Fiordland's Climbing wall was a buzz on Saturday (11 Oct) with nearly 60 climbers attending the Otago/Southland Secondary Schools Climbing competition.This one was the biggest champs yet with students from James Hargest College in Invercargill, Queenstown’s Wakatipu High School, Lumsden’s Northern Southland College, Dunedin’s Otago Girls and Te Anau’s Fiordland College.There was no hometown advantage in this competition as, in the week leading up to the competition, the wall was completely stripped and new climbs were created.Thanks to some funding, FEAR Society was able to employ some experts - who put in some very long days - to set the wall up for an amazing competition. FEAR Society and the Fiordland Climbing wall's Andy Magness praised the finished product and the team that had created it.“[A] Huge thanks to the legendary Jon Seddon, the uber talented Nat Warburton and Oscar Wolff, and Dunedin Climbing's Tim Bartholomew for the top-notch setting."Action aplenty at last weekend's Otago/Southland Secondary Schools Climbing competition at the Fiordland Climbing Wall in Te Anau. Photo: Jeanna Rodgers"These young climbers are going to be challenged by some excellent routes, that's for sure,” Magness said.A big variety of climbers from each of the five schools attended with some real beginners and others who’ve been climbing since they could walk.The wall was divided into three sections for the day - Overhang, Slab and Bouldering.Students completed 10 routes over the day, gaining points for how far they climbed.One student, Josh Parkinson, Year 13 from Fiordland College, ended the competition with full points, managing to complete every route.Senior Girl winner, Alisa Schenk, Year 12 from Wakatipu High School (WHS) also had a good day, gaining 189 points out of the possible 200.Photo: Jeanna RodgersAs this is a Secondary Schools Competition, this is aimed at Year 9 to 13 but both Fiordland and Northern Southland Colleges have been climbing regularly and brought along several year 7 and 8 students as well and they certainly showed their skills!Fergus Oyston, Year 7 from Fiordland College was impressive on the wall and gained 122 points coming away with a well-earned Silver medal.In the past this has been attended by mostly Southland students but it was fantastic to have Otago Girls join in this year and the girls enjoyed the challenge of the day and said they would definitely be keen to come next year.Several parents watching praised the organisers and the volunteers who helped to run the event, saying how impressed they were to see the older and more experienced climbers encouraging and supporting the younger climbers.Manager of the Wakatipu High School climbing team, Janet Briscoe, said WHS had fielded a record number of 20 WHS climbers, from relatively new to national level."Every student approached the wall in their own way - challenging themselves while supporting one another.""It was a day that was about positive attitudes, participation, support, and friendly competition.""Big thanks to the FEAR team for their dedication in creating such an inclusive and well-run event,” Briscoe said.Fiordland College Teacher and climbing coach, Vaughn Filmer, said he was pleased to have had so many climbers during the day and hoped that this event would encourage even more to climb in the future.Competition ResultsSenior Boys winners. Photo: Jeanna RodgersSenior Boys year 11-13Josh Parkinson Yr13 - Fiordland CollegeRiley Bootsma Yr 13 - James Hargest College Dylan Lelievre Yr 11 - Wakatipu High SchoolSenior Girls winners. Photo: Jeanna RodgersSenior GirlsAlisa Schenk Yr12 - Wakatipu High SchoolJemima Hoskin Yr11 - Fiordland CollegeSofia Sharpe Yr 11 - Wakatipu High SchoolJunior Boys winners. Photo: Jeanna RodgersJunior Boys year 7-10Tommy Carlson Yr 9 - Wakatipu High SchoolFergus Oysten Yr7 - Fiordland CollegeFinlay Jones Yr10 - Northern Southland CollegeJunior Girls winners. Photo: Jeanna RodgersJunior GirlsSophia Oats Yr 10 - Otago Girls High School Piper Hoskin Yr 9 - Fiordland CollegeAbbey Jiwan Yr 8 - Northern Southland College

Here at Mataura School we started the term off with a splash! Our students spent the first week of term improving their swimming skills, this is an activity we do twice a year and the kids absolutely love it.We are fortunate that we are able to take buses to Gore and have lessons with the team at the Gore Muti-sports complex and Aquatic Centre. Starting the term with a splash. Photo: Supplied.This term we are continuing our learning from last term around natural disasters. It is great to hear our kids talking about the links between different natural disasters such as earthquakes causing tsunamis or that movement in the tectonic plates effects the volcanoes. Mataura Licensing Trust, Falls Hotel, proud sponsors of Mataura School."Earthquake's are caused by tectonic plates colliding together to make a shaking motion. Tectonic plates are part of the puzzle that make up the earth's crust... In Te Ao Maori, Ruamoko is the guardian of volcanos, earthquakes, and geothermal forces of the earth. He's the youngest out of all atua maori, because he's still unborn, he's still in Papatuanuku (the earth mother). He behaves like a baby. When he gets angry he makes a big fuss and twists and turns to create earthquakes, and sometimes volcanic eruptions..." Corbin, Rūma RuruDrop, cover and hold. Photo: Supplied.To support this learning we had the team from Emergency Management Southland bring the Earthquake Simulator out for the kids to experience. In room Kererū the children have worked very hard on making model volcanos. Completion of a model volcano. Photo: Supplied.With term 4 in full swing our students are very excited for the terms activities including various camps, sports competitions, trips, the end of term bike ride from Mataura to Gore and, of course, prize giving. Make sure you check out our social media for updates on what we have been doing both in class and out and about".

A house fire that killed a Southland woman and her 11-year-old son was potentially caused by a heater setting alight bedding, a Coroner says.Kellyanne Kemble, 47, and Kelly Kerr, 11, died when fire ripped through their Manapouri home early on July 4 last year.Fire investigators found the fire on View St, was caused by an industrial heater in the boy's bedroom.There were no working smoke alarms in the house.Coroner Heather McKenzie, in findings released on Tuesday, said the temperature was very cold at the time, dropping to -0.1 degrees Celsius overnight."[The house] was known to be cold and heaters and a wood burner were often used. The door to the wood burner in the lounge was often left open to extend the heat."There was an internal storeroom used as a garage which contained flammable fuels, tools, portable gas cylinders, paint, and other combustible materials."The Coroner concluded the mother and son died of smoke inhalation.Kemble also had an underlying heart disease which would have accelerated her death, the Coroner said.Jason Hoggard, Kemble's partner, also lived at the house but was away working on a charter boat at the time.The couple usually slept in the lounge where they had their double bed.One of the two bedrooms was used to store furniture and clothing, and Kelly slept in the other bedroom.Neighbours heard explosions and yelling and saw flames coming from the home about 3.35am that morning, McKenzie said.The single-storey house was badly damaged by the fire. Photo: Southland AppThe Manapouri and Te Anau volunteer fire brigades extinguished the fire, but the home was extensively damaged."Kellyanne was found in the lounge and Kelly was found in his bedroom under the bed. It cannot be known whether Kelly was sleeping under the bed (he sometimes slept on the floor) or if he was trying to escape to escape the fire and thought this to be a safe place."A Fire and Emergency investigation found four possible causes for the fire.It was possible the heater's cable or plug overheated; there was a fault with the heater; the heater igniting bedding; or combustible materials draped or falling on the heater igniting.Radiant heat played a major role in the spread of most fires."There was no evidence of LGP gas, connections, or cyclinders being involved in the fire. There were also no signs that the fire started near the wood burner or anywhere else in the lounge (in a context where it was common for the wood burner door to be left open)," McKenzie said."The fire's spreading was helped by a north-northeast wind and ventilation factors."There was only one way out of the house as other exits were blocked, the Coroner said.She did not make any recommendations but emphasised Fire and Emergency's fire safety messaging.Fire and Emergency's website provided information about fire alarms and the safe use of heaters, including not having combustible materials close to them, the Coroner said.McKenzie was satisfied there were no suspicious circumstances.Published by Permission

Road OpenLow Avalanche HazardComments:No travel delays are currently expected through to Friday based on the current forecast. The next weather system arrives from Friday evening that could bring disruption. Update tomorrow.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Fine Tomorrow: Rain Thursday: Showers then clearing Friday: Rain, heavy falls possible Saturday: Rain, heavy at times

Good morning. Scheduled upcoming works in Southland district include:WATER SHUTDOWNS86 Milton Street, RivertonWater will be shut down on either Tuesday 14 or Wednesday 15 October 2025. This is to make a repair at 86 Milton Street, Riverton. Properties affected are 35-122 Milton Street.Please expect interruptions between 9am and 2pm. This timeframe is an indication only. Water supply will be resumed without further notification. Quintin Drive, Te AnauWater will be shut down on either Tuesday 14 or Wednesday 15 October. This is to make a repair in the Quintin Drive area. Properties affected are 8 Mokoroa Street, 58 Lakefront Drive, and 4-37 Quintin Drive. Please expect interruptions between 10am and 4pm. This timeframe is an indication only. Water supply will be resumed without further notification. ManapōuriWater will be shut down on Tuesday 16 October. This is to make a repair on the water reticulation network. Properties affected are all Waiau Street, Home Street, Murrell Avenue, View Street, and all Motu-au Close. Please expect interruptions between 10am and 4am. Contractors are doing the work overnight to minimise disruption and inconvenience. This timeframe is an indication only. Water supply will be resumed without further notification. 129 Te Anau Milford HighwayThere will be a water shutdown for Te Anau Milford Highway on Tuesday 21 October 2025. This is to make repair on the reticulation network. This will affect 129 Te Anau Milford Highway, all Patience Bay, Murchison Avenue, and Kiwi Burn Place. Please expect interruptions between 10am and 2pm. This timeframe is an indication only. Water supply will be resumed without further notification. ROAD CLOSURESMair Road, Curio BayClosing Mair Road from Waikawa Curio Bay Road to through traffic between 8am and 8pm on Monday 20 October. The work is weather dependent, and the closure duration may need to be extended. The road will be reopened overnight. The closure is to install a culvert. As this is a no-exit road no detour is available and, given the nature of the work and limited access to the road above this point, once the contractor is on site the road will remain closed until the work has been completed and the road is reinstated. Winton Open DayCouncil proposes to close Meldrum Street and Wemyss Street from Park Street to Great North Rd (State Highway 6) to all traffic from 7am until 5pm on Saturday 15 November 2025. Through traffic along Great North Rd (SH6) from Bute Street to Winton New World and Brandon Street from Park Street to Great North Road can also expect a temporary closure between the hours of 2.30pm and 3.30pm. The closure is for the Winton Open Day. A detour for light vehicles will be available via Grange Street, Park Street and Bute Street. A detour for heavy vehicles will be available via Gap Road West, Winton Substation Road and Winton Wreys Bush Highway (SH96). Any person objecting to the proposal should lodge notice at the office of Southland District Council at 15 Forth Street, Invercargill, or 2 Wemyss St, Winton, of his/her objection and grounds thereof in writing before 5pm on 7 November 2025.Waghorn Road remains closed as the Waituna lagoon bridge is still under water. It will continue to be inspected a couple of times a week. Photo: Southland District Council.STATE HIGHWAYS (Highways South)It is now road construction season. There are a lot of worksites with traffic management. Contractors appreciate your patience at these sites. Highways South work with temporary traffic lights or stop/go and temporary speed limits in the district this week (weather dependent). Highways South work with delays and temporary speed limits in the district this week:SH1 Woodlands-Invercargill highway at Mona Bush Road, pavement repairsSH1 Main Street, Mataura, between Glencoe highway and Bridge Street, test pitsSH6 Winton-Lorneville highway between Wilson Crossing and Makarewa, surface repairsSH94 Te Anau-Mossburn highway at The Key, road renewal - until late NovemberSH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway at Bayswater Road, renewal of surface water channelSH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway at Hundred Line Road, renewal of surface water channelSH96 Wreys Bush-Nightcaps highway between Wreys Bush-Mossburn Road and Lynch Road, road renewal – until late NovemberSH99 Riverton-Wallacetown highway at Wallacetown, pavement repairsSH99 Riverton to Tuatapere, surface repairsSH99 Orepuki-Riverton highway south of Orepuki, pavement repairsSH99 Orepuki-Riverton highway south of Orepuki, renewal of surface water channel Third-party work and events with traffic management in the district this week:SH6 Dipton-Winton highway at Ladbrook Road, stop/goUseful 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. To get notifications about road closures or water shutdowns in your area, download Antenno here: https://www.southlanddc.govt.nz/home/antenno/

Road OpenLow Avalanche HazardComments:No travel delays are expected over the next several days based on the current forecast. Please drive with care.  Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Rain at first then clearing through the day Tomorrow: Cloudy periods Wednesday: Rain Thursday: Showers Friday: Rain

Southland Football wrapped up a successful season with its annual awards evening, honouring standout players, coaches, referees, and volunteers from across the region.Development and Operations Manager Iain Walker praised the sport’s growth, saying, “Everywhere you look in Southland football, there’s exceptional talent, dedication and a genuine love of the game.”Top individual honours went to Queens Park’s Tyler Andrews (Women’s Player of the Year) and Winton’s Miguel Ortiz (Men’s Player of the Year and Golden Boot winner with 16 goals).Gore Wanderers’ Amiera Kortbaoui matched that tally to claim the Women’s Golden Boot and Youth Player of the Year. Old Boys’ Jayden Dawson was named Men’s Youth Player of the Year.Coaching accolades went to Darryl Hands (Community Coach of the Year), Morgan Greene (Women’s Coach of the Year), and Hamish Low (Men’s Coach of the Year).Volunteer awards included Cody Kinraid (Community Volunteer), Alex Sandiford (Youth Volunteer), and Craig Campbell, who received the Muriel Mathieson Award for outstanding contribution.Other winners included Gareth Scott (Official of the Year), Douglas Ballie (Administrator of the Year), and Nikolay Shevlyakov (Referee of the Year). Winton FC was named Club of the Year.Southland Football 2025 Awards Performance and Community Awards• Official of the Year: Gareth Scott – Thistle FC• Administrator of the Year: Douglas Ballie – Thistle FC• Referee of the Year: Nikolay Shevlyakov - Referees AssociationCoach of the Year Awards• Community Coach of the Year: Darryl Hands – Southland High Performance Football Academy• Women’s Coach of the Year: Morgan Greene – Gore Wanderers AFC• Men’s Coach of the Year: Hamish Low – Old Boys AFCVolunteer of the Year Awards • Youth Volunteer of the Year: Alex Sandiford - Old Boys AFC• Community Volunteer of the Year: Cody Kinraid - Winton FC Youth Player of the Year Awards• Women’s Youth Player of the Year: Amiera Kortbaoui - Gore Wanderers AFC• Men’s Youth Player of the Year: Jayden Dawson - Old Boys AFCPlayer of the Year Awards• Women’s Player of the Year: Tyler Andrews - Queens Park AFC• Men’s Player of the Year: Miguel Ortiz - Winton FCTop Goal Scorers• Women’s Golden Boot: Amiera Kortbaoui (Gore Wanderers FC) 16 Goals• Stu Munro Trophy: Miguel Ortiz (Winton FC) 16 GoalsClub of the Year: Winton FCMuriel Mathieson Award – overall contribution to football in Southland: Craig Campbell (Referees Association)Pre-season TrophiesReserve Grade Trophy/Div 1 – Thistle FC Men’s Premier Trophy – Winton FC Women’s Trophy – Gore WanderersDivision Three League Cup – Winton FCDivision Three Knockout Cup – Thistle FCDivision Two League Cup – Te Anau FCDivision One League Cup – Thistle FCWomen’s TrophiesKolk Cup – Gore WanderersOttley Challenge Trophy - Gore Wanderers AFCChurchill Rose Bowl (for going the furthest in Chatham Cup or Kate Sheppard Cup) Queens Park Men SPL (Level One)Premier Men’s TrophiesDonald Gray Memorial Cup – Winton FCGeorge Te Au Cup (runner up in Donald Gray) – Southern Steel Windows Old Boys AFCLarry O’Rorke Challenge Trophy – Southern Steel Windows Old Boys AFCEnd of Season CupsEdinburgh Trophy – BalcluthaSBS Bank Knockout Cup – IHire Thistle FCSBS Bank Super Cup - IHire Thistle FCCharity Cup – Old Boys AFCMen’s Super Cup – Old Boys AFC

Invercargill’s likely new mayor Tom Campbell says he is “absolutely delighted” by the result.Progress results have Campbell almost 1900 votes clear of his closest rival, Alex Crackett, with about 2,600 votes left to count.“It’s been a long election campaign, and to be honest towards the end I was just wishing it was over. I think every candidate has probably felt like that,” Campbell said on Saturday.“I feel very, very grateful to the people who voted for me.”Campbell served a single term as a councillor after racking up the second most votes in the 2022 election and was appointed deputy mayor by Nobby Clark.Looking ahead, he wanted to prioritise finding a solution to the city’s old Briscoes building which was burnt-out in a 2023 fire, and keeping rates under control.Selecting chair roles for the incoming council would be critical, he said, and the upcoming week would include meetings with the chief executive and all councillors.“Councils are under enormous cost pressure, particularly around water cost. And really, it’s going to be extremely challenging to try to do what we’re required to do by the government and still keep rates low.”The result came on a special day for Campbell who was celebrating his wedding anniversary with wife Jessie.Originally from Scotland, the pair moved to New Zealand with their young family in the early 1980s, and Campbell took up a job at Tiwai Point aluminium smelter.His election website shows he spent 28 years travelling the world with Rio Tinto — a metals and mining giant — but says he always came back to Invercargill.Campbell said his interest in local politics was piqued after the mayoral forum asked him to manage the Southland Regional Development Strategy in 2015.As for other seats at the council, both Steve Broad and Crackett had secured re-election as councillors, but the organisation was yet to confirm any other winners, including for mayoralty, due to the number of votes still to count.Progress results have all Invercargill councillors who sought re-election returning, plus the arrival of Marcus Lush, Ian Reeves and Lisa Tou McNaughton. Results could change once votes collected on Saturday and special votes are accounted for.Preliminary results are expected either late on Saturday or on Sunday followed by final results later next week.Progress results for Invercargill City Council:Mayor:Tom Campbell 6,064Alex Crackett 4,167Ian Pottinger 1,939Ria Bond 1,496Tom Morton 570Andrew Clark 248Stevey Chernishov 169Gordon McCrone 45Council (12 vacancies):Steve Broad 9,589Alex Crackett 8,350Grant Dermody 7,142Marcus Lush 7,018Trish Boyle 6,406Darren Ludlow 6,299Ria Bond 6,188Ian Pottinger 6,038Allan Arnold 5,241Barry Stewart 4,953Ian Reeves 4,933Lisa Tou McNaughton 4,797Andrea De Vries 4,785Lynley McKerrow 4,737David Meads 4,568Karl Herman 4,088Terry King 4,052Chris Dawson 3,834Jay Coote 3,331Panie Coote 3,283Tony Van Der Lem 3,238Tom Morton 2,740Carl Heenan 2,560Dan O’Connell 2,001Amanda Laurie 1,805Noel Peterson 1,070Carol Jasperse 860LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Southland mayor Rob Scott says a weight has been lifted off after securing a second term in the top job.Progress results show Scott has won the district mayoralty by a comfortable margin with 4,726 votes separating him from closest opponent, Gary Tong.It is a far cry from the tense 2022 race which saw three candidates separated by just 45 votes.“Very relieved, very humbled, and I’m going to sleep a lot easier tonight than I did last night,” Scott said following the win.“It’s been a stressful few weeks. A number of people I’ve talked to have sort of felt the same thing, so I don’t know what the difference is.“Maybe this time, because I’ve got something to lose. Whereas last time I kind of had nothing to lose.”The mayor said it had been difficult to try and do the job while applying for it, but the result was rewarding.He was spending the afternoon in Winton with friends, family and other councillors.“It’s good to be able to carry on with the work.”The council's progress results account for about 85 percent of total votes, but around 510 papers are yet to be counted, plus special votes.All incumbent councillors who sought re-election would return if progress results held, and the council would welcome new councillors Michael Weusten, Brian Somerville and Phil Dobson.The council said its preliminary results would be announced tomorrow, with the final result coming later in the week.Four councillors were elected unopposed due to the makeup of the council's ward structure: Sarah Greaney, Tom O’Brien, Matt Wilson and Jon Spraggon.Progress results for Southland District Council:Mayor:Rob Scott 6,017Gary Tong 1,291Wendy Baker 420Council:Mararoa Waimea Ward (3 vacancies)Sarah Greaney elected unoppposedTom O'Brien elected unoppposedMatt Wilson elected unoppposedWaiau Aparima Ward (3 vacancies)Don Byars 1,127Michael Weusten 1,079Jaspreet Boparai 956Stevey Chernishov 375Ōreti Ward (3 vacancies)Christine Menzies 1,706Brian Somerville 1,481Phil Dobson 1,242Katie Allan 776Waihōpai Toetoe Ward (2 vacancies)Paul Duffy 913Julie Keast 762Pamela Yorke 572Phil Scothern 284Stewart Island/Rakiura Ward (1 vacancy)Jon Spraggon elected unopposedLDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Deputy mayor Tom Campbell has all but claimed the Invercargill mayoral race, saying he is “looking forward to the next three years”.Progress results show Campbell has 6,064 votes so far, ahead of Alex Crackett with 4,167 votes and Ian Pottinger with 1,939 votes.Although Campbell leads by almost 1900 votes, there are still 2,256 ordinary votes and 354 special votes yet to be counted, meaning the council is unable to determine a winner.Campbell said it wasn’t a foregone conclusion he’d won, but he’d already had a phone call from second-place Crackett.The single-term councillor finished the 2022 election as the second-highest polling candidate before throwing his hat in the ring for the top job this time around.He served as Nobby Clark’s deputy over the past term.The race for council is led by Steve Broad with 9,589 votes, Crackett with 8,350 votes and Grant Dermody with 7,142 votes.If progress results remain unchanged, all councillors who sought re-election will get back in, with the three new members being Marcus Lush, Ian Reeves and Lisa Tou McNaughton.Tou McNaughton currently holds the final seat available, but is just 12 votes ahead of Andrea De Vries and 60 votes ahead of Lynley McKerrow.Special votes and votes cast on Saturday are yet to be included in the totals.Final results are not expected until later next week.LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Tom Campbell has taken the early lead in the race for the Invercargill City mayoralty, following the publishing at 1pm of the city's first local body election progress results.Campbell currently has 6,064 votes, followed by Alex Crackett with 4,167 votes, however it is too early to announce any clear winners yet.Progress results have also confirmed the first members of Invercargill City Council, with polls in this year’s local body elections now officially closed.Invercargill City Council Deputy Electoral Officer Michael Morris said sitting Councillors Steve Broad and Alex Crackett had been re-elected, having received 9,589 and 8,350 votesrespectively.However with 2,256 ordinary votes and 354 Special Votes yet to be counted, it was not yet possible to determine the outcome for all of the Council candidates, or the winner of the race for the top job, he said.Meanwhile, of the seven candidates standing for the Bluff Community Board, the top five at the time of the Progress Vote return were Jo Eruera, Justin Sutherland, Ray Fife, HayleeSimeon, and Frazer Murdoch.For the Invercargill Licensing Trust, which has six vacancies, the leading contenders were Paddy O’Brien, Suzanne Prentice, Angela Newell, Graham Hawkes, Sheree Carey, and NickJeffrey.Progress results include all votes cast up until late on Friday, 10 October, however this does not include the final votes cast yesterday or any of the votes returned to the ballot boxtoday. Progress results also do not include Special Votes.Preliminary results were expected on Sunday, and would include all votes except for special votes, Morris said.It had been pleasing to see the community engaged in local body elections, he said.“Our community is a passionate and vocal one, and it was great to see that translate into a turnout of voters who were motivated to help guide their city through the next three years."CLICK HERE for the full list of Invercargill City Council’s Progress Results.Meanwhile in the Gore District, with 85 % of the votes counted, Ben Bell (2917 votes) is currently leading the mayoral race over Nicky Davis (1270).Southland District provisional results are not expected until 3pm.

Nobby Clark’s eventful stint as mayor of Invercargill will draw to a close in the coming days.Clark has not sought re-election, meaning his final day in the job will likely come sometime next week after official results are declared.His lone-term as mayor was marked by widely publicised controversies, including public use of the ‘N-word’, two code of conduct breaches and calls for his resignation.It also included sign-off on the city’s new $87 million museum — a major project which has been years in the making.Clark was approached for an exit interview in recent weeks but did not respond.However, his five-minute valedictory speech touched on some of the controversy he had courted.At the final meeting of council on 23 September, Clark expressed pride in what had been achieved over recent years while acknowledging "distractions and issues that have been created by some indiscretions by me”.He also gave a nod to his deputy, Tom Campbell, who he said had been “very loyal”.“You’ve been excellent in your advice, which has sometimes come with a bit of a barb. You’ve said to me on occasion ‘I didn’t sign up for this’," Clark said.“But it was good that you made me reflect, and certainly you led and carried council through some periods where I had some poor health, and I had some indiscretions that probably we could have all done without.”In March 2023, Clark made national headlines for saying the ‘N-word’ at an Arts Foundation event.He repeated it to media and again on satirical news show New Zealand Today — his appearance on which resulted in a code of conduct breach in 2024.Clark's term has included two code of conduct breaches and calls to resign. Photo: RNZ/Reece BakerClark picked up a second breach that year for his behaviour at a firefighters event, where it was alleged he described volunteer firefighters as second-class citizens and made personal attacks at the female MC, including about her appearance.The mayor blamed his behaviour at the event on a “brain fade” resulting from a heart attack he’d suffered earlier that year, and faced pressure to resign.The public indiscretions stopped, but a resolute Clark did not waver in his determination to do things his own way.Over the past 12 months, he has gone against community board and mana whenua recommendations for Bluff’s wastewater consent, opposed diversity data being requested during council procurement, criticised his own council of being too risk averse, stalled decision on a mana whenua charter and pushed for new sculptures to be installed on Esk St despite complications with a cultural narrative.His valedictory speech indicated there had been some learnings during his time in politics, as he offered advice to the incoming mayor and deputy about offloading to partners."One of the things I've learnt in the last five years is that it's too easy to carry your baggage home, to offload to your dearly beloved ones, and then you leave them with nowhere to offload either. And so there comes a cost at home."Clark said at the end of his address that his next overseas trip would likely be to South Africa.Election day is set for Saturday with progress results released in the afternoon.Nobby Clark fast facts:First entered council in 2019 as highest polling councillorWon 2022 mayoralty by almost 3000 votesPrevious roles include medic in Vietnam War and rural delivery driverOne of the first people in New Zealand to donate a kidney anonymouslySuffered two medical events while mayor, including a heart attackLDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

Morning all, a map of sites where you may experience delays on Southland state highways due to Highways South maintenance work next week, can be found here, and these sites are listed below.  As we are now in construction season, there are a lot of worksites with traffic management, we appreciate your patience at these sites. Highways South work with delays and temporary speed limits this week:SH1 Bluff highway between Clifton and Motu Rimu Road, road renewal – until late NovemberSH1 Woodlands-Invercargill highway at Mona Bush Road, pavement repairsSH1 Main St Mataura between Glencoe highway and Bridge St, test pitsSH1 Mataura River Bridge, Gore, bridge handrail repairSH6 North Road at McIvor Road, test pitsSH6 Winton-Lorneville highway between Wilson Crossing & Makarewa, surface repairsSH93 Old Coach Road between Slopedown School Road and Hurst Road, road renewal – until late NovemberSH94 Te Anau-Mossburn highway at The Key, road renewal – until late NovemberSH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway at Bayswater Road, renewal of surface water channelSH96 Winton-Wreys Bush highway at Hundred Line Road, renewal of surface water channelSH96 Wreys Bush-Nightcaps highway between Wreys Bush-Mossburn Road and Lynch Road, road renewal – until late NovemberSH99 Riverton-Wallacetown highway at Wallacetown, pavement repairsSH99 Riverton to Tuatapere, surface repairsSH99 Orepuki-Riverton highway south of Orepuki, pavement repairsSH99 Orepuki-Riverton highway south of Orepuki, renewal of surface water channel Third party work and events with traffic management in place this week that we are aware of:SH6 Dee St Invercargill between Victoria Ave and Thames St, lane closedSH6 North Road Invercargill between Ruru St and Price St, lane closedSH6 Dipton-Winton highway at Ladbrook Road, stop/goSH93 Old Coach Road by Elliot Road, stop/goSH93 Old Coach Road at Kaiwera Road, lane closedSH93 Old Coach Road by Jeff Road, lane closedSH93 Old Coach Road between Clinton and Owaka Valley Road, stop/goUseful 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.

Fiordland Lobster Company group human resources manager Toni Magi says she's never seen anything like it.The company recently received 91 applications for a factory hand role in Te Anau and more than 120 for a position in Auckland, not including overseas applicants and those without work visas."There's a shortage of roles within New Zealand. There's certainly not the wide range of positions that are touted to be available and people are desperate for work."The jobs were entry level roles that did not require specific qualifications.The increased number of applications had been noticeable in the past 10 to 12 months, she said.People were willing to move to Te Anau for work, she said. Those numbers in particular were "unheard of" for such a small centre."I think it's hard for job hunters because they've got to be able to set themselves apart and be the one that stands out in all those applications."She said more recruitment agencies were cold calling, too.Sometimes applicants made silly mistakes, she said."I think reading the requirements of the role, you know, always double check what you're sending in because the amount of people that will apply for a job that's actually got some other company's name or the wrong job title or, you know, if we say send a cover letter, that's your opportunity to sell yourself and they don't. So, it's just those little things that are going to set people apart."Neil Webster, country manager for Employment Hero, agreed times were tough for job applicants."Yes, there's growth in pockets, but we're hearing from SMEs (small-to-medium enterprises) every day that the pressure is very real. Heading into December, it's clear many New Zealanders are still scrambling for stability, and businesses are feeling it too."Jobhunter Emily Turner is one of those people. She has been looking for work, at a management level, for 16 months.She had applied for about 50 jobs and had more than 10 interviews.She said there seemed to be particular problems for people who were looking for more senior positions. "No hiring manager is going to hire me for a lower level role when I often have more experience than they do."She said she was now seriously considering moving to Australia but it was a difficult proposition because she owned her home and had an ageing parent to worry about. But she had reached the end of her interest-only home loan period and also had to pay body corporate fees.Published by Permission

Road OpenLow Avalanche HazardRoad status:OPEN from Te Anau to Milford Sound.Comments:Please drive with care. Expect road to remain open into the weekend, with update at 2pm today to advise if there are any anomalies in the forecast.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Showers easing, turning fine, before showers returning later Tomorrow: Rain, with thunderstorms possibleSunday: Rain, possibly heavy laterMonday: Rain with heavy falls, easing to showers, possibly turning to snow laterTuesday: Showers, possibly falling as snow at first

Compliance issues have come to light at a series of Southland water treatment plants, but the mayor says there’s no cause for alarm.An annual report prepared for a district council meeting this week showed some drinking water plants had missed the mark due to data gaps, unvalidated filters, and even snow.The council manages 12 treatment sites across the district, servicing a population of around 30,000 people.In the realm of protozoal compliance, four plants did not hit their targets — Mossburn, Ōtautau, Winton and Tūātapere.Three of those plants missed their target due to UV treatment upgrades resulting in lost data, while Tūātapere failed on a filter issue.Council asset manager Bill Witham said the filter was fully compliant when it was installed, but the manufacturer was no longer around meaning it could not be re-certified.“So until we replace that, we're technically non-compliant.”The report said the protozoal KPI was a challenge to meet because missing the mark for even a short period resulted in a whole year of work being deemed non-compliant.It also noted Ohai, Te Anau and Tūātapere were not compliant in microbiological monitoring due to snow-covered roads restricting site access.Witham explained the technician went around in a ute taking manual samples for the laboratory but had been disrupted by bad weather.Well-known issues persist at the Eastern Bush/Otahu Flat plant due to the turbidity of its water, although a new plant is planned for 2026/27.Southland mayor Rob Scott was positive despite some of the results, referencing challenges such as distance, weather and snow.He was pleased with the level of detail in the report."There's a few red flags in there, but they're not real red flags. And there’s a lot of green in there too, which is comforting as well.”LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

09/10/2025 14:22Crash - SH 1 Invercargill to Awarua, near the intersection of Chesney Street.Please expect delays along this route and pass the scene, both directions.

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has announced a two-week delay to the start of the Milford Track’s Great Walk summer season due to extensive avalanche damage caused by severe spring weather.Bookings for the popular track between October 28 and November 11 have been cancelled and will be fully refunded, DOC confirmed. Hikers with reservations beyond those dates will be notified if further delays become necessary.DOC Operations Director Aaron Fleming said significant snow and rain throughout September have caused large avalanches on the Milford Track, changing watercourses, damaging bridge footings and track infrastructure, and covering sections with ice and rock debris.“Because of ongoing avalanche hazards, our team haven’t been able to get onto the track to fully assess the damage and begin repairs,” Fleming said.“Safety of our staff and the public is our number one priority, and with wintry conditions persisting here in the South we’ve made the call to delay the opening now, to give those booked as much notice as possible."Flemming said DOC staff would begin repair work once conditions improved.DOC reminded hikers to always check forecasts, pack extra warm and weather appropriate gear and be prepared for all conditions, at any time of year.They said that avalanche conditions and weather disruptions could occur year-round, and travel insurance was always recommended.All affected hikers from the current closure would be contacted directly by the DOC booking team.

Road OpenLow Avalanche HazardRoad status:CLOSING from East Gate (Hollyford) to Donne River (Westgate) at 5pm today.Comments:Road CLOSING at 5pm today between Hollyford Road Junction & Donne River Bridge due to heavy rain elevating the avalanche hazard. Expect to re-open mid-morning Friday once snowpack has drained & inspections are completed. Road likely to remain open into the weekend based on current forecast. Update at 2pm will confirm expected re-opening time on Friday.Weather forecast for the Homer Tunnel area:Today: Rain, heavy at times, with thunderstorms possible later Tomorrow: Heavy rain easing, clearing later Saturday: Rain, possibly heavy at times Sunday: Rain, heavy from afternoon Monday: Rain, easing to showers, with snow possible later