Southland

First-time race goers are being invited to experience harness racing at Ascot Park with a new initiative designed to make the sport more accessible. Firsties is landing in Invercargill this Sunday, offering newcomers and casual fans a relaxed introduction to the trots with no pressure to know the ins and

Environment Southland has detected toxic algae in the Upukerora River at Te Anau Milford Highway, prompting a health warning for water users. The regional council's monitoring team discovered the harmful algae during routine observations. Officials warn that similar algae growth may be occurring in other waterways across Southland.

Six people are facing drugs charges after Southland Police concluded Operation Mud Dog this week, targeting the supply and distribution of illicit drugs across the district. Police executed four drug-related search warrants at addresses across Southland earlier this week, resulting in charges against six people for various drug supply offences.

Southland Mayor Rob Scott has defended spending more than $12,000 of ratepayer money on a six-day trip to Scandinavia, calling it a worthwhile investment. The Southland District Council revealed this week it spent $12,840 for Scott to join an Infrastructure NZ delegation that visited Sweden and Norway from

A new sausage bait designed to target stoats has shown impressive results in field trials, offering hope for protecting kiwi and other native wildlife. The Department of Conservation has been working with pest control developer Connovation for nine years to develop a ready-made bait containing the toxin PAPP (para-aminopropiophenone), which

Two new trustees of the Southland Warm Homes Trust visited local delivery partner Awarua Synergy this week as part of their induction programme. Councillor Lisa TouMcNaughton from Invercargill City Council and Councillor Donna Bruce from Gore District Council toured the Awarua Synergy office to see firsthand how warm homes programmes

A Southland farming couple has claimed top honours at New Zealand's premier dairy industry awards, taking home more than $28,000 in prizes and cementing their reputation as leaders in the sector. Scott and Stacey Mackereth from the Southland/Otago region were named 2026 New Zealand Share Farmers

A Southland dairy farmer is revolutionising agricultural education by partnering with Telford to deliver New Zealand's first app-based farming qualifications. Tangaroa Walker, founder of the popular Farm 4 Life app, has teamed up with the agricultural campus to offer the Certificate in Farming Systems and Equipment (Level 3)