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Otago Daily Times
a day ago
- Climate
- Otago Daily Times
It's not cold if you're quick
REPORT: LAINE PRIESTLEY / PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Feargal O'Donoghue and Aoife MacSweeney brave the cold southern water at St Kilda Beach on King's Birthday yesterday. People wanting to enjoy a brisk dip at the beach should head out today as the temperature would take a significant plunge later this week, a Metservice meteorologist said. Dunedin could expect a fine day today with some passing cloud overhead, but the weather would take a turn tomorrow. "It will start to get wet from about late morning then it's expected to set in there," he said. The rain clouds would clear on Thursday to a partly cloudy day, before the rain returned for Friday and the weekend. "I must mention the drop in temperature — we're expecting temperature to drop in the South Island ... Dunedin, to be specific, will be dropping to about 7°[C] on Friday and Saturday."
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Budget rates relief ‘necessary'
Oamaru. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Rates relief for potentially hundreds of Waitaki senior citizens through Budget 2025, is "timely and necessary", Age Concern Otago says. The Budget last week announced a rise in the income abatement threshold for SuperGold Cardholders and their households to be eligible for the maximum rebate from $31,510 to $45,000, about the same rate as a couple receiving superannuation. "In the Waitaki District alone, over 5700 people receive NZ Super, many of whom will benefit directly from this support," Age Concern Otago chief executive Mike Williams said. "While we don't have exact figures on how many will qualify, we do know that around 40% of New Zealanders aged 65 and over have virtually no other income beyond NZ Super. With nearly a quarter of Waitaki's population aged 65 or older, and rates set to rise by an average of around 10% across the district, this support is both timely and necessary." The maximum rebate for the scheme will also increase from $790 to $805, while those SuperGold cardholders with income higher than $45,000 will be eligible for a smaller rebate. Ratepayers can apply for the new maximum rebate under the new abatement thresholds after July 1. Application forms will be available from councils and will also be able to be downloaded from the New Zealand Government website ( and then submitted to local councils. Waitaki district mayor Gary Kircher is positive in his support for the move. "It's a tough budget for many, though I see some benefits in the budget for our community," he told the Oamaru Mail. "It is good to see that more of our Super Gold Card holders will be eligible for rates relief, as the government recognises the pressures on local government and their ratepayers. "This is welcome news for many of our Waitaki ratepayers, especially those on fixed incomes who own their own homes." Any over-65s with questions about eligibility can contact Waitaki District Council on 03 433 0300 or by contacting service@ Mr Kircher said there were other good news items in the Budget. "An increase of $2.7b for roads schools and hospitals will help, though at least some of those increases had already been announced. "From a council perspective, it will be extremely helpful if the government increases the ability of NZTA to match more of our funding to help councils make progress on the overall underinvestment in roading. "There will be general benefits for our community with the sensible changes to prescriptions, and improvements to our after-hours healthcare, along with an extra $1b for new health infrastructure. "However, the zero increase to many budgets and the decrease in others will be difficult for most government agencies. "I doubt that it has been an easy task for the government, and there is some good logic behind a number of changes. "Unfortunately, many people are doing it bloody hard right now and there will some who are going to be slightly better off, but not all of those most affected." Waitaki MP Miles Anderson said the district would also benefit from Budget 2025's new Investment Boost initiative, which would provide "a major new tax incentive to encourage businesses to invest, grow the economy, and lift wages". "This is great news for farms and businesses in the Waitaki and the initiative is already seeing a strong positive response from the sector. "With our region's strong rural and supporting industries we need businesses to invest in productive assets — like machinery, tools, equipment, vehicles and technology. Investment drives productivity improvements, makes firms more competitive and supports employers to improve workers' wages. "Investment Boost allows a business to immediately deduct 20% of the cost of a new asset, on top of depreciation, meaning a much lower tax bill in the year of purchase." That meant better cashflows, which in turn, makes potential investments "stack up financially", he said. On top of a $164m investment in rural health, including expanded and improved after-hours health services in Oamaru, the Budget also strengthened education provision with $1.5billion to improve student achievement, including $646m of initiatives to ensure earlier identification of, and better help for, children with additional physical, learning and behavioural needs, he said. Another $700m would deliver new schools and classrooms. "We are making smart improvements in education that will make a real difference for young people here," Mr Anderson said.
Otago Daily Times
6 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Students band together for foodbank drive
St Joseph's Cathedral School pupil Katherine Binu, 11, holds some items from the collection in front of her peers from other Dunedin Catholic schools including Trinity Catholic College and St Francis Xavier School yesterday. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH A Dunedin foodbank has been overwhelmed by a combined collection by Catholic schools from across the city. The nine schools in the Dunedin Catholic Schools Kāhui Ako collected food for St Vincent de Paul's Dunedin foodbank for Catholic Schools Day yesterday. St Joseph's Cathedral School principal Jo Stanley said the day was a chance for the schools to showcase their Catholic values and get involved with the community. ''Social justice and caring for others is a big part of who we are as Catholics. ''We wanted to show the Dunedin community how we shine together as Catholic schools,'' she said. Ms Stanley said St Vincent de Paul youth co-ordinator Jo Bell said the donations would go towards feeding the homeless and filling children's lunch boxes, so items that did not need to be cooked in a kitchen and could fit in containers were preferred. The students and pupils were encouraged to empathise with the homeless and other children their age and consider what would be easily consumed by them. Ms Bell said the charitable organisation was overwhelmed with the quantity and types of items brought in yesterday. ''Our children are great examples of generosity and care for others. ''Their enthusiasm inspires us to continue to work for change.''
Otago Daily Times
27-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Photographers go a bit wild
PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSH Judges for the 2025 Tūhura Otago Museum Photography Competition — Dunedin photographer Isabella Harrex (left) and museum exhibition designer Shanaya Cunningham — display some of the entries in the wildlife category of the annual photography competition during judging at the Skinner Annex building in the Museum Reserve. This year's panel of seven judges selected winners in a range of categories yesterday. Winners will be announced next month.
Otago Daily Times
23-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Net finishing touch to Seafarers' Corner
The Historic Iona Church Restoration Trust committee member Rachel Day in front of a hand-made cargo net in the church's Seafarers Chapel. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSH One of the final steps has been completed in the large-scale renovation of a Port Chalmers church, honouring past and present seafaring men and women. Tucked away in the corner of the church's nave is the "Seafarers' Corner", a section of the church used in its early days as a place for all the sailors passing through Port Chalmers to find "solace and peace". Last month, a hand-crafted cargo net made by a local man was put up to separate the seafarers' corner from the nave. Historic Iona Church Restoration Trust committee member Rachel Day said the space never looked how it does today, but what they had set up was a "modern interpretation". "We're trying to give it a certain sort of respect," she said. The creator, a net maker of many years, told the trust he had a 19th-century cargo net ring which would be great to use in a net to separate the space from the rest of the nave. Iona Church. The net was made from Donaghy's rope and a marlinspike was used to weave the net. "Rope has been so vital to this country's history, from ... Māori, Polynesians and Europeans' connection to the sea — this is an ancient, universal craft." The corner was still used, but many of the sailors who now visited the church were Filipino and other East Asian workers coming into port from cruise ships and other boats, Ms Day said. "There isn't really an open Catholic church in Port Chalmers, so they're drawn to here. They can see the church when they come into harbour." They came to "sit and pray".
