Parts of Invercargill’s Estuary Walkway will stay closed into the New Year, as storm damage to the boardwalk section requires specialist repair work.The Roger Sutton Boardwalk, part of the Estuary Walkway, has been closed since extreme winds hit Southland on 23 October and caused damage across the region, including to the popular walking track around the estuary.Invercargill City Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said staff had worked hard to quickly reopen the rest of the Estuary Walkway, but the boardwalk section remained unsafe and unstable.“The storm in October did damage to the boardwalk’s foundation and decking. The structure remains unstable and isn’t fully supported in places,” she said.“The boardwalk passes over some incredibly deep, sandy mud, which we need to keep people out of.” When the boardwalk was built in 2007, a purpose-built floating working platform was used to drive piles into the estuary.Rain said it would take some time to find a contractor with the equipment and expertise to undertake this work again, while considering the environmental impact of construction on the lagoon’s ecology.Invercargill’s Roger Sutton Boardwalk. Photo: Invercargill City Council“This place is rich in birdlife, fish and native plants. In fixing the boardwalk, we need to make sure we aren’t damaging the surrounding environment. “I anticipate it will take several months before the repairs can be completed.”Signage and barriers would be in place advising the public of the areas that were closed, and Council would let the public know when the boardwalk was ready to reopen, Rain said.“We know this walkway – and the boardwalk in particular – is one of the most popular scenic spots in Invercargill. “We really appreciate the community’s patience as we work to make it safe again.”The Estuary Walkway boardwalk was named in honour of Invercargill environmentalist Roger Sutton (1921 – 2006), who was a key driver behind the development of the former landfill site into a sanctuary for local plants and wildlife.Sutton was celebrated in the 1984 Queen’s Birthday Honours for his services to conservation.

Lumsden Police are sticking it to motorists in the area, by teaming up with local business owners to help get the road safety speed message out – through stickers.“Nearly one million visitors travel through Lumsden, and other areas, on State Highway 6, when traveling from Queenstown into Fiordland and Milford Sound,” says Senior Sergeant Peter Graham, Western Southland Area Response Manager.“Most of our tourist drivers will only visit for one day and won’t realise they are facing one of New Zealand’s most difficult roads to navigate.“We teamed up with an iconic local tourist stop: The Coffee Bomb, which is a roadside caravan food and beverage shop in Garston.“The Coffee Bomb is known for its great coffee – which will now be served with a small Police sticker on the cup which reads: ‘Welcome to Western Southland.Max speed 100, drive safely’.“Nearly 500 drivers stop at The Coffee Bomb per day – this is just a small thing Police can do to interact with and inform a driver that we wouldn’t normally have the chance to,” Senior Sergeant Graham says.Police remind the public that the speed limit is just that – it’s not a target.If the conditions are bad, then slow down, so you have time to react if something happens in front of you.“I would like to thank the Lumsden Police officers for their ongoing commitment and efforts in the road safety space.As well as The Coffee Bomb owner operators, retired Constable Will and his wife Aroha for their support in helping keep commuters safe on our roads,” he says.Senior Sergeant Graham says Police will continue to look for more ways to spread our road safety messaging and awareness, and he encourages the public to report any form of dangerous driving to Police immediately, with as much information as safely possible.Please call 111 if it is happening now, or report other matters via 105.

Work on a new Southland council building has included clearing mould and fixing leaks, but the person in charge says it was expected.In October 2024, Southland District Council purchased Henderson House on Invercargill’s Kelvin St with the goal of having its employees under one roof.It has been a long exile for some staff who have been forced to relocate from the council’s main building on Forth St due to earthquake issues.For more than five years, staff have worked from three separate sites because of those concerns, a recent report said.Project director Jendi Paterson told Local Democracy Reporting the council had a target of late-2026 for moving into Henderson House — a three-storey office building which was built in the 1980s.While there hadn't been any surprises since purchase, Paterson detailed some issues which had come up during due diligence and early investigations.Southland District Council's Forth St premises has earthquake-related concerns. Photo: Matthew Rosenberg/LDRThose included seismic strengthening, replacement cladding and windows, and internal refurbishment.“Mould remediation work and testing have been completed, and previously identified leaks have been repaired,” she said.“These findings were anticipated and are already built into the redevelopment scope and budget.”Paterson said consolidating staff would improve collaboration and reduce reliance on leased sites.The recent report for the project highlighted issues with the current arrangement such as fragmentation, inefficiencies, higher operational costs, and uncertainty about long-term accommodation suitability.It said the council analysed its options through 2023 and early 2024, including looking at available buildings, pricing new builds and assessing lease extensions.The council "approved the acquisition" of the Kelvin St building in October 2024 and delegated the chief executive authority to purchase.On Friday, a tender ends for a main contractor for the job.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Chris Smith has been poking around in the grass and soil for 52 years as one of Southland’s, and possibly New Zealand’s, most experienced agricultural researchers.He’s ensured we’ve had plenty of tasty cereal on the table, fought pesty grass grubs, even starred on Country Calendar.Chris’s research has been well recognised, published nationally and internationally.Chris measuring winter crop residuals in 2020. Photo: SuppliedHe helped to revolutionise organic farming with his work on reactive phosphate trials in the mid-1980s, charged with collating and summarising the results of all 18 national trials – three conducted in Southland – a job that took him a year.The 71-year-old AgResearch Environment Science South Team researcher and scientist finally called it quits last week (19 Dec), his last on the job with the Woodlands Pasture Rate of Growth Trial.He’s fought hard over the years to keep the Woodlands pasture growth rate trial operating, having seen how vital the results are, many still being put into practice by farmers decades later.Chris started the pasture rate of growth trial at Woodlands in 1977, measuring pasture growth using cages, then when government funding cuts came, he argued to keep the Woodlands project going.It’s still operating today – the second largest continuous pasture measurement research on one site in NZ, something he’s proud of.Some of what he fought to retain is now being relied upon by scientists who are researching and monitoring climate change.“Farmers and clients were using that as a benchmark as to how pasture was growing in Southland at the time.""Even now those monthly updates still go to 300 or 400 farmers and they’re very important for their management decisions,” he says.“I argued to the keep the funding on and just carried on doing the research without the funding. I did it anyway."“I think that data set is now very important to gauge what pasture growth will do under climate change,” he says.“Climate change modelling predicts pasture growth will increase but our data set shows it isn’t,” Chris says.“People are starting to look into why it’s not increasing like it should, but there’s no funding which is a bit concerning to me.”Chris working on a harvesting cereal trial in 1986. Photo: SuppliedHe's “not a denier” – but climate is a process and it’s always changing.""It’s just changing faster,” Chris says.“We’ve got to live with it. It’s more a case of adapting to it than preventing it.”He says there’s seems to be less and less funding for agricultural production while other more high-tech industries get funding, “not those that keep the country going”.“I’m concerned what will happen in 20 or 30 years as that research isn’t being done now.”A lack of funding for on farm research is his greatest concern.“A lot of our farming production practices now have come from research done 20 or 30 years ago,” he says.The most satisfying aspect of his role all these years has been seeing farmers adopt his research, talking to them about it and helping them change their management practices.It’s also been hugely satisfying to see his research results published in NZ and overseas journals and his papers presented to scientists at NZ and international conferences.His other major concern is how nitrogen loss is destroying Southland’s waterways due to increased dairy cow stocking rates.”This results in a high concentrations of nutrients going into our waterways.""I’ve seen our pristine waterways become ruined but lately there have been some major improvements with the way farmers farm.”Chris sampling soil leaching samplers - mid winter in 2010. Photo: SuppliedWhile the first 20 to 25 years of his research focused on increasing production, the last 25 years has focused on the environmental impacts that result from that increased production.In 2008 Chris was awarded L C Blakemore Award for Top NZ Research Technician by the NZ Society of Soil Sciences.He was also a trustee of the Ballance Farm Environmental awards for about three years from 2008.He’s just finished his last term as president of the NZ Grassland Association and has organised two NZ conferences for them in Invercargill, on the committee for the 2000 event and chairman for the 2020 one, which had to be postponed until 2022.Not bad for a boy from Masterton, who quit a chemistry degree at Canterbury Uni after two years when he scored a job at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Takapau Research Station.By 21 he’d won a Young Farmers Exchange to Western Australia spending three months on eight or nine farms stretching from Geraldton in the north to the far south coast at Esperance.Mulesing lambs’ backsides to protect them from fly strike was new to this Kiwi boy as were the size of the paddocks, and the heat.“I was cultivating spring wheat, and it took 12 hours to drive around the boundary fence of one paddock.”He teamed up with some fun Rural Youth guys (equivalent to Young Farmers) heading to the Royal Show in Perth, all asleep on the open-air crate on the back of a truck while one of the guys drove them through the night.One of his farming families also took him camping in the wildflower area of Southwest Australia for one last look at its beauty before contractors completed a giant motorway being built right through it.Then there was the “culture shock” of being transferred to Gore by MAF on his return in spring 1976.“Everyone was parked up in the centre plots of the main street having a beer.""That wasn’t my scene. I thought it was a bit stupid,” he says.So Chris headed for the country in his Holden Torana Straight Six joining the Waimumu Young Farmers Club instead where he fitted in just fine.He also joined the Southland Gliding Club, eventually becoming chief instructor for a period in the late 1980’s.As for that Country Calendar episode: “We were testing fertiliser rates on various plants in hill country – the Blue Mountains and the Remarkables.""They were filming a segment on high country farming at our Remarkables site,” he says.“I was using a brush cutter with metal to demonstrate how we measured growth for them when it hit a stone, which chipped and flew off into the TV camera lens!”The cameraman wasn’t impressed and there was no ‘On Demand’ back then.“I never did get to see that programme,” Chris grins.Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardComments:Expect normal travel times over the coming days – A tree fall from earlier today at Lake Gunn has been cleared.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Showers Tomorrow: Rain Thursday: Rain Friday: Showers

There are four candidates seeking appointment to the extraordinary vacancy on the Ōraka Aparima Community Board.Nominations closed at midday today. The four candidates are Don Frew, Mel Heddershaw, Nick Kiddey, and Marina Seager.As the number of nominations received exceeds the number of vacancies, a voting process is required. This will be conducted by postal voting using the first past the post (FPP) electoral system. Voting will open on Friday 30 January and close at 12 noon on Tuesday 3 March 2026.Enrolment and special voting arrangementsResidential electors within the Ōraka Aparima Community Board area who are not listed on the final electoral roll for this by-election can enrol or amend their enrolment details on the electoral roll on or before 4pm Monday 2 March 2026:online at www.vote.nzby texting their name and address to 3676 to get a form sent to themby calling 0800 36 76 56 to ask for a form to be sent to themby email request to [email protected]Ōraka Aparima Community Board ratepayers who live outside the Ōraka Aparima Community Board area and who are not listed on the final electoral roll for this by-election can enrol on or before 4pm Monday 2 March 2026 by completing and returning a ratepayer enrolment form, available from the Southland District Council office or website.Special voting facilities for the by-election will be available at the Southland District Council offices at 117 Palmerston Street, Riverton and 15 Forth Street, Invercargill during normal office hours between Friday 30 January and 12 noon on Tuesday 3 March 2026.

Police have arrested one person while investigating a complaint from the member of the public that sighted a vehicle repeatedly crossing the centre line heading from Gore to Te Anau.Around 7.30am on Sunday 21 December, Police signalled the vehicle in question to pull over on Main Street in Gore.A strong smell of alcohol, bloodshot eyes and slurred speech greeted officers when they walked up to the driver.Breath testing procedures revealed the driver was almost four times the legal limit, driving visibly and completely impaired after leaving a hen’s do with little sleep.A 38-year-old woman is due to appear in Gore District Court on 21 January 2026 and has been issued with a 28-day driving suspension notice.Acting Senior Sergeant Christopher Rigby said that Police was disappointed to see poor choices being made when people are drinking then driving.“The driver was seen driving erratically and its incredible that no one was hurt on the road.“We always encourage people to sort sober drivers, rideshare or taxi if they have plans to drink.There’s no excuse to drinking and driving,” said Senior Sergeant Rigby.If you see dangerous driving, call Police immediately on 111.

The government is hoping an extra $848,000 being put towards keeping boaties safe will help reduce 37 drownings on average in New Zealand this summer.About $75,000 is going towards regional councils for compliance checks, and the rest goes to 30 community education projects for small boat users, close-to-shore activities, and groups over-represented in drowning statistics.Associate Transport Minister James Meager said drownings were preventable tragedies and the government wanted fewer families to have to go through that."The local funding stretches from the top of Northland right down to the bottom of Southland, ensuring all parts of New Zealand can strengthen community-led safety initiatives, support bar-crossing education, and enhance regional compliance capability throughout the busy summer season," he said."Watersafe Auckland Inc has been allocated $43,000 to deliver water safety education at high-traffic boat ramps across Auckland, while Queenstown Lakes District Council's $10,000 grant will fund a programme aimed to recreational craft operators at inland waterways."The number one way of reducing harm on the water is wearing a lifejacket, he said, and encouraged all New Zealanders to wear one while on a boat.The funding comes from fuel excise paid by recreational boat owners.Published by Permission

Operation Diablo has led to the arrest of eight people and the seizure of drugs, firearms and cash from multiple addresses across Southland last week.Organised criminal groups received pre-Christmas visits as Police executed 12 search warrants at properties and vehicles in and around Invercargill.The operation was led by Southland’s Organised Crime Group and Criminal Investigation Branch, with support from specialist teams including a Drug Detection Dog unit.Police targeted gang-related drug offending as part of the crackdown.Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Baird says the social harm caused by the sale and supply of illicit drugs is significant.“Gang members facilitating this don’t care about the damage they cause,” says Detective Baird.“We will continue to find and prosecute those who think this sort of criminal activity is acceptable.”During Operation Diablo, Police seized:Over 32 grams of methamphetamineVarious quantities of cannabisFirearms and ammunitionMore than $3,000 in cashMultiple electronic devices.“It’s about preventing harm,” Detective Baird adds.“People deserve to live, work and play in our communities without these negative influences ruining their plans.”Police have arrested five men and three women that have appeared in the Invercargill District Court.Charges include possession for supply of class A and class drugs, unlawful possession of a firearm and threatening behaviour.Police continue to investigate.Further charges and arrests have not been ruled out.Members of the public are urged to report any concerns or information about illegal drug supply or criminal activity.Call 105 or 111 if it’s happening nowProvide information anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Rocket Lab has scored its largest single contract to date.The New Zealand-founded company's latest deal with the US Space Development Agency (SDA) is worth US$816 million (NZ$1.4b).It will manufacture 18 satellites equipped with advanced sensors to track and detect missile threats, including from hypersonic missiles of the kind recently developed by Russia."Demand for resilient, scalable and affordable space systems continues to grow, and this award demonstrates that Rocket Lab is uniquely positioned to lead the charge in delivering solutions that meet the needs of national security," Rocket Lab founder and chief executive Peter Beck said."As the only commercial provider producing both spacecraft and payloads in-house for the SDA Tracking Layer, Rocket Lab is delivering a truly disruptive solution that combines speed, resilience and affordability."This contract underscores that Rocket Lab's vertically integrated approach isn't just a competitive advantage - we're enabling a fundamental shift in how national security space programs are executed."Rocket Lab already had a US$515m (NZ$869m) satellite contract.This week, the company launched its fourth spacecraft into orbit for the United States Department of War. The launch, named 'Don't Be Such A Square', lifted off from Wallops Island in Virginia to deploy four DiskSat spacecraft in a 550km low Earth orbit, five months ahead of schedule.Rocket Lab's next launch, 'The Wisdom God Guides', is scheduled for Sunday evening. It will be the company's 79th launch and the 21st this year.The client is Q-shu Pioneers of Space, a Japan-based Earth-imaging company, and the launch will be streamed live on Rocket Lab's YouTube channel.Published by permission

The head of the Predator Free NZ Trust says there is "some complexity" in using sound to keep cats away from nesting native birds.Jessi Morgan says it is important to keep the country's native wildlife safe, while recognising the role cats play as companions.A project from the Bioeconomy Science Institute has discovered a way to use sound as a harmless deterrent.The research found feral cats were most averse to the sound of human voices, and domestic cats were most averse to the sound of other cats.Feral cats were recently added to the Predator Free 2050 target species list, but domestic cats are still part of many New Zealand households.There was no official estimate of how many feral cats live in New Zealand. While 2.4 million is often cited, some believe the true number is far higher.Morgan said New Zealand has the highest rate of cat ownership in the world, with about 1.2 million owned cats.She said the research could be applied to other animals."Research that we do on protecting native birds from cats is also transferable to other species, which is really important," Morgan said."The key is removing cats from those environments where the native birds are, that's the ultimate."She said there needed to be a way of keeping the cats that were in the area away in the meantime.The sound technology could be costly to establish, Morgan said."It's quite an expensive application at the moment, in terms of you need the speaker to play the sound out loud, and it needs to be weather proof."There's some complexity around it," she said.Morgan said sound could also be used to lure pests into traps."I think sound does have a role to play for cats but also for other predators, could we use sound lures to attract animals towards a trap or towards a cage so we were able to catch them."It's really important that we explore all these different options because at the moment most of our lures for trapping are food lures, so it's kind of smell and taste, and so if we can have sound lure as another option then it actually just makes our trapping more effective in time - it just give us different options."Exploring different strategies like sound, light or pheromones was important, Morgan said."It's not going to be a cookie cutter approach, there's not a one size fits all here."Obviously, the best thing cat owners can do is actually keep their cats safe and happy at home, so contained on their own property, and that means it minimises their impact on wildlife but also keeps the cats safe which is really important, especially when they're important companions or members of the family."Published by permission

21/12/2025 – ILT Academy Southland marked 20 years of supporting Southland’s top young athletes at a special function held in Invercargill this afternoon (December 21).First piloted in 2005, the Academy has supported more than 250 sportspeople across a wide variety of sports over the past two decades, helping them to achieve their goals both inside and outside the white lines of their chosen codes.Academy programme manager Jason McKenzie said the 20 year celebration had provided the ideal time to reflect on the evolution of the programme, the impact it has had and the innovative thinking by the likes of Kereyn Smith and the late Mike Piper, who were instrumental in its establishment.Mike’s wife Joy was a special guest at today’s function, along with more than 30 Academy graduates and their families.“These 20 years are Mike’s legacy. Thank you Mike – I hope we have made you proud,” McKenzie said.“We provide a programme that we know from research makes a short and long term difference to athletes’ performance and grows them as people.“They are grounded in Southland values of humbleness, work ethic and passion. They are challenged to be better everyday and they learn the skills to use in performance when it matters most.”Academy Southland has helped support Southlanders to achieve their sporting dreams, including 10 Olympians, 30 Commonwealth Games athletes and many national and world champions.Double Olympic gold medallist Alena Saili and silver medallists Eddie Dawkins and Nicole Shields were in attendance, along with Paralympic bronze medallist Jess Hamill.Saili, Dawkins and WorldTour cyclist Corbin Strong formed a guest panel as part of the celebrations.While sporting success was an important driver for the programme, seeing Southlanders achieving in a range of fields was just as important.“We develop young Southland athletes to excel at the highest level in life as well – Harvard, Duke, Princeton, Oxford and a Rhodes Scholar,” McKenzie said.McKenzie thanked the athletes who have taken part, their coaches and their families, along with the Academy’s board, sponsors, funders and wider community who had supported the programme.As part of the celebrations, video interviews with past Academy athletes has been captured and is being published on the programme’s social media accounts.Something that had come through strongly while connecting with past athletes was the sense of pride they felt in representing their community on the national and international stage, McKenzie said.“It has been a hell of a ride and, while we are here to celebrate our 20 year milestone, I feel like we have only just begun.”

Police have made a further appeal to the public for information following the arson of work vehicles at Queens Park on Wednesday 3rd December.Four trucks owned by arborist company Treetech were destroyed in the attack.Police were alerted at around 12:20am that four vehicles had been deliberately set alight.As part of our investigations, we would like to hear from anyone who was on or around Queens Drive between 12am and 12:30am on Wednesday 3 December , or anyone with information that could assist, Police said.Please contact Police via 105 either over the phone or online, referencing file number 251203/6133.Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Two men have been arrested following a shooting in Gore this week (17 Dec) that saw two victims airlifted to hospital, one in a serious condition.Police were called to an Aparima Street house shortly before 8pm on Wednesday evening, following reports of a firearm being discharged.They later said they did not believe there is any risk to other members of the community.Police said the arrested men – aged 36 and 54 – were arrested in Invercargill on Thursday afternoon (18 Dec).Both men are facing a range of charges and are due to appear in Invercargill District Court today (19 Dec).One victim remains in hospital, recovering from their injuries, while the other victim has been discharged, Police said.Inspector Mike Bowman, Southland Area Commander says investigators have been following a number of lines of enquiry, but information from the public had proved invaluable.“We want to thank the community for their help so far, the support we’ve had from the public shows people aren’t willing to tolerate violence like this."“The arrests are the result of excellent work across the team involved and help from the public."“The investigation still needs to hear from anyone with information who hasn’t yet been spoken to. Even the smallest detail can make a big difference," Bowman said.“While the investigation is continuing, officers will have a visible presence in Gore over the coming days as they carry out reassurance patrols and show their support for the community.”To contact Police about this incident go to 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “update report”, or call 105. Use the reference number 251217/1617.Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers, by calling 0800 555 111.

Southland's 'Greatest Little Show' - the Winton A&P Show, is once again set to delight families when it returns to the Winton's racecourse on Saturday 17 January 2026.For over 100 years, the show has been Central Southland's seasonal highlight, bringing together locals and visitors for a day filled with agricultural showcases, family fun, and rich Southland hospitality.Visitors can expect to see a stella lineup of attractions including livestock and baking competitions, shearing and woodchopping, trade and home craft stalls, as well as a baby show, food courts, carnival rides, entertainment and much more.Children have of course not been forgotten, with their very own - and free - sections for baking and colouring in competitions.A special pet parade has also been organised for all those who have brought along their furry, hairy and woolly pet friends.And once the classic competitions are over the serious fun begins with the traditional 'Big Dig" and other fun games set to challenge and delight the youngsters.The show is held at Winton Racecourse, 64 Racecourse Road, Winton, with gates opening at 8am on Saturday, 17 January 2026.Trade space and exhibitor are reminded that entries are open now but close on 31 December 2025.Home industries and Children's competition entries close at 6pm on Friday 16th January.CLICK HERE for more information on the show, to download a schedule or entry form.

Targeted speed limit changes are being proposed on state highways across the South Island after community concerns were raised about safety. Next month, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) will open public consultations for people to have their say on these proposed changes in Canterbury, on the West Coast and in Southland. The proposed speed limit changes include the following: State Highway 1 (SH1) at both ends of Temuka, South Canterbury – northern section 70km/h to 50km/h, southern section 80km/h to 60km/h.SH1 south of Amberley (North Canterbury) – 80km/h to 60km/h.SH1 south of Rolleston (near Christchurch) – 100km/h to 80km/h.SH75 north of Halswell (Christchurch) – 60km/h to 50km/h.SH73 Kirwee and Sheffield (Central Canterbury) – 70km/h to 50km/h.SH67 and SH67A Westport south including Buller Bridge (West Coast) – 100km/h to 60km/h.SH7 at Blacks Point (West Coast) – 70km/h to 60km/h.Introduction of Intersection Speed Zones* on SH1 at Norwood and SH73 at Waddington (Central Canterbury), and SH6 at Five Rivers (Southland) – 100km/h to 100/60km/h variable. *Intersection Speed Zones (ISZs) feature electronic signage that temporarily lower the speed limit when a vehicle approaches to turn from or onto a side road. “These proposed changes are highly targeted, covering just 12 kilometres of the South Island’s 5000km state highway network, but they will make a real difference where it matters most,” says NZTA director of regional relationships for the central and lower South Island, James Caygill. “We’re focused on saving lives and reducing serious injuries without adding unnecessary delays for drivers.” Each proposal meets the requirements of the Government’s Setting of Speed Limits Rule 2024, which mandates six weeks of public consultation before decisions are finalised. New limits will become legally enforceable once signs are installed and uncovered. NZTA’s targeted approach to state highway speed management under the 2024 Rule prioritises:Schools Variable Speed Limits (VSLs)ISZs for high-risk rural intersectionsSpeed changes and new speed limits needed for projects and seasonal speed limitsA small number of community requests that meet strict criteria. Visit here for more information, including how to suggest a speed change. This website will be updated with full consultation details and feedback options for the proposed changes above, in late January 2026.

Please see below details of renewal work on state highways in southland, early in the new year. These renewals will be disruptive, particularly the renewal work in Wallacetown – however we will do our best to minimise this as much as possible.These dates are subject to change; An update will be sent in the new year confirming start dates and traffic management: Beginning the week of 5th January:SH94 Te Anau-Milford highway near Sinclair Road6am – 8pm; Monday to Friday until end of JanuaryReconstruction of this section of highway including pavement excavation, fill, resurfacing and line marking - following previously completed drainage and earthworks.Traffic lights, temporary speed limit 30km/hr; 5-10 minute delaysTraffic lights on Sinclair Road /turning restrictions SH90 Waikaka Valley highway between Waikaka Road and Cunningham Road6am – 8pm; Monday to Friday until end of MarchReconstruction of this section of highway including pavement excavation, fill, resurfacing and line marking - following previously completed drainage and earthworks.Traffic lights and 30km/hr speed restriction; 5-10 minute delays SH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway at Heddon Bush Road6am – 8pm; Monday to Friday until end of JanuaryReconstruction of this section of highway including pavement excavation, fill, resurfacing and line marking - following previously completed drainage and earthworks.Traffic lights and 30km/hr speed restriction; 5-10 minute delays SH96 Winton-Hedgehope highway at Zwies Road, Browns6am – 8pm; Monday to Friday until end of JanuaryReconstruction of this section of highway including pavement excavation, fill, resurfacing and line marking - following previously completed drainage and earthworks.Traffic lights and 30km/hr speed restriction; 5-10 minute delays Beginning mid-late January until late March/early April:SH99 Wallacetown-Lorneville highway between Underwood-Linds Bridge Road and Ryal Bush-Wallacetown RoadReconstruction of this section of highway including bridge & culvert work, earthworks & drainage, pavement excavation, fill, resurfacing and line marking.Traffic management to be confirmed, but there will be significant disruption at this site due to the location and length of the site. Details to follow in the new year.

PowerNet has appointed senior engineering leader Adrian Nadan to lead its Networks team, bringing more than 18 years of industry experience to the role.Adrian comes to PowerNet from Counties Energy, where he held several leadership roles, managing major capital programmes, including a $40 million substation renewal, a $12 million water resiliency project and a $22 million accelerated substation delivery initiative.PowerNet Chief Executive Paul Blue said he is thrilled to have a candidate of such high calibre for the role and looks forward to welcoming him to Invercargill in early March.“This is a critical role in managing our network into the future and Adrian brings with him a wide range of skills to ensure we can deliver a high quality, efficient and effective network for our customers.”Adrian brings extensive project management skills and has implemented a project management framework aligned with Project Management Institute (PMI) standards, as well as holding Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.Adrian says he’s delighted to join the PowerNet team and contribute to optimising its networks while working with the team to realise the opportunities ahead.“I also want to express my sincere gratitude to Counties Energy for the opportunities, support and collaboration that have shaped my professional journey and enabled me to contribute to Counties Energy’s success,” he said.Prior to joining Counties Energy, Adrian worked as a Project Engineer and Project Manager at KiwiRail, where he contributed to the Auckland Rail Electrification Project from 2010 to 2015, managing the design, delivery and commissioning of the electrical system.

War correspondent Peter Arnett, whose journalistic career started at the Southland Times in the 1950s, has died at the age of 91.The Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter, who became one of the world's foremost combat correspondents, died on Wednesday, according to US media reports.He had been suffering from prostate cancer.Arnett, who won the 1966 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting for his coverage of the Vietnam War for The Associated Press, rose to international fame in his decades-long career covering conflicts from Vietnam to El Salvador to the Gulf.He broke onto the international scene as a wire-service correspondent in Vietnam from 1962 until the war's end in 1975, dodging bullets as he accompanied troops on missions. His reporting throughout the conflict provided an on-the-ground assessment of the war that often challenged official US accounts.He was among the last reporters in Saigon as it fell to the communist-backed North Vietnamese.Arnett stayed with the AP until 1981, when he joined CNN. He would soon rise to broadcast stardom.In 1991, Arnett landed in Baghdad for the outbreak of the first Gulf War, where he interviewed then-president Saddam Hussein and documented the lives of the Iraqi people living under the bombing.His live frontline broadcasts -- in some cases relayed by cell phone -- would make him a household name."Peter Arnett was one of the greatest war correspondents of his generation -- intrepid, fearless, and a beautiful writer and storyteller," Edith Lederer, chief UN correspondent for the AP, told the agency."His reporting in print and on camera will remain a legacy for aspiring journalists and historians for generations to come."Bin Laden interviewIn 1997, Arnett interviewed Osama bin Laden at a secret hideout in Afghanistan years before the 11 September, 2001 attacks on the US.When asked about his plans, bin Laden reportedly told Arnett: "You'll see them and hear about them in the media, God willing," the New York Times reported.Arnett resigned from CNN in 1999 after the network retracted a report Arnett narrated claiming deadly Sarin nerve gas had been used on deserting American soldiers in Laos in 1970.Arnett went on to cover the second Gulf War for NBC and National Geographic.He left NBC in 2003 after giving an interview to Iraqi state television in which he was critical of the US military's strategy.Arnett was born on 13 November, 1934 in Riverton, New Zealand.Arnett, who later became a naturalised American citizen, began his career as a reporter on a local newspaper, the Southland Times, before going on to work for English-language papers in Thailand and Laos.In 1995, he published his memoir, Live From the Battlefield: From Vietnam to Baghdad, 35 Years in the World's War Zones.Arnett, who lived in Southern California since 2014, is survived by his wife, Nina Nguyen, and their children, Elsa and Andrew, US media said.Arnett retained his New Zealand passport, despite taking out American citizenship.Published by Permission