Airport runway resealed
The Alexandra Aerodrome has reopened following a week-long closure to resurface its 1200m runway, a long-awaited upgrade that began on March 31.
Central Otago District Council property officer Tara Bates said the project had been in the council's long-term plan for years, with the runway not having been resealed since it was first built in the 1980s.
The resurfacing cost $470,000 — about half the cost of earlier estimates — and involved applying a SteelGuard surface over the existing chipseal.
Ms Bates said the new surface would enhance safety by reducing the risk of loose stones that could damage aircraft.
Nigel Forrester, a resident of an apartment at the airport, welcomed the work.
Mr Forrester said the upgrade would not only improve safety for pilots and passengers but would also help preserve an important council asset. — APL
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Light show back for Matariki event
Ōtepoti Dunedin is set to sparkle for Matariki once more, as the drone light show returns as part of a celebration of Māori culture, reflection and renewal. The free community event will take place from 3pm to 9pm on June 21 at Logan Park. It will feature two drone light shows, weaving art and storytelling. Enterprise Dunedin event producer Allison Wallace said the festival reflected the city's commitment to higher-quality, accessible events that celebrated local culture and brought communities together. "In response to feedback and the popularity of last year's drone show event, which saw 15,000 people there, we have extended the event footprint across Logan Park and have a large food truck and dining area. "We have an earlier drone show for our younger audiences at 6pm, followed by a later show for our teens and adults at 8.30pm. Drones light up the sky at last year's Matariki celebrations at Logan Park. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN "We're excited to announce our headline act as 1 Drop Nation, one of Aotearoa's must-see acts, whose music is a unique blend of roots, rock, funk and reggae." Meanwhile, Ōtepoti Dunedin is preparing to welcome the Māori New Year with the Puaka Matariki Festival — a month-long celebration of renewal, reflection and connection. The festival, now in its 15th year in Ōtepoti, runs from June 14 to July 12. The programme includes 26 events across Ōtepoti Dunedin, from a traditional hautapu ceremony, to the sharing of kai and kapa haka performances along with the return of the festival's drone show. Paulette Tamati-Elliffe, of Te Rūnaka o Ōtākou, said as a community, people had been celebrating both Puaka and Matariki for many years. Enterprise Dunedin Destination Manager Sian Sutton said the upcoming programme of events across the city was a chance to deepen our connection to te ao Māori. "Puaka Matariki is a uniquely powerful time of reflection and unity. "We're thrilled to bring this to life for our city and we're particularly excited by the collaborative process with mana whenua to ensure the event is culturally appropriate and reflective of Matariki values." — APL
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Otago rivers by and large ‘in really good state'
A container sits in Otokia Creek at Dunedin's Brighton Beach as the creek goes to sea. The area is the only coastal site monitored by the Otago Regional Council that has a long-term grade of "poor" due to elevated bacteria levels. Previous investigations have identified avian sources for the contamination. There are an additional four freshwater sites with "poor" long-term grades, the council says. PHOTO: GERARD O'BRIEN Otago's rivers are by and large "in a really good state", the latest summer recreation report card says. Otago Regional Council science and resilience committee co-chairman Gary Kelliher said this year's recreational water quality annual report showed the region had healthy waterways. "By and large our rivers are in a really good state and we are able to enjoy them generally most of the time. "So I think it's a good report card - I would hope that would be the case." The council's contact recreation monitoring programme assessed recreational water quality at swimming spots weekly between December and March each year, a report to the committee said. Faecal bacteria Escherichia coli, at freshwater sites, and enterococci, at coastal sites, were measured as an indication of the presence of pathogens that could cause illness in swimmers. Last summer, 509 routine samples were taken and analysed for 32 sites - 93% of the results showed the water was safe for swimming at the time the sample was taken, the report said. For 14 samples across 12 sites, bacteria concentrations indicated the site was unsafe to swim at at the time of sampling and a health warning was issued, it said. Another 17 results across seven sites met the criteria for the council to advise caution, it said. Long-term E. coli grades for freshwater sites showed 67% of freshwater swimming spots were either "excellent" or "good". Four sites were graded as "poor" - the Taieri River at Waipiata, the Taieri River at Outram, the Waikouaiti River at Bucklands and the Manuherikia River at Shaky Bridge. Among coastal sites, 88% were graded "excellent/very good", or "good" and just one site, Otokia Creek at Brighton, was graded "poor". Previous investigations had identified avian sources for the contamination at Otokia Creek, the report said. The long-term grade for the Pacific Ocean at Tomahawk Beach west improved from "fair" to "good". The site was monitored by the Dunedin City Council as part of the consent requirements for the Tahuna wastewater treatment plant, the report said. "The grade change can be attributed to several elevated results in the 2019-20 season not being included in the latest five-year period, and two years with no exceedances in the current period," it said. — APL
Otago Daily Times
2 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Puppetry feature of show
Indian Ink Theatre Company co-founder and actor Jacob Rajan on-stage with a hand-built vulture and puppeteer Jon Coddington in a scene from Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream. Photo: Ankita Singh New Zealand's Indian Ink Theatre Company will bring their acclaimed show Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream to Dunedin in September. Written by Indian Ink founders Jacob Rajan and Justin Lewis, and directed by Lewis, the production combines theatre, comedy, puppetry, and music. In a statement, Indian Ink said Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream showcased Rajan's unique solo performance talents, channelling seven characters, while weaving a story of the afterlife with a dash of Bollywood into the real-life mystery of India's vanishing vulture. In typical Indian Ink style, Rajan will be accompanied on stage by a crafted life-size vulture, created and puppeteered by Jon Coddington. Rajan said the premise of the show was that our lives are but melting ice cream and the transition between this world and the next is never easy. For main character Kutisar, it is made profoundly more difficult when his passage to paradise depends on the guidance of a vulture, but they have disappeared from India's skies. A rebellious young woman from Mumbai's enigmatic Parsi community — a people whose faith is entwined with the vulture — holds the key that may yet deliver him. Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream was inspired by Ernest Becker's Pulitzer prize-winning Denial of Death, and the vibrant, life-filled chaos of India's most cosmopolitan city. Rajan and Lewis had the idea for the script after a trip to Mumbai in 2019. The pair were captivated by the city, its people and its secrets — in particular the mystery of India's vanishing vultures, one of the fastest mass extinctions of all time. Indian Ink are one of Aotearoa's most celebrated theatre companies, and Paradise or the Impermanence of Ice Cream is a testament to their success. Following a critically acclaimed New Zealand tour in 2021, the production captivated audiences across Hawai'i, Australia, Canada and Singapore. — APL
