Controls have been lifted at an Otago poultry farm now that bird flu has been successfully stamped out at the site. Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) chief veterinary officer Dr Mary van Andel said yesterday movement controls had been lifted from Mainland Poultry’s Hillgrove Farm, near Moeraki, after the H7N6…

Business South has been called “irresponsible and short-sighted” after rejecting an invitation to join Dunedin’s carbon zero alliance amid concerns the council’s plans are too ambitious. Last year, the Dunedin City Council resolved to invite the southern business association to the Zero Carbon Alliance — a group of major Dunedin…

Queenstown Airport is set to start the next major project in its capital development programme. Over the next 14 months, the terminal building will be extended north towards the airfield to provide 800sq m of new office and operational space for Air New Zealand, Planebiz, and the Aviation Security Service.…

The main cause of Gene Hackman’s death was heart disease, but he was also in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s disease and likely had not eaten for a long time, according to a new autopsy report.The report documents the 95-year-old actor’s poor heart health, noting he had experienced congestive heart…

Santana Minerals has worked out a way to halve the amount of rock it needs to waste before it reaches its Central Otago payload. The company outlined the information in a note to the Australian Stock Exchange last week. It said the results of a study it commissioned on the…

A Southland recycling company has decided to close the doors of one of its plants to ensure the long-term future of its operations and secure the jobs of about 80 people with disabilities, the general manager says. Recycle South announced yesterday the closure of its further processing plant at Makarewa…

Dunedin-based cancer diagnostic firm Pacific Edge has been dealt a severe financial blow after its key testing procedure was excluded from coverage by the United States Medicare federal health insurance scheme. The firm has been battling for more than a year to overturn a draft decision by a regional manager…

More sea snakes could show up on New Zealand beaches in the future as climate change increases the likelihood of storms bringing them to our shores, the Department of Conservation says.A yellow-bellied sea snake was spotted at Omaha Beach north of Auckland yesterday but, when DOC rangers arrived, it appeared…

Customs have seized a combined total of more than 90 kilograms of methamphetamine found in abandoned bags on two inbound flights in under 12 hours at Auckland International Airport over the weekend.The first intercept occurred after a flight from Malaysia which landed around midnight on April 26.Customs officers identified two…

There’s a sense of unease in Wairoa after two private properties were shot at by gangs in the past 10 days.Wairoa Business Association chairperson Sue Wilson told RNZ there was a big police presence in town, which was welcomed by business owners.”It gives us a sense of security and outlines…