Two of Dunedin's biggest student bars have shut suddenly, and their owner has pointed to Dunedin's ''utterly conservative'' councillors as the cause.

An Octagon bar owner insists his late-night venue will not become the latest to close, despite police opposition to a renewed on-licence after a string of assaults linked to the premises.

Street artist Bezt painted a woman lying in a forest clutching arrows protruding from her stomach on a wall in the Scenic Circle Southern Cross Hotel car park.

It was announced on the Capone's and Boogie Nites Facebook pages that the bars were closed yesterday morning.

A 16-year-old boy was seriously injured in what police have described as a “cowardly unprovoked group attack” outside a party in Dunedin.

The son of a New Zealand rich-lister has won a fight to keep his name secret after he allegedly punched a female police officer in the face.

Police were called to a party in North Dunedin last night after firefighters putting out couch fires reported bottles being thrown.

More than a quarter of ear, nose and throat patients who need surgery are being turned away from the overloaded Dunedin Hospital department, a letter released under the Official Information Act shows.

From wildlife to heritage to chocolate, Peter Feeney finds plenty of reasons to extend your visit to Dunedin.

Motat's clever use of te reo has seen it receive top honours at the ServiceIQ 2015 New Zealand Museum Awards in Dunedin.

Dunedin police are investigating after a Palmerston baby was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.

A truck has jack-knifed near Dunedin this morning closing city-bound lanes on State Highway 1.

A man who sparked an armed manhunt and a police car chase in Dunedin was captured last night.

A fugitive who went on the run in Dunedin has been found after eluding police for much of the day.

Police have taken action against some of their own after failing to protect Katherine Webb and her children, but those involved have kept their jobs.

A top policeman choked back tears yesterday as he recounted Dunedin police's significant failures in their handling of Edward Livingstone.

Police failed to protect Katherine Webb and her children, Bradley and Ellen Livingstone, an inquest heard today.

Changes have been made to the way Southern police handled cases of family violence after the deaths of Bradley and Ellen Livingstone.

The police prosecutor in charge of Edward Livingstone's second protection order breach has conceded mistakes might have been made in the way police handled the case.

A harrowing statement from Katharine Webb to police has revealed the horrific minutes leading up to her children's deaths.

The duplicity of Edward Livingstone has emerged during the coroner's inquest into the death of himself and his children.

WATCH: Daredevils have taken on the steepest street in the world, riding drift trikes down Dunedin's Baldwin St.

The dead oarfish washed up at Aramoana last week has disappeared and marine experts are warning against eating its 3m-long fillets.

An engine issue grounded a Christchurch-bound flight at Dunedin International Airport yesterday, but Air NZ has kept tight lipped about the problems.

Four students were arrested and a stereo seized from a drunken party in Dunedin yesterday.

New University of Otago research is providing the most comprehensive picture of the nearly 40million-year-long evolutionary history of baleen whales.

A bizarre, self-amputating, vertical swimming, serpent-like marine specimen has washed up on the salt marsh at Aramoana in Dunedin.