Back
273 days ago

Supermarket plagued with rats set to close for 48 hours

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from Dunedin News

By reporter Hamish McNeilly:

A Dunedin supermarket that has been plagued with rats is set to close for 48 hours.

Staff and the union of Countdown Dunedin South store were told on Friday afternoon.

Woolworths New Zealand, which operates the store, confirmed the recent capture of four more rodents has forced the store to close.

Woolworths New Zealand director of stores Jason Stockill said: "Our local community will be aware that we’ve been working to address a rodent issue at Countdown Dunedin South for the last couple of months."

Food safety was the company’s “absolute priority”, with the supermarket giant working closely with the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), and pest control contractor Rentokil.

“We believed we had addressed the issue, as there had been no evidence of rodent activity since January 28.
Unfortunately we have caught four rodents over the last few days so it is clear we have more work to do.”


NZ Food Safety and Rentokil confirmed the rodents were not nesting in the store, but appeared to be coming in from outside.

The Dunedin City Council was also involved in surveying neighbouring areas, in what the supermarket chain called “a coordinated response”.

“Having a safe and hygienic store is incredibly important to us and we would like to apologise to our customers for any distress and inconvenience this update causes,” Stockill said.

“We will reopen when we are confident these additional measures have been implemented. We anticipate this will be on Monday morning.”

More messages from your neighbours
1 day ago

Poll: Is it rude to talk on the phone on a bus?

The Team from Neighbourly.co.nz

Buses can be a relaxing way to get home if you have a seat and enough space. However, it can be off-putting when someone is taking a phone call next to you.

Do you think it's inconsiderate for people to have lengthy phone calls on a bus? Vote in the poll, and add your comments below.

Image
Is it rude to talk on the phone on a bus?
  • 64.6% Yes
    64.6% Complete
  • 32.9% No
    32.9% Complete
  • 2.5% Other - I'll share below
    2.5% Complete
1461 votes
18 hours ago

Unlock the Answer: Today’s Riddle is Trickier Than You Think!

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

What English word retains the same pronunciation, even after you take away four of its five letters?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

Image
1 hour ago

Become an SPCA Foster Hero!

The Team from SPCA Dunedin - Centre & Op Shop

Kitten season has arrived, and over the next six months, over 8,000 cats and kittens will come into SPCA’s care. Please help us give these babies the best start in life and sign up to be a foster parent today! It's not just cats and kittens - we are also urgently seeking foster homes for dogs and small animals.

Fostering saves lives and helps these tiny babies grow into healthy, well-adjusted adults, ready for adoption. We cover all training and costs. All you need is time and love to spare!

Sign up today and save a life!