New Zealand

The Government has unveiled a $1.2 billion loan scheme to help thousands of New Zealand businesses move away from dwindling natural gas supplies while protecting local jobs. The Gas Transition Loan Guarantee Scheme will see the Crown guarantee 80% of each supported loan, enabling banks to offer lower interest

Invercargill City Council has backed a "One Southland" governance model, saying a single council would deliver the strongest path to regional efficiency and sustainability. The decision comes as Southland faces two parallel processes for local government change. The Local Government Commission announced today it will proceed to Phase

Dame Jools Topp has died aged 68. The comedian and singer, one half of the beloved Topp Twins duo, passed away peacefully at her home on Saturday surrounded by her twin sister Dame Lynda, brother Bruce, close friends and "all her fur-babies". She lived with breast cancer for

A 37-year-old man will appear in Dunedin District Court today charged with murder after a person was found dead at an Andersons Bay property on Friday night. Emergency services were called to the Somerville Street address around 5:50pm where they discovered the deceased person. "A scene examination will

Two Invercargill Lotto players pocketed $21,736 each last night when second division numbers came up at New World Windsor and Four Square Newfield. They were among 17 players nationwide who shared the second division pool, each walking away with exactly $21,736. Not life-changing money, but enough to make

The 2026 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival took place in Bluff on Saturday with the usual combination of Bluff Oysters, food, beverage, entertainment and music after overcoming several challenges including early doubts about the availability of the Bluff Oyster. The gates opened at 10.30am allowing those queuing outside to

Police have launched a homicide investigation following the death of a person at a property in Andersons Bay, Dunedin, on Saturday evening. Emergency services were called to a Somerville Street address at about 5.50pm after reports of an incident at the property. When officers arrived, they discovered one person

Ambulance services will get $35 million over four years to tackle rising demand, with emergency calls expected to jump by 95,000 incidents over the next four years to 735,000 annually. The Budget 2026 funding targets immediate problems: more frontline crews, better technology, and stronger support systems. Two new