A map of sites where you may experience delays on Southland state highways due to maintenance, renewal or third-party contractor work can be found here, and these sites are listed below.  Many of these are subject to good weather, so dates may change if this is not the case.  Please note: SH99 Aparima Bridge closureSH99 at the Aparima Bridge in Riverton will be closed for maintenance work from 10pm – 5am on Monday 19th, Tuesday 20th and Wednesday 21st May. Light vehicles follow detour, HPMV vehicles will be stacked and piloted through the site on the hour, each hour. Highways South work with temporary traffic lights and temporary speed limits this week:SH6 Garston-Athol highway between Nokomai and GarstonSH94 Waimea highway near OtamitaSH94 Waimea highway near Croydon BushSH94 Lumsden-Riversdale highway near Old Balfour RoadSH99 Lorneville, eastbound road closure from Steel Road to Lorneville roundabout (continues from early next week)Detour via Steel Road/Moore Road Roadmarking:SH94 Lumsden to Te Anau – mobile operationSH94 Te Anau to Manapouri – mobile operation Third party work and events with traffic management in place this week:SH1 Gore-Mataura highway near Charlton Siding Road, stop/go for tree fellingSH99 Aparima Bridge in Riverton, closure, and detour – see above for details Useful links:NZTA Journeys website - https://www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz/journey-plannerFreight Impact Register - https://www.nzta.govt.nz/commercial-driving/trucks-and-tow-trucks/potential-restrictions-affecting-freight/ - download and filter the region for ‘Southland’. This will indicate any upcoming work in the next fortnight which have closures, detours or width restrictions for freight.

Demolition of the Wyndham museum building is set to get underway.Initial work starting on 26 May will involve the establishment of site facilities, fencing, traffic control in front of the building and protection of the overhead power lines before scaffolding is erected.Demolition of the building will start from 3 June and involve a combination of mechanical and manual deconstruction, using both long reach excavators with specialist attachments and, where required, hand tools primarily on boundary walls adjacent to existing buildings.Total demolition and site reinstatement is expected to be completed by 27 June.Southland firm Ryal Bush Transport successfully tendered for the project.Home to the Wyndham and District Historical Museum, the building was closed in 2017 after it was deemed earthquake prone.The museum boasted an extensive collection relating to the wider Wyndham area, including family genealogy, sheep and dairy farming, dairy factories, horse racing, household items and histories of local clubs and societies.Following the building’s closure, the collection was digitised with the assistance of Project Ark, a collaboration between the Invercargill City Council, and the Southland and Gore district councils to catalogue every item in the region’s 12 museums which started in 2018.Items are available to view online at www.ehive.com.Dedicated volunteers continue to actively fundraise with the aim of establishing a new museum on the site in the future.

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardComments:The Homer Tunnel will close Monday to Thursday nights (19th-22nd May) between 6pm & 3am. No public access due to heavy equipment operating in tunnel. Any queries, please call 03 249 7004.  Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: cloudy with showers, strong NW winds Tomorrow: heavy rain with possible thunderstorms, strong NW winds Sunday: morning showers clearing Monday: fine then cloud Tuesday: rain clearing

The prospect that Fiordland's Wapiti herd will finally be designated a 'Herd of Special Interest' (HOSI) has the hunter-led group, Fiordland Wapiti Foundation (FWF), very excited.On Monday (12 May) Hunting and Fishing minister James Meager said he would formally consider redesignating Fiordland National Park's wapiti a 'herd of special interest'.“The wapiti HOSI represent an opportunity for economic growth in regional New Zealand. Better, healthier deer herds provide opportunities for domestic and international visitors to hunt the only free-range wapiti herd outside of North America,” Meager said.FWF general manager Roy Sloan. Photo: SuppliedFWF general manager, Roy Sloan, said to have a government finally see common sense and be brave enough to support the Wapiti proposal for a Herd of Special Interest was truly refreshing.Sloan said the foundation had been managing Fiordland's Wapiti herd as a de facto Herd of Special Interest for 20 years, pioneering modern hunting practices and advocating that deer management prioritise conservation first and hunting resources second, but had been frustrated by the Game Animal Council Act.Sloan said the change in legislation would give FWF security of tenure."It will actually stop outside challenges on the legalities on what we do and why we're allowed to do it."It will be a lot harder for the challengers of hunting in New Zealand, Sloan said.Sloan said FWF still currently had a judicial review, brought by Forest & Bird (F&B), hanging over its head."Our day-to-day activities will not change a lot in terms of what we do and how we do it, because we are managing deer numbers for the benefit of Fiordland National Park," Sloan said.A hunter leaves the bush with his trophy. Photo: FWF/SuppliedF&B Chief Executive, Nicola Toki, responding to Meager's announcement said they were baffled by the prioritisation of government time and energy into helping 512 hunters shoot 86 deer in a national park.“It’s hard to put into words just how questionable this decision is.""Instead of trying to ensure Fiordland can welcome kākāpō back to their home, this Government is instead looking at changing the law to let a North American deer species use the national park as a glorified vege patch – eating away at the very natural heritage that these sanctuaries have been legally designed to protect."The next phase of the HOSI process will involve consultation with iwi/hapū and relevant stakeholders before a draft herd management plan is publicly notified, potentially in late 2025.This will be followed by the introduction a bill to Parliament to clarify the designation of HOSI in national parks, through a small amendment to the Game Animal Council Act 2013.The government is also currently considering Sika deer as a HOSI.

When four thousand people converge on Bluff for the 2025 Bluff Oyster & Food Festival on Saturday 24 May, they will not only enjoy Bluff Oysters, other succulent southern seafood and fine beverages but they will also enjoy the extra space that the long-awaited demolition of the Club Hotel has afforded the festival site. The hotel, which was deemed a dangerous building, was the reason the 2023 Festival was cancelled, organisers determining that it was inappropriate and impractical to invite 4000 visitors to celebrate in the shadow of the Club Hotel given the Dangerous Building Notice. The hotel was demolished in early 2024 but the space that created was not able to be utilised for last year’s event so this year, with site works around the demolition site completed, festival goers will be able to enjoy a more spacious venue as they enjoy the festivities. Those festivities kick off at 10.30am when the gates open with plenty of food options headlined of course by the Bluff Oyster – both cooked and raw - while there are plenty of beverage choices to accompany the food. At 11am the Oyster will be piped into the venue by the Invercargill Pipe Band and onto the main stage where the official opening of the festival and the Ode To The Oyster take place. From that point on the main stage will reverberate with entertainment all day long starting with the Bluff School Kapa Haka group and a full roster of bands including SIT SoundNZ, Hoodaki, Brenny & The Bushwhackers, Lachie Hayes and The Eastern with interludes from the Mapu-Kuki-Airani Rarotongan drummers and the traditional Polynesian Dance Off . Elsewhere the iconic oyster events will commence early in the afternoon with Oyster Opening races for professional openers with races for Men, Ladies, Novices, Relay Teams plus a Blindfold Race. After the openers have demonstrated their skills volunteers from the crowd are invited on stage to participate in the Oyster Eating races to find the fastest competitor to down a plate of a dozen of Bluff’s finest. It is always a truly international event with competitors coming from far and wide, last year’s winner hailing from Auckland. A bus service will run between Invercargill and BIuff on the day with full details on the festival website – www.bluffoysterfest.co.nz

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardComments:The Homer Tunnel will close Monday to Thursday nights (15th-22nd May) between 6pm & 3am. No public access due to heavy equipment operating in tunnel. Any queries, please call 03 249 7004.  Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: rain, possibly heavy at first Tomorrow: Showers Saturday: Rain, possibly heavy Sunday: Rain clearing in morning Monday: Fine

Problems with the hospital's "too small" emergency department are outlined in information prepared for former Health Minister Shane Reti in December 2024, released to Local Democracy Reporting under the LGOIMA.The three-page document discussed the hospital’s struggling emergency department and operating theatres which have been waiting on upgrades since 2021 when funding was allocated.“Southland Hospital is experiencing significant capacity constraints in ED (emergency department),” the report stated.“The ED is too small to allow for the efficient flow of patients, this leads to extended times for patients to be placed in a clinical space to be assessed.”A lack of specialised treatment spaces in the department meant it was not complying with relevant standards of “safe, effective and dignified care”, the document said.“The ED is not equipped to sustainably and safely treat infectious patients.”Meanwhile, demand was only increasing.In 2024, the department was tracking at 2,015 patients per bed compared to recommended targets of between 1,000 - 1,500.A shortfall in theatres was also hitting the hospital hard, with Southland now home to a “stringent” eligibility criteria and some of the highest thresholds for surgery in the country.At the time the information was prepared in December, there were 1,071 patients waiting more than four months for surgical procedures.High demand for acute and trauma care — especially from Queenstown — was straining resources, it said.Surgeons were not being fully utilised, and a further 90 surgeries could be completed each month if more theatres were created.An aerial view of the hospital in the Invercargill suburb of Kew. Photo: ODT/SuppliedThe initial business case from 2021 estimated a need for two more operating theatres.Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora would not give the current budget for upgrades to the hospital, but said $3 million had previously been allocated for theatre capacity and $5 million for emergency department expansion.The combined $8 million is deemed insufficient without significant compromises, the document said.A more accurate figure is expected as part of an updated concept design and business case, but it is expected to take a further two years to deliver the upgrades once the case is approved.Issues with sleeping facilities were also noted, as the current arrangement did not satisfy the multi-employer collective agreement.The report said the hospital was built with the expectation the region’s population would decrease, but it had done the opposite.It also highlighted pressure resulting from the closure of Invercargill’s urgent doctors in March 2024 and a struggle to recruit new GPs.Local Democracy Reporting asked for notes and minutes from a February meeting between Southland District Council and Te Whatu Ora, but none were taken.A spokesperson for Te Whatu Ora said they understood the two parties met regularly.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

This year has seen a record number of pāteke, or brown teal, surviving in Fiordland National Park, thanks to successful predator control efforts.The small brown ducks, native to Aotearoa New Zealand, had previously become extinct in the South Island due to predators, habitat loss, and other threats.However since 2009, captive-reared pāteke have been reintroduced around the Milford Track - one of only two restored populations in the South Island.In early May, Department of Conservation (DOC) Biodiversity Ranger Louise McLaughlin and her team released 40 more captive-reared pāteke into Milford's Arthur Valley.“We’re not just throwing them out there and hoping for the best,” said McLaughlin.DOC staff use specialised transmitters to monitor the ducksDespite the challenges of high rainfall and flood risks, the biggest threat to pāteke remains introduced predators.However, survival rates have soared to over 86% following 1080 predator control operations, compared to as low as 16% in years without such measures.Visitors to the Milford Track are now more likely to spot these unique ducks, as more pāteke thrive in the rivers.The recent release was made possible by various wildlife organizations, iwi and the support of Air New Zealand.

There’s no way to sugar coat this. This bawdy adult panto lives up to its R18 rating, and if you don’t find smutty innuendos, double entendres and grubby anatomical references in any way amusing it’s not for you.Don’t say you weren’t warned.That being said, I enjoyed this show way more than I had any right to.It took a wee minute to acclimatise to the relentless below-the-belt humour, but soon there was the realisation that the best way to approach it was to be a good citizen and yell your lines at the actors when you’re supposed to.Throbbin Wood (geddit? Boom-boom) is an X-rated take on the legend of Robin Hood, complete with characters whose names it’s probably best I don’t repeat. (Try switching the first letters of Friar Tuck’s name and you’ve got it in one).The evil and lustful Sheriff of Frottingham (boooo! – Nigel Edwards), kidnaps the fair and lovely Maid Marian (yaaaaay! – Elizabeth Flatt) and whisks her away to his fungeon (not a typo).Can our handsome hero Throbbin Wood (yaaaay! – Ricky Andrews) save the day with his Merry Men, or will it take a magic touch of the mischievous Fairy G (yaaaay! – Lyndal Ludlow) to restore order to the kingdom?The sexual references come farced (not a typo) and furious.It’s an old-school British comedy, in the vein of those naughty Carry On movies from the seventies.The jokes are schoolyard grubby, obvious and clearly signalled, and the cast ham it up gleefully, in the expectation that the audience is up for a good old two-way roast, seasoned with expletives and dick references.You might have heard it all before, but this may be the first time you’ve paid to hear it on a stage in Invercargill.Serious theatre it’s not, but there’s a lot to like if you lower your sights and let yourself get sucked into the spirit of it. It’s the acceptance that chaos is erupting on the stage – some of it even scripted – that makes every little misstep a cause for celebration.The awkward but enthusiastic music and dance interludes (“We’re Merry Men” sung to the tune of “It’s Raining Men”) are funny because they’re awkward and enthusiastic.A big part of this production’s charm is its acknowledgement of its own ridiculousness.The script is loaded with self-deprecating dialogue.When Ricky Andrews ironically proclaims “the time has come to act”, you can only appreciate the absurdity of what he’s saying and laugh out loud.There are plenty of knowing winks and some classic fourth wall-breaching improv by seasoned panto dame Darren Ludlow (Nanny Fanny), while Lyndal Ludlow is all gothic and polished.Ian Reeves and the Edwards brothers are old hands at this stuff, and clearly relish the opportunity to do some sanctioned effing and blinding.Elizabeth Flatt is a total trooper throughout, never breaking character despite the sexualized shenanigans of which she is so often the object.She plays it for all its worth, pretty impressively, actually, and her combo with Ricky Andrews is really good. Yaaay!The regular interventions of two Imperial Stormtroopers from Star Wars are abstract yet completely relatable additions to the medieval English landscape in which the play is set.This being a panto, there are verbal cues the audience is trained to recognise and you have a duty to shout the appropriate lines lustily at the cast.Silly Willy Ian Edwards has the best response to these.I thought his comeback delivery was hilarious, every single time, and I'll probably be using it for weeks to come.It seems incongruous to use the word moral when reviewing Throbbin Wood, but if there is one it's this: the more you as an audience member participates, the better the experience will be for everybody.THROBBIN WOOD was written by Tom Whalley. Repertory Invercargill's production is directed by Jason Fraser and Nigel Edwards and is playing at Repertory House from 14-17 May.Doors open 6.30pm, show begins 7.30pm.CLICK HERE to book your tickets

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardComments:The Homer Tunnel will close Monday to Thursday nights (14th-22nd May) between 6pm & 3am. No public access due to heavy equipment operating in tunnel. Any queries, please call 03 249 7004.  Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: cloud increasing, evening showers Tomorrow: rain, possibly heavy at first Friday: Showers Saturday: rain, possibly heavy Sunday: rain, possibly heavy, clearing

SH1 to Tiwai is indirectly affected by this road closure tomorrow:0900-1730 Wednesday, Moto Rimu Rd is closed between Tiwai Rd and Blyth St. Traffic to/from eastwards to detour along Blyth St.

A former Invercargill councillor says she has not cleared her bill with the council after they removed gorse from her land more than two years ago. Karen Arnold has been embroiled in a battle with the organisation since 2022 when her section at Theodore St, Bluff, began failing inspections due to overgrowth. A report prepared for a March hearing showed it had drawn three “request for service” complaints and failed eight of 10 inspections. But Arnold disputes the issue, saying compliance notices from council were unlawful and breached the New Zealand Bill of Rights. Arnold said she won't pay her share of a $5320 bill for council contractors clearing the section following an October 2022 bylaw notice, despite receiving monthly reminders. “They keep sending it out, I’ve ignored it.”Invercargill City Council group manager consenting and environment Jonathan Shaw said a decision was made to split the cost 50/50 with Arnold when she met with council in January 2024. The section was also the subject of a council hearing in March where Arnold unsuccessfully appealed a bylaw notice from December 2024. [www.rnz.co.nz/news/ldr/547488/ex-councillor-loses-stoush-over-gorse-covered-land] Although the panel accepted it was unhelpful that gorse existed on co-owned council land at the boundary of the property, removal still rested with the owner. “They say that it's got to be cleared again, and I’m not going to do it and so it’s going to be the same thing,” Arnold said. “They’ll go and clear it and then they’ll charge me.” The section backs onto Bluff Hill/Motupōhue, which is co-owned by the council and Department of Conservation. Arnold claims the council conceded it had failed on a range of issues at a January 2024 meeting where the council’s chief executive and lawyer were present. That included that two compliance notices in 2022 and one from 2023 were unlawful and breached the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act, that the council did not manage its gorse under the regional pest management plan until prompted, and that they had a conflict of interest in dealing with her concerns. In response to questions, Shaw said the council did not accept that gorse wasn’t being managed on its land at Bluff Hill prior to Arnold’s complaint. The cancellation of a December 2023 notice for procedural reasons did not mean the compliance problems raised in the original notice were invalid, Shaw said. Two councillors on the hearing panel declared conflicts of interest but felt it did not warrant them stepping aside, he added. "The council staff involved in the decision considered the issues raised by Ms Arnold on each occasion in a fair and balanced manner. "This included preparing for and attending the hearing, which Arnold chose to leave partway through." Arnold was elected to council in 2013 and 2016, but stood down near the end of her second term. She was declared bankrupt in 2018 after losing a defamation suit against Stuff and then-mayor Sir Tim Shadbolt, RNZ reported. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Forest and Bird has criticised moves by the government to protect a herd of wapiti deer - or elk - in Fiordland National Park, accusing it of "changing the law to let a North American deer species use the national park as a glorified vege patch".On Monday, Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager said he would consider formally designating the population as a 'herd of special interest' in Fiordland National Park, as an opportunity for economic growth.The label refers to a herd of game animals on public conservation land which are to be managed for hunting."Better, healthier deer herds provide opportunities for domestic and international visitors to hunt the only free-range wapiti herd outside of North America," Meager said.No herds of special interest exist in New Zealand currently, although the law enabling them was passed 12 years ago. This is the second to be considered this year, after the sika herd in the Kaimanawa and Kaweka Forest Parks was announced in April.Forest and Bird chief executive Nicola Toki called the decision "questionable", pointing out the deer species was feral, introduced, and contributing to biodiversity damage within the park - home to endangered species like kākāpō, kiwi, kea, pīwauwau/rock wren and whio/blue duck."What's next?" she said. "A sanctuary for stoats?"James Meager. Photo: RNZ / Samuel RillstoneMeager explained maintaining herd numbers would allow the hunter-led Fiordland Wapiti Foundation to continue its work for years to come."Not only do they undertake regular culling and manage the popular wapiti ballot, they maintain tracks and huts, and carry out thousands of hours of trapping to better protect vulnerable native species like whio/blue duck."But Toki said it was catering to a handful of vested interests at the expense of all New Zealanders."There's no mandate for this," she said. "This is a handful of people for a handful of deer, at the expense of the wildlife and the wild places that New Zealanders across the country love so much."She clarified Forest and Bird was not anti-hunting - in fact, hunting remained a useful tool for tackling numbers of browsing animals damaging the bush - but believed herds of special interest should not be a priority for time and taxpayer money.The public would have the opportunity to submit on the bill at the select committee stage.Published by permission

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardComments:The Homer Tunnel will close Monday to Thursday nights (13th-22nd May) between 6pm & 3am. No public access due to heavy equipment operating in tunnel. Any queries, please call 03 249 7004.  Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Showers clearing. Tomorrow: Showers.Thursday: Heavy rain and strong NW winds. Friday: Showers and NW winds. Saturday: Showers.

Police have made two more arrests following last Mondays (5 May) burglaries and robberies in Tay Street, Invercargill.The two aggravated robberies, two burglaries and an attempted burglary at commercial premises happened between 1.50am and 4.30am on 5 May.No serious injuries were reported.A 15-year-old male was arrested last week in relation to a number of the incidents including one of the aggravated robberies.He has appeared in the Invercargill Youth Court and has been remanded in custody.Invercargill Police's Inspector Stu Harvey said a 35-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man have now been jointly charged with the second aggravated robbery after search warrants were executed in Invercargill city.Both are currently remanded in custody until their next court appearance, he said.Police are continuing to investigate last Monday morning's incidents and are still seeking assistance from members of the public in regards to the offending, he said.

Former Silver Fern and Southland netball legend Donna Wilkins launched her elite coaching career in the best possible fashion, steering VIP Frames and Trusses Tactix to a 57-50 win over a determined Ascot Park Hotel Southern Steel in Christchurch on Sunday (11 May).Southern Steel defender Carys Stythe and Tactix shooter Te Paea Selby-Rickit in action on Sunday. Photo: SuppliedThe match also held special significance for the teams as they were also playing for The Hutton Family Trophy - in memory of the late Kelly Hutton, who passed away in 2023 from ovarian cancer, and her sister Megan Hutton. Both were former Canterbury representatives, with Megan also having played for the Steel.Taking time to find their feet, the Tactix took charge in the second half of the southern derby with more impetus on attack through their young midcourt pairing of Holly Mather and Parris Petera, a lively defensive contribution from Jane Watson and sure shooting from Martina Salmon.With the game delicately poised and the Tactix leading 42-41 at the last break it was still anyone’s game, the Tactix making a telling push to forge a handy lead in the run home.With key Steel midcourter Kate Heffernan ruled out with injury and assistant coach Liana Leota named on the bench as cover, and shooter Aliyah Dunn, despite being sidelined for two minutes after dangerous play in the final quarter, but coming back to nail two two-pointers, the southerners remained well in the frame throughout.The young Steel team made a great fist of challenging the Tactix, whose greater experience proved decisive in the end.Respective goal shoots, Ellie Bird for the home side and Dunn, in her 100th national league match, suiting up in her hometown colours against her old team, were key figures through the first stanza with both returning blemish-free returns from one-point range.Neither side had any luck from the two-point arc, the new rule coming into play for the final five minutes of each quarter of matches this season, the Tactix making the most of their extra opportunities to head into the first break with a 14-10 lead.They were out of the blocks quickly on the resumption, scoring the first three goals before the Steel surged back into contention. With rangy new signing Carys Stythe making Bird earn her goals, the long reach of the defender, who made the move south during the off-season, grabbed a series of clutch turnover ball.With five goals on the trot, the Steel grew in confidence through their effective defensive pressure and sure flow through court, the experience of Kimiora Poi and rising young midcourter Serina Daunakamakama having a healthy impact. Drawing level 10 minutes in, Steel goal attack Georgia Heffernan nailed two super shots to nudge the visitors into a 27-26 halftime lead.A revelation last season, Salmon was injected into the game for the Tactix for the second half alongside wing attack Petera as the teams went goal-for goal throughout a close contest, the shooter going on to have a telling impact.Crack defender Watson got some classic turnovers under the Steel hoop as the Tactix flexed their collective muscle, Salmon adding to the home team’s impetus with a third quarter two-pointer to push their buffer out to five.In a tale for the ages, 40-year-old Steel assistant coach Leota was injected in at wing attack for the visitors for her 211th national league match after playing for several New Zealand and England franchises during a decorated career.Her presence had the desired result, helping the Steel make another concerted push, a two-pointer from Dunn leaving the match on a knife-edge when the Tactix took a 42-41 lead into the last turn.

Police have today (12 May) halted their search for tramper Eli Sweeting, missing in Milford Sound since Sunday 4th May.Sweeting failed to return after a planned solo day trip to climb Mitre Peak on Sunday (4 May), triggering a large-scale search and rescue operation.Acting Southern District Commander Inspector Matt Scoles said he knew the decision to pause the search would be difficult for the tramper's family to hear.Scoles said it had been an incredibly distressing time for the family and Police had been supporting them and remain in frequent contact.In the last six days Police have carried out extensive searches in an extremely dangerous and challenging terrain, Scoles said.We have focussed on searching the route used by climbers as well as an aerial search of the entire area using two helicopters and thermal imagery, he said.A drone had also been used.Groups brought in to assist in the search had included Land Search and Rescue groups from Southland and Otago, The Wakatipu Alpine Cliff Rescue Team support by a member of the Mount Cook Alpine Rescue team, Two search and rescue dogs, Southern Lakes Helicopters, Heliworks Queenstown, Real NZ, The Dunedin Cliff Rescue team and a Dunedin Surf Lifesaving team.As well as these groups many individuals and organisations in Milford Sound had contributed hugely in supporting the searchers, Scoles said.Scoles said that while the search had now been paused, they would be reviewing their efforts and looking to see if there was anything further we can do.

A hundred cups of tea and generations of indigenous stories will go into the making of Southland's new museum, as the council and mana whenua agree to work in partnership on its creation.Invercargill City Council and Waihōpai Rūnaka say they're both committed to making sure indigenous and local stories are told well in Te Unua Museum of Southland.Late last year, councillors voted to push on with the museum, which is set to open in late 2026, despite an unexpected cost increase of $13 million, meaning a rates rise of 1.5 percent.And now, things were getting to the exciting stage, according to Te Unua director Eloise Wallace."It's not just building a building, at the same time we have to create and figure out how to tell all of the stories of Southland - past, present and future," Wallace said.While the building itself was still under construction, conversations were underway to decide what stories to tell, and how.The process was a long one."It's a huge cast of people who just come together, and just have a hundred cups of tea and really figure out how we can tell these stories with our audience in mind," Wallace said."When it comes to museums, people like to find themselves, but they also like to find something new, and we really are trying to really push the boundaries for our new museum in terms of how we tell those stories."Even if we think about the name Te Unua, which is the name for a double-hulled waka, it's about partnership and journeying, and voyaging together."Waihōpai Rūnaka would be working with council on behalf of Kāi Tahu Kā Rūnaka ki Murihiku (which includes Awarua, Waihōpai, Ōraka-Aparima, and Hokonui Rūnaka) to develop the experience within the museum.Rūnaka kaiwhakahaere Cyril Gilroy said it was an exciting opportunity to share tribal stories with the wider Murihiku community.He said the four rūnaka were like pou, with each telling its unique story, and all facing in toward a larger central pou, which stood for the story of Murihiku.Each had their own story to tell."Sadly, museums have often misrepresented Māori historically, telling personal stories without the involvement of mana whenua," he said.A series of wānaka would be held with cultural and subject matter experts, and mana whenua would work with the experience design team to craft immersive displays using the latest audio-visual technology.Mana whenua had moved around a lot, and their travels made up an important part of the region's story."They will go beyond our migration stories and broader Kāi Tahu history to include rich pūrakau unique to Murihiku," Gilroy said."No one knows these stories - but we do."And soon, Southland would too.Published by permission

ResolvedState Highway 1 Gore is now open near Hyde Street. Take extra care along this route.Due to an accident on State Highway1 Gore, the road is closed to southbound traffic near Hyde Street.Northbound lanes remain open.Closure began at 1:18pm today and is until further notice.