The Queenstown Lakes district’s Three Waters company has a name. Now it needs a board of directors. The size and makeup of the board for the council-controlled organisation (CCO), named WaiSouth, dominated discussion at a full council workshop this week. The board’s size, length of term and the desired skill mix of its directors must be decided at a full council meeting on February 5. Mayor John Glover said he preferred asking iwi what kind of relationship they wanted with the company, rather than presenting specific options.

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Dozens of owners have stopped paying the body corporate levies, with nearly $20m now in arrears, incurring penalty interest of 10%, according to documents viewed by the Herald. The interest rate is “commercially sensitive” but in line with penalty interest rates charged to unit owners who are in default. “The administrators are aware that some unit owners are unable to pay their levies (in part or in full). Administrators launch action over levy arrearsThe report warns that recovery action commenced in November against unit owners who failed to engage with the body corporate over unpaid levies. “Appropriate documentation” was now being prepared for recovery action by a law firm specialising in body corporate law and levy repayment.

PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYA stabbing in central Dunedin left the victim with a wound just 2cm from his heart, a court has heard. The confrontation "quickly turned into a heated exchange during which the defendant announced ‘I have a knife’," the court heard. The man told the ODT the sequence of events was a blur. A cardiothoracic specialist had to be called in to treat the victim and discovered the knife had penetrated the man’s chest to within 2cm of his heart. When asked how he rationalised his experience, the victim told the ODT he tried to remain positive.

The Tūhura Otago Museum board chairman and University of Otago physics professor will attempt to swim across the cold and unpredictable waters of Cook Strait on Monday, in a bid to raise money for a much-needed new fire sprinkler system at Tūhura Otago Museum. One of the most urgent needs at present is the installation of further fire sprinklers to protect the museum"s "irreplaceable collections". "Swimming the Cook Strait felt like something I could do to highlight the circumstances in which the Museum Trust finds itself. David Hutchinson waves to one of the Broad Bay locals while training for his swim across one of the world’s toughest stretches of open water, Cook Strait, next week. "These collections belong not just to Otago, but to all of Aotearoa, and our duty of care for these taoka is paramount."

Photo: ODT filesAn Australian mining company’s bid to fast-track its Central Otago gold mine has faltered at the first hurdle after government agencies raised significant environmental concerns and lambasted it for poor planning. The agencies said Santana Minerals’ bid for a decision to be made in 30 days was unrealistic, the Otago Regional Council (ORC) calling for a 140-day decision-making period. In submissions to fast-track panel convener Jane Borthwick, the Department of Conservation, Central Otago District Council (CODC) and local rūnaka raised concerns ahead of a conference call between key stakeholders earlier this week. Representatives of the local rūnaka said the entire consultative process had been inadequate. Doc complained about the "limited meaningful engagement on significant issues" with Santana and raised concerns around "gaps" in information provided.

PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHOne person is dead and another is in critical condition after a serious incident near Milton. Detective Sergeant Hayden Smale said police were called to Adams Flat Rd, Crichton, about 6.10pm yesterday. A St John spokesman said one person was airlifted to hospital in a critical condition. A scene guard was in place while an examination was carried out. — Allied Media

PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENErect-crested penguins are normally found on New Zealand’s subantarctic Bounty and Antipodes island groups, but this juvenile was among sea lions at a Dunedin beach yesterday. "We don’t see high numbers of them on the mainland of New Zealand, but when we do, it is usually around January-February as they undergo their annual moult and they are most commonly seen around the southeast coast of the South Island when they do show up," Department of Conservation biodiversity ranger Megan Abbott said. Penguins were vulnerable while moulting, as they would sit on land for three to four weeks while undergoing a full feather change, she said. During this time, they could be easily stressed by disturbances and could be more vulnerable to dog attacks. People should give them space and not approach them, she said.

Photo: ODT filesA Dunedin man who tied his toddler’s legs together, leaving her injured for nearly two months, has had his name permanently suppressed. The man, who previously pleaded guilty to child neglect, was sentenced to six months’ community detention and 12 months’ intensive supervision. "You said you didn’t intentionally cause her to suffer," Judge Harvey said. The judge said it would be critical the man remained engaged with psychological supports. "Fortunately there’s no lasting injury," Judge Harvey said.

Otago Art Society president Rose Shepard in front of the acrylic painting Waiting to Open, by Anne Bullock, at the opening night of the society’s summer exhibition. PHOTOS: PETER MCINTOSHMore than 100 Otago artists feature in the Otago Art Society’s summer exhibition at the Dunedin Railway Station. The overall winner pastel landscape Summer Lane, by Lynn Grace. Judge Inge Doesburg said the work evoked a summer lane quite beautifully. Another pastel drawing —, by Annelois Douglas — was first in that category.

An artist’s impression of Contact Energy’s proposed wind farm near Wyndham. IMAGE: SUPPLIEDPreventing a massive billion-dollar wind farm in the Southland District from going ahead will eventually lead to blackouts and reliance on coal, Contact Energy says. The state-owned generator is planning a 250MW to 350MW wind farm in Southland, which is expected to generate sufficient electricity to power 110,000 to 150,000 households. In response, Contact has delivered a 78-page submission addressing concerns, and reiterating New Zealand’s need for more wind power and renewable electricity. Doc has asked for a 30-year concession for the project, while Contact Energy wants a 60-year concession.

PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENPortobello Rd traffic was down to one lane yesterday as arborists felled a large macrocarpa tree in Ivanhoe Rd. An arborist was elevated and hung by an extended ladder to reach the branches of the tall tree in yesterday’s overcast conditions. Traffic patiently waited for their turn to travel past the temporary traffic light.

IMAGE: SUPPLIEDDunedin is set to become the first city in the South Island with a fully accessible $750,000 Changing Places bathroom. A Dunedin City Council spokesman said construction of a new public toilet featuring a Changing Places bathroom will start next week. Changing Places bathrooms are designed for those with complex care needs, who are unable to use standard accessible bathrooms or public toilets. The inside of the Changing Places bathroom will feature a bespoke art wall featuring images inspired by Dunedin’s heritage and environment. As well as the Changing Places bathroom, the facility will feature two other public toilets — one standard and one ambulant.

A campervan had its roof removed after attempting to pass under the height-restricted underpass in Tinwald. Photo: SuppliedThe country's most-struck rail bridge has claimed yet another victim, this time slicing the roof off a campervan driving beneath the low-clearance viaduct in Canterbury. It comes just a month after the Tinwald Viaduct re-opened following repairs from a previous accident. Police were called to the incident around 3.15pm on Wednesday, where the campervan had hit the viaduct as it drove through, with a spokesperson confirming the vehicle lost part of its roof. The Tinwald Viaduct was repaired and upgraded with a steel overhead impact beam, which has been hit several times since it reopened in December.