformative live experience.Matt Joe Gow is one of those few See him for this special one off show in the unique setting of the Grainstore Gallery TOUR DATESFri 10th-12th Wairapa Music In The Country Auckland (Matinée)* W/ Full Bandhttps://mattjoegowmusic.com/ An intimate soulful performer and acoustic guitar sensation Paul Ubana Jones was born in London to a Yorkshire mother and a Nigerian father he continues to perform throughout New Zealand Europe and the USA.Paul has shared the stage and toured with the best: BB King He has delighted festival audiences at the Dublin Blues Festival Vancouver Island Folk Festival at Bridgetown and many others in Europe.A national treasure; Paul Ubana Jones is so much more than one man with a guitar The most exciting Electro Acoustic artist to visit our shoresGood Morning News A man has been arrested following a violent altercation near Oamaru which left one person seriously injured A police spokesperson said a man was arrested following on State Highway 1 Police were called to a property between Fortification Rd and Oamaru-Alma Rd about 1.10pm One person was located in a serious condition and transported to hospital Police swept into action and located another man shortly after The spokesperson said those involved are known to each other The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night Not even penguins are immune to putting off Christmas shopping to the last minute A little blue penguin wandered into Mather’s Jewellers in Oamaru on Wednesday Co-owner Suzanne Mather had never seen anything like that happen before ‘‘I thought initially it was a duck or a pigeon but soon found out it was a little blue that lost its way.’’ now known as ‘Little Jewell’ did not buy anything and was soon returned to the sea by the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony Science and environmental manager Dr Philippa Agnew said this was a common occurrence ‘‘Lately we’ve been called out a couple of times a week,'' she said ‘‘Mostly they’re chicks that are ready to fledge and have left their nest and wandered the wrong way.’’ It was important for people to understand that the penguins that make their way into town are not part of the colony ‘‘We have these two managed colonies [of penguins] they’re just other birds that breed elsewhere.’’ Dr Agnew encouraged anyone who sees a penguin around town to call the colony immediately It is partnering with the community to get it recognised - which is the highest honour for historic sites in New Zealand Oamaru is recognised as a Tohu Whenua - a place that has shaped Aotearoa New Zealand and is rich with stories and experiences It is renowned for its well-preserved Victorian architecture and vibrant history nestled in a landscape of deep cultural significance for Ngāi Tahu whānui Area manager for Otago/Southland Sarah Gallagher said she was excited at the potential to see Oamaru get the recognition it deserved The recognition process involves extensive research Waitaki District mayor Gary Kircher supported the initiative "Waitaki is extremely proud of its architecturally significant Oamaru Whitestone buildings and we encourage the community to meet the team from Heritage New Zealand during the Oamaru Heritage Celebrations taking place later this month or have a look at their proposal online "We know we live in a special place and look forward to working with Heritage New Zealand and our local community to reveal the past and map out a future for the beautiful and unique buildings which defines Oamaru "The first national landmark in our country is at Waitangi in the North Island It would be very appropriate for the first South Island one to be in Waitaki - the Ngāi Tahu dialect of the same word," Kircher said Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust chairperson Richard Vinbrux said the trust was proud to be working with Heritage New Zealand to achieve the goal "As custodians of some of Oamaru's most important heritage buildings and streetscapes the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust has worked for nearly 40 years restoring and maintaining these landmark buildings ensuring their stories are told for generations to come "The National Historic Landmark status will not only enhance the visibility of Oamaru and Waitaki's historical significance but also open up new opportunities for the preservation of our built heritage," he said The Rotary Club of Oamaru Centennial Glen was officially launched during the club’s centennial celebrations on Saturday at 103 Eden St About 50 volunteers including many club members and their families and North Otago Tramping representatives were at the Centennial Glen site to plant out the new public space With 100 plants and more to be planted in August plus tracks for walking and biking — and with views across the Oamaru Harbour — the new outdoor area is "a space for everyone" to enjoy "Observatory Village residents can use it as an alternative way to get to town "Or you can bring a mountain bike or maybe even a motorised scooter to use the tracks." He hoped to eventually put in benches along the track so that anyone could come and sit and contemplate life in the beautiful space "Although it was fundamentally for the village residents to use The glen had been a "year in the making" with generous support from community organisations the Waitaki District and Otago Regional Councils and the Department of Conservation "We came to mulch it and thought we could do something with it," Mr Robinson said The project has cost over $30,000 and received several substantial contributions from across the North Otago community The weather on Friday forcing the cancellation of the Victorian Garden Party was a dampener Oamaru Heritage Celebrations 2024 co-chairwoman Cyndi Christenson said We’ve been really getting lots and lots of great feedback - we’re really pleased.’’ With the 2024 theme focused on the wealth which drove the Oamaru architectural legacy now much celebrated - Growing for Gold - the Miners Hooley on Saturday night was a particular high point as 140 people tapped it out on the dance floor.‘‘It was really heartening to see - it wasn’t just a bunch of white-haired people,’’ co-chairwoman Wendy Jones said And with a huge range of associated events including talks and walking tours running from last Wednesday there had been something to appeal to all generations ‘‘We’re getting excellent feedback from lots and lots of people so happy the way things have gone this year.. the feedback we’re getting has been so complimentary,’’ he said Yesterday’s Network Waitaki Whitestone Civic Trust Victorian Fete ‘‘The day was kind to us - everything was successful - I’m most happy.’’  brendon.mcmahon@odt.co.nz  All hands are on deck to transform Oamaru into a setting fit for a big-budget Hollywood production Otago Daily Times illustrations editor Stephen Jaquiery had a sneak peek at the burgeoning set of Netflix’s East of Eden series The Mobile Surgical Unit — Te Waka Hauora is run by Mobile Health Group with the support of Health New Zealand It travels throughout New Zealand to provide an elective day surgery service in 25 rural areas The unit provides timely and accessible healthcare services for people living in areas away from main hospitals The unit began visiting Oamaru in 2002 and since then has treated 1514 local patients more than 33,000 elective day-surgery operations have been delivered via the mobile units Health New Zealand’s Oamaru Hospital outpatient booking co-ordinator Sandra Humby said the mobile service was tailored to meet the specific population ethnicity and healthcare needs of each location It allowed eligible patients in the Waitaki district to receive care closer to home "People are happy to be seen in their own community," Ms Humby said accommodation and taking time off work can be challenging ‘‘Recovery close to home with loved ones is also a benefit." The mobile unit also gives easier access for pre-surgery and post-operative appointments for better continuity of care and a quicker response to any complications "It’s also a bonus that patients treated on the surgical unit often have the advantage of being operated on by the same surgeon who initially assessed them "While the option of the surgical unit may not be an option for everyone it certainly is a much-welcomed service for our community." Ms Humby said the other advantage was it could fit someone in on the day as happened recently — saving an older patient a trip to Dunedin "The patient was treated and back home in time for his afternoon cup of tea." was the previous outpatient booking co-ordinator Ms Humby described her work as more than a job Mobile Health Group chief executive Mark Eager said building strong bonds with host sites in rural locations was crucial in ensuring seamless co-ordination and trust vital for efficient and successful operations The state-of-the-art mobile theatre also served as a training tool for local health professionals through the Rural Health Education programme Mobile Surgical had delivered more than 50,000 hours of training for rural nurses and 1500 hours of training for rural doctors Oamaru registered nurse Violet Thelning said the education programme gave her and colleagues opportunities to learn or develop new skills It provided the opportunity for rural health professionals for ongoing specialty care education and training with the Mobile Surgical team support to develop skills Central Medical GP Richard McLeod has worked on the surgical unit several times and said there were many benefits in having a GP involved improving surgical skills and reinforcing relationships with secondary care colleagues The service was designed to link with local communities and involve local nurses "By providing these nurses and doctors with access to advanced training and equipment we empower them to deliver high-quality care and improve patient outcomes in rural areas," Mr McLeod said Firefighters in Oamaru worked to contain a blaze in a carport on a residential street this afternoon A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said two crews from the Oamaru station and one from the Weston station were called to Stoke St Oamaru at about 2.30pm after reports of a garage fire in the street crews found a well-involved fire in a carport which was spreading to the front of a residential property the fire was bought under control and extinguished A fire investigator has been notified to investigate the cause of the blaze Up to 100 staff could lose their jobs at North Otago meat processing plant BX Foods veal and goat processor employs about 300 people but the proposal could see up to a third of them made redundant due to falling throughput reflecting the nationwide trend of declining livestock numbers “They are having to downsize to get the plant back to being a more economic unit,” said New Zealand Meat Workers Union national secretary Daryl Curran He said a significant number of staff are migrants employed under Recognised Seasonal Employer Visa scheme BX Foods is wholly owned by NZ Binxi (Oamaru) Foods with its ultimate owner  being Heilongjiang Binxi Cattle Industry Co Ltd in Harbin NZ Binxi also owns 19.84% of Blue Sky Meats which operates an ovine processing plant in Southland Curran said the primary reason for the restructuring at the Oamaru plant is the reduction in stock numbers and the tough competition among processors for those that remain He fears these may not be the last job losses in an industry where all processors are grappling with falling stock numbers as farmers are react to low profitability by changing land use or stock class “I don’t see anybody increasing breeding numbers,” he said Alliance Group’s Pukeuri works is just north of Oamaru and Curran said some of those made redundant could get work there He said the Oamaru plant was recently extensively renovated and described it as virtually brand new A restructuring package will be offered to staff on Wednesday after which they will have two weeks to respond In Focus Podcast | Genetic tech drives new vegetable seed varieties head of vegetables research and development at Bayer Crop Science about how new genetic technologies are transforming seed production and how our strict regulations may hamper our ability to compete Lean Meats Oamaru has reduced the number of proposed job losses from an initial toll of close to 100 to 65 after discussions with workers New Zealand Meat Workers Union national secretary Daryl Curran said the employers have also agreed to extend by two days the two-week period of consultation before a final decision on job losses is made at the plant Chinese-owned BX Foods operates the Oamaru plant Haoran Wang says the restructuring comes after a difficult 18 months and is needed to ensure the long term sustainability of the business Following consultation with employees and engagement with the NZ Meat Workers Union “We understand that this restructuring will affect not only our employees but also their families.” Wang says he has been heartened by the number of local and regional businesses who have offered roles to impacted employees.  Curran said recent capital expenditure and reduced stock numbers has caused the company to cut costs About half those who will potentially lose their jobs are migrants on work visas attracted here by the promise of three years’ employment Sorting out their status and their visas will be complicated Immigration NZ and Work and Income NZ will be on site in the coming weeks to assist those workers who may lose their jobs In Focus Podcast | Meat processors take stock as flock numbers fall Senior reporter Neal Wallace says there are big challenges ahead for the red meat sector as it grapples with lower stock numbers and over-capacity One processor in Oamaru has already laid off staff and Neal says there may be more rationalisation to come.  He also discusses the ongoing push to get more rural GPs trained and working in our communities A four-page spread entitled "Victoriana Queen" featuring the town is in every seat pocket on Air New Zealand planes and exposes Oamaru’s Victorian Precinct Steampunk and the Waitaki Whitestone Unesco Geopark It particularly evokes the Victorian precinct’s atmosphere a significant player in drawing residents and tourists during the past three decades giving kudos to the role of the Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust "Time is a little elastic in Oamaru," the article starts "On Harbour and Tyne Sts you’ll find an almost complete Victorian streetscape largely limestone grain and seed warehouses .. second-hand booksellers and other ventures." said they had received several comments on being featured in Kia Ora this month describing it as "publicity you can’t really buy" "It all highlights how important the Victorian precinct is for tourism "Literally every day there is someone in who have been told "That article in the Air New Zealand magazine highlights just how important that precinct is." It also underscored Oamaru was more than a short 45-minute tour bus stop for overseas visitors something reflected back often to precinct business owners Many visitors to Oamaru were already coming on the back of personal endorsements saying "you must visit Oamaru" and the Kia Ora article just highlighted that Oamaru Whitestone Civic Trust chairman Richard Vinbrux said it was good to have the trust credited for its crucial role in enhancing what made the town special and the article alone "is great for Oamaru" and it’s not common that the trust is actually mentioned in these things "While everyone talks a lot about the buildings "It helps to prove the point that the historic precinct is the number one drawcard in Oamaru and I would say that the precinct stands behind the economic growth of Oamaru to some extent for the township itself The precinct and the town is the main drawcard for people to move here." Live music was played throughout the day and food vendors An Oamaru man’s scratch-built car may give it a run for its money Josh Lee has designed and built his own car at his home workshop in Weston The engineer’s "pipe dream" began during the Covid lockdown in 2020 and he has devoted on average 10 hours a week on his pet project ever since Mr Lee’s dream car is almost ready to hit the road Sporting a turbocharged 2-litre Honda engine "It’s set up kinda like a race car but with a few more luxuries for being nice on the road Mr Lee’s engineering knowledge and skill means the unique car is nearly ready for the open road — albeit for one small hitch "on the paperwork" Until that happens the driveway is as far as the car will go until it is officially deemed road-ready The 32-year-old works for Apex Engineering as a designer and a computer-aided design operator It means he is well versed in converting complex technical instructions and diagrams into reality "That’s definitely a big help in the whole project," he said The car’s technical innovation came as a surprise to those charged with officially certifying it as road ready "I worked out load ratings on things and stuff .. ‘we normally get these as pencil drawings’ ‘this is great but you didn’t need to do any of this’." to test and troubleshoot during the build to rule out any big issues Despite having the skills to assemble the car’s frame elements of the build did take elbow grease and some extra support "The biggest thing of the whole car was building the body That took a lot of time and a lot of hard work sanding." Mr Lee said he initially decided on a rear-engined car From there he planned the steering and with computer modelling drew the frame to bring the two components together He documented his work on his own Youtube channel The inspiration came from his former work colleague and mentor from his days as an engineering apprentice at Alliance Pukeuri Mr Ross at the time was building a "ground-up" hot rod and introduced his young apprentice to a "rule book" on how to build a car for the road Mr Lee thought the book concept was "pretty cool" and slated it down for his "bucket list" I then started really reading into the rules to work out how I was going to be able to do it." the early loss of his former mentor Mr Ross inspired Mr Lee to get on with it "A year after he retired he actually passed away I’m just gonna start now and work out the money later’ "It was his life passion to get that finished looking northeast from the railway overbridge at the entrance to the Oamaru Harbour Precinct a shanty town set was being constructed on Friendly Bay Reserve next to the Oamaru Steam and Rail Society’s headquarters The society’s historic railway rolling stock will also be utilised for filming from the second week of January for about 10 days at the historic Oamaru railway station There will also be road closures in the historic Victorian precinct covering portions of Harbour Humber and Tyne Sts along with Service Lane from January 9-20 Police found the victim after being called to a property on SH1 between Fortification Rd and Oamaru-Alma Rd about 1.10pm Police located the 24-year-old man shortly after the incident and took him into custody He is appearing in the Dunedin District Court today on charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm Please contact me or my office's in either Wanaka or Oamaru at anytime: By clicking subscribe you agree to receive emails from Waitaki and the National Party. The historic Oamaru Railway Station will be one of many Waitaki film locations for an upcoming Netflix production based on the classic American novel East of Eden Filming for the seven-part series will take place in Oamaru and the Waitaki District from early next year with pre-production starting before Christmas is expected to play the lead in the seven-part series who in succeeding generations hopelessly re-enact the biblical fall of Adam and Eve and the poisonous rivalry of Cain and Abel protagonist Adam Trask’s scheme to ship fresh lettuce to New York by rail is a disaster highlighting the folly of shipping perishable produce before refrigeration Oamaru Steam and Rail general manager Harry Andrew said they had already begun "setting up" for the 1900s American period drama for scenes involving the railway "[Part of] the story is about moving vegetables and lettuces across America .. we’ve worked with KiwiRail to use the Oamaru Railway Station .. "We’ve got carriages and we’re bringing others to town "They’ll use some of the wagons and they’re going to put something on the wagons," Mr Andrew said Other rail heritage items would be trucked to Oamaru for the production The Oamaru harbour and heritage precinct would also be used Mr Andrew said the Scottish Hall had been confirmed and other North Otago set locations were still to be confirmed said fluoridation was to begin again from yesterday It was "paused" on October 10 after a problem was flagged to council earlier that month Mr Rendell said the issue had been an error in the dosing calculation and the analyser which reported the fluoridation level in the water A subsequent independent test confirmed the original anomaly The council started fluoridation last July following a directive from the director-general of health Mr Rendell said the levels before October 10 were "within the acceptable values for drinking water" But daily testing of the supply would now be done It would then switch to a weekly regime to ensure fluoride was between 0.7 and 1.0 parts per million (ppm) across the supply Mr Rendell said the council believed it was in line with the law "The director-general of health completed her Bill of Rights analysis relating to the directives to fluoridate in December 2024 All cases brought before the High Court have confirmed that the directives are lawful." "All further inquiries" should be directed to the Ministry of Health Fluoride Free Waitaki spokeswoman Sheryl Black said the council should listen to its constituents and not comply "We are disgusted that the Waitaki District Council has chosen to recommence dosing Oamaru's drinking water with fluoride chemicals "They unquestionably should be erring on the side of caution and leaving it turned off," she said The compound posing an "unreasonable risk of harm" to human health was backed by "overwhelming recent scientific evidence" and a US Federal Court ruling "We don't believe WDC is meeting its legal obligation under the Health Act to protect public health and to remove any condition likely to be injurious to health." as stated by Justice Radich in his June 2024 High Court ruling on the case between New Health New Zealand and the director-general of health "An interim injunction would keep fluoridation suspended in Oamaru until the outcome of this court case is heard "WDC will say that [Dr Sarfati] has completed her Bill of Rights analysis the High Court had yet to decide whether Dr Sarfati’s directives were unlawful — unlikely until late this year has just undergone a $377,000 upgrade after 150 unpaid volunteers from across the country worked with Oamaru locals on a comprehensive refit over the past three months Oamaru Kingdom Hall member Sharyn Dobisz said renovations for the Jehovah’s Witnesses centres were organised nationally and the Oamaru one was the focus from the beginning of December A multitude of volunteers from across the country undertook the upgrade They were now looking forward to resuming their open meetings at Till St where about 55 people attended on Sunday mornings and Thursday nights She particularly appreciated the "new fresh and clean lines" of the refit which had completely updated the building Janos Dobisz said the work from December 2 had involved everything being "pulled out" of the hall which was built more than 35 years ago The hall has been completely insulated and relined members had been meeting at the Pukeuri Memorial Hall new air-conditioning and a new AV system "to enhance the learning environment" The first meeting at the newly refitted hall was held on Thursday night and the first Sunday service is this weekend Florence Pugh stars in a new Netflix series East of Eden that has been filming in New Zealand A classic of American literature is being adapted into a Netflix series and with parts of New Zealand as its backdrop based on John Steinbeck’s 1952 novel and set in the Salinas Valley in California The production filmed in parts of Auckland throughout last year, with shooting in taking place in Dunedin and Ōamaru this month The novel follows two intertwined families whose destinies mirror the biblical story of Cain and Abel The novel was first adapted as a film in 1955 Netflix’s production stars English actress Pugh as the lead character Cathy Ames whose grandfather Elia Kazan directed the 1955 adaptation Several of Ōamaru’s streets have been dressed up for the series with 70 trucks and trailers supporting the large crew of 500 people involved The production has caused some disruptions where filming will take over parts of the city centre on four consecutive Sundays with an application for road closures submitted to the Dunedin City Council Ōamaru Steam and Rail Society General manager Harry Andrew said some members of the volunteer group were assisting with the production around the railway “They came to us about doing the [series] and asked what we could provide We had to get a unit from Ferrymead because the one we had wasn’t old enough for the production and they’re in the station right now putting in a new platform and painting the station to reflect the era A young lady is inside painting the wagon to make it fit the series.” Andrews said the money he earned from the production went straight back to the Steam and Rail Society and we’re getting the station painted for free Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said the production was a major step up from previous ones in the area He said many residents had been surprised by the scale of it “It’s something the public has welcomed and it’s adding a lot of interest to the area A lot of people are also taking advantage of playing parts as extras.” He said there had been extensive work around Harbour St where a lot of buildings were used for exterior and interior shots and they’ve had a couple of carriages done up.” He said the makeover emphasised the impact that a production with a budget of this scale could have despite being in town for only short period and when people see what has been done with other series that come from important novels Feedback from the crew regarding filming in Ōamaru had been positive “One of the things that’s been acknowledged is the co-operation of locals This really emphasises the benefits that people see from this type of activity The production is set to continue filming in the Auckland suburb of Devonport in February A letter sent to Devonport residents advising them of road closures and parking restrictions was seen by the Herald “We intend to film around a couple of houses in the Devonport Domain and film on Cheltenham Road between Oxford Terrace and Takarunga Rd “As this story is set between the late 1800s and early 1900s we don’t wish to see any modern vehicles and would like to cover large sections of the road (including some of Oxford Tce and Tainui Rd) and footpaths with gravel.” who also penned the classic novels Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men considered East of Eden to be his ‘magnum opus’ Garth Davis will direct the first four episodes while Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre will direct the final three episodes The series is set to be released on Netflix in early 2026 Ben Tomsett is a Multimedia Journalist for the New Zealand Herald Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Powder Chutes' debut album is released on 11th April “Everybody wake up… these boys have got the sauce!” – Johnny Stevens Along the way we'll be playing with as many epic friends as possible… in no particular order: We're playing The Penguin Club on 14th June which means The Weans up to the Grey-Beards and Blue-Rinses are all welcome There will be a special ticket price for anyone under 18 but just bring your ID if you're one of those 15 year olds with a full beard That is the hope of police in the Waitaki district and of Waitaki Neighbourhood Watch private residential and business owners with CCTV equipment are being encouraged to register with Community Cam — a voluntary not-for-profit initiative to help solve crime Waitaki Neighbourhood Watch co-ordinator Christine Dorsey said Community Cam had yet to see much uptake in Oamaru we know that there are an awful lot of security cameras out there now and police don’t know about them," Mrs Dorsey said The idea of the register was to give a leg-up so police could tap into security footage near scenes of crime "We know there are already many people who have them "It’s just so that the police can contact the person and say Mrs Dorsey said it was about community collaboration via a simple registration which anyone who registers by the end of March will be in to win Existing known CCTV owners are also in for a chance to win Oamaru community constable Rachael Osborn said advances in technology had resulted in CCTV use becoming "a key tool" in crime prevention and investigation "Community Cam will enhance the security already provided to Oamaru through the council and NZTA which significantly contributes to the safety of our community." Const Osborn said CCTV footage provided police with clear evidence and was "frequently the cornerstone" to a successful investigation Homes and businesses that have CCTV footage are less likely to be victims of crime and have a greater likelihood of any offending against them being resolved." Mrs Dorsey said local security camera suppliers have agreed to distribute promotional material Chief executive Alex Parmley said the Thames St council headquarters was secured from about 3pm after a conversation between a member of the public and council staff escalated into "a threat" of physical violence The caller had indicated they would come to the council office to carry out their threat "There was a communication with one of our staff by a member of the community who we were dealing with which posed a threat to staff "We took the threat seriously and reported it to police and took the precaution of locking down the headquarters for less than an hour whilst police followed up with the person." Mr Parmley said the threat applied to the main headquarters Other council offices scattered along Thames St Mr Parmley said it was lifted once local police "clarified" the person who had called the council was "not considered a threat" Police in Oamaru said this evening the details of the alleged offender were not immediately available Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said he was appalled at the alleged behaviour of the male caller Mr Kircher said while there had been "occasional threats" to council staff threats of violence could never be justified "In some ways it’s just getting way too carried away in their feelings about a particular issue "That type of behaviour by anyone is totally ridiculous "I understand the police have spoken to him and I understand he is pretty embarrassed However Mr Kircher said what had happened was a "rare" incident It was a far cry from the late 1990s when the council office was firebombed over the Oamaru Aquatic Centre build "which shocked people given the extreme nature of it" and if people have got a problem I think we give them every opportunity to talk about it "I certainly like to think we give people the opportunity to deal with (issues)." Mr Kircher said there seemed to be "a lot of pressure on a lot of people" at this point in the electoral cycle That included residents expressing worry about the role of the council and its impact on the community  There are things we don’t necessarily like doing — some aspects of the District Plan we are required to do them and there are other things that people just disagree with That’s fine — that’s democracy — but to go to these lengths is unacceptable," Mr Kircher said Mr Parmley said the incident was the first in his three-and-a-half years at the helm  We have a procedure for dealing with these situations Mr Parmley said it was unfortunately increasingly a feature nationally for councils Certainly my first in my time here we’ve had to go into lock down." The staff involved in the threatening phone call were being supported Another two new pop-up stores are appearing in Oamaru this week international visitor spending is up by 33% and the number of empty Oamaru shops is down on this time last year Waitaki District Council business attraction and recovery manager Mel Jones said the 16 empty shops in the Oamaru CBD as of August 2023 had decreased to five now The latest additions to Oamaru retail were Brocante Business South Waitaki navigator Rebecca Finlay said the Oamaru retail trend was being mirrored in other new businesses popping up across the district reflecting a trend for innovation and diversification that set Waitaki businesses apart from the more gloomy national trend "You sense it walking down Thames St listening to a range of mingling languages and the numbers endorse it," she said anecdotally "According to recent market view data international spend in Waitaki is up over 33% since this month last year." It appeared that Oamaru and other smaller Waitaki townships were also faring better than centres like Auckland and Wellington where high street retail was "gradually eroding’ Mrs Jones said the upturn on Oamaru’s main street had been really noticeable Housekeepers Pantry chef Chloe Kyles said the idea for a "foodie haven" had been in the pipeline for a while using a former storage space in Harbour St Mrs Finlay said marketview data also showed increased spending on takeaways we’re seeing lots of businesses pivoting their offering," she said It was particularly fascinating Housekeepers Design had "pivoted" towards the takeaway market which was "really clever" and indicated "how innovative" businesses in Waitaki could be This was an example of rethinking "dead space" in the same way the pop-up retail trend had burgeoned in Oamaru by utilising empty retail space we should be really proud that we’re still kind of trying different things" Businesses such as Riverstone Kitchen and Kurow’s Whistle & Pop also deserved praise for their innovation that online business was now launching a physical store in Kurow on August 26 innovative Waitaki businesses just thinking out of the box." The Revitalise Our Places Oamaru programme via the district council had also provided an opportunity to "test the waters" This had enabled some operators to get "businesses off the ground" A good example was Alex Campbell Menswear proprietor Lindsay Campbell testing the Oamaru market after arriving in June and becoming permanent "To do that through a pop-up is cool," Mrs Finlay said who has run about 20 pop-up stores around the country in the last 15 years said the community had been "extremely welcoming" Goodland Group is building 40 new units on an existing 24-section subdivision it owns on the old Oamaru Hospital site A Goodland Group spokesman described the development to the Otago Daily Times yesterday as "visitor accommodation" He said the company was flexible on whether it would prioritise it for long or short-term rental agreements The goal was to have the unit-style development finished by the end of the year Goodland Group has had an interest in the site for over 20 years It announced the demolition of the old "hospital on the hill" in 2016 with plans for a housing development on the site Goodland Group would consider adding more in the future the company was confident the high demand for housing in Oamaru would continue to grow Business South Waitaki navigator Rebecca Finlay the author of the regular "Waitaki Rising" column in the Oamaru Mail suggested in December there was an accommodation affordability issue in the area She said while rent prices in Waitaki were often perceived as more affordable Nearly a quarter of households in the district rented She said the average rent accounted for 20.3% of the average household income — making Oamaru less affordable than Auckland Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said he was eagerly awaiting Goodland’s decision on how it would make the units available [it either] provides opportunities for visitors to stay here or for locals to have more rental accommodation available "Increasing the capacity of either is helpful .. He said the Observatory Village had "shown the appeal of apartment living" in Oamaru for older people particularly there’s another 10 being built at the moment up at the Observatory Village and they are well sought after by people looking to move here He also saw the benefit in having new visitor accommodation to help ease the pressure during the busy times of year "As much as people might come here for heritage they often want to stay in modern accommodation and it provides more options for that."