Otago students drinking less and causing fewer issues over O-Week
From reporter Hamish McNeilly:
Less broken glass, a handful of arrests and a solitary couch fire: police have praised Otago students for improved behaviour over Orientation Week.
Sergeant Steve Jones wants to give "credit where credit is due" after thousands of students who returned for Flo Week (the flatting Orientation Week), and the following Orientation Week, showing a marked improvement in behaviour, he said.
The change came after some in the community who always gave students a "bad rap" over any anti-social behaviour, such as broken glass.
"It is definitely getting better," Jones said.
The anti-social element was a very small percentage of the community itself, and ‘’certainly a far cry from what we’ve seen in previous years,’’ he said.
Some of those arrested in the student quarter were not students, and came from outside the city.
That was the case in one of the more high profile incidents, which involved 15 Christchurch men who burst into a Leith St Flat and assaulted four flat mates.
Meanwhile, a proactive approach to bottle stores in the student quarter resulted in more canned products sold compared to glass bottles, which led to less glass on the street, Jones said.
And not all students were drinking, he said.
"We are seeing a new cohort of young people making more conscious and better educated decisions around alcohol, and we have a sober curious community coming through, who are going for zero alcohol options," Jones said.
There were only two reported case of gross intoxication in the student quarter over that period, with one of those a drug overdose.
What was also proving to be beneficial in reducing harm was students registering their parties on the Good One Party Register, which came with police offering advice to organisers.
It was difficult to determine if this was a long-term trend, given Covid had caused restrictions on large gatherings, however Jones was optimistic.
"I think we are following a trajectory which has been influenced by the partnerships."
That included emergency services, Otago University, and the students’ association working on student safety but still allowing "students to be students", he said.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
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4.7% Second half of November
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43.6% 1st December
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17.4% A week before Christmas
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33.2% Whenever you wish
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1.1% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
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