News Desk

Two separate crashes in Southland have each claimed a life, police have confirmed. A person has died in hospital following a two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Grove Bush and Rakahoka Hedgehope Roads on August 10. The crash, involving a truck and a car, was reported at about 5.20pm.

The SBS Bank Southland Stags have named their side to face Tasman in Nelson this Saturday, with Sean Withy to captain the team in the Clarke Dermody Cup clash at Trafalgar Park. Kick-off is 1.05pm on Saturday August 22. Five players are unavailable through injury. Jack Taylor and Caleb

Fish curers and leather tanners are off the hook. The Government is scrapping the so-called 'offensive trades' registration requirement under the 1956 Health Act, ending annual paperwork and fees for hundreds of businesses that have been jumping through a 70-year-old regulatory hoop for no good reason. Regulation Minister

A Gore district councillor's use of the word "gay" to describe a staff presentation cost ratepayers $8200 plus GST to investigate. Councillor Donna Bruce made the remark to fellow councillor Robert McKenzie during a workshop in April. McKenzie lodged a code of conduct complaint. The investigation

The Eastern Southland Gallery has taken the top prize at the 2026 Southland Creative Arts Awards, with its exhibition of paintings and prints about the Mataura River named Supreme Winner on Saturday night. The exhibition — a series of 26 works by artist Jo Ogier — explores the ecological and geographical landscape

Rugby Park's fireworks are back — and bigger than before. The ILT Fireworks Spectacular returns on Friday October 2, 2026, when the Southland Stags host Northland in their final regular season home game. Kick-off is 7.10pm. The fireworks go up at approximately 8.50pm, straight after full-time. Now

Ground has broken on what is being billed as New Zealand's largest data centre project, with construction crews already on site at Makarewa, north of Invercargill. HEB Construction — a New Zealand company and subsidiary of global construction giant VINCI Construction — has been appointed to deliver the horizontal works

Southland's recycling contamination rate has dropped, but 811 tonnes of recyclables still ended up in landfill last year. That's $309,639 worth of waste — at the current general waste fee — that could have been recycled. The contamination rate across kerbside recycling and public drop-off fell to