Latest news with #Dawe
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
ORC To Consider Public Transport Changes
Otago Regional Council (ORC) will consider whether to discontinue free children's bus fares (5-12 years), increase adult fares from $2 to $2.50, and several other public transport changes at its meeting this week. The decisions are a result of ORC's review of the Otago Regional Public Transport Plan (RPTP). The RPTP attracted 549 public submissions, with hearings held in May this year. ORC General Manager Regional Planning and Transport Anita Dawe says, 'In a report being presented to the Council this week, the hearings panel for the RPTP are recommending discontinuing free fares for children, increasing the adult fare from $2 to $2.50, and setting child and youth discounts (5-18 years) to 40% off the adult fare (i.e. $1.50 fare). The fare increases are recommended to take effect from 29 September 2025.' 'The plan's hearings panel also recommends moving to a zone fare structure once ORC completes further analysis and modelling. Ms Dawe says no timeframe is indicated for this recommended change yet. In addition to fare changes, the panel has made recommendations on several potential new public transport services frequently raised by submitters. 'Many submitters indicated their support for some type of community transport to facilitate better intraregional connections. The panel recommends the Council maintains support for community transport as written in the plan, with the timing and scale of any future community transport programme to be decided in future Council meetings.' There were a number of submissions requesting new public transport services connecting Wanaka and Upper Clutha, Wanaka and Queenstown, and Oamaru and Dunedin, Ms Dawe says. Others asked for services connecting Dunedin and Dunedin Airport, Balclutha, Outram and Central Otago. 'The RPTP recommendations include Council consider these potential new services in the future and accelerates introducing public transport services for Wanaka to a six- to ten-year timeframe.' The panel acknowledged community interest in rail solutions, but concluded there is not the evidence base to include rail in the plan in any great detail. However, minor changes to language from the draft plan have been recommended to reflect sentiment and support study in this area. The panel appreciated many submitters acknowledging the public transport challenges Otago faces, including the constrained funding. The report will be presented to ORC's council meeting this Wednesday (25 June). The report and full agenda are now online, under Meetings on The council will publish the final version of the plan incorporating the recommended changes later this year.
Scoop
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scoop
Lawnmower Racers Battle It Out At Fieldays: 'Cheapest Motorsport You Can Do'
There are several rural sporting competitions at agricultural events: shearing, wood chopping and the tractor pull. And for the first time this year, lawnmower racing is coming to Fieldays in the form of the Red Bull Cut It competition. Barry Dawe from the New Zealand Lawnmower Racing Association told First Up the sport has been gaining popularity around the country because of its accessibility. The machines are modified ride-on mowers with the cutting blades removed. Dawe said the engines range from 400cc to 1000cc. "They're pretty big engines and and people tend to think oh it's only a lawnmower engine, but you think of a 500cc motorbike, that's the sort of torque these things have got," Dawe said. "So there's some angry mowers here." Racers sit either on, in, or around the mower and they are not strapped in, Dawe said. Race day is Saturday and the mowers are on display through the week. "So we've got a slightly smaller track than we normally race on, but we've made it so we can do lots of drifting, lots of noise. We've got a jump," Dawe told First Up. "We've got some CO2 cannons that are going to go off. So it's going to be a great old day. We've got over 30 mowers here and we're going to rip up the ground." He said the track is lined with hay bales, and they have tried to make it as wide as they can to allow for passing and drifting. "You don't have to go over the jump, but obviously, if you do, you'll probably get some bonus points and maybe win a trophy." And there's enough straight to get up a bit of speed. About 50 or 60km/h, Dawe said. "We have people from Hawke's Bay, a couple from Taranaki, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty. There's a big contingent down there in Christchurch as well, but obviously it was a bit far for them to travel up. "It's the cheapest motorsport you can do in New Zealand. You don't have to spend a million bucks. You can if you want, but there's no point because the competitiveness is limited [because] you're racing on grass. "It evens everybody out, so even the big motors on certain tracks will be no faster than the small motors. It's all about how you drive and the fun of tinkering." As part of the event, hairdressing and barbering students from Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology will be there with their blades offering haircuts. "And we've got a wheel of fortune that you can spin through," Dawe said. "So once you spin the wheel, you get different haircuts ... We've got skullet, mullet, fade, buzz, undercut and a 'joker', which is the hairdresser's choice. "You walk up here, spin the wheel and you never know what you're going to get. But everyone's a winner."
The Herald Scotland
09-06-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Scotland financial services FDI success revealed in survey
This advance was achieved in spite of a sharp fall in the overall number of financial services FDI projects won by the UK last year. EY's figures show that Edinburgh, with the six financial services FDI projects it attracted last year, was the joint-top city outside London for such wins, alongside Manchester. London attracted 39 projects in 2024. The US continues to be the top source of financial services FDI for Scotland, accounting for five such projects in 2024. EY noted the US has been the source of 38 financial services inward investment projects for Scotland over the last decade. Sue Dawe, EY's Scotland managing partner for financial services, said: 'We continue to see Scotland perform well in attracting financial services FDI projects. In 2024, we saw almost as many projects expanding existing operations as we did brand new projects - which is a great indication that these companies view Scotland as a viable proposition to continue investing in.' Read more The UK attracted 73 financial services FDI projects last year, down from 108 in 2023. However, EY noted: 'The UK continues to be Europe's most attractive location for financial services FDI with total project numbers across Europe falling 11% year on year - from 329 projects in 2023 to 293 projects in 2024.' It added: 'The UK's 73 financial services projects is more than double second-placed Germany, which recorded 32 projects - a 16% decline from 38 in 2023. France fell to third position with 30 projects in 2024 - a 23% decline from 39 projects in 2023.' Ms Dawe said: 'While the UK continues to be Europe's top financial service FDI location, the fall in overall investment that was recorded at both those levels tell us that we cannot take the foot off the [pedal]. If Scotland is to remain an attractive place for companies within an increasingly competitive market, then we need to dial up what we do well - working together across sector, government and education - and not shy away from challenges on the horizon.' She added: 'Financial services isn't simply one of Scotland's growth sectors - it's the growth sector that enables other growth sectors; so, if we get this right and continue to be the most attractive place to establish financial services operations outside London, the Scottish economy as a whole will benefit. We've already demonstrated what can be achieved when we work together - this should be no different.' Sandy Begbie, chief executive of industry body Scottish Financial Enterprise, said: 'EY's latest attractiveness survey demonstrates the continued strength and attractiveness of Scotland's world-class financial services industry, based on the depth, breadth and maturity of our ecosystem, the quality of our universities and skills pipeline, and the leadership we are showing in priority areas like data, AI (artificial intelligence) and green finance.' He added: 'We believe there is even greater potential for progress - particularly by taking advantage of global trends around near-shoring and the establishment of large regional hubs - and have redoubled our efforts to promote Scotland as a good place to invest. 'But these results also show that we are operating in an increasingly competitive marketplace and, if we want to retain our strong reputation internationally, there is no room for complacency. It's vital that industry and government work closely and constructively to further build upon our longstanding reputation as a good place to do business, attract further inward investment and create new high-value jobs that benefit everyone in Scotland.'
Toronto Star
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Perimenopause, polyamory and ‘tampon sex': Inside the novel that has Toronto women talking about blowing up their lives
'I feel like I've actually been in that room. I can picture it.' It's a Sunday afternoon in Parkdale and Laura Dawe, a painter in her early 40s, is talking to her still life class about a fictional motel room in a cult novel. Dawe, who is in the process of repainting her studio, hasn't been able to get the image of a lavishly decorated rose-hued space out of her mind since reading 'All Fours,' Miranda July's sexually explicit roman à clef, last year. Dawe has her own distinctive aesthetic. But something about July's description — vivid and borderline surrealist — has stuck in her mind. Painting a room is no longer simply painting a room; for Dawe, it's become a minor act of All Fours-ing. I first encountered All Fours-ing — as a verb — in conversation with Laura Shaw, a software researcher and divorced mother of a 7-year-old, who lives in Corso Italia. Shaw read July's novel last summer and has been discussing its central themes — motherhood, perimenopause, open relationships, aging, art, and sex — with friends ever since. Like hundreds of other Toronto readers — and thousands more around the world — Shaw felt 'All Fours' captured something singular about the experience of contemporary womanhood. To 'all fours' is, as Shaw explains it, 'to blow up your life.' Opinion articles are based on the author's interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details
Toronto Star
31-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Toronto Star
Parenting, perimenopause and ‘tampon sex': Why so many Toronto women are obsessed with a novel about blowing up their lives
'I feel like I've actually been in that room. I can picture it.' It's a Sunday afternoon in Parkdale and Laura Dawe, a painter in her early 40s, is talking to her still life class about a fictional motel room in a cult novel. Dawe, who is in the process of repainting her studio, hasn't been able to get the image of a lavishly decorated rose-hued space out of her mind since reading 'All Fours,' Miranda July's sexually explicit roman à clef, last year. Dawe has her own distinctive aesthetic. But something about July's description — vivid and borderline surrealist — has stuck in her mind. Painting a room is no longer simply painting a room; for Dawe, it's become a minor act of All Fours-ing. I first encountered All Fours-ing — as a verb — in conversation with Laura Shaw, a software researcher and divorced mother of a 7-year-old, who lives in Corso Italia. Shaw read July's novel last summer and has been discussing its central themes — motherhood, perimenopause, open relationships, aging, art, and sex — with friends ever since. Like hundreds of other Toronto readers — and thousands more around the world — Shaw felt 'All Fours' captured something singular about the experience of contemporary womanhood. To 'all fours' is, as Shaw explains it, 'to blow up your life.'
