Invercargill City Council has its sights focused on picking up the pieces following October’s severe weather event, which wreaked havoc and left a trail of damage throughout Southland. At their full Council meeting, elected members reviewed a preliminary update on the financial impacts of the 23 October storm, which resulted in a local state of emergency being declared throughout the region. The report noted that Council was working with insurance assessors to confirm how much coverage it had for the storm costs. Invercargill City Council Chief Executive Michael Day said since the state of emergency had been lifted on 7 November, the organisation was now focused on the recovery process for Invercargill and Bluff. Storm costs were currently estimated at about $2.4 million, with that figure expected to change as further site assessments were completed, and income recovered from the sale of timber was finalised. “The Southland region is now in recovery mode following October’s weather event. We’re extremely grateful nobody in our community was injured during the winds, and our recovery efforts are able to focus on ensuring Council’s facilities, services, and properties can be repaired,” Day said. “The amount of damage inflicted on some of our facilities and infrastructure was significant and, unfortunately, completely outside of our control. “We know how important these spaces are for our community, and it’s critical that we undertake substantial repair efforts to get Invercargill and Bluff back to normal. The costs associated with undertaking this work are unavoidable, as we need to ensure our community’s safety is prioritised.” Council would continue to work with its insurers, but much of the cost would not be recoverable from insurance. The organisation would likely look to debt-fund the shortfall through a five-year loan, Day said. While the majority had now been safely reopened to the public, the city’s parks and reserves had borne the brunt of the devastation, Day said. Significant volumes of fallen trees and other damage had contributed to an estimated $930,538 price tag across Council’s 150-odd parks and reserves – including at Queens Park, which would be reopened in phases in a bid to balance public safety with the sheer volume of remedial work required there, Day said. That figure did not include the cost of tree replanting, Day said. A further $298,308 was needed to repair damage to street lighting and traffic signals throughout the city’s roading network, while damage to rooves or windows at facilities such as Splash Palace and the Bluff Service Centre totalled $294,687, according to the report. “These facilities are a real lifeline for many people in our community, so we are working as hard and as fast as we can to carry out the repairs they need,” Day said. Council employees, meanwhile, had contributed 525 hours of work at Emergency Management Southland between October 23 – the day the winds struck – and November 7, when the state of emergency in Southland was officially lifted, the report stated.

Kelvin Street is set to shine this December as a group of Invercargill’s favourite boutique retailers join forces to bring a special late-night Christmas shopping event to the city on Thursday, 4 December, from 5.00pm to 7.30pm.The idea grew naturally from conversations between store owners along Kelvin Street, all sharing a desire to create a relaxed, festive, and genuinely enjoyable shopping experience in the lead-up to Christmas. Together, the boutiques have curated an evening designed to give locals the chance to slow down, browse beautiful products, enjoy the atmosphere, and shop with the people who know their collections best.“We all wanted to do something meaningful for our customers this Christmas,” says Kirstin from Nicchia Boutique. “Kelvin Street has such a supportive little retail community, and working together means we can create an experience that feels special - something relaxed, festive, and full of Christmas spirit.”Throughout the evening, each boutique will open its doors with friendly staff ready to help shoppers find thoughtful gifts, festive outfits, and unique treats. Charlie's Kitchen will also be open, offering food and Christmas treats for purchase, giving shoppers the perfect excuse to linger a little longer and enjoy the street’s cheerful atmosphere.Nicchia Boutique will showcase its beautifully curated homewares, décor, clothing and jewellery - with plenty of fresh gift ideas for adults and children. Labels Boutique will feature seasonal fashion highlights and elegant pieces perfect for holiday gatherings. Voyant will highlight new arrivals in men’s and women’s fashion, including streetwear, footwear and accessories ideal for gifting. Yours Faithfully will offer a refined selection of premium New Zealand and international designer pieces. Amelia May will present its natural-fibre and Italian linen clothing collection - timeless, elegant, and perfect for summer. Beauty & Beyond invites shoppers into their boutique spa environment, offering gift vouchers alongside a range of skincare, jewellery, home accessories and giftware. K&K Fashion joins the lineup with stylish, size-inclusive womenswear designed to help every woman feel confident and beautifully dressed for the season - with 25% off storewide and a further 25% off sale items.As each store adds its own festive touches, shoppers can expect a warm, welcoming atmosphere created by retailers who genuinely care about their customers and their community.A Celebration of Shopping LocalWhile the event offers a fun and festive night out, the collective message behind it is clear: supporting local retailers matters more than ever.“The Christmas season is incredibly important for small businesses like ours. Every purchase stays in our community and helps keep unique boutique shops like ours thriving. When people choose to shop local, they’re supporting families, livelihoods, and the character of our city.”The Kelvin Street late-night shopping night invites the community to rediscover their favourite stores, explore new finds, and celebrate Christmas with the heart and warmth that only local shopping can bring.

Alliance Group has confirmed the formal completion of its new strategic partnership with Dawn Meats.The transaction sees Dawn Meats take a 65 per cent stake in Alliance Group, with farmer-shareholders retaining a significant 35 per cent shareholding in the business. Alliance Group chief executive Willie Wiese said the completion of the transaction was an essential milestone.Willie Wiese 2025. Photo: Supplied. “We can move from planning to implementation with a partner that brings scale, global reach and expertise that clearly creates a competitive advantage. This marks the start of an exciting new chapter for Alliance, one that is centred on value creation for our farmer-shareholders. “This investment provides the capital we need to strengthen our balance sheet, accelerate value growth initiatives and further enable the delivery of our strategic objectives. “Importantly, it also maintains meaningful farmer ownership and influence through a strong 35 per cent holding and robust governance arrangements.” With the transaction now settled, approximately $188 million of the investment proceeds will be applied to reduce Alliance’s short-term working capital facility and $20 million will be invested in the company’s strategic capital programme to lift performance. Farmer-shareholders will also benefit from a distribution of up to $20 million in the current financial year (FY25/26) and up to $20 million in the next financial year (FY26/27). In FY25/26, 45 per cent will be paid as a dividend and 55 per cent as a supply-based rebate. In FY26/27, 75 per cent will be paid as a rebate and 25 per cent retained as earnings. In addition, up to $26 million will be distributed as a special dividend from the joint venture to the new Alliance Investment Co-operative following a stronger than forecast year-end result for Alliance. Niall Browne, chief executive of Dawn Meats, said the company is pleased that the formal process of acquiring a 65 per cent shareholding in Alliance Group has been completed. “This joint partnership will unlock new and exciting opportunities for both companies and our farmer-suppliers in New Zealand, Ireland and the UK. “This investment expands our business significantly and positions us, our UK company Dunbia and Alliance Group as a unified and dynamic industry competitor with a substantial presence and customer base in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. “We are intent on ensuring we can maximise our new combined strength to provide existing and new customers with a year-round supply of sustainable and world class, grass-fed red meat. "As part of our strategic partnership, Dawn Meats will now work closely with Alliance and its farmer-shareholders to identify and invest in capital expenditure upgrades, new technology and new sustainable business practices that will support the company's future growth and development. "Throughout the process of securing this strategic partnership, Dawn Meats was clear about the potential benefits of combining our knowledge and experience with that of Alliance and its farmer-shareholders. “Alliance is a leading New Zealand business with a proud legacy of cutting-edge processing and history of exporting the highest-quality grass-fed lamb, beef and venison. “We know from our existing customers and new customer interest to date that our partnership creates a dynamic new offering that will allow us to meet an increasing global demand for red meat protein in addition to opening new markets to the benefit of our farmer-suppliers in both hemispheres. “We now intend to make the most of what is a unique opportunity for enhanced customer relationships, resources, skills, routes to market and industry knowledge." Mr Wiese acknowledged the effort of those involved in the process. “Completion of this partnership reflects a huge amount of work across the Alliance team, our advisers and Dawn Meats. “I also want to thank our farmer-shareholders for their trust and support. Their commitment has allowed us to secure a strong future for the company.” The directors of the Alliance Group board are:Thomas Moran (Independent Chair)Niall BrowneSean BreenMark WynneJared Collie The directors of the New Alliance Investment Co-operative:Mark WynneJared CollieMatt IremongerRoss Bowmar

Anticipation is building for the Fresh Choice Kepler Challenge, as leading New Zealand ultra runner Daniel Jones prepares to make his return for the 60km mountain run on December 6.Jones won six consecutive Challenge titles from 2018 to 2023 to equal the men’s record set by Russell Hurring in the 1990s but professional racing commitments overseas meant he was missing from the Lake Te Anau control gates start line in 2024.A seventh win would move the new father past the benchmark he currently shares with Hurring and six-time women’s title winner Ruby Muir. This year he won the Tarawera 102km ultra trail event in a course record and finished fifth in the famous Western States 100 in California.Defending champion Daniel Balchin, from Alexandra, will take some strong form into the race after winning the Rotorua marathon earlier this year and then claiming his second Auckland marathon title recently.Runners make their way along the Kepler Track above the Mt Luxmore Hut during the 2024 race. Credit: Nathan Burdon.The men’s field features a number of runners who might be curious to see how their legs rank against Jones and Balchin, including regular podium finisher David Haunschmidt, Gene Beveridge, Matt Gummar and Australian world championship mountain running representative John Winsbury.Frances Redmond, who finished runner-up to Katie Morgan last year, will be one of the favourites in the women’s race, along with Annabelle Bramwell and Nikki Everton, who finished third at this year’s Old Ghost Ultra.Kepler Challenge organising committee chair Steve Norris said the event continued to enjoy the support of the running community.“The Kepler is one of those bucket list events for many people and we are looking forward to welcoming them to Te Anau this weekend.”Entries for the race around the Kepler Track in Fiordland National Park, which are limited to 450, sold out in 2min 11sec back in July, with a 350-strong wait list capped less than half an hour later.The mythical Fiordland moose will be a theme for this year’s race, featuring on the event t-shirt and finisher medals.While moose are thought by many to have been extinct in this part of the world for the best part of 75 years, unconfirmed sightings of the elusive deer last summer sparked a new wave of interest in one of the area’s most enduring tales.In the 27km Luxmore Grunt, both Penny Mouat and Jonathan Jackson have returned to defend their titles.Jackson will be attempting a third straight, and fourth overall, Grunt win but will be challenged by the likes of Michael Sutton and Luke Wilson.The Kepler Challenge gets underway from the Lake Te Anau Control Gates at 6am on Saturday (December 6), with the Luxmore Grunt starting an hour later.The men’s record is held by Martin Dent in a time of 4:33:37, set in 2013. The women’s record (5:23:34) has been held by Zelah Morrall since 2003.

Social service providers working with Southland's most vulnerable say there's been a concerning uptick in people doing it tough.Food distributions jumping at local schools, severe weather displacing rough sleepers and a stretched middle class are just some of the issues at play.Salvation Army Invercargill community ministries manager Cathy Strong said it was "shocking" to see the number of new families coming through their doors, including a bump in the middle-income demographic.Over a one-week period earlier this month, more than 30 new families reached out for help."I found it quite a sad shift to see how much more the community is hurting," Strong said. "I mean, they were hurting before, but now it's even escalated further than that."Strong said rising rent seemed to be an annual issue and increased power costs over winter were problematic."They're robbing Peter to pay Paul and it's finally caught up with them, so they're coming asking for help."Homelessness was also an issue in the city, with the Salvation Army estimating about 50-60 people fit that category, including those living in cars.People are struggling in the south amid rising costs. Photo: Nick MonroThis year, Invercargill City Council delayed a cost-cutting decision to close a community shower used by the homeless, as other alternatives couldn't be found.Recent extreme weather proved problematic for people living in places like Queens Park and Thomsons Bush, Salvation Army major Murray Sanson explained."It affected a lot of our homeless ones, because there were certain shelters the wind just whipped around."Sanson indicated life was harder for homeless around the country, noting issues in Tauranga and Rotorua closing emergency housing.He also criticised banks for not doing more to support people, saying the economy was "geared up against the poor"."To try and reform society [so] that we don't have homeless, it's going to mean that people [have] got to be a lot less selfish."Council responds to homelessnessThe issue of homelessness reared its head at Invercargill City Council this year, when a decision was made to close one of the only facilities available to people living rough.In May, the council voted to close the Wachner Place toilet and shower facility to save costs, on the proviso alternative locations were explored.Council group manager Trudie Hurst said homelessness was a diverse term, which covered a broad range of experiences, and it was difficult to get an accurate estimate of how many people were homeless in the community.The council regularly participated with the Southland Community Housing Network, which had discussed an emergency night shelter in the city.Closure of the Wachner Place facility was ultimately delayed and the council was working on a contract to continue operating it until 31 March 2026.Children doing it toughKidsCan founder and chief executive Dame Julie Chapman said the cost-of-living struggle now stretched into middle-income households as well.KidsCan's Dame Julie Chapman says demand is up for both food and jackets in the south. Photo: SuppliedMore children were going without the basics, she said."For households everywhere, there's little to no buffer against unexpected bills or price rises."In Invercargill and wider Southland, food distributed to schools had increased 60 percent since the start of the year, coming in at almost 8 tonnes.The need for jackets in the region had risen by 47 percent, compared to last year.Chapman's organisation also witnessed a nationwide issue, which she described as "awful and heartbreaking" - children taking turns to share shoes.KidsCan had 58 schools on its national waitlist, meaning 10,000 children who still needed support."For many people, they're just a payday away from being plunged into poverty," Chapman said.The power of companionshipIn discussing the city's most vulnerable, Strong and Sanson highlighted the nuance of owning a pet.Sanson said some people couldn't get a rental property, because they had a dog, but would rather live in a car than give up that companionship."It's a huge challenge for them to say no to their animal, just so they can get a roof over their head."Often, pets had saved people, Strong added."Their pets haven't failed them, and they've been loyal and they've stuck with them."They've listened. They've heard."LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Across New Zealand there are 55,000 kilometres of paper roads, a term which may not be familiar to many.While these roads won't appear on Google Maps and aren't maintained in the same way as the rest of the roading network, they still carry the same right of public passage for anyone to use.Dot Dalziell, a regional field adviser with Herenga a Nuku Aotearoa (the Outdoor Access Commission), told Afternoons, while these roads may look a little different they're still there for the public to enjoy.Dalziell wasn't a fan of the name paper roads and said she preferred the term unformed legal road when referencing the tracks."It's a bit more accurate than paper road. The reason we don't like paper road as a term so much is it sounds like something you could write down on a piece of paper, screw up and throw in the bin."What is an unformed legal road?Dalziell said when talking about an unformed legal road or paper road, what was meant was that while these roads counted legally as part of the roading network, these were not maintained by the roading authority in an area, usually the district council.But, these roads did carry the same right of public passage as any other legal road.Many of these roads were formed before colonisation, Dalziell said, as tracks and trails to connect up between people and places."For instance, there's an ancient waka portage that goes from Waiuku all the way to the Waikato River and I've heard kaumātua talk about that as the original State Highway One. So these are connecting lines that have been around for a long time."In the 1800's, future towns and roads were drawn, and while some of these towns were never built, some tracks were formed."Some of them have fallen into less use once cars became more prevalent," Dalziell said, "other roads were created for combustion engines..."Unformed legal roads were not on private property, Dalziell said, and were strips of public land which belonged to everyone.How do I find them?The best place to find paper roads was by using Herenga a Nuku Aotearoa's mapping system, Dalziell said, which could be found on its website.Dalziell said Herenga a Nuku Aotearoa also had an app called Pocket Maps which would allow people to download maps and take them into the wilderness to help navigate the unformed legal roads.She said the roads could be found by looking for purple lines on the maps.A lot of erasure of the roads had gone on over the years, Dalziell said."Partly what's happened is because no one is actively looking after them the public may have forgotten that they exist."It only takes a generation or so for local knowledge to be forgotten."People needed to get around, Dalziell said, and these roads had existed for a very long time."They may not even look like a road you may drive on, but they're still there for all of is. They're a fantastic resource."Published by Permission

The people of Invercargill have been given an early Christmas present, with a further section of Queens Park reopening earlier than anticipated. The second phase of Queens Park’s staged reopening has been brought forward to Friday 28 November, and includes parts of the park that were expected to be closed for many months. The award-winning Queens Park had been closed after a severe wind storm that hit Southland in late October, with a small segment reopening on 15 November following extensive remediation work. Map detailing the areas of Queens Park that have reopened. Photo: Invercargill City CouncilInvercargill City Council Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said it was due to the hard work of staff on the ground that the next section of the park could reopen early. “My warmest gratitude goes out to the staff and contractors who have been tirelessly working over the past few weeks to make the park safe,” she said. “Every tree in the area has been thoroughly checked by arborists, and we’ve cleared away debris and assessed all pathways. “We’re really excited to have this next section open again, and we appreciate everyone giving us the time to do this safely.” The areas to be reopened would include the southern end of Coronation Avenue around the Band Rotunda, the Jessie Calder Garden, the Stumpery and the south-eastern corner of the park surrounding Blind Low Vision NZ’s building. Rain said many people were expected to be out and about enjoying Invercargill’s public spaces following the Southland Santa Parade on Saturday, which had fuelled the determination to get the area ready as soon as possible. “It’s wonderful that the community will once again be able to include a visit to the heart of Queens Park in their weekend plans.” Temporary fences, hazard tape and signage would remain in place to clearly advise visitors of the areas that were off limits. A map of the open and closed areas could be found on Council’s website. “We ask everyone to respect the boundaries in place and not go into any areas that are cordoned off,” Rain said. “Our staff and contractors will continue to make every effort to reopen the remaining areas of Queens Park as soon as possible.” The closed sections of the park, including the Queens Park Golf Club, the remainder of Coronation Avenue, and the tracks around the perimeter of the park from Kelvin St, Herbert St, and Queens Dr, would require more intensive remedial work before they could be reopened. Several other parks in Invercargill remained closed, including Donovan Park, Elizabeth Park and Otepuni Gardens. The latest information about park closures around the city could be found on Council’s website.

Below is a list of programmed works on Southland state highways next week, and all known work on Southland state highways next week is mapped HERE. Key renewal sites in Southland currently underway/beginning next week:SH97 Mossburn-Five Rivers Road at Ellis Road – work should be completed here early next week.SH1 Bluff highway – Stage two from Clifden to Duck Creek is underway. Traffic lights in place, delays of 5-10 minutes.SH94 at The Key – Stage two at the Mararoa School end is underway and will continue until mid-December. Traffic lights in place, 10-15 minute delays. SH90 Waikaka Valley highway between Waikaka Road and Cunningham Road – earthworks and drainage underway until late December. Traffic lights in place, delays of 5-10 minutes. Construction will begin in new year.SH94 Te Anau-Milford highway at Sinclair Road – begins Monday 1st December and will continue until prior to Christmas. Traffic lights in place, delays of 5-10 minutes.SH96 Nightcaps-Ohai highway at the bend prior to Ohai - begins next week and will continue for 2-3 weeks. Traffic lights in place, delays of 5-10 minutes. Other maintenance and contractor work underway next week is listed below. Highways South maintenance work:SH1 Woodlands-Invercargill highway, stop/go for watercuttingSH1 Edendale-Woodlands highway, stop/go for watercuttingSH1 Pioneer highway, stop/go for watercuttingSH1 Gore-Mataura highway, stop/go for watercuttingSH94 Lumsden-Riversdale highway near Longridge, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH93 Old Coach Road near Three Stones Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH93 Old Coach Road near Old Manse Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH93 Old Coach Road at Kuriwao Stream no.1 bridge, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH93 Old Coach Road at Kuriwao Stream no.2 bridge, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH93 Old Coach Road near River Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH94 Lumsden-Riversdale highway near Two Chain Road, traffic lights for pavement repairsSH99 from Lorneville to Riverton, stop/go for roadmarking turning pocketsRoadmarking taking place on SH1 Bluff highway, SH1 Gore township and SH99 Riverton township under mobile traffic management**Programmed work may be delayed due to weather/other factors. Other contractor work that we are aware of:SH1 East Road Invercargill, stop/go for utility workClosures for the Southland Santa Parade this weekend in Invercargill: Saturday 29th November from 12 noon – 3pm: Road closures:Closure of SH6 Dee St between Victoria Ave and Tay StClosure of SH1 Clyde St between Tay St and Forth StClosure of SH1 Tay St between Conon St and Dee St Detours:SH6 southbound - Victoria Ave/Liddell/Tweed/Clyde StSH6 northbound – reverse of aboveSH1 westbound – Conon/Tweed/Clyde StSH1 eastbound – reverse of aboveSH1 northbound – use SH6 northbound detourUseful 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.

An Otatara man thought to be New Zealand's longest-serving meat worker retired this month after 64 years in the industry.Ken McLeod, 80, started in 1962 when he was only 16 at the now-closed Makarewa Meatworks in Southland."I was mostly a boner in all those years, and thanks to the Meat Workers Union we got very good money," he told Morning Report on Friday."The money set me up for life and did everything else, and I've travelled a lot. I just enjoyed the good money and the hard work involved."He rarely took sick days, and worked his way up to boner, his favourite of the jobs. In the mid-1960s, when he was still a teenager, he was bringing home the modern equivalent of up to $4000 a week."I felt like I'd robbed a bank," McLeod laughed."I saw a lot of people waste it. An old fellow who had worked in the works for years, he said, 'Save half your pay and play out the rest, because he said, you'll find it'll be out.' And that's what I did."As the technology changed, so did the work - not to mention the conditions."I know this sounds horrible, but when I first started boning, I was 20 and we only changed clothes twice a week because they had to send the laundry into town or something like that."But then a couple of years later, they actually built a laundry and then we changed our laundry every day, which was what it has been ever since."Photo: Supplied.An early computer brought in to handle payroll was unable to handle the wages - McLeod saying their pay packets had to be split in two because the amounts were too high for the machine to handle."We used to laugh, and they had to give us a pay worth gross of £100, and then another one of £20 or £30."McLeod eventually ended up at Blue Sky Pastures in 1988, where he has worked ever since. He also rose to become president of the Meat Workers Union.But preparing meat was not what he originally intended to do with his life."I really wanted to join the Army and go to Vietnam, but… my mother wouldn't sign the papers because you had to have your parents' consent... I was only 20 at the time."But in hindsight it was the best thing because three or four years later I met my wife and I've been happily married for 56 years and [had] two lovely girls and they're happily married and gave us four lovely grandchildren.So I've been very lucky in that respect."Photo: Supplied.While the tough physical work has taken its toll McLeod has no plans to slow down, and intends to spend his retirement staying active with walking, fishing, deer hunting and maintaining his house.While sheep farming is not what it once was in New Zealand, McLeod predicts a comeback."When I started there was 70 million sheep in New Zealand. Now there's only about 23 or 25 [million].There's been massive changes, in Southland three of the big works have all closed down... they've all closed and there's only the big Alliance works with four chains left..."But there is hopefully a revival of sheep meat because the price for lamb this year is very good and wool's actually gone up in price, so there may be a swing back to more sheep farming and hopefully there is."Published by Permission

Road OpenNo Avalanche HazardRoad status:OPEN from Te Anau to Milford SoundComments:No travel delays are expected over the coming days.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Showers clearing. Tomorrow: Rain. Sunday: Heavy rain easing in the afternoon. Monday: Showers. Tuesday: Morning showers clearing.

Southland mayor Rob Scott has given a glowing review of proposed changes to local government, saying it mirrors what's already been pushed for.The government's newly released plan to shake up the sector is yet to be fully fleshed out, but involves cutting regional councillors and forming new boards led by mayors which would oversee re-organisation.Scott welcomed the new proposal, having already gone public in August 2024 with a vision to amalgamate Southland’s four councils into two unitary authorities.“We’ve all got a lovely Christmas present from the government. And look, if anyone was planning in local government on winding down for Christmas, I think they’re going to get the total opposite now because we’ve got the RMA changes being announced soon as well, so it’s going to put a lot of pressure on the sector."But it’s (a) positive move, it’s time for change in local government, and it’s no time like the present.”Scott said a lot of the groundwork had already been done through his proposal, and he could see the end result working well.The government’s wording of “keeping it simple” also aligned, he said.“It’s almost like they’ve read our proposal and gone ‘this is going to work for the whole country, this is where we need to go’.”Scott’s proposal is currently being investigated by the Local Government Commission.Regional council Environment Southland did not respond so kindly to the news, with chair Jeremy McPhail saying in a media statement that any new system needed to reflect the priorities and needs of the region and its people.McPhail acknowledged there was room for improvement, but said stripping away regional governance knowledge and connection wasn't "necessarily the answer".The government is proposing the changes as part of resource management reforms which are expected to be introduced to parliament in the coming weeks.Alongside regional authorities getting the cut, Māori constituencies would also disappear — a matter which has raised some concerns.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Detective Sergeant Brian McKinney, Gore, stated that a man has been charged in relation to a suspicious house fire in Waikaia last year.Just after midnight on 21 February 2024, emergency services were called to the fire on Elswick Street.Today, Police have charged a 35-year-old Dunedin man with arson.He is due to appear in the Gore District Court on 17 December.We’d like to thank the members of the public who provided information to Police throughout this investigation, to ensure the person responsible can be held accountable.

Final Update: November 28, 3.50pmThis closure on SH96 is now clear, and SH96 is open with no restrictions. Thanks for your patienceUpdate: November 28, 10am – Highway partially reopens after fire State Highway 96 near Mataura has reopened to one lane of traffic following a nearby vegetation fire yesterday. The road remained closed overnight for firefighters to ensure the blaze was contained. The section of SH96 between the intersections of SH1 and Waimumu Road is now open to the single lane, with a temporary reduced speed limit of 30km/h, and road users are being asked to stop on request. Please take extra care along this route.Update: 28/11 - 8:35amSH96 Glencoe highway, which was closed yesterday due to a vegetation fire, remains closed between SH1 and Waimumu Road. The team are working to open this up by 9.30am today. Once open, the highway will be down to one lane, and vehicles will be piloted through the site – please follow the directions of our staff onsite.An update on the fire on SH96 at Thomas’ Hill: At this stage SH96 will remain closed from SH1 to Waimumu Road for the next 24 hours. Detour remains the same for all vehicles - eastbound is Waimumu Road/Paterson Road/Glendhu Road/SH1 and reverse for westbound. If the situation changes tonight, we will update you, otherwise expect an update tomorrow morning.

UPDATE: 4.30pm, State Highway 96 near Mataura is expected to remain closed overnight as efforts continue to contain a nearby vegetation fire.Nine fire trucks and two helicopters are battling a scrub in a forestry block at Thomas Hill, near Mataura.State Highway 96, between State Highway 1 and Waimumu Road is also closed due to the fire.Emergency services were alerted at around 2.10pm today (27 Nov).Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said the fire was reported to be 120m x 20m around 2.40pm but has grown in size since then.Detours are available to eastbound vehicles, via Waimumu Road/Paterson Road and Glendhu Road.FENZ said high winds have caused the fire to spread quickly.People must not light any outdoor fires this afternoon and must check any previous fires or burns from the last few weeks to ensure they are not in danger of reignition. Don’t leave them to smoulder or assume that a fire is completely out just because you can’t see any flames or smoke.The whole area should be thoroughly wetted until it is completely cold, and checked again afterwards, they said.

Celebrating Hāpori Manawaroa ki Murihiku and the Southern Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities Work Programme.On Thursday 27 November the Murihiku community came together at Invercargill’s ILT Stadium to celebrate Hāpori Manawaroa ki Murihiku, the Southern Resilience to Organised Crime in Communities (ROCC) work programme, and its efforts over the past year.In attendance were many of the community providers, organisations and agencies who are part of the work programme, as well as special guests including Associate Minister of Police, the Honorable Casey Costello, Police Southern District Commander Superintendent Jason Guthrie, Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell, local government representatives, and iwi.The event also included performances form local rangatahi groups.The ROCC work programme was launched in Southland in March 2023 and was gifted the name Hāpori Manawaroa ki Murihiku by local kaumatua.This name reflects the fortitude, strength and stamina of the Murihiku community, resonating with those involved in the programme.A source of pride since its inception has been the magnitude and quality of local buy-in from key Southland stakeholders.The event provided the opportunity for Minister Costello to revisit and celebrate the successes of the programme of work over the past 12 months, having attended the announcement of the successful ROCC initiatives in 2024.Service providers were also able to share their experiences and details of their projects with the Minister over the course of the celebratory event.Alongside Southland Police’s sustained focus and successes in enforcing organised crime, the Hāpori Manawaroa ki Murihiku and ROCC work programme has continued to enable local communities to become more connected, and has worked hard to reduce the chance of organised crime and its harmful effects to take root.A key part of this has been the number of partnership initiatives backed through the ROCC programme of work that Southern District Police have been proud to be involved with.Southern District Commander Superintendent Jason Guthrie spoke about this collective pride at the celebration event.“I think it’s important to have an occasion like this, where we can come together and reflect on the many ‘wins’ we are achieving through our community-driven, efforts that are tailor-made for our own Southern Communities.”Superintendent Guthrie went on to outline a number of the providers that have received funding through the Community Resilience and Whānau Support funding, that Police have been able to assist through the ROCC work programme.This has included the Gore Blue Light registered charity that works alongside Police, which has this year been able to create camp experiences for local rangatahi aimed at building leadership skills, confidence and encouraging goal-setting.This also included an intensive week-long Life Skills Camp at Burnham Military Camp for seven youth participants as part of an alternative resolution pathway, away from the Youth Court justice system.“I’m really pleased to say that our local participants in this course returned home with renewed engagement in school, with some gaining part-time or full-time employment, and have not come back to Police attention.” said Superintendent Guthrie.Another of the many initiatives undertaken throughout the year that was highlighted was the Police partnership with Plunket services, in running special traffic checkpoints to ensure child restraints are correct and safe.Through the funding received, brand new child restraints and seating were able to be provided for those who were found to have unsafe or not fit-for-purpose child restraints.“And that’s what the ROCC kaupapa is all about,” said Superintendent Guthrie.“This is the kind of prevention work and support Police can, and will, continue to provide alongside our persistent and targeted enforcement of organised crime in Southern Communities.“Our Southern Organised Crime Units have been able to make some massive dents in the local distribution of meth through their excellent enforcement work, which removes a lot of harm from our streets.“However, we simply can’t arrest our way out of the harm that organised crime and meth inflict on our communities.That’s why we are so proud and privileged to be part of the important prevention work alongside our highly valued partners, community agencies and organisations working under ROCC.”

Adventure races don't get much tougher than the Godzone event which starts on Thursday in Marlborough.Thirty-two teams of four are taking part, with the aim to cover 615 kilometres of often rugged terrain as quickly as possible on foot, mountain bike and even raft.They can only use maps and compasses to navigate, and have to finish within eight days.Hunger, fatigue, sleep deprivation and hallucinations are common. That's music to the ears of Molly Spark who's part of team 'Fear Youth'."I just love that feeling, that sense of achievement and satisfaction when you cross that finish line" she told First Up."You go into almost like a feral dog, you turn into this animal, and you've got the things on your back, you've got your teammates, you've got the course, and you get to see some of the most amazing places in all of the world really, but this time's going to be in Marlborough."Competitors don't know where in Marlborough though - they aren't given the exact course details until a few hours before the race starts.They would be given some information beforehand about the distance and nature of each stage so they could pack accordingly."Taking the right amount of equipment is important because if it gets cold, you need your thicker jackets and warmer clothes, but then taking too much, you get more fatigued because your backpack's heavier."So there's that fine line between don't starve to death and run out of food versus carrying way too much and having days worth of food left," Spark said.Despite beng just 22, Spark is already a seasoned athlete, and said this would be her eighth expedition race.She classified an adventure race as anything over three days long."Most people live comfortably and they don't push themselves outside that comfort zone. I feel when you do a race like this, just that expansion of your brain and your comfort zone, it just builds resilience really."Once you can get through an adventure race, I feel like you can get through challenging times because you've raced seven days with three hours of sleep."Pushing yourself to the absolute limit could have some strange side effects though. Spark said she's prone to hallucinating during races."I quite enjoy it. I see lots of cool animals. I saw penguins in the middle of the New Zealand bush."Lots of dogs. If you're walking on rocks, every single rock is a dog looking at you. You see huts quite a lot because you often want to sleep. So your brain imagines trees as huts."When we were in America, we saw lots of tree roots and I thought they were snakes. So I would be jumping up screaming at the snakes in front of me, but it's not, it's just a stick. "Published by permission

A lack of local representation on a new Department of Conservation (DOC) appointed board tasked with progressing the recommendations of the Milford Opportunities Masterplan, has Fiordland tourism operators upset and demanding action.The project, initiated in 2017 by the government, was mandated with finding a long-term strategy for managing tourism and conservation in Piopiotahi Milford Sound and the Milford Road.In July 2021 the masterplan had been completed and included a raft of recommendations including a park and ride system, overseas visitors' fee and the now rejected proposal to ban cruise ships and close the Milford Sound airstrip.Current board members include chair Penny Nelson (DOC), Jenn Bestwick (Independent), Nora Burghart (MBIE), Rob Phillips (Environment Southland), Jana Davis (Ngāi Tahu), Nadia Wesley-Smith (Ngāi Tahu), Barry Bragg (Ngāi Tahu), Dave Beeche (Independent) and Stephanie Rowe (DOC).. Local operators have long awaited action over the jewel in Fiordland’s tourism crown, but the lack of local representation at board level as the plan progresses, has prompted Fiordland business owner Kate Norris to call for action.She’s calling a community meeting for 11th Dec and also setting up a community-led Te Anau and Fiordland Representation Working Group to “make sure our region has a real say in decisions affecting Milford Sound Piopiotahi”.“At the moment the Milford Opportunities Project Board has no local representation, despite Te Anau and Fiordland being the communities most impacted,” Norris says.The voices of the 350 workers based in at Milford during the summer season also matter and the group will “push for proper representation of both the Te Anau and Milford communities”.This follows an open community meeting that DOC held in Te Anau in September, that aimed to update members of the community and to respond to any concerns or queries, she says. The meeting was well-attended with over 40 people.Norris says locals pushed for that meeting after being excluded from an earlier meeting in Queenstown over the next steps for Milford.“Not long after they agreed to a Te Anau meeting, we got an email naming the appointed board,” she says.“I said, ‘This is unbelievable on something this big that’s affecting our whole community,” she says.Norris says she approached MP Joseph Mooney and the Southland District mayor and councillors, who agreed Te Anau should be represented.“I have support from councillors and other community leaders in Te Anau and Fiordland who were all shocked that we had no representation,” she says.Her lobby group’s first goal will be ensuring at least one dedicated Te Anau member on that board.“We need to be part of that Milford decision making and communication.""We don’t want to be left out as this is directly affecting our communities and our businesses,” she says.“This community wants change, not another big report sitting doing nothing.”She says locals aren’t impressed that despite the Milford Opportunities Project report strongly recommending that Milford be viewed as an “individual entity” the government has handed the process over to DOC.“They can’t treat Milford Sound in isolation.""People travel through Te Anau, so they’ve got to look at the whole journey to Milford,” Norris says.The local community believes that change is needed to make Milford sustainable.Hers isn’t the only group that’s been concerned about the makeup of the representation.“This is so important, and it will be the blueprint that they use around New Zealand at other tourism hotspots.""Millions have been spent so far, and we need to call them out and put our hand up or we can’t complain later,” Norris says.Conservation Minister Tama Potaka says:A total $18 million has been invested in planning for change at Milford between 2017 and 2024.“It is important to me that the next phase of work at Milford is focused on action. In June, Minister Upston and I announced our full support for tourism and conservation in Piopiotahi, and along the Milford Road, committing $15.2 million of investment into infrastructure improvements for Milford Piopiotahi in the short term.”That includes $7 million of DOC investment in infrastructure improvements and $8.2 million in new International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy (IVL) funding“People in Milford Piopiotahi will have already seen improvements that have been made to remediate a landfill site and improve Cleddau River flood protection,” Potaka says.DOC is making improvements to the Milford Piopiotahi visitor experience, including new short-stop visitor experiences at Gertrude Valley and Sinks Bridge, improvements to short-stop visitor sites at Lake Marian Hinepipiwai and Gertrude Valley, a new gateway pou whenua, and new toilets at Deepwater Basin.“Implementing the MOP Business Case’s recommended options, requires an ongoing funding source, a step-change in our broken concessions system and a more enabling management regime. Work to address these is well underway.“In August, I announced more details on my plans to fix the Conservation Act that will unleash a fresh wave of tourism and infrastructure concessions, in locations where that makes sense, and a new international visitor access levy,” he says.“This will unlock funding to pay for hundreds of millions of dollars of infrastructure improvements over the coming decade. My expectation is that DOC is ready to implement the legislative changes rapidly once the Bill has passed.”Former Fiordland Business Association chairperson and accommodation operator Nathan Benfell says he was “hugely disappointed” that local representation had been overlooked on the new board.“They need to lean on local people who are invested, some who’ve given hours of service to protecting the park and enhancing the experience.”While there may have been some good work done so far unfortunately that hadn’t been communicated to the local community, he says. “I’ve had two people ringing me in the last two days wanting to know what we are going to do about it.”DOC director heritage and visitors Catherine Wilson says at the board’s first meeting (14 Nov) they “identified and discussed the need for better representation of the Te Anau community into the Milford programme.“DOC is still in the process of finalising the board and is considering how to improve community representation through that,” Wilson says.“We’ve been made aware of the community meeting and we’re hoping to be able to meet and hear their concerns.”Wilson says at its first meeting the board also agreed on the importance of building on Milford Opportunities Project’s work to deliver key recommendations from the business case, staying focused on action to meet Conservation Minister Tama Potaka‘s expectations with plans to identify “quick wins and trial new solutions at Milford”.The new board has also agreed to stand up an advisory group given the wide range of interests in Milford, from central and local government agencies, community organisations and conservation groups.This group will play a key role in shaping the future transport strategy, priorities for DOC’s short-to-medium-term work programmes, and work on spatial planning and the future visitor journey, Wilson says.She says DOC is committed to working with residents, industry and Treaty partners to ensure community wellbeing, environmental protection, and long-term sustainability are central to decisions.DOC director heritage and visitors Catherine Wilson says:There are three key parts to the Milford work:Short term investment and action, including infrastructure improvements detailed above, and short-term work to plan for natural hazards and improve congestion. This work is underway now.Legislative change: Work is underway to deliver changes to the Conservation Act, including the introduction of a new international visitor access charge, improvements to the concessions system and a new approach to management planning. This new levy, concessions regime and management planning is expected to be introduced to the House early next year and should be ready for implementation by 2027/28.Transition phase - Planning for significant change will happen over the next two years to ensure DOC can deliver for Milford Piopiotahi quickly once legislation has passed.Sue Fea is a senior journalist with more than 40-years experience covering police, social and general news in the southern regions.

Environment Southland (ES) has reacted to yesterday's (25 Nov) government announcement to remove regional councils, saying it opens the door to significant opportunities – and challenges for Southland communities.Regional Management Act reform Minister Chris Bishop announced the proposed local government shakeup yesterday.Under the proposal city and district councils would assume the functions currently performed by regional councils.ES Chairman Jeremy McPhail said the proposal added urgency to conversations already underway about reorganising councils in Southland.“We are currently engaged in a formal process around that with the Local Government Commission,” he said."We need to make sure any new system reflects the needs and priorities of the region and our people.”The decisions made in the coming year will shape how Southland protects the environment, manages risks, and supports regional growth for decades to come.“Getting the balance right between local delivery and national direction is critical,” McPhail said.“We can’t afford to lose the local knowledge and responsiveness that communities rely on.”Regional councils do work that matters to communities, every day – managing flood protection, freshwater, the coast, and air quality; protecting biodiversity; biosecurity; planning for natural hazards and regional transport; and delivering maritime safety.“These aren’t optional extras,” McPhail said.“They’re essential services that underpin safety, prosperity, and environmental health.”“As regional councillors, it’s our job to know our catchments and communities inside out,” he said.“Our services rely on that knowledge, on catchment-based planning, and on being able to respond quickly when things happen.""Yes, there’s room for improvement, and consistent national direction and better funding would help – but stripping away regional governance knowledge and connection isn’t necessarily the answer.”McPhail said ES would be fully engaged in the Government’s consultation process.“I’ll be fighting Southland’s corner.""Whatever system comes out of this, it must work for Southland as well as the rest of New Zealand.”Invercargill Mayor Tom Campbell said in a social media post that while the process and timeline would only become clear when the details were announced, the end point will inevitably be fewer Councils and a more efficient local government if done well."My reading of Govt intentions is that the final design will be in our hands rather than imposed on us.""With a population of just over 100,000 most people would agree that having four elected Councils means Southland is over governed, and that adds cost to rates.""So, while the devil will be in the details, the direction of travel is positive in my view."Gore Mayor Ben Bell said that regardless of how people felt about their local Regional Council, it is incredibly unfair to announce a plan to remove democratically elected members less than two months after being elected."It calls into question our entire democratic system if those who put their names forward for public office can be turfed out moments after the people have voted them in.""Much of the proposal is vague in its content, making an already very challenging and expensive time in Local Government that much more difficult."Southland District Mayor Rob Scott floated the idea of Southland having just two new councils, one urban and one rural, in August 2024.He estimated there would be a $10m saving.Scott was unavailable for comment at time of going to print.

Cyclists on the Around the Mountain Cycle Trail may be swapping dusty gravel roads for scenic beech and tussock vistas, should the recommendation of a new report be adopted by the Trust that manages it.Estimated to cost 7.15 million, the new 38.4km grade 2 trail is the proposal of a report commissioned by the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail Trust and follows feedback that the current trail is considered sub-standard.Trust chair Nicola Wills said the current gravel road on the Mavora Lakes and Centre Hill sections got very dusty from other traffic, so was not a great riding experience and also a safety risk.Mavora Lakes Walkway upgrade plan. Graphic: Supplied“We commissioned this report to see if there were other options that were possible, and what a preferred option would offer, as well as its possible costs.”The proposed trail would see cyclists going through different and stunning environments, such as riding through mature beech forest with views along the Mararoa River, elevated riding along the lower slopes of Bald Hill, and through QEII covenanted blocks showcasing restoration of red tussock and scrubland, she said.The trail would however need formal approvals from Pāmu and the Department of Conservation, as well as consultation with the Southland Conservation Board and Kaitiaki Roopū Ki Murihiku.will go through Pāmu (Landcorp) land and Public Conservation Land (PCL).Pāmu chief executive Mark Leslie said they were proud to support the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail, which traverses its Centre Hill and Haycocks farms.“The trail is a fantastic asset for the local community and visitors, offering access to some of the most scenic landscapes in Aotearoa.""It also highlights the ecological diversity of the region and showcases conservation and restoration work Pāmu has undertaken in partnership with the QEII National Trust."Potential trail extensions from Fiordland may ultimately join up with the Around the Mountain Trail. Graphic: Angus & Associates/Fiordland Trails TrustLeslie said Pāmu was happy to support the Around the Mountains Cycle Trail Trust in finding a workable off-road trail option.The Around the Mountains trail is one of the 23 Ngā Haerenga New Zealand Cycle Trails.The New trail section is estimated to take five years to complete and have an estimated operational and maintenance yearly budget is $102,000.The cycle trail is owned by Southland District Council and managed by the trail trust.CLICK HERE to view the full report.