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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Warbird scholarship programme widened
A vintage Spitfire takes off for a practice flight during Warbirds over Wanaka last year. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Warbird aircraft engineers are now eligible to apply along with Warbird pilots to the Warbirds Over Wanaka Community Trust scholarship programme, the trust has announced. Warbirds Over Wanaka general manager Ed Taylor said since 2016, scholarships worth a total of $40,000 had been awarded to younger Warbird pilots to help them get valuable time flying historic aircraft. Most of the recipients to date were involved in last year's airshow, Mr Taylor said. The scholarship programme was paused after Covid forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2022 airshows but, following last year's successful event, the trust was now in a position to resume the programme, he said. The original scholarships were restricted to pilots, but the trust had decided to increase the number of scholarships and expand who could apply, meaning Warbird aircraft engineers were now eligible. Each scholarship would now be worth up to $10,000 following each airshow from now. The number and value of scholarships awarded would remain at the discretion of the trust's scholarship team, he said. Applications for the 2025 scholarship round open next month. — APL
Otago Daily Times
11-05-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Bakers take over South Dunedin premises
Baker Brothers Artisan Bakery & Cafe is expected to open between late May and early June, at the former Gilbert's Fine Food site in Otaki St, South Dunedin. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON The loss of Dunedin institution Gilbert's Fine Food has given rise to two new hospitality businesses in the city. A pair of Christchurch-based bakers and the owners of former Moray Pl cafe Side On have taken over the local caterer's former Otaki St and Highgate premises respectively. After nearly 20 years in business, Gilbert's Fine Food co-owners Kevin and Esther Gilbert announced in March they had decided to close their wholesale and retail operations the following month — citing the rising cost of ingredients, increased difficulties in running a business, staff costs, margins being eroded and tiredness. Baker Brothers Artisan Bakery & Cafe co-owner Sharanjeet "SJ" Singh said he and fellow co-owner Harry Singh, both of Christchurch, became best friends after starting work in a bakery together in 2016. They had since bought their own gluten-free bakery in Christchurch before setting their sights on Dunedin. The city was lacking in gluten-free and artisanal products, particularly fresh daily bread, which they hoped to bring more of to the city, they said. Their gluten-free products would be prepared at their Christchurch premises — to be kept separate from their normal baking — before being trucked down to Dunedin overnight to be sold the next day. The bakery is expected to open late this month or early next and operate seven days a week. Meanwhile, the Gilberts' former Highgate premises have been acquired by the owners of Big Lizard bakery and former Moray Pl cafe Side On. The eatery announced on social media a new establishment called "Roslyn Bread Technologies & O.A.A". It would begin trading shortly and was seeking staff to "produce, distribute and consume" bread, pies, pastry, sandwiches and coffee, among "other associated activities", the post said. Mr Gilbert, a former president of the Baking Industry Association of New Zealand, said he wished both businesses the best of luck and looked forward to seeing the products they produced.
Otago Daily Times
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Otago Daily Times
Surrey St group demands DCC action
Flooding in Surrey St, in October last year. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Residents of a South Dunedin street say they are being "continually flooded with sewage" and are demanding the city council fix the problem. The Dunedin City Council will today meet to begin a week of hearings for its nine-year plan, as well as the city's adoption of Local Water Done Well — a government reform programme focused on the future delivery of drinking water, wastewater and stormwater. Among those who submitted on the plan were representatives of the recently formed Surrey St Flood Action Group. In her submission, convener Lynne Newell said local residents had been complaining to the council for years, urgently requesting an overflow of wastewater and sewage in the street be stopped. "We are continually flooded with sewage from the diversion of the hill suburbs' wastewater. "This sewage-filled stormwater flows into surrounding streets and increases the volume of water in the streets and thus the level of damage to properties. "The health risk is appalling and is a moral duty for the council to immediately address." In her submission, Ms Newell made a range of claims, including that the council was overstating climate change and was downplaying its own culpability for the overflows. The group requested the council begin "urgent action" to reduce the risk of further wastewater overflow to zero within the next year and apologise to the people of South Dunedin, among other demands. In his submission, committee member Julian Doorey said he had "financial skin in the issue of stormwater flooding". "The discharged contaminated water, including raw sewage, creates environmental hazards and serious health risks." The council has declined to comment on individual submissions before the hearings.
Otago Daily Times
02-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Alcohol ban extended for festival
The Alexandra Blossom Festival alcohol ban will now stretch to cover the Teviot Valley. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON A ban on alcohol being drunk in public will be extended in a move designed to provide police with another "tool" for managing antisocial behaviour connected to the Alexandra Blossom Festival and the Merino Shears competition. Elected members of the Central Otago District Council voted unanimously in support of the change at Wednesday's full council meeting, where they heard from police about problems in recent years. Police pushed for the geographical area of the ban to be extended as well as its timeframe and the council obliged. The alcohol ban will now stretch to cover the Teviot Valley as well as the weekend after the popular spring festival. At the meeting, Sergeant Adam Elder, of Alexandra, told councillors police had seen more alcohol being consumed over the period and that in turn had led to an increase in antisocial behaviour. He showed a booklet of photographs depicting the sorts of scenes their teams had encountered in 2024 — highlighted, were the hordes of largely southern "car enthusiasts" travelling in convoy to attend "Blossie". Sgt Elder said, at the school in Millers Flat, police encountered people urinating and causing disorder, and as a result the school community had opted to install security cameras. Other people caused damage at the Millers Flat tavern, he said, while others posed a risk to other road users at Raes Junction and through the Roxburgh Gorge, by "standing on the road and drinking alcohol". "We also had several serious incidents involving members of the contingent, which included an assault and threatening act with a weapon and an arson of a vehicle," he said. While Sgt Elder acknowledged "the balance of the community" might find the policy shift to be restrictive, the "overriding goal" was "to mitigate the level of harm" caused by alcohol. By Kim Bowden
