Some of Invercargill's most prominent trees are set to be removed due to safety concerns from October’s storm, following a recommendation by Invercargill City Council’s Infrastructure and Growth Committee. At its meeting today, the Committee voted to recommend the removal of the macrocarpa trees from two sections of the Town Belt, at the intersection of Elles Rd and Tay St, and on Queens Dr at the corner of Don St. Infrastructure and Growth Committee Chair Alex Crackett said the decision ensured the community’s safety was prioritised. “These are some of our biggest trees next to some of our busiest streets,” she said. “Our people are our greatest treasure. Ensuring everyone is safe in their city is a key driver for all of our decision-making.” The future of the large trees had been called into question after the extreme winds in October caused a 25-metre-high tree to fall onto the street. “While the likelihood of another tree coming down is low, the consequences could be catastrophic,” Crackett said. “The only way to completely eliminate the risk is to have the trees removed.” Manager Parks and Recreation Caroline Rain said Council recognised the ecological and amenity value of the trees, but this needed to be balanced with the safety of the community. “We will refresh the reserve, guided by our Tree Plan, and make sure it remains a valued inner-city public space,” she said. “It’s about having the right tree, in the right place, for the right purpose.” Crackett said feedback from the community clearly favoured removing the trees as the simplest and safest option. “The wider community has indicated quite clearly that their preference is to remove any trees that pose a threat to public safety,” she said. “Today’s decision is about taking action to keep the public safe.” The estimated overall cost of the tree removal would be approximately $500,000, although a portion of this cost could be offset by selling any timber suitable for milling. A second option – to retain the trees and manage them using emergency controls, including road closures during severe weather events – was also considered by Committee members. However, the report noted that this option would mean a residual risk remained. “Ultimately, public safety has to come first,” Crackett said. A local state of emergency was declared throughout the Southland region, including in Invercargill and Bluff, after a severe wind event struck on 23 October. Thousands were left without access to critical infrastructure, including electricity, for extended periods following the storm. The state of emergency was lifted on 7 November. The Committee’s recommendation to remove and replant the trees on Elles Rd and Queens Dr would be voted at the next full Council meeting on 16 December. If the recommendation is agreed upon at Council level, the next steps would involve engaging a contractor to remove the trees, completing a landscape design for the affected sections of the Town Belt and replanting the area.

Potential issues with tree removals following severe weather in the south have been highlighted in a new report.In November, arboriculture consultancy Paper Street Tree Company expressed concern about how a section of Invercargill's Otepuni Gardens had been managed following the October storm.Company founder Richie Hill wrote in his report there had been “significant ground disturbance” there, plus a torn root from machinery.“Evidence is apparent throughout the site that the focus of tree removal has overtaken any consideration for long-term impacts on retained trees.”The council needed to be able to show difficult choices were being made with a retention-first approach, Hill said.He warned that "overzealous” tree removal would be harder to defend if adequate controls were not in place.Hill also took issue with how some work had been carried out on the tree canopy in the gardens, saying it had left poor structural outcomes and load transfer issues.On Tuesday, an Invercargill City Council committee will receive Mr Hill's report and meet to discuss reserve areas with large trees near the Otepuni Gardens at the intersections of Elles Rd and Tay St, and Queens Drive and Don St.One option put forward is to remove all the trees at those sites and replant.Hill told Local Democracy Reporting replanting had the potential to be a better outcome if there was a robust planting plan or vision."But with anything, you need to do that sort of decision analysis . . . to see whether that cost outweigh the benefits."In a previous report from 2024, Hill said a section of trees opposite Mitre 10 on Elles Rd — the Elles Rd and Tay St site — were in “very good health”.His new report acknowledged some tree failures were unpredictable. It also noted the perceived risk of trees was often much higher than the actual risk of harm.The upcoming decision for council aims to address public safety concerns given the proximity of the trees to key roads.The council is exploring two options for responding to that risk — remove and replant at the Don St and Tay St sites to the tune of $500,000; or activate emergency controls such as road closures in the event of weather warnings.There had been "several significant tree failures" in the city area over the past seven years, but none had led to a fatality, the council report noted.An increase to the frequency and severity of storms was a contributing factor, consistent with climate change projections, it said.The council was approached for comment but did not wish to do so ahead of Tuesday's meeting.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Takahē released in 2023 in to two valleys in the Upper Whakatipu continue to successfully breed according to the Department of Conservation (DOC).18 Takahē were released into the Greenstone Valley by the Department of Conservation (DOC) and Ngāi Tahu in August 2023.This was followed by a further 18 into the Rees Valley, near Glenorchy, in February this year.DOC Takahē Recovery Sites Project Lead Jason van de Wetering said the first chicks of the season had started hatching in the Greenstone Valley, while the recently released Rees Valley population has started laying eggs.These chicks and nests are another great sign for an iconic species once thought to be extinct, he said.“Careful management, collaboration with our partners Ngāi Tahu, the efforts of groups like Southern Lakes Sanctuary, and support from national partner Fulton Hogan, have made the longstanding goal of returning takahē to more of their natural range a reality."“For a long time, the only place takahē could be found in the wild was the remote Murchison Mountains in Fiordland, with most takahē otherwise living in predator free sanctuaries and offshore islands. Now, more than half of all takahē live across four wild sites.“While it’s still too early to say whether takahē will establish here for the long term, to have takahē nesting at these new wild sites is a strong sign the habitat is supporting them well.”The Greenstone population, released onto Ngāi Tahu tribal property Greenstone Station in 2023, successfully raised chicks that summer, but not in 2024.The Rees Valley takahē are younger and less experienced, so may not be as successful at raising chicks this year. However, the presence of fertile eggs so soon after their release is an exciting first step towards a self-sustaining population, van de Wetering said.“Takahē are far from secure in the wild and it takes patience and perseverance to establish these wild sites for the long-term. It is thanks to the hard work of Southern Lakes Sanctuary and their effort to suppress predators that we can have takahē in the Rees Valley.""Success is never guaranteed. For now, all eyes will be on the nests over the coming weeks and months to see how things progress.”Southern Lakes Sanctuary’s Paul Kavanagh said the nesting showed what was possible when sustained conservation efforts and good science come together with genuine partnership."The land custodians, our partner group Routeburn Dart Wildlife Trust, and our team have worked hard for years to give taonga like takahē a fighting chance, so to witness them settling and nesting, is incredibly special for our team and our community.”As takahē become more established in these locations, sightings are likely to increase.van de Wetering said the recovery programme’s goal of having people see a once-thought extinct bird in the wild is happening, with plenty of reported sightings along the Rees-Dart track.“As the population grows, they will start popping up in all sorts of places. If you’re lucky enough to see one while out naturing or in your backyard, give it space, keep any dogs away, and admire the return of one of Aotearoa’s iconic species to their former natural range.”If you see a banded takahē, take a photo or make a note of the coloured leg bands.People can report sightings to [email protected]

Road OpenNo Avalanche Hazard Comments:No travel delays are expected over the coming days.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Cloudy periods Tomorrow: Fine in the west Thursday: Showers from evening Friday: Showers easing Saturday: Showers turning to rain

Invercargill Police are investigating the theft of a number of burial plaques from grave sites at St Johns Cemetery. The plaques were stolen between 28 October and 22 November 2025.Acting Inspector and Area Prevention Manager Mel Robertson said several of the stolen plaques had been taken from the graves of Returned Service personnel who served in the First and Second World Wars, making this a particularly distressing crime for families and the wider community. If you have any information regarding the stolen plaques, please contact Police via 105 and quote event number 251125/6603.Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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