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DunedinOctober 24

Woman treated for smoke inhalation after fire breaks out in Dunedin’s Princes St

A woman has been taken to hospital in a serious condition after suffering smoke inhalation at a fire in Dunedin's Princes St.

QueenstownOctober 24

Two injured after car smashes into Queenstown hotel

Two people are injured after a car struck diners before smashing into the front entrance of the Ramada hotel near Queenstown Airport.

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DunedinOctober 23

Police repeatedly called to home where Dunedin mother found dead after fire

A South Dunedin home where a mother was found dead in "unexplained" circumstances following a fire, had previously been the subject of police call-outs.

Rob Kidd

DunedinOctober 23

Wet and windy end to long weekend in the South

MetService has issued a raft of weather watches and warnings as an active front bears down on the South Island for the end of the long weekend.

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SouthlandOctober 23

‘It does take a toll’: Creditors of failed Southland firm owing $10m have little hope of seeing money

Steve Hepburn

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DunedinOctober 23

Rates cap may lead to sale of pools, libraries, union warns — won’t happen in Dunedin, Cr says

Steve Hepburn

NationalOctober 24

Luxon, Mitchell defend Potaka after photo with gang members emerges

ODT QuizOctober 23

ODT quiz: October 24

Dunedin

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DunedinOctober 23

Planners of inland port say nothing has changed, despite decision about rival

The draft approval for the inland port in Mosgiel has made no difference to the planners of a rival port, about 50km south.

Steve Hepburn

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DunedinOctober 23

Man fondles genitals while following stranger

A Dunedin man followed a woman while fondling his genitals in the student quarter.

Felicity Dear

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DunedinOctober 23

A century on call: Ravensbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade celebrates 100 years

When the Ravensbourne Volunteer Fire Brigade was formed "out of sheer desperation" 100 years ago, locals had to fight fires with a literal bucket brigade.

Laine Priestley

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DunedinOctober 23

In pursuit of a dream career — nailed it!

Everywhere Reyana Barringer-Tairi went, doors kept slamming shut in her face.

John Lewis

Latest News

1

DunedinOctober 24

Woman treated for smoke inhalation after fire breaks out in Dunedin’s Princes St

2

SportOctober 24

Dunedin-born coach Arch Jelley, who guided John Walker to mile record, dies aged 104

3

NationalOctober 24

Luxon, Mitchell defend Potaka after photo with gang members emerges

4

SportOctober 23

'I thought I wasn't going to make it' - chance find leads to lifesaving surgery for Sonny Bill Williams

5

DunedinOctober 23

Wet and windy end to long weekend in the South

Otago

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WānakaOctober 23

‘I’m not having my grandkids drinking this water’: Former ECan science director slams dumping of human waste

A former science group director at Environment Canterbury has slammed the decision to allow human waste to be dumped on Lauder farmland and says he would not allow his grandchildren to drink from nearby wells.

Ruairi O'Shea

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North OtagoOctober 23

Can’t get no satisfaction: Is this NZ’s most hated council?

One Otago council's satisfaction ratings have plummeted to just 8% — and the verdict on its financial performance is even worse.

Charley-Kai John

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Central OtagoOctober 23

‘Just another day we get to be together’: 70 years of marriage marked in Cromwell

A Cromwell couple have marked 70 years of marriage this week, with a family lunch, flowers and cards — a modest celebration, which they said suits them just fine.

Carys Trotter

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Central OtagoOctober 23

Massive Cromwell fast-track subdivision decision due in April

The decision on a massive 15-stage, 15-year neighbourhood development in Cromwell will be made in 70 working days, the fast-track panel convener says.

Editor's Picks

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BusinessOctober 19

Lawyer cheated on eight weeks before wedding turns personal pain into new career path

Southland-born relationship property lawyer Holly Egerton never expected her own harrowing personal experiences would shape the kind of lawyer she would become.

Sally Rae

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DunedinOctober 20

Award-winning ex-University of Otago employee charged with 37 counts of fraud

Rob Kidd

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BusinessOctober 19

Southland agricultural business goes bust owing $10m after death of co-owner

Sally Rae

Canterbury

ChristchurchOctober 23

Students target Rubik’s Cube world record

A group of Canterbury University engineering students may have built one of the world’s fastest Rubik’s Cube-solving robots.

ChristchurchOctober 23

Learner driver sent to prison for fatal crash

A Christchurch 21-year-old has been sentenced to prison for dangerous driving that caused death and failing to stop or ascertain the injuries of a man he hit on Evans Pass Rd.

ChristchurchOctober 23

'Come at me then': Taser fails to bring down man brandishing knife at police

A police Taser had no effect on a Christchurch man when he reached for a beer bottle and threw it at a female officer, injuring her while he appeared to be laughing.

By Al Williams, Open Justice reporter

ChristchurchOctober 23

Labour weekend weather: Canterbury set to hit 28C

MetService has forecasted a high of 28C for Canterbury on Saturday, and 28C for Hastings and 27C for Napier on Labour Day.

Election 2026

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OpinionOctober 23

The fine line between robust and wrongful debate

There has been a lot of discussion here in the South in recent weeks about who should, and should not, be entitled to attend political meetings.

Mike Houlahan

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DunedinOctober 23

The tricky tides of Te Tai Tonga

It is notoriously difficult to predict what will happen in the Māori electorates; they are large, difficult to poll and often reasons for voter motivation are very different to those in the general seats.

Mike Houlahan

DunedinOctober 23

Election 2026 debate: Taieri

Today the ODT's series of southern electorate debates continues, with Taieri taking centre stage.

Mike Houlahan

NationalOctober 23

Greens release fiscal plan, promise to increase health spending by $3 billion each year

The Green Party has released its fiscal plan, promising to increase health spending by $3 billion each year.

Southland

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SouthlandOctober 23

Gore council choses silence on West Bank petition

An organiser of a petition asking Gore District Council to boycott businesses contributing to illegal settlements in Palestine’s West Bank said she was shocked the council chose not to receive the petition, instead letting a vote on the issue lapse.

Gerrit Doppenberg

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SouthlandOctober 23

Southland tulip field to open for one day only

Laine Priestley

SouthlandOctober 22

Council scrambling to open popular seaside campground for summer

Matthew Rosenberg

National

NationalOctober 23

‘We require full disinfection’: Tenant unlawfully evicted after sex work complaint

When a property management company received a complaint that a rental was being used to provide sex services, it gave the tenant seven days to move out.

NationalOctober 23

Fire and Emergency New Zealand chief executive Kerry Gregory resigns

The chief executive of Fire and Emergency New Zealand has resigned.

NationalOctober 23

‘All you needed to do was call 111’: Girl died of illness as mum and aunt argued over who would help her

For three days, two sisters argued over who should take a seriously ill girl to hospital as she suffered headaches and vomiting.

NationalOctober 22

Lawyer subject of ‘unprofessional and inappropriate’ messages in police group chat

A lawyer was the target of "unprofessional and inappropriate" remarks in a police group chat, including comments about a photo of him being put in a headlock by a police officer.

Sport

SportOctober 24

Dunedin-born coach Arch Jelley, who guided John Walker to mile record, dies aged 104

Legendary running coach Arch Jelley, who guided John Walker to Olympic gold in Canada, has died at the age of 104.

SportOctober 23

'I thought I wasn't going to make it' - chance find leads to lifesaving surgery for Sonny Bill Williams

Sonny Bill Williams has revealed he has had open-heart surgery, in a major health scare for the 41-year-old retired New Zealand league and rugby international.

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SportOctober 23

The Last Word: Not hard to choose a team in NPC final

It will shock precisely nobody that The Last Word is firmly in the light blue camp for the NPC final on Monday.

Hayden Meikle

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RugbyOctober 23

Canterbury chasing back-to-back titles

Canterbury will host Northland in the NPC final

Lifestyle

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The MixOctober 23

Three planets before breakfast

Since moving to Middlemarch, I have become a bit of a morning person, a fact that will perplex anyone who has ever worked with me.

Skywatch, by Ian Griffin

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DrivesouthOctober 23

Forgotten champion eyes fifth title

Ask anyone with an everyday knowledge of current motor sport to name New Zealand’s most successful international racing drivers of the past five years, and the list will be fairly predictable.

David Thomson

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The MixOctober 23

Loneliness influencers’ solitude is going viral

Isolation is decried as the scourge of this extremely online age. But in truth, the textures of our aloneness are infinite, Eva Wiseman writes.

The MixOctober 23

Book review: Tales from the life of an airline pilot

With swags of well-remembered conversations and loads of technical details, Another Day Like Yesterday provides an insider’s take on the sometimes glamorous but often frustrating life of an airline pilot.

Jim Sullivan

Business

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Rural Life OtherOctober 23

Irrigation brings a future to North Otago after years of dust and drought

"If you’ve got water, you’ve got options.” Reliable water from the Waitaki River, via the North Otago Irrigation Company scheme, has transformed Matt and Julie Ross’s Duntroon dairy farm.

Sally Rae

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Rural Life OtherOctober 23

‘Incredible journey’ over past two decades for irrigation company

'An incredible journey', is how Aqus chief executive Andrew Rodwell describes the evolution of the North Otago Irrigation Company scheme.

Sally Rae

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Rural PeopleOctober 23

Reliable water draws young people to North Otago

Young farm manager Sam O’Neill knows the value of irrigation in North Otago.

Sally Rae

BusinessOctober 22

Luxury car dealer rumoured to be overseas as business shuts abruptly

The end of a luxury car dealership in Petone has blindsided financiers and Wellington elites, including philanthropist Sir Mark Dunajtschik, who says he considered the business owner to have been like a son.

Rural Life

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Red MeatOctober 21

A $46,000 sale of ‘one-of-a-kind’ yearling Angus bull sets stud record in northern Southland

A syndicate’s $46,000 bid on a standout yearling Angus bull set a new stud record in northern Southland.

Shawn McAvinue

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Rural EventsOctober 21

Committee seeks public feedback in face of rodeo code changes

A “fight” is on to keep rodeo part of rural communities, a cowboy says.

Shawn McAvinue

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HorticultureOctober 21

Recent heat helping, but damage from wet start to spring remains, southern growers say

A spell of sunshine has southern growers smiling, but the scars of waterlogged crops remain.

Shawn McAvinue

Rural EventsOctober 21

Call for more Otago farmers and growers to enter Ballance Farm Environment Awards

Southland farmers have put their hands up in strong numbers for the next Ballance Farm Environment Awards season, proving that even an atrocious spring cannot dampen their enthusiasm.

Alice Scott

Food & Wine

Food & WineOctober 20

Fond memories inspire chook book featuring NZ’s favourite protein

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Food & WineOctober 20

Picnic Salad

In Season — Alison Lambert

Food & WineOctober 20

Leek and ricotta tart with asparagus

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Food & WineOctober 20

New Zealand Chardonnays fit for seat at the table

Mark Henderson

World

WorldOctober 23

Israel threatens major West Bank attacks after two soldiers killed days before Israeli election

Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli soldiers on Friday before being shot dead by troops in the West Bank, officials said, prompting Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to threaten a major offensive in the occupied territory just days before an Israeli election.

WorldOctober 23

‘Terrorist and racist’ machine gun rampage leaves one dead, five injured in Paris

A gunman killed one person and wounded five others, including a 12-year-old girl, in a shooting in a Paris suburb that French President Emmanuel Macron described as a "terrorist and racist" attack.

WorldOctober 22

Taiwan cancels hundreds of flights as typhoon bears down

Almost all of Taiwan shut down on Friday ahead of the arrival of Typhoon Champi, which is forecast to bring strong winds and torrential rain.

WorldOctober 22

Aussie pumped hydro project could cost 12 times more than first planned

A pumped hydro project envisioned to save Australians money on energy bills could now cost up to 12 times more than originally planned.

AAP

West Coast

West CoastOctober 20

Teen has nightmares after three injured in 12m fall from Ferris wheel

A teenager has had nightmares since watching her friend fall 12m from a Ferris wheel at a West Coast agricultural show after a seat broke.

West CoastOctober 18

Backroads to the Beehive: Coal, politics and division on West Coast

The West Coast's wild ancient forests and vast mineral wealth gave rise to the country's labour movement.

Tim Brown and Nathan McKinnon of RNZ

Video

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DunedinOctober 23

Mum back at the beach after ‘a good makeover’

Dunedin artist Bryn Jones gives “Mum” the sea lion statue a final spit and polish, to complete its renovation.

John Lewis

NationalOctober 22

Labour candidate resigns over gang campaigning incident

Labour's candidate for Tāmaki Makaurau, Kerrin Leoni, has resigned after a video emerged showing her campaigning with gang members.

DunedinOctober 22

School’s first shave for a cure to honour mum’s memory

Malia Moetaua will soon have lived without her mother longer than she knew her.

Laine Priestley

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DunedinOctober 21

Dunedin kids get down with earthquake drill

A national earthquake and tsunami drill is helping Dunedin school children feel more prepared for natural disasters.

Felicity Dear

Opinion

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OpinionOctober 23

Cartoonist’s view: October 24

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.

YeoCartoonist

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OpinionOctober 23

When polar opposites agree on something

We live in an ever more partisan and polarised world.

Civis

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OpinionOctober 23

The secret diary of the third leaders debate

Steve BrauniasColumnist

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EditorialOctober 23

Recovery is the sting in the tail

With storm clouds gathering again for parts of the far South later in the long weekend, it is timely to remember what happened a year ago yesterday.

Editorial

OpinionOctober 22

AI and music: threats and possibilities

The Music Department at Otago University celebrated 100 years of existence recently, launching a book edited by Ian Chapman called Ka Muri, Ka Mua, referring to the famous Māori whakatauki which translates as “I walk backwards into my future”.

OpinionOctober 22

Heavier than low birth weight: a story from Indonesia

When babies are born in Indonesia, they are immediately put on scales.

100 Years Ago

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NewsOctober 23

School scholars celebrate

100 years ago

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NewsOctober 22

Blooming marvellous

100 years ago

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NewsOctober 21

Ironing out the competition

100 years ago

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NewsOctober 20

Steamin’ and shovelin’

100 years ago