Woolworths supermarket staff, including 13 from Alexandra, walked off the job from 12pm until 2pm yesterday.The strike comes a month after earlier action was taken by staff, supported by FIRST Union, to raise social awareness regarding staffing conditions.To do that staff wore stickers while working on the shop floor to highlight the situation.It was hoped last month’s action would prompt their employer to consider a living wage and address chronic understaffing issues.However, a lack of action prompted staff from more than 190 stores throughout the country to take further action yesterday, with a down-tools strike over a two-hour period.Among them was Connie Prins, a union worker at Woolworths Alexandra.She said it was hoped the company would “take the bargaining more seriously in the next round of discussions”.Woolworths Alexandra staff during yesterday's strike action. PHOTO: The Central AppFIRST Union national secretary Rudd Hughes said Woolworths workers were enthusiastic about their walkout, despite frustrations after 13 days of pay negotiations, with the company still far apart on key issues like pay, safety, and staffing.He said Woolworths had offered minimal wage increases below the rising household cost of living, sought reductions to workers’ existing employment conditions, and proposed pay rates that are falling behind the competitors.He said raising safe staffing standards seemed to be more of an inconvenience than an opportunity to deter rising levels of abuse and theft by customers.“They’re trying to deal with increasing violence against staff but will not address the number of people working in stores.“Workers are left feeling that protecting previous profit levels is more important to Woolworths than protecting workers in stores."Their solution to systemic understaffing is a nebulous project of ‘multi-skilling’ workers rather than increasing the actual number of people working on shop floors during busy hours, nights and weekends. It’s disingenuous,” he said."My message for Woolworths is - explain yourselves. Come out publicly and justify why you don’t think your workers deserve a living wage that enables them to thrive rather than barely survive."A Woolworths New Zealand spokesperson told The Central App it believed it had brought a "strong offer" to the table.“Making sure our team is paid fairly has always been a priority for us and we’ve brought a strong offer to the table in our discussions with FIRST Union. This includes a wage rate increase for our store team between 6.8 - 10.1 per cent over two years, further to the 19% increase we agreed in 2022. We are one of the leaders in pay for our sector."They said the company offered a range of team benefits and since 2022 it has included improved sick leave benefits, increased bereavement leave, increased primary caregiver leave to 12 full weeks of paid leave and introduced secondary caregiver leave of four weeks, expanded the unsocial hours allowance for teams working between 10pm to 1am. improved its team discount so it could get 5 per cent off on all grocery items, 10 per cent off fresh and own brand products and two 10 per cent discount days per month.“Additionally, we’re underway with a $45 million investment in making our stores safer including team safety cameras in all stores, trolley locks, fog cannons and double-entry gates. We’re also looking at bringing in duress alarms for those working in isolated areas.“In the current challenging economic environment, our customers need us to provide affordable food. We have to balance increasing costs in our business so we can provide more value for our customers." They said the company would continue to engage with FIRST Union in good faith and thanked its customers for their understanding.Read more: Woolworths staff to strike

Cold weather is set to return to Central over the coming days, “a reminder that we can't put the winter woollies away quite yet”.MetService meteorologist John Law said a slow-moving front, expected to move up from the south from Thursday, would bring cool temperatures and wet weather to Central.“The combination of cold air and wet weather does bring the potential for snowfall late in the day, with the heaviest snowfall likely to be above 400 metres.” He said the areas that were most likely to get the snow would depend on where the front lingers, with the biggest risk for Central Otago likely to be Thursday night into Friday. Wet weather is likely to arrive across parts of Central from Thursday. IMAGE: MetServiceHowever, the finer details were still all to play for so advised people to keep an eye on the forecasts and any severe weather warnings.“The best advice is to stay up to date with the forecast, [and] while the strongest winds are likely to be in the Canterbury High Country, it's always good to have a look around the garden and see what would get moved by strong winds. Although snow and cold temperatures are not unusual at this time of year, staying ahead of any severe weather, especially when it comes to stock or driving through the high country will always be beneficial.”Recent daytime temperatures had provided more spring-like conditions, but unsettled weather patterns were not unusual for early spring.John said the temperatures had been above average for this time of year, with 15 degrees Celsius being the average maximum temperature for Alexandra in September.He said last year the temperature in Alexandra also hit 21C on September 9. “The strong winds go hand in hand with the warm temperatures we have been seeing, the so-called Foehn effect, with the winds losing their moisture on the west of the southern alps and warming as they descend to the east.”As the weather patterns fluctuate, one thing is for certain: “These next few days and leading into next week are going to be a reminder that we can't put the winter woollies away quite yet. We are on the move towards warmer temperatures but, as you know, a swing in our wind direction can still bring some colder temperatures.”John said tonight’s overnight low for Alexandra was likely to be -2C leading to a cold and frosty morning. Keep up to date with Weather and Roads via The Central App.

Central residents are one step closer to knowing how easy an electronic item is to repair before making a purchase.A petition signed by 21,000 people was recently delivered to parliament, calling for the introduction of repairability labels on household appliances and electronic devices.The petition was handed over to Labour MP Hon Rachel Brooking, who is a spokesperson for Environment, Food Safety and Space.“It’s not sustainable or cost effective to have to purchase a new item if the old one breaks,” she said.“Our landfills are already stuffed with broken items that are unable to be fixed.”The Central Otago District Council (CODC) has implemented ways to divert some of those items from landfill, including the launch of an e-waste recycling service at the Alexandra, Cromwell, Ranfurly and Roxburgh transfer stations.The initiative, launched in February, has so far seen 360 items of electronic waste diverted, ranging from TVs and laptops to household appliances and gaming consoles.CODC waste minimisation officer Abi Hawkins said that equates to 2.5 tonnes of potentially harmful electronic materials being responsibly processed and recycled, contributing to a more sustainable environment.“Providing a sustainable way to manage electronic waste aligns with our commitment to reducing landfill use and promoting a better use of resources.” Council also introduced household battery recycling late last year, which has so far resulted in 381 kilograms sent away for recycling. CODC solid waste team leader Lauren Hunter said the success of the battery scheme, which accepts single use and rechargeable batteries of a variety of different chemistries, was particularly important as batteries were a common cause of fires in both collection trucks and landfills.CODC initially launched the various services over a six-month trial period to help make them more accessible, and also covered transport costs for electronic waste recycling.It also fully subsidised the battery recycling costs.The trial will be extended until June 30, 2025, to help continue reducing costs for residents through the waste levy funds provided by the Ministry for the Environment. “We are really proud of these achievements and the way people have embraced these opportunities. We encourage residents to continue using the available services to contribute to a more sustainable future,” Lauren said.The next step was to wait and see what result comes from the recent petition, which has been backed by Consumer NZ CEO Jon Duffy.He has called on all members of parliament to recognise the urgent need for decisive legislative action to tackle the scale of our e-waste issue."New Zealanders are tired of replacing products due to minor faults, paying excessive fees for repairs, and being limited by where they can get products repaired,” he said.Read more: Petition to limit e-waste going to landfill

Further secrecy surrounds the Otago Regional Council (ORC) following its closed meeting on Thursday to discuss a response to Minister for the Environment, Penny Simmonds regarding a breakdown of costs on the Land and Water Regional Plan.Dunstan ward councillor Michael Laws tried his best to have the meeting open to the public in an hour-long debate, but the ORC’s legal advice was to keep it behind closed doors.CEO Richard Saunders said after the meeting, he would release a portion of the response to Minister Simmonds publicly on the council website, “in coming days.”The ORC has responded to Environment Minister Penny Simmonds’ requests for more information on its Land and Water Regional Plan. PHOTO: SuppliedCr Laws has named the seven councillors that are in support of the Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP) the ‘secret seven,’ and are the same ones who voted for the meeting to be held in private.Cr Gary Kelliher said it was disappointing the 7-5 vote that continuously happens with council decisions, particularly around the LWRP issue, were always portrayed to the media in press releases as if they were won by a strong majority.“I just hope that when the minister is wading through 39 pages of waffle trying to interpret if there’s any answers to her six questions hidden amongst it, that she calls time.”Chair Gretchen Robertson also noted that in the letter received from the minister on August 8 requesting a breakdown of costs, an offer was made to present information in person.“ORC welcomes this opportunity and is seeking to find a suitable date for this to happen.”She said Minister Simmonds understood that ORC was still preparing the Section 32 report, which will contain a significant amount of information related to the minister’s request.“ORC will provide an initial response to the minister’s letters and will provide further information later in September,” she said.

The number of dog attacks in Central Otago has increased over the past year as a result of poor dog owner management, the Central Otago District Council says.In a report presented to council last week from team leader enforcement and animal control Ryan Parker, the number increased from 24 to 37 - made up of a mixture of minor attacks (13), serious (12) as well as attacks on other dogs (12).Dog rushing increased from 16 to 26, but barking dog complaints was the largest issue - with a 38% increase (40 complaints) received.Ryan said this may be reflective of the community being more likely to report such incidents, knowing council does take action on such matters.He said with regard to dog attacks on a person or animal, the incident can be extremely distressing to all parties involved.There were currently no disqualified dog owners in Central Otago, but one probationary owner. None were classified as dangerous but 19 have been classified as menacing from their observed or reported behaviour, and a further four based on their breed.Council continued to work with dog owners to microchip their animals under legislation that came into effect in 2006, which continued to be an area of focus.There are currently 1411 dogs not microchipped and also an increase from just three to 20 owners failing to register their dog in the past year.Similarly, 26 owners failed to keep their dog controlled or confined - up from 23 the previous year.In total, council received a total of 666 service requests last year, including 97 owners notifying of lost dogs - an increase of 12% on the previous year.“Dog control is a high area of focus for the Central Otago District Council, which strives to undertake the following key factors: (a); to have all dogs that live in the district registered (b); ensure all dogs are kept under control at all times and (c); ongoing education of dog owners regarding their responsibilities and obligations.”Ryan said the number of roaming dogs remained the second largest issue, with a 43% increase (36) from the previous year.“Roaming dogs can frighten, intimidate, and annoy the community in addition to potentially attacking people and other dogs. Additional patrols and communications regarding responsible dog ownership were undertaken through the year.”

After nearly two decades of dedicated leadership, James Hazlett has stepped down from his role as chief fire officer of the Ranfurly Volunteer Fire Brigade. Having led the brigade through 19 years of service and countless emergency responses, James has passed the torch to new chief fire officer William (Willy) Dowling.However, James’ commitment to the brigade remains unwavering as he continues his work within the service.While his role over the past 19 years has consisted of car crashes, structure and vegetation fires, and medical callouts, he has also been instrumental in leading the brigade to become a fully integrated site, bringing urban and rural under one umbrella in January 2021.James also helped the brigade move from paper-based to a computerised system and has been involved in running Fire and Emergency New Zealand and United Fire Brigades’ Association competitions for the Otago Southland area.The Ranfurly Volunteer Fire Brigade attends about 42 callouts a year, with structural and vegetation fires being among the most common in the area, followed by car crashes.James welcomes more people to join the brigade, to ensure the service remains strong in the future.It currently has a membership of about 45 to 50, but another four to five urban members who are Ranfurly based during the day were needed.James Hazlett (left) passes over the chief fire officer helmet to Willy Dowling. PHOTO: SuppliedHe said women, particularly those who might not have returned to work after having children, but are available between 9am and 3pm, would also be welcome.There have been about five or seven women join the brigade during James’ time and had proved invaluable to the service.Members who live outside the township had also brought benefits to the brigade, James said.Three members might jump in the fire truck, while a further five who live or work close to the address where help is needed can travel independently.That scenario unfolded recently, where the fire officer who attended in their own vehicle was able to provide an assessment of the situation and confirm how much support was needed.New chief fire officer Willy, who joined the brigade 26 years ago, is looking forward to his role.He intends to build on James' legacy while also embracing new initiatives, including the addition of a support ute, which he hopes will be in service before Christmas.The ute, a Ford Ranger, will be able to access areas of the Maniototo quicker and easier than the fire truck.“If a farmer has a heart attack or rolls his ute in the back country, we can access it with a decent 4WD ute. We can take equipment off our main truck and cart it into the paddock.”The brigade has evolved greatly over the years and also works closely with St John, which provides a “fantastic” service to the wider community, he said.“We were [once just] a fire brigade - we put out fires . . . now we do a bit of everything. It’s an evolving organisation and I want to keep it ahead of the game if I can.”Read more: Ranfurly Volunteer Fire Brigade to get new 4WD

Alexandra Police is drafting a letter to its national dive squad after more power gel was found on the banks of the Clutha River near Clyde last week.Senior Constable Graham Perkins said members of the Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal team from Christchurch were called to safely detonate the material, which was the third time in as many months.“All the parties involved have it down to a fine art now,” he said.When Contact Energy lowers the river the power gel becomes washed up on the riverbank into a crater and poses a hazard to the public.It was understood to be linked to the construction of the Clyde Dam 30-plus years ago, but police said they were now taking steps to have the issue resolved.“We’re drafting up a request for the dive squad for a training exercise to see if they can find anything. They might find a cave or a crater somewhere,” he said.Members of the public have been finding the power gel on the riverbank and police are advising people not to touch it, and report to police immediately.Read more: EOD team called in to detonate explosive power gel

An influx of international families moving into Central Otago has seen job vacancies filled and school rolls boosted.Welcoming Communities officer Heather Harries has been working with these new families who have come from Sri Lanka, India, The Philippines, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Chile, Argentina, and Nicaragua.She has also assisted them with their English through her role with Central Otago REAP.“The community is starting to see the vibrancy that the diversity brings,” she said.Welcoming Week in Central Otago will take place from September 6-16, and Heather in her role for the Central Otago District Council along with graphic designer Mark Fenton, have been putting together a video of some of the many families speaking their home language.This will be launched on Monday, September 9.Heather said some of the families had moved here for work in the caregiver industry, with some now employed at Ranui in Alexandra, and others were working in various trades.But there were many adjustments they have endured after moving to Central Otago, such as understanding the very colloquial Kiwi accents, lack of public transport and generally adapting to everyday New Zealand life.“We are one of the fastest speakers in the world. So, the best thing people can do is slow down,” she said.Teaching Kiwi slang is part of her role at REAP, in helping the families understand why everything in New Zealand is “sweet as,” and why “ta” is actually somebody saying thanks and not that they are ‘done’.  “Slang dominates informal conversation in the construction industry and most new migrants have been taught formal English, so it is like a whole new language.”Schools have also played a part in helping new families become adjusted to Central Otago life, including The Terrace primary school that has its own ‘Tribe’ group to support children from overseas.Principal Sarah Graham said they’ve seen a noticeable increase in student numbers in the first two terms of this year, and St Gerards also confirmed its role was the biggest in 20 years, with a significant number of international families.“Our numbers in the first half of the year are comparable to what we've typically seen for an entire year on average,” Sarah said.The ‘Drive My Life’ academy further helped families with getting a licence and gaining experience on our roads, so they could start exploring the region more.“It’s so important for them to have that independence,” Heather said. 

A 37-year-old Christchurch woman who recently created mayhem in a Cromwell motel, returned to Central Otago and did the same thing at another accommodation business in Alexandra.Police were called to an incident of disorder by the motel owners, after the woman started throwing things around the room.Using the room for ‘night work’ purposes on both occasions, she was picked up by police and transported to Queenstown before trying to attack the officers.Senior Constable Graham Perkins said they put a spit hood on the woman, but she continued to be aggressive, and a female officer from Wānaka was called in to carry out a search.“She then started pulling out her hair and trying to get naked,” he said.Police kept her on constant monitoring overnight before mental health services were called.Snr Const Perkins said the woman, who had breached her bail, was meant to be residing in Dunedin.She was charged with assaulting police, disorderly behaviour and possession of cannabis and utensils.A Wānaka woman, who also had a warrant for arrest after failing to appear in court, bit a police officer on the hand and wrist, after opening the door to what she thought was a courier driver.Snr Const Perkins said she also had a spit hood placed on her and was transported to Queenstown, charged with resisting arrest and assaulting an officer.Building sites in Wānaka have been targeted by offenders on several occasions recently, but serial numbers on tools had obviously stopped anything being taken, Snr Const Perkins said.One builder noted his business had been watched by two men during the day while workers were on site, and he promptly told them to leave.A man who fell asleep at the wheel of his car at Shingle Creek on Wednesday, faces a careless driving charge after crashing into a bank.Snr Const Perkins said the man had been spoken to by police at Lawrence and admitted to being tired and was planning on having a sleep. A 23-year-old Alexandra man has also been charged with burglary, after admitting taking $1800 worth of tyres and wheels from his former employer, after being caught on CCTV.

Now is “traditionally” the season to light vegetation fires responsibly, but failing to take the right precautions can have dire consequences, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) warns.Fire crews have attended numerous callouts to vegetation fires across wider Otago in recent weeks, including one at Becks on Monday, which Omakau, Blackstone and Dunstan crews attended.Crews across East Otago have also had a series of callouts in recent weeks, which has required helicopters in some cases, a cost that is paid for by Fenz.Fenz advisor risk reduction for the Otago District Mark Mawhinney said while now was usually the right time of the year for burning unwanted vegetation waste, people should remain cautious.He said that meant checking the weather forecast before burning and remaining vigilant over the days it continues to burn and smoulder.“The thing catching people out at this time of year is the wind and that’s what’s caused these fires to become a problem,” he said.“While it’s a good time to burn . . . people do still need to be careful.”He said, in some cases the burns are quite big, which means they can remain burning or smouldering “for weeks”.Those fires should be monitored regularly, along with the weather and if wind starts to pick up, the fire should be buried or extinguished.“With wind picking up, embers travel so other grass can catch fire.”Mark said unpredictable weather meant it was a “real catch-22”.“It’s a delicate balance.”However, help was always at hand, he said.He encourages anyone wanting advice to contact Fenz.“If they haven’t done much burning before we’re happy to come out and take a look, free of charge.”To enquire about receiving advice in Central Otago and the Queenstown Lakes email [email protected] but in an emergency dial 111.Visit the Fenz website to learn more about outdoor and rural fire safety.

Increased living costs haven't stopped Central residents from digging deep for the Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day appeal.The annual fundraiser returned to the streets of Central on Friday, giving people a chance to donate to the cause, while groups also came up with creative ways to pull in some dollars.Among them was The Terrace School, which raised $471 with a mufti-day and barbecue fundraiser.Puna Rangatahi, the Alexandra and District’s Youth Trust, joined in the efforts by hosting a bake sale in Roxburgh, which raised about $1000.Daffodils are in bloom, the flower that represents the Cancer Society's annual appeal. PHOTO: Anna WinterTrust manager Tash Kane said Roxburgh Area School students in the social studies class made the baking, while those in the Mahi Mātātoa, an adventure-based programme, also helped sell the baking alongside daffodils outside the town’s supermarket.“As part of that programme is a volunteer day, so we reached out to Volunteer South, and they put us in touch with the Cancer Society.”Fulton Hogan in collaboration with Soul Fitness gym also supported the cause with a collection, led by Anna Winter.Members of Soul Fitness were among those who got behind Daffodil Day last Friday. PHOTO: Anna WinterAnna, who is a department manager at Fulton Hogan and an active member of the gym, said about $650 cash was raised on the day, while more was donated via a QR code, but she was not sure exactly how much.“The support I received from everyone was brilliant. It was quite overwhelming how generous people were and how many people are touched by cancer.”Cancer Society Otago Southland volunteer partner Kelly Hoskin said final figures from the day had not yet been collated, but overall people were keen to give, and their support had created a “positive vibe” to the day.“People are really pleased with how it went, which was good.”This year’s theme for the Daffodil Day appeal is ‘one in three could be me’, highlighting the fact one in three people will get cancer in our lifetime and it does not discriminate.Anyone who still wants to donate money to the cause can do so via the Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day website.The Central App also caught up with Southern Cancer Society head of funding Jonet Warhurst ahead of the appeal, who talked about the cause on The Outlet podcast.Read more: Volunteers unite for Daffodil Day

It all started with just some men and buckets of water, but 150 years later the Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade is still going strong.And on Monday night the brigade decided to recognise this milestone, by holding its monthly meeting at exactly 8pm on September 2 - the same day and time as it first met back in 1874.The Mayor of Cromwell at the time David Anderson Jolly held a public meeting at the town hall to form the brigade after reading about “disasters” in Dunedin where businesses had lost property through a series of fires.Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade members will soon be celebrating the station's 150th anniversary. PHOTO: Lisa Hill Mr T. Fergus thought the idea of a fire brigade a praiseworthy one, and moved the mayor’s motion that a brigade be formed at once, and instantly 22 names were signed up.“An organisation of men, even with buckets, could do much towards extinguishing a fire,” he said at the meeting, which was reported in the Cromwell Argus at the time.Cromwell Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Neil Gillespie said preparations were also underway to celebrate the 150th anniversary between October 11 and 13, which 120 people had registered to attend.The event will start with a gathering of past and present members on the Friday night, followed by an open day for the public to attend on the Saturday, with formal proceedings following on that night, including its annual honours by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.

The Alexandra-based Hawkeswood Mining company is very happy that its Millers Flat gold mine has been approved and the company can get on with its 10-year project.Operations Manager Simon Johnstone said they had spent close to $2.5 million on the joint Otago Regional/Central Otago District Council consent application, and would be fully operating within the next month.Hawkeswood Mining Ltd expects to create up to 30 jobs and inject an estimated $5 to $7 million annually into the local community with its mine on the banks of the Clutha Mata-Au River.Commissioners Louise Taylor, Craig Welsh and Rosalind Day-Cleavin released their decision last week, granting the 10-year consent but reducing the proposed water take to just six years.In their decision they said the potential adverse effects of the proposal were either minor or minimised to the extent practicable, or were otherwise suitably avoided, remedied, mitigated or offset by the imposition of appropriate conditions of consent.All 475 submissions were closely regarded, and some submitters raised concerns about the impact of the proposal on private property prices and commercial ventures.But the commissioners said in their decision, the direct effects of an activity on the environment were the primary consideration for our decision. “Any indirect effect on property prices or suchlike are not relevant matters we can consider in our decision. We have carefully and thoroughly considered the direct environmental effects of the proposal, including on people and communities, throughout this decision."One of the conditions of the consent was to ensure that mining work did not prevent public access to the Clutha Gold cycle trail. However, the cycle trail may be temporarily diverted in accordance with the Master Plan, to enable ongoing public use and access. 

Efforts are underway to safeguard birdlife at Thomsons Wetland ahead of the arrival of potential predators to the area.The wetland, on the outskirts of the Omakau township, attracts a wide range of native and endangered birds.To keep them protected from predators including stoats, ferrets, hedgehogs and possums, monitoring stations have been placed around the wetland, which a group of volunteers are regularly monitoring.The wetland is not accessible to the public but can be viewed from the Otago Central Rail Trail. PHOTO: The Central AppA group of seven ventured to the site on Friday morning to gauge what predators were already moving into the area, ahead of the warmer months.To do that, volunteer Kim Hore used a guide sheet to determine what rodents had nibbled away at peanut butter infused boards dotted around the wetland.Boards slotted inside small tunnels were also used to help the group determine what footprints had been left behind.The group’s latest investigation found signs of mice and rats in the area.Swans and their cygnets grace the wetland, among a range of other native and endangered birds. VIDEO: The Central AppHowever, there appeared to be limited activity, Kim said.“There’s just not that much here yet, which is good news.“I think we are ahead of it.”She said while rats could move in, in big numbers, stoats and ferrets could be the most damaging.The group monitors one of the stations during a walk around the wetland on Friday. A guide helps the volunteers determine what predators have been in the area, based on chew marks left on a card, pictured in the background. Trapping stations will soon be installed.As the group moved around the wetland on Friday, two resident swans with their four small cygnets appeared, a promising sign that predators were being kept at bay.Kim said the cygnets first appeared about two weeks ago, so was pleased to see all four were still alive and well.“We can see the wildlife coming in, so we are just trying to protect them.”The Thomsons Wetland is the work of the Manuherekia Catchment Group, which started out as a way to find solutions to protect water quantity and quality.Weather permitting, the next event for the Thomsons Wetland is a planting day, taking place on Sunday, September 29, from 10am.Register your interest at [email protected] or visit the Manuherekia Catchment Group’s website to learn more about the group, or to read its latest newsletter.PHOTOS/VIDEO: The Central App

It might feel like winter is over, but some mornings are still catching motorists out and police are finding drivers are often unprepared for their journey.Alexandra Police Senior Constable Graham Perkins said obscure windscreens that hadn’t been cleared properly could see motorists faced with a $150 fine.“Take your time, leave early and prepare well for your trip. It’s better to be late than dead on time,” he said.Over the past week there has also been some instances of black ice later in the morning around 8am, even after it had been a frost-free night, he said.Snr Const Perkins said Central Otago roads were definitely getting busier as the population increased, and in particular early in the mornings with a lot of commercial business on the highways.“We’re getting a lot of people going through to bigger centres . . . a lot of freight, because of where we live, we are isolated, so everything has to be transported.”Luckily this winter, while it had been cold and the season started earlier this year, there had been no road closures in the district, other than the Lindis Pass.“It has just been dark and cold,” he said.Tourists in smaller campervans towing trailers and often in convoy also continued to be a hazard on the highways, as well as passing on yellow lines.“Just be safe out there,” he said.Listen to more on how police have tackled driving on our roads this winter, on this week’s The Outlet podcast.

A draft response to matters raised in letters from the Minister for the Environment Penny Simmonds on the Otago Regional Council’s Land and Water Regional Plan (LWRP), should be completed in the next week.Chief executive Richard Saunders told the meeting yesterday the draft response would then be brought back to an extraordinary council meeting within a fortnight.Minister Penny Simmonds wrote to the council twice over the past six weeks asking for a breakdown of costs associated with aspects of the LWRP, after concerns from the primary sector, and district councils regarding wastewater treatment disposal plans.Richard said there had been changes made since that point, which would be outlined to the minister in the letter.Staff have also indicated a willingness to meet with the minister to discuss the issues raised in the letter and provide some clarity on the content of the draft plan.But some councillors raised concerns about why they couldn’t review the letter now and add their input to it, saying council was "cutting it short.”“I’m always open to receiving emails on this,” Richard told the meeting.He said the plan remained on track to meet the notification date of October 31, but requests for additional legal advice had placed additional pressure on the programme.The council was also seeking an independent review of technical aspects of the draft plan, and regional councillors would see the first draft at a workshop on September 17.Richard highlighted the fact that the two workshops for councillors (the second being in October), were not decision-making forums.Council will make its decision on the LWRP on October 23, a week before it was due to be notified.Chair Gretchen Robertson said the LWRP development remained front of everyone’s mind. 

Victim Support has been declined $10,000 in funding from the Central Otago District Council for help funding additional resources in the district.As a first-time applicant, the organisation was one of two nationally, along with the Plunket Society, that council decided it wouldn’t support through its $151,000 district wide grants scheme.Mayor Tim Cadogan said more national organisations were coming to council looking for funding, and warned “this might be our last grants round,” as it was currently carrying out a review of its policy.Victim Support funding specialist Denise Graham spoke to council yesterday and has also met with ACT MP Todd Stephenson as a result of under resourcing in the area.With offices based at police stations in Cromwell, Queenstown and Alexandra, Central Otago only has one part-time team leader and the organisation faces difficulties recruiting volunteers.The geographical distance between offices was also challenging, and the organisation wanted to employ an additional staff member.Denise said over the past 12 months Victim Support has assisted 300 people in the district, and emphasised how the organisation could be a “game changer” for those affected by crime.Just last week Victim Support was successful in gaining funding from Central Lakes Trust, but that was only 14 per cent of its operating expenses.The organisation also has a pending application with the Russell Henderson Trust, which will be decided at the end of September.Groups that were successful in the latest funding round were Sport Otago, which received $48,400, the Central Otago Heritage Trust, $44,000, Central Otago District Arts Trust, $44,000, Central Otago Health Inc, $7500, Volunteer South, $5000, and the Life Education Trust Heartland Otago Southland, $4000.

A strong wind watch is in place across parts of Central tonight, with gusts already starting to intensify.MetService has issued the wind watch for 11 hours from now until 3am tomorrow morning, but have noted there is a low chance of it upgrading to a warning.A wind watch is also in place for Fiordland, Southland northwest of Riversdale, and Queenstown Lakes District.The wind watch in place for Central will also affect many other parts of the South Island overnight. IMAGE: MetServiceAlexandra had a settled day with a high of 17 degrees Celsius, making it one of the warmest days of, what is still officially, winter.However, that temperature will make way to a balmy overnight low of 7C, along with gusts of about 100km/h.MetService meteorologist Mmathapelo Makgabutlane said as we approach the windiest part of the year, breezy westerlies will be a noticeable feature, particularly in the South Island."It’s a good time to secure any loose items, so they don’t end up in the neighbour's yard," she said.Keep up to date with the latest Weather, via The Central App.

A developer wants to demolish an old 1940s house in Clyde and build six town houses onsite, but neighbours are not happy with the proposal.Hamlin Enterprises proposes to build two-storied units on the land at 50 Sunderland St and 11 Fache St, which is partially contained within the town's Heritage Precinct. A hearing has been set down for September 11 with the Central Otago District Council’s hearing panel, and the applicant seeks to enable construction of the townhouses prior to the subdivision being undertaken. Planning consultant for the council, Tom McIntyre, has recommended that Hamlin Enterprises be granted consent for the multi-unit development, subject to conditions.Three submitters opposed the application, including Graham Perkins, who also owns a 1940s house right next door to the development.He is concerned the two-storied units will completely block sun from his property, destroy his views, and is also concerned, along with other submitters about the density of the development in the context of the Clyde historic precinct.But the planner in his report said, while the permitted baseline differs between the Sunderland St lots and the Fache St lot, the Heritage Precinct notation only overlays the Sunderland St area.Under the district plan, the construction of any new building or structure within the Heritage Precinct is a discretionary (restricted) activity.All of the proposed buildings are subject to the precinct overlay and therefore require resource consent, however, as the precinct does not extend over 11 Fache St, it is a permitted activity to construct a residential dwelling within that lot.He recommends that the proposal be considered as an application for land use subdivision consent to a discretionary activity and has the view that while adverse effects on the environment will arise, the actual and potential effects will be appropriate, “and that granting consent will not be contrary to the objectives and policies of the operative district plan or to any regional or national planning document”.