Cricket bat wielded in student brawl

A student brawl in central Dunedin ended with one person being knocked out with a cricket bat and three people arrested.

Police received reports of a brawl between several students on London St about 9.30pm on Thursday, Senior Sergeant Craig Dinnissen said.

A man had been knocked out with a cricket bat, and three men were found by a police dog unit and promptly arrested.

A St John spokesman said three people were taken to Dunedin Hospital with moderate injuries.

Dinnissen confirmed that all of those involved were students, and said inquiries were continuing.

It was too early to say if the men had attended the Black Caps match at University Oval earlier that day, he said.

Cricket streaker arrested

Meanwhile, a streaker at Thursday’s international cricket match has avoided the courts and will instead be dealt with by the University of Otago’s proctor.

He initially evaded ground security but was caught by police, Dinnissen said.

The man was the only person arrested at the match.

Pie thief nabbed

A 21-year-old man was arrested for allegedly shoving a hot pie down his pants at the Regent Night ‘n Day in North Dunedin early on Friday morning.

The pie was recovered but was ‘‘unsellable’’, Dinnissen said.

Buller ratepayers have given an emphatic thumbs down to their council’s proposed new rating system.

Submissions in response to the Buller District Council’s proposed rate review closed last Friday. It attracted a total of 455 submissions.

The overwhelming majority, or 80 per cent, were opposed. The council will have to schedule an extra day of hearings to fit in all those who want to voice their objections in person.

Just 16 per cent of submitters supported the changes proposed in the rates review, and 4 per cent were neutral.

Seventy-nine submitters said they wanted to speak to their submission at hearings, now set for March 9 and 10 in Westport.

‘‘Due to the number of submissions received, hearings will start a day earlier than originally planned,’’ acting group manager Krissy Trigg said.

Many of the objections have come from landowners with small holdings who found themselves switched from the rural category to the residential category, with proposed rates rises in some cases of 200 per cent or more.

The review was the council’s third attempt in seven years to reform its rating system, with the aim of ironing out inequities and inconsistencies.