The Southland Times

Budgeting app to help beat cost squeeze

Wyndham’s Jack Ridder is sick of seeing people shoplifting or struggling to afford groceries, so he’s trying to do something about it. The 21-year-old has created an app called KiwiBudget to help middle and lowerincome families or solo parents with...

If cap fits, wear it for good cause

If your wardrobe is missing a lid, chances are you will find what you are looking for at an Invercargill pop-up shop this weekend. More than 13,000 caps have landed in the hands of the Rotary Club of Invercargill Charitable Trust, which is running a...

Single yes-or-no vote set

Any future referendum on Southland’s council structure will feature a simple yes-or-no vote on a single reorganisation plan, the Local Government Commission (LGC) has confirmed. The update comes as speculation grows over how the region will be...

Govt says rates capped at 4%

Local Government Minister Simon Watts has announced the Government will cap rates at 4%. In December last year, Watts announced ministers were working to progress the cap in an effort, he said, to control costs for households and businesses. He...

Stressed teachers set to quit

Specialist teachers have been left stressed and burnt out just six months into the expansion of a learning support service for pre-schoolers to include first-year students, a teachers union survey reveals. The Ministry of Education’s early...

Fire and ice

When I first heard about Elemental – Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa’s new adults-only wellness experience featuring New Zealand’s first snow room – I was not sold on the idea. It didn’t sound relaxing. Stepping into falling snow in the name of...

Parallel universe

A footpath in front of a Golden Bay cafe was painted in a chequered fashion earlier this year. Black and white tiles adorned with psychedelic details covered the pavement. However, Tasman District Council claimed what the business owner did could...

Regional deals break down

Gore District Council’s decision to scrap two joint Head Start reform proposals has derailed Southland’s expedited amalgamation plans, drawing frustration from one neighbouring mayor and a nod of approval and empathy from another. On August 4, the...

‘Terrifying’ figures fall

Datagrid has put forward a battery of reassurances about its hyperscale AI data centre at Makarewa – including a commitment to seek at least a 70% reduction in its maximum permitted water use. The pledges came thick and fast at a Tuesday meeting with...

U-turn on merger plans

In a complete about-turn, the Gore District Council has voted to withdraw support for Head Start amalgamation proposals with Southland District Council (SDC) and the Invercargill City Council, (ICC) and to instead work through the Local Government...

Rolling past the barriers

Barnardos social worker Claire Sloan is helping children from Fernworth Primary School gain confidence and explore movement outside of traditional sport through roller-skating.

Pocketknife killer guilty

An Invercargill man who stabbed his wife in the throat with his pocketknife has pleaded guilty to her murder in a voice so soft his lawyer had to repeat it for the record. Sitivi Akauvela Takau, 56, was convicted in the High Court at Invercargill on...

Datagrid dissenters speak out

The protest looked small, but didn’t sound it. Alarmed at what they insisted were the unaddressed environmental and human rights implications of Datagrid’s hyperscale AI data centre at Makarewa, and the stampeding development of artificial...

RUGBY ABs prop Ethan de Groot extends SI deal

All Blacks prop Ethan de Groot has re-signed with New Zealand Rugby until the British and Irish Lions tour in 2029. The Highlanders and Southland prop, 28, is in the best form of his career, and All Blacks assistant coach Jason Ryan welcomed his new...

Mystery surrounds Euna’s end

The owners have sold their home while creditor claims are still coming in, and mystery still surrounds the end of a highend Invercargill restaurant. Several attempts to contact Euna co-owner and director Travis Martin have gone unanswered. The...

Scott backs $2b fish farm

Southland district mayor Rob Scott has welcomed the fast-track approval of a $2 billion open-ocean salmon farm off Rakiura/Stewart Island, but says housing its workforce may present some challenges. The decision, delivered by an independent expert...

DIY attitude factors in the death of man

A coroner has urged people to think twice before felling large trees themselves, after a Bluff man was killed by a falling treetop while cutting down pine trees on family land in Invercargill. Edwin Rowe Coulter, 54, died May 16, 2021, at a property...

Debate getting hyperactive

Swirling debate over the desirability of Datagrid’s hyperscale AI data centre at Makarewa will in coming days have people take to the streets, organisations take to meeting rooms, and the Southland District Council take its time responding to...

Sharks eye fairytale finish at home

Caleb Asberry is hoping for the perfect ending for himself and several other Sharks team-mates in tomorrow’s Sal’s National Basketball League grand final at Stadium Southland. Asberry, who became the fifth player in the franchise’s history to reach...

Families, educators floored

Almost 200 educators and children from Oamaru south have been impacted by the sudden liquidation of a home-based early childhood care provider. On Friday, 35 ECE educators received emails from their employer telling them that Invercargill-based Just...

Eight medals heading back to Southland

When New Zealand’s top athletes return home from the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with 36 medals, eight of them are heading to Southland. The Games wrapped on Monday (NZ time) with New Zealand placing sixth on the medal table. Netballers Kate...

No good options for Gore

The Gore district will never be the same again. That was the message that was repeated by several councillors as they voted to seek Head Start proposals with both the Southland District Council and a combined proposal with the Invercargill City...

Small-screen highlights

World pipe band champs beckoning

Jamie Callahan will achieve a bucket-list moment when he takes his place at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow Green later this month. The piper is one of two ILT City of Invercargill Highland Pipe Band members invited to bolster other...

Man’s final words to ‘scammer’

Shortly before he died, David McDonald sent one final text message: “U lieing [sic] dirty s cu mi got it this afternoon hope u enjoy ur future im **** in next hr …” The redacted word referred to the method by which McDonald would soon take his own...

Datagrid seals the deal for subsea cable

Datagrid has confirmed the last piece in its puzzle, announcing a new optical submarine cable to boost data connectivity in and out of Southland. The company has signed a contract with Alcatel Submarine Networks (ASN) and OMS Group (OMS) to supply and...

ES answers council’s call for support

Environment Southland (ES) has agreed to support the Invercargill City Council’s development of a One Southland model for local government reform. It has made any final endorsement dependent on the proposal for a single unitary authority for Southland...

Great South: Warning on $1b oil plan

A New Zealand First election policy to fund a $1 billion survey of offshore oil and gas reserves won’t work without regulatory certainty, a leader at Southland’s regional development agency Great South says. The Winston Peters-led party announced last...

Datagrid consents grilled

Mounting discontent about the rigour of the resource consent conditions Datagrid was required to satisfy for its hyperscale AI data centre in Makarewa has emerged in Invercargill and at national level. A barrage of challenges and questions arose at a...

High fashion, hi-vis, and high honours at Hokonuis

Christchurch fashion student Alex O’Hagan’s monochromatic masterpieces melded multiple fabrics with elegant structure to win the top title at this year’s Hokonuis. The Ara Institute of Canterbury student was named the winner of the Dunedin Airport...

Perfectly preserved

It is about this time of year that I start to notice a dent in the preserves lining our pantry shelves. Jars that seemed plentiful at the end of autumn are now slowly dwindling as we eat our way through them. Sweet jams are always the first to...

Tupou Ta’eiloa up for ABs?

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie will signal his intention to take the fight to South Africa’s hard men by picking Southland wrecking ball Semisi Tupou Ta’eiloa for the “greatest rivalry” tour. The All Blacks will unveil their squad at noon on Monday and...

City scores exclusive Freestyle Kings tour stop

Invercargill’s Rugby Park is gearing up for a high-octane transformation this summer as it plays host to action sports spectacle Freestyle Kings Live for its only New Zealand show. The stadium production lands at the venue on Saturday, December 5, and...

Arsonist jailed for fire in historic basilica

A judge said it was luck that prevented 120-year-old timber from being destroyed when a man started a fire in a historic Southland church. John Paul Scotson, 52, was sentenced on a charge of arson in the Invercargill District Court on Friday. It was...

Coal plant deal being sought

A coal promoter behind a proposed $3 billion fertiliser plant in Southland lobbied the Government for a special deal to protect his investment from being unwound by a future government, official documents show. Correspondence released under the...

Paddon dominates in memorial rally

World Rally Championship driver Hayden Paddon showcased why he is New Zealand’s best with a dominant performance at the Barry Robinson Memorial Rally Southland on Saturday. Held on gravel roads throughout eastern Southland in areas like Tūtarau,...

‘Sharp, violent’ 5.9 shake ‘a goodie’

“Short, sharp, loud, and quite violent.” That’s how Milford Sound Tourism Limited operations manager Jason Steel described the 5.9-magnitude earthquake that struck 40km north of Te Anau at 9.14pm on Thursday. Steel was in a house in the village at...

Guilty plea over fatal crash

A 32-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to careless driving while under the influence of drink or drug causing death after an early morning crash on a rural Southland road killed her partner. Jordan Paige Barlow, formerly of Gore, pleaded guilty to the...

Our ‘little secret’ getting out

Residential subdivisions have been springing up in small northern Southland towns, with district mayor Rob Scott saying the word is out that it’s a great place to live. “I think our little secret is starting to become known.” Scott said it was...

Govt cuts to hit Southland

A fresh analysis by the Public Service Association Te Pukenga Here Tikanga Mahi (PSA) shows the Government’s plan to axe one in seven public servants will directly impact the services that Southland residents and businesses rely on. The analysis...

Community rallies for girl with rare cancer

The Cooks Rugby League Club with support from the Collegiate Rugby Club, friends and whānau have banded together to organise a fundraiser match to help a teammate and his family. TJ Tumatangi’s 3-year-old daughter Ohana has Ewing’s sarcoma, an...

Extra time double seals Shield glory

Two extra-time tries secured the Eastern Northern Barbarians their second Galbraith Shield title with a 40-28 victory over Pirates Old Boys at Les George Oval on Saturday. It was a fitting final between the two standout teams in the Rugby Southland...

Barbarians and Pirates to face off

The Galbraith Shield will be heading to either Surrey Park or the Gore Showgrounds following Saturday’s final at Les George Oval. Pirates Old Boys (POB) are looking to win their first title since 2023, when they defeated the Eastern Northern...

■ New pathways ahead for Murihiku,

Opportunity, innovation and growth are some of the key themes for the next few months, with a range of new industries and investment on the horizon. As Murihiku Regeneration programme director Terry Nicholas said: “There’s plenty who are showing an...

‘Possible he was a victim of foul play’

Missing Southland man Kevin Belling is most likely dead and it’s possible he was a victim of foul play, police say. The 62-year-old was last seen at his farm property in Kapuka on Friday, January 9, and was reported missing on January 18. Search and...

Initiative to help refine job recruiting in south

Southland businesses struggling with recruitment issues can draw on greater support through the ChamberWorks employment initiative, says Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston. The Ministry of Social Development has linked with...

Must-watch winter viewing

The wintry weather got you down? July offers plenty of reasons to stay indoors and snuggle up on the couch. For free-to-air fans, there’s American crime drama MIA (Duke, July 17), Canadian sitcom The Office Movers (Whakaata Māori, July 29) and...

Southland farmer Slee wins grand final

A Southland farmer has cemented a family legacy by coming out on top, after pitting his skills against the best in the country. On Saturday, Tom Slee, who works as a contract milker on the family farm in Blackmount, near Tuatapere, was named the 2026...

Netball vets clock up 80 court years

“Once you finish and retire you are old. Who wants to be old?” That’s the quote Rata Netball Club veterans Jill Stewart and Marg Lockett jointly came up with for The Southland Times to explain why they’re still on the court after 41 and 39 years of...

Tagged great whites return to the south

Fifteen great white sharks tagged near Stewart Island early last year travelled roughly 2500km to near the Pacific Islands and northeast Australia before many returned within 12 months. The sharks were tracked on the Great White App, with their...

Council moving on

A Gore district councillor says she “feels like a massive weight has been lifted off her shoulders” after a code of conduct complaint made against her was addressed and her fellow councillors said it was time to move on. However, the councillor who...

Jail for killer drink-driver

A young man who killed his best mate in a drink-drive crash on a rural Southland road has been sentenced to two years and seven months prison. Aaron Templeton, 20, a first-time offender, appeared in the High Court at Invercargill on Monday, where...

A heavy-footed visitor makes its mark

Imagine you come home from work one afternoon to find about 100 divots in your front lawn with no idea what might have caused them. Luckily for Invercargill’s Paul Cade, he had security cameras – but given he lives nowhere near a dairy farm, he wasn’t...

Steel’s title dream ends

Steel fans should still be incredibly proud of their team. For the first time in eight years, they were contesting the ANZ Premiership final. Unfortunately, it wasn’t their night as they fell to a 56-46 defeat to the Mystics at The Trusts Arena in...

Faithful fans fly to final

After missing out on tickets to the Southern Steel’s elimination final in Invercargill, two netball fanatics knew they had to head to Auckland. Karen Sinclair and Nola Falconer have been Steel faithful for years, attending countless games. When the...

Farmer hoping to add to legacy

A Southland farmer is hoping to add to his family’s legacy of rural excellence when he heads north next week. Tom Slee will compete at the three-day FMG Young Farmer of the Year grand final in New Plymouth, which runs from July 2-4. Finding success...

Board of trustees resigns

A commissioner has been appointed to govern Mataura School following the collective resignation of its board of trustees. Commissioner Dr Gabrielle Wall said the board resigned on May 4, the same day the school’s long-time principal Susan Dennison...

Five-year ordeal turns tragic

When David McDonald died the week before Christmas in 2021, he had $8 to his name. There was no food in his fridge and he was thousands of dollars behind on his bills. His daughter Penny Hill found his body in the garage of his home in Gore. Death...

Steel brace for tough final

Steel coach Wendy Frew expects a tough game against The Mystics on Saturday but she’s confident her team can win. The Southern Steel are through to their first ANZ Premiership Grand Final in almost 10 years following a 60-54 win in front of a sold-out...

Whirlwind 48 hours sees double delight

Invercargill 11-year-old Baxter Tamariki had a busy but successful 48-hour period recently. On June 12, the sports-mad year 7 student from Southland Boys’ High School won his age grade at the Southland Primary School Cross Country Championships held...

NZ pāua shells ‘magical’ blue gold

A factory on a quiet street at the bottom of the South Island is selling an estimated one million pāua shells per year to buyers like luxury fashion brands Chanel and Cartier and the Sultan of Oman. Ocean Shell Ltd in Riverton said rising live...

Bid to reduce the app trap case charges

Three teenagers have reappeared in the Invercargill Youth Court after allegedly using a dating app to target a victim before attempting to force their way into their Invercargill home. The three, aged between 15 and 16, were among four youths facing...

New housing clears waitlist

As contractors finished off the final touches and landscapers planted out garden beds, 16 new Kāinga Ora homes were officially opened in Gore on Tuesday. Their new tenants will begin moving in this week, just over four years after the government...

Mum pleads after her loss

A critically understaffed Southland Hospital department operating under “extreme pressure” failed to properly investigate abnormalities that led to a stillbirth. That was the view of deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Rose Wall who found Health...

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‘Waste heat’ available for other uses

For data centres, heat is a waste product. But people in Southland have occasionally managed to find uses for it. Datagrid has identified the potential for “complementary industries” to benefit from its $3.7 billion data centre now consented for...

Jacob Duffy breaks another record

Black Caps cricketer Jacob Duffy has won Southland’s highest sporting honour for the third time. Lumsden-born, Southland Boys’ High School-educated Duffy is the first person to win ILT Senior Sportsperson of the Year three times following previous...

Southland schools shining brightly

Southland Girls’ High School’s Femme choir was the big winner at The Big Sing’s Southland leg. Nine choirs performed at Invercargill’s First Church for a shot at August’s national finale or regional Cadenza. Femme won awards for Best Performance of a...

Hay day raises $50k for Southland groups

An event that has been running for 34 years continues to raise funds for its community. The Tuatapere Districts Lions Club Hay Day and Baleage Competition took place on June 5 and was a success, raising more than $50,000. Since the club began...

Flight cuts a costly grounding

The axing of the direct InvercargillWellington flight cost one Southland business an extra $122,000 to complete just one project. The finding emerged in a Great South survey of 2300 people, which identified reinstating a direct Invercargill-Wellington...

If only the walls could talk

Back when horses and carriages filled the streets and footpaths were lit by gas lamps, Southlanders were celebrating the completion of a brand-new theatre and town hall. This year marks 120 years since that celebration, and the historic Civic Theatre...

Fancy fruit

WEEKEND KITCHEN Ihave been rather enamoured with quince recently, although they are somewhat trickier to prepare than apples, as they have tougher skin and denser flesh. Quinces have a more pronounced tart flavour so need a little extra sugar, and...

Silica plant eyes 2030 start

A company planning a giant silica processing and manufacturing operation to create up to 1400 Southland jobs has a memorandum of understanding to acquire 200ha of Calder Stewart’s Awarua Quadrant industrial project. Southland Silicon Materials Ltd...

Smelter powers $367m boost

Tiwai smelter contributed $367 million to the Southland economy last year, part of which came from paying staff about $50,000 more than the regional average, a socio-economic report says. The staff drew an average salary of $125,000 compared to...

Emotional win for teacher

Simon Thompson thought his musical career was ticking over nicely - he was teaching music, playing gigs, and writing the odd song. “Now its just going to explode - it’s just unreal,’’ he said. Thompson, from Invercargill, was overcome with emotion...

Eight Southlanders honoured

A philanthropist leading Invercargill’s city-centre rejuvenation, a mountaineer who saved lives in the Himalayas, and a couple who dedicated 50 years to the Scouts are among eight Southlanders recognised in today’s King’s Birthday Honours. The local...