Southland

Two hunters who have been missing in Fiordland since Saturday have been found. The pair were found walking out of the bush near Lilliburn Valley Road. The police say they are being flown to Southland Hospital to be assessed as a precaution. They were reported overdue by fellow hunters on Sunday afte

Extra fire crews are being brought in today to try and contain a large blaze on conservation wetlands at Awarua, south of Invercargill. The fire which started on Saturday and extends from the head of Awarua Bay to the Waituna Wetlands has burnt through about 1000 hectares containing peat. Fire and E

The Water Shortage Direction issued yesterday has been amended to exclude the water takes from the upper Mataura River catchment where the serious temporary shortage of water is less critical, at this time. The area that is being excluded from the water shortage direction is the part of the Mataura

A search is underway for two hunters missing in the Rowallan Forest near Lake Hauroko, Fiordland. The pair were reported overdue by fellow hunters on Sunday afternoon, after they failed to return from a hunt on Saturday. Police are concerned for the welfare of the hunters as it is believed they were

A major fire at Awarua, south of Invercargill, is burning through about a thousand hectares of mānuka scrub and peat soils. An image of the fire burning in peat at Awarua, south of Invercargill, on 2 April, 2022.Awarua-Waituna, one of New Zealand’s largest remaining coastal wetland systems, is threa

Firemen are observing a huge vegetation fire in Southland and will send helicopters to battle the burn right off the bat Sunday. Fire Communications shift director Andrew Norris said it was indistinct how the burst, at Awarua Bay, close to Bluff, began, yet police were exploring. “It’s a huge fire c

Police continue to investigate a burglary, which occurred at a rural property in Colac Bay on Thursday morning. At around 8am the owner has come across a group of people on the property attempting to steal fuel. The owner has approached the group and been threatened with a firearm. The firearm was n

The Government’s drought declaration for the South, is big on talk, but small on funding support, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says. “While I’m pleased that the Agriculture Minister has recognised the hardship local farmers are experiencing, by declaring a medium-scale adverse drought event, I don