The Southland Times

Young William can’t wait for A&P show

William Malcolm is a 7-year-old embodiment of A&P show zeal. The Heddon Bush youngster spent the weekend bottling like a good’un to ready his jams, relishes and preserves for the home industry section of Saturday’s show at Winton. But that’s not the...

Skin cancer is a ‘huge issue’, doctor says

A skin cancer clinic opens in Invercargill this week, for a community its founder says has a “huge issue’’ with the disease. Dr Sophie Sharpe, a GP with a significant surgical background, will be providing skin cancer checks and minor surgical...

Thank you, Sir Tim

Invercargill has lost a legend. The city’s longest-serving mayor, Sir Tim Shadbolt, died on Thursday at the age of 78. Kiwis from all walks of life have recalled their fondest memories of the charismatic leader who will be remembered for his...

Retail crime partnership paying off

A partnership between police and retailers in Invercargill is being linked to a significant drop in retail crime statistics for Southland. Inspector Mike Bowman, the Southland area commander, said police in the district have been running Operation...

Pipers look forward to ‘bucket list’ tattoo

Members of the Invercargill Pipe Band are set to add a taste of Southland to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo at Eden Park in February. ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band bagpiper Ali MacKenzie said it was special to be performing at the...

The stickability of comedian Paul Ego ENTERTAINMENT

A comedian like the esteemed Paul Ego might have cause to pause before taking the microphone in Invercargill, as he will next month on his summer Stick tour. It’s the first time in his 30-year career that he’s bestirred himself to show up solo, rather...

World Cup a surreal experience

It’s been a whirlwind year for Gore’s Dan Nelson. The 17-year-old was part of the New Zealand team that competed at the Fifa Under-17 World Cup in Qatar in November. Nelson, who attended St Patrick’s College Silverstream in Wellington and was part of...

Suspicious fire sparks evacuation of home

Police are investigating a fire in Invercargill that started in a hedge and spread to the roof of a nearby house, forcing the family to evacuate. The family affected by the damage said it was the third time a fire had started in the hedge behind their...

Leader ‘supported, guided and challenged’ by others

Gail Thompson reads the list of achievements attributed to her and sees “the result of countless hands, voices and hearts working together’’. The Bluff-based leader, advocate and mentor for Ngāi Tahu whānui has been made a Member of the New Zealand...

Designer reviving discarded clothes

A love of op shopping, a little bit of boredom and a desire to help save the planet have led a young Southlander to create her own business. Ella Gallaher, 21, breathes new life into clothes otherwise destined for the landfill. She said she started...

Half a century and still going strong with meat processing company

Terry O’Connell began his working life at Alliance on the slaughterboard floor and 50 years later, he’s involved in planning the meat company’s market direction. O’Connell, Alliance’s ovine director, marked his 50-year anniversary with the company...

Poop found in bushes HEALTH

Human excrement adjacent to an area used by freedom campers in the Southland district has prompted a call for a public toilet to be installed or campers to be excluded. The area’s Ardlussa Community Board chairperson Richard Clarkson said he had been...

Let the church bells ring this Christmas

Matai Kerr, 14, and his sister Mia, 11, light prayer candles for Christmas at Invercargill’s First Presbyterian Church. Matai says he is looking forward to being around his family and friends for Christmas. Churches throughout Southland will hold a...

Elves to the rescue for Riverton parade

This year’s big Southland storm almost blew away Riverton’s Christmas spirit, but some special elves who believe in magic have made sure an 80-year-old tradition stays put. When strong winds ripped through the region in October, toppling power lines...

Pulitzer Prize-winning Arnett dies

Peter Arnett, the Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter who spent decades dodging bullets and bombs to bring the world eyewitness accounts of war from the rice paddies of Vietnam to the deserts of Iraq, has died. He was 91. Arnett, who won the 1966 Pulitzer...

Esadication to Le paused

Large-scale pest eradication work will pause on Rakiura Stewart Island throughout 2026, says the organisation charged with killing every last pest on the island. The $90m Predator Free Rakiura project aims to completely remove three rat species,...

Two-year wait for museum COUNCIL

The public must wait until late 2027 before getting a new museum in Invercargill. The Invercargill City Council has decided to open the Te Unua Museum of Southland once it is fully completed in late 2027, rather than open parts of it ahead of time at...

Bondi terror attack

Two gunmen opened fire during a Hanukkah celebration on Sydney’s Bondi beach, killing 16 people, including a child, officials said yesterday, in what Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called an act of antisemitic terrorism that struck at the heart of the...

Museum dilemma for council

Te Unua Museum of Southland won’t open by December 2026, but could be partially opened if councillors are prepared to throw between $1 million and $2 million at the project. While the building was on track to be completed by September 2026, the...

Sharing's caring

Whether it’s a festive celebration or a relaxed barbecue, the main event – such as a ham or baked salmon – is often planned well in advance (sometimes months ahead if you’re my aunty). To round out the table, I love having a few special yet...

Gore college intervention costs $254k

The Ministry of Education’s statutory intervention at the troubled St Peter’s College in Gore came at a cost of $254,000. Of that total, the school’s board of trustees paid nearly $200,000 for the work done by limited statutory manager Nicola Hornsey,...

Private chemo treatments now on offer

Chemotherapy treatments have begun in Invercargill under a collaborative approach that may prove a model for the rest of the country. Dunedin-based private provider Mercy Cancer Care NZ is now using facilities at the new Te Hau o Te Ora primary care...

The Pantry community cafe closing down

Citing the “tremendously challenging” time for hospitality in the past few years, community cafe The Pantry is set to close. A statement released by South Alive said “after careful consideration of our financial situation, the ongoing cost of living...

Christmas cheer, ‘the best gift you can give’

Lynette Du Plessis of Invercargill hates seeing people struggle and wanted a way to give back to those in need – so she decided to hold a free event on Christmas Day. With costs ever increasing, it can be challenging for families at this time of year,...

Invercargill teen wins scholarship

Invercargill teenager Liam Templeton has won a nationwide scholarship for male dancers who show outstanding promise in classical ballet. Liam, 14, has been named the 2026 New Zealand School of Dance/Royal Academy of Dance Project B scholarship...

Baby in car police spiked

Police have confirmed that a baby was inside a vehicle they spiked before it crashed in Southland on Tuesday night. However, Southland area commander Mike Bowman said police were not aware that the baby was inside the vehicle before the decision was...

Huge trees in for the chop

Stands of giant trees bordering some of Invercargill’s busiest streets are set be taken down, after being assessed as being a potentially “catastrophic” risk to life. City councillors on Tuesday rejected what they were advised was a low-probability...

War vets’ plaques stolen

The theft of several plaques for returned military personnel at St Johns Cemetery in Invercargill has been labelled “totally disrespectful”. Acting area prevention manager inspector Mel Robertson said Invercargill police were investigating a series of...

Appeal to restore boggy trail launched

One of the wettest and wildest parts of New Zealand’s epic Te Araroa walking trail, in Southland’s Longwoods, will go from bog to boardwalk with public help. Te Araroa Trust has launched a campaign to raise $30,000 from the public to support the first...

Boss unhappy with decision COURT

A woman who stole cash from the till of her Southland employer on multiple occasions has been granted a discharge without conviction and given permanent name suppression. Aged in her mid-20s and employed by a Southland organisation at the time of the...

Simpler local govt raising complex issues for mayors

Southland’s three mayors line up to agree with the Government’s intention to simplify local government structures but still zoom in different directions on where that should logically end up. The divergence may prove an issue given that, as an interim...

Mental health staff strike starts today

A group of health improvement practitioners (HIPs) employed by WellSouth in Southland and Otago will embark on a seven-day strike from today. The 17 HIPs are APEX union members and have been in negotiations with the primary health organisation for...

Grace Street Project seeking funds

The Grace Street Project is calling on Southlanders to leave their mark on its new community hub with a new fundraising campaign. Under the Southland 1000 banner, a thousand individuals or groups are being sought to each donate $1000 towards the...

National honour for southern courts boss

Robert Loo gets job satisfaction from helping people. The justice services manager in Southland and Central Otago – who is in charge of the four courts in the area – has been recognised for his work both locally and nationally. Loo, from...

‘Kick in teeth’ for workers EMPLOYMENT

Seafood company Sanford proposes to make 11 workers redundant at its Bluff processing factory, a union boss says. “It’s a bit of a kick in the teeth to lose your job just before Christmas,” E tū union director Georgie Dansey said. The proposal comes...

Meet New Zealand’s soon-to-be newest dame

Southland and New Zealand are to have a new dame. Pauline Buchanan of Gore is to be honoured as a Dame of St John. King Charles is the sovereign head of St John worldwide and the award, which has been gazetted in London, is the equivalent of a King’s...

Widespread vulnerability after outages

Last month’s storm knocked out power to nearly 140 cellphone towers across Southland and Clutha, showing that during emergencies people need to be prepared not just for power outages, but also communication outages, an industry expert says. New...

MIKE PURU

Gorgeous gifts Perfect presents for everyone Glow getter The benefits of collagen Beauty truths Common questions answered

City pumps up the noise control fines

Silence may be golden but noise can be pretty expensive too. Faced with more abuse and pushback when it responds to noise complaints, the Invercargill City Council has issued a fair-warning caution that central government has armed it, and other...

Not days, not weeks but months before park safe

It fell to Chris Bowen to conduct a creepy tour with a hard message this week. The Invercargill City Council’s strategic adviser on open spaces and recreation, he weaved media on a tour through the safer parts – fewer than you’d think – of the city’s...

Time capsule full of memories buried

After missing out in 2020, Winton Primary School is celebrating its jubilee this weekend. The school, which opened in 1870 at its current base on the corner of Eglinton St and Great North Rd missed out on celebrating 150 years back in 2020 due to...

ICC bypassed local crews

The Invercargill City Council went straight to Christchurch firm Treetech for Queens Park clean-up work after last month’s storm, a decision upsetting local contractors not offered a chance to bid. Eco Tree Care owner Shaun Hancock has challenged the...

Growing Indian community comes together

Prashant Chaddha remembers a time when it was a struggle to find performers for Indian Community Southland’s Diwali Festival. Now there are so many groups wanting to be involved that it has been a struggle to get them all onto the schedule for...

Focus on state of old trees

The rotting innards of towering but geriatric macrocarpa and pine trees throughout Southland have been brutally exposed by the October 23 windstorm. The problem hardly came out of the blue, but the sheer scale of it has swept the issue up the public...

Storm victim fears campervan stolen CRIME

A Southland woman who lost her campervan to severe weather last week, fears the replacement she forked out thousands for has been stolen by the person she arranged to deliver it to her. Liz Wilkinson said her campervan, which served as both her home...

‘It’s too much’: Farmers are struggling to count the loss

As the adrenaline wears off and the power comes back on, Southland farmers are still trying to count their losses. More than a week after a devastating storm swept the south, Wendy Black and her family haven’t yet finished assessing the damage to...

Karaoke taxi hits high note

A 21-year-old Southlander’s novel karaoke taxi service is proving so popular, he’s already expanding – just a few months in. Josh Coats has hired two new drivers to keep up with demand for Super Ridez ahead of the festive season. The business model...

South’s cleanup in full swing

Southland’s contractors are flat out repairing damage after last week’s storm, but there is still much work to do. A state of emergency still exists in Southland and the Clutha district, six days after winds tore through the province, downing power...

Almost a week without power

The Malcolm family have entered day six without power. The sheep and beef farmers from Heddon Bush in Southland are not complaining. In fact, Dellwyn Malcolm’s thoughts are with the linemen across the region still working hard to restore power to...

Govt pledging support

The Government has contributed $150,000 to the Mayoral Relief Fund to support Southland and Clutha communities in the aftermath of last week’s severe weather event. Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell said the contribution followed...

Getting power to the people

While power has been restored to thousands of people affected by Thursday’s storm in Southland, distributing generators in rural areas brought in by the air force has been a priority. Some Southlanders will wake today after a fourth night without...

Writer keeps Southland close to heart

Award-winning writer Sonya Wilson keeps Southland close to her creative heart, despite having lived in Auckland for longer than the 18 years she spent growing up in Invercargill. Wilson, 46, is a guest speaker at the Queenstown Writers Festival later...

Wild weather causes havoc

The clean up after a wild storm that hit Southland yesterday is under way, repairing damage to buildings, trees and property. Widespread power outages affected the region as wild weather toppled trees and caused havoc. MetService upgraded a wind...

‘Amateurish’ boating trip

A coroner has found that two men who died during a 2021 fishing trip in Bluff Harbour may have survived if they had been wearing lifejackets. Southland men Claude Norman Mitchell, 67, and Richard Hiraman Jeet, 66, drowned after the boat they were on...

Shareholders vote for deal

Alliance Group farmer-shareholders have voted in favour of a proposed $270 million joint venture investment by Irish red meat processor Dawn Meats. But a group of Northern Southland farmers who urged shareholders to vote “no” so the co-operative would...

Deputy mayor is chosen INVERCARGILL

Invercargill’s new mayor Tom Campbell has turned aside his closest challenger Alex Crackett’s subsequent bid for the deputy mayoralty, instead favouring Grant Dermody. Campbell delivered on his election campaign pledge to offer a chairmanship to...

Hospital gets teeth into charity care

Seven patients have received dental work and 33 patients have received colonoscopies in the seven months since the Southern Charity Hospital opened in Invercargill. None of the 33 who had colonoscopies were diagnosed with cancer, but most had...

Final Invercargill election results confirm a diverse new council

New Invercargill City councillor Andrea De Vries has called the new council diverse and progressive. Her seat was officially confirmed on Thursday night when final results for the local body election were announced. It had been a long week for De...

Solar farm gets the nod

Network Electrical Servicing (NES) has been granted a resource consent to build a 13 hectare solar farm at Makarewa. Work on the 8.4 megawatt direct current (MWdc) solar farm was expected to start early next year. Once up and running, it was expected...

Delight for Stags pair named in ABs tour squad

Rugby Southland has every reason to be happy right now. Captain Sean Withy and hooker Jack Taylor have both been named by coach Jamie Joseph in the All Blacks XV for a threegame tour to the northern hemisphere in November. Selection in the squad...

Lessee seeks legal advice

Gore Motor Camp lessee Nicholas Irons is taking legal advice after the Gore District Council gave notice that it was terminating his lease late last month, leaving longterm residents at the camp with conflicting information about their futures. But...

Portia Woodman-Wickliffe

The leaders you chose

Who will lead our councils down south?

Invercargill’s leading mayoral candidates haven’t been at each other’s throats this campaign and they have welcomed the absence of the rancour that has characterised contests further north. Deputy mayor Tom Campbell said all those on the campaign...

Issues with Govt’s proposals

Hospice Southland has applauded the vision, but warned of unrealistic funding and resourcing expectations, in the Government’s proposed national model for integrated adult palliative care. The model is part of a raft of changes based on the...

Which southern mayor spent the most this term?

Total spending for Southland's mayors during the current term has topped more than $192,000 – not including one of the region’s largest councils. Local Democracy Reporting requested a breakdown of mayoral and chair spending from the beginning of the...

Aerobic stars off to Prague to compete CHAMPIONSHIPS

Eight Invercargill aerobic stars are set to show off their impressive skills in Prague. The FISAF International Sport Aerobics and Fitness World Championships 2025 will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from October 21-23, at the Sport Venue...

Quake-prone building changes welcomed

A leading Southland realtor says the Government’s rule changes for earthquake-prone building standards could be a game-changer for the region. However, some questions remain unanswered. Last Monday, the Government announced it intends to replace the...

New youth fund focused on outcomes

The Government’s new Youth Development Partnership and Innovation Fund will keep a clear distinction between activity and achievement, according to Youth Minister James Meager. The $3m fund has been set up to help community-based providers deliver...

Study highlights risks of drinking water

Canterbury and Southland have emerged as the country’s nitrate contamination hot spots, with tens of thousands of rural people potentially drinking water at levels linked to cancer and pregnancy risks. A nationwide study led by Earth Sciences New...

Govt ‘talking the wrong science’: pupils overwhelmed

Primary school principals say there are cases of classrooms being “flipped” twice a day, with children upending chairs and tables, throwing books off bookshelves, and tossing maths equipment on the floor. “Just anything that’s in their way ... it...

Insolvency risk if vote is no ALLIANCE GROUP

Alliance Group could pursue asset sales, site closures and cost cuts, attempt to raise capital from shareholders or other investors, or go into insolvency if its shareholders vote no to an investment by Dawn Meats Group, an independent report...

Up to voters to assess wild claims, says electorate rep

Startling statements in an Invercargill mayoral candidate’s self-penned profile sent out with voting papers would not be subject to criminal penalties if found to be false. Gordon McCrone wrote that he was “witness to [a] Succession Planning list of...

Upholding story told in Esk St artworks

Waihōpai rūnaka have come forward to explain the historical basis for their view that a gifted bronze sculpture of two labradors should go somewhere other than the Invercargill Central block of Esk St. The proposed location for the commissioned...

Wild claims go out with voting papers

Take at face value what Invercargill mayoral candidate Gordon McCrone says in his profile accompanying voting papers and you might be in a minority. The candidate, already locally notorious for online postings that led to his disqualification from the...