Mike Sanford

* Southland faces severe road funding shortfall impacting maintenance of its vast network. * Mayor Rob Scott seeks fairer funding to address critical safety and infrastructure issues. Southland District Mayor Rob Scott has raised urgent concerns about road safety in his region, highlighting a funding shortfall that could have dire consequences for

* Bluff Boat Ramp upgrades nearly completed for summer use by local boaties. * Stage One includes pontoons ready for use with minor finishing work underway. * New user fees will fund ramp maintenance and improvements. The newly upgraded Bluff Boat Ramp is now partially open, just in time for summer water activities.

* Fonterra has started construction on a UHT cream plant in Edendale, Southland. * The $150 million project will create 70 jobs and double capacity by 2030. * Production will meet growing Asian demand, starting with 50 million litres annually. Construction has officially begun at Fonterra’s new ultra-high temperature (UHT) cream plant

* Invercargill and Bluff gain enhanced security with 46 CCTV cameras operational by Christmas. * Council invests $2.3 million in phase one of CCTV project to support investigations. * New MOU formalises collaboration between Council and Police to ensure public safety. Progress continues on the installation of 68 CCTV cameras across Invercargill

* Invercargill City Mayor hails return of SIT as a win for students. * Government to reinstate standalone polytechnics from January 2026. * Vocational education system redesign aims to strengthen regional economies. The return of the Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) as an autonomous institution has sparked optimism in Invercargill. Mayor Nobby Clark,

* SH6 crash involves bus and two cars, leaving one dead and several injured. * Emergency services confirm multiple injuries; road closure expected to last overnight. * Motorists warned of significant delays, with detour adding 2.5 hours to travel time. UPDATE 2am: SH6 is now OPEN between Kingston township and Wye Creek.

* Police seized firearms, drugs, and ammunition in raids across Otago Lakes Central. * Operation Speargrass targeted drug suppliers and found improperly stored firearms. * Four individuals face penalties, including arrests and suspended firearms licences. Police conducted a series of targeted raids across Cromwell, Alexandra, Clyde, Hawea, Wānaka, and Queenstown this week as

Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds has congratulated Southlander Robin McNeill on being awarded the inaugural Prime Minister’s Space Prize for Professional Excellence. “This is a big moment for SpaceOps New Zealand founder and chief executive Robin McNeill MNZM, but it’s also huge for Southland and for the space industry