Mike Sanford

As the holiday season twinkles upon us 🌟, it's time to wrap up another year filled with amazing stories and shared experiences. We're switching to autopilot ✈️ for a well-deserved break 🏖️, but not before extending a heartfelt thank you ❤️ to everyone who's been part of our

* 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

* Gore District Council approves directional drilling for Mataura River water project. * Two pipelines to link bores, reservoir, and treatment plant using advanced drilling. * $2.65 million project starts next year, set to finish by December. The Gore District Council has endorsed the use of directional drilling technology to install water

The Commerce Commission has released a draft decision that could dramatically reduce the fees businesses pay for accepting Visa and Mastercard payments, potentially saving New Zealanders over $260 million annually. “These fees are passed on to consumers through the cost of goods and services, and surcharges,” the Commerce Commission stated.

* Government says councils misused wellbeing rules to justify non-essential spending, raising rates. * Labour disputes claims, saying rate increases stem from central government decisions, not councils. * Benchmarking reports will compare council performance on rates, debt, and services nationwide. The government has announced plans to remove four wellbeing provisions from the Local

* ILT hosted a Christmas dinner for Invercargill residents aged over 70 years. * Guests enjoyed a three-course meal, live entertainment, and warm community connection. * Over 25,000 meals served since the event began in 1993. ILT hosted the first of two Christmas dinners for Invercargill residents aged over 70 at the