Southland disAbility Enterprises (SdE) general manager Hamish McMurdo is feeling confident a new recycling contract with the Invercargill City Council will provide job security for his organisaton’s workers beyond July 1.When the Invercargill City Council (ICC), Gore District Council (GDC) and Southland District Council (SDC) formed WasteNet eight years ago, SdE was awarded a contract worth $1.13 million a year to process recycling materials from the three councils. But last year it became clear the three councils were struggling to find common ground on whether to renew the contract. WasteNet awarded SdE a temporary contract until June 30 this year while the three councils reviewed their recycling options.Last month it was announced the current contract would come to an end on June 30 and each council would now pursue its own options.Gore District Council has this week confirmed that it will collect only glass jars and bottles in its yellow recycling bins from June 29. The Southland District Council has said it will pursue its alternative options but has yet to reveal what those will be.The Invercargill City Council has also not yet confirmed its plans but SdE said last month it was looking forward to engaging with the ICC on terms and conditions for processing the city’s recycling and was “confident” of being able to finalise contractual arrangements for the period from July 1 onwards.Mr McMurdo said that was still the organisation’s position.“We feel that our relationship with ICC is strong. We remain confident that a contract is still on the cards for July 1, however this is still to be agreed. Financial viability is essential for all parties.’’ Two days before COVID-19 lock down in March, the Invercargill City Council decided to open independent contract negotiations with SdE.Invercargill City Council interim group manager – infrastructure Jane Parfitt said staff were now working on a report presenting options for the city’s recycling after July 1.It would be considered by Invercargill City councillors with public excluded, because of commercial sensitivity, she said.Whether ICC continued its relationship with SdE could only be answered by the councillors once they had considered the report, she said.“What we can say is that there is a good working relationship on day to day operations matters. Any impacts on budgets or on rates would be determined by the decisions made by elected members based on that report,’’ Ms Parfitt said.ICC senior waste officer Donna Peterson said Invercargill City produces approximately 3000 tonnes of quality recyclables a year, although approximately 3400 tonnes of material is collected.“This means that 15% of what we collect is contaminated or non-recyclables. This increases the cost to ratepayers, because of the amount of material which needs to go to landfill as a result. If people had disposed of contaminated items or non-recyclables properly, it would have saved $80,000 in the past financial year,’’ Ms Peterson said.The annual cost of recycling in Invercargill City for the past three years has grown from $732,109 in the year ended June 2017 to $955,411 to the year ended June 2019.Mr McMurdo declined to discuss finances with the Southland App but confirmed the potential Invercargill City Council contract would provide “a significant proportion of our revenue’’.“To keep the people we have, we need recycling,’’ he said. SdE’s other revenue streams come from a business recycling service, a corporate packaging service, and a Tiwai plant respirator cleaning service.“We anticipate having enough work for our employees, however we encourage all businesses in the region to support SdE with work with a realistic understanding that there will be fair market charges for our services,’’ Mr McMurdo said.The international market for recycling has changed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, but Mr McMurdo said processed materials were still being exported from Invercargill. SdE exports to several Asian markets, including South Korea, Malaysia, India, Vietnam, Thailand, India, Japan, Laos and Hong Kong.During COVID-19 lock down, SdE staff could not manually process cardboard and paper, so those materials were sent to landfill.Invercargill was not alone in making this decision. Territorial authorities throughout New Zealand made similar decisions to put household recycling into landfills, although glass recycling continued in most places, if it was clean.The Bureau of International Recycling reported on April 17 that COVID-19 was having a mixed impact on international markets, with the non-ferrous and plastics sectors hardest hit.Mr McMurdo said while not all export markets could be guaranteed right now, “at this stage, markets remain available for almost all products’’. “We have continued to ship product (processed prior to lockdown) over the Level 4 phase. Once we start processing again, we anticipate that this will continue. It is, however, fair to say that world shipping has been disrupted over this time and there are delays in shipping across a large number of markets,’’ Mr McMurdo said.SdE exports by the container load and usually stockpiles processed materials until there is enough for two container loads to go at one time.“We have been exporting all the way through. Exporting is an essential service. The last container went out [on May 7] to Hong Kong. But yes, the market has changed. Oil prices are quite low at the moment. If oil prices are low, then [demand for] plastics is low because it is cheaper to make new plastics,’’ Mr McMurdo said.Mr McMurdo said SdE enjoyed a good relationship with its brokers, so had not had to keep large stockpiles around its yard.“We are pretty boutique. We can sort to order,’’ he said.

The Gore District Council will accept only glass jars and bottles in its yellow recycling wheelie bins from the end of next month.The changes are part of a review undertaken after the council decided against renewing its recycling processing contract with Southland disAbility Enterprises Ltd (SdE), which runs out on June 30.From June 29, Gore district residents will be asked to dispose of all other household waste – including plastic, paper and steel cans that were previously collected for recycling – in their red wheelie bins, which are send to the Southland Regional Landfill at Kings Bend, near Winton. The collected glass will be stored locally in bunkers and be crushed, after which options for selling and/or reusing it will be sought.GDC Transport Manager Peter Standring said ending the relationship with SdE had given the council the opportunity to rethink its recycling services.The Gore District generates about 800 tonnes of recycling a year. Glass makes up the majority at 40% or 317 tonnes. About 42% (285 tonnes) is cardboard and paper, 7% (49 tonnes) plastic and 4% (24 tonnes) metal.Mr Standring said the council appreciated recycling had become well established since it was introduced eight years ago.However, significant changes to global markets in recent years and the COVID-19 pandemic had further heightened concerns about the viability and sustainability of recycling, especially in relation to plastics and paper.“It would be fair to say the global markets are in disarray. There are no longer identifiable markets for New Zealand’s plastic and mixed paper with the likes of China and India closing their borders to us,” he said.To stockpile these products above ground was not desirable from an environmental perspective, nor was it fiscally responsible or efficient, Mr Standring said.Drop off bins would be set up at the Gore transfer station and in Mataura for cardboard, which would continue to be recycled by Pakeke Lions. However, with a tightening of overseas markets, cardboard could also eventually end up in the landfill or stockpiled, he said.An aluminium can bank will be available at the Gore Transfer Station.In another change, the waiving of fees for disposing of green waste that was initiated under COVID-19 Alert level 3, will continue through to the new service starting on June 29.Green waste is mulched and used as landfill cover. Anything that can be chipped will be processed and used by parks and reserves staff for public gardens.Mr Standring acknowledged there might be some concerns about the capacity of the home red rubbish bins, given plastics, paper and cans were being added to the mix.“Just as importantly, we now have the opportunity to increase public awareness and education around waste minimisation.”The council is working in collaboration with WasteNet Southland on waste reduction initiatives for the district.“Allowing free disposal of green waste at the transfer station should alleviate any issues. It would be good to think people will also become a bit more serious about waste minimisation.”Residents with 80-litre bins will have the option of paying extra for a larger bin if they need one. Apart from that, there were no additional costs to residents as a result of the new service, he said.Residents are urged to continue with their current recycling regime, as the contents of the yellow bins will still be sent to SdE’s recycling centre until the new services starts on June 29.The Southland District Council has also not renewed its recycling contract with SdE but it has yet to announce how it plans to deal with kerbside recycling from the end of next month.

A Riverton farming family has been named Southland Regional Supreme Winner at the prestigious Ballance Farm Environment Awards, announced tonight.Striking a balance between productivity and environmental stewardship has earned Riverton’s Geordie and Frances Eade the top spot at the awards, run by the New Zealand Farm Environment Trust. The programme champions sustainable farming and growing through a programme that sees one Regional Supreme Winner selected from each of the 11 regions involved. As a Regional Supreme Winner, the Eades are now in the running for the Gordon Stephenson Trophy, with the winner of this national award to be announced at a later date.In a statement announcing their choice, the judges say the Eades demonstrate big picture thinking that balances business risk with sustainability as the guiding the development of their Riverton sheep and beef, breeding and finishing farm. The result is sustainable productivity, achieved with a highly organised operation that puts family life first.  The natural beauty of Granity Downs is being carefully nurtured, including the protection of large blocks of native vegetation, the judges say. The Eades demonstrated environmental leadership in the community by learning and showcasing good practices via their local catchment group.“There’s excellent use of monitoring and management to achieve high-yielding crops and pasture. The stock performance is outstanding, resulting in top financial performance.”The strong focus on stock and plant health at this high-output farm were supported by a Farm Focus Plan and Farm Environment Plan. Between eight and 10 soil tests are carried out every year, guiding careful fertiliser management. As well as receiving this year’s Supreme Regional Award, they also received the:Beef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm AwardHill Laboratories Agri-Science AwardEnvironment Southland Water Quality and Biodiversity AwardView the video about the Eades' operation below:The full list of Southland winners:National Sponsor Awards  Ballance Agri-Nutrients Soil Management Award: Chris & Desiree Giles, Waimumu DownsBayleys People in Primary Sector Award: Robert & Cate Willis, Bobcat DairyBeef + Lamb New Zealand Livestock Farm Award: Geordie & Frances Eade, Granity DownsDairyNZ Sustainability and Stewardship Award: Chris & Desiree Giles, Waimumu DownsHill Laboratories Agri-Science Award: Geordie & Frances Eade, Granity DownsMassey University Innovation Award: Andrew & Vanessa Wilkinson, Calsi FarmsNorwood Agri-Business Management Award: Chris & Desiree Giles, Waimumu DownsSynlait Climate Stewardship Award: Andrew & Vanessa Wilkinson, Calsi FarmsWaterForce Wise with Water Award: Robert & Cate Willis, Bobcat DairyRegional Awards  ES Water quality and Biodiversity: Geordie & Frances Eade, Granity DownsThe Plant Store, planting and design: Robert & Cate Willis, Bobcat DairyRegional Supreme Winner 2020 Regional Supreme Winner: Geordie & Frances Eade, Granity DownsMeet the other Southland finalists...Robert & Cate Willis, Bobcat DairyDAIRYFourth-generation Southland farmer Robert Willis was brought up on his family’s sheep farm, however it was cows that really caught his interest and led to the conversion of this dairy property. The high-performing dairy unit was converted from sheep almost 20 years ago. As the farm has been developed, cow numbers have grown, production has lifted, and ambitious goals around efficiency and profitability have been reached. Enhancing the environment was a priority during the conversion, including significant native plantings. There’s a focus on reducing the farm’s long-term environmental footprint plus innovative farm practices are used to improve animal health.Having a manager enables the Willis’s to live off-site and follow other ambitions, with Robert currently working as an ambulance officer.Chris & Desiree Giles, Waimumu DownsDAIRYA strong vision has guided the conversion of this property since Chris and Desiree set up the Waimumu Downs equity partnership in 2014. Since the original farm purchase, the property has almost doubled in size and there has been significant investment in infrastructure. Along with carefully managing animal health and fertiliser use, the couple has implemented systems for both waste and water recycling.A commitment to biodiversity includes the creation of four wetlands and a shift from monoculture forage and pasture crops.The Giles are equally interested in the community involvement that comes with farming and are highly active in the local community. This includes working with the local rūnanga to develop a native seed bank.Andrew & Vanessa Wilkinson, Calsi FarmsDAIRYOver the past 10 years, Andrew and Vanessa have gone from strength-to-strength on this Southland dairy farm, successfully balancing environmental achievements with profitability.Farm operations are run using an inclusive approach that embraces new ideas and technology. There’s a strong focus on consistently trying to improve soils, pastures and animal health.The environment is being enhanced through such things as the implementation of a wetland planting plan, putting in bird- and bee-friendly shelterbelts, and controlling gorse and broom without using herbicides. A heat-recovery system has been installed and investment has been made in genetics, recycling and fuel efficiency.As shareholders and contract milkers, the Wilkinsons are actively involved in any decisions and enjoy bringing creative ideas to the table.

Police and Land Search and Rescue volunteers plan to conduct an intensive search of the Longwoods forestry area, in parts accessible by road, this Saturday as the search for missing Otautau man Dale Watene continues.Detective Sergeant Chris Lucy said police continued to hold grave concerns for Mr Watene's safety.The 40-year-old, described as being of thin build and 183cm tall, was last seen in Otautau on the evening of Thursday, April 16.Police continue to liaise closely with Mr Watene’s family, and have searched a number of areas of interest in Otautau and Tuatapere, Mr Lucy said.With the country moving to Alert Level 2 at midnight tonight, there were likely to be members of the public who looking to partake in hunting and tramping activities in the Longwood Forest but they were asked to steer clear of the area while the search was undertaken."We would prefer people to stay out of this area on Saturday, but would ask that those who do access the forest to please be extra vigilant for anything unusual, and to please notify Police straight away," Mr Lucy said.Anyone who locates anything of interest, or has any information in relation to Mr Watene’s disappearance, is asked to contact Invercargill Police on (03) 211 0400. Alternatively, information can be passed anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

Up to 50 people will be allowed at funerals and tangihanga if strict public health measures are in place, the government has announced.Health Minister David Clark and Director General of Health Ashley Bloomfield have made the announcement about the new rules.The health measures include physical distancing and hand hygiene, with no food and drink able to be served afterwards.From tomorrow, funeral directors will be able to submit a form that registers for an exemption to allow up to 50 people to attend a funeral, as long as the Ministry of Health is satisfied that the director can meet criteria."It will mean more family and friends will be able to meet together and grieve together," Clark said.Dr Bloomfield said the forms and guidance will be available today, meaning funerals that are happening the next few days could have 50 people in attendance.Clark said funerals and tangihanga have been one of the most difficult situations to deal with."As someone who's a funeral celebrant, I'm very aware of the challenges families are facing at this time."He said the virus had spread at funerals around the world as well as a second wave of infection taking hold just as countries were getting on top of the virus, like New Zealand is now.He said one funeral in the United States, which had 100 people, lead to 30 deaths.Clark said ministers had been meeting with church leaders, funeral directors and iwi leaders over the past 24 hours."Funerals are exceptional events and have been one of the most difficult areas of restriction that we've considered as we try to avoid the double tragedy of losing a loved one and spreading the virus."The strength of our response to this virus has been in our agility to respond and we have listened to the concerns of the 10-person limit for funerals and moved on that - while emphasising they still pose a significant risk in setting us back."Our clusters of the virus represent a slice of Kiwi life - events where people mix and mingle - and any spread at these events could make the difference between moving forward with confidence and going backwards."I'm pleased that we have found a workable solution that that keeps people safe, while at the same time allowing more people to gather and grieve together."Clark said the sector had assured him they would be able to manage the 50 group size.The government has faced pressure from the opposition, iwi and the public since Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced plans to move into alert level 2 on Monday.She initially said tangihanga and funerals must observe a limit of 10 people, but clarified yesterday that "rolling" tangihanga - of 10 people at a time, moving through - would be allowable.National leader Simon Bridges followed through on warnings that his party would oppose urgent legislation allowing enforcement of alert level 2 if the rules around this rule of 10 did not change.He made calls today for a limit of 100 on such events.New Zealand moves into alert level 2 at 11.59pm tonight.Republished by arrangement

The Student Volunteer Army is up and running in the Southland region and wants the community to know that its volunteers are here to provide continued support through Alert Level 2. Since the Level 4 began, the SVA has been delivering groceries for people who aren't able to go to the shops themselves – whether this is because they're either over 65, have impacted physical or mental health or because they're an essential worker. This is part of a nationwide volunteer response launched by the SVA, however, volunteers in Southland are concerned that some people in the region aren't putting their hand up for help and are instead toughing it out alone. Grocery Lead Picker and second-year university student Helene O'Neill has been coordinating the volunteers in Invercargill since the Level 4 lockdown began and said she's not exactly sure why her team of volunteers haven't been overly busy with requests for help."I'm not sure if that's because people aren't aware that it's available or if it's because of the typical 'do it yourself' Southland attitude, so we're really trying to push that we are here to help," she said. Miss O'Neill’s volunteer team's main priority has been to deliver groceries to residents, but they have also been mowing the odd lawn here and there following requests from residents through Emergency Management Southland. The team picks up the shopping at their local New World store and then delivers the shopping, leaving it at a safe distance from the customer's door.Miss O'Neill said the customers they'd had so far had been thrilled with the service and the opportunity to see a friendly face during this time of social isolation."We had a lot of people who are really grateful for us dropping things off, they've been very chatty too, they're just really happy to be talking to someone," she said. Tomorrow, the country will move into Alert Level 2, meaning people will have more freedom to move about and extend their bubbles and Miss O'Neill said it was now more important than ever that people in the community knew that there was help available. "During the lockdown, there have been a lot of families at home that have been able to help out, but as people start going back to work in levels 3 and 2, people don't have as much support as they did in level 4."There are 27 SVA volunteers in Invercargill and 67 volunteers throughout Southland, so even if you live rurally, you still have access to the services."If you just give us a call, we can always figure out a plan.... we're working to make sure we are accessible to everyone [throughout the region].""We're trying to minimise as many barriers as possible between us and people that need us," Miss O'Neill said. If you'd like to access the services provided by the SVA; phone 0800 005 902 or book your shopping online at shop.sva.org.nz .Some of the friendly faces volunteering their services in Southland as part of the Student Volunteer Army (clockwise from bottom left) Invercargill volunteer coordinator Helene O'Neill, Natalie Barlow, Jordan Reid, Peter McMillan and Tina Wei.

There have been no new cases of COVID-19 recorded in New Zealand for the second consecutive day.The total number of cases reported to date is 1497 – 1147 of those confirmed.Four more people are now considered to have recovered from COVID-19, bringing the total to 1398, or 94% of all cases.In the Southern District Health Board area, 207 of the 216 cases have now recovered, leaving seven active cases.There have been no new cases reported in the SDHB area since April 18.Director-General of Health Dr Ashley Bloomfield said just over 4% of New Zealand's population (203,045 people) had now been tested for COVID-19.As New Zealand prepared to enter Level 2 alert status, he said the sense of anticipation was both palpable and understandable, however it was vital that Kiwis continued to model personal behaviours that would keep COVID-19 out. They were:Keep your distanceSay home from if sickSee a doctor or call Healthline and ask about being tested if displaying cold or flu symptomsMaintain good hand hygieneKeep a record of where you have been and who you have been in contact withDo not take part in social gatherings of more than 10 people"We can't afford to give away the progress we've made," he said.Globally there have been 4,088,848 confirmed cases reported to the World Health Organisation, 82,591 of them in the previous 24 hours. There have been 283,153 deaths, an increase of 4261 in the previous 24 hours.

Leyton Haddleton aspires to be part of the Tall Blacks management squad one day, but it’s the impact his mentors in another code had on him that have helped shape the way he approaches basketball coaching.These days a Southland Basketball Association development officer and coach from beginner through to regional and national junior representatives, Haddleton was once a talented footballer, good enough to earn a little bit of money from playing the beautiful game.As a youngster he vividly recalls a football coach who made trainings both challenging and fun, ensuring players always had a ball at their feet and were always developing their skills.Later there was a coach who would spend trainings barking at him, making him question why he was involved in the game, while there was another mentor who would talk about strategies and how each role fitted into what the team was trying to achieve.Further experience with national junior basketball teams, the Southland Sharks and the NZ Breakers has helped mould Haddleton’s thinking about what good coaching looks like.“I’ve had quite a varied experience with coaches. When I coach these days my philosophy is built around fun, competition and ensuring people come away enjoying the game, because if you can get someone hooked, they will be involved hopefully for longer than just through high school.”Haddleton is one of six Southland coaches who have been selected for the prestigious two-year Academy Southland Performance Coach Programme.The programme was born out of Sport Southland’s 2013 Talent Development Strategy, which recognised coaching as an important area for development, and this will be the fourth intake since its inception.Glen Thomson (cycling), Jansen Rogers (triathlon), Chris Telfer (softball), Chris Marsh (football) and Jacqui Van Dam (rowing) complete the coaching group.Academy Southland programme manager Jason McKenzie said the calibre of applications for this year’s programme had been impressive.“We are always mindful of developing the depth of coaching in Southland, because we know the impact that coaching has on giving young people a great experience in sport and ensuring they keep involved throughout their lives,” he said.“The coaches who we have selected have already achieved a great deal in their respective sports, and over the next two years we will help them get to the next level.”During the programme coaches will develop their own coaching philosophies and a future development plan with the help of monthly seminars. Haddleton said he was looking forward to being part of a cohort of coaches looking to develop as people.“The thing about coaching is you are always looking for ways to improve yourself and this is an opportunity to talk to other coaches who aren’t in your sport, which gives you another perspective,” Haddleton said.“I just felt like being around people who want to coach at the next level will not only increase my knowledge base but I’m looking forward to being around people who are willing to challenge me about how I think about coaching.”

A Southland family continues to struggle with their grieving process as funerals held during alert level 2 remain limited to 10 people, dashing the hopes of thousands of kiwis who thought they would be able to take part in larger gatherings to farewell their loved ones. The Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand has condemned the government's decision to continue with the 10 person limitation, calling it "cruel and without compassion".This is an especially bitter announcement for the FDANZ which had been "led to believe" by the government that larger gatherings of up to 100 would be allowed for funerals under Alert Level 2. FDANZ CEO David Moger said the association had already started putting in place new health and safety protocols to fit with COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. "We had a COVID-19 safety plan in place, we had prepared seating arrangements and we were all ready to go," he said. He questioned why restaurants and movie theatres were allowed to accommodate up to 100 people at Alert Level 2, but funerals and wedding were not.At this afternoon's daily COVID-19 health briefing, the government confirmed it was staying firm on its stance that funerals, along with weddings, are to be kept to a maximum of 10 people. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern these were events where "people come together to be together" and therefore the likelihood of spreading infection through hugging and kissing was more common. "Funerals and tangi are a place where you want to comfort people and support one another... where this is not likely to happen at restaurants [as] people will be staying in their respective bubbles," Ms Adern said."We know this is causing pain but equally we have tried to be really consistent," she said. However, Mr Moger reiterated his assertion that funerals could be managed to mitigate such risk and that there were now many funerals waiting to happen and many families waiting to be able to grieve their loved ones properly. "Over the [Level 4 and 3] lockdown period we'll have had around 6000 deaths in New Zealand... tens of thousands of people have been impacted by this. Weddings can be postponed, funerals cannot."This is exactly the problem that one Invercargill family now faces. Mike Conway and his sister Jodi lost their mother Josephine after she had a stroke during Alert Level 4. She was admitted to hospital on April 19 and died on April 23. The Conway family wanted to hold a tangi but, due to current government restrictions, this could not take place, something Mr Conway said had been a devastating blow for the whole family. "Being Maori, we have an inherent grieving process that we go through... for us, it's not just the funerals, it the whole process right through to burial, but that was denied," he said. Mike Conway said he was drafting a submission to Parliament against the blanket rules that currently restricted families from seeing loved ones in hospital before they died, and prohibited them from holding funerals larger than 10 people. He said not being able to properly grieve the loss of his mother has caused a strain on his family's mental health and well-being, especially the grandchildren who had found it particularly hard. Mr Conway said the staff at the Southern District Health Board and the hospital had been absolutely fantastic and he felt for them having to work against such strict and cold rules. "It's the people at the top making decisions but it's the people at the coal face who have to implement them. There were some [staff] in tears having to tell people that they couldn't say goodbye [to their loved ones]."Fortunately, Mr Conway and five others in the family were granted an exemption on compassionate grounds to visit Josephine in the hospital, as Southland had had no new cases of COVID-19 for a while.But the family, who at home have a bubble of 13, weren't allowed to bring the body home or bury the body in accordance with traditional tangi protocols along with extended family. Instead, the step of cremating the body had to be taken. "The gates to the crematorium are locked so you have toot your horn as the hearse goes past," Mr Conway said."We're stuck," he said. "The wider family wants to grieve, and we're stuck.""You can't postpone grief."Invercargill City Councillor Toni Biddle said this kind of news from the community was devasting and that many other families had come to her for help with similar stories. Cr Biddle posted on Facebook: "I have dealt with so many families over this time. [They] are devastated and I mean absolutely devastated to the core."She said at Level 4 people understood they had to wait, but that they were "getting desperate now." She also said she was aware of cases where people have chosen to break the law and take their deceased loved ones home.Mrs Biddle said she has been supportive of all the government's calls so far, but said this was a step too far.She, with the support of several MPs, has submitted a petition to Parliament requesting that families be able to bring their loved ones home or to a marae, and that the number of people allowed at a funeral be lifted to 100. "I just don't think [the government] have thought this through.""The biggest concern for me in this time as an individual is dealing with a consistent wave of families in the community that are dealing with grief," she said. She said the petition was pending moderation and she hoped there would be a positive development from government tomorrow.

More than 20 Southland disAbility Enterprises staff have experienced the joys and frustrations of returning to work this week after several weeks of staying at home during the COVID-19 lockdown.The joys included celebrating the news that their workmate Sandra Wilson was the overall winner of SdE’s annual awards, earning her a cash prize and trophy, plus a photograph on SdE’s wall of fame.Ms Wilson’s win was announced during an Attitude Television programme on TV One last Sunday (May 10). While she was not among the workers rostered to return this week, she is expected to be back in the packing room as New Zealand steps down through the COVID-19 response levels and more people can return to work.A second joy for staff was the arrival of the first recycling truck, which happened to be from Te Anau. The recycling contents were clean, correct and ready for manual processing and SdE general manager Hamish McMurdo said he was impressed by the effort of Te Anau’s community.“We have never seen it looking so good,’’ he said.Te Anau had made a “really brilliant’’ effort to make the first day of manual processing quite special, he said.“Our people did really appreciate that. It makes life so much more comfortable. They don’t have to delve through rotten stuff or nappies,’’ he said.The sorrow was the arrival of another truck with a discarded ceramic toilet on board.It now features in a photo on SdE’s Facebook page as a reminder of what not to put in your household yellow wheelie bin.Mr McMurdo said staff were astounded by the arrival of the toilet, especially after reminders had gone out about what could and could not be recycled.“Who is going to stick their toilet in the recycling bin? What are we going to do with ceramics?’’Despite the toilet incident, Mr McMurdo said the staff were “thrilled to be back at work.’’“They were very loud, very boisterous, very jovial,’’ he said.Southland disAbility Enterprises general manager Hamish McMurdo takes staff through a return to work induction yesterday. PHOTO: Shelley ClarkThe returning workforce also includes six people employed as drivers and supervisors.“The staff were very good at following the rules. We have big distance points going on here. The main issue is keeping a distance during breaks. They have been great, very patient,’’ he said.More workers are expected to return to work from Monday May 18.Sandra Wilson has been named the overall winner at the annual Southland disAbility Enterprises awards. PHOTO: Shelley ClarkWatch the Attitude segment on the Southland disAbility Enterprises team below.

There were no new cases of COVID-19 reported in New Zealand today.That means the national total remains at 1497 cases – 1147 of those having been confirmed cases.To date 1398 people are reported to have recovered, making up 93% all of New Zealand’s confirmed and probable cases.There have been no new cases reported in the Southern District Health Board area since April 18. A total of 126 cases have been reported in the southern region. Two of those people have died but 207 have recovered, leaving just seven active cases.Nationally there are two people in hospital in the North Island, neither in intensive care.The World Health Organisation’s latest situation report has another 88,891 confirmed cases recorded in the previous 24 hours, bringing the global total to 4,006,257 cases. Another 4531 people have died from COVID-19, bringing the world death toll to 88,891.

As the future of a manned air traffic control tower at Invercargill remains in the balance, Airways New Zealand has confirmed that plans to launch New Zealand first digital air traffic control ‘tower’ in Invercargill have also been put on ice.A first for New Zealand, construction on the project began last year. It was to have been extensively tested this year, with a view to it being certified for active operations midway through next year.However, Airways chief executive Graeme Sumner said the organisation was now reviewing its capital projects and operations in the wake of Air New Zealand’s dramatic downsizing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “While we will look to digital services in the future, the impacts of Covid-19 on flight levels means the digital air traffic control tower trial at Invercargill Airport is now on hold. Invercargill was selected for the trial because pre-pandemic traffic levels were low enough compared to an international airport to make implementing a totally new system manageable, but busy enough to give a meaningful demonstration of how the technology would work on a larger scale,” he said.Last month Airways announced Invercargill Airport was one of five where it was considering withdrawing air traffic control services altogether, as a result of the dramatic reduction in air traffic following the COVID-19 outbreak. The airfield flight information service (AFIS) provided at Kapiti Coast Airport and Milford Sound Piopiotahi Aerodrome are also being considered.Forecasts indicate the national network will only see up to a 60% recovery over the next two years, with border restrictions expected to stay in place for some time. Airways has proposed to reduce its cost base by 30% and make 180 of its staff redundant. A two-week consultant period with unions is due to be completed on Thursday and a decision on what might happen at Invercargill Airport won’t be known until after the outcome of that consultation.The New Zealand Air Line Pilots’ Association (NZALPA) has slammed the proposal as reckless and lacking integrity.NZALPA President Captain Andrew Ridling said it was a decision to put money ahead of the safety of the travelling public.“Airways have already been given $107 million of tax payers’ money either directly or via rebates, and also applied for $5 million in wage subsidy in order to prevent redundancies,” he said.“Where is the essential safety case to close these regional air traffic towers? Let alone the thought given to the regional economic impact?”Mr Sumner said if air traffic control was removed from Invercargill Airport, it could end up operating similarly to airports at Timaru or Hokitika, which do not have an air traffic service but still receive passenger, freight and medical flights.Airways is New Zealand’s principal navigation service provider and charges Air New Zealand for its services. But Air New Zealand had slashed scheduled services, grounded planes and up to 1500 people now faced losing their jobs, meaning air traffic services at Invercargill Airport and six other regional aerodromes were considered unviable, he said.Mr Sumner said Air New Zealand had expressed support for a proposal to remove air control services at the seven airports.Air New Zealand has confirmed it will resume flights between Invercargill and Christchurch under Alert Level 2, but no details of schedules have yet been released.

While the world has been in lockdown due to COVID-19, communities in the south have been coming up with innovative ways of coping with the isolation.Early in level four, an online writing initiative was started in the Te Anau basin by a group headed by Lathee Verrall where residents were asked to submit stories of their thoughts, feelings and ways of coping during the lockdown, as they experienced them. A group of volunteers is currently working towards producing a book of the combined work they received which will include short stories, poems and photographs.Support groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) in Te Anau have moved their weekly meetings online giving their members much need contact and support through this stressful time.Worldwide, AA has offered meeting via the app Zoom, but a spokesperson for the Te Anau group said they decided to have closed meetings via Messenger Video to keep their meetings private and intimate.The Te Anau AA spokesperson said that often at meetings, quite personal stories were shared and it was a safe place for people to offload rather than picking up a drink or resorting to other destructive ways of coping.Anyone needing support with stopping drinking can visit https://aa.org.nz/meetings/?tsml-view=map to find local contact.On a lighter note, contract bridge clubs in Te Anau and Queenstown have also moved their club bridge games online through BridgeBase, a global platform that allows bridge players around the world to play the popular game while maintaining their safety bubbles.The online platform has been overwhelmed with people looking to join in and was forced to stop taking new request to join, so the Te Anau and Queenstown clubs joined with an Ashburton club that had already established its club online which then gave the southern clubs access to the facility.Businesses are also being offered volunteered support. A couple of local photographers have come up with ways to promote the region.Te Anau photographer Douglas Thorne has produced a short promotional video of Fiordland using his spectacular images of the region to encourage visitors to “come take a look for yourself”.Mr Thorne grew up in Te Anau and is passionate about the region and regularly shares his images free to the community via social media apps.The video is free for anyone to share or add to their existing online business presence.Another part time photographer in Lumsden, Michael Job, has offered a free photo session during May to businesses wanting to update their promotional material. Mr Job’s offer and contact details can be found on the Te Anau Community Facebook page.Watch Douglas Thorne's video below:

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced a staggered move into level 2 starting on Thursday, with schools and bars reopening later and groups limited to 10 people.Ardern, joined by Director-General of Dr Health Ashley Bloomfield, made the announcement at 4pm, saying the country would officially move to level 2 at 11.59pm on Wednesday."We may have won the battle, but we have not won the war," Ardern told New Zealanders."None of us can assume Covid isn't with us."She said retail, malls, cafes, restaurants, cinemas and other public spaces including playgrounds and gyms would be able to reopen on Thursday, 14 May.Schools would return to normal classes from Monday 18 May, while bars would have to wait until Thursday 21 May to reopen.Ardern clarified that bars would be distinguished from restaurants by using the Easter trading regulations.She warned that groupings would also be restricted to just 10 people."Why 10? simple. If something goes wrong, that's much easier to contain, much easier to contact trace."This limit would apply to parties at home, stag and hen parties, church meetings, weddings, funerals and group bookings at restaurants or bars.People attending movies at the theater or going to a show would have to be spaced out.Find out what alert level 2 means here, or watch the Prime Minister's announcement of all the details from last week."I know that many New Zealanders are looking forward to catching up with friends and family, and this Thursday, you can," Ardern said.Ardern said she had not been home, and was really looking forward to giving her sister a hug under level 2."Go and see your mum, just don't turn it into a massive family gathering while you're at it""If our numbers continue to look good, we will begin to grow those numbers [of social gatherings]."The government has previously said a safe transition that locks in gains made in alert levels 4 and 3 would be its priority, and it would not rule out moving to level 2 in stages.Ardern warned of a long road ahead to recovery, and urged New Zealanders to continue to maintain public hygiene and health practices."At level two we are out and about again. Almost all parts of our economy will reopen.""Wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands, and do it properly ... there are risks ahead so please be vigilant at level 2"She said things were going to get tougher before they got better."Irresponsible behaviour will take us backwards."She warned that any bars or restaurants not abiding by the level 2 rules would be closed.She said she would need to check whether or not it would be any different in the first week because of different legislation being applied.Rest home visits would continue to have very strict requirements at level 2, she said.Dr Bloomfield confirmed there would not be a requirement for people to wear masks in day to day living."We're coming into our alert level 2 in a very good position because of our hard-won gains that we have made under alert levels 4 and 3."He said the Ministry of Health had advised that bars be closed for two weeks but Cabinet settled on one week.In making the decision to move to level 2, Cabinet members would have looked at the most up-to-date evidence, advice from Dr Bloomfield and other experts, and weighed all aspects of the country's Covid-19 response against its effects on the economy, businesses and workers.Earlier today, the regular daily Covid-19 briefing was not held and the Ministry of Health instead revealed via a media release there were three new cases of the coronavirus and no further deaths.– Republished by arrangement.

There have been three new confirmed cases of COVID-19 reported today.Two cases are linked to the St Margaret’s Hospital and Rest Home in Auckland – both are nurses at Waitakere Hospital. Both had been asymptomatic throughout a stand-down period which they spent in precautionary self-isolation at home. They were tested as part of routine requirements for their safe return to work and the results came back positive.The Ministry of Health says the nurses remain in isolation awaiting further testing. “Although further cases in clusters cannot be ruled out, strong precautionary measures remain in place at the hospital and the St Margaret's facility.”  The third case is a person who has travelled back from overseas.  The total number of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases reported in New Zealand is now to 1497 – 1147 of which have been confirmed.Ninety-three percent of all cases (1386 people) are now considered to have recovered, an increase of 15 on yesterday.There are two people in hospital with COVID-19 – one each in Middlemore and North Shore hospitals. Neither is in intensive care.The Southern District Health Board has amended figures from yesterday to show seven active cases remaining in its region. 207 people have recovered and there have been two deaths.The World Health Organisation reports the number of cases globally is edging towards 4 million with 3,917,366 confirmed cases now having been reported – 61,578 of those in the previous 24 hours. There have been 274,361 deaths from COVID-19, up 8499 in the previous 24 hours.Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will address the country at 4pm today with a further update on COVID-19 Alert Level restrictions.

Just over three decades of flying tourists over some of the most spectacular scenery in New Zealand has come to an end for seasoned helicopter business owners, Jeff and Natalie Shanks.The ownership of Milford Helicopters, a helicopter service based at Milford Sound and started by the Shanks' in 1988, changed hands in April bringing to an end their involvement in the small independent operation.The Te Anau based couple said they were pleased to see the baton passed on to another local based operator, Te Anau Helicopter Services, owned by Gaven and Jennie Burgess.Mr and Mrs Shanks said that during their time involved with Milford Sound they had witnessed many changes with how the region was managed by organisations like Department of Conservation (DOC), Transit New Zealand/New Zealand Transport Agency and the collective of tourist operators based at Milford Sound.They also recalled significant events over their 32 years such as the time in January 1994 when a huge landslide came down onto state highway 94 Milford Road, causing the road to be closed for two weeks at the peak of the tourist season, drawing parallels with flooding earlier this year in February which again caused the area to be cut off at the peak of the season.At that time Mr Shanks, who was main pilot for the company, the said the destination was completely shut off and tourist boats could only operate when the weather was good enough for flights from Queenstown, Te Anau and Wanaka to land at Milford Sound bringing much needed passengers and supplies. He managed to convince other helicopter operators in the local area to start an air-lift transfer of road users over the landslip area, which meant just a five minute flight and opened the fiord up to being fully operational again without interfering with the road recovery work. At that time he said it was much easier to make those sorts of decisions, whereas today health and safety rules make it much more difficult and expensive to just swing into action like that.The sale of the business didn’t include the three helicopters owned by the company – a Hughes 500 and two Airbus AS350’s (Écureuil) – and when asked what they would do with them Mr Shanks asked “do you want to buy them?”. However, for Mr Shanks, stopping flying isn’t immediately on the cards. Although he lost his commercial flying health clearance in 2016 after a heart operation, he intends to continue flying his Hughes 500 for private flying while for Mrs Shanks more time with the grandchildren is her retirement plan.The new owners are Gaven and Jennie Burgess who are both commercial pilots, Mr Burgess flies helicopters while Mrs Burgess is rated for fixed wing aircraft, and they live in Te Anau with their family. The couple have been building their helicopter business,Te Anau Helicopter Service, since 2014 when, after years of flying for other companies, they took the leap to go out on their own.Mr Burgess said it had been a hard slog with lots of tough times along the way.They purchased the Milford Helicopters business name and associated concessions to operate. Mr Burgess said Milford Helicopters would continue to operate under its own brand but under the management of Te Anau Helicopter Services. This is the third helicopter operation to come under their management after launching Bluff-based Stewart Island Helicopters earlier this year, after operating in that region for the past four or five years. Te Anau Helicopter Services now has a combined fleet of eight commercial aircraft in the southern region.Mr Burgess gave credit to Mr and Mrs Shanks, whom he referred toas really good to deal, with and respected their 30 odd years operating at Milford Sound.He also acknowledged his “terrific team” of pilots, ground crew and administrators as without their efforts he said, the business simply couldn’t operate. Mr and Mrs Burgess have confidence in the future despite the current circumstances of the COVID-19 restrictions and the accompanying downturn in tourism, and they are quietly optimistic about tourist numbers coming back especially in areas like Stewart Island where interest is growing from both New Zealand and Australian visitors.However, he said, their business wasn’t wholly dependent on tourists and their commercial business was one of their main strengths, particularly in Fiordland Nation Park.“It’s a very special place (to work) but very limited without the appropriate concessions, and they’re (DOC) not issuing any more,” he said.A big part of their commercial work is in the fields of conservation and Tuberculosis testing.  They have some great clients, and in the last six years their work has taken them regularly to very special places such as the Auckland Islands, Resolution Island and Secretary Island.He said they were very excited to be now working out of Milford Sound, and the purchase of Milford Helicopters brought greater security to their operations. He said they were now hopefully well positioned to ride out this current situation.

Gore District Mayor Tracy Hicks says his district is well placed to restart its economy post COVID-19.His comments come after Zoom meetings this week with about 20 business and community leaders from health, commerce, retail and agricultural. The Council organised the meetingsas a way to start the conversation about ensuring businesses are connected and supported.“By working together we will bounce back from this disaster," he said.“While there are businesses severely affected by the lockdown, it was heartening to hear from those who are adapting in a challenging environment.”A common theme was that Gore was as good a place as any, if not better, to recover from the pandemic, Mr Hicks said.“We have the strength of our agricultural sector and a caring community. Resilience is in our DNA.”This year has been a real test for business owners and residents with first the flood, in February, and now a pandemic.“Unfortunately, what we are going through now is not a sprint like the floods, but a marathon.” Now more than ever, residents need to be loyal and support local. Spending locally has a ripple effect across many sectors, Mr Hicks said.Retail First managing director Chris Wilkinson said businesses would need to listen to their customers.“Customer experience is vital, businesses will need to be agile and adaptive in the months and years ahead.”First Retail has worked closely with local retailers for the last four years on such campaigns as LoveGore ShopLocal – “this is now about all businesses in the Gore District, whereverthey are located and whatever product or service they are offering”, he said.Mr Hicks said there were a number of good ideas to come out of the meetings, including developing a campaign to encourage people to spend local and stay local, and the potentialfor a GoreBiz Hub in a prominent site in Gore.“We need people to put their money where their heart is,” he said.

DairyNZ wants people who have lost jobs due to COVID-19 know there is plenty of work on dairy farms, especially in Waikato, Canterbury, Otago and Southland – and that they might well earn more than in their previous role. With the national unemployment rate forecast to rise sharply due to COVID-19, DairyNZ is encouraging people to consider work on dairy farms in a new Go Dairy campaign that also includes entry level training to help their transition to farming. DairyNZ’s chief executive Dr Tim Mackle said there were 100 jobs up for grabs on dairy farms immediately.“As the new season gets under way on June 1, even more positions are likely to become available,” Dr Mackle said. “For people who’re looking for work and like the idea of caring for animals and the environment, there are lots of jobs – and career progression opportunities.” People interested in knowing more about working on dairy farms, where the jobs are and the introductory training can visit the website to register their interest.While the Go Dairy career changers campaign, which is supported by Federated Farmers, aims to create awareness of the job opportunities, there is a big emphasis on ensuring new staff understand what is involved in farm life.“We want a win-win situation – for new dairy farming employees to be happy and fulfilled in their new lifestyle and jobs, and for farm employers to have great talent working for them,” Dr Mackle said. He added that dairy also paid one of the highest average wages of all the primary sectors.“For the most part, we’re anticipating interested people will be from the regions where there are big job losses in tourism and hospitality – and where there is dairying close by.Career pathwayDr Mackle said that while new entrants to dairy farming would start off in the more junior roles, they could anticipate a rewarding career pathway.“Even though they are new to farming, many people already have skills that are readily transferrable and valued on dairy farms,” he said. “This is because dairy farming these days is quite diverse and there are many roles, from doing the farm books, to working with machinery, working with animals, and managing staff, and making full use of technology along the way.“Skills from previous work – and a determination to give their best – will see people new to farming quickly progress from a farm assistant position to herd manager and then other management roles, and even ownership later on.”  Current statistics show of the 48,000 people employed in the dairy sector, 34,000 are working on dairy farms – the remainder in processing and support operations.Dr Mackle said opening the door to new people would also help fill the gap this coming season that farm employers had in the recent years of low unemployment filled with new migrant staff, who were now impacted by border restrictions. He confirmed that DairyNZ was among those in the rural sector working with the Government to ensure the 4500 migrant staff already living in New Zealand and working in farm teams could have existing visas extended. “Even with all the current migrant dairy staff being retained, there is still the shortfall of at least 1000 employees for the new dairy season that starts in just three weeks,” Dr Mackle said.“Indeed, ensuring farm employers can keep all their experienced staff, including these migrant staff, will assist them in training new recruits coming in from other sectors, and successfully settling them into their new farming lives.” Key facts for Go Dairy career changersPay: The annual pay scale in dairy farming averages $42,000 for farm assistants starting out in farming careers, rising to $50,000-$55,000 for herd and assistant manager positions, and $70,000 upwards for farm managers.Where are the jobs? Dairy farm jobs are available in all of the country’s major dairying regions, in particular Waikato, Canterbury, Otago and Southland.  Training: DairyNZ is finalising the details of the Go Dairy ‘farm ready’ course for career changers who are serious about a farming career. The course will provide information about life and work on a farm and teach the basics of animal handling and vehicle safety.  Once on farm, Go Dairy career changers will be supported on the job by the farm employer and colleagues. As many farm staff already do, they can choose to go on to learn more and obtain formal qualifications through courses provided by Primary ITOs, Dairy Training, regional polytechnics and other training providers. To find out more visit the Go Dairy Career Changers website or phone 0800 4 DAIRYNZ (0800 4 324 7969).

There are now just six active cases of COVID-19 in the Southern District Health Board region – 206 having recovered and two died.The most recent case in the Southern district was reported on April 18. Since then there have been no new cases in the district.Nationally there have been four new cases reported over the weekend.Yesterday there was one confirmed case and one probable case. Both were linked to the St Margaret’s Hospital and Rest Home in Auckland, the confirmed case being a household contact of a previously confirmed case.Today two more new cases were confirmed – one a household contact of a confirmed case linked to the St Margaret’s cluster in Auckland and the other a person who has travelled back from overseas. This brings New Zealand’s combined total of confirmed and probable COVID-19 cases to 1494 – made up of 1144 confirmed cases and 350 probable cases.Ninety-two percent of all New Zealand’s confirmed and probable cases – 1371 people – are considered to have recovered.There are two people in hospital with COVID-19 – one each in Middlemore and North Shore hospitals. Neither is in intensive care.The number of confirmed cases worldwide reported to the World Health Organisation is now 3,855,788. There have been 265,862 deaths.