Oamaru AirportIf Oamaru Airport was in private hands ‘‘heads would roll’’ over its mismanagement, Waitaki district councillors have heard. Mr Laming said Oamaru Airport and its runways were deteriorating and it had not taken steps to improve the financial performance of the council asset. A fair-to-conservative charge for landing at Oamaru Airport would be about $14 including GST, which was the present listed landing fee, Mr Laming said. Mr Laming asked councillors how it could be that this had not been addressed in the last three years. He said he had discussed these issues and ideas with Waitaki District’s first Oamaru Airport manager, Matt Sisson.

Mrs Waite holds a Chinese wedding basket from a collection that is also part of their ‘‘Ancestors and Traditions’’ exhibition. PHOTO: JULES CHINMythical dragons and Qing dynasty ancestor paintings are part of an exhibition entitled ‘‘Ancestors and Traditions’’ at Oasis Gallery as part of Chinese New Year celebrations. A Chinese dragon floor rug, rice paper paintings and chairs from the Qing dynasty also feature in the exhibition. The exhibition paintings are all from the Qing Dynasty (1636/1644-1912) from around 1700 to 1800, Mr Waite said. You’re not supposed to knight a foreigner, but she did,’’ Mr Waite said.

According to the recently released ruling from the tribunal, Fitz-Gerald had a lengthy career spanning 45 years, including teaching students with special needs. Fitz-Gerald arranged respite care with the student’s parents, had the teen stay overnight at his house, and took him away on trips to beaches, cafes and to other cities. This respite care was done with the parents’ consent but without the school’s knowledge or approval. The tribunal said Macaran held a position of trust and his offending was “the most serious kind of misconduct”. Macaran had retired by the time the tribunal could convene, so it couldn’t cancel his registration as it had already lapsed.

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Michael Walker’s son, Jack, 7, drags him over the finish line at New Brighton Beach last Saturday. PICTURE: MARATHON PHOTOS LIVEPre-dawn winter training runs paid off for Queenstown lawyer Michael Walker when he competed in the Coast to Coast’s The Longest Day for the first time in nearly two decades. Walker tells Mountain Scene he raced in the tandem category the previous three Coast to Coasts, doing the whole course with a partner over two days. He also twice raced in the individual two-day category as a uni student before tackling The Longest Day for the first time as a 23-year-old in 2009. Also helping to fuel his motivation were the ‘‘pretty aggressive cut-off times’’ for The Longest Day competitors, in which they’re pulled from the course if they’re too slow.

Emerson Borland is ready to race to the finish line at the Kids TRYathlon. Emerson Borland is gearing up to take part in the Kids TRYathlon next week alongside about 1000 children. Having competed twice before, the 10-year-old is ready to swim, cycle and run his way to the finish line during the event held at Taieri College. He was encouraged by volunteers as he neared the finish line. "I was doing bike rides with Grampy ... and I was doing swimming lessons.

Waikouaiti Rodeo Club president Richard Robinson is ready to welcome all to the National Finals Rodeo on Saturday, March 14. For the first time since 1999 the Waikouaiti Rodeo Club will host the national finals next month. President Richard Robinson said the return of the top-tier event was a chance for the organisation to show what it could do. The committee had been "chipping away" at plans for the national finals over the last few years to upgrade the facilities. National Finals RodeoHosted by Waikouaiti RodeoSaturday, March 14, from 10am.

Sri Lanka’s weather has had the final say in New Zealand’s first match of the Twenty20 World Cup Super Eight stage, after Sunday’s clash with Pakistan was washed out without a ball bowled. Rain started to fall as the two captains walked to the middle for the toss at Colombo’s R. Premadasa Stadium, and didn’t relent before the umpires called the game off just over two hours after the scheduled start. Pakistan’s captain Salman Ali Agha had won the toss and elected to bat, a questionable decision given the advantage of chasing a target with rain in the air. However, despite Black Caps skipper Mitchell Santner losing his fourth toss in succession at this year’s World Cup, and New Zealand’s fifth in a row after Daryl Mitchell filled in against Canada, there was no chance for either side to show their wares as the Super Eights began. The Black Caps had made changes in the bowling ranks, with Lockie Ferguson returning from paternity leave, and Ish Sodhi included, in place of Kyle Jamieson and Jacob Duffy.

Emergency services are attending a serious incident in Hillsborough, Auckland, after a vehicle hit a parked car and flipped over. Emergency services are attending a serious incident in Hillsborough, Auckland, after a vehicle hit a parked car and flipped over. Photo / NZHA vehicle has hit a parked car and flipped over in a serious incident in an Auckland suburb. Police said they are in attendance at the serious crash in Hillsborough this evening. “Police were called around 6.30pm with a report that a vehicle has hit a parked car and flipped, near the intersection of Frederick St and Belfast St,” police said.

PHOTO: ALLIED MEDIAA new report that shows people with disabilities spend longer in emergency housing has not surprised a Dunedin sector advocate. A study by researchers at the University of Otago, Wellington, published in the International Journal on Homelessness, found between 2016 and 2022, people with disabilities stayed in emergency housing 6% more often and for 5% longer than those without disabilities. The study drew on Stats NZ’s Integrated Data Infrastructure to analyse 65,000 people in emergency housing, including 6800 with disabilities. It found the average income for disabled people in emergency housing was $22,519, compared to $28,193 for the overall emergency housing population. "Even if disabled people are able to find an accessible private sector rental, it is often unaffordable."

PHOTOS: OLIVIA CALDWELLIf I could sum up my night at La Rumbla restaurant in Arrowtown, it would be two words — world class. Owner Penelope Johnson runs the floor and hasn’t shied away from hard work for the decade La Rumbla has been in Arrowtown. The La Rumbla one was slightly fancier than the norm, but the same element of layered potato and cheese — super wholesome and filling. Next is my favourite Spanish dish of all, and I know it isn’t for everyone, but octopus is just so divine. This girl cannot go past lamb and I really loved this lamb dish.

The North Otago Photographic Society meets every month to discuss styles, techniques and elements of photography. These photos were voted the top three at the society’s February meeting at which the ‘‘Pic of the night’’ theme was weather. Co-ordinator Margaret Larder said the society also held four externally judged competitions throughout the year. Placings: Sonja Teague, 1; David Sutton, 2; Alan Wilson, 3.

Inaugural Hansby engineering intern, Wakatipu High school leaver Jed McLean, at his award ceremony with mayor John Glover and Gracie HansbyQueenstown Lakes District Council’s employed two interns in a new programme honouring former property & infrastructure GM Peter Hansby, who died just over three years ago. The programme is the idea of his daughter Gracie Hansby, a local solicitor, who received support from former mayor Jim Boult and newly-retired council CEO Mike Theelen. ‘‘I said to Mike this would actually be such a great way to continue dad’s legacy because he was so passionate about kids that were talented. And Mount Aspiring College student Dani Maguire was the first winner of the QLDC Hansby planning & development internship. Both students completed their two-week internships recently.

Horse riders are among those encouraged to get a sneak peek of the new Project Tohu trail network next monthLocals will be able to get a taste of Arrowtown’s newest trail network for the first time next month. Queenstown’s council, alongside lead contractor Te Tapu o Tane and trail funding partner Tahuna Ride and Conservation (Trac), is opening the Project Tohu restoration site gates, weather permitting, over the weekend of March 7 and 8. Trac founder Sir Rod Drury says investment in projects such as the Project Tohu trail network is helping position the Whakatipu as a ‘‘must-do riding destination’’. ‘‘Delivering a trail network on this scale will help ignite what we believe will become one of the most sought-after riding destinations in Aotearoa, if not the world. Wakatipu Riding Club president Kaye Eden says the club’s ‘‘thrilled to be back in the saddle at Coronet’’, where horse riders previously had access.

Keli Manson (left) and Natalie Carpenter are ready to welcome people to the relaunched Waitaki Creative Wellbeing. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDWaitaki Creative Wellbeing is being relaunched this month with a new venue, a new staff member and an abundance of art-related activities. Oamaru artist Natalie Carpenter has been in charge of the art aspect of the programme since its inception five years ago. Recently from Christchurch, Ms Manson had been involved in peer support groups there and has completed intentional peer support training. The Waitaki programme is co-ordinated by Dunedinbased creative space Artsenta, which also runs programmes in Wanaka, Cromwell and Balclutha.