Mike Sanford

Southland Girls' High School has appointed John Grogan as its new principal, making him the first permanent male principal in the school's nearly 150-year history. Mr Grogan, who has been Acting Principal since the start of the year and was previously Deputy Principal at the school, was

Two Invercargill Airport firefighters are trading their usual serious demeanor for cheesy 80s-style photoshoots as they prepare to tackle one of New Zealand's most grueling charity challenges. Crew Chief Corey Diack and Senior Firefighter Jed Martin will climb Auckland's Sky Tower on Saturday, 23 May 2026,

A Southland chaplain is preparing for what he describes as a "meaningful" deployment to Turkey for this year's Anzac Day Gallipoli commemoration. Royal New Zealand Navy Chaplain Class 3 Rich Lander, who grew up in Winton, is among 38 New Zealand Defence Force personnel heading to

Demolition work is under way at the Gore Campground after investigations revealed asbestos and significant contamination in several buildings on the site. Gore District Council says the work is necessary to address health, safety and regulatory risks associated with the aging structures. The former house and office, ablution block and

Skilled plumbers and drainlayers will soon be able to sign off their own work under an expanded government scheme designed to speed up building projects and reduce costs. Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk announced the Self-certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers Bill will cover more residential work and some commercial

Hospice South's volunteer team has been recognised with a Minister of Health Volunteer Award, taking out the Community NGO category at a ceremony held at Parliament. The award acknowledges the contribution of more than 400 volunteers who collectively provided over 46,500 hours of service in the past

Invercargill timber processor Niagara Sawmilling Company has launched a $115 million expansion that will more than double its production capacity and create new jobs for the region. The expansion includes construction of a new sawmill at the company's Kennington site, currently being built in Canada and due to

The southern New Zealand dotterel population has surged by 52 percent following a successful aerial predator control operation on Stewart Island. The annual bird count at Southland beaches last week revealed the dotterel population has grown from 105 in April last year to an estimated 160 - the biggest annual