Parliament has taken a key step towards easing delays in the building consent system by progressing two Bills focused on improving efficiency and accountability in the construction industry. The Self Certification by Plumbers and Drainlayers Bill passed its first reading this week. If passed into law, it would allow experienced

Firefighters were kept busy overnight with a series of fires across Dunedin and the wider Clutha district. A total of five separate incidents were reported, three of which are being treated as suspicious. The first fire broke out just before 4pm at a residential property in Dunedin city. Firefighters arrived

Southland District Council is advising residents and road users of several scheduled maintenance works and water shutdowns across the region this week. Water Shutdowns Water supply interruptions are expected in Te Anau and Tuatapere due to urgent repair works. On 17 November, repairs at 39 Fergus Square will affect the

Elected members in Southland and Invercargill are set to receive pay rises, with some receiving bigger increases than others. The Southland District Council met to decide how to divide a fixed salary pool assigned by the national Remuneration Authority. The mayor's pay is excluded from this decision, as

A new book set to launch this month tells the story of one of Southland’s most enduring institutions. In The Service of Others: The History of H&J Smith will be released on 25 November, offering a heartfelt tribute to the people and history behind the much-loved Invercargill

While the finale failed to meet his expectations, overall Cormac Buchanan’s rookie season in the Moto3 World Championship exceeded them in several aspects. The Southland teenager described his 2025 season as “a rollercoaster” following yesterday’s final race in Valencia where he battled to make an impact. “I expected

Southland Girls’ High School Year 12 student Sophie Ineson is this year’s recipient of the Prime Minister’s Space Prize for student endeavour and will receive $50,000 to support her tertiary education, Invercargill MP Penny Simmonds says. “This is a wonderful achievement. Congratulations to Sophie – she has done

A collaborative project between Southern Institute of Technology (SIT) environmental students and the local community has won top honours at the Environment Southland Community Awards. The Kew Bush Restoration and Education Programme was named the winner of the Environmental Action in the Community category. Kew Bush, a 3.3-hectare patch