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Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Airport open to cycle trail connection
Megan Crawford. Photo: ODT files Hints of a possible cycle trail developing between Dunedin Airport and other trails in the region may only be a rumour. At the latest meeting of the Mosgiel Taieri Community Board, chairman Andrew Simms provided an update on the Taieri Trails Group and hinted at a possible new trail being considered. ''It appears that the airport are now under some guidance to create a cycle trail to the airport, and it appears that the airport have identified that working with the Taieri Trails Group might be the easiest way for them to achieve that.'' That could be a pretty significant development for the group, he said. However, Dunedin Airport said there were no specific plans at present. Dunedin Airport general manager business development Megan Crawford said the airport supported proposals to extend regional cycle trails through or near airport land and welcomed the opportunity to collaborate with partners and stakeholders on that initiative. The airport was proud to contribute to projects that strengthened regional connectivity, promoted sustainable transport and enhanced the natural environment, she said. The airport had an ongoing relationship with Central Otago Clutha Trails Ltd (COCTL), specifically regarding the Clutha Gold Trail, which was a Community Sponsorship Fund recipient. There were no specific plans between Dunedin Airport and COCTL to develop trail infrastructure together, but general manager sustainability and planning Louis Brown and chief executive Daniel De Bono were both passionate about the possibilities of supporting environmentally sustainable recreation in the local community and helping to develop ''slow tourism'' options that connected the airport with Dunedin and the lower South Island as a whole.
Otago Daily Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Letters to the Editor: elections, Gaza and flooding
Today's Letters to the Editor from readers cover topics including unchecked election spending, the abhorrent genocide in Gaza, and South Dunedin's flooding issues. Election spending rules need urgent revision The massive unchecked election spending by Dunedin mayoral candidate Andrew Simms and his Future Dunedin Party highlights how weak local body election spending controls have become. Limitations on election spending for the October elections do not take effect until mid July and until then Mr Simms is having a field day with, amongst other things, many full page advertisements in this newspaper. American democracy has been seriously flawed by money in politics and it is something we don't want to see here. In a sense, if you have enough money then politics becomes no longer an even playing field as the rich or their surrogates affectively buy their way into office. [Bill Southworth is a former local body election candidate. Editor.] When it all started The editorial ( ODT 21.5.25) quite rightly recognises the abhorrent genocide occurring in Gaza, with relentless bombing and intentional starvation through the blockade of aid. However, we challenge the editor's misconception that this situation started on October 7th 2023 with the Hamas raids. It started in 1948 when the state of Israel was created on 55% of historic Palestine, driving more than 750,000 Palestinians from their homes (the "Nakba"/Catastrophe). Since then the settler colonial state of Israel has continued expanding, forcing Palestinians into an ever-shrinking land area, in an apartheid state with few rights, despite many United Nations resolutions/reports condemning Israel's war crimes. Since 2005, Gaza has become the world's largest open-air prison, with Israel restricting water/electricity/food/medicines. Experts have long warned that conditions were unliveable. In this context it is abhorrent to state that "Hamas started this". This genocide must be stopped. We call on all institutions to BDS (Boycott/Divest/Sanction) Israel, and for countries to condemn this ongoing genocide. Otago University Staff for Palestine group Great courage, but Shame on Netanyahu. It takes great courage to speak such words these days. Yesterday's editorial (21.5.25) gave me hope ... such a rousing buildup would surely lead to a brave, unequivocal condemnation of Israel's genocide in Gaza, something very lacking in New Zealand today. I sincerely commend you for standing up for humanitarian principles and against Israel's outrageous actions over the last 18 months. It is very refreshing. However, by then framing the "start" of this "latest dreadful conflict" as being on October 7th 2023, you completely ignore that day's context, within a conflict that has been incessant for 76 years (at least for the Palestinians). While laying blame on Hamas for "starting it", you fail to mention that since 1948, Palestinians have faced a mixture of systematic government sanctioned displacements, ethnic cleansing, killings, settler violence, administrative detentions, illegal occupation and apartheid. Your words simply empower Netanyahu's very false narrative, that Israel was attacked on October 7, for no reason at all. [Similar letters received and noted, from R Robert, S Loader. Editor.] Flooding and the blind acceptance of piffle In the absence of meaningful post publication comment on the full page ODT disclosure of plans for mitigation of South Dunedin's flooding issues, may I draw to your attention the lack of arithmetical eptitude in the proposed Dunedin City Council solutions. The plan outlined four options ranging from $2.5 billion to $7.5b. A google search reveals that some 900 South Dunedin properties were flooded in the last event, which appears to have been exacerbated by the lack of maintenance on the stormwater mud tanks. Let's call it 1000 properties for the sake of numerical simplicity: it follows that the cheapest proposed remediative option is to cost $2.5 million per property, and the most expensive option would cost $7.5m per property. A drive round South Dunedin fails to identify one property that would fetch $2.5m on an open market, with the owners of most of the 900 properties, at risk of an inability to gain insurance, being unable sell for more than half a million. That councillors have not factored this analysis into their considerations demonstrates their alarming lack of understanding of number, and a blind acceptance of the piffle they are being fed by senior DCC staff. Address Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin. Email: editor@
Otago Daily Times
28-04-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Kim Dotcom reportedly buys Mosgiel mansion
The large home on the outskirts of Mosgiel reportedly bought by Kim Dotcom and his family. Photo: Supplied Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom has moved in to one of Mosgiel's grandest homes as he continues his recovery from a stroke. The 51-year-old German-born businessman normally resides in Glenorchy, near Queenstown, but has spent much of the last six months in the Dunedin area receiving treatment after he suffered a stroke last year. In a post to X (formerly Twitter) earlier this year, he stated that he had some memory loss, speech impairment issues and was also using a wheelchair after the medical event. Mosgiel Community Board chairman and Dunedin mayoral candidate Andrew Simms confirmed the move. "He's right across the road from me," Mr Simms said. Kim and Liz Dotcom. Photo: Supplied "I think it's well reported, he's got some significant health issues and needs to be close to the nearby hospital. We wish him all the best in respect to his recovery. "Which is, you know, very unfortunate. Look, in all seriousness, I think we're pleased the house has been sold and that the family's moving in. I would expect the entire community to be welcoming of that." The Dotcom family's new four-bedroom home has a valuation of $2.8 million and was designed by renowned architects Mason & Wales and built in the 1980s. The property includes an in-ground heated swimming pool and change rooms, housed in a conservatory style building next to the home. It was described in the property listing as "one of the most admired properties in the Dunedin/Mosgiel area" and sits on more than 2ha of land. The property includes a large indoor swimming pool. Photo: Supplied Dotcom, a former CEO of file-sharing website Megaupload has lived in New Zealand since 2010 and has consistently attracted controversy. His Auckland property was raided in 2012 as part of an attempt to extradite him the United States for copyright infringement. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith signed off on his extradition to the US last year.
