Southland scored a first and second division win in last nights Lotto draw.A Southland player has won $333,333, and shares their first division win with a co-winner from the Hawkes Bay.Both winning tickets were sold on MyLotto.And a Lotto player who bought their winning ticket from Bluff Service Centre has won $10,290, in a second division win shared with 18 other winners.

Children aged 5-11 may be able to receive a vaccine dose from the end of January, pending official approval.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins and Director-General of Health Ashley Bloomfield have provided today's update.Hipkins said the Pfizer vaccine will still need MedSafe approval, but they had secured enough doses to begin vaccinating children from early next year.He said planning for the rollout of vaccines for children was "well advanced", though there was still some detail to work through.Advertisement: Te Anau SignsThe paediatric version is an adapted version and is about a third of the adult dose. He said Medsafe's advisory committee will be receiving advice by mid-December, and the government expects to start rolling it out before the end of January.He said the government will still be taking a whānau-based approach and hoping to vaccinate any others who have not yet got their shot.He said we were seeing more cases in children, partly because children cannot be vaccinated.There was the potential for vaccinating children in school settings, Hipkins said.Advertisement: Reading CinemasDr Bloomfield said about 20 percent of cases in the current outbreak have been under 12 years, but the "vast majority" of those cases has been from household transmission.He said some of the worst case scenarios that were modelled some months back are not what the government was expecting with the move to the traffic light system because the effect of vaccination was being seen.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins at a 1pm Covid-19 press conference on 1 December 2021.Photo: Pool / Stuff / Robert KitchinHipkins said 93 percent of eligible New Zealanders have had at least one dose.He said 13,224 people have had a third primary dose for a medical reason and 51,127 people have had boosters which have only been available for a couple of days.Advertisement: Radhas"We expected around 450,000 people to get boosters between now and Christmas so we're well on track," he said.He said uptake of the AstraZeneca vaccine had been low."It's in the low hundreds of people - about 650 so far delivered."Experts respondIn a statement, Starship Children's Hospital developmental paediatrician Jin Russell, and immunologists Graham Le Gros and Dianne Sika-Paotonu celebrated the news doses for children would be coming soon."Every week we wait translates to hundreds more children infected with Covid-19 and being put into isolation because children are the last remaining unvaccinated group in the population," Dr Russell said."Even though children tend to experience much milder infections than older adults, they also suffer from the indirect impacts of Covid-19, such as infected or hospitalised family members having to quarantine or isolate, and inability to attend school. This is especially true for Māori communities."She urged a school-based vaccination programme for greater equity and called for Māori children to be prioritised, noting that overseas studies that had found the rare but severe complication multisystem inflammatory syndrome was more common among Black, Hispanic, Indigenous, and Pacific children, "raising concerns that similar inequities would occur here".Advertisement: Mee Henry LawProf Le Gros, who is also programme director of the Vaccine Alliance Aotearoa New Zealand - a government-funded partnership between Otago University, Victoria University of Wellington and the Malaghan Institute - pointed out the long-term effects of Covid-19 on children were also unknown."We really need this vaccine in our community, where there are a lot of vulnerable young children. This vaccine is safe in children, it's been proven already overseas, so we just need to get on with it," he said.Dr Sika-Paotonu, a senior lecturer in pathology and molecular medicine at University of Otago Wellington, said paediatric doses would be an important step in helping curb the spread of the virus, especially given the emergence of the Omicron variant overseas."Of those affected by the current Delta outbreak, a total of 1680 or 20 percent were children aged nine years and under ... children can still catch the virus and become unwell, end up with long Covid-19, and for children and youth with underlying medical conditions, have a higher risk of serious illness and hospitalisation."Advertisement: Croydon LodgeShe said until vaccinations became available to children under 12, the best way to protect them was to get everyone else vaccinated, and also urged an equitable approach."Leaving any of our most vulnerable behind and unprotected, given the adverse health impact already seen for vulnerable groups in Aotearoa New Zealand, will have long-term consequences and impact ... vaccination is still key - please get vaccinated and help others do the same."Traffic light system beginsFrom Friday, the country will move to the traffic light settings that were set out earlier this week.Hipkins said the traffic light system is designed to keep us all safe but allow businesses to open."The framework is pretty simple and it will feel normal once people are in it and get used to it. The main message is that at every colour setting vaccinated people will be able to operate much more normally whilst taking a few key public health precautions, so getting vaccinated and having a My Vaccine Pass is the key to making the framework work for you."Explained: What the traffic light system is and how it worksHe expected there will be demand for restaurants in Auckland, and said the vouchers announced today are being used as an incentive to get people out and about and comfortable with doing so again.Fears of an Omicron futureHipkins said Omicron was a cause for concern, but it was not a cause for panic."Our readiness and response planning in the event of a new variant of Covid-19 entering in New Zealand remains the same as it has been for previous variants in that we are ready and we have plans in place."Hipkins earlier said the Omicron variant would inevitably turn up in managed isolation and quarantine facilities, but it is too soon to predict whether the country will revisit the plan to lift some border restrictions from JanuaryHe said this afternoon that the variant is still in its infancy and the evidence on it is being monitored closely.PCR samples from cases at the border are being prioritised for whole-genome sequencing to ensure the variant is identified early if it arrives.He said vaccine producing companies have been assessing how effective the vaccines are at combating the new variant and the government is also following that closely, but he said vaccines remained the number one protection against the coronavirus.The government has said fully vaccinated New Zealanders will be able to travel from Australia without having to quarantine from 16 January.Earlier today, National Party leader Christopher Luxon said risk-based home isolation for double-vaccinated citizens and with negative Covid-19 tests should already be underway.Republished by Arrangement

Earthworks in Esk St has stopped after an unknown substance was discovered amongst archaeological material and soil excavated during streetscape works.Soil and material testing is now taking place.Council Roading Manager Russell Pearson said the discovery of the material did not present any risk to the public and the work had been suspended as a health and safety measure while testing on the samples was carried out.Advertisement: McKnight & Brown“Over the next few days the Esk St site will appear to have considerably less activity as these crews will temporarily transition across to Don Street in the meantime,” he said.New Zealand Heritage Properties principal archaeologist Amy McStay said safety procedures were enacted and all parties were alerted to the find, including an environmental consultant, who will determine the nature of the material.“Protocol means that the material is treated as contaminated until proven otherwise and accordingly, the site and material has been secured pending results,” she said.Results of the material and soil testing is expected this week, along with more information about the find, Mr Pearson said.

Great grandsons from both sides of Southland's illicit whisky distilling past came together yesterday (30th Nov) to unveil Hokonui Moonshine museums new distillery wing.In what Gore's district arts and Heritage curator Jim Geddes described as a "historic moment", Hon. Stuart Nash (great grandson of 1930's Customs and Excise minister Walter Nash) and Bill Stuart (great grandson of Hokonui matriarch Mary McRae) jointly cut the ribbon on Eastern Southland's newest (and legal) whisky distillery.Geddes said the Hokonui Moonshine Museum Trust was delighted that after several years of off-site contract production of ‘Old Hokonui’, it was now in a position to produce Southland’s celebrated spirit on-site and in full view of the public.“A fully operational distillery wing had been a project aspiration since the early 1990s, but licensing, availability of distilling technology suitable for a public space, and project capital had always proved elusive.”The distillery wing promises to bring the once secretive art of making moonshine into public view.Advertisement: GWDThe wing is fully glazed on the inside so that visitors will see the process in action. Visitors can buy the spirit from the Gore Visitor Centre, which is front-of-house for the moonshine museum.In keeping with the theme of the wider precinct, the still itself is very much a work of art, Geddes said.Designed by contract distiller Steve Nally of Invercargill, the still has been fabricated by Rivet of New Plymouth, a company made famous by its work on Taranaki’s Len Lye Centre.The still also utilizes fittings crafted by Southland glass artist Phil Newbury and features a complex computerized operations system, which digitally introduces viewers to the various phases of the distillation cycle.CaveFM owner/DJ Robert McKenzie and Gore Tourism/Visitor Centre senior consultant Renatta Hardy. Photo: GDCAs for the finished product, Geddes said the museum was fortunate to have a recipe handed down from a McRae family member.“Over the years, our contract distiller has worked with and refined aspects of the original McRae process.The new distillery will continue this process, utilizing Southland ingredients.“Locally grown barley will be processed and put through the still with spring water sourced from the Hokonui Hills. Other local flavouring agents, including honey and native flora, will give the resulting spirit a unique taste.”Advertisement: Laser Electrical GoreThe barley variety ‘Laureate’, has also led to a unique partnership between the Trust, Eastern Southland Gallery, New Zealand Poet Laureates, and Arts Foundation of New Zealand Visual Art Laureates.Prominent artists and writers will be hosted at the East Gore Art Centre (the Gallery’s print studio) to design, print, compose, and hand-edition labels, packaging, and point-of-sale material for themed spirit runs.Wellington-based poet Jenny Bornholdt and artist Gregory O’Brien are the first laureates to be engaged.The distillery wing along with a refresh of the moonshine museum represents stage one of the Maruawai Cultural Precinct project.Advertisement: Dairy TechGeddes said there was a sense of satisfaction at reaching this milestone.However, it was tempered with a degree of frustration that Covid-related cost escalations for the wider building project had significantly eaten into the moonshine museum’s display and fit-out budget.“While we are thrilled to see the distillery wing complete, the Trust is conscious more fundraising is required to complete the full visitor experience, both inside and outside the museum.“Consequently, an official opening for the whole facility is a little way off,” he said.Yesterday's St Andrews Day event also featured the launch of the reprint of the 1982 McRae history - The Satyrs of Southland.

As summer approaches Southland farmers are increasingly swapping their 4x4s for surf boards.Surfing for Farmers is now into it's second season in Southland, with over 40 farmers regularly taking the opportunity to step away from what can be an all-consuming business, to get out on the water for a surf, enjoy a BBQ and share stories with others.The concept was first launched in Gisborne in 2018 by Stephen Thomson, with the aim of helping improve mental health and wellbeing in New Zealand's rural communities.Surfing for Farmers in action at Colac Bay. Photo: SuppliedThousands of farmers at 21 locations around the country have since taken part in the initiative.Southland Co-Coordinator Katrina Thomas said they are getting a lot of first timers.They are usually in the water for around 40 - 60 minutes, and they come out "grinning ear to ear".Thomas said it didn't matter if there wasn't always a big surf, as that made conditions ideal to practice good technique.Advertisement: McGregor ConcreteWreys Bush farmers Debbie and Willie Egan first got interested in surfing through the Surfing for Farmers programme.Mrs Egan said they had now bought their own board. It is a good family activity and they would definitely keep doing it.The group works closely with Jess Terrill from the Southland Surf School and depending on the conditions, chooses beaches at either Riverton, Colac Bay or Monkey Island.Terrill said it was really rewarding for her to see people reset, and their enthusiasm and enjoyment from giving it a go.Advertisement: Otautau SuperValueAll equipment, coaching, food, and beverage is free of charge at the Southland events.Upcoming sessions are to be held on 2nd, 9th and 16th December.For more information phone 021 225 7067 (Tom) or 027 485 4395 (Katrina) or email [email protected]

Southland farmers are hoping to spread some Christmas cheer by creating sculptures such as hay bale reindeer and fertiliser tank Christmas trees on their farms.Thriving Southland, which represents 30 catchment groups, has launched a competition calling on its farmers to create a festive themed sculpture.Spokeswoman Rachel Holder said despite only starting a couple of days ago people are getting really excited about the competition."One of the catchment groups came up with the idea to inject some wellness into our communities and to boost morale because it's been a really tough spring - there has been a lot of rain.Advertisement: Laser Electrical Gore"And with all the stresses of Covid we thought what can do that's light hearted and can get everyone involved, so that's how the Christmas competition came about."Holder said people can get as creative as they like."The first person to get involved was my colleague Sandra Campbell who has painted a Christmas tree on some fertiliser drums and turned a hay bale into a reindeer."With nice weather on the way we are expecting to see a lot more creations flood in."Advertisement: Nind DairyPeople have until 15 December to enter their creation - with the winner being announced on the 20th."The winner will get some prizes for their catchment group such as plants, kai for everyone and resources such as scientists and equipment hire so yeah it's really exciting."Republished by Arrangement

Former Air NZ chief and MP for Botany Christopher Luxon has become the National Party's new leader, and Nicola Willis the deputy after MPs voted this afternoon.The caucus was catapulted into chaos last week after then-leader Judith Collins tried to demote Simon Bridges - and National MPs then voted Collins out.Advertisement: McKnight & BrownLuxon says it is an "incredible privilege and honour to be elected leader of the National Party".He says he and Nicola Willis who has been elected his deputy will "be a formidable team"."We are the reset."Luxon thanked Judith Collins for her service during "a very difficult period" for the party, and said today they are putting the events of the past four years behind them.Advertisement: Petsmart.nz"I don't want to really talk about what's happened in our past, what I can tell yo is the bottom line is we have an uncontested leadership selection and we've come together as a team."New Zealand is over it, the National Party members are over it, and the caucus is over it. So we want to turn the page and go forward together."He also thanked Willis for joining him in the leadership team, his wife and children for their support, and to his caucus colleagues.He says to the 400,000 odd voters who moved away from the party that "National is back".Advertisement: Plaza SuperValueNew Zealand is at a critical crossroads as it grapples with the pandemic, he says."New Zealand needs an alternative now more than ever to take us in the right direction because frankly, the country is heading the wrong way."He says the government is very good at delivering PR "but woeful at delivering much else".He commented on how because of the government's policies there will be a million Kiwis missing a Christmas dinner this year because they cannot get home, and that farmers are not villains.Advertisement: Thomas Green"Over 100 days in lockdown, Aucklanders are still utterly confused and directionless."Nice ideas and good intentions don't pay the rent or the mortgage, educate our children, keep us healthy, keep us safe from crime and gangs, improve our mental health, lower our emissions or keep us united."He says growing our economy and raising productivity are the single biggest thing we can do to improve the lives of New Zealanders."And the National Government I will lead will be a government of action."We will bring the tide back in and lift all boats."We need to seize the tremendous opportunities we have, rather than squander them."Advertisement: Southern Automobiles SubaruWhat happened todayJust before a caucus meeting this afternoon where the party was set to vote on the leader, his main rival and former party leader Simon Bridges tweeted his support for Luxon.Covid-19 Response spokesperson Chris Bishop, who had been raised as a possibility in initial speculation about the leadership, also backed Luxon.Just half an hour into the 3pm caucus meeting, the National Party revealed through a statement that Luxon had become the new leader and Willis the deputy.More to come.Republished by Arrangement

Southern Steel’s class of 2022 came together for the first time yesterday to officially start preparation for the new season and were immediately put through their paces with fitness testing and training.Head coach Reinga Bloxham was suitably impressed from the outset. “They are all looking great. They’re keen and eager and the excitement level is high which really reinforces we have the right group of players for the task ahead,” she said.“They know they have to come in fit and be prepared for a hard grind right from the start. There are no easy days – we’re straight into it and hitting the ground running.Advertisement: WasteNet“This is such a crucial time in terms of our overall season. Now is when we establish our foundations and they must be strong so we can continue to build up from here.”While shooter George Fisher remains in the UK on international duties with the England Roses, Bloxham has all other players available, including attackers Saviour Tui and Georgia Heffernan, midcourters Shannon Saunders, Kate Heffernan, Ali Wilshier and Renee Savai’inaea and defenders Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit, Sarahpheinna Woulf and Kate Burley. Steel’s trio of training partners - shooter Kiana Pelasio, midcourter Ivari Christie and defender Losa Fifita – are working with the squad. “It’s been great to see all of their faces again and some new faces coming into our environment,” Bloxham said.Advertisement: Reading Cinema“Having new recruits does keep you on your toes and brings an element of surprise and a fresh new energy. We’ve got a strong core group of players and now we’ve added a couple that will change the dynamic and it’s really exciting to see that progress.”Fisher is expected to join her teammates at the end of January.“I know that we’re going to be working really hard but I have no doubt George will be working just as hard on the other side of the world,” Bloxham said.The Steel kicks off its 2022 campaign against the Trident Homes Tactix on 13 March before two home games against the Northern Mystics in Invercargill on 21 March and the Northern Stars in Dunedin on 27 March.For the first time in the franchise’s 15-year history, a championship game will be staged in Queenstown against the Mystics on 17 April. Other home games include the Tactix on 1 May in Invercargill and the Pulse on 9 May in Dunedin. A double header against the Pulse and Magic on 21 and 22 May respectively is followed by the Stars on 29 May.

The tourism industry is grappling with the prospect of its new normal being years away with billions of dollars lost by then and many more hurdles ahead - including its latest, the new Covid variant Omicron.Hundreds of industry leaders spent yesterday discussing their future during the virtual Tourism Summit Aotearoa.Less than a week ago, the World Health Organisation didn't know about Omicron.But already it has been on the minds of tourism leaders across Aotearoa.Advertisement: Wild RidesTourism Industry Aotearoa chief executive Chris Roberts said there was a lot they didn't know about the variant."It could radically change things. It might not even be in the conversation in a few weeks' time," he said."It just shows you how much uncertainty there is and so we obviously have to watch what the impact globally is of Omicron."The industry was keeping an eye on health advice, he said.Advertisement: Colac Bay TavernAir New Zealand chief customer and sales officer Leanne Geraghty said they were watching how the situation unfolded.Vaccine makers were already studying the variant, she said."And from what we understand it will take at least two weeks for them to understand whether or not a new vaccine should be required and if that's the case to take those into production and shipping, we're looking at a further 100 days."Air New Zealand should be well placed to navigate Omicron given the current border restrictions, she said.Advertisement: Alex Reid Contracting"From our perspective, we expect to see our domestic network still operating in a very strong way across the coming months."But as I said again, it's a wait and see."Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the border reopening timeframe remained on track with no changes."Obviously it is a moving feast continually and the more we learn, the more we know about Omicron, the better we will be able to plan for it so at this point in time, there's no change.Advertisement: Shannelle Scott Ray White Real Estate Te Anau"But that doesn't mean there won't be as we get more information."Roberts was hoping that the seven day isolation requirement for travellers would be removed as soon as it was safe."It's pretty hard for us to imagine what sort of leisure or holiday visitors are going to come to New Zealand and spend the first seven days locked up."Many countries only required 24 to 48 hours isolation for incoming travellers with a test on arrival, he said.Advertisement: Thai AnauNash acknowledged that it was not ideal and he wasn't ruling out changes.But he said the focus was on helping up to 100,000 New Zealanders get home first."It's gonna take tourists with a slightly higher ... appetite for risk who are going to come over here, want to come here and then spend seven days in isolation. I do understand that."But this is a gain. It's about protecting the health and wellbeing of New Zealand citizens. But you know it won't be forever, so we'll just see how we play out and we'll see how returning Kiwis go."We'll make decisions based on what we see."Republished by Arrangement

Elevated levels of toxic algae has been found in the Waiau River near Excelsior Creek, downstream of the weir.Environment Southland senior scientist Roger Hodson said Waiau river users and animals should “avoid contact with algal mats and remain alert in other parts of the river for algal growth or mats of algae floating in the water”.Toxic algae (benthic cyanobacteria) can be recognised at rivers and streams as a green/brown slime on rocks, or dark brown/black mats at the water’s edge.These algae can produce toxins that are harmful to people and animals if swallowed, or through contact with skin.Advertisement: Heather Sinclair Ray White Real Estate Te AnauPeople and animals (dogs in particular) should avoid contact with the river and be mindful of the potential health risks, until health warnings are removed.Several factors can contribute to the growth of toxic algae, such as high levels of nutrients, run-off into waterways, a sudden increase in temperature, and low flows.Environment Southland advises that anyone experiencing health symptoms after contact with contaminated water should visit a doctor immediately.And if there are any concerns about animals consuming toxic algae or contaminated water, then they should be taken to a vet immediately.In addition to weekly summer monitoring, Environment Southland monitors toxic algae monthly during the rest of the year at a number of river and lake sites across Southland.Click here for further information www.es.govt.nz/toxic-algae

One kilometre of fibreglass cloth, 175 sheets of marine ply, 900 litres of epoxy and 28 years of hard work — but the project remains incomplete. Stoney Bourke is getting old, and so is his waka.It sits in an old warehouse on the side of Bluff Highway, 63ft (19.2m) in length, elevated above the cold concrete by two large trailers.Over 60ft (18m) long, the waka sits inside an old freezing works building on the Bluff Highway. Photo: Matthew Rosenberg/LDRThe freezing works have long cleared out, replaced in recent years by an abalone (pāua) farm."It sounds like you’re underwater," Bourke muses, as the hum of running water from pāua tanks echoes through the expanse.The observation is something of an analogy for the predicament the 70-year-old boat builder finds himself in.Advertisement: Bronze ConnectionBourke is struggling to keep his project afloat, and doubt is beginning to creep in that he will ever finish it.The project cost him his home and his community. His wife even moved to Australia to help fund it. Now he’s unsure if he’ll see it launch in his lifetime."I'm in a position where I’m 70, I'm tired ... and my darling wife has died. I’ve got no-one to show off to. If anything happens to me now, it [the waka] is totally in limbo."Advertisement: DT KingAs Bourke pulls the large sliding door of the warehouse closed, it’s unclear how long it will be before he returns. These days it’s less and less often because he doesn’t feel safe climbing the ladder alone.Sitting outside in the car, he smokes a dart and reflects on his long and varied life, and the waka at the centre of it.It all started in 1961, at Waitata Bay in Pelorus Sound, Marlborough.Bourke remembers that when he was about 10 years old, there was a bulldozer working on a track near the family home, unearthing Maori stone tools in the process.Advertisement: First in Windsor"We were no neighbours, no roads, no power. We were correspondence students. However, the correspondence school library asked what your interests were, and they sent you books."My interest was early New Zealand history. And that’s the reason for building now, really, because of those stone tools."Fast forward to 1993 and Bourke, by then in his early 40s, was living in Manapouri having quit the commercial fishing industry for ethical reasons.Advertisement: Maiden StoneIt was there he had the vision of constructing a waka that would serve as a "floating classroom" for young people, providing an overnight cultural experience in Fiordland and a taste of living off the ocean.Eventually, Bourke planned to sell the waka and set himself up for retirement.But before that, the plan was to launch in Lake Manapouri, sail to the West Arm, disassemble and transport over the hill to Deep Cove where he would operate his dream by koha.The waka was moved from Manapouri to Bluff about 10 years ago. Photo: Matthew Rosenberg/LDRAt the time, he was working shifts on charters and had time on his side. Supported by a community of volunteers, he was confident he could complete the project within six years. But trouble wasn't far off.After constructing a tunnel house to protect the work in progress, Bourke found himself at odds with the Southland District Council.Under the still relatively new Resource Management Act, it did not approve of him building the waka in his backyard without consent, and back and forth it went.Advertisement: Jumper CoFor his third consent, he hired a consultant to represent him at a cost of $8000, and was supported by 200 submissions from Manapouri locals — some of whom had lent a hand on the project."The community was helping us build it, from children to retired accountants."However, the situation had reached a tipping point.Bourke and his wife were running out of money, and were faced with the quandary of how to keep the project going with dwindling funds. It ended up costing them their home.Advertisement: Glengarry PharmacyWaving goodbye to Manapouri, and the community that had helped them get the wheels spinning, they bought in Bluff 10 years ago for $100,000, which freed up funds.Bourke says he has also claimed considerable amounts back through GST.But more change was afoot. Not long after arriving at the southern tip of the country, His wife Megan made a profound personal sacrifice to help see the project through to completion.Advertisement: Penny Shanks Ray White Real Estate Te Anau"One day my wife stamped her feet and said 'I'm going to get a job in a gold mine in Australia to fund this'.And she did, but within a year and a-half she came home with cervical cancer.She moved over there ... just to keep it going. We were two halves of the same battery, Megan and I, and I’ll always miss her."Before she died, Bourke says, his wife told him that whatever happened to the waka, the journey had been worthwhile because it had brought so many good characters into their lives.Advertisement: Te Anau Panel BeatersMore than 400 people have signed the project’s visitor’s book, and while it is yet to set foot in the ocean, Bourke remains philosophical."It doesn’t matter if I don’t [finish the project]. The journey’s been worth it. Someone will finish it."The twin-hull waka is 63ft (19.2m) long and 28ft (8.5m) across when connected — about the same size as the ferries which go between Bluff and Stewart Island, Bourke reckons. It was designed by James Wharram of Cornwall, England.Propelled through the water by sails suspended from 52ft (15.8m) kauri masts, Bourke says it is virtually unsinkable.Advertisement: Ten Ten Thai Street FoodThe masts are a story in and of themselves. Bourke sourced the wood from Totara North but hit a speed bump when he found out the maximum length he would be able to transport was 30ft (9.1m).A solution was found by transporting the wood in smaller sections and overlapping the joins, and the rest is history."If you go slowly, you make small mistakes," he concludes.Matthew RosenbergLocal Democracy Reporting EditorRepublished by Arrangement

The world may not learn the true level of threat posed by the new Omicron variant of Covid-19 for several weeks, says a University of Otago scientist.Evolutionary virologist Jemma Geoghegan told Nine to Noon patience was crucial as labs and scientists worked to gather information on Omicron.Dr Geoghegan said while lab experiments were currently underway to determine whether existing vaccines were effective against the new variant, it would take time to collate the data."Scientists will be growing this virus in the lab and testing it against … blood that contains antibodies from past infections or vaccines, to see whether or not it's effective against this variant."Advertisement: Te Anau Paper PlusHowever, it was also epidemiologically important to keep an eye on what was happening in the real world, she said."What happens in the lab doesn't necessarily equate to what's happening out there in the world, so it will be several weeks until we see whether or not there is an increase in hospitalisations and deaths [driven by the Omicron variant]."The fact Omicron appeared to be "outcompeting" Delta in some regions of South Africa was quite surprising, she said."We thought Delta was extremely well-adapted to spread between humans as it was very infectious, very contagious, it basically replaced all other variants around the world, so the fact that Omicron is now outcompeting that means that it's probably more fit ..."I think it's right to be concerned at this moment, but we need to know more."Geoghegan believed it was likely current vaccines would still reduce the severity of the new variant, and said pharmaceutical companies had indicated they could "tweak" their existing vaccines to account for the spike protein changes Omicron displayed within 100 days.This was possible because mRNA vaccines like those made by Pfizer and Moderna "basically provide an instruction for your body to make copies of the spike protein", she said.The existing vaccines provided the instructions to make "the original spike protein that first emerged way back in Wuhan nearly two years ago", Geoghegan said, "however, if [the vaccine manufacturers] need to update that, they would use a spike protein from a current variant".Advertisement: Te Anau Signs"It sounds quite simple and it is a relatively simple process, but obviously then there's ... safety testing to go on."Such vaccine modifications, coupled with drug therapies that were showing a "significant layer of added defence" would help in the ongoing global fight against the virus, Geoghegan said."It's unlikely that the vaccine that we currently have doesn't provide [any protection], so ... it's a good basis that we have over 90 percent coverage and we have to remember that Delta is actually still the most dominant variant world-wide ..."In comparison to Omicron, Delta is more likely to keep entering New Zealand than any other variant, because it is literally in every country that's doing genomic sequencing and it is the dominant variant."Advertisement: RadhasThe global community's failure to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines to all nations had likely contributed to the rise of the Omicron variant, Geoghegan said."Southern parts of Africa have the lowest vaccination coverage in the world," she said, noting that the region's ongoing HIV/Aids epidemic meant there was also a high number of immunocompromised individuals in the population."With variable Covid vaccination rates compared to the rest of the world, this scenario will allow SARS coronavirus to keep evolving ... it provides sort of a training ground for it to evade immune response and keep transmitting to infect new cells," she said.Advertisement: Trevor Lyall Harcourts Te Anau"It could have been likely that these mutations accumulated within an immunocompromised host, with extensive intra-host evolution."Geoghegan said while early reports out of South Africa indicated Omicron caused only mild symptoms in patients, precautions should still be taken until more data was collected."Initial reports of these infections suggested mild disease but these were among younger people who tend to have more mild disease anyway, so we need a better understanding of the level of severity of the Omicron variant at a population level, I think."Republished by Arrangement

The last couple of years have been challenging for us all, but schools around Southland are having to adapt once again to celebrate the students’ achievements and keep within the restrictions associated with Covid-19.For some, the changes have had added benefits.James Hargest College has always had three ceremonies due to the size of their venue and, in the past, only those receiving prizes have been able to attend.This year they have decided not to wait for exams to be over for their year 11-13 ceremony but ran their prize giving as the seniors went on study leave with live streaming instead.Advertisement: Flooring Xtra InvercargillMike Newell, Principal of James Hargest, was very pleased they decided to get in the professionals.“Sono Sound did an amazing job and set up two cameras so there were even close ups” he said.“I’ve had such great feedback with parents commenting that they were able to get better views than they have ever had”.He also said that the link was able to be shared with families in New Zealand and overseas which actually opened it up to more family members being able to be a part of the ceremony.Advertisement: Freedom Companion Driver“Obviously it is gutting for the Year 13 parents not to be there in person for their child’s last prize giving, but I feel we have given them a top quality alternative”.Hargest is still to hold their other two ceremonies and plan to live stream these as well.  It’s much the same for other schools. Waiau Area School is a Year 1 to 13 school with 140 pupils and their principal, Andrew Pardoe-Burnett, is keen to be able to keep the usual activities but just adapt to ensure they stick to the 100 people.The plan is to split the junior prize giving in two (Years 1-4 and 5-8) and run during the school day but will be consulting with parents regarding the actual timing.Advertisement: Xtreme Karts“We will still have a musical item and a Christmas Carol. We’ll social distance and reduce the entertainment but still use our same format. Maybe even look at having it outside if the weather is nice.”They plan to still have their senior prize giving at night with the leavers having priority for guests but Andrew is determined that it will be memorable for his students.It’s a similar story for Blue Mountain College with the years 7-12 having their prize giving during the school day with no parents able to attend.Parents won’t miss out however as Principal Lindy Cavanagh Monaghan said that they have plans to live stream the ceremony.Advertisement: Don McFarlane Ray White Real Estate Te Anau“Parents will have the opportunity to be part of it albeit virtually and we will also be taking photos of each prize winner” For their Year 13s they have decided to make it extra special with a leavers’ dinner and prize giving in Gore with the students and their parents.“We are also videoing the Year 13 ceremony so we can put it up on our Facebook page as a celebration of our graduands (sic) and inspiration for their younger peers.”Gore High School has released their plan via their Facebook page and they also are having a bit of a change.They are having to use Calvin Church for the ceremonies because of the delay in the NCEA exams caused by the lockdowns, as their hall is still in use for exams.Advertisement: Indian at the CrescentTheir Year 13 ceremony is still to be held in the evening and is limited to 100 guests but will be videoed so those who can’t get to the ceremony will still be able to watch it afterwards.A few days later they are holding another evening Prize Giving at the Calvin Church which will be by invitation only. This ceremony will also be videoed.They have said that any Junior cups and prize certificates not given out at the evening ceremony will be awarded in core class groups by the Rector and Dean during the day with photos being taken and posted on the school Facebook page.  Northern Southland College, in Lumsden, has plans to run everything during the last day at school.Advertisement: Gilligan Building“The seniors usually return for that last day to do a prize giving practice before the ceremony at night so we will just run through it in the morning and then do the official prize giving in the afternoon.”Principal Pete Wilkinson said, “So many of our students live out of Lumsden so we didn’t think it fair to make parents bring them back in for an evening ceremony that they couldn’t stay at.”Originally they had thought that they would keep their options open with the possibility of still going ahead with an evening ceremony with parents and caregivers but the traffic light system is making this look less likely and the feeling is that the daytime ceremony will be less disruptive for everyone.“We are still going to be celebrating the successes, and the school leaders for 2022 will be announced at the ceremony as usual. We also have plans to live stream and record the ceremony so nobody will miss out.”Advertisement: Fiordland MarineSo while Covid might have changed the look of things, technology means that more people will actually enjoy the school ceremonies with nobody to see if they are actually reclining in their comfy chairs tucked up in their onesies with a cup of tea and a nice slice of cake.Some parents have already said that they enjoyed that they were able to talk during the ceremony without being growled at!The family pets can also enjoy the celebrations and nobody will be any the wiser!Perhaps schools will make live streaming a part of their prize giving ceremonies in the future even when Covid restrictions are relaxed?

Frazer Murdoch won the inaugural Bluff Hot Dog Eating Competition at the Eagle Hotel in Bluff on Saturday.Murdoch, the self-proclaimed world’s southernmost diesel punk, consumed ten Bluff Hot Dogs supplied by event organiser Adrian Hopkinson, in 19 minutes 47 seconds to win comfortably from Mayz Ngati and Dyl Topi.Murdoch tackled the plate load of hot dogs in measured fashion, steadily reducing the plate load as a couple of early pacesetters slowed.“It was pretty comfortable but ten is enough,” he said after his win.Advertisement: Fiordland MarineAsked if he would defend the title next year he said, “I guess I have to now!”Nine contestants lined up to each try and devour their plate of hot dogs with one from as a far afield as Canterbury.Adrian Hopkinson, the owner of mobile food caravan Let’s Be Frank who specialises in Bluff Hot Dogs, came up with the idea of the competition to make people smile.After the inaugural contest he said, “it went really well” and confirmed he would like to make it an annual thing.”“I’m keen to do it again. Thank you to the Eagle Hotel for allowing us to hold it there and to all the people who watched and supported it. It was fun and turned out to be quite exciting.”

A group of Winton residents have expressed concerns over an application for a new bottle store in their small town, highlighting existing issues in the community.The rural Southland town with a population of just over 2000 is currently home to three liquor stores, and a vocal group of locals hope to keep it that way.The objections, outlined in public submissions, follow a similar situation in coastal Riverton where residents ultimately put an end to an off-licence application from applicant Otautau Hotel at an August hearing.That same month, the Southland District Licensing Committee received an application from Hospitality Licensing Ltd on behalf of an applicant wanting to set up The Bottle O in Winton.Advertisement: Xtreme KartsThe applicant, Vitthal Enterprises, currently owns and operates The Bottle O in Invercargill’s Otatara, and has done so for more than two years.In its application, Vitthal Enterprises said it wanted to expand its business to Winton to become part of the community."We are applying for a licence to be able to sell alcohol seven days a week, 9am to 10pm. These are the maximum trading hours, and will only really be used on the lead up to Christmas or other holiday periods."But pockets of the community have hit back.Advertisement: TillermansWinton Medical Centre, represented by Dr Caroline Stewart, said it strongly opposed the application because of the effects of alcohol on people’s health, judgement and wellbeing. Dr Stewart said her practice saw the effects of alcohol on people’s health on a daily basis and worried a new licence could lead to price competition and increased harm."We are seeing increasing numbers of people with mental health issues, both youth and adults and on a weekly basis," she said."In the community it is well known that parents will buy alcohol for their underage children to drink at social gatherings."Darren Frazer said he was a youth worker in Winton between 2000 and 2018 during which time he saw first hand negative effects of alcohol on young people and their families.Advertisement: Plaza SupeValueFrazer questioned the need for the three off-licences that already serviced the town of just over 2000, and shared the medical centre’s concerns that an extra store would drive prices down.Working in both Dunedin and Southland during his career, Frazer said the problem in Southland was "far greater"."I recall when I was working as a youth worker trying to find support for young people or their family members to get help to overcome their addiction and none was available, and the waiting list to access help in Invercargill was already long."We did what we could with what we had, but sadly that was often not enough. Professional services are lacking and people in are community can not access help."Advertisement: Route 6 Cafe & BarCentral Southland Presbyterian Parish expressed concerns that the proposed store would be near both residential flats and a local preschool.The parish regularly picked up empty liquor bottles and broken glass from the street and was currently "dealing with" young people using alcohol, parish representative John Willis said."We are seriously concerned about the health and wellbeing of these vulnerable people and their families."Lexee Dunlop submitted on behalf of the Salvation Army Winton and said its clients had complex needs, with alcohol often a factor.Advertisement: Winton Flooring XtraHospitality New Zealand Southland branch president Graham Hawkes said Vitthal Enterprises was not a member of his organisation and said the community was already well supported by the existing off-licences.Those include New World, Super Liquor Winton and Winton Top Pub."Bottle O is an offshoot ... of Tasman Liquor, an Australian owned company, who do not support New Zealand franchises or the communities where they are situated," Hawkes said.Meanwhile, Winton Community Support Worker Committee chairwoman Sharyn Goodman said family violence investigations in the Winton police area showed numbers were among the highest in Western Central Southland.Winton is about half an hour north of Invercargill.A spokesperson for the Southland District Council said the licensing committee had not yet decided on a date for the hearing.Matthew RosenbergLocal Democracy Reporting EditorRepublished by Arrangement

Invercargill Police are appealing for information following an aggravated burglary in Bluff on Friday night.Emergency services were called to a Barrow Street address around 7:50pm following reports three masked males had assaulted the sole male occupant.The victim received moderate injuries and was taken to Southland Hospital.A black SUV and a silver sedan were seen in the area at the time.Police are appealing to anyone who was in the area at the time and may have seen people or vehicles involved in this incident to visit the Invercargill Police station, call Police on 105 (quote file number 211127/2308) or call Crime Stoppers (anonymously) on 0800 555 111.

New Zealand is banning travel from nine southern African countries from tomorrow night in an effort to curb the potential spread of the new Omicron coronavirus variant.The World Health Organisation yesterday declared the new coronavirus variant to be "of concern" after it originated in South Africa.Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins said from 11.59pm tomorrow, only New Zealand citizens will be allowed to travel here.They will also be required to stay in managed isolation for a full 14 day period and undergo testing.People already in transit will also need to go into MIQ.Australia announced similar restrictions earlier today.Hipkins said the decision follows a public health risk assessment and discussions with counterparts in Australia.Advertisement: "It was important that the Ministry of Health rapidly and thoroughly assess all the latest information from overseas, as it always does when there is a new Covid-19 variant or research," Hipkins said.Officials were confident the variant hadn't yet entered New Zealand as whole genome sequencing, which is undertaken routinely on all border-related cases, has shown all had the Delta variant, Hipkins said."New Zealand remains in a very good position to prevent this variant entering the country and deal with it if it does appear at our border. Our MIQ facilities and frequent testing of arrivals continue to serve us well."Given the evolving situation, a cautious approach is warranted. Adding these countries to the very high risk country register is an appropriate and proportionate measure as more evidence is gathered globally on the Omicron variant," Hipkins said.Republished by Arrangement

New Zealand's border controls - widely criticised as being too stringent - place it in a unique position to keep Covid-19 variants out, prominent epidemiologist Michael Baker says.A new strain of the coronavirus has emerged out of South Africa, prompting the United Kingdom to temporarily suspend flights from some countries.Prof Baker says New Zealand is in a fortunate group of countries who still have tight border controls - like pre-departure tests, MIQ and self isolation."The good news for New Zealand - or the reassuring news for us - is that whatever this variant does, New Zealand is well placed to manage the threat because we know that we can keep this virus out if we have to, and most countries obviously are not in that fortunate position.Advertisement: Joseph Mooney MP"This is still a system that will be very good at picking up any infected people so we have the ability to keep out this virus if necessary - any emerging Covid-19 variant."New Zealand's border controls remain unchanged, though the government laid out plans to open up, using self-isolation, from early next year.Prof Baker said that was a different proposition to the UK, where controls have already been loosened considerably."Really the UK in the past has done this but they know it's only a holding action, because they're still having people physically traveling in from most of the world and people do not follow very simple travel itineraries, and viruses even less so.Advertisement: Glowing Sky"There's already, I think, a detection of this virus in Hong Kong, it almost certainly will have a very wide global distribution by now and it's just a matter of time before it's picked up in other places."The worst-case scenario for New Zealand was that the vaccines would not be as effective at curbing the new variant, he said, but mutations would not allow the virus to evade the public health measures New Zealand has used in the past."Quarantine is a very simple blunt instrument because it doesn't really matter what you're infected with - you're just kept apart from people in New Zealand for a period of time ... and you're tested along the way."The worst-case scenario is that our vaccines don't work very well on this variant, and we'd have to actually wait till people got revaccinated, or boosted with a vaccine that covered this virus."Advertisement: Fly and Spider ControlHe warned the new variant could be a problem partly because it showed a large number of genetic differences, which could indeed reduce the effectiveness of vaccines."They had 30 changes, which was a large number - 30 mutations of interest - so that's the first thing, and the second thing is you look at is that variant behaving differently in human populations."This variant appears to be increasing in incidence in the area around Johannesburg in South Africa and it's displacing the Delta variant."That's very unusual because the Delta variant has absolutely taken over the world because it's so infectious, and so that immediately rings alarm bells that this should be watched closely."Advertisement: Fiordland JoineryVariants that could evade vaccine effectiveness were also likely to become more of a problem as time went on."Because there's so many vaccinated people in the world ... there's evolutionary pressure favoring variants that can escape their protection to some degree."Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson, speaking at the 1pm Covid-19 briefing today, said New Zealand had not had any advice to consider a ban on travel from southern Africa, but New Zealand does have a list of high-risk countries and would take advice on it.He said the virus was a strong reminder that the global pandemic was far from over, noting that the World Health Organisation was meeting overnight and there was still some debate about transmissibility of this variant.Prof Baker said the WHO committee would likely report back on its assessment of the virus fairly soon.Republished by Arrangement

NZ police and Defence Force workers will be required to be vaccinated as part of the Covid-19 traffic light system.This will cover sworn members, recruits and authorised officers of the police and all Defence Force staff.First doses of the vaccine for these workers are required by 17 January and second doses by 1 March.So far, 92 percent of all constabulary police staff have received at least one dose, and 86 percent are fully vaccinated.Advertisement: Fiordland JoineryDefence Force uniformed personnel are currently 98 percent fully vaccinated and civilian staff are 75 percent fully vaccinated.In a statement, Police Commissioner Andrew Coster welcomed the mandate and said it was an "essential component of safety"."In today's environment, the community has an expectation that our staff are protected from the virus and are fully vaccinated.The majority of police staff are already fully vaccinated: 92.2 percent have had one dose and 86.5 percent both."It is not my desire to lose anyone from the organisation as a result of this new mandate and we will work with staff covered by the Vaccination Order to encourage them to get vaccinated," Coster said.Republished by Arrangement