What's the point in voting when all the polls are pointing in the other direction to what you want? Well, that's not all there is to electing a parliament under an MMP system. An election campaign that's both chaotic and boring at the same time. An undercurrent of simmering tensions, with the same protestors popping up in walkabouts of all hues.All of this with the seemingly slow march towards inevitability – Labour's done its dash and the country's going blue-ish this year. If all this makes you feel confused, deflated, even despondent, you might ask yourself: what's the point of your vote?What if you back National, but you don't like the look of its potential partners? Or vice versa: you're an ardent ACT supporter, but don't fancy National? Or, you lean to the left, but see that vote as a wasted one. The Detail today looks at strategic voting, split voting, tactical voting – and not voting altogether. More than a third of us currently split our electorate and party votes between different parties in an effort to engineer the results of an MMP election. "New Zealanders are smart people as a rule, and we know why we split our votes – it's intentional," says Professor Richard Shaw at Massey University's politics department. He cites Epsom (long held by ACT via a 'cup of tea' agreement with the National Party), and Waiariki and Auckland Central in 2020 (newly won by Te Pāti Māori and the Green Party respectively) as examples of giving a candidate vote to a minor party to ensure they get into parliament."The conversation that most people are having at this time of the electoral cycle is 'who's going to form the next government'. But one of the things about our constitutional and electoral arrangements is that when we go into cast our two votes, we're not directly voting for a government. We're not voting for a prime minister, we do not directly elect members of the cabinet. What we're voting for is a parliament, or a legislature. "For some people, voting can be an expressive act, they vote as much with their hearts as they do with their heads because they've got a long attachment to this person or that particular party." And he says for many people it's really important to have a more diverse and more interesting looking parliament that better reflects the diversity of the country today. Shaw explains how voting strategically can make a difference – and he is adamant that you must vote.As for "wasted" votes, "it's a pejorative term and I'm not sure that it's the most helpful term, because it suggests the vote is worthless and that's not necessarily the case. "If you cast a vote and it's an expressive act – it reflects your views about things – the fact that it doesn't necessarily go to a person who wins is not indicative of the fact it's 'wasted', it's only unnecessary in the sense that it doesn't influence the result of parliamentary seats." Also on The Detail today we speak to Ollie Neas, the editorial director of the website Policy.nz which offers voters a guide to the election.Some of the stuff it reveals about the parties and voters is pretty surprising – including the huge numbers of people who go in search of information to compare party policies and line up their ideals with their party colours. Some key facts and figures:Advance voting starts Monday, October 2 2023In 2020, advanced voting was 68 percent - 1,976,996 votes (before voting day)23 percent of all advanced votes were on the weekend before voting day30 percent of the vote total was cast before the final week startedUp to 2.3 million advanced votes are expected this time, of a forecast 3.1 million total votesSpecial votes (counted later than polling day) in 2020 tallied 504,000"Wasted" votes to parties that fell beneath the 5 percent threshold and didn't win a seat totaled 6.8 percent, or just over 200,000 votes in 2020Turnout was 82.2 percent of those on the electoral roll (77.4 percent of eligible population) in 2020, the highest since 1999Enrolment was 94.6 percent, the highest since 2008Going off 2023 Electoral Commission estimates, a party needs 30,000-plus votes to get 1 percent and around 150,000-plus to make the 5 percent thresholdCheck out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.  You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter. 

From Ōamaru to the World of Wearable Art stage, fashion brand Moke and its creators are proud to be keeping cast and crew of the show nice and toasty.Moke Apparel Ltd was created 10 years ago by Sarah Jennings and her father Keith Stevens. The business is based upstairs in Harbour St where the clothing is designed and all orders - both national and international - are dispatched from.“At the heart of the WOW Show is a story that started with a small but passionate team from small town New Zealand, with a vision to create something special,” Keith said. “The Moke story is very similar, and we couldn’t be prouder to partner with such an iconic New Zealand event.”Over the years the business has gone from strength to strength, and as the company has grown, so too has the team. Joining the father and daughter has been another four family members, a further seven full and part-timers; as well as friends who help on a casual basis when needed.Initially Moke targeted the tourist market with Kiwiana-themed clothing, but Covid created the opportunity for a change of tack, and the company further expanded into women’s outerwear.There was a growing need for outerwear that was still fashionable and not so “outdoorsy” in appearance. The focus fully moved to designing garments to suit a more fashion-conscious customer. The decision was also made for the brand to be as size-inclusive as possible, and Moke now caters for sizes XS to 4XL.Moke has supplied bespoke puffer vests and jackets for almost 200 cast and crew in the lead up to and across the 19-performance season in Wellington.The “exceptional quality” of Moke’s products, the small-town success story parallel, and the company’s desire to be size-inclusive is what drew the attention of the World of WearableArt partnerships and brand manager Andrea Breton when seeking to partner with a Kiwi apparel brand.“Moke’s enthusiasm to work with WOW to create a functional and bespoke piece of outerwear to help extend our brand visibility has been fantastic,” she said.“They’re also hugely practical as our very busy team run around preparing for this year’s epic event WOW: BEYOND. Our team are excited and proud to wear Moke’s vests and jackets.”The 2023 WOW Show season runs from 20 Sep – 8 Oct at TSB Arena, Wellington, and Herbert artist Tracey Vickers is in the show as one of the finalists.

Easing winds and some overnight rain has helped to contain the large scrub fire in Pukaki Downs, near Twizel, Fire and Emergency says.On Thursday night a convoy of about 50 vehicles - containing mostly tourists - left the Aoraki Mt Cook area, with nobody endangered by the large fire which began on Wednesday night at Pukaki Downs.Fire and Emergency incident controller Stephen Butler told Morning Report that about 10.4 millimetres of rain had fallen at Pukaki and the winds had died down.Butler said 42mm of rain had fallen at Glentanner.Fire and Emergency incident controller Stephen Butler. PHOTO: RNZ/Nathan Mckinnon"That's huge relief for us. The best thing about that for us is that the cloud's actually quite high so we have got a chopper in the air this morning with our operations manager doing a fly over so that we can get situation awareness of what's actually happening before we have our briefing at 7.30[am]."The fire is looking a lot better than what it was yesterday."The conditions would be assessed for safety before ground crews were sent in, he said.Heavy machinery would be working on stop points throughout the fire to protect homes.The Pukaki Downs blaze on Thursday. PHOTO: RNZ/Nathan McKinnonHelicopters would operate weather permitting.Butler said about 180 hectares have been burnt so far, but no homes have been damaged."The locals have done a fantastic job of giving themselves some defendable area around their homes as a result of the fires three years ago so we've learnt from that and they've now got nice manicured lawns in front of theirhomes and we've cut down trees that were too close to their houses."State Highway 80 from Pukaki to Mount Cook reopened Friday morning through Butler said people need to be cautious and maintain situational awareness when travelling.State Highway 80 has reopened. PHOTO: RNZ/Nathan McKinnonAnother large fire was reported at Mount Gerald Station at nearby Lake Takapō on Thursday.This fire had a flare up about 1am Friday but was contained.Fire crews in the Mackenzie District on Thursday. PHOTO: RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

MetService has issued the following Road Snowfall Warning for the Lindis PassArea: Lindis Pass (SH8)Period: 12hrs from 6am - 6pm Fri, 22 SepForecast: Snow is expected to lower to about 600 metres early Friday morning. 10 to 20 cm of snow may accumulate near the summit from just before dawn until late afternoon, with lesser amounts down to 600 metres.Disclaimer: These warnings provide information regarding expected weather conditions. They contain no information about current road conditions or about the amount of snow currently lying on any road.For the latest updated forecasts and real time conditions in your local area, click on the Waitaki towns below, or go to the Weather category, next to News|Sport in The Waitaki App!OamaruWestonKakanuiHampdenPalmerstonMacraesNgaparaDuntroonKurowOtematataOmaramaLake Ohau Alpine Village

Queenstown has declared a local state of emergency as severe weather continues to affect the South Island.Dozens of people have been evacuated and there are multiple road, business and school closures in the region today.A temporary evacuation centre has been set up at St Peter's Church.Mayor Glyn Lewers made the declaration at 6.33am today and says more than 100 people have been evacuated from the Brecon Street and Reavers Lane areas.A regional state of emergency was declared in Southland at 6pm on Thursday night.A welfare centre has also been set up at Otautau, north west of Invercargill, where the river is expected to rise to bridge height.Another welfare has been set up in Gore at the Croydon Lodge and at the Mataura Community Centre.Meanwhile, Tuatapere ran out of water overnight after flooding damaged the treatment plant.Three water tankers will be stationed in the town from 8am today.The Mataura River in Gore is contained at this stage, despite continued heavy rain.Follow RNZ's liveblog for the latest weather updates:

Waitaki businesses are hoping to be in the pink this weekend, with more than 1200 women descending on the district for the Spring Challenge adventure race.The 17th Spring Challenge Women’s Adventure Race has finally landed in the Waitaki, and race organiser Jodie Fa’avae said the team is excited to be here.“We've always been meaning to come here, and it's just taken us a bit long … when my husband Nathan, he's the course designer, hit the ground in Kurow with a rough plan, he just found, we've just found the locals so supportive, and the land owners, it's been really easy.“Just that positive can-do attitude, it’s brilliant.”The event started out in Hanmer Springs in 2007, and was the brainchild of the Fa’avaes’. Nathan is a seven-time world adventure racing champion - and Spring Challenge is now the world’s largest adventure race. Four hundred-and-twenty three-woman teams will be arriving, with their support crews, in Ōamaru on Friday (September 22), to find out what lies in store for them. Until they register at Waitaki Boys’ High School at 3.30pm that afternoon, they don’t know where they will be going, which is all part of the adventure.There are three race lengths - three-hour, six-hour and nine-hour - which is the estimated time the fastest competitors are expected to complete them in. Teams are given a map with checkpoints to collect, and plot their own courses. The women will be rafting, biking and hiking for combined distances of up to 76km, and the race is centred around Kurow, Jodie said.“They know Saturday is in Kurow, but they don't know anything more . . . and so Saturday's going to be really busy for Kurow.”This year the nine-hour teams will be reaching the highest elevation ever for the Spring Challenge, and have been told to prepare for snow.Jodie said the courses are “brilliant”.“The three, six and nine-hour courses are all, they've all got their own adventure challenge within themselves. I'm really pleased with how the courses have shaped up.”The weather forecast may add an extra challenge to the race. There is a heavy rain warning in place for Friday, but Saturday is not looking too bad, at this stage, she said.“With adventure racing you have to be flexible and adaptable and just change, you know, make changes for conditions. So safety is our priority and we'll be assessing constantly.”For women taking part in the race, Jodie said the best thing they can bring is a really good attitude and teamwork.“And just that willingness to do what it takes together and have a good time.“That's what I love about the Spring Challenge, is most people come with that attitude and you embrace it together.”She said it was less about race day, and more about the journey getting there.“Women enter . . . and then they commit to making time for themselves. And what I love about that is just shared adventures, and you also share the journey of life. You share those hardships of, you know, what's going on in the household. And so to me, people have already succeeded by just getting to the start line. “And I just think, nature, we need more time in the outdoors, don't we? And it's such a balancer, and puts things into perspective, and it's just so healthy.“The event is like the icing on the cake, where it doesn't matter what happens, you know, you got there.” Waitaki District Council business and enterprise growth lead Rebecca Finlay said from an economic development perspective “we couldn’t be more delighted to host Spring Challenge”.“Race goers will get to enjoy the Waitaki landscape in all its splendour, as well as our great eateries, shops, historic precinct and don’t forget the penguins. “Businesses have been encouraged to welcome race goers by pinking up on Friday night - the Oamaru Opera House is blushing all weekend.”Victor Nelson Cycles and Oamaru Sports and Outdoors will be open late on Friday for anybody caught short for race gear, and she encouraged the women to “treat themselves” at some of the district’s boutique stores.Jodie said there are great spots to watch the race, and she encouraged as many people as possible to be at the finish line to cheer the women on.She also wanted to acknowledge the support the organising team had from people in the Waitaki.“They made it so easy.”

Seven helicopters with monsoon buckets are in operation at the Pukaki Downs fire, north of Twizel.Firefighting operations remained limited overnight on Wednesday (September 20) due to danger to crews from high winds. However, the fire’s progress was monitored by two crews, and active fire fighting ramped up as soon as dawn broke, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said in a statement.FENZ crews were called to the large scrub fire at about 7.45pm last night, with 11 appliances initially attending from Twizel, Mt Cook, Omarama, Burkes Pass and Lake Tekapo.Six properties on Mt Cook Road/State Highway 80 were evacuated as a precaution on Wednesday night, with no further evacuations planned at this stage.Fire and Emergency assistant commander Stephen Butler said the helicopters are working this morning in two sectors."One sector is focused on protecting residential homes and they are working in conjunction with ground crews to strengthen the fire break in this area."The second sector is at the northern end of the fire and working to protect a plantation in the area."Diggers are also operating alongside FENZ ground crews to establish or widen fire breaks.The wind is currently pushing the fire back onto itself, but a wind shift in the middle of Thursday is expected to push it back in the direction it was moving on Wednesday night, Stephen said. A second wind shift is also expected later in the day and crews will be mindful of staying safe throughout the day.No damage has been seen to any homes as yet, which he credited to the lessons learned from the previous large fire at Pukaki Downs."The defensible spaces around the homes have been improved since then and this has prevented the fire spreading to homes."Mount Cook Road/State Highway 80 was closed overnight between the Alpine Lavender Farm and the intersection with State Highway 8, and remains closed until further notice.

MetService has issued multiple weather warnings and watches for Waitaki over the next few days. An active front is forecast to move north over the South Island during Thursday and Friday, preceded by moist, gale to severe gale northwesterlies, and followed by a change to cold southerlies. Warning and Watches are in place for much of the South Island for heavy rain, heavy snow and strong winds.Please keep up to date with the latest forecasts in case changes are made to these Warnings and Watches, or new areas are added.WindStrong Wind Warning - OrangeImpact: Strong wind gusts could damage trees, powerlines and unsecured structures. Driving may be hazardous, especially for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.Area: Canterbury High CountryPeriod: 26hrs from 8pm Wed, 20 Sep - 10pm Thu, 21 SepForecast: Severe gale northwesterlies with damaging gusts of 140 km/h in exposed places, mainly during Thursday afternoon and evening.Area: OtagoPeriod: 19hrs from 8pm Wed, 20 Sep - 3pm Thu, 21 SepForecast: Severe gale northwesterlies gusting 120 km/h in exposed places.RainHeavy Rain Warning - OrangeImpact: Heavy rain may cause streams and rivers to rise rapidly. Surface flooding and slips are also possible and driving conditions may be hazardous.Area: Headwaters of the Canterbury lakes and rivers south of Arthur's PassPeriod: 27hrs from 6pm Thu, 21 Sep - 9pm Fri, 22 SepForecast: Expect 250 to 350 mm of rain about the main divide, and 100 to 150 mm within 20 km farther east. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h about the divide. Possible thunderstorms. Rain turning to snow during Friday late morning and afternoon.Area: Headwaters of the Otago lakes and riversPeriod: 24hrs from midnight Wed, 20 Sep - midnight Thu, 21 SepForecast: Expect 220 to 300 mm about the main divide, and 120 to 180 mm within 30 km farther east. Peak rates of 15 to 25 mm/h, especially in possible thunderstorms.Heavy Rain WatchPeriod: 24hrs from 11am Thu, 21 Sep - 11am Fri, 22 SepArea: Otago excluding Clutha and the headwatersForecast: Periods of heavy rain, and amounts may approach warning criteria. Initially the rain will be in a northwesterly flow with heavier falls near the main divide, but widespread southerly rain is expected to spread north from Thursday afternoon. Note, a heavy snow watch is also in force for Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes from 6am Friday.SnowHeavy Snow WatchArea: Inland CanterburyPeriod: 15hrs from 9am - midnight Fri, 22 SepForecast: Rain is expected to turn to snow above 200 metres. Heavy snowfall is possible above 400 metres, where amounts may approach warning criteria. Note, this Watch is likely to be upgraded to an Orange Warning in the next issue on Thursday morning.Area: Central Otago and Queenstown LakesPeriod: 9hrs from 6am - 3pm Fri, 22 SepForecast: Rain is expected to turn to snow above 500 metres. Heavy snowfall is possible above 700 metres, where amounts may approach warning criteria.

A 'strong' 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck at 9.14am this morning, centred at a depth of 10km, 45km north of Geraldine.The quake was felt throughout the motu, from Invercargill to Auckland according to GeoNet. GeoNet's shaking layers measure the magnitude throughout Waitaki at between 3.3 and 4.1.

Chloe Searle thinks she’s the closest she will ever come to knowing what it’s like to win Lotto.The Forrester Gallery director received the news on Friday (September 15) that a funding application to the Regional Culture and Heritage Fund for $6.5m was granted.The money means the final part of an ongoing, four-stage Cultural Facilities Development Project of both the gallery and the Waitaki Museum & Archive, can now be completed. About $7m had been needed to be raised externally in order for the construction work to go ahead.The 18-month project to upgrade the Museum & Archive was completed at the end of last year, and Chloe hoped by this time next year, the planned renovations to the Forrester will be under way.“It's been a big journey trying to get these two beautiful heritage buildings up to modern standards.“Of course we love our buildings for the Forrester and for the museum, but at the same time, they were both built in the 1880s and neither of them were made as museums, galleries or archives. So these projects have really enabled us to have the best of both worlds.”“For the gallery, it will mean we can keep using this beautiful building, but we can also get things like a lift. “We can get an art store that's actually made as an art store, rather than being bedrooms, which is what we're using downstairs.” Receiving the news the gallery was successful in its application was a welcome surprise, she said.“It's a very contested fund, and they really are very rigorous in what they want to approve in particular.“It's a fund of last-resort, so they want to make sure that, you know, your council have invested, your local community have invested, other funds have invested, so you have to have done a lot of work, which this community has, in terms of work on this building back in 2019 and 2020 and also on the Museum & Archive since 2018, through to this year.“That, I think, has really helped them have the confidence that this community is investing in these cultural facilities.”It means the buildings are “future proofed”, and the plans are things people had been talking about for the buildings since the 1990s when it became really apparent they needed “a bit of TLC”, Chloe said.“And needed someone to look and go, ‘okay, well what are we going to do in the community over the next 40 or 50 years, and how can the buildings support that?’.”Work on the first of the four project stages dates back to 2018, with renovations on the ground floor of the museum. In 2019 the gallery building closed for stage one for the gallery, which involved sorting out issues with water getting into the building, asbestos, and bringing it up to fire safety standards.Stage two for the museum involved earthquake strengthening, putting a lift in that building and doing up the upper floor. “Then this final project stage for here is this wing on the back of the building to improve the accessibility and collection care here,” Chloe said.A new accessible community education space will be included, and improved facilities such as a lift, toilets, parking and wheelchair ramp. The new wing will provide more space for exhibitions as well as climate-controlled storage for the gallery’s 2,500 piece collection of New Zealand art.To top up the Culture and Heritage Fund, there has also been a $400,000 grant from the Lotteries Commission, and the Friends of the Forrester have been fundraising in the community.“So we're really confident we can proceed to getting building consent and then going out for tender,” she said.“So that's the next stage, finalising the building plans, getting building consent and then going through that procurement stage to make sure we get really good value,” she said.Drafting up plans will involve working with Heritage New Zealand on the Category 1 listed former Bank of New South Wales building.“It's not going to happen overnight. And that's just because, you know, we've got to make sure we really do things in the right way. Especially with this being a heritage building, we want to make sure those plans are absolutely right.”One of the best parts about receiving news of the funding was calling up former gallery directors Jane McKnight, who was director for the stage one projects, and Warwick Smith, who had been director for the 27 years prior. Both had been a part of the vision for the building work, Chloe said.“So, [it was] pretty cool to be able to call them up, and some of the longstanding friends of the gallery, some of the artists who have exhibited here over many years, all these people who have contributed in some way and say, ‘hey, it's gonna happen’.”Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said the money is providing the district the opportunity to have a facility that is going to be “top notch”. “It's always been something that many other districts have been envious of, but to improve the accessibility for everyone, to increase the exhibition space, to have the education space, they're all things which are going to make a real difference.”The $6.5m was part of a total $16.5m distributed from the Culture and Heritage Fund - the rest of the money going to upgrades and earthquake strengthening of the Canterbury Museum.

Former Waitaki Girls’ High and Five Forks School pupil Shannon Burnett is “so excited” to be named one of the winners of the Six60 Scholarship for next year.Shannon is one of four Otago University students selected to receive a $10,000 rent rebate, and mentoring from Six60 - one of New Zealand’s most successful bands. They will also have access to the university’s recording studios.Shannon’s new flatmates will be Jakira Brophy, Sophie McCarlie and Hazel Simes, and the girls will live in the famous 660 Castle St, Dunedin, the house where the band was formed.The band bought the flat in 2021, and together with the university created the scholarship.Shannon, who turned 19 at the weekend, will be in her second year of a Bachelor of Performing Arts next year with a focus on musical theatre.“So mainly singing and, like, a lot of music stuff and also just theatre in general.”She is a solo musician who sings, plays guitar, “a bit of piano” and drums.To apply for the scholarship she had to send in some recordings of her songwriting work, along with information about herself and what the opportunity would mean to her.“Then they shortlisted a bunch of people, and then we had an interview and that's where we performed for a panel of people at the university,” she said.She found out during her last holidays a few weeks ago, that she had won the spot.“I was so excited. It was really good news. I think I rang my mum and I was just, I was so excited.”Shannon has been writing her own songs for a few years. She writes them on the guitar and piano, and describes her style as “Indie pop”. She is looking forward to having access to the university’s recording studios so she can produce them “properly” and post them to Spotify.At risk of "sounding cheesy” she admires Taylor Swift for her “lyrical abilities”.“Like how she's able to write a story like that. Yeah, she's a big inspiration.”She is also a fan of American rock band Greta Van Fleet.Shannon has been singing “forever” and is grateful for the opportunities that are available to her.“Because I feel like not that long ago there weren't as many performance opportunities in Dunedin or even in New Zealand.”She would love to join a band, and get involved in the local music scene, and said there is huge support for bands in Dunedin.Apart from the occasional open-mic night at her hall of residence, and competing in Rock Quests at high school, Shannon doesn’t get much opportunity to perform on stage, but would like to get more experience.“I find I get really nervous right before a performance and then when I'm performing, I just feel so at ease, like I'm with my guitar and I just feel like everything's, everything feels really good,” she said.“Music is such a big thing for me.”Jakira, who is in her second year of a Bachelor of Music, is in the band Emily Alice, which also features one of the inaugural 2021 Six60 scholarship recipients, Emily Kerr-Bell.Sophie, who is studying towards a Bachelor of Performing Arts, says she almost didn’t believe the news when she was told she had won a scholarship, and she was very excited about the year ahead.Hazel said she hopes the scholarship will help her further develop songwriting, composition and performance skills, while being inspired by their musically talented new housemates.Six60 band member Eli Paewai says working with previous recipients has been exceptional.“We have seen the kids grow in so many ways, they have released music, excelled at university and some of them even performed with us on stage at Forsyth Barr Stadium.“This year saw one of the most qualified group of applicants to date and it’s becoming more and more competitive. We are really looking forward to mentoring and growing with the upcoming students.”University deputy vice-chancellor (external engagement) Professor Tony Ballantyne said the highly-sought after scholarship remains extremely competitive and it is exciting to see another great cohort of scholarship holders.“I am excited for these four latest recipients to not only follow in the footsteps of previous Six60 scholarship winners, but to also each carve out their own unique pathway into a successful and varied career in music.”Shannon Burnett. PHOTO: Supplied

As 2023 election campaigning steps up, we asked each of our Waitaki candidates why their party should get your vote over their nearest politically aligned competitor.We gave them a 300 word limit. Here’s what they told us, in their own words.Miles Anderson - Why should voters choose National over ACT NZ?National is the only party that gets held to account. Labour doesn't deliver and spends recklessly but is not scrutinised for its lack of achievement. All the other parties know they can promise anything then claim the policies were traded off in coalition negotiations.The truth is that the country's finances are a disgrace, our productive sector is being regulated out of existence and people are struggling to get by. That's not the NZ I want to see.Sean Beamish - Why should voters choose ACT NZ over National?No response received.Ethan Reille - Why should voters choose Labour over the Green Party?I strongly believe Labour has the best plans for working people - we've delivered things like Fair Pay Agreements, steady wage rises for nurses and teachers, and we've got fully costed and achievable plans to cut the cost of living by removing GST from fresh fruit and veggies, and make dental care free for under 30s.Pleasance Hansen - Why should voters choose the Green Party over Labour?In response to your question about why voters should choose the Green Party over Labour, we want voters to give their Party Vote to the Greens, but we're comfortable with voters giving their Electorate Vote to Ethan Reille, the Labour Candidate. We need far more Green Party MPs in Parliament right now, in this climate-critical decade. This will only happen, if we have a boost in our Party Vote. We have the policies and the solutions that NZ needs to address urgent climate issues and become more climate-resilient. That's why we're asking people to Party Vote Green. Thanks for the opportunity to answer this question. Roger Small - Why should voters choose Democracy NZ over NZ Loyal?DemocracyNZ is a realistic option to get common sense policies into parliament. Freedom ,Farming and Family is where our voice will be strongest.We are focused on winning electorate seats as our pathway to parliament. We don't need to get the 5 percent threshold if we win a seat but instead for every 0.8% party vote we get another MP.Our strongest candidate is a seasoned campaigner Matt King in the Northland Electorate who won the seat in 2017 beating Winston Peters. I will also be asking for two ticks in the Waitaki Electorate as a strong community minded person. I will fight hard for our people of the Waitaki Electorate and would be honoured to serve them.DemocracyNZ is very realistic about what we can achieve as a small party and believe that is our strength over NZ Loyal.Our bottom lines of Protecting and Preserving the Bill Of Rights.Evidence over ideology especially on climate Change.Protecting Private Property RightsEducation not Indoctrination.Taking race out of everything and focus on need.Less Government intrusion in our lives.We want a strong government that is focused on making NZ a great place to live for all New Zealanders and is wealthy again to make sure we are able to protect our environment but at the same time delivering good health outcomes ,safe communities and be a good place to do business.While NZ Loyal has its heart in the right place we believe DemocracyNZ is the only realistic option to get your voice heard in Parliament.Thank youRay Bailey - Why should voters choose NZ Loyal over Democracy NZ?No response received.

The Rotary Club of Ōamaru held its Meet the Candidates evening on Thursday night at the Ōamaru Opera House. Adjudicated by Waitaki District Councillor Jim Hopkins, Ethan Reille (Labour), Miles Anderson (National), Roger Small (Democracy NZ), Pleasance Hansen (Greens), Sean Beamish (ACT) and Ray Bailey (NZ Loyal), all had their chance to advocate for themselves and their political parties before the October 14 election.The Waitaki App was there, and you can view footage of the entire debate on the App's YouTube page.

A strong wind warning has been issued for this weekend, across most of the South Island and the lower North Island.For most of Otago, excluding Clutha, northwest winds may approach severe gales in exposed places from 11am on Saturday to 1am Sunday (September 16-17), Metservice reports.A strong west to northwest flow becomes established over the country on Saturday and continues into early next week.The wind is predicted to hit Clutha and Southland at about 9am on Saturday, and move away by 11pm, while the Canterbury Plains could be battered for much longer, from about 6am Saturday to 9pm Sunday.Fast-moving embedded fronts bring bursts of heavy rain to western parts of the South Island, with significant spillover into the Canterbury and Otago headwaters. Gale or severe gale northwesterlies are expected to affect many areas in central and southern New Zealand.

Pleasance Hansen is the Greens candidate for the Waitaki electorate. The Waitaki App asked her some questions, to help our readers get to know her a bit better…Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and your background.I’m a 5th generation Kiwi, with ancestors coming to this country between 1841 and 1906. They came from old Europe, Celtic England and Norway. I’m a dairy farmer’s daughter, where I learned the value of hard work, and also an appreciation for the land. I left home to become a high school teacher, and later a public servant, and was even a bus driver in Wellington for a brief period of time. Since the early 2000s I’ve been running my own business as a leadership coach.Q: What are you passionate about?I’m passionate about New Zealand and our environment, and the world-class natural beauty we have here.Q: Why have you decided to stand as a candidate for the Waitaki electorate? Is this your first time in politics?I decided to stand for the Greens in Waitaki, as an area of Te Wai Pounamu I know and love well, with the remarkable Moeraki Boulders, the Elephant Rocks in Duntroon, Ōamaru’s historic and distinctive whitestone buildings and the smallest penguins in the world. Yes, it’s the first time I’ve stood as a candidate.Q: What are the issues you see as important for this electorate? What can you/your party do to help in regard to these issues.The economy is dependent on the environment. They can’t be separated out, and right now, farmers have one of the best opportunities to be part of the solution, as the largest landholders in the country.We need to meet the agreement the National Government signed on Oct 4, 2016 under the Paris Agreement, where we committed to cut our net climate pollution by 50 percent below our gross 2005 levels. This means we have to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions sufficiently to meet this goal. Otherwise, with the Free Trade Agreement signed on July 9, 2023 between New Zealand and the European Union, our exports won’t be accepted by our international trading partners.This is a serious matter and it’s the Greens that have the policies, and practical solutions to address it. To apply those solutions however, we need far more Green MPs around the decision-making table to protect the environment, which will help the economy, and shift us towards a much more sustainable future, for all of our sakes, including the future of our children, our grandchildren, and great grandchildren.It is not a time to be complacent. We need to keep moving forward. The Greens are the only party with the courage and foresight to take the action that’s needed to unlock a future we all deserve.We also want to have a fairer tax system for everyone, which is why we’ve introduced an income guarantee, with $385 per week for people out of work, and a $135 top-up payment for solo parents. It will also put an extra $64 per fortnight in the pockets of retired couples, and a Family Tax Credit Scheme that pays out $350 per week for 2 children, and further payments of $135 for each subsequent child. The first $10,000 that is earned will also be tax-free, to not penalise those at the lower end of the tax scale. This will be funded by taxing the wealthiest families who have net wealth (i.e. beyond mortgages) of over $4 million per couple, an estimated 0.7% of the population, to help the majority of New Zealanders better meet the soaring cost of living. This has been costed and approved by economists. Right now, 135 countries have fairer tax systems than we do. What we’re proposing will give far more New Zealanders the opportunity for a decent life. We also want people to be able to buy affordable homes, so first home buyers will also be supported with low-interest government-backed loans, to help them get a foot on the property ladder.We’ve also developed a scheme to give free dental care to everyone – without any caveats, to lift the standard of health across the country, and clean energy payments of $6,000 to install solar panels so that each household can become more energy efficient.  If we all do our 1% (or more) we can make a difference, and achieve our 2030 goal, and get us well on the road to Net Zero by 2050.Q: How is the campaign going for you so far? Highlights and challenges?One of the highlights is meeting people, and listening to them, and hearing their stories. At the same time, this is a very large electorate. There’s a lot of ground to cover, and a wide range of communities and issues, which also makes it very stimulating.Q: Where can people find you? My email address is: [email protected] and I can also be contacted through the Greens campaign director Chennoah Walford: [email protected], or our communications director Bridie Chetwin-Kelly: [email protected].

The Upper Waitaki and Central Otago zones of the Otago District are now in a restricted fire season.The restrictions began at 8am Thursday (September 14), and will continue until further notice.A restricted fire season means a permit is required to light a fire in open air. You can apply for one at www.checkitsalright.nz.Otago District Community Risk Manager James Knapp says this is earlier than usual."Central has generally gone into a restricted season in October but it is shaping up to be an extraordinary season, even before the expected El Niño weather pattern takes full effect over the coming weeks and months," he said."Key indicators for a restricted fire season have already been met. This is exemplified by the fact the daily fire severity rating for Cromwell is more than double the 17-year average for this time of year, and well above where it was at the same time in 2015 - the start of the last strong El Niño weather event."We need people to plan their burns carefully and contact us early so we can issue fire permits, which can take up to ten days to process," he says.James said people should not be complacent that it is still early in the meteorological "spring", with no substantial rain expected over the coming months leading into summer."The days will continue to get drier, and it is expected to be like this for the coming months," he said."During previous strong El Niño seasons, these zones have experienced very large fires. The fire history shows that significant fires can ignite and spread quickly in grass and scrub even when the fire danger is moderate, so we must be vigilant when undertaking any activities which could cause fires."While controlled burns are still able to be carried out with a permit, the need to supervise any permitted burn is essential.For fire safety tips, and for more information about the activities you can and can’t do in a restricted fire season, go to www.checkitsalright.nz.

Eleven Waitaki schools are taking part in this week’s Otago Polyfest, being held at Dunedin’s Edgar Centre. Palmerston, Te Pakihi o Maru, Weston, Fenwick, Ōamaru Intermediate, St Joseph’s, Pembroke, Waitaki Boys’ High, Waitaki Girls' High, St Kevin’s College and East Otago High schools’ Kapa Haka and Pasifika groups have travelled to Dunedin for the 30th Otago Polyfest.More than 130 groups from around the Otago region are registered for this year’s event. Organisers said the Otago Polyfest is an opportunity for children, young people and whānau to participate in Māori and Pacific cultural experiences that broaden and celebrate their individual and collective cultural identities.From humble beginnings at the Dunedin College of Education, and only lasting half a day, the Otago Polyfest now runs over five days and has thousands of performers crossing the stage.A recorded livestream of the festival can be found on the Otago Polyfest Facebook Page.Weston School kapa haka group held a public dress rehearsal on Wednesday (September 13). PHOTO: Ashley Smyth

Waitaki rugby player Cheyenne Cunningham has ticked another goal off the list, being named in the Black Ferns XV squad this week.The 23-year-old Ōamaru player said she was “over the moon” to get the phone call from head coach Whitney Hansen letting her know she had been selected.“I made that one of my goals throughout my Farrah Palmer Cup season this year to try and make that team, so I’m stoked that I was selected,” she said. The team was formed by New Zealand Rugby this year to foster the professional growth of players, coaches and management on the international stage and provide a high- performance pathway to the Black Ferns.Cheyenne started playing club rugby for Valley in 2005 until high school, when she played for Waitaki Girls High School. She has also been part of Waitaki Wahine since she was 15, and played for the Otago Spirit squad since 2017. Cheyenne also played for this year’s competition-winning Matatū in Super Rugby Aupiki.She loves the “physicality” of the sport and “getting a bit rough out on the field”. She also loved the strong bond within the team.“It’s such a great team sport.”Cheyenne flies to Auckland this Sunday (September 17) to join the rest of the squad. “We’ve got trainings and gym sessions throughout the week before game day on Saturday,” she said.The team plays Manusina XV (Samoa) at 4.35pm in Pukekohe on Saturday, September 23. The game will be broadcast live on Sky Sport. Cheyenne will be one of the more experienced players in the squad, with more than half the players under the age of 22.Whitney Hansen said the squad signals a bright future for the Black Ferns.“One of the highlights of this year’s Farah Palmer Cup was the number of young players that really impressed for their provinces. So many players put their hand up for selection that made it a tough job for us as coaches,” she said.

The Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony had some extra little helpers to house the little blues last week.Children from Montessori Ōamaru nursery and preschool made five nesting boxes for the colony, as part of the Casa Whā room (aged 3-plus) inquiries into conservation, centre manager Prue Kingan said.They delivered the boxes in person last Friday (September 8) and in return were treated to a private tour of the colony.“So we have been learning about conservation recently within the centre, and ways we can connect with our local community and support conservation efforts,” Prue said.The children worked on the nesting boxes at their carpentry table, under the guidance of the kaiako, as well as learning more about the process of the little blue penguins. It was also a “nice connection” that the colony was celebrating its 30th birthday as well, Prue said.As part of their Conservation Week learning, the children also had a visit from Ardgowan School’s Tamariki Taiao - Children in Nature participants, explaining their predator trapping. “And a group of our Casa Toru children, from our toddlers’ classroom, went on an excursion along the railway line and met the Envirogroup from Waitaki Boys School, to collect and pick up rubbish, as well,” Prue said.Penguin Colony science and environmental manager Dr Philippa Agnew said other schools had also contributed nesting boxes, and they were always grateful for them. “It’s always really cool,” she said.The wood was kindly provided by the Ōamaru Men’s Shed.“So they cut the timber for us, to the perfect sizes, and then all the kids need to do is hammer them.”  The boxes will be used once the current car park upgrade is complete.“So we're going to cut off the back, kind of, section of the car park and hopefully, maybe, put 100 boxes into there. So . . . these guys building us boxes are going to contribute to that new breeding habitat.”Philippa estimated there are about 380 nesting boxes in total around the colony. Some had been there since it was established, and were due to be replaced, but most were still in good condition.