Announcement

Paige Turner

Paige Turner is What's On Invers' general news reporter, chasing every twist and turn Southland throws at her. She reckons every good story deserves to be read cover to cover — and she'll turn the page.

Paige Turner's Work 73 Articles
Tree Felling Death Prompts DIY Warning
Tree Felling Death Prompts DIY Warning
Southland   -   Aug 11, 2026

A coroner is warning against the Kiwi "do-it-yourself" instinct after a Southland man was killed felling trees at an Invercargill property in May 2021. Edwin Coulter, 54, was struck by a falling treetop while working eight metres off the ground using a pruning belt and chainsaw. He had

Stewart Island Salmon Farm Gets Fast-track Go-ahead
Stewart Island Salmon Farm Gets Fast-track Go-ahead
News   -   Aug 10, 2026

Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds has welcomed a decision to fast-track approval of the Hananui Aquaculture Project off Stewart Island (Rakiura), saying it will provide a massive boost for the local economy. "Once it's fully operational, this aquaculture project will produce over 14000 tonnes of salmon per year,

16 Southland Schools to Get Solar Panels
16 Southland Schools to Get Solar Panels
News   -   Aug 10, 2026

Sixteen Southland schools are in line for rooftop solar panels under a $30 million government programme announced as part of Budget 2026. Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds confirmed the selections on Monday, with the list spanning from Halfmoon Bay School on Stewart Island to Drummond Primary School inland, and Otautau School

Coroner Finds Failures Before Prison Death
Coroner Finds Failures Before Prison Death
News   -   Aug 10, 2026

A coroner has found Corrections staff skipped a mandatory risk assessment before an Invercargill Prison inmate took his own life — and that a history of similar failures dates back nearly a decade. Nukuroa "Nuku" Strange, 30, died in his cell on August 4, 2022. He had attempted suicide

Report Challenges Fair Share Tax Claims
Report Challenges Fair Share Tax Claims
News   -   Aug 10, 2026

New Zealand's top one percent of earners pay more income tax than the entire bottom half of the country. That's the central claim in a new handbook from the Taxpayers' Union, released this week as the 2026 election campaign heats up. The group says its

Southland Roads Near 'tipping Point', Mayor Warns
Southland Roads Near 'tipping Point', Mayor Warns
News   -   Aug 09, 2026

Parts of Southland's roading network are approaching a "tipping point", and the district mayor has put that warning in writing to the country's transport agency. Southand District Mayor Rob Scott has written a pointed letter to NZ Transport Agency (NZTA) chair Simon Bridges, questioning

Council Files Reform Bid as Deadline Hits
Council Files Reform Bid as Deadline Hits
News   -   Aug 09, 2026

Southland District Council will submit a merger proposal for local government reform — even though most of the people it asked said not to. Councillors voted on Wednesday to back a Head Start proposal for two councils to govern the region: a Southland-Gore unitary council and an Invercargill unitary council. The

Soap Pranks Cost Council $5000 a Year
Soap Pranks Cost Council $5000 a Year
News   -   Aug 09, 2026

Someone keeps turning Invercargill's Gala St fountain into a bubble bath — and it's costing ratepayers more than $5000 a year to clean up. The soap suds prank, a recurring nuisance at the city centre fountain, requires staff to neutralise the foam with vinegar around 50 times

Your link has expired. Please request a new one.
Your link has expired. Please request a new one.
Your link has expired. Please request a new one.
Great! You've successfully signed up.
Great! You've successfully signed up.
Welcome back! You've successfully signed in.
Success! You now have access to additional content.