The Harbour Hang-Over
Recently I received a message from a Peninsula resident who had been cleaning up a section of the Otago Harbour of plastic and other rubbish. Now as a keen fisherman and diver I found their efforts impressive, but it was also depressing at the amount of plastic they removed from around the harbours edge. The
A Quiet Corner of the World
Its been noticeably quiet on the Otago Peninsula with the latest Covid-19 related lockdown and our progression into level two. As we move into spring and the days get longer the Peninsula begins awakening and preparing for summer. Both people and animals begin to shrug off the last vestiges of winter as the lawnmower gets
Power to the Pupils
Participation in local government, particularly in elections should be looked upon as one of our great shames. With only 42% of eligible New Zealand voters bothering to cast a ballot in Council elections, we only have ourselves to blame when decisions are made that we may not approve of or support. Just why we are
Taking a Breather
In early May all Community Board Chairs were asked by The Star, “If you could have just one thing from your board area included in the 2020-21 Annual Plan, what would it be, and why?” In the Board’s submission to the Dunedin City Council’s 2020 Annual Plan it was clear that we needed to adjust
Waitangi Day at Otakou
When you live on the Otago Peninsula you are living in a rich cultural and historical landscape that extends over the many generations whose descendants are part of our community today. The Peninsula sits on a crossroads of historical people and events that defines not only our community but gives its name Otakou to the
Having Skin In the Game
The debate between the Otago Peninsula community and the Otago Regional Council over the provision of bus services for school commuters has been a long and arduous one. Recently, local parent Jason Graham and I presented a petition of nearly 1000 signatures seeking three very simple things; A timetable change An additional bus to create
The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round
The announcement of the review of the Dunedin City Council Book Bus service is a pertinent reminder to all Otago Peninsula residents of the importance of local services. The review should be treated as an opportunity by the community to consider modernising the services that the Book Bus can supply. These should include WiFi, online services
Ko to tatou hapori i te tuatahi
I was a little whakama (shy, nervous) about putting out an election sign in Te Reo Maori. However, living on the Peninsula and working in Dunedin has taught me to look deeply at the nature of our community and how we can support one another.Language is one of those ways, and through it we can