Otago researchers aiming to develop phage therapy
University of Otago biomedical sciences researchers Prof Peter Fineran (left) and Dr Robert Fagerlund are hoping their studies into phages will one day help in the battle against antibiotic-resistant bacterial diseases. "We have interacted with a number of Otago orchards to collect phage samples, as part of our research," Prof Fineran said. Pseudomonas bacteria could cause losses of 20%-50% of young orchards, so growers relied on copper sprays to control it. So his research team is developing phage cocktails — a combination of multiple phages, each with a different "key" to unlock a bacterium’s defences. They were also being used in mainstream agriculture, but Prof Fineran warned that phages were not "a silver bullet" solution.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:38 UTC
Sale of Cecil Peak farm still on cards
Queenstown’s Cecil Peak Station, which had a ‘‘guide price’’ of $60 million, was taken off the market at the end of last year. In October, the Otago Daily Times reported Cecil Peak, a 13,000ha high-country farm, was being marketed for sale by Bayleys. The farm, which has been in Singaporean ownership for more than 30 years, has a $33 million rateable value, with a "guide price" of $60m. The pastoral lease provides a right to run 14,000 sheep, but the farm now operates with between 3500 and 5000 sheep and up to 500 cattle. It also has 23km of lake frontage and country going up to an altitude of 1978m on Cecil Peak itself, which is directly across the lake from Queenstown’s CBD.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:38 UTC
Valuable lessons in court oddities
Well one Dunedin man actually did, and it landed him in court. For the boysA man with a serious commitment to his mediocre rugby team helped them lose the final while wearing his home-detention anklet. One polarising social media influencer named her three children Malibu Barbie, Elvis and Aquaman. Thankfully, Malibu Barbie and Aquaman will never have this issue. Life lesson: Don’t deface property, but if you must, make it clever.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:38 UTC
Company eager for more after first transportable home
Hastie Construction owner Hayden Hastie hopes to partner with Heartland Homes to build more transportable homes in the future. Oamaru construction company Hastie Construction has dipped its toe into building transportable homes. In partnership with North Canterbury building company Heartland Homes — which has a history of building transportable homes — it has built a 90sqm house which will be on display at an open home on Sunday before it is loaded on the back of a truck and driven to Ranfurly. Owner Hayden Hastie said it was the first transportable home his company had built and he hoped to partner with Heartland Homes to build more. Mrs Foster said transportable homes could often be cheaper.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:38 UTC
Central Otago fruit season running a little behind
Seasonal fruit growers across Central Otago have experienced some setbacks due to the weather. The district is yet to feel a constant summer heat which has pushed the picking season back for many fruit growers. Mr Nolan said the grading of the fruit this season had had to be much harder. Teviot Valley grower Stephen Darling said the weather had not impacted export fruit. "The weather has not affected our exporting; in fact it’s quite good as our best export timing is generally later in the season.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:35 UTC
Ex-Volts player powers Aces to victory
Dale Phillips. PHOTO: ODT FILESFormer Volts opener Dale Phillips reminded everyone of his power — including his old team. The Aces batter whacked 77 runs off just 36 balls to bring up his highest T20 score in Auckland yesterday afternoon. Phillips, who returned to the Aces this season, was in fine form with 14 boundaries and well supported by Bevan Jacobs’ 53. Former Black Cap Martin Guptill flicked his shot deep and was dropped by Cumming.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:35 UTC
Moa bone among items stolen by burglar
PHOTO: STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERItems stolen during burglaries are largely predictable — jewellery, electronics, alcohol. They are usually not the fossilised bone of an extinct flightless bird. A couple of weeks later, Barnes was back, again using his sleeves to avoid leaving fingerprints at the crime scene. A minute later, CCTV showed him leave carrying a fossilised moa thigh bone. In a letter to the court, Barnes said he was "really sorry" for his actions, but Judge David Robinson questioned his remorse.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:35 UTC
Longtime literary scourge of ABs retires
PHOTO: CRAIG BAXTERFirst Chris Rattue, now Stephen Jones. "Is it all right for Stephen Jones to belittle people? "Once again, Stephen Jones is struggling to write anything positive, and at the risk of calling him a name ... whatever he writes doesn't particularly bother me." "The haka has long been partly bonkers," Jones wrote in his column for The Times. ■ Hayden Meikle met Stephen Jones once.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:35 UTC
Alliance well positioned, departing Wiese says
Outgoing Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese addresses a roadshow meeting in Mosgiel in October last year. PHOTO: PETER MCINTOSHAlliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese is leaving after nearly three years in the role, temporarily replaced by his Irish counterpart. In a statement yesterday, Alliance said Dawn Meats group chief executive Niall Browne had been appointed Alliance’s acting chief executive. Mr Wiese has been with Alliance for eight years and was previously the co-operative’s general manager processing, before being appointed interim chief executive after the departure of David Surveyor and then later confirmed in the role. Mr Wiese said he had delivered all his goals for the company and now was the right time to leave.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 15:34 UTC
Christchurch supermarket Kai Co launched by father and son, promising cheaper food and ‘fairness’
Butcheries are quite often cheaper than supermarkets, and your specialist grocery stores are quite often cheaper than supermarkets. This effectively adopts the original supermarket model and Vickery believes integrity will be the key to success. I don’t think people are getting a fair deal, or people don’t believe they’re getting a fair deal with the supermarket. So, if you come out and you promise fairness, then it’s up to us to live up to that promise. Shane Vickery and his son Ethan prepare to open independent Christchurch supermarket Kai Co in the Northwood Supa Centre.
Source:Stuff
January 06, 2026 14:31 UTC
Work starts on new 10ha solar farm
Sam Rowsell, programme manager at Lightyears Solar, and acting chief executive of MainPower, Damien Whiffen, at the groundbreaking ceremony for a new solar farm on Thongcaster Rd. PHOTO: SUPPLIEDWork has officially started on MainPower's new solar farm in North Canterbury. MainPower acting chief executive says the Thongcaster Rd site will be the first solar farm on the MainPower network. The MainPower board approved its construction and received the required consents for a 7.3MW solar farm on a 10-hectare site at Thongcaster Rd earlier this year. ‘‘We have built several solar farms in the area already and are close to completion on a 5 MW solar farm in Swannanoa, which is also on MainPower’s network.’’A site blessing and ground breaking ceremony was held to officially start construction of MainPower’s Thongcaster Road solar farm.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 14:03 UTC
Investigation into report of illegal fish dumping
The spear-fisherman who discovered a number of dead fish near Great Barrier Island says there needs to be tighter limits for commercial and recreational fishing. A video posted to social media shows dead fish floating on top of the water. The spear-fisherman who took the video, Darren Shields, said it's not the first time he had seen something like that. Shields wanted to see a limit to fish added to the quota system. "Illegal discarding of fish from commercial vessels is relatively rare because of the prevalence of on-board cameras on many vessels and because we are able to track the movements of vessels in near real time.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 12:47 UTC
Hacker claiming to be behind ManageMyHealth breach: ‘I do it for the money and I’m in negotiations to get it’
Kazu told the Herald ransom demands were pitched at levels to encourage payment. The avatar used by hacker Kazu, taken from the computer game Cry of Fear. But it has admitted – and Kazu confirmed to the Herald – the breach occurred in the “health documents” section of its website. “The company reacted quickly to the data breach and did its best to calm users. Those hacks offered sample documents and claimed to have obtained health records, welfare records and – in the case of a Southeast Asian nation – its entire police database.
Source:New Zealand Herald
January 06, 2026 12:40 UTC
Most Queenstown school buses to keep running, for now
PHOTO: ODT FILESThe Ministry of Education has made minor tweaks to Queenstown school bus services from term 2 this year. Ms Dawe said the council expected to receive requests from schools not on public bus routes to redesign routes or introduce special school bus services. Wakatipu High School principal Oded Nathan said the ministry had recognised the council did not have the capacity to cope with the increased demand if it cut most of the school bus routes. Queenstown Primary School principal Fiona Cavanagh said he school would lose the Sunshine Bay/Fernhill bus route, but the Arthurs Point school bus route, which was shared with St Joseph’s School, would continue. She was also pushing for public buses carrying students to make drop-offs and pick-ups outside her school.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 12:10 UTC
Snow causes travel chaos in Amsterdam and Paris
Photo: ReutersHeavy snowfall disrupted air, road and rail travel in France and the Netherlands, as hundreds of flights were cancelled in the countries' capitals, while trains around Amsterdam came to a standstill and bus services in Paris were suspended. Amsterdam Schiphol airport, one of Europe's busiest hubs, cancelled about 700 flights on Monday (local time) as the airport closed to incoming traffic until 1200GMT due to the snow, a spokesperson said. State-owned RATP, which operates Paris' public transportation, said it cancelled dozens of bus lines. AMSTERDAM TRAINS AT A STANDSTILLDutch railway company NS said no trains were operating in the region around Amsterdam and public transport was severely affected in many places. Ice and snow also caused many delays and accidents on the roads, even as authorities advised people to stay at home whenever possible.
Source:Otago Daily Times
January 06, 2026 10:36 UTC