Opinion

Rick Murrell brings a real passion and drive for the South, with 30 years of business experience in Invercargill. His governance experience includes, Director of New Zealand Motor Trade Association (2005 – 2012), Director of Motor Trade Investments (2010 – 2012) and New Zealand President/Chairperson

Maybe include some opinion. Just over 24 hours into our Mayoral poll and we have had over 490 votes. In this poll, same as the previous poll, from the start frontrunner Nobby Clark took off and never looked back with a constant 30+ vote margin but did narrow to 20’s ahead of Toni Biddle who […]

The Government is about to pile up to $100 million of unnecessary compliance costs onto farmers because its freshwater regulations are more than a year overdue, National’s spokespeople for Agriculture and Water, Barbara Kuriger and Joseph Mooney, say. “Under Environment Minister David Parker’s regul

Despite much fanfare, and a $486 million spend from the Government, Health NZ has yet to deliver any real results for Southland. As part of the restructure, the Southern District Health Board was disestablished on July 1 and our local voice, and much of the scrutiny of our health services, was lost.

Polytechnics in the South are being forced to cut millions from their budgets because the Government’s mega-merger polytechnic entity Te Pūkenga is in such a mess, National’s Tertiary Education spokesperson and Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says. “The Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) will be

I’m deeply concerned about the future of the Southern Institute of Technology as the Government’s mega merger structure falters. I am devastated that these so-called reforms have left the sector in a far worse position than when the Education Minister began his doomed restructuring plan three years

The Government has failed Southland’s meat industry with its unrealistic immigration settings, which have created labour shortages, and are now affecting our exporting ability. The Meat Industry Association says meat exports are down a massive 11 percent this quarter, from the same time last year, a

South’s health crisis could be lost to Govt health reforms – Sapere report likely to fall on deaf ears – Simmonds Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds fears critically needed action to improve the South’s ailing health services will not be addressed with sufficient urgency as the Government’s health refor