Fire and Emergency is warning Cantabrians of extreme fire danger this Sunday as parts of the country are set to swelter under high temperatures.Canterbury is currently in a restricted fire season, which requires people to apply for permits to light open air fires. However, all permits will be suspended from midnight Friday until 8am on Monday.The move comes as an intense heatwave in south-eastern Australia fuels hot air across parts of New Zealand.While the hottest temperatures are expected in the East Cape of the North Island, Gisborne, Wairoa and Hastings, the east of the South Island is also in for above average temperatures.Blenheim, Kaikoura, Christchurch and Invercargill are all expecting temperatures in the mid to late 20s on Thursday (3 to 5C above average), while Blenheim is forecast to hit 32C on Friday - 7.5C above average.MetService is predicting a high of 32C for Christchurch and strong northwesterlies on Sunday.FENZ Canterbury assistant commander Brian Keown said the combination of expected high nor'west winds, high temperatures into the early 30s and low relative humidity made for a high risk situation.FENZ Canterbury assistant commander Brian Keown. Photo: Nathan Mckinnon / RNZ.Relatively high grass "curing" (drying out) of 60 to 70 percent, in some cases higher, meant any spark of a fire would move relatively quickly with the wind pushing it along, he said.FENZ deputy chief executive of prevention Nick Pyatt said the greatest risk was in Canterbury, Marlborough, Wairarapa, Hawke's Bay, Tai Rāwhiti, and Northland districts."This weekend, many parts of the country will be experiencing elevated fire danger conditions, with temperatures expected to surpass 30C in some locations, wind gusts of 30km/h at times, and low humidity."These conditions are what we call a perfect storm for wildfire risk."Pyatt said it only took one spark to start a wildfire that could get out of control quickly.According to a FENZ research report, more than half of all wildfires in New Zealand are grass fires - the higher the curing, the greater the fire risk.Keown was confident FENZ had sufficient resources, and was getting in touch with contractors, volunteers and specialist personnel to let them know of the weekend's high risk potential.He said people should not hesitate to call 111 at the first sign of smoke.Anyone who had used a burn pile in recent weeks should check it was thoroughly extinguished, Keown said."One of our biggest risks and causes of fires in the last few months have been permitted - or non permitted burns in the open season - that had not been properly put out, and the wind has got in amongst it and pushed embers into vegetation."That's a real risk for us and there's been too much of it going on."FENZ had put a lot of "time and effort educating people that if they have been burning to ensure their fires are out", he said.Anyone who had burnt in the past two to three weeks should go out, inspect their heaps and give them a good rake over and ensure they were fully extinguished, Keown said.A wildfire that destroyed four homes, 29 structures and spread over an area of almost 200 hectares in Kaikōura in October was caused by a burn pile.Almost 200 volunteer firefighters worked over six days to extinguish the fires amid winds of 150 kilometres an hour.A FENZ spokesperson said it did not pursue a prosecution against the owner of the burn pile because it was an open fire season when the blaze began.Last year was the country's fourth-hottest year on record, according to Earth Sciences New Zealand's (ESNZ) annual climate report.Meanwhile, FENZ reminded people that firefighters in the union would be striking for one hour on Friday from 12pm-1pm.Volunteers will respond to incidents - but ther will be delays."Fire and Emergency urges the NZPFU to call off its strike given heightened fire risks and the fact both parties are due to meet for facilitation later this month."Published by Permission

UPDATE: 8 January, 2026A scheduling change means that roadworks affecting traffic on State Highway 94/Te Anau-Milford Highway will start later in January than originally planned. The work (highlighted below in the previous notification) on SH94, near Sinclair Road, is now due to start on Monday 12 January, rather than Monday 5 January. The expected end date for the work of Saturday 31 January is unchanged. In this work period, from 6am to 8pm daily on weekdays, road users can expect to encounter temporary traffic lights, a 30km/h temporary speed reduction, and delays of 5-10 minutes. 18 December, 2025 – Important work across Southland highways in New Year A series of roadworks to improve Southland state highways is due to kick off early in the new year, and people are being told to expect minor delays in their travel. Work to reconstruct sections of highway, including excavation, fill, resurfacing and line marking – and associated traffic management – is scheduled to start on Monday 5 January 2026 at the following sites: State Highway 90/Waikaka Valley Highway, between Waikaka Road and Cunningham Road – work scheduled from Monday 5 January to Tuesday 31 March, 6am to 8pm daily on weekdays – traffic lights/30km/h temporary speed restriction at worksite; expect delays of 5-10 minutes.State Highway 96/Winton-Wreys Bush Highway, at Heddon Bush Road – Monday 5 January to Saturday 31 January, 6am to 8pm daily on weekdays – traffic lights/30km/h temporary speed restriction at worksite; expect delays of 5-10 minutes.State Highway 96/Winton-Hedgehope Highway at Zwies Road, Browns – Monday 5 January to Saturday 31 January, 6am to 8pm daily on weekdays – traffic lights/30km/h temporary speed restriction at worksite; expect delays of 5-10 minutes.State Highway 94/Te Anau-Milford Highway, near Sinclair Road – work scheduled from Monday 5 January to Saturday 31 January, 6am to 8pm daily on weekdays – traffic lights/30km/h temporary speed restriction at worksite; expect delays of 5-10 minutes.  This work is subject to scheduling change in the event of poor weather or other unforeseen circumstances. We will aim to notify people about any changes through our channels. Stay up to date at our Journey Planner site. We thank people in advance for their patience and understanding as this work is carried out to ensure a safe and resilient highway network for Southland road users. 

Cycling Southland will host an afternoon of fast-paced racing on Saturday 17 January when the ILT New Zealand Criterium Championships are held, with a world-class line-up confirmed across all championship categories.Building on the success of last year’s event, the championships will be staged on the new fast, flowing 2.1km circuit incorporating Bainfield Road and Queens Drive. Featuring wide roads and excellent sightlines for spectators, the course is perfectly suited to aggressive, attacking racing and is expected to produce thrilling contests throughout the afternoon.The Elite Women’s championship will be headlined by Olympic medallist Bryony Botha, whose power and speed make her ideally suited to the demanding criterium format. She will line up against a strong national field as riders chase one of New Zealand cycling’s most coveted jerseys. The Elite Men’s race promises to be equally compelling, with a quartet fresh from the World Track Championships bronze medal win — Keegan Hornblow, Marshall Erwood, Tom Sexton and Nick Kergozou — all confirmed to race. Their proven ability to sustain high speeds and dominate fast circuits will add significant depth and quality to an already impressive field. They will be joined by James Fouche and James Gardner, both former stage winners at the SBS Bank Tour of Southland, along with New Zealand representative George Jackson, who has spent the past few seasons competing in Europe. As expected, a particularly strong field has entered the Calder Stewart Elite Men’s race, with many riders using the championships as a final hit-out before the 69th SBS Bank Tour of Southland begins the following day on the same roads. Cycling Southland President Julian Ineson said the quality of riders confirmed highlights the growing stature of the event. “To have Olympic medallists, world championship medallists, Tour stage winners and emerging New Zealand talent all lining up in Southland is incredibly exciting. The course really rewards speed and tactical racing, and spectators are in for a fantastic afternoon of cycling.” Racing gets underway from 2.00pm, with a strong contingent of local junior riders lining up in their respective championship events — an exciting opportunity for Southland athletes to race for national honours on home roads. Race headquarters will be based at the Waikiwi Rugby Club, providing an excellent hub for spectators, families and supporters, with food options, entertainment and outstanding vantage points around the circuit. EVENT SCHEDULE • UDC U15 Girls & GoodTech U15 Boys (Championship – separate podiums) 2:00pm – 15 minutes plus 2 laps • Real Estate South U17 Boys (Championship) 2:30pm – 20 minutes plus 2 laps • Mend Physio U17 Girls & U19 Women (Championship – separate podiums) 3:10pm – 30 minutes plus 2 laps • McLeay Jewellers U19 Men (Championship) 3:55pm – 35 minutes plus 2 laps • Calder Stewart Elite Women (Championship) 4:40pm – 50 minutes plus 3 laps • Calder Stewart Elite Men (Championship) 5:50pm – 50 minutes plus 3 laps Cycling Southland encourages the public to come along, support the riders and enjoy a showcase of New Zealand’s best criterium racing as national champions are crowned in Southland.

People whose GPs no longer use Manage My Health may still have had their historical data hacked.Hackers are threatening to release 400,000 files from 120,000 patients, if the health portal does not pay a US$60,000 (NZ$103,000) ransom.Manage My Health has begun telling general practices whether their patients have been affected, and it is working on telling individual patients via a Privacy Act notification.A number of people have told RNZ their GP had previously switched from Manage My Health to another platform, but they can still log in to Manage My Health and see their information there.Manage My Health chief executive Vino Ramayah confirmed the company holds on to records unless a patient cancels their account.It was up to patients to cancel their account, not their GP, he said."When... a practice leaves Manage My Health, the patients have a choice to continue to use Manage My Health or they can close the application, in which case we will delete the data," he said."It's essentially patient data - we need their consent because we'll be wiping out a lot of their historical data, so that is why it is stored."People can use the platform privately - they do not need to use it through their GP, he said.Ramayah said people should have "a level of personal diligence" with their Manage My Health accounts. Users should change their passwords regularly, and use two-factor authentication, he said."I would encourage everyone to consider security as a very key part of your thinking, especially when you put sensitive information in an application, irrespective of whether it's Manage My Health or... any other healthcare app."How long should medical records be kept for?The privacy commissioner's website said health agencies should not keep medical information for any longer than they have a lawful purpose for using it."The Health (Retention of Health Information) Regulations 1996 say that health agencies must keep any health records they hold for a patient for 10 years from the last time they provided services to that patient."However, this requirement doesn't apply if the health agency has transferred the files to a new healthcare provider or if they have given the complete file to the patient (or, if the patient has died, to the patient's executor)."Informing affected patients, GPsManage My Health said on Tuesday it was beginning to tell GPs whether their patients were caught up in the breach.It said affected GPs could log in to a portal to see which patients had their data stolen and what records were taken.It would also inform practices that no longer use Manage My Health, and it was working on notifying affected patients."The Privacy Act requires individuals to be notified when their information has been accessed in an unauthorised way," it said."[Manage My Health] is taking on this responsibility on behalf of the practices, to which the information is being provided so that practices can provide support after individuals have been notified."Privacy Act notifications will go to practices through Manage My Health, together with details of how more information and support can be accessed."Manage My Health would also establish an 0800 helpline for impacted patients, it said.Published by permission

On a mild evening in November, Dave Howard and John Wellington were out with their machetes and some pink ribbon bush-bashing a route for a new bike trail beside the Hawea River in Upper Clutha.They tied ribbon on scrappy broom bushes and laid low the pigfern as they went."That's kind of a fun part of it, just cutting a track, going, 'What are the cool things that we can see along here?', whether it's little plants or view-corridors," Howard said."So you might take them past cool rocks or trees or just, how the landform will feel when you move through it, thinking about what's the experience someone's going to have when they travel through here."So that's quite a fun stage despite the matagouri and the bush lawyer (two types of plants) and everything else that wants to kill you and prick you."Up until recently he had thornier problems to deal with. He had helped design the Kawarau Gorge trail from Queenstown to Cromwell, and the Roxburgh Gorge extension. By 2018 they were ready to go.Instead, they went nowhere, running smack-dab into a long-forgotten policy suddenly reactivated at the Department of Conservation (DOC)."Until recently, the current Conservation General Policy was applied quite rigidly in Conservation Management Strategies (CMS)," DOC told RNZ."This meant that unless the CMS listed a proposed location for biking, a (costly, multi-year) partial review or amendment process for the CMS was required, simply to consider the application on its merits."While the policy had slumbered, trail building had cracked on, the network and patronage expanding rapidly in the decade after John Key's government latched on to cycling in 2009 as a way to create jobs.Dave Howard. Photo: Supplied'Silly little thing written on a bit of paper'In 2019, DOC shifted suddenly and question marks appeared over existing trails' compliance, while new builds hit a brick wall. Many regions had few potential trails listed on the schedules in their various CMSs. They were going nowhere."It was horrendous," Howard said. "It was all consuming, all consuming. DOC was supportive of so many of the trails, but they just had to pull the handbrake on them because of this silly little thing written on a bit of paper."Pete Masters at Bike Taupō hit the wall too. So he joined with others to use a trail in Tongariro as a test case to help break the rigid grip.It worked - 11 out of the 16 DOC regions began easing up on trail building in the last year or so - but it took time and money."So we won that," Masters said. "Interesting thing is after the six years, they turned around and agreed on what we said on day one."Instead of having to be rigid, to have it on a schedule, it could be on 'effects-based', which is what we'd been arguing all the time."For trail builders in Te Anau and Gore the battle was far from won, but their experience was now more an exception than the norm.Rowan Sapsford at Bike Taupō sawthe flipside: He helped Masters with the test case, and now things were at "half full", he said."All our trails in Taupō are OK... we were able to secure access... we can carry on," Sapsford said.The application process had sped up."The last one I was involved in professionally, it went through an under 12 months, which was a bit of a record really."It can also be the difference between whether we're able to secure funding or not, and often, you know, the permissions process is seen as one of the key risks... for new trail development."Officials now saw biking in the bush as legitimate, not just tramping, he said.Recently he went to the annual national trails forum."It was probably the best representation from DOC in the odd 13 or 14 years I've been going to these forums."John Wellington. Photo: SuppliedIn a report in July, the Department of Conservation said its backlog of concession applications for cycling had been cut from 1300 to 550, and processing times were three times faster.It was now able to tap into co-funding too for new trails from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, that also had $8m a year to maintain the 23 Great Rides.'We're through the dark days'Otago was unusual among the 11 newly flexible regions, alone in undertaking a $500,000 review of its conservation strategy that ran for several years.This ended up last year in it designating a lot more potential trails, though only after volunteers spent thousands of hours mapping them out.Now those lines were down on paper, that allowed Howard and Wellington to bash them out for real along a simple 5km trail south beside the Hawea."We're through the dark days," Howard said."All those particular trails, they were part of connecting Wānaka, Queenstown through Dunedin, so they're all back on track and underway, which is fantastic. So there's been a massive swing, you know."The much-anticipated Kawarau Gorge ride would be steeper and more exciting than other Great Rides thereabouts, he said. E-bikers would love it, he predicted.The bill would be steeper, too: They had had to go back to where they got to in 2018 and "do a bunch of stuff again" which probably added several million dollars in costs.There was an up-side to this - Kawarau had become a bit of a test case for new thresholds around wildlife permits, lizard studies and relocations, and the like, Howard said.Yet the inflexible grip of the Conservation General Policy still held in five of the 16 regions.1"We can't consider new proposals for bike tracks for Waikato, Canterbury (Waitaha), Stewart Island/Rakiura, Otago and Southland," the July DOC report said."We appreciate this is frustrating," DOC told RNZ, "but it underpins the importance of progressing modernising and updating the legislation."Those changes would not deal just with CMSs - likely dumping them - but also with constraints other trail builders still face when they veer into national parks.The Mountains to Sea trail had the funding to build Te Hangāruru and Te Ara Mangawhero sections of Ngā Ara Tūhono Great Ride, but needed to go through 200m of Tongariro National Park."That held us up for a number of years," central North Island trails promoter Lynley Twyman said."It meant that the value of the funding we secured diminished in its value. So that's been really, really tough... in a region where cycling and walking are the resilience for our tourism industry."Pete Masters, acting chair of Ngā Haerenga NZ Cycle Trails. Photo: Supplied'Totally broken'Prime Minister Christopher Luxon seized on barriers to biking when in August he called the concessions regime on public conservation land "totally broken"."Outdated rules mean we've got examples of modern e-bike users being turned away from potential touring opportunities because they have to be considered as proper vehicles," Luxon and Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said in a statement..One high-profile example is a ban on e-bikes on the Timber Trail near Taumarunui, though that is widely ignored and not impinging on business, operators said.The ministers' statement collided with DOC saying processing times had sped up by three times.And the press statement's title, 'Unleashing growth on conservation land', appears to invite a fight over the government's plans to reform the Conservation Act next year.DOC said this was about striking a balance."These improvements are aimed at making the system more enabling and easier to navigate, while ensuring any development does not compromise conservation values."Guided biking and e-biking might be allowed as part of low-impact activities exempt from needing a concession or pre-approved with a simple online application process, it said.The likes of the Timber Trail's e-bike ban looked likely to fall under the definition of "unnecessary and outdated restrictions" set for removal, plus the way trail plans could be amended would be streamlined under the reforms.A bill is due from ministers in the first quarter of next year. A new National Conservation Policy Statement might end up doing a lot of the heavy lifting.'Correct tracks in the correct places'Cycle trail builders and operators would not want any part in a fight over the reforms.The way they tell it, the argument over the economic benefits of trails to the regions has been well won, DOC is far more on board than it was, and the ongoing disquiet over environmental impacts is turning in favour of them being no greater than from tramping and needing to be assessed the same way."Really, the debate of a [new] trail or an existing trail being used by bikers and walkers should be on social interaction," Masters, who is also acting chair of New Zealand Cycle Trail Ngā Haerenga, said.Federated Mountain Clubs was watching the changes being made."Hopefully the new [flexible] rule interpretation allows the environment to continue to be cared for and make sure that the tracks are the correct tracks in the correct places," president Megan Dimozantos said.The Clubs group had not been consulted on by DOC about new trails being put in, but perhaps they had not needed to be."They don't consult us on every single concession. I would hope that if the particular track that was being built was going to affect other user groups, that they would come and ask us for our opinion. And I'd generally trust them to do that.""We are super supportive of people to get out and enjoy the ngahere, but our view has always been the right trail in the right place."'We're in a lot better space'The incredibly messy rules around trail building based in regulations and legislation not changed in decades have not done anyone any favours, yet even so the Great Rides alone had grown into a $1.3 billion industry that mostly benefitted the provinces.The system has reached a new, still messy halfway house where some regions remain largely locked up, while in others new trails are being assessed on a "case-by-case basis by district teams with strong local knowledge" about local needs, conservation considerations, and whether community or third-party partners bring forward proposals, according to DOC.It is not any sort of stable equilibrium though, and next year promises more, bigger changes."We're very pleased with what we've managed to achieve in the last few months, but we've still got some gaps and we need a sustainable, resilient solution," Twyman said."We're in a lot better space, they're [DOC] in a good space, and we want to work together to have good outcomes for all the cycling and walking community, because there's as many walkers on the cycle trails as there are cyclists," Masters said.Howard was just "super-stoked" to be route-blazing again."Someone was saying passion is the degree of suffering you're willing to endure towards a cause.So, if the amount of suffering and persistence required to pull a trail off, then I'm certainly passionate."Published by Permission

A 44-year-old man has been charged with the theft of veteran war plaques from St John Cemetery.Between 28 October and 22 November, nine plaques were taken, four of which were taken from the graves of Returned Service personnel who served in the World War I and II.Invercargill Police's Senior Constable Craig Colyer said all nine plaques have since been recovered, but, sadly, some were damaged beyond repair.“While we are pleased the plaques have been located, it is disappointing that not all could be restored to their original condition,” he said.“Theft at any time is appalling, but targeting a cemetery is a particularly low act."“We hope this arrest brings some comfort to the affected families, and we want to thank the public for their assistance with the investigation.”Police said the accused was scheduled to appear in the Invercargill District Court on 13 January.

Entertainment and Info with the Southland App – Where Southlanders Stay Connected!Looking for what’s happening around our region - or wanting to share something of your own? The Southland App is your one-stop destination for everything local, from major events to everyday community news.🎉 Events:Stay up to date with Southland’s biggest occasions - concerts, exhibitions, festivals, and more. Don’t miss out on the moments that bring our region together. Have an event to promote? Feature it here and reach thousands of locals.A taste of upcoming Events:NextGen Championship - Ascot Park Hotel Teretonga Park InternationalSouthern Field Days - WaimumuBest of the Bee Gees "Greatest" ShowThe Shepherdess Muster📢 Public Notices: Find what’s happening closer to home - fundraisers, club meetings, school fairs, and community updates. It’s the perfect place to advertise your smaller events or share important local information.📲 Be Seen. Be Heard. Get Involved. Explore Events and Public Notices on the Southland App today - or advertise with us to make sure your message reaches every corner of Southland!💌 Want to advertise? We’d love to help spread the word for you. Email us at [email protected] to find out more.

A project focused on maintaining a reliable and healthy water supply for Invercargill has been named a finalist in national awards recognising outstanding public works projects across New Zealand.The Branxholme Pipeline Upgrade was one of Invercargill City Council’s major infrastructure investments in the last decade. The project saw almost 11km of aged pipeline between the Ōreti River and the water tower in Gala St replaced with a modern, resilient new pipeline – which is now fully operational. The project has been selected as a finalist in the Excellence in Water Projects category – part of the the IPWEA Aotearoa New Zealand Public Works Excellence Awards. The annual awards, run by the Institute of Public Works Engineering Australia, recognise innovation, sustainability, and asset management. Invercargill City Council Chief Executive Michael Day said the accolade was well-deserved recognition for the Branxholme project. “Water is a critical lifeline and essential to everything we do – our health, our homes, our economy, and our environment. The Branxholme Pipeline Upgrade was about making sure future generations of Invercargill and Bluff residents can rely on high-quality drinking water every day,” he said. The new pipeline has an expected lifespan of more than 100 years, ensuring long-term reliability for the city’s water network. Day said the project involved complex construction across urban areas, waterways, reserves and major transport routes, while maintaining water supply and minimising disruption to residents and businesses. “Delivering a project of this scale while keeping the city moving takes careful planning, strong partnerships, and clear communication with the community,” Day said. “Being recognised for the mahi undertaken is not only testament to the strength of the project itself, but to the collaborative effort that was poured into it along the way.” Council appreciated the patience and support the project received from the community, Day said.

Chief executive Willie Wiese is set to step down, Alliance Group announced today. Tom Moran, chairman of Alliance Group, said Mr Wiese has decided to leave the company after eight years, including almost three years as chief executive, to attend to some pressing family matters and focus on new opportunities. Willie Wiese 2025. Photo: Supplied“Willie’s decision to step down follows an intensive two-year re-set of the entire business, a pleasing return to profitability and the completion of a successful capital raise with Dawn Meats. “I would like to thank Willie for his leadership and commitment in leading the significant turnaround of the company alongside the Alliance team and the support of the farmer-shareholders. I wish him every success in his future endeavours.” Mr Wiese said he has delivered all his goals for the company and now was the right time to leave the company. “After much reflection over the holiday period, and in discussion with the Board, I have decided it is the right time for new leadership to lead the next phase of growth. “I’m proud of the hard work and support of the Alliance team and our farmer shareholders that has brought the company to this point, with the business now well positioned for the future. “I am delighted to have Dawn as a partner in the Alliance joint venture and have full confidence that this will be a successful partnership for Dawn and farmer-shareholders.” Niall Browne, group chief executive at Dawn Meats, has been appointed the acting chief executive at Alliance Group. “Willie has worked extremely hard over the last two and a half years to help find a suitable partner for Alliance and played an integral role in the successful capital raise,” said Mr Browne. Primal Cutter Technology. Photo: Supplied“Willie and the Alliance team have brought the business back to profitability and we thank him for his contribution. We wish him well for the future.” An integration process with Dawn Meats is underway with senior representatives from Ireland and the UK visiting New Zealand to share information, make plans for the future and secure further synergies with Alliance, he said. Mr Browne thanked farmers for their continued support of the company. “With the first quarter results under our belt, we are tracking ahead of budget, with supply from both current and returning shareholders and new suppliers. “As part of the completed transaction with Dawn Meats, Alliance farmer-shareholders will receive a $20 million payment scheduled for the end of the 25/26 season and a further $20 million scheduled at the end of the 26/27 season, subject to livestock flows.”

The rescue of two men stranded on a boat in Fiordland has prompted warnings to other boaties about the need to be prepared.The pair were on a fishing and diving trip south of Milford Sound when their 6.4 metre recreational boat broke down on Saturday night.Emergency SOS messages from their phones were picked up by the iPhone Emergency Comms Centre in the Netherlands, which then alerted New Zealand Police.Marine VHF radio broadcasts were then put out by Maritime NZ every hour, requesting assistance from any potential vessels in the area.These broadcasts went unanswered until Sunday morning, when a boatie heard the call for help.At the time, police and family members were arranging a float plane to fly replacement batteries to the stranded men.But the fisherman and his three passengers went to the pair's rescue and were able to tow the stricken vessel about 50 kilometres back to Milford Sound.Invercargill Police search and rescue coordinator Sergeant Dougall Henderson said the men were equipped with lifejackets, two forms of communication and had not drunk any alcohol."Although the boys were well prepared... the incident highlights how difficult assistance can be if you have a mechanical failure or emergency situation," he said."It is a timely reminder of the golden rules of boating particularly in isolated areas like Fiordland."Police outlined outlined several key guidelines for boaties.They included: always wearing lifejackets; ensuring two forms of communication on board, including a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB); checking the weather forecast, avoiding alcohol; ensuring others know where you are headed; and ensuring you had an auxiliary motor.Published by Permission

Environment Southland’s monitoring observations have found toxic algae in the Waihōpai River upstream of Queen’s Drive. Algae naturally occur in waterways and can flourish during fine conditions and stable river flows. Most algae are harmless. However, some species can produce toxins and rapidly bloom to high levels. What you need to know:Toxic algae are commonly identified in waterways as dark green/brown slime on rocks or dark brown/black mats at the water’s edge.Water users should be vigilant and avoid contact with the algae.Environment Southland can’t monitor everywhere. Similar algae growth may be occurring in other waterways in the area and other rivers in the region.Toxic algae can pose significant health risks to people and animals if swallowed or through contact with the skin.Keep dogs on the lead and children away from affected areas.See a doctor immediately if you experience health symptoms after contact with contaminated water.Take your animals to a vet immediately if they have consumed toxic algae or contaminated water.We encourage river users to take the time to know what to look for and to keep informed via our website, www.es.govt.nz/toxic-algae Check the latest toxic algae alerts at: www.lawa.org.nz

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardComments:Minor delays with roadworks expected this week.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Cloudy with showers in the west Tomorrow: Showers turning to rain Thursday: Showers turning to rain Friday: Rain easing to showers Saturday: Rain developing

Sergeant Dougall Henderson - Invercargill Police Search and Rescue Coordinator - states that the rescue of two boaties in a remote area of Fiordland over the weekend has highlighted the importance of being prepared when heading out on the water.The two men were on a fishing and diving trip just south of Milford Sound when the batteries in their 6.4 metre recreational boat failed on Saturday night and left them stranded.The pair were able to use their iPhone satellite emergency text system to message for help. Their messages were received by the iPhone Emergency Comms Centre in the Netherlands who relayed their plight to NZ Police.Marine VHF radio broadcasts were put out by Maritime NZ on an hourly basis for any vessels in the area able to assist with no response.The following morning, Police and family members were arranging a float plane to fly replacement batteries to the men, when a recreational boatie heard the call for help on his VHF radio.He and his three passengers, who were on a day’s fishing trip went to the pair’s rescue and were able to take the stricken vessel under tow back to Milford Sound, which was approximately 50 kilometres away.Although the men were well prepared with lifejackets, two forms of communication and had not consumed alcohol, the incident highlights how difficult assistance can be if you have a mechanical failure or emergency situation.It is a timely reminder of the golden rules of boating particularly in isolated areas like Fiordland.1. Always wear lifejackets2. Ensure you have two forms of communication including a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB) or Emergency Position-Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB)3. Check the weather forecast4. Alcohol and boating don’t mix5. Ensure you tell someone where you are heading.6. Ensure you have an auxiliary motorFinally, Police would like to thank the skipper and his crew who gave up their fishing day to help a fellow boatie in need.

Thousands of patients caught up in the ManageMyHealth ransomware attack could be at risk of identity theft or extortion, cyber security experts are warning.The hackers, calling themselves "Kazu", posted on Sunday morning that unless the company paid a ransom within 48 hours, they would leak more than 400,000 files in their possession.In a post on Telegram, the group purporting to be behind the breach said it had brought forward the deadline from 15 January in part because ManageMyHealth had responded faster than expected, but mainly to "put pressure on the company"."Their ignorance of our emails and messages, along with their failure to acknowledge users or explain exactly what happened, is the main issue. Many MMH users have been asking the company for an explanation, but they've either ignored them or responded with vague statements."Kazu said it had opted for a low-ball ransom demand of $60,000 "to protect the data and quickly close the deal"."But it seems the company doesn't care about their users' data."The hackers indicated they were prepared to leak the "valuable" data just to make a point."We know exactly how valuable health data is and how sensitive it can be."Even if the company doesn't pay the ransom, we can still find buyers for this data."To prove our claims and increase the chances of successful deals in the future, we decided to leak the data for free if they don't pay the ransom."Kazu said they were "not a hacktivist group with political motives"."We're doing this as a business. Our main goal is money and building a good reputation in the community."The hackers claimed to have successfully extracted ransom money from many healthcare companies in Asia and Africa over the last two months."Once the company pays, we send them a copy of the data, delete it from our servers and never post anything related to the company again."Patients at riskSamples for potential "buyers" included clinical notes, lab results, vaccination records, medical photographs and personal identification details, including names, birth dates, addresses, emails and phone numbers.IT consultant and Hornby community board member Cody Cooper was signed up to ManageMyHealth through his GP."My clinic has got 20,000 patients so there's a real push for online. It's seen as convenient, but patients don't have a lot of choice."He went online to verify the veracity of the claims and was horrified by what he found."There's people's passports, there's people's ADHD documents from a psychiatrist, there's pictures of people unclothed. It's very personal data. And my concern as a patient would be, will someone blackmail people? Or try to extort them personally as well, if they don't pay up?"From what had been made visible so far, it did not appear the data had been encrypted, Cooper said."You can infer this fairly safely because resetting passwords doesn't cause users to 'lose' their stored documents. If the data had been encrypted properly with keys tied to credentials, access would break when credentials change."He also questioned why ManageMyHealth took so long to respond."The hack was published around 10pm on 29 December, the MMH website notice appeared on the afternoon of 31 December, but the site wasn't taken offline until that evening."Furthermore, the company was taking too long to inform affected clinics and patients, he said."It should have been able to determine the extent of the breach relatively quickly. The fact that, days later there is no clear confirmation about what was accessed or copied is worrying."However, there was no guarantee that giving in to the hackers' demands would solve the problem for MMH, he said."They may still release the data anyway, they may still contact people, we have no way of knowing if they will honour it."Furthermore, if that person is from a country with sanctions, there are laws and treaties that forbid that payment from being made legally as well."Patients were just collateral damage, he said."I will personally probably look to close my account. I can't really have confidence in the system after this. Hopefully my clinic will find a solution that's better."'Big wakeup call' - Health MinisterThe Health Minister said the cyber breach of the country's largest patient information portal was a "big wakeup call".Simeon Brown told Morning Report he was incredibly concerned."It's a deeply serious situation," he said."I've been briefed a number of times by health officials who are working very closely with ManageMyHealth in regard to the notification process."He said ManageMyHealth was also working with the Privacy Commissioner and the National Cyber Security Centre, who were providing them with advice around the notification process.Brown said his expectation was that they do it as quickly as possible, but they also had to do it accurately as well, and in compliance with the Privacy Act."There's a number of processes they have to go through. My expectation is that they do that as quickly as possible so that patients who have had data breached are aware of that and of what data has been breached," he said.Brown said the advice he's received was that the cyber hackers had only released a very small portion of data as part of their attempt in order to receive a ransom payment.There was a forensic process underway at the moment to go through and identify who's been impacted and then the process of notification, which is what Manage My Health was doing, he said.Brown said the group were using hacked information in order to receive a financial reward, but they did not know where they were operating from."The reality is that here is a big wakeup call in terms of the protection of private health data and their need for that to be held in the most secure form possible so that patients can have confidence in how it is being used," he said.Hackers building their 'brand'Data journalist Keith Ng said the hackers appeared to be using ManageMyHealth to leverage a bigger payout from one of their other targets: Saudi Icon Ransom."They're implying they've got their hands full and don't want to be distracted by small fry here, that's their explanation for wanting this over quickly - and if they don't get their ransom they will release data for free."For Kazu, it was an exercise in brand management."They want to establish themselves as a 'trustworthy' ransomware group. By that they mean 'If you pay us, we'll delete the data and you'll never hear from us again. If you don't pay us, bad things will happen to you'."So they want to build up their business and use the New Zealand dataset to make an example out of, so people will take them more seriously in the future."Unfortunately, the ManageMyHealth breach was unlikely to be the result of a sophisticated hacking operation, Ng said."This is probably a couple of days work for a couple of people. It's not like an elite hacking crew, it's about volume and they want to make sure they've got targets on the hook all the time."They poke around and try to find common vulnerabilities, flaws, they're really looking for low hanging fruit - and if they don't find it, they move on quickly to the next target."Over and above the technical question of which part of ManageMyHealth's system was not secure, the more important question was what processes it had in place, whether it was having regular independent security audits and taking action to fix the problems identified, he said."A business that sets itself up as a health information management system has a lot of incentive to do things right because when they fail, really catastrophic things like this happen, and it is an existential risk for them."So we should expect better from these businesses and the fact they let this one slip past them, they should be held accountable."In its public statements, ManageMyHealth appeared to be trying to minimise the scale of the problem, Ng said."They're saying only 7 percent of users were affected, but 7 percent of 1.8 million is quite a big number. The other thing they've said is 'only one component' of the site is affected, not the core database. But it's the kind of things in there - medical photos, test results - which make it so sensitive and damaging for people who are affected."It's probably the worst data breach that I recall seeing in New Zealand so far."Aura Information Security's Patrick Sharp said medical records were hugely valuable to criminals.The Medibank ransomware attack in Australia in 2022 resulted in many thousands - "maybe even hundreds of thousands" of real financial crimes, he said."It's quite likely that the 126,000 or so people affected - depending on the kind of information involved - may suffer at the hands of criminal gangs, lots of scams, blackmail, those kind of things."ManageMyHealth has been approached for comment.Published by permission

On New Years Day 2026 the axe finally fell on Western Southland's iconic Tūātapere Sports Day.The Southland App, Central and Western Archive and Advento Photography looks back on the iconic summer event that has entertained Southland families for well over one hundred years.Passengers alight their train to attend the very first Tuatapere Sports in 1910. Photo: Central & Western ArchiveEarly last century a group of hardy Western Southland bushmen gathered with a bold idea - to form the Tūātapere Axemen's Sports Society.Their vision was simple yet spirited—an event to celebrate strength, skill, and the rugged life of the timber country.The inaugural meeting took place on Easter Monday, 1910, in Bill West’s paddock, and it was no small affair.Families attending the 1913 Tuatapere Sports in Bill West's paddock. Photo: Central & Western ArchiveRecords tell of more than 800 eager souls boarding trains from Waihōpai Invercargill, bound for Tūātapere to witness the spectacle.The day’s programme was dominated by chopping and sawing contests—fitting for men who made their living among the trees.There was little room for track events, but that didn’t stop the bushmen who in true frontier fashion ran races “around stumps and other obstructions,” in a course as wild as the land itself.Later that year (27 Dec 2010) a second gathering drew even bigger crowds.Families picnicked under the summer sun while competitors tested their mettle.The Waiau punt worked tirelessly, ferrying visitors across the river.Tuatapere Sports Day early last century. Photo: Central & Western ArchiveBy 1911, Boxing Day became the traditional date, though the running track remained rough.In 1912, interest in footraces had surged, and by 1913 the entertainment got a boost with the appearance of the Invercargill Pipe Band.That same year, famed axeman Jack Pont claimed victory, cementing his place in local lore.Axemen compete at the final Tuatapere Sports in 2026. Photo: Advento PhotographyWest’s paddock remained the event's venue for nearly a decade before moving to the current Domain grounds in 1921.However this was not without effort, with logs and stumps “roughly cleared” to make way for the competitions.Crowds arrived in spring carts, milk carts, gigs, and buggies, with only a handful of motorcars in sight.Children compete in running races at the 2026 Tuatapere Sports Day. Photo: Advento PhotographyMost visitors still came by train, their excitement undimmed.As the years rolled on, the event continued to grow as did parking.In the 1930s a bridge was built, courtesy of local sawmillers, over the Alton backwash so that cars could park on the island, however nature had the last word - with a flood swept later the same year sweeping the bridge away and ending parking on the island for good.Announcer and long-time president of the Tūātapere Axemen's Athletic Society Peter Templeton (right), 78, commentates at the town's final sports day. Photo: Advento PhotographyFor over a century the Tūātapere sports day has been a New Year’s tradition, drawing crowds and competitors from far and wide.Families enjoy the sun, food and action at the final Tūātapere Sports Day. Photo: Advento PhotographyWhile changing habits, dwindling volunteers and competition from other events have all contributed to the demise of the Tūātapere Sports, its legacy, will remain etched in Southland’s history - a testament to community spirit, hard work, and the enduring charm of a day in the bush.An aerial view of Tūātapere's final Sports Day. Photo: Advento Photography

Police are pleased that, for a second year in a row, the number of holiday road deaths has decreased.The provisional number of road deaths for the 2025/2026 Christmas holiday period stands at seven, well below the 15 deaths recorded for the same period last year, and a far cry from the 22 lives lost during the 2023/2024 holiday period.Director of Road Policing, Superintendent Steve Greally calls the decrease in road deaths encouraging, but says Police aren’t celebrating.“That’s still seven deaths too many.Seven families have lost loved ones, for no good reason, and instead of being able to celebrate during this holiday season, their lives have been changed forever.“There are many contributing factors to lowering road trauma.Under Operation Open Roads, there has been an immense lift in Police enforcement over the last three years, to address those areas of the network that have higher speeds and those others that have high risk.This is likely to have played a part in the success over these years.“We’re not going to celebrate until we have zero deaths on our roads, but this is trending in the right direction.“For the month of December alone there were 17 road fatalities – that’s the lowest it’s been for that month in the last 45 years.The 10-year average for December road fatalities is 35, so to see that number halve in December 2025 is definitely encouraging.“Even so, we want everyone to keep in mind that one death is one too many.Our job continues and we won’t be letting up our focus on road safety, not for a second.”Police will continue to target unsafe driving behaviour through road policing operations and patrols, especially in those higher risk crash areas, Superintendent Greally says.“We’re all responsible for road safety, and while our officers are doing all that they can on the roads to reduce the number of serious crashes, we need drivers to do their part.“Make sure you are always driving free from alcohol, drugs, and fatigue.Everyone in your vehicle needs to be safely buckled up, drive at a safe speed for the conditions – under the speed limit, and put your cellphone away at all times.“Please keep yourself, and everyone else on the roads safe – have empathy for other road users and stay patient.”

A helicopter swoops over the mountains above the Milford Road and drops explosives. Snow and ice cascade down, and when everything has settled, the area is much safer for the hundreds of thousands of visitors who will use the road below.Each year, close to one million visitors travel the remote and rugged State Highway 94 from Te Anau to Milford Sound to reach the popular tourist destination in Fiordland National Park.But behind the postcard-perfect scenery of glaciers, steep cliffs and waterfalls lies a high-stakes operation to keep the road open and safe no matter the weather, including using explosives to trigger avalanches before nature does.A Milford Road Alliance loader sweeps snow from the Milford Road. Photo: SuppliedThe Milford Road Alliance, a partnership between the NZ Transport Agency and Downer, is tasked with managing the 120 kilometre stretch of highway that winds through the national park.A dedicated team of 27 people work all year round to ensure travellers get to and from Milford Sound safely.Alliance manager Kevin Thompson said the fairly short length of road presented a lot of challenges."We have the avalanche programme, we have rockfall issues, we have the Homer Tunnel, we have the alpine fault, we're operating inside Fiordland National Park, and we have a very large number of tourists who visit Milford Sound both New Zealand and international visitors," he said."All of those things wrap together to be quite a challenging environment."Among the team's most specialised tasks is managing the risk of avalanches. Each winter, snow builds on the steep slopes above the road, creating hazards that could bury the highway without warning."Fiordland is an interesting place and it's why visitors from overseas come here, it's dynamic, it's a big landscape. The avalanches we get here are some of the biggest in the world if they get up to their maximum and it's because of the big valleys we have," Thompson said."We can have avalanches that start way up high, they come to the edge of the cliff and then go into freefall and land on the road. Not a lot of time or chance for people to get out of the way or survive those big ones, so that's why we have to use a number of methods to try and prevent them starting for the first case, or keep people away if we can't deal with them ourselves."Just another day at the office as crew members carry out avalanche protection work high above the Milford Road. Photo: Supplied.The avalanche control programme was established in 1983 to predict and manage risk from snow, ice and avalanches more effectively."Every winter is different, this winter we didn't get avalanche hazard on the road until, really, the end of August," Thompson said.When the snow builds to dangerous levels, sometimes the team uses explosives to trigger avalanches."Explosives are something we don't use all the time but when we do we will direct those where needed. So explosives we will drop into the avalanche zones that are the highest risk and we'll bring down avalanches as much as we need to.The aim there is to try and bring them down before nature brings them down so we can control that process," Thompson said.Milford Road Alliance operation lead Brad Carpenter said the conditions had to be right to use explosives.Metres of snow can accumulate at the Milford Alliance's base on the Milford Road. Photo: Supplied"We have to have flyable weather to get the helicopter to do that. When the conditions warrant, it takes a lot of background experience even prior to getting to working at the Milford Road, so when we're hiring people we look for pretty extensive experience using explosives in more ski area settings," he said.Spring adds another challenge, as rising temperatures destabilise the snow just as tourists return in large numbers. September through to November was usually the riskiest period for avalanches, Thompson said.The team shifted focus when it turned to summer.Summer was a time to maintain equipment, maintain the road and infrastructure and carry out tree work to keep the road clear of trees and debris. The team also calibrated their network of weather stations, which fed into avalanche forecasting alongside MetService data."What we really want people to be left with is a trip to Milford Sound where they have no delays, everybody is in and out safely and we don't interrupt or affect their visit. That, for us, is what we aim for where we don't impact their trip, they have a safe visit and they don't even know we do our job," Thompson said.He said a warming climate was adding new challenges.Avalanche zones were being exposed to more rain and warmer temperatures, making the snow more unstable. The risk of rockfalls and trees falling was also increasing, Thompson said."We are expecting far greater numbers into the future into Milford Sound over the coming years so tourism is predicted to increase. That's going to bring some interesting challenges for us as a team to manage and be part of. We are looking forward to that, that's going to be an exciting challenge. That said, we are going to be dealing with nature and that's changing too."Published by Permission

A 42-year-old man appeared in the Invercargill District Court today (2 January) after a reported firearms offence in the Tapanui-Raes Junction area yesterday.A Police media spokesman says a person was taken into Police custody at an address on Tapanui-Raes Junction Highway yesterday. No injuries were reported.The man faces three charges of unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, three charges of failing to comply with conditions, burglary, believed to have occurred at an address near Roxburgh, and unlawfully taking a motor vehicle.With the matter now before the courts no further information could be provided, the spokesman says.Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.

Two separate patients were rescued by the Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter from ships off the Southland coast in the last few days – one an injured crew member off a ship in the Freshwater Basin area of Fiordland early this morning. (2 Jan).A spokesperson for Maritime NZ’s Rescue Coordination Centre says they received notification overnight of an injured crew member on board the vessel on its way to New Zealand.“RCCNZ enabled a medical evacuation by facilitating coordination between the vessel, HeliOtago, Hato Hone St John, the ship’s agent, Milford Sound harbourmaster and pilot,” she says.The patient was transferred to Dunedin Hospital early this morning for further medical care.HeliOtago managing director Graeme Gale says they were also called just after 3am on New Year’s Eve morning to retrieve a medical patient off a cruise ship off the Southland coast.The patient was flown to a medical facility for care, he says.Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.