A Gore company and two individuals are facing charges after thousands of eels died following a discharge into the Low Burn Stream near Mataura.The charges, laid in the Gore District Court on August 15, had their first hearing today (6 Nov). Judge Walker remanded all charges without plea until November 27, and granted interim name suppression for all defendants until that time. Counsel Tim McGuigan of Wynn Williams represented Environment Southland.

An outstanding climb on the Remarkables from Josh Burnett has seen the local favourite win the Queen Stage and take control of this year’s SBS Bank Tour of Southland.Preparation paid off for the 24-year-old, who has spent recent weeks making some lonely ascents in all kinds of weather up the extended 10km climb on the Remarkables access road.Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project), who won the shorter 6km version of the stage on debut in 2021 and was third in 2022 on the way to winning the tour, started the day trailing leader Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) by 31sec, but now leads the race by 48sec heading into the iconic Bluff Hill stage.While anyone who lost money in the Melbourne Cup will understand that backing a favourite isn’t a guaranteed strategy, Burnett didn’t let home advantage or the favourite’s tag distract him.After riding through the main peloton and catching the front runners with Daniel Whitehouse (Quality Foods Southland) early in the climb, Burnett then stuck to his own plan to lead home Matthew Wilson (Advanced Personnel Cycling) by 32sec, with Whitehouse third on the stage.“Dan Whitehouse was super strong from the bottom and pretty much put it at the exact pace that I wanted,” Burnett said.Josh Burnett goes solo on the Remarkables climb. Photo: Studio Jubb/Tour of Southland“All the GC guys that I was worried about weren’t there within five minutes…it sounds pretty boring but I just stared at the power metre for the last 10 minutes to not go too far over my head.“It’s pretty special to get another win on the Remarks, especially this high up. I’ve worked really hard on my long climbing, I’ve driven up here a lot with Mum and by myself and trained in bad weather, so the hard work has paid off.”Australian Aiden Sinclair (Business South) was the first rider onto the climb from a big bunch who were able to edge away from the pack but never threatened to make the gap a punishing one. While Sinclair was swallowed up early, he was rewarded with the Most Combative jersey.Fellow Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) continues to build a strong lead in the under 23 standings and is placed fifth overall, while Southland’s Luke Macpherson (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) leads the over 35 classification.While O’Donnell relinquished the orange jersey, he does have a handy lead in the Sprint Ace classification, with Burnett leading the King of the Mountain race.Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project capped a strong performance across their riders by taking over the teams classification.Josh Burnett (centre) starts the climb with Daniel Whitehouse (right) and Elliot Schultz. Photo: Studio Jubb/Tour of Southland“It might sound weird that it’s almost better to take (the lead) now rather than me getting it on the first day and having to put the boys on the front the whole time,” Burnett said.“Even today we had so many teams helping that we didn’t have to have the boys rolling when we thought we might be the only team doing it. It’s a bit of payback because we’ve got some super strong guys in this team who could all have a good shot at the GC, or compete for stage wins. We are a team, we’ve been a team all year and they have sacrificed a lot for me.”The hard work continues tomorrow on the 154km stage from Invercargill to Bluff, a stage which Burnett would dearly love to win.“We go past my house twice…it’s where I grew up cycling on the mountainbiking tracks there. I know there will be lots of friends and family out there and it’s the one that I haven’t won and I really want to win. There will be a bit of work coming up for the boys but we are excited - the race is on and we are up for it.”

Milford Road OPENAvalanche Hazard LOWWeather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: FineTomorrow: periods of rainFriday: Heavy rain, easing in afternoonSaturday: Showers clearingSunday: Rain developing

Police would like to speak to any witnesses of a two-vehicle crash that happened at the intersections of Ness Street and Janet Streets around 1:40am on Sunday 20 October.Four people were transported to hospital following the crash - two in a critical condition and two in serious conditions following the crash.One person remains in hospital with three others having now been discharged.Police said they would like to hear from anyone who saw a silver Mazda station wagon around Pomona Street, near John Street, and the surrounding areas between 1:30am and 1:40am.We would also like to hear from anyone who has footage from dashcam or CCTV from around that area on the night of the crash.Police were at the time conducting 'Operation Hoon', an operation targeting antisocial road users and illegally modified vehicles, which saw 36 vehicles taken off the road.If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.Police can be contacted online or via their 105 phoneline, quoting reference number 241020/5642.Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) have banned fireworks at Sandy Point Reserve and Fosbender Park in Otatara, and Awarua Bay for the next two weeks (6-20 Nov).The ban, imposed under Section 52 of the Fire and Emergency Act, will take effect from 8am on 6 November - the morning after Guy Fawkes night (5 Nov) - until 11.59pm on 20 November.Southland District Manager Julian Tohiariki said the areas had been singled out as popular spots for people to let off fireworks and vegetation types that could easily start a fire."Although things have been extremely wet in Southland things are starting to dry," Tohiariki says."The weather forecast for Thursday and Friday is for temperatures in the 20s with possible strong winds."While the above areas now have a fireworks ban in place, Tohiariki said people lighting fireworks elsewhere should check the conditions first and only light them if it is safe to do so.Fireworks are banned from Awarua (area highlighted) for the next two weeks. Graphic: FENZ"People should always check it is safe to light their fireworks by visiting www.checkitsalright.nz, clicking on fireworks and then checking it's alright to light. If it is windy and dry in your area, don’t light them."If it is safe to light, people can take some simple precautions to keep everyone safe, he said.This starts with checking for local bylaws for the rules around using fireworks in your area.Once that is complete, people should make sure they have a safe set up when lighting fireworks. This means:Lighting them in a wide-open space, away from anything that could catch fireHaving a large bucket of water or hose at hand.Ensuring your fireworks are pointed at the sky and won’t end up in anything that can catch fire including buildings or vegetation.Being a good neighbour. Letting people know around you if you’re planning to set fireworks off, especially those with pets and livestock.Disposing of your fireworks safely - soak them in water before you throw them out.The current two-week fireworks ban includes:- Sand Point Reserve and Fosbender Park: from the northern boundary of Fosbender Park in a line west to Oreti beach out to the mean high tide mark.- Awarua Bay area including Awarua Bay Road, all land within the Tiwai Peninsula (excluding the smelter) and any gravel pits within the area.

Southland’s Tom Sexton focused his frustration to claim a maiden home stage win in the SBS Bank Tour of Southland.A key member of the New Zealand track endurance squad since 2017, the 25-year-old had never won a stage in either the Yunca Junior Tour of Southland or the senior event before he and Japanese rider Shunsuke Imamura managed to stay away and contest a two-up sprint on the Te Anau lakefront.Sexton was pleased to have a strong breakaway partner like Imamura.“I was lucky to have him come across and he was pulling really well through the valley and up the climb. Coming into Te Anau he was still pulling hard and I was starting to get a bit worried.”Sexton (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech Team), who grew up holidaying on the beaches around Lake Te Anau, is coming off a big year including an Olympic debut in Paris where he was part of the men’s team pursuit which finished fifth.“I love this race, so it’s really cool to come back and be able to win a stage,” he said.The peloton makes its way around Te Waewae Bay towards Tuatapere. Photo: Studio Jubb/Tour of Southland“After the Olympics this was my main goal, to come here and have a bit of fun. I was frustrated after missing out on the break (on Monday), I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve missed the front split on the Tour of Southland and I wanted to go out there and prove a point. In my mind, once I was out in front there was no bringing me back.”Despite being a medallist at world championship and Commonwealth Games level, Sexton has had to bide his time on the road, especially coming up through the junior ranks.“I was actually a little whitebait, I was tiny and under-developed compared with some of the guys my age and didn’t win much through juniors. I had a growth spurt when I came into elite and the high performance programme in Cambridge.”After making his presence felt in the early breaks, Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) wasn’t able to cover the decisive break and set his sights on defending a time gap which would eventually put him into the leader’s orange jersey.O’Donnell finished in the second group ahead of the main peloton to give the race its third leader in as many days. The Cantabrian has surprised even himself after taking a much more relaxed approach to his fifth Southland tour.“I told Chris, our team manager and owner, I’m not coming here with any goals or ambitions, I’m coming here to have fun and I’m going pretty good at the moment,” O’Donnell said.Bailey O'Donnell is the third leader in as many days on the SBS Bank Tour of Southland. Photo: Photo: Studio Jubb/Tour of Southland“It means a lot. This is an awesome race. I’ve never won (this jersey) before so I’m pretty stoked. I’ve been overseas for the last couple of years and when you get to the end of the year all the Kiwi boys get a bit sad overseas and we start watching Tour of Southland videos and get a bit excited about the fourth Grand Tour.”O’Donnell, who has a 15 point lead over Sexton in the Sprint classification, holds an 18sec lead over Sam Ritchie (Central Benchmakers-Willbike, with Sam Jenner falling out of the lead to trail by 20sec.Kiaan Watts (PowerNet) is 27sec in arrears with 2022 winner Josh Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project) 31sec back and in possession of the King of the Mountains jersey.Australian Declan Trezise retained his lead in the under 23 category, in fifth place overall, with Southland’s Luke Macpherson leading the over 35 classification. PowerNet lead the teams classification.After three days of sprint finishes, the focus of this year’s race switches to climbing with the 112km Queen stage from Mossburn to the Remarkables, near Queenstown. This year’s fourth stage includes an extended 10km category one climb and a gravel finish which is expected to be the biggest test of this year’s race.

The driver of a council work car clocked at 145 km/hr may never have been identified because the system didn't log the person behind the wheel.Gore District Council revealed the incident was one of 165 speeding violations where people drove 10 km/hr or more over the speed limit during a six-month period.Both Southland District Council and Invercargill City Council have also released information on speeding in council cars, showing limits were broken by at least 40 km/hr at both councils.Across the three councils, drivers were recorded exceeding the speed limit by at least 10 km/hr more than 1400 times during a six-month period.A spokesperson for Gore District Council said despite most of the council’s cars being part of a pool, there was no system in place to officially log who was driving a vehicle.“However, if we become aware of an overspeed, and can identify the driver, then a conversation is had with them in the first instance and if it continues further action can be taken.”The council would not provide comment on individual situations, saying disciplinary action was an employment matter.It did not say whether it identified the driver clocked at 145 km/hr.At Invercargill City Council, group manager finance and assurance Patricia Christie said there were 10 fleet vehicles fitted with speed monitoring software.In the six months to the end of September — the period Local Democracy Reporting requested information on from the three councils — there were 633 exceedances of over 10 km/hr, Christie said.The fastest speed was 41 km/hr over the limit.“It is council’s policy to work with staff and educate them prior to taking disciplinary action,” she said.Southland District Council logged 615 speeding incidents of vehicles travelling at 10 km/hr or more over the limit.There were two instances of the limit being broken by 40 km/hr at the entrance to towns.The maximum speed recorded was 131 km/hr on a state highway which was sustained for a 29 second period, “consistent with an overtaking manoeuvre”, a spokesperson said.“Discussions have been held with staff members. At this time no disciplinary actions have been undertaken”.In September, an Environment Southland report revealed 856 speeding events for a three-month period to June where drivers had gone over the limit by more than 10 km/hr.The fastest speed recorded during that period was 126 km/hr.Organisational failure saw Environment Canterbury fail to reprimand chairperson Peter Scott after he clocked almost 700 speeding incidents.Scott, who stepped down from the role, exceeded the speed limit in a council-provided car 678 times since January, with a top speed of 157km/h.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

NoticesMossburn Rugby Club AGMChristmas Hamper AppealEventsFeathers and Flowers Pottery Exhibition - Invercargill

Milford Road OPENAvalanche hazard LOWWeather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: clearing and becoming fineTomorrow: FineThursday: Light rain developingFriday: Heavy rainSaturday: Rain easing, becoming fine

The SBS Bank Tour of Southland peloton was given its most serious examination for several years with Samuel Jenner surviving the wind to sprint his way into the orange jersey on day two.The Central Benchmakers-Willbike rider, from Coffs Harbour in Australia, made a successful return to the northern Southland township of Lumsden a year after winning the 166km second stage from Invercargill.Jenner and stage winner Kiaan Watts (PowerNet) were part of a well represented breakaway group which stretched their lead out to seven minutes before the race had to be neutralised due to loose gravel on the Glenure Hill.When the race was restarted at Balfour, the 18-strong break bunch had a 20km drag race to the finish.Jenner, riding his third Southland tour, was pleased to find more success in Lumsden and finally get an opportunity to wear the tour leader’s orange jersey after narrowly missing out despite his stage victory last year.While many riders were content to survive in the cross and tailwinds which at times saw riders reaching speeds up to 80kmh, Jenner was revelling in the conditions.“I wouldn’t say the hardest, but it was definitely tense at times. Once the break was established and the break went out it wasn’t super exhausting. It was definitely the stage I’ve been looking for for the past couple of years,” Jenner said.“Last year I was super close to getting into orange here so it’s kind of cool that it’s in the same town where I won last year.”Watts timed his sprint to perfection on Lumsden’s main street to edge out Declan Trezise and complete a good day for the PowerNet team, who lost the orange jersey but now lead in the teams classification.“It was all on from the start and the split just got smaller and smaller until we reached the neutralisation,” Watts said.“We knew it was going to be dangerous right from the flag drop, there’s only so much road and so many riders who can fit on it so today was all about positioning.”Jenner was looking forward to tomorrow’s 148km stage from Riverton to Te Anau, which should also find some wind along the southern coast. However, thoughts are already shifting to Wednesday’s fourth stage and a 10km climb up the Remarkables access road.“Hopefully a break can get up the road and the sprint teams will get involved in their last opportunity to get in a sprint. It’s always tough because you don’t know what the other teams are planning,” he said.“Remarkables is going to be such a crucial stage I think a lot of people want to keep their powder dry until then.”Josh Burnett (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project) featured strongly after the resumption of the stage and climbed his way into the King of the Mountain jersey, with team mate Ben Oliver judged Most Combative, while Bailey O’Donnell (Holmes Solutions) has taken over the Sprint Ace classification.Australian Declan Trezise (Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South) is the leading under 23 rider and Southlander Luke Macpherson (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) is the leading over 35 rider.

Dunedin City Council's Save Our Southern Hospital Campaign is hitting Wellington on Wednesday, where Cliff the Ambulance will deliver a petition to Parliament.The petition by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation which calls on the government to reverse the announced cuts to the city's new Southern hospital has now been signed by more than 34,000 people.Officials announced in September that the planned redevelopment would need to be reduced or done in stages, due to a budget blow-out.The Southern Hospital serves 350,000 people and the largest region of any tertiary hospital in New Zealand. It trains health professionals for all New Zealand.On the campaign website, organisers said the Southern Hospital build was not expensive or extravagant. It has 410 overnight beds, 53 ED beds and 15 theatres.Cliff, the old St John Ambulance, created as apart of the council's campaign], will deliver the petition to the steps of Parliament around midday. NZNO delegate Linda Smillie, Dunedin mayor Jules Radich, Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher and Invercargill mayor Nobby Clark will be aboard th ambulance and take part in the handover.Published by permission

The Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner has found Te Whatu Ora Southern and a registrar breached a man's rights under the Code of Health and Disability Services Consumers' Rights, after he died of a brain haemorrhage.The man had an unwitnessed fall at his care home and was taken to Southland Hospital emergency department.A yellow envelope containing patient information was misplaced which meant that hospital staff who were treating the man were not aware that he was on anticoagulants, commonly known as blood thinners.The man had his initial observations taken by a registered nurse about six hours after his arrival at hospital. He was first seen by the registrar around nine hours after his arrival.The registrar noted it was usual practice for her to review the information in the yellow envelope but there was not one and the registrar did not order a CT scan because she was not aware he was on anticoagulants.The man was kept under observation and was discharged back to the care home the next day.He became increasingly ill and was taken back to Southland Hospital where a CT showed he had experienced an intracranial haemorrhage and he later died.Deborah James said Health NZ breached the Code by not providing services with reasonable care and skill."Health NZ did not have a clear or well understood process in place for ambulance staff to hand over the yellow envelope when there were no available beds in ED, resulting in the man's yellow envelope being misplaced," she said.She added that the man was not assessed for initial observations until around six hours after his arrival and that several clinicians had failed to identify he was on warfarin.James said those factors combined meant Health NZ did not provide the appropriate standard of care.She also noted that due to the man's age, fragility and because he had suffered a head injury, a CT scan should have been completed, regardless of whether or not he was on anticoagulants.James recommended both parties formally apologise to the man's family and that Health NZ standardise its process for yellow envelopes to cover when there are no beds available.Te Whatu Ora has since increased the number of nurses on at night shift and made sure there is always a medical imaging technologist on site to take scans.The registrar has also made a number of changes.Published by permission

Below is a list of planned roadwork sites on Southland state highways this week where you may experience delays. Highways South work with temporary traffic lights and temporary speed limits:SH1 Gore St Bluff at the Shannon St intersection, lane shift, access/turning restrictions for digoutsSH1 Bluff highway at Nichol St, traffic lights for digoutsSH1 Gore-Mataura highway between Cardigan Bay Road and Charlton Siding Road, traffic lights for drainageSH6 North Road near West Plains Road (northbound), lane drop for digoutsSH6 Winton-Lorneville highway south of North Makarewa-Grove Bush Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH6 Winton-Lorneville highway north of North Makarewa-Grove Bush Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH6, Limehills, traffic lights for pavement renewal (last week)SH6 Jollies hill, stop/go for digoutsSH94 west of Mossburn, traffic lights for pavement repairs SH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway near Drummond Oreti Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway between Transmission Line Road and Otautau Wreys Bush Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH98 Lorne Dacre Road - Dacre end, traffic lights for digoutsThird party work and events with traffic management in place this week:SH1 Bluff highway at Appleby, lane closed for replacement of sumpSH1 Clyde St Invercargill, lane drop for watermains workSH1 Clyde St Invercargill, lane drop for replacement of pipeSH1 Dacre, stop/go for tree trimmingSH6 Dee St Invercargill inner city, lane drop for power pole maintenanceSH6 Dee St at the Esk St intersection, lane drop and Esk St access closure (nightworks) for trenchingSH6 Dee St at Leet St, lane drop for trenchingSH6 Winton, road closure for Tour of Southland (see info above)SH6 Dipton-Winton highway, stop/go for trenchingSH6 Diana St Lumsden, road closure for Tour of Southland (see info above)SH94 Hokonui Drive Gore, road closure for Tour of Southland (see info above)SH95 Manapouri-Te Anau highway, stop/go for tree fellingSH99 Riverton, stop/go for hedge trimmingSH99 Orepuki-Riverton highway, stop/go for seal wideningSH99 Orepuki-Riverton highway, stop/go for power pole replacementSH99 Colac bay, stop/go for vehicle crossingPlease observe the speed limits on our worksites, both when teams are working and when the sites are unattended, for the safety of our crew, other road users and to protect the road surface. Upcoming work/eventsMid November – SH94 west of Balfour, pavement renewal Mid November – SH6 Winton, northbound closure for eventLate November, SH99 Lorneville overbridge, pavement renewalJanuary/February – SH1/SH6 inner city Invercargill asphalt renewalJanuary – SH6 Jollies hill, pavement renewalJanuary – SH96 Glencoe, pavement renewalFebruary – SH1 Bluff highway, pavement renewalFebruary – SH99 Tuatapere, pavement renewal 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.

Milford Road OPENAvalanche Hazard LOWWeather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Rain with heavy fallsTomorrow: Showers clearing in afternoonWednesday: FineThursday: Rain developingFriday: Rain with heavy falls

Ten days ago young Australian Nate Hadden didn’t even know he was going to be riding in the SBS Bank Tour of Southland, but he’ll start the first open road stage of this year’s race in the orange jersey.Hadden answered a late call up from team mate Kiaan Watts into the PowerNet team and he’s pleased he did after a third-placed finish in the stage one street race around Invercargill’s Queens Park was enough to give him a slim lead in both the general classification and under 23 categories.Riders make their way around the first corner during a frenetic opening 42km street race around Invercargill's Queens Park. Photo: Supplied“It’s my first time here, I’ve heard lots about the tour and how great it is, so it’s a privilege to be here and to be in the lead,” Hadden said.“We had high hopes for the (team time trial) this morning, but just missed out so we came in with lots of confidence that we could do well in the crit and we executed well.”Dunedin’s James Gardner (Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project) claimed stage one honours for the second time in two years, the big under 23 rider getting into the decisive break alongside Hadden and second-placed Samuel Jenner (Central Benchmakers-Willbike) midway through the 10 lap stage.Earlier, the pace was set by New Zealand endurance rider Tom Sexton (Macaulay Ford-GoodTech) in front of his home Invercargill crowd, alongside Timaru’s James Wilson.Once Sexton had secured the early sprint points on offer, the race powered its way to the finish, with the breakaway trio of Gardner, Jenner and Hadden doing well to hold a 20sec almost all the way to the finish line.“I saw two guys go up the road and I knew they’d be quite dangerous, so I jumped across as quickly as possible and fortunately we made it to the line,” Hadden, who is in the early stages of his professional career in Europe, said.SBS Bank Tour of Southland leader after day one, Nate Hadden, of Australia. Photo: Supplied“There's a lot of racing to come and some hard stages, definitely, the tour is only young so we’ll see what we can do.”Creation Signs-MitoQ-NZ Cycling Project, with 2022 winner Josh Burnett in the lineup, put the peloton on notice early with a strong ride in the prologue team time trial, finishing six seconds clear of PowerNet, with Transport Engineering Southland-Deep South third.Gardner did not finish with the top four riders from his team, otherwise he would have been able to add the orange and pink jerseys to the wardrobe ahead of tomorrow’s 166km stage two from Invercargill to Lumsden.Glenn Haden (Couplands-Cycling Tom) leads the over 35 classification, which has been dedicated to the late Ken Lasenby.

Health New Zealand is continuing to bolster its specialist capacity for non-surgical cancer services in the southern districts.The agency said two new radiation oncologists and a medical oncologist have been appointed in the last year, with a radiation oncologist relocating from South Africa in the next few weeks.Two further radiation oncologists are also due to join Dunedin Hospital next year.Health NZ Southern acting group director of operations Craig Ashton said the recent additions would continue to improve the delivery of cancer services for the southern population.The news comes less than a week after cancer advocate Melissa Vining slammed the wait times faced by Southland cancer patients.The cancer care advocate made the revelation to Susie Ferguson on Saturday Morning in October while describing the almost weekly correspondence she has with patients facing longer than expected wait times to cancer diagnostic services at Southern District Health Board, now Te Whatu Ora Southern.Vining said patients who contacted her were being told they will be seen within six to eight weeks by a specialist after receiving a cancer diagnosis, compared to the nationally recommended target of four."People's disease progresses, and in some cases, people die before they get seen by the medical oncologist," she said.Her husband Blair, 39, died in October 2019 of bowel cancer after receiving his diagnosis - and a letter of his own which said he would have to wait 12 weeks to see an oncologist, when he was given even less time to live.Ashton said work was under way with Te Aho o Te Kahu | The Cancer Control Agency to implement the government's increased access to cancer medicines.The first new medicines were released in October, with further new treatments made available on 1 November.Cancer services across the motu were currently actively recruiting additional staff to support this change, he said.NZ oncologist appointed director for Union for International Cancer ControlLocal oncologist Professor Chris Jackson has been selected as a board director for the Union for International Cancer Control.He becomes the first New Zealand-based clinician to be nominated or selected for the UICC - he has also been appointed as the co-lead for cancer on Health New Zealand's National Clinical Network."It's a huge honour to have been elected to the board of directors of the UICC, which will help us connect better with cancer leaders worldwide, learn from other countries, and share some of the things that we do well," Professor Jackson said."The newly formed National Clinical Network is a fantastic opportunity to help improve the quality of cancer care, and work towards our goal of better, faster cancer care, closer to home."The disestablishment of district health boards has presented us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to get rid of the postcode lottery of cancer care. I can't wait to get stuck in." Jackson said.Published by permission

Boutique-style shopping in the stunning garden setting of the Hideaway 201 is what the popular Southern Artisan Christmas Fête is all about.‘Come and make a day of it’ says event organiser Jane Gilchrist - ‘there will be an amazing array of quality artisan stallholders in a fabulous garden setting so it’s a fantastic day out’.CLICK HERE TO WIN DOUBLE TICKETS (AND A GOURMET LUNCHBOX) TO THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS FETEThis year marks the 16th anniversary of the annual fete, an event which attracts visitors from far and wide each year.Mrs Gilchrist said shoppers told her what they enjoyed most about the event was the great atmosphere within the garden, exciting new stalls, supporting local businesses, the opportunity to spend time with friends and to find something different for Christmas presents.There will be more than 160 gorgeous stallholders at the Southern Artisan Christmas Fete this year, including 20 new exhibitors showcasing womens and childrens clothing & accessories, art, jewellery, home accessories & decor, skincare, plants and garden furniture and more.There will also be a selection of food stalls selling tasty morsels to eat on the day, such as burgers, paella, cupcakes, steamed buns & dumplings, butter chicken, woodfired pizza, fried chicken skewers, Hungarian fried bread with delicious toppings, and cakes, slices and truffles along with Pimms, local gin and whiskey, port, coffee, smoothies & iced tea.CLICK HERE TO WIN DOUBLE TICKETS (AND A GOURMET LUNCHBOX) TO THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS FETEStallholders will also be able to buy gourmet food treats to take home such as pesto, biltong, pickles, honey, whiskey, seasonings & rubs, cheese, chocolate, muesli and fresh flowers.The Hideaway restaurant and bar will be open on-site for lunch, cocktails and coffee.While shopping or indulging in some tasty treats, visitors will be able to enjoy listening to live music provided by Little Egypt so come along and soak it all in!Breastfeeding Support Southland will have a mothers' tent available for changing and feeding little ones or as a place to have a bit of down time on a busy day.The Southern Artisan Christmas Fete supports Southland community group fundraising efforts each year.CLICK HERE TO WIN DOUBLE TICKETS (AND A GOURMET LUNCHBOX) TO THIS YEAR'S CHRISTMAS FETEThis year the fete is supporting the Winton Lions Club, Hospice Southland and Ronald McDonald House South Island.With boutique, NZ made quality gifts, live music, and delicious artisan food all set in the heart of rural Southland, the Southern Artisan Christmas Fete is the perfect way start to your Christmas shopping or just enjoy a day out in the country.Southern Artisan Christmas Fête, The Hideaway 201, Saturday, November 23rd 2024, 10am-4pm.$50 pre-purchased gourmet lunch box tickets with a glass of bubbles or $20 gate entry on the day, cash only.www.southernfete.co.nzContact Jane at [email protected] or 021 355850

ILT has a rich history of supporting Invercargill’s growth and vibrancy, starting back in 1956. That was the year we gifted the beloved Peter Pan statue to Queens Park for the city’s centennial and made our first big splash into community funding with the Conon Street learners’ pool.By 1969, we were planning to unveil the fountain at the Feldwick Gates for ILT’s 25th birthday… but things didn’t go to plan and delays meant it wasn’t completed until closer to our 30th anniversary. Oops!Fast forward to the 2000s, and our support for community facilities really gained momentum. One of the key facilities was ILT Stadium Southland, this was originally opened in 2000, but as many of you know, it required a rebuild in 2014. The redeveloped stadium was a community effort, and we were thrilled to play a part in it. We continue to support this wonderful venue that serves as a buzzing hub for sports and a versatile space for events.In 2004, the Velodrome was a welcome addition to this facility, it has been a driving force behind Southland’s cycling success.That same year, Splash Palace opened its door, and whether you’ve taken a dip or just cheered someone on from the sidelines, it’s become a community staple. More recently, our funding has helped support the Learn to Swim programme, with 40,113 pool admissions in the past financial year. That’s a lot of little people gaining essential water safety skills.But it’s not just about sports. We’ve had the honour of contributing towards the grand Civic Theatre renovation, the SIT Zero Fees Scheme and the Murihiku Marae redevelopment.We’ve even gifted a pub so it could be turned into a lifesaving hospital! Like so many other supporters, we’re looking forward to the Southland Charity Hospital opening its doors. This isn’t the first time we’ve repurposed one of our buildings for a good cause – Enrich@ILT, the one-day school we solely fund, is flourishing at the old Elmwood Gardens site.As a group, we’ve been fortunate to support several key community projects set to be completed over the coming years.We’ve contributed $1 million towards Te Unua Museum of Southland, which will be a tremendous asset for our community. The Grace Street Project is another exciting initiative that has received $500,000 in funding for an all-weather community space in South Invercargill.Additionally, we’ve provided close to $1 million to the Hawthorndale Care Village, which is on track to open next year. This facility will have a lasting, positive impact on those in our community affected by dementia.Community is at the heart of everything we do but none of this would be possible without your support, and for that, we’re incredibly grateful. Together, we’re building a vibrant Invercargill!Published by arrangement

NoticesMossburn Rugby Club AGMChristmas Hamper AppealFamily Halloween EveningEvents