A Southland Girls High School student has taken out the top prize at the 2026 NZAS Southland Science and Technology Fair, beating 328 fellow competitors with a project that could change how we keep food fresh. Aroha Ridzuan won the NZAS Premier Science Award for Beyond the Leaf: Mānuka &

Certain areas of Invercargill such as bus stops, carparks and on the footpaths outside education facilities could all soon be smoke and vape free. The Invercargill City Council is reviewing its Smokefree policy and although the current one includes vaping as well, the wording will change to make it clearer.

Southland is holding up where most of the country isn't. Seven months into 2026, the region has recorded a 3.1% increase in average home values — one of just three regions in positive territory nationally, alongside Canterbury (1.3%) and Otago (2.8%). Invercargill is up 0.1%

A new $1 million fund will back community groups, volunteers and landowners fighting wilding pines across the country. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard made the announcement Tuesday at the national Wilding Pine Conference in Southland. The money, available through the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, will be spread over two years

Sunday's the big one this week — Waikiwi Tavern's Great Pub Cash Giveaway Draw dishes out a share of $13,000 between 3–5pm, timed neatly around Stags v Waikato on the big screen from 2:05pm. Saturday brings DJ Awhe back to The Loney, Euphoria live

Gore District Council has backed both competing Southland local government reform proposals, writing to the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport ahead of the government's August 9 deadline. The council confirmed support for both the two-unitary Greater Southland proposal developed by Southland District Council and the single-unitary

Datagrid has locked in the equipment needed to build a substation that will power what it says will be New Zealand's largest AI data centre, on its Southland site. The company has signed a pre-purchase agreement with grid owner Transpower New Zealand covering four high-voltage power transformers, associated

Nearly $370,000 is heading into Southland communities after the first round of 2026 grants from the NZAS and Ngāi Tahu Community Development Fund was announced this week. Ten projects share $367,000 in the fourth annual round of the $500,000 fund, which is administered jointly by Rio Tinto