A new $1 million fund will back community groups, volunteers and landowners fighting wilding pines across the country. Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard made the announcement Tuesday at the national Wilding Pine Conference in Southland. The money, available through the National Wilding Conifer Control Programme, will be spread over two years

Gore District Council has backed both competing Southland local government reform proposals, writing to the Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport ahead of the government's August 9 deadline. The council confirmed support for both the two-unitary Greater Southland proposal developed by Southland District Council and the single-unitary

Datagrid has locked in the equipment needed to build a substation that will power what it says will be New Zealand's largest AI data centre, on its Southland site. The company has signed a pre-purchase agreement with grid owner Transpower New Zealand covering four high-voltage power transformers, associated

Nearly $370,000 is heading into Southland communities after the first round of 2026 grants from the NZAS and Ngāi Tahu Community Development Fund was announced this week. Ten projects share $367,000 in the fourth annual round of the $500,000 fund, which is administered jointly by Rio Tinto

Invercargill City Council has successfully switched its payroll system to a cloud-based platform, processing its first live pay run for around 550 employees in early July 2026. The new system, built on TechnologyOne's Human Resources and Payroll platform and implemented by Australian technology firm Atturra, replaces a patchwork

Sunday's the big one this week — Waikiwi Tavern's Great Pub Cash Giveaway Draw dishes out a share of $13,000 between 3–5pm, timed neatly around Stags v Waikato on the big screen from 2:05pm. Saturday brings DJ Awhe back to The Loney, Euphoria live

George Owen is excited about bringing Southland’s Home Show back to Invercargill again this weekend. The man behind the two-day show for the past 31 years said it’s always a great feeling to see ILT Stadium being transformed into a home renovator’s paradise every year. “It’s

Southland is getting a critical minerals and green hydrogen plant, backed by $15 million in government funding. Christchurch-based Aspiring Materials has secured the Regional Infrastructure Fund allocation to build a $31 million commercial facility in the region — its first at full commercial scale, following a successful pilot plant in Christchurch.