Councils

The cost of hiring an out-of-town expert for Invercargill City Council's water committee has nearly doubled from initial estimates. The council originally reported spending $12,268 to recruit Nelson-based Lee Babe as an independent member of its water committee, but has now revealed the final bill reached $23,

More than 40 Southland businesses are helping build the region's new museum, bringing local expertise to one of Invercargill's most significant construction projects. Invercargill City Council Group Manager Capital Portfolio Jamie Garnett said local trades, material suppliers and product providers are playing key roles in constructing

Invercargill City Council is looking to introduce number plate recognition technology for parking enforcement as part of efforts to modernise operations and improve safety for staff. The council has issued a tender for vehicle-mounted technology that would work alongside handheld devices, following reports last year that parking wardens sometimes needed

Major flood protection work has begun on the Mataura River at Gore's road and rail bridge crossing as part of a $50 million flood resilience programme across Southland. Environment Southland launched the project this week, marking the first construction work under the latest round of government co-funding for

Great South is working to understand how best to support a range of new aquaculture projects across the region. General manager regional strategy Bobbi Brown shared a report to council’s Infrastructure and Growth Committee on Tuesday. “There has been quite a few developments in recent times, which is quite

Bus shelter improvements are on the way after Invercargill City Council completed a review of all 53 shelters across the city. The review was sparked by community organisation South Alive, which raised concerns about deterioration and maintenance issues at a council committee meeting in February. Council staff visited every bus

Invercargill City Council will charge $20 for property file requests from Monday 11 May, as it moves the service online to handle growing demand. The council receives around 500 property file and Land Information Memorandum (LIM) requests monthly, with 6000 requests processed last year alone. "Last year, Council received

Southland District Council has been ordered by the Ombudsman to overhaul its record keeping after refusing to release information about mayoral spending. The controversy began in August 2025 when media requested mayoral and chair spending records from all four Southland councils covering the previous term to July 31. While three