Drunk university students who set couches alight after being turfed out of parties are blaming police for inflaming tensions.

A mix-up in medication dispensed by a pharmacy may have contributed to the death of an elderly Otago man but it was hard to determine to what extent, a court heard.

The Otago Regional Council has launched a fresh attack on the $100 million waterfront hotel proposed for Dunedin, saying a lack of information means resource consent for the project should be rejected.

Large tracts of Otago and Southland's coast could be opened up for the commercial harvesting of paua, with the move expected to face opposition from recreational fishermen.

Multiple gunshots startled volunteers at Orokonui Ecosanctuary in Otago late on Monday, prompting a warning from police over the use of firearms.

A pamphlet has been delivered to Palmerston households warning a convicted child sex offender is living in the community.

Justine Tyerman and her mum take a trip and never leave the rest home.

Two teenagers who put lives at risk by shining a high-powered green laser into the cockpit of the police helicopter have refused to apologise for their actions.

A scammer described by police as ''loud and expressive'' has been ripping off South Island Subway outlets.

An autistic man was told ''go home to China'' in a racist verbal attack in central Dunedin this week.

Minister says Housing NZ stock needs work before it can impose conditions on private landlords

Almost 800 long-buried bodies may have been rediscovered by an archaeologist in Central Otago.

In a positive development for Dunedin's tertiary education industry, Otago Polytechnic predicts higher student numbers later this year.

A bright "sparkly" silver object seen falling from the sky in Otago on Sunday afternoon was probably a rarely seen daylight meteor.

Southern police have unwittingly disclosed sensitive information about a major drug bust, but say it has not compromised the privacy or safety of those involved.

Every time Mosgiel resident Nick Vermeulen looks in the mirror, the consequences of his actions are reflected in the asymmetry of his face.

Two students who fell off the roof of the same Dunedin flat within minutes of each other say the incidents are a reminder for students to think before they act.

What caused a Hororata pilot to fly his glider into the side of a mountain near Omarama in a fatal crash in January last year may never be definitively known.