An Ōamaru girl has been recognised for raising the alarm after she noticed her elderly neighbour hadn’t pulled her blinds one morning.Ardgowan School deputy head girl Emma Shimauchi Moore, 11, says Ellen Lewis was like her “New Zealand grandmother”.“Because my mum's Japanese, so my grandparents are in Japan.” They had lived next door to each other since Emma was two and would see each other most days.“She meant a lot to me,” she says. “I just felt like I could tell her anything really. So, yeah, she was very important to me.”Ellen was an active 84-year-old who had just this year stopped delivering meals as a volunteer for Meals on Wheels. She loved to garden and kept herself busy.So when Emma knocked on her door one morning last month, after her mother had gone to work, and there was no answer, it wasn’t unusual.  “Sometimes that happens because she might be doing something, so I just left it . . . she wasn't there but the washing was out and the garage door was open, so I thought that's probably fine.”Emma and her father Richard went out for a bit, and after lunch Emma went back to Ellen’s house and rang the doorbell again. There was still no answer, and Ellen wasn’t in her garden. “Then I realised her blinds were shut from her bedroom. That was a bit unusual, and the paper was still out by the mailbox, which was very unusual, so I came home and I told Dad.” Emma’s family had a spare key to Ellen’s house, because her adult son lives in Christchurch and her daughter in Wellington, and they appreciated their mother’s neighbours keeping an eye out for her.Emma and her father went into Ellen’s house together and found her in her bedroom. She had suffered a massive stroke, and was unconscious.Emma knew Ellen had a medical alert pendant, and activated it straight away. Help quickly arrived and Ellen was taken to Ōamaru Hospital where she was kept comfortable until her children could be with her. She died four days later.Emma says it was “quite a scary day” but she was glad she listened to her gut when she felt something was wrong.Ellen’s children were “really grateful”, Emma says. “They said they're very lucky that I was there and that I knew Ellen so well.”Waitaki Neighbourhood Support coordinator Christine Dorsey says the world needs more people like Emma.“What she did made a big difference to the family and enabled them to have four days of special family time together.”At the request of Ellen’s son Craig, who wanted Emma’s actions to be officially recognised, she was presented with a special Good Neighbour Award at her school assembly last week, by Christine and Ōamaru Police. The certificate awarded to Emma was "for being a perceptive and caring neighbour and friend, whose actions helped ensure someone received the care they needed. Your quick thinking and kindness made a big difference. You are a real community hero."Craig says he and his sister will be forever grateful to Emma, both for what she did that day and for the friendship and care she provided Ellen over the years.Sergeant Blair Wilkinson spoke to the school about the importance of being a good neighbour, and Ellen’s son Craig spoke about what a difference it had made for his family.“It was a very emotional presentation - with a lot of staff reaching for the handkerchiefs,” Christine says.Emma knew she was receiving the award, the police had checked with her beforehand to make sure she wasn't too embarrassed about it.She says it was humbling to be recognised, and it felt good to know that she had helped.Richard says it helped that Emma knew so much about Ellen. “When I went in, I found her, and I knew she had a Medical Alert, but I didn't know where it was. And, she (Emma) got it and set it off.”He says this is a good lesson for people to be aware of their neighbours and keep an eye out for those around them.“Even if you don’t know your neighbours, be aware of their activities, and if you notice something strange, let people know.”A month after Ellen’s death, Emma says it feels like the reality of her not being there anymore is just starting to sink in.“I just felt like I could really tell her anything and like, she listened when I talked and stuff like that, and I don't know, we just had that really strong bond."

By RNZ Digital Explainer editor Nik DirgaExplainer - It's a billion-dollar deal that will change the shape of New Zealand's dairy industry. Here's what you need to know.Dairy giant Fonterra is selling its consumer products business to a French company. What will that mean for grocery shelves and dairy farmers here in New Zealand, and why is Winston Peters speaking out about it?What is Fonterra selling?Fonterra, a dairy cooperative owned by about 10,000 farmers, essentially buys raw milk from New Zealand farmers, processes and sells it.In August, Fonterra announced it would sell off its consumer businesses, including such iconic brands as Mainland and Anchor, to the French dairy giant Lactalis for nearly $4 billion.The $3.845b sale would include a large chunk of the cheese, milk and yoghurt sold in New Zealand stores, including brands Anchor, Mainland, Kāpiti, Perfect Italiano, Fresh'n Fruity, Anlene, Anmum, Fernleaf and Western Star.The inclusion of Bega licences held by Fonterra's Australian business brings the total sale above $4.2b. The deal also includes three manufacturing sites in New Zealand and others offshore.The sale requires approval by Fonterra shareholders, and includes long-term agreements for Fonterra to sell New Zealand farmer-produced milk and ingredients to Lactalis.Once the sale is completed those shareholders will get a $2 per share tax-free payout.Farmers own shares in proportion to the volume of milk that they produce every season. For instance, a smaller farm of 300-400 cows producing 100,000kg of milk solids a year could be expected to receive around $200,000 in the sale.Fonterra's consumer goods make up a small part of their milk solids sales. Photo: Twitter / Fonterra via RNZAll right, but why are Fonterra selling?Basically, the consumer division is only a small part of Fonterra's overall business.According to Fonterra, of New Zealand farmer milk solids, 79 percent of them are sold as ingredients such as powders and protein solutions. Another 14 percent of their business is wholesale food service products, while consumer goods such as fresh milk, cheese, yoghurt and butter make up less than 7 percent of Fonterra's milk solids sold.Fonterra's board takes the view that focusing on the ingredients and food service sectors will "generate more value for shareholders than retaining and continuing to invest in the consumer business"."The decision to divest the consumer and associated businesses is significant and one we don't take lightly," Fonterra chairman Peter McBride has said. "We have examined the strategic context we operate in, our strengths, and how as a co-op we create value for our owners."Fonterra said it has been engaging extensively with farmers on the proposal through meetings across the country, webinars and direct engagement with members of the board and management team.Read more: Fonterra's Notice of Special Meeting and Notes on the Proposed SaleLactalis may not be a household name in Aotearoa, but the French firm is actually the biggest dairy company in the world, with €30 billion (NZ$60b) in sales in 2024. It's a family-owned business started by the Besnier family in 1933 and currently led by billionaire CEO Emmanuel Besnier."As the world's largest dairy company, Lactalis has the scale required to take these brands and businesses to the next level," Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell has said."Fonterra farmers will continue to benefit from their success, with Lactalis to become one of our most significant ingredients customers."Fonterra chairman Peter McBride (left) and Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell. Photo: RNZ/Marika KhabaziSo is it a done deal?The farmers who make up Fonterra's co-op are currently voting on the proposed deal, which needs 51 percent approval.Shareholding farmers have been voting on the deal since 7 October, with online submissions closing on 27 October before briefly reopening for a special online meeting at 10.30am on 30 October.The company's decision is expected to be made public that same day. If the sale is approved, it would be completed in early 2026.As the voting period has been going on, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters has been outspoken with his concerns about the sale.NZ First leader Winston Peters has raised questions about the sale. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneWhy is Winston Peters upset about this sale?A lot of it boils down to whether or not the sale is good for New Zealand.In a public letter to farmers NZ First released last week, Peters said Fonterra must answer "serious questions" and they are "giving away" the work built up by Anchor since its 1886 founding.Read in full: Winston Peters' open letter to farmers"We must grow New Zealand's fortunes, and farmers need to think very carefully about this deal."Peters told farmers that "under this deal you will not control the very thing that has underpinned your success for generations: quality"."We need to get real. Quality always sells. The Anchor brand has growth ahead of it; why else would the largest dairy company in the world offer almost $4 billion to own Anchor?"He also questioned whether top Fonterra executives would be getting bonuses for the deal, and if they planned on leaving the company after the deal was done.Fonterra has refuted Peters' claims of a lack of transparency."Fonterra has outlined the rationale for the divestment and the terms of the transaction clearly in materials released to the NZX and shared with farmer shareholders, media and stakeholders including government," the company said.New Zealand farmers will continue to supply milk to Anchor and Mainland under terms in the deal. Photo: RNZ / Diego OpatowskiSo will New Zealand farmers still supply milk to Lactalis?Peters said in his statement that "after three years Lactalis can terminate milk supply from Fonterra for Anchor and Mainland".However, in a statement to RNZ, Fonterra said "the global supply agreement covering ingredients and other products like cheese had an initial three-year term but could only be terminated with 36 months notice, so Mainland and Anchor would continue to be supplied by New Zealand farmers for at least six years"."Its raw milk supply agreement - which mostly covers New Zealand as raw milk must be processed before being sent offshore before it spoils - had an initial term of 10 years and an additional 36-month notice period."Peters, however, disputed some of that language, claiming that "'Automatically renews until it is terminated' is corporate flannel, executive flimflam, tier one C-Suite rubbish that translates to: 'after three years, we cancel.'"That's it. Milk split. Fonterra will be a wholesaler. Lactalis will control your brands."Wait, why are David Seymour and Winston Peters arguing about milking cows?ACT leader David Seymour disagreed with Peters interfering, saying that commercial decisions "should be for business owners, and political decisions for politicians".Seymour said Peters had "free speech" to question the deal, but ACT's position was supporting businesses to make their own decisions."This is not a socialist country. Fonterra is a company owned by Fonterra shareholders. It's up to them. We don't all own it, if we did then we would be a communist country and I'm opposed to that."Perhaps on brand for a dairy industry stoush, the two politicians also clashed a bit over who knew more about milking cows."If anyone wants a say on the Fonterra vote, they should earn the right by getting up at 4am and milking cows for a few decades," Seymour said. "If they're not prepared to do that, they should leave it to the people who are."In response to that, Peters said he "milked cows almost two decades" as did others in the NZ First caucus, and: "We actually know what one end of the cow looks like compared to some who don't."The sale is a sign of Fonterra's changing business, experts said. Photo: RNZ / Sally RoundWhat does this mean for the future of dairy in NZ?That depends on who you ask.Nic Lees, a senior lecturer in agribusiness management at Lincoln University, said both Fonterra and Peters have points to make but the sale "deserves a closer, more balanced look.""When Winston Peters warns that selling Fonterra's Anchor and Mainland brands to a French multinational will 'end farmers' control over quality,' it's easy to understand why his message resonates," he said."Many New Zealanders feel a deep connection to these dairy brands that are part of the country's national identity."Alan Renwick, agriculture and economics professor at Lincoln University, told RNZ there were challenges in the proposed sale."We do need to consider what we're giving up, these future earnings and value added that those brands, the policy now will be to focus down on their ingredients and food service."So, we're putting our eggs in one basket and moving away from having a more diversified business."Fonterra is undergoing a reshaping of its entire business, Lees said."Its consumer division, though home to iconic brands, has delivered inconsistent returns and tied up capital that could be better invested elsewhere.""However, Peters raises a valid question about the national interest. These brands carry cultural and identity significance that extends beyond their commercial value. Selling them transfers part of New Zealand's food identity, and that requires careful oversight."Farmers Weekly reporter Hugh Stringleman noted that, "By exiting consumer products in every region except China, Fonterra will no longer be competing for revenue with its customers who make consumer products using Fonterra ingredients."The Overseas Investment Office typically reviews major foreign investments to ensure they align with national interests, but under the coalition government those interests focus more on economic and security risks, Lees said."This means the Fonterra-Lactalis sale will likely proceed unless the OIO decides that losing these iconic New Zealand brands poses a genuine national interest concern."That's all great, but will this lower the price of butter?Unlikely, as dairy prices are being largely driven by bigger market forces.One big factor driving butter prices in New Zealand is that 95 percent of the country's dairy production is exported.Fonterra chief executive Hurrell said earlier this year the company couldn't have cheaper butter prices in New Zealand than it does for overseas customers."Our job is to not come in with a two-tier pricing system... and discount here in the New Zealand market - where we have an international obligation to operate as well." - RNZ

It’s been another big month for businesses in Ōamaru and the Waitaki, with several changing hands, others winning awards, and new ones popping up.The Bloom Bar is one that has sprouted up, thanks to Brogan Dekker and Casey Sim, who are selling bunches of flowers they grow mostly in their Papakaio gardens.“We first met at the local playcentre as we have kids the same age,” Brogan says. “We are also neighbours - Casey actually grew up on the farm we now own.”The pair say the business idea “bloomed” over a bottle of wine earlier in the year, after their two daughters Isla and Hazel sold dahlias in pop-up stall at the front gate.“They sold out in an hour,” Brogan says. “This planted the seed, and the planning (and planting) began.”The Bloom Bar has been up and running for a month now, and as well as plans for a roadside stall in Papakaio during the height of the flower season, the women are also offering local delivery in town, and sell made-to-order seasonal bouquets for any budget or occasion.Neither of the pair has a floristry background - Casey currently manages HighTree Chalets, as well as owning CB Contracting with her husband Brad, while Brogan’s background is in banking. She was the local lending specialist at Kiwibank for five years, prior to starting a family with her dairy farmer husband Richard.Casey says she has always been a keen gardener and actually grew her own wedding flowers earlier this year. Brogan, on the other hand says she mostly hated gardening, but successfully grew “a bumper crop of dahlias” this past season and is quickly developing a green thumb.Budding business owners Casey Sim (left) and Brogan Dekker, with some of their blooms. Photo: Supplied/Rachel WybrowThe friends call themselves “florist/farmer hybrids”.“We mostly grow our own flowers but have also been sourcing flowers from local gardeners for any gaps we have,” Casey says.“It has been so lovely making these connections and being able to share flowers with the wider Waitaki community.”They would also love to eventually offer “Sip and Pick’ events in Casey’s garden at Eckhold’s Pond, as well as having a few other exciting plans “up our garden gloves”, she says.Follow the girls and their journey on social media, or they are also keen to hear from fellow flower growers who would like to supply them. Email [email protected] TreehousesMeanwhile, although they’re tucked away in the remote Hakataramea Valley, Nest Treehouses stand out when it comes to luxury accommodation.The business, run by Liz and Andy Hayes, won an Airbnb New Zealand Host Award, for Best Design Stay, last month. Liz says she and Andy are "thrilled" to be recognised by Airbnb and grateful to all their guests for their reviews and memories shared. The category recognises hosts who have a “unique and amazingly distinctive home”, and Nest certainly fits the bill, with its two separate one-bedroom luxury treehouse units accessed by swing bridge, with outdoor bathtubs, and a barrel sauna.Judge Geoff Gedge says the property is “visually striking”.“Arguably one of the most iconic treehouse-style listings we’ve seen. “It’s the kind of place that feels ready-made for an Airbnb campaign. The host has created a romantic, immersive retreat with exceptional design and standout inclusions, from homemade granola and delicious breakfast packs.”Nest at night. Photo: SuppliedKurow Cafe & KitchenAnd while you’re up the valley, be sure to check out Kurow Cafe & Kitchen, which opened at 16 Bledisloe St, at the start of October. The premises was formerly the Valley Cafe, which closed earlier this year. Coffee, delicious pastries, cabinet food, are on offer, as well as an à la carte menu with a hint of Asian fusion. The new owners have also been trialling evening dining. So if you’re keen for another dinner option in Kurow, be sure to support them.Kurow Cafe & Kitchen opened earlier this month. Photo: Supplied/FacebookAwamoa SanitationMeanwhile, Ōamaru couple Hayley and Shane Carter, who own LuxLoos and Laser Plumbing Ōamaru, have added the “last piece to our jigsaw puzzle” with the purchase of Awamoa Sanitation.Sean and Anna Easton bought Awamoa Portable Loos and Effluent Services about five years ago, changed the name, and brought their customers along for the colourful journey online, using a good dose of toilet humour. the couple has now moved to Dunedin.Hayley says buying Awamoa Sanitation made sense for her and Shane.“We’re thrilled to purchase a new business that will complement and strengthen our current operations. “This step allows us to continue growing while staying true to what matters most - our community, our customers, and the North Otago region we’re so proud to call home.”LuxLoos is a luxury portable loo business, providing up-market ablutions for events around the South Island.  While Hayley and Shane are expanding, they remain committed to providing the service, quality, and reliability customers have come to expect, she says.“We’re passionate about supporting local, employing local, and serving local - and this new chapter is all about building on that foundation. Thank you to the community for their continued loyalty and trust.”Other business comings and goings…While the closure of Smiths City, on Ōamaru’s Eden St was a loss for the town and employees, the building isn’t lying empty, with Big Save Furniture opening this Friday (24 October), with special deals for customers to celebrate.Another business changing hands is BG’s Dairy & Takeaways at 386 Thames Highway, which is now Ōamaru Food Store as of today (Wednesday, 22 October). The store is offering free slushies for all students on opening day, and also 20% off storewide all week (except tobacco products).The Food Store will also be offering fresh hot food, fish and chips, barista coffee, bubble teas, and groceries, and will be open seven days, from 6.30am- 9pm.There have also been signs of life at the most northern end of Ōamaru - 14 Pukeuri-Ōamaru Road - where Signature Cafe & Restaurant is opening tomorrow (Thursday, 23 October). Perhaps best known to locals as where the Detroit Diner truck stop used to be, the Signature Cafe's all-day European menu looks great, but the wide range of Indian cuisine on offer is what could be a potential drawcard for many.Inside the Signature Cafe & Restaurant, opening in Ōamaru on Thursday. Photo: Supplied/Facebook

By RNZ Rural Senior Journalist Stephanie OcclusionAlliance Group farmer-shareholders have voted in favour of a proposed $270 million investment from Irish meat processor Dawn Meats.Under the agreement, Dawn Meats will acquire a 65 percent stake in Alliance Group, with farmer-shareholders retaining 35 percent ownership.More than 2600 shareholders took part in the vote, representing 92.5 million shares - more than 88 percent of all shares on issue.Of those, more than 87 percent supported the proposal.Photo: Supplied via RNZAlliance chair Mark Wynne said the result showed strong confidence from the company's farmer-owners in its direction and leadership."Our farmer-shareholders have given a clear mandate for Alliance to move forward in partnership with Dawn Meats. This is a vote of trust in our people, our operations and our vision."Wynne said the partnership followed a two-year process to reset and recapitalise the business after challenging years for the meat sector."The Board explored every option to secure Alliance's future. The Dawn Meats proposal stood out as the best strategic and financial path forward, a view confirmed by independent adviser Northington Partners."He said the investment would strengthen Alliance's balance sheet, reduce debt, and enable greater capital investment in technology and efficiency.Wynne had previously said the bank had made it clear the company's $188 million in debt had to be paid back in full by the end of the year.Around $200 million from the investment will be used to reduce the company's short-term working capital facility, with the rest directed toward strategic projects.Alliance planned to distribute up to $20 million in both the 2026 and 2027 financial years to farmer and shareholders through a mix of dividends and supply-based rebates, alongside a further $25 million dividend from the joint venture's stronger-than-expected performance.Photo: Mary Browne via RNZDawn Meats chief executive Niall Browne said the Irish company was "pleased and excited" by the vote outcome."We look forward to maximising the potential of the new opportunities this strategic partnership will unlock," he said."Having the ability to now grow in partnership with some of New Zealand's leading farmers, and create a year-round supply for our customers between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, is a fantastic opportunity - and one our customers are already responding to."Alliance is New Zealand's largest processor and exporter of sheep meat and a major producer of grass-fed beef, operating six plants nationwide and exporting to more than 65 countries.Dawn Meats, established in 1980 in Ireland, is one of Europe's largest red meat companies, processing about one million cattle and 3.5 million sheep annually through its Irish and UK facilities.Wynne said the deal marked "a turning point" for the co-operative."The future looks much brighter than it did 12 months ago," he said."We're now well positioned to thrive alongside a complementary partner like Dawn Meats and deliver enduring profitability and greater value for our farmer-shareholders." - RNZ

In workplaces, council chambers and community halls, the same story repeats: when women speak, the focus can shift from facts to “tone.”Across Waitaki, women already carry much of the leadership - running clubs, charities, businesses and boards. When their words are side-lined or reframed, it’s not just women who lose. It’s the whole community.~ Opinion ~ When women speak: power and truthIt happens quietly, in workplaces, boardrooms and community halls.A woman raises a point, states a boundary or calls out unfairness.Suddenly, the story is no longer about the facts she raised - it’s about her “tone”.She is “storming,” “emotional,” “hysterical.”The same facts, voiced by a man, are heard as authority.This isn’t just anecdotal.Decades of research confirm it.Studies show that women who assert themselves are judged more harshly than men who say the same things.Psychologists Madeline Heilman and Tyler Okimoto call this the “backlash effect”: when women display competence or confidence, they are penalised socially, even if their behaviour mirrors men’s.Harvard Business Review has reported that men are often seen as “assertive” while women using identical language are called “aggressive.”One study of workplace meetings found men interrupt women 33% more often than they interrupt other men.And surveys consistently show women’s credibility is questioned more quickly - they are assumed to be exaggerating, emotional or less rational.But numbers only go so far.A familiar storyImagine this...A woman points out that a man has instructed his staff to break rules - rules that had been put in place and adhered to for years.She produces maps, evidence, even video.She has to speak up, because it’s her workplace being undermined.Yet when she does, the focus shifts.Not to the evidence.Not to the instructions that led to the breach.Instead, she herself becomes the problem.The instigator emails the woman’s male counterpart - her equal in the business.In it, he accuses the woman of “storming” and “slapping” - painting her as an unstable, angry woman.He then demands an apology from her, as though the real offence was her daring to speak.Now imagine her male co-director replies.He backs her 100%, standing on the same evidence.Suddenly the tone changes.The instigator becomes more conciliatory towards the man but excludes the woman from all further communication.What’s the difference in this story?Gender.Think on that.It’s never just one story.Now imagine that same reflex playing out at a council table, on a committee, on a local board or in a business meeting.In small towns like Ōamaru and across the Waitaki district, communities depend on women to lead.They coordinate sports clubs, run volunteer rosters, chair school committees, keep charities afloat and often hold the institutional memory that makes local solutions possible.They also step up in business - leading enterprises that drive the local economy, create jobs, and anchor retail and service networks.And they stand for council and community boards, shouldering the responsibility of public decision-making in rooms where they are still often outnumbered.Yet here too, the same dynamic plays out.A female coordinator asking for accountability is “bossy” while her male counterpart is “organised”.A councillor pushing for fairness may be labelled “difficult” while a male colleague is seen as “constructive”.A businesswoman driving growth can be dismissed as “ambitious” in a negative sense, while a businessman with the same drive is “visionary”.And the bias cuts both ways: a quiet man is read as resolute, thoughtful, even strategic - while a quiet woman is too often dismissed as weak, uncertain or lacking confidence.Why this mattersThe cost isn’t just personal - it shapes whose voices are heard in places that guide our whole community.When women’s words are treated as emotional instead of factual, uncertain instead of resolute, the whole community loses.Rules are bent, boundaries are ignored and accountability gets clouded.Worse, the women involved are left carrying not only the burden of fixing the problem, but also defending their right to have spoken (or not spoken) at all.The cost is bigger than one workplace or committee.It’s felt in the lifeblood of a small town.Without women’s steady presence in governance, business and volunteer leadership, much of what keeps a district like Waitaki thriving simply would not happen.If their leadership is constantly questioned or reframed as “too emotional” or “too weak”, the pipeline of future volunteers, councillors and business owners thins out.Younger women watching see the toll it takes and may decide the cost of speaking up is too high.That weakens not just the women involved but the whole community.Meanwhile, men watching - colleagues, partners, friends - face a choice.Do they let the bias slide or do they use their position to call it out?A man’s voice, a woman’s truthHere’s the uncomfortable truth: men’s voices still carry disproportionate weight in disputes.That makes it all the more critical that men use that weight responsibly.Backing up a woman isn’t about “defending” her - she doesn’t need a shield.It’s about validating that her words stand on their own.It’s about refusing to collude, even silently, with old reflexes that write women off as “too much” or “too mousey”.When a man says, “she is my equal, she spoke the truth, your attack on her is an attack on all of us”, he isn’t doing her a favour.He's doing what’s right.He’s refusing to let bias go unchallenged.The moral clarityAt its heart, this is about justice.When women’s credibility is undermined, everyone loses trust - in the fairness of workplaces, in the respect of neighbours, in the integrity of institutions.The way forward isn’t complicated:Treat women’s words as facts to be addressed, not feelings to be dismissed.Respect the credibility of the source - regardless of gender.Recognise that excluding women from the table - while demanding civility from them - is itself incivility.Because the facts don't change depending on who speaks them.But if we let bias win, our willingness to listen can (change).That's on all of us.For men, it begins with noticing - and when you have our backs, it counts.Cara Tipping Smith is a director and co-owner of two local businesses. She holds degrees in English & Politics and Psychology, a First Class Honours degree in Industrial Organisational Psychology and a Bachelor of Leadership for Change (Distinction).

Tuvuluan independence, culture and language were celebrated in Ōamaru earlier this month.Tuvalu Language Week and Independence Day celebrations took place between Sunday, 28 September and Saturday, 4 October, Oamaru Tuvalu Community Group spokesperson Silaati Emily Telito Fuluasou says.The week began with a combined church service, welcoming Tuvaluans of all faiths. “It was a sacred moment of unity, reminding us of our shared identity, our rich culture, and the enduring spirit of our Tuvalu nation.”The service set the tone for a week filled with joy, reflection and cultural pride, Emily says.The children and youth were at the heart of the celebrations.“They are the future of our language and heritage, and we made it a priority to uplift them.”The young people are encouraged to speak Tuvaluan, and live by the values of a Tuvaluan “son or daughter”, she says.“Their lives are shaped by Muna ote fale, which in English means ‘wisdom of the home’ - the teachings, values, and ancestral knowledge passed down within the family and household and Island community meeting house.“These lessons are not only spoken but lived, nurtured by our elders, our communities, and our faith.”In Tuvalu, a child is not raised only by their parents, but by the village, the church, and the family. This collective upbringing is the essence of the Tuvaluan identity, Emily says.During the week, an official Tuvaluan delegation from Wellington visited Ōamaru, as part of a South Island tour.Tuvalu’s High Commissioner to New Zealand, His Excellency Feue Tipu, First Secretary Niuone Eliuta, and Reverand Ioane Peleti brought “great encouragement and strengthened the bonds between our diaspora and our homeland”.Dignitaries from left to right, are Reverend Ioane Peleti, the Honourable Seve Paeniu (Tuvalu Member of Parliament), Malama Paeniu, High Commissioner of Tuvalu to NZ His Excellency Feue Tipu, and First Secretary Niuone Eliuta. Photo: SuppliedThe local group was also grateful for the presence of the Tuvalu Member of Parliament Seve Paeniu and his wife Malama, who visited during the week. “Their visit added to the spirit of connection and pride among our people,” Emily says.Waitaki deputy mayor Hana Fanene-Taiti also took part in the celebrations.On the Saturday (4 October) the Tuvaluan community celebrated 47 years of independence from the United Kingdom. While the official date of independence is 1 October, the occasion was marked at the weekend so the community could come together for the flag-raising ceremony, she says.“It was a moment of deep pride and reflection, honouring the journey of our nation and the resilience of our people.”The community showcased traditional items, cultural practices, and activities throughout the week, which were both joyful and educational, to highlight the richness of their heritage.“We emphasised the importance of knowing who you are and where you come from, because only when you understand your own roots can you truly honour and respect the cultures of others,” Emily says.She acknowledges the tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand, and says they are deeply grateful to Māori, along with other communities, for providing Tuvaluans the space to celebrate their identity and culture here.“Your generosity and spirit of inclusion have enabled our people to feel at home while staying connected to our roots.“As Tuvaluans living across Aotearoa, we recognise the importance of walking with respect and humility on this land. Our celebrations are not only for ourselves, but also a way to share and uplift the diverse cultural heritage that makes this country so special.”The week’s celebrations were supported by contributions from Ministry for Pacific Peoples, and Dunedin’s Mercy Hospital. Emily is grateful to all those in the community who played a part in the celebration. “Fakafetai lasi (thank you very much) to all who stood with us in pride and unity. Your support throughout the year - especially through community fundraising - has strengthened our journey and reminded us of the beauty of unity, generosity, and shared purpose.”Peteli Tia-Menorah Tofiese takes it all in. Photo: Supplied

Newly elected Waitaki Mayor Melanie Tavendale is settling into her new position, literally and figuratively.Mel moved into the mayoral office on Monday, after a convincing win in the local body elections, where preliminary results have her more than 1500 votes ahead of her nearest opponent, David Wilson.“I was quite blown away. I think there'd been so much narrative around the elections, that I did expect a much closer margin at the end of the day. So the support has been just phenomenal and quite humbling,” she says.Mel believes she won because people wanted someone who knew what the job entailed. She had became a Waitaki District Councillor in 2013, and was deputy to her predecessor Gary Kircher from 2016 to 2022, before taking a term off. “I think people . . . wanted a bit of honesty in the communication around things, so we're in a really tough place, I think, financially, and as a community, and they wanted to know that there was some realistic expectation sitting in behind that.” Mel accepts her biggest and most immediate challenge will be helping to come up with a new plan for the Waitaki’s water services. The council’s standalone plan was rejected by the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) earlier this month due to its failure to meet regulatory requirements, and a full review of the district’s water assets has been ordered.Mel has been keeping tabs on the situation and says there are “many fishhooks” with it.“For me, the narrative I've had has stayed the same, and that's been that we need to be at the table. We need to look after the interests of our community, but make sure we don't, in the process, end up with commissioners or someone else making decisions for us.“So, you do need to find a midpoint in there somewhere, and that will be tough.”Before committing to having another look at a joint model with other southern councils, which Waitaki councillors voted overwhelmingly to opt out of, there needs to be a dissection of the DIA’s response, to fully understand what it means for the district, and what the options are, she says.“The new council need an opportunity to get around the issue.After one day on the job, she is not quite sure what that looks like, but it will be a team effort.“I just think we need to be open to looking at whatever the most affordable option is.”It is reassuring for her that the majority of elected councillors - Rebecca Ryan, Courtney Linwood, Jeremy Holding, Jim Hopkins, Hana Fanene-Taiti (Ōamaru Ward), John McCone (Corriedale) and Brent Cowles (Ahuriri) - remain from the last term and already have good knowledge of the issues.“I think that having ones that have been part of that conversation the whole way through is going to bring so much to the table. But then there are a few fresh eyes with people who have quite a bit of background in that space as well.” The addition of Dan Lewis (Ōamaru Ward), Frans Schlack (Waihemo) and Sven Thelning (Corriedale), means there is a good mix of new and experienced, she says.Water issues aside, Mel is excited about bringing the team together and “working out how you get the best out of people”.“I would like to make this an enjoyable job for everyone around the council table. We've got such an awesome community, let's celebrate things and let's work together on a way forward rather than with the negativity that's too often prevalent.”The new councillors elected fill the seats left vacant by Tim Blackler, Jim Thompson and Guy Percival, meaning although some councillors stood down, none of the last term’s council was voted out.Mel says it’s indicative that she, along with a “quiet majority”, believes those who walk through the council doors are trying to make the right decisions for their district.Hub and Sprocket Cycles, the bike shop Mel runs with husband Steve, will now be Steve’s full-time responsibility, something he is looking forward to, she says.“He's been doing a lot of that in his evenings and things. So it gives us back a little bit of our life.”A self-described “council nerd at night”, Mel says it feels really good to be back, and this time leading the way and “being able to set the tone”.The Tavendale children, Josie and Declan, were briefly excited about their mother being made mayor, but have quickly moved on with life, she says.Mel’s diary is already packed, starting with “mayor school” next week at Local Government New Zealand, in Wellington, where all the new mayors meet and receive a kind of induction into the requirements of the job.On her return, she will be officially inaugurated into her role on October 22.

Visual artist, Paula Collier has been discovering and weaving Ōamaru’s working histories into found sculptures and site installations since starting her Crucible Artist Residency at Gillies Metaltech, Ōamaru.Originally from Christchurch, with family ties to Port Chalmers, one of her early intriguing finds was that her father was actually born in Ōamaru."He was born in what is now The Vicarage B&B, which was a maternity hospital for a bit,” she says.With that recognition came the realisation that her grandfather, a fitter-turner and boilermaker, would have been working in the town back then.Sitting in the Pattern Shop on Tyne Street, she says, “he would have worked in this area probably, and possibly even in this street”.Buildings, their histories and contexts sit at the heart of Paula’s artistic practice.Untitled # 9, newsprint and blackwrap foil, Engine Room gallery, Massey University, 2024 by Paula Collier. Photo: Supplied.Being based in the foundry, within the Heritage Precinct is a “dream”.“Personally, because I’ve worked a lot in old buildings so I’ve been shown around all the other properties that are connected to this place.”While the buildings themselves inspire her, the foundry, the people within and the evolution of their craft has captivated her.“In its heyday it had 100 or maybe 150 people working here.“It’s like this piece of history, you get a real sense of what was possible.”Untitled, drop cloth plastic and repurposed steel, final Masters show, Cuba St, 2024, Te Whanganui-a-Tara by Paula Collier. Photo: Supplied / A J Bain.She says the Gillies Metaltech team is not just interested in what the resident artists are doing but are really up for the challenge - including helping her experiment with casting paper.“When I talk to people here, there’s so much technical knowledge and science - it’s chemistry, it’s physics, it’s all those things and knowing your machinery.“But there’s also this other factor, which is sometimes environmental, how you move with the person you’re working with when you’re doing the pour, if it’s damp, if it’s cold, if you’re in a bad mood.”Close up of Untitled # 9. Photo: Supplied.She points at a tall column of paper covered in tiny print.“These are printouts from when they fire up the furnace for a pour.”At certain points they take samples from the metal and run them through a spectrometer to check they are getting “the recipe right”.“Some of the guys have worked in there for 35 years or more,” she says.“That means they’ve done their job without computers, and then they’ve transitioned so they’re sort of straddling those worlds.“Coming back to this way of working and being able to connect with people who’ve worked like that their whole lives is really special, I really respect that kind of knowledge.”She’s been collecting duds and offcuts along with spectrometer printouts from metal tests, wafer-thin flash from a blown-out mould, test bars and lengths of strapping that curl and remember their shape.Aeon # 1 drafting paper and reflective ink, 2023 by Paula Collier. Photo: Supplied.She’s also been drawing with plumbago (graphite), once used as a dry lubricant on wartime machinery.“I’m like a kid in a candy store.”About her work, Paula says she tends to use a lot of found materials.“I have a real fascination with materials that are maybe not very valuable, that are discarded, maybe from industry.“It’s more about the context of those materials, but also inherently what sculpturally happens to them if I put them in a different space or a different location.”Detailed view of Untitled, drop cloth plastic and repurposed steel, final Masters show, Cuba St, 2024, Te Whanganui-a-Tara by Paula Collier. Photo: Supplied.She treats buildings in the same way.“Like a repurposed material because they’ve got a real residue of use, in the sense of history.”“I’m often working with balance and precarity and connecting with the building that it’s in,” she says."It doesn’t exist without the building.”Untitled, newsprint, blackwrap foil and repurposed aluminium, final Masters show, Cuba St, 2024, Te Whanganui-a-Tara by Paula Collier. Photo: Supplied / A J Bain.One of those buildings is on Tees Street where Paula has been quietly exploring installation possibilities - balancing inner tubes on hooks found in situ, reconfiguring chopped metal cages, stamping an ancient wallpaper pattern with an old fireplace tile into decades-old dust on the carpet.She knows that the three-month residency won’t be enough to complete all her ideas, but what begins here will continue.“It’s going to connect to a body of work in the future.“I can always work with the foundry and they’re interested in doing that more,” she says.“They’ve worked with some artists recently, creating sculptures.”Aeon # 2 drafting paper and reflective ink, 2023 by Paula Collier. Photo: Supplied.For now, the work lives where Ōamaru’s layers meet - in the lines of graphite dust, the echo between a rubber rib and a metal stripe, the shine of a cast lath set back into a derelict stairwell, and the stories of a town that made things and still does.“Because I’m here at a residency, there’s an exhibition at the end.“I will have work, my process will get me there.”

Ōamaru’s Forrester Gallery has had another funding boost from the Otago Community Trust, while staff and volunteers continue working hard to raise even more money.In the trust’s September funding round, $51,700 has gone to Friends of the Forrester Gallery for the fitout of the Stage 2 gallery extension.The gallery, which has been operating since 1983 in an 1884 historic building, is undergoing an extension to address the practical challenges of running a modern art gallery in a heritage building.The extension focuses on collection care and accessibility, with a new accessible community education space, and improved facilities such as a lift, toilets and parking.There will be more space for exhibitions as well as climate-controlled storage for the gallery’s 2500-piece collection of New Zealand art.Friends of the Forrester Gallery chair Heather Machin says art galleries are not just “great big walls and a roof”.“There's much more that goes on inside to make a workplace and to ultimately enhance the visitor experience.”The new spaces are due to be open to the community in late April or early May next year. “‘Fitout' is an all-encompassing term, involving many more elements than just seats and lights, and the care taken with every part of the Forrester Gallery extension will be reflected in the finished project,” Heather says.The group is both “grateful and excited” for the support, she says.Meanwhile, the Waitaki community now also has the opportunity to add their name to the list of contributors, as the renovation nears the final stages.Arts, Culture and Libraries manager Chloe Searle says the building will be clad in Ōamaru stone, and people or groups can sponsor one of the 2,122 blocks being placed on the extension to match the whitestone of the original Bank of New South Wales building.A sponsor board inside the gallery will list all donors.Inside, the new stairs connecting the three floors of the gallery can also be sponsored, with names or a message.Block sponsorships are $99 and can be applied for on the Culture Waitaki webpage.Stair riser sponsorship begins at $500, rising to $650 and $800 depending on the floor location of the riser. Stairs can be seen, and applications made, to sponsor a stair here.All donations will go towards the cost of construction, fit-out or supporting gallery operations.

Day one of artist Zac Whiteside’s Crucible Artist Residency at Gillies Metaltech Foundry in Ōamaru had more drama than anticipated when his car was stolen.For an artist whose work explores the rituals of modern life through contradiction, metaphor and wordplay - there’s some irony in facing a different test of mettle on day one.Now, more than a month into his three-month residency, Zac has a clear vision for his metal casting project, but doesn't want to give too much away."There is going to be a performative element, a public event, out by the shore," he says.“Possibly heavy machinery involved, and a lot of sculptures.”Zac graduated with a first class honours from Dunedin School of Art in 2023 where he is based. He is the co-director and curator of Dunedin's Pond Gallery - an artist-run space with a focus on supporting artists early in their careers.This won’t be the first time his work comprises multiple elements or metalwork.Among the pieces Zac brought with him are some of his ‘chocolate’ Bit Coins.Bit Coins by artist Zac Whiteside. Photo: Supplied.Cast in bronze, with wrappers made of gold plated steel and silver, Zac says the coins and their distinctive bite marks “play off a few different things”.One of those things is the tradition of biting a coin to see if it was real and another is the emergence of centralised digital currencies and their signatures.“The bite mark is like the artist’s signature, that’s my dental record”, he says.“It’s funny because the wrappers are a lot more expensive to make than the coin, which is usually the bit you throw away.”Close up of one of artist Zac Whiteside's Bit Coins. Photo: SuppliedAnother of his works is a sneaker cast in glass collected from Castle Street - one of Dunedin’s famous student party zones.“It’s my Shoey shoe”, he says miming drinking from it, “so, yeah, it’s pretty grotesque”.Zac Whiteside's Shoey shoe made from glass collected in Castle Street. Photo: Supplied.Visual metaphors are a hallmark of Zac’s sculptures, usually juggled around his freelance photography and videography.He credits the artist residency programme for allowing him to put much of that work on hold and fully concentrate on art-making.“When you’re practising art within normal life, it really impacts how long things take."It's been really cool to have a space and time to dedicate 40 hours a week, especially to a new skill."The residency’s stipend isn’t the only thing making his project attainable.“This work has to be made in a foundry - it’s what makes it affordable and makes it feasible”, he says, paying credit to the foundry’s technical staff.Zac's residency might have begun in one form of drama, but it will end in a different kind - culminating with his shore-side performance on Saturday, 22 November, tied to the Crucible exhibition opening."It’ll be playful and all the public are welcome to come and view - from a safe distance."Read more about the programme and previous residents here - Latest artists announced for Crucible Residency programme.

By RNZ Money Correspondent Susan Edmunds, Money CorrespondentIt's been a year of grim economic news - unemployment has been up, [It's been a year of grim economic news - unemployment has been up, GDP down and consumer confidence weak GDP down and consumer confidence weak.But nothing lasts forever and economists say there are a number of reasons to feel positive about the economic outlook right now.1. The official cash rate has droppedKiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr said the fact that the official cash rate had fallen to the level where it was stimulatory for the economy would be a gamechanger."People often say to me 'there's been 250 basis points of cuts, it's not working'… it's like yeah because it only took it back to a neutral setting at 3 percent. [At 2.5 percent], now we've actually gone into stimulatory territory.What's going to happen to home loan rates? Listen to No Stupid Questions with Susan Edmunds"If the theory holds, which it will, interest rates will get to a level that actually entices people again, namely investors and developers and businesses, and households with debt will feel a lot better today than they did six months ago."Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr. Photo: Supplied / Gino Demeer via RNZInfometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan agreed interest rates would be a big factor. "People can have a degree of certainty that they will remain that way throughout 2026, which should generate more confidence among households about spending."ANZ senior economist Miles Workman said the Reserve Bank had also indicated it would backstop the recovery. "They're working out what level of interest rate that's going to take but they are going to get that right eventually. I think we should have confidence there is a recovery occurring."Mike Jones, BNZ chief economist, said the Reserve Bank's apparent willingness to keep cutting if it needed to would help.2. Job ad numbers have increasedAfter a very significant fall, the number of advertised jobs increased across both July and August for the first time in more than three years."Job numbers have managed three positive months for the first time since mid-2023," Kiernan said."Noting that two of those job number increases were 0.02 percent and 0.03 percent, so are barely positive and could easily be revised negative; nevertheless it's the best sign of any emerging turnaround in the labour market we've had so far."Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King via RNZ3. Commodity prices are strongDairy, meat and horticulture prices are still at strong levels."Primary sector export returns have been stellar over the past year. While not every sector has enjoyed strong gains, the sector heavy weights have driven overall agricultural exports to $53.0 billion in the year to August 2025, some $7.5b higher than a year earlier," Jones said."That's facilitated a range of options including paying down debt and rebuilding buffers. More recently we've seen perhaps the first signs of some movement toward spending and investing."Kerr said US President Donald Trump's tariffs had not hurt. "There's no doubt there was a period of extreme volatility in markets and that might have frightened a few business owners… they simply just turned out to be a whimper… he surprised us by coming out with these massive numbers but he's negotiated all the way down to 10 percent to 15 percent anyway... it's not a big deal."The exporters I've spoken to who export into the United States, they're not worried at all. The Kiwi dollar's declined so that's taking some of the pain."We export meat, Americans love meat. I can't see them giving that up. They like our wine. We're exporting the right goods which Americans will probably happily pay 15 percent on."He said there would be more pass-through from farmers to the broader economy next year.Workman agreed the rural economy was very strong. "A lot of the moderation that we've seen in dairy prices is partly driven at least by the fact that New Zealand supply is on the rise. So that's not necessarily going to be a bad news story for overall rural incomes if the volumes are lifting to offset any minor falls in prices."Thanks to those higher commodity prices and a New Zealanders spending less money on international imports, the country's terms of trade (a measure of imports versus exports) has improved significantly."That's narrowed a lot," Workman said. "The upshot is New Zealand's a lot less vulnerable to global credit pulling the plug on us. So it's a lot more sustainable from a creditworthiness perspective and that has positive implications for our sovereign credit rating, risk premiums on interest rates when we borrow offshore, that kind of thing."ANZ senior economist Miles Workman. Photo: Supplied via RNZ4. Spending is up a bitKiernan said core retail electronic card sales had increased 1.7 percent over the past three months, with three consecutive monthly increases, which was the best result since the December quarter last year.Simplicity economist Shamubeel Eaqub and Kerr said they expected to see more government spending next year, too, because it was an election year. "Noises are building of more spending on maintenance, capital expenditure," Eaqub said.Photo: RNZ5. Every cycle turns eventuallyWe were surviving until 2025 and now we're staying in the mix until 2026... but eventually things will just get better.Eaqub said there would always be an end to every downturn. "It's easy to get trapped in negative thinking."He said it was important to remember that about a third of households still said they were better off than a year ago.While things overall were bad, there were people doing well and businesses succeeding. "Some people are getting ahead. We hear about businesses closing but the total number of businesses is higher than it's ever been."Workman said there was no underlying global crisis to interfere with New Zealand's return to economic health."If you think about the GFC (global financial crisis), it wasn't just a demand and confidence shock, it was also a bit of a credit availability shock and that's not really happening right now."If the demand is there, the credit availability is there. There are no major handbrakes on that front. Broader economic conditions are in place for a recovery." - RNZSimplicity economist Shamubeel Eaqub Photo: Supplied via RNZ

Today is Gary Kircher’s birthday. He turns 62. And by the end of today (Saturday) the district will probably have a good idea who will be following in his footsteps as Waitaki Mayor.In his 21 years of serving the Waitaki District (9 as a councillor and 12 as mayor), Gary has always been available to his community.He doesn’t shy away from the difficult topics, he always fronts up - whether to the media, on social media or in person, and he does his best to provide an honest and individual answer.He is consistently in attendance at every community event, family fun day, or official opening.Nobody can accuse this man of not doing his job. He has given his all to this region and the people who live here. In his valedictory speech given at council last week, Gary mentioned he hopes to be remembered not just for the outcomes of his tenure, but also the intent - for caring deeply and working hard - and I think nobody can argue with that.Gary kindly sat down with the Waitaki App this week to talk about his highs and lows during time as mayor, and what the future holds.Gary Kircher became an elected member of Waitaki District Council in 2001, but after nine years juggling his work as a councillor and trying to earn a living, decided he needed to go all-in and run for mayor, or move on.“I couldn't afford to keep doing it, as a committed councillor and running a business . . . because, you know, I was throwing myself at as much as I could do.”He ran unsuccessfully for mayor in 2010, and thought his time with the council was up, but three years later, in 2013, he was convinced to run again, and the rest is history.Waitaki District Council in 2013. Photo: SuppliedEvery time another three-year term rolled around, he decided he had another one in him - until he got to this one.“It's partly time for a change for me, but also, I'm at an age where I can go and do something else for a while before I retire, and so that played a part in that as well.”And also, this term has taken its toll. While 2019-2022 was a challenging time, due to the complexities of Covid and reforms from the Labour government “really hitting home”, as a country we felt “fairly united”, he says.“I think the challenge in this last term has been, you know, the whole change of attitude, and that we are a divided country. Politics is far more polarised . . . It just makes it more challenging than it was before.” The lack of affordability across the country, and the pile-on effect of several issues is quite understandably making people angry and looking for easy targets, he says.“And councils are easy targets.“The Government, they've been pretty unfair, I think . . . just pointing finger and putting all councils together in a very negative group. The reality is the country's only going to really improve when it starts working together. “We all have to play our part to actually get to where we need to be in, in a much better place economically, but also socially.”Gary V Mike Mavor in Ōamaru's first Fight For Life Hospice fundraiser. Photo: Supplied/Rebecca RyanHighsSome of the highs of Gary’s time as mayor have been working with community organisations.He believes one of the council’s strengths is its role as an “enabler”, and during his time as mayor, something he has done as well as he can to work with community groups and individuals, helping them achieve their goals, which brings positives for the community. He singles out the Mayors’ Taskforce for Jobs, a nation-wide initiative, funded by the Ministry of Social Development.The programme has rural mayors connecting with rangatahi aged between 16 and 24, who are not engaged in education or employment, and helping set them onto career pathways with local businesses.Gary says the programme has been exceeding expectations since it began in the Waitaki five years ago.More than 200 young people and businesses have been paired up, often resulting in apprenticeships and long-term employment for the participants.“It's life been life changing for young people, and helps them be real positive contributors to society and have better lives.” The model has worked so well because it is about sharing the risk and not just lumping it all on the employer. “But the employers - I know a good number of them have gone the extra mile to make it work.”Seeing the success of the Alps 2 Ocean cycle trail, which was in the initial stages in Gary’s final year as a councillor and further developed during his time as mayor, is also something he’s proud of. “Just having, keeping, supporting that, seeing it happen,” he says.Storytime at an Anzac Day event. Photo: SuppliedThe construction of Observatory Village Lifecare (which currently provides 81 carebeds, 42 apartments, and 51 villas for the ageing population), has been another.Both projects are not about the “bricks and mortar”, but the benefit to the people and communities, and making the Waitaki a more appealing place for people to visit and want to live.“It's not what you build, it's what's going to result from it.” ChallengesSocial media has been a double-edged sword for Gary during his mayoralty.It’s been helpful, but also provides a platform for abuse.“It's been a good tool for me to share information. It provides a forum where I can go on and I can just provide information, or clear things up.“I know many times I'm not going to convince the person that I'm talking to when it's in a debate, but it's all of the people who read it and actually can see both sides of a discussion and make up their own mind.”He has a methodology in dealing with pages which thrive on fueling conflict. He doesn’t follow them, but does go onto them regularly when he feels in the right mindset. Nine times out of ten, he thinks he gets it right.“I apologise for those other times.”Gary says local councils have “absolutely been a victim of flip-flopping” between political parties and central government reform.“We’re heading in one direction, spending time and a hell of a lot of resource on going in that direction, only to be told, look, it's changing, and then having to invest a whole lot more money in going that new way, is not helping rates or affordability.”He knows different political parties are not going to agree on everything, but the more common ground they can find, the smaller the repercussions of change.Breaking ground before the build of the Network Waitaki Event Centre begins. Photo: SuppliedLake Ōhau Village fireOne event that has left a lasting impact on the mayor, is the Lake Ōhau fire of October 2020. Almost exactly five years ago.The fire began from a power line fault and, fanned by severe winds, swept through the Lake Ōhau Village, destroying 48 homes and buildings and damaging 5043ha of land.It took nine days for 11 helicopters and more than 100 people to extinguish - a massive event that put the area’s emergency systems to the test.The recovery has been going on for years with the level of destruction confronting for everyone involved, even those who didn't suffer major damage, he says.For the mayor, it was a challenge but a privilege to lead the district through that time, and be there for people.“Just have them know you've got their back and that you do care.” He feels like part of the Ōhau community now, he says.“I know a few people in most parts of the district, but you know, now I've got friendships.” Gary acknowledges he is “handing over the reins” during a tumultuous time for council.He was out-voted when it came to deciding how the council moves forward with costly controversial water reforms, and will not be a part of dealing with the fall-out.“I did my bit to try and get at least the water situation more stable, but the reality is we haven't had that stability for quite some time now because of all the external pressures.“Transformation has been part of that too, not putting that down, it's just that it's caused disruption, or further disruption in an already disruptive time.”Stone-sawing as part of the Victorian Heritage Celebrations. Photo: SuppliedOverall, he feels like the council has done “really good things” for the district. “People get critical about the debt situation, but we've actually got some really good improvements in our infrastructure . . . “Investments in things such as the cycle trail, and the Ōamaru Harbour and Holmes Wharf redevelopment are areas where the value will be long-lasting. “They might be seen by some as nice to haves, but equally, most of the money's gone on the core services, and there's only been a small proportion that's gone on these other things, but they are things which will add value to community and to people's lives and those are the things that make a difference as to where whether someone wants to live in a place or not. “I’ve said a number of times, there's not a lot of people that move somewhere because they've got a really nice sewerage system.”He agrees they might move away if there isn’t.To the next mayor, who will potentially not have recent council experience, he advises getting up to speed on everything going on as quickly as possible.“Gain that knowledge as quickly as possible, you know? Whether they're coming from a very low level of understanding or from a reasonable level . . . things have moved along since even three years ago.Gary pouring pints at a community event. Photo: Supplied“The more they can be on top of things, the better are the decisions that they can make and the direction they can give. There's no miracle answer . . . there's just a lot of hard work.”Now he is staring down the barrel of a lot of spare time, Gary says he can finally attend to the “to-do” list of jobs around home, his wife Kerry has had accumulating. He will be taking a bit of a break, and will continue in governance roles on the Waitaki Power Trust and at Observatory Village.He also plans to spend more time with his family who he acknowledges for their support.He is especially grateful to Kerry, who is “very reluctant about being called mayoress”, but has been incredibly important to his ability to do his job.“For being with me and, and supporting me . . . you know, I come home to her.“All of that family support's been just really critical to being able to do what I've been able to do, and being able to do it for as long as they have.”He pays tribute to the council staff members who don’t always get the thanks they deserve.“They all get a hard time. They all get bundled in together, and a lot of unfair things are said about them, but they're all there to do good things for the community.“You know, we've got some absolutely dedicated people who work long hours and very hard to deliver good things.“So yeah, just a big thank you to them for what they do. And the councillors, again, you know, none of them stand for the glory of it, or fun. There isn’t much.“It is, however, a lot of hard work to do it well, and everyone around that table is doing their best to do it well.”The 2022 Waitaki District Councillors. Photo: Supplied

With AI and tech classroom companions, how important is it that we still have these skills?By RNZ Digital Journalist Isra'a EmhailRemember a time when doctors wrote prescriptions by hand? When journalists scribbled notes in shorthand, travellers relied on map books to get around and accountants did sums on calculators?Now, with all the tools available on our cellphone, how crucial are these skills?The introduction of tech in our classrooms and careers was viewed with trepidation at first, recalls Karen Tui Boyes, who has spent three decades teaching. But she says it's all about integration.Statisticians have mostly moved on from using offline calculators to compute their massive datasets, Stats NZ says. Photo: RNZ File image/Unsplash/Gavin AllanwoodDo we still need a calculator?Before reaching for a calculator, mastering basic numeracy is essential, says Boyes, who launched Spectrum Education — an online school focused on personalised, project-based learning, four years ago.“If we put three plus seven into the calculator and got 21, because we accidentally wrote three times, they have to be able to know that that doesn't look right.”Warwick Jordan, from Hard To Find Books in Auckland, remembers when calculators were seen as so revolutionary teachers banned them at Whakatāne District High School.Boyes says she sees the same fear of cheating resurface — now it's around AI.Spectrum Education founder Karen Tui Boyes. Photo: Supplied/Spectrum Education via RNZBut once students understand how formulas work, using calculators or AI for more complex problems isn’t an issue, she says.“Our kids, if they've got real life use for it, and they understand it, then I don't know that it matters whether they've done it online or whether they've done it in the head, as long as they have an understanding of what that means.”Stats NZ say they don't usually use offline calculators to process their massive datasets - instead managing this through computer code and apps (like Excel).The efficiency of the tools means they can more easily produce estimates, for example population or economic growth, in various outputs like graphs and tables.Is it worth knowing how to use a compass and read a map?Nature's Den co-founder Alex Sherie says kids at their programme also learn about using the sun as a navigation guide. Photo: Supplied/Nature's Den via RNZAlex Sherie, 29, co-founded the forest school Nature’s Den in Auckland. The one-day programme, running in five locations, focuses this term on survival and navigation using maps and compasses.Sherie grew up using old-school map books and believes knowing how to read one and use a compass is vital — especially in the wild.“I think it's super important having something in your hand that is not going to die in terms of battery life or rely on a signal,” he says, adding they were surprised many whānau had compasses lying around.“We talk a lot about the sun, how the sun rises up from the east, goes down towards the west... And they're like, ‘oh, Alex, I think I know where west is because I can see the sun moving’.”A Mountain Safety Council survey shows most are relying on their phones to get around while exploring outdoors. Photo: Mountain Safety Council/Caleb Smith via RNZBut the reality is mapping apps have overtaken printed maps for outdoor adventurers, according to NZ Mountain Safety Council (MSC)."We can now say with certainty that most people have shifted to using digital devices for navigation," they say, based on a recent survey.They say people also tend to use cellphones for things like taking a photo of the map, identifying landmarks in the distance, using a digital compass and taking screenshots of track descriptions and route notes.Still, MSC chief executive Mike Daisley says reading printed maps and navigating handheld compasses are an essential skill when you’re exploring.Do I need to know how to write by hand?Just like writing fluently helps lessen the load on the brain to focus on other things - the same applies to touch typing. Photo: RNZ file image/Unsplash/Getty ImagesTeacher Boyes says research shows writing by hand improves memory, creativity and critical thinking as well as fine motor skills like hand-to-eye co-ordination.Fluent handwriting lowers cognitive load, freeing up brainpower for actual thinking, she says.“The new New Zealand curriculum has a new resource… that suggests that we should be doing explicit 10 minutes a day of handwriting and that it is taught in schools.”But it doesn’t have to be cursive. One of the tests students take between Years 2 and 10 looks at how fast and legible they can copy text, she says.Touch typing is just as important, especially in modern professions — so her students begin learning around age 10 or 11, once handwriting is solid. It has the same automaticity effect as handwriting fluently, Boyes says.GPs are also implementing more tech into tasks that were traditionally done by hand like writing consultation notes, says Royal NZ College of General Practitioners (RNZCGP) medical director Prabani Wood.An RNZCGP study shows 41 percent of GPs and 16 percent of rural hospital doctors had used AI already or intended to use it, with the most popular being notetaking/scribing tools.“While there are benefits to these tools such as freeing up time to focus on other tasks and seeing more patients, there are factors that need to be taken into consideration such as data and patient privacy, accuracy and how they integrate with the systems we already have in place in our practices."Do we need dictionaries or encyclopedias?Boyes says dictionaries can teach systems like alphabetical order for kids — but that’s also learnable in other ways. Photo: RNZ File image/Unsplash/Shutter SpeedNature’s Den is mostly tech-free, but students use an app to identify local plants - instead of flipping through encyclopedias or plant books.“It's a big learning tool for us teachers as well,” Sherie says. “We'll take some good guesses of what we think [the species] is, and then we'll go back and check on the app to see if we're right.”Boyes says there’s nothing wrong with using technology to enhance learning — if kids have digital literacy and fact-checking skills.“If you go and find an old encyclopedia, it's going to tell you Pluto's a planet... I think we just need to teach our kids to fact check to be able to go, ‘we know this is true, can we find three sources of this information to make sure that we are getting it right?’”Dictionaries can teach systems like alphabetical order — but that’s also learnable in other ways, like searching in a library, she says.Kids still love discovering new words, but they're far more likely to search them online, she says.Hard To Find Books store owner Warwick Jordan says dictionary sales are "dead in the water". Photo: RNZ/Nick MonroJordan argues traditional books hold a fixed, unchangeable truth that online sources can’t.“A book's knowledge is fixed. You can't modify it to suit the political climate. You can't change it.”While dictionary sales are “dead in the water”, print books will always have value because they stimulate our brains in a different way to devices, he says. - RNZ

Workplace wellbeing and having fun are the main motivators behind the 2025 Sport Waitaki Tri Challenge being held next Friday (October 17).An annual Dunedin-based Sport Otago initiative, this is the second year the event is happening in Ōamaru following last year's success, Sport Waitaki regional coordinator Sara Harding says.The event gives colleagues the chance to connect outside of the office, have some fun together and prioritise their physical and mental health – all with some friendly competition, she says. The event is being held in Snap Fitness Ōamaru, and teams of three will complete a 1.5km row, a 3km spin bike and a 1.5km run.High school students (Years 9–13) are also welcome to join, making it a great opportunity for rangatahi to get active alongside Waitaki’s workforce.“While there are trophies for the fastest male, female and mixed teams, the real focus is on participation – having a go, getting active, and having fun,” Sara says.With so much of our time spent at work, events like this are a valuable way to boost wellbeing, she says.“We can’t wait to see workplaces rally their colleagues and get amongst it again in 2025.”Sara is grateful to Snap Fitness Ōamaru for hosting and supporting the event again this year.Snap assistant manager Samantha Johnston says the gym is passionate about “bringing the community together through movement”.“Hosting the Tri Challenge is a fun way to encourage teamwork, support wellbeing and show that fitness is for everyone,” she says.Registrations are now open with a $30 per team entry fee, and the event is adaptable for all abilities.Teams will book a 30-minute time slot between 9am and 5pm, when they register.Any money raised will go to Sporting Chance and Able Minds, two organisations that support tamariki, rangatahi and whānau through sport and mental health initiatives.

Two rugby field-sized sheds have been barely enough to contain Allan Dippie's obsession.Allan Dippie is well known in Wānaka for not only his developments but his astonishing vintage tractor collection which has caused “chaos” of blocked roads as thousands turn up to get a peek.Dippie’s love of tractors went “out of control” from just one in 2017 to about 300 today.But he’s having trouble storing them in his two rugby field-sized sheds, so he will be selling more than 100 in an auction this weekend.Allan Dippie's addiction has taken him all over the world to bring back some of his most prized possessions. Photo: Supplied/Allan Dippie via RNZ“They're not like stamps, are they? So that storage is a bit of an issue,” he told Midday Report.“It's just chocka, chocka, chocka and it's counterproductive 'cause then you can't get the one you want to drive out easily.”He’s not sure how much the collection has cost him over the years, but it was enough for his accountant to put her foot down and forbid him from buying anymore.“So then I had to kind of find devious ways of disguising them to get them into collection.”Listen here on Midday Report: Wanaka man to auction vintage tractor collectionThe hobby has taken him all over the world, including the USA, Australia, Scotland and Ireland to collect rare ones like a Ferguson Brown prototype, R&P, and a Saunderson – the first kind the British royal family had at their farms, he says. The oldest one dates to 1916.Because he's ended up buying whole collections, some are double-ups which he hopes to get rid of during this auction.“The problem with tractors is you can't take them to a retirement village very easy. The retirement village isn't really going to accept a tractor collection turning up on its doorstep. So people have to eventually sell their tractor collections.”The oldest one in the vintage collection dates to 1916. Photo: Supplied/Allan Dippie via RNZHis machines were also a main event at the popular Wheels at Wānaka, which started in 2019 and had its last run this Easter.“We had 65,000 people turn up and it blocked all the roads in and out of Wanaka and it caused chaos really. Tractor chaos. So we've stopped doing that now.“People love coming and looking at old tractors and trucks and cars and bulldozers and things like that.”Dippie reckons New Zealand has one of the best selection of tractors in the world.“I found a lot of tractors under trees over the years and brought them back to their prime working order.“We restore them and love them. It's a very strangely satisfying occupation restoring tractors. You wouldn't believe it.”Dippie reckons he'll still be in deficit after selling about 100 at auction.  Photo: Supplied/Allan Dippie via RNZWhile most are working, some are still “project tractors”, he says, but the challenge of getting them started “is just too much fun to ignore”.“The very early tractors were really designed to kill you on startup or if not then in how they operated because there's a lot of moving parts flying around and some of them you have to start in the most unusual manner.“Some of them you have to start fires and cause explosions and there's some that you have to start with shotgun cartridges and cigarette butts and all sorts. There's all sorts of weird ways of starting vintage tractors and so it's a dangerous occupation as well.”Although he believes he might still be in deficit after the auction, he’s looking forward to having more room.“I've loved it and I'm going to keep collecting tractors.“Although it takes a pretty special tractor to join the collection now. I've got to slow down and … I've got to kind of make sure I'm a bit more discerning with the tractors I bring into the collection over the next few year.”The auction went live online two weeks ago, and the live auction will be on 11 October, where the sheds will be open for the public to take a look and place their final bids. - RNZ

Mary Duff grew up in Duntroon unknowingly surrounded by the fossils which are now the subject of her first children’s book.She began putting together A Discovery in the Rocks about six years ago on a “very, very informal commission”, she says.While she was working for a Christchurch-based retail software company, Duntroon’s Vanished World Centre was looking at the software and mentioned how hard it was to find children’s books about fossils.“So I said, ‘well, I've got this little story I wrote for my nephew, just like a little DIY homemade thing’, and they're like, ‘oh, you should finish it off’.”The self-published book is a dramatised, non-fiction, children’s picture book for ages five to nine, about a rare ancient whale fossil found near Tokarahi, in the Waitaki Valley.Mary initially wrote the story for her young nephew, who is growing up on the family farm, which her brother now runs. She remembers her father talking to visitors about the 30-million-year-old limestone outcrops on the farm.“I remember they were really proud of this fact, and they'd been there all along, but we just didn't realise the treasure that it was.”Palaeontologist Emeritus Professor Ewan Fordyce, who had a huge interest in the area, helped make the locals aware of what lay on their doorsteps.Ewan was then instrumental in the discovery of several marine fossils in the Waitaki Valley and the development of the Vanished World Centre, as well as the Vanished World Fossil Trail. The news in early 2022 that Ewan was retiring from Otago University due to illness was the “trigger to hurry up and get it presentable to share with other people”, Mary says. Ewan died in November 2023.Mary says gathering the information and the illustrations for her book has been a “ridiculously involved” process. Producing the text and technical details in the book alone has taken her four years of solid research.“I had to really fully understand the details, to be able to re-explain it in a way that little kids can understand straight away. “And then the illustrations themselves are another project.”The book is illustrated with a compilation of four donated watercolours by Duntroon artist Burns Pollock, and children from Duntroon School.Two years ago, Mary was awarded a grant from the Waitaki District Council Creative Communities Scheme to run children’s workshops for more book illustrations, which were co-ordinated by Ōamaru-based artist Sarka Cibulcova. Ōamaru-based artist Sarka Cibulcova (left) and Mary. Photo: Supplied“And then it's been a whole 12 months of a lot of work by Sarka and another graphic designer in Christchurch to get it ready for printers,” Mary says.The book is now in its final stages of being printed and perfected, and will be officially launched in Duntroon on October 25. There will be further launches at Tūranga Library in Christchurch, Otago Museum, and Mary is planning to speak at Ōamaru Library, with a date still to be confirmed.Mary says producing the book has been “a really steep learning curve”, but she thinks she’s now addicted.“I've got all these words swirling around with me and I can't wait to get rid of this one to work on the next one.”While the next book won’t necessarily be for children, she is keen on non-fiction. The majority of Mary’s career has been as a food technologist working in food manufacturing.“But deep down I've realised that actually I'm a creative person, and I just love science. So I'm just blending those two together to create accessible science.” While she has some ideas in mind for the next project, she is reluctant to share more details, to avoid people asking for the next five years, ‘how’s your book going?’, she says.A Discovery in the Rocks will be available in major bookstores, but pre-orders are open now, which is helpful when deciding how many copies to print, she says.One dollar from each book sold will go to Otago Rural Support Trust, in memory of the owner of the farm where the main fossil was found in 1994, who taught Mary and her brother small-bore target shooting when they were teenagers.

Ōamaru’s Mariner Suites has been recognised for being the gold standard in New Zealand motel accommodation.The 22-unit complex opened in January 2021, and is only one of four motels in New Zealand to be awarded a Qualmark 5-Star Gold Sustainable Tourism Business Award.Owners Ross and Debbie Ward gained a 5-Star Silver award in their first Qualmark assessment in 2023 and have been working towards achieving the Gold since then. They are proud to have earned the award, and to be one of only four (all from the South Island) makes it so much more special, Debbie says.“It highlights our dedication to guest satisfaction and quality accommodation and it’s nice to receive recognition for all of our hard work.“We have a dedicated and loyal team helping us too, so this is a real testament to their hard work and passion as well,” she says.The Gold Sustainable Tourism Award recognises the best sustainable tourism businesses in New Zealand, with the delivery of exceptional customer experiences an integral part of everything they do. It identifies those businesses leading the way in making the New Zealand tourism industry a world-class sustainable visitor destination. Debbie says to earn and maintain their 5-star rating, they have to consistently represent “best practice” in the exterior of the complex (buildings and gardens), public areas, guest bedrooms, guest bathrooms and services.Their Qualmark assessor commented that the Wards had gone to “huge lengths” to achieve architectural and colour harmony with Ōamaru’s Victorian Heritage precinct, "with the judicious use of lines, height, pigments, and Oamaru stone on your one-acre high profile site”.“I remain very impressed by your complex and the thought behind its design and architecture,” they say.“The complex has been built to maximise natural sunlight angles with over-spec insulation and high-spec double glazing.”The assessor also comments on the Ōamaru family’s community-minded approach and their support of an “impressive array” of local charities and initiatives.“Your complex still appears as new, and is very high-spec in fittings, chattels, beds and appliances. Your guest lounge and quality meeting room are a welcome feature. "The views and location are superb. It is well-presented with superb standards of cleanliness, maintenance and gardening evident in every corner and surface,” the assessor said.

Ōamaru’s Becky Dennison is always looking for the next opportunity, but the business owner doesn’t sit around and wait for it to come to her.The 30-year-old, who will have been running women’s fashion store Hyde Boutique for five years in December, is on the cusp of her next venture - launching her own clothing label.Clementine has come to fruition from Becky seeing a gap in the market for accessibly-priced designer pieces that are fun.“Because there's a lot of sexy, there's a lot of corporate, there's a lot of really casual fun stuff, but having things that are a little bit fun, a little bit different, but still like really easy to style and wear. So that's sort of where we are going with it.”When she says “we” she mostly means she, but Becky’s accountant partner Kris Rush is a details man, and helps make the dreams a reality, she says.Clementine will launch in November, and be sold through Hyde and other New Zealand retailers. The designs are nostalgiac and inspired by “the little glimmers in life”.“Making the small things special . . . it's quite wholesome but also a little playful,” she says.She is co-designing with a contracted designer, starting small with about five styles, and taking her time to find the right factories to work with.“I was like, start smart, start small. I don't wanna bite off too much.“The dream would be, like, if we do grow, an in-house designer. But yeah, I have no design skills apart from knowing what I want - I can't even draw.”Becky, whose relatable videos of try-ons and pieces to camera have brought her business an Instagram following of more than 28,000 people, says creating her own label has been a dream for a few years.Last summer she decided to stop putting it off.“You kind of think it’s not the right time for it, but the time will never be right. The time is now. So then at New Year's, I was like, ‘right, I'm gonna get it into it’.”It will be a separate business from Hyde that she foresees will be easier to manage further down the track, alongside other things, such as starting a family.The name Clementine came to Becky from a Hyde customer order. “I saw her name written and I was like, ‘oh, Clementine’ . . . it’s a really beautiful name. It's pretty, feminine, but it like, it still has a bit of a nod to like the past, but also it's fun.”It embodies what she is aiming for with the brand, and little clementines have made their way into some of the illustrations on the clothing.“So then we started working with a graphic designer in Australia doing all our branding and we really wanted to do it properly. “We were like, let's not just come up with the name and do a logo, Let's do all our brand colours and our fonts and our everything. So it's been quite a process.”The pieces will be easy to wear - tops and “a little bit of denim” - with a focus on good quality, well-fitting essentials.She says it’s nice to have a bit of “creative excitement” away from retail. A first glimpse at the Clementine swing tag. Image: Supplied Becky wants to launch her label “properly”. She has photoshoots with professional models planned, and is involving a public relations company.“I keep saying that - ‘properly’ - because Hyde is pretty grassroots, and just, we are how we are, but we want it to be quite separate from Hyde . . . and we also want it to be not reliant on, like, it won't be my face on it.”But there will still be a local in-store celebration to launch Clementine, and a long lunch involving “all the florals and cutesy things”, she says.Five years in the retail game hasn't all been plain sailing, and Becky has taken risks which have provided learning opportunities.She opened another Hyde Boutique in Ashburton in 2022, which has since closed, and also took over Lynn Woods in Merivale, Christchurch, which closed in August.Becky has learned the importance of making hard decisions, and not to worry how those decisions might look to other people. “It's obviously emotional, but you can't let your emotions dictate your business decisions.”Those decisions were “bittersweet”, because although things hadn't turned out the way she hoped. they meant she could put all her resources back into her main focus, Hyde.For Becky, the key to her success in business is to be herself, and not try to fit a mold of what everyone else is doing, thinking or saying.“That's your superpower actually, just being yourself. It means that you don’t have to turn on and turn off.”She sometimes spends up to eight hours a day, recording try-ons of new clothing, and posting to social media. “If you're always just consistently you, you don't have to try and it's not hard, and also that's what makes you stand out sometimes. People like working with and interacting with real people.”Sales for Hyde are almost evenly split between online and in-store, although the online portion is now more than 50% and growing monthly. The business ships across the country, and regularly to Australia.Becky plans to continue growing Hyde, and have it remain “very much true blue, authentic”, while she sees Clementine becoming a business that stands on its own as a name in New Zealand fashion, maybe Australia, “then ideally Europe and America”.“But we’ll just work with one first. We’ll see how we go here,” she says.The first samples of the designs are due to arrive in the next few weeks, which is both exciting and nerve-wracking.The samples will be the regular size 8 of most samples, and also Becky’s size 12, so she can “fit-test and wear-test” them.“Wear it around, what does it wash like? Is it durable? Is the fit right, is the shouldering in the right places? Is it too wide? Is it too long? . . . It's kind of scary, but it's kind of like, if not now, then when, you know?”

Nine Waitaki residents have been recognised at this year’s Waitaki Citizens Awards held at the Ōamaru Opera House.The annual ceremony, led by Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher in his 12th and final ceremony, celebrates people who have given outstanding service to their community.Each recipient had a citation read by a Waitaki District Councillor before receiving their award, then offering brief remarks.Gary says one of the most important tasks he has had is valuing and recognising the community's volunteers."Councillors and I are honoured to do that each year with the Citizens Awards.""Every volunteer gives their time and skills to help our community in a broad range of ways, making Waitaki a better place to be."2025 Citizens Award recipientsMaria Buldain – Community Affairs – Waitaki Multicultural, ŌamaruDebbie Melton and Susie Sinclair – Community Affairs – Cognitive Stimulation Therapy Group / Ronnie Gardner Method Group, ŌamaruEdie Pont – Community Affairs – Community organising and public health, KurowBarry Gamble – Community Service – New Zealand Remembrance Army, ŌamaruRosemary Bentley – Community Affairs – Oamaru Foodbank, ŌamaruMaurice Gray – Voluntary Service – Alps 2 Ocean, WestonCraig Alter – Recreational Activities – Mountainbike trails, PalmerstonDavid Blair – Cultural Affairs – Musical Theatre Oamaru, Oamaru Repertory Theatre, ŌamaruFull citation details are available on the Waitaki District Council website.