Mike Sanford

Long-distance passenger rail is set to return to the South Island, with a new service scheduled to reconnect Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill for the first time in decades. The service, known as The Mainlander, will operate along the east coast and is being delivered by New Zealand-owned Rail and Tourism

A second section of Queens Park in Invercargill has reopened earlier than expected, giving residents a welcomed surprise ahead of the festive season. The staged reopening of the city’s iconic green space was brought forward to Friday 28 November. The newly accessible areas include parts that were initially expected

A 35-year-old man from Dunedin has been charged with arson in connection to a suspicious house fire in Waikaia earlier this year. The fire occurred just after midnight on 21 February 2024 at a property on Elswick Street. Emergency services responded quickly to the incident. Following an extensive investigation, Police

The highway is now fully open. November 28, 10am – Highway partially reopens after fire. State Highway 96 near Mataura has reopened to one lane of traffic following a nearby vegetation fire yesterday. The road remained closed overnight for firefighters to ensure the blaze was contained. The section of SH96 between

Focus Technology Group has taken home the People’s Choice Award at the 2025 Grand Business South Awards, a recognition made all the more special by being voted for entirely by the public. The IT services provider was also named a finalist in the Excellence in Customer Experience category, underlining

Invercargill’s main swimming complex, Splash Palace, has recorded more faecal contamination incidents in 2025 than in the entire previous year — and there are still two months to go. As of 31 October, there had been 30 incidents of what staff refer to as "code browns", resulting in

* Government reveals plan to simplify local councils and boost decision-making through new structures * Mayors could replace regional councillors under a new collaborative regional board model * Public consultation on reforms is open now, with final proposal expected by March 2026 The Government has outlined a major shake-up of local government, revealing

Invercargill Airport is set to begin a major runway upgrade in mid-January 2026, aimed at strengthening the safety and long-term resilience of its air services. The project is part of a regular 15-year renewal cycle and will help future-proof the region’s critical air transport links. To reduce disruption to