ACT wants to cut New Zealand's 43 government departments down to 19 and reduce the number of ministers from 28 to 18. The party unveiled the plan at its 2026 Rally, with leader David Seymour framing it as a structural overhaul rather than the incremental trimming the current

What Makes us Really Cry at Funerals Why the tears that fall reflect the conversations we haven't had, the relationships we haven't healed, the priorities we've forgotten, and the life we're still creating. "I am more of a funeral kind of

Mother of five Linda Paekau has fulfilled her dream of opening her own bakery kitchen, as the result of years of hard mahi, sacrifice and determination. Te Kaitao Auaha kitchen in Southcity mall is more than just a bakery to Linda.  Inspired by her passion for cooking after being raised

A Southland dairy farmer is heading to New Plymouth next week to chase the same national farming title his father won 26 years ago. Tom Slee, 29, is one of seven grand finalists in the FMG Young Farmer of the Year competition, running July 2–4 in New Plymouth. The

Tonight (Sat) should be earmarked as night that our team, The Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel returns to its rightful position as New Zealand Premier Netball champions. The Steel play the Northern Mystics in Auckland. The trip to the big smoke is just reward for beating the Mainland Tactix twice

Invercargill was raised to city status on March 1, 1930, not that it occasioned much in the way of fanfare. There were certainly no overbrimming public celebrations, perhaps because the Depression was biting. The public reports were nothing if not sedate: "Having obtained within its narrow borders a population

A big one this week — Cold Nights, Hot Vocals reaches its Grand Final at Newfield on Thursday night, Bieberchella takes over the Kiwi, The Langlands pulls out all the stops with Live in the Lobby both Friday and Saturday plus the Winter Blues Long Lunch, the bars are loaded with

The Southern Steel are heading to the ANZ Premiership Grand Final, and head coach Wendy Frew is finally allowed to smile about it. All season the Invercargill-based side has run on a game-by-game mantra, refusing to look further ahead than the next match. That discipline paid off Sunday when they