Highlanders to learn from opening win
Highlanders centre Jonah Lowe looks for an opportunity while Timoci Tavatavanawai and Cameron Millar are in support during the Super Rugby Pacific game against the Crusaders on Friday night. Highlanders fans might at least want a few days to revel in the pure joy of beating the Crusaders 25-23 in the opening game of the Super Rugby season before they contemplate losing their coach. They found a way to win the game, just about lose it, and win it again. "I thought he contributed really, really well," Joseph said. The other eyebrow-raising Super Rugby result at the weekend was in Lautoka.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 16, 2026 00:22 UTC
The Bluff beach battling asbestos
Photo: DOC/SuppliedFurther work could be required to protect a Bluff beach from old waste such as asbestos, despite tonnes of material already being removed. In August, Ocean Beach re-opened to the public following closure in 2018 due to contamination from a historic landfill. "Significant" amounts of asbestos needed to be removed and up to 30 - 50 years of work was forecast, Suter wrote. DOC operations manager Murihiku John McCarroll said contaminants, including asbestos, were first reported at the beach in 2018 and 1.2 tonnes of material was removed. Located just outside Bluff, Ocean Beach is situated near an old freezing works site which is now home to aquaculture and a distillery.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 16, 2026 00:21 UTC
Officials warn of 'compromised' fast track prison expansion
Photo: File imageA prison expansion is on such a fast track that it prompted officials to ask if compromises were being made. Corrections told RNZ it had accelerated the project "while still retaining checks and safeguards". Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ the Gateway review "commended the department for active efforts to manage all risks". Double bunking: 'They're going to get angry'Corrections told RNZ the design had less internal communal space but an open-air courtyard instead. Mitchell told RNZ he had been assured Christchurch Men's was on schedule.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 16, 2026 00:13 UTC
Dairy cows centre stage in game
Tim Richards and his cows which are unwittingly becoming celebrities in the gaming world. A herd of North Otago dairy cows feature in Fantasy Herd, believed to be the world’s first fantasy sports-style game powered by real cows, real farm data and live wearable technology. Launched by Meadow Fresh, the game involved players selecting dairy cows from Tim Richards’ working dairy farm between Georgetown and Ngapara. He was keen for urban-dwellers to see the technology used on today’s farms. Mr Richards, who has about 700 cows, has used Halter technology for about three and a-half years and described it as a game changer.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 23:57 UTC
Driver fatigue thought to be behind Lake Hayes crash
Driver fatigue is thought to be the cause of a crash near Lake Hayes yesterday that left two Australian tourists injured. Queenstown police area response manager Senior Sergeant Glenn Wilkinson said a vehicle with four occupants was travelling east on State Highway 6 when it veered off the road and hit a tree near the Lake Hayes Pavilion about 4.30pm. A woman was flown to Dunedin Hospital, and a man was transported to Lakes District Hospital. It appeared the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel, Sen Sgt Wilkinson said. The incident was a reminder for all drivers to take regular breaks during long trips, or to change drivers if possible.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 23:29 UTC
Judge catches arsonist using AI to write apology letters
Judge Tom Gilbert wasn't impressed when he discovered an arsonist had used AI to pen apology letters. "It is clear these letters were generated by AI [artificial intelligence]," Judge Gilbert said, as defence lawyer Cindy Lee told the court Win had written letters of apology. Lee then approached Win in the dock, who admitted she had used AI to "help" write the letters. Judge Gilbert didn’t accept her explanation, saying the use of AI to draft apology letters "undermines the sentiments". While a pre-sentence report had recommended home detention, Judge Gilbert instead imprisoned her for 27 months.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 23:17 UTC
New drink tablets avoid use of plastics
Canterbury environmentalist-entrepreneur Brianne West has developed a new business called Incrediballs offering a new range of plastic-free drink tablets. Photos: suppliedPlastic-free drink tablets are the latest business venture by Canterbury environmentalist-entrepreneur Brianne West. This is being released as a sustainable alternative to the 583 billion single-use plastic bottles produced globally every year by soft drink manufacturers. The drink tablets took seven years to develop at a cost of about $500,000 using pioneering co-crystal technology developed by University of Bradford scientists in Britain to stabilise them. Developing the drink tablets had taken more money and longer than she first thought.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 23:09 UTC
Police, university brace for 'feral' behaviour
Castle Street in Dunedin on a Sunday morning during O-Week. Photo: RNZ / Tess BruntonPolice and the University of Otago will be monitoring student behaviour, with concerns about another year of out-of-control and dangerous behaviour during Orientation Week (O-Week). Second year students Charlie, Hunter and Hugo hosted Saturday night's Castle Street bash, saying hundreds of people attended. Since September, two young men have been critically injured from falls - including from the roof of a Castle Street flat. The Otago University Students' Association is hosting a range of events for O-Week, which kicked off on Monday.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 22:09 UTC
Storm's tail forecast to hit Dunedin tomorrow
The tail of the storm that is ravaging much of the lower North Island today, is expected to hit Dunedin tomorrow. Periods of heavy rain are expected to hit Dunedin (east of Pukerangi) from 4am until 7pm tomorrow, and there is a strong possibility the watch could be upgraded to an Orange warning. MetService is forecasting the heavy rain to peak between 10am and 2pm. Because South Dunedin was quite low-lying and flooded relatively easily, she said it was wise for residents to be prepared. "Follow advice from the Civil Defence and stay alert with the latest heavy rain watches and warnings on the MetService website."
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 22:09 UTC
Letters to the Editor: ORC, climate and Trump
A council submission that reads as defensive pushback rather than constructive critique may struggle to land. No changes that New Zealand makes in reducing fossil fuels will have any effect on climate change and global warming. I did not see any opinion pieces from Duncan Connors criticising the pathetic and ideologically compromised Biden administration. I guess this did not fit Duncan Connors’ left-leaning narrative. Dave TackneyFairfieldAddress Letters to the Editor to: Otago Daily Times, PO Box 517, 52-56 Lower Stuart St, Dunedin.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 21:36 UTC
Wild weather moving south as North Island takes battering
Photo: RNZThe wild weather that has battered the North Island appears set to make its way south. MetService meteorologist John Law told RNZ the rainfall was sticking around in the north, but gradually moving south. There would also be extremely strong winds, he said. Chief operating officer Alex Marren said strong wind conditions were continuing in Wellington, with forecasts of more than 60 knots. The entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is in a state of emergency with heavy rain, flooding as severe weather lashes the lower North Island.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 21:15 UTC
Live: Flooded streets across lower North Island; Christchurch braces for deluge
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Source:New Zealand Herald
February 15, 2026 20:51 UTC
Taking a stand
I already have a track record of getting on with people I don’t agree with - I date across the divide. On the campaign trail, I wouldn’t have any trouble explaining what I bring to the role, as I’d only have one policy: Don’t be a dick. Actually, someone really did encourage me to stand for election to the Dunedin City Council once. My sole policy, don’t be a dick (tator), would prevent that happening, were I to get elected. Not at the moment, of course, where the tone is ridiculous, but you know, if there was a proper council going on.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 20:13 UTC
Fantasy Dairy Game Puts Real Cows In The Spotlight
The initiative, launched by Meadow Fresh, taps into behavioural data collected via Halter’s solar-powered wearable collars on cows at Tim Richards’ Georgetown–Ngapara farm. These collars feed real-time milking and activity data into the game, transforming everyday dairy performance into measurable fantasy league scores. Marketing manager Jen Jones explains that the game is designed to make dairy farming both “fun and visible,” showcasing the sophistication of modern dairying and its high-tech underpinnings. Farmer Tim Richards, whose herd of around 700 cows provides the backbone of the game’s data, was enthusiastic about the initiative because it required no extra work on farm. Richards has been using Halter technology for several years, and sees the game as a fresh way to spotlight the day-to-day dynamics of herd performance to a broader audience, potentially demystifying dairy farming for non-farmers.
Source:Otago Daily Times
February 15, 2026 19:37 UTC
Francs at the ready: How much has Lactalis committed to Mainland Group’s NZ capex
Fonterra’s consumer operation is not far away from getting its new owner. (Image: Supplied)The soon‑to‑be owner of Mainland Group has committed to $100 million in capital expenditure as part of its new investment in New Zealand. The $4.2 billion deal for Fonterra Co-operative Group to sell the consumer dairy business to French giant Lactalis might have been one of the largest corporate transactions in New Zealand’s history.But the Government appears to have thought it did not warrant a national interest assessment.Watch Herald NOW: Investment commitments vary from a promo to a promise looking at the market today.After a 15...
Source:Stuff
February 15, 2026 19:24 UTC