News

Jill Bolger has been awarded the Sir Lance Cross Award for Exceptional Services to Basketball after more than 40 years shaping the sport in Southland and nationally. The veteran administrator helped establish the Southland Sharks in 2010 and has driven the franchise's operations ever since. Her fingerprints are

South Port has a new chief executive. Derek Nind will take over as CEO on July 27, replacing Nigel Gear who steps down at the end of May after 8.5 years leading the Bluff port company. Nind brings deep port experience to the role. He previously served as chief

Former Labour Cabinet minister Stuart Nash has officially joined New Zealand First and will contest the Napier electorate seat in the 2026 general election. The announcement marks a dramatic political shift for Nash, who held Napier for Labour across three terms from 2014 to 2023 before being sacked from Cabinet

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

The Government will pump an extra $79 million into wilding pine control over three years, nearly doubling current funding to tackle what farmers call an ecological disaster spreading across New Zealand's high country. The Budget 2026 commitment takes total wilding pine funding to $109 million — a significant increase

Danone will fund three annual scholarships for Telford students in perpetuity, targeting agriculture, animal health, farm systems and equine programmes. The global food company's partnership with Southern Institute of Technology marks a significant investment in Southland's agricultural education sector. Three scholarships — covering academic excellence, practical skills