Southland Express

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• Regional councils’ demise: the issues It is billed as the biggest shake-up to councils in 30 years, but a lot of questions about how the government’s regional council ‘‘reset’’ will work and what will happen remain unanswered. RNZ political reporter RussellPalmer looks into the issues.

  THE government last week announced plans to replace regional councillors with boards made up of mayors and maybe some minister-appointed representatives.

• Winton Open Day to offer entertainment, fun

  THE annual Winton Open Day is on Saturday (November 15) and the northbound lane of the main road will be closed and a detour will be in place.

• Firefighters value opportunity in Canada Two Southland firefighters, Ken Keenan and Hamish Angus, have returned from a five-week stint fighting fires in Alberta, Canada. Their role as taskforce leaders was to organise crews fighting fires that had been burning for three months in native forest. They completed two 14 day shifts with two days off in between. Southland Express reporter Sandy Eggleston chatted to the two men to find out what the experience was like for them.

  IN the last six weeks, Ken Keenan has gone from one extreme to another in more ways than one.

• 3 1 1 215 Rakahouka Grove Bush Rd, Rakahouka, Southland

  Price: Deadline Sale (unless sold prior)

• Helping refugees with their new lives here

  JASMIN moved here from Germany around 2008 and signed up to be a Red Cross refugee support volunteer in 2021 after reading an article about Colombian families coming to Invercargill.

• Waikiwi seniors have view from the top

  THE Waikiwi Rugby Club celebrated its 125th season last year and the club has a senior team in fine style, with their clubrooms full with past and present players, sponsors and supporters.

• Contest win lights the way for class

  Windsor North School Room 13 students, teacher Monique Dawson (back centre) and principal Debbie Dickson (far right) were radiant when Illuminate Light and Sound Experience creative director Phil Anderson and Chance Voight marketing business lead Laura Patterson surprised the class with goodie bags last Thursday.

• Students leave hearts on stage

  HUNDREDS of South Island secondary school students brought their creative talents to the Deep South on Monday night.

• Kindness campaign keeps children warm this winter

  WITH winter fast approaching, Southland families in need will have help to stay warm.

• Capacity crowd tipped

  CAPACITY crowds are expected at the Southland Stags v Otago match on August 2.

Featured documents

• Free garden horse manure

  Free garden horse...

• ‘Milford is just chaos’

  Welcome to Milford, the Wild West settlement in Fiordland National Park. Perched precariously on the shore of world-famous Piopiotahi Milford Sound in Ngāi Tahu ancestral territory, it is barely functioning on the fringes of civilisation....

• Winton club celebrates 150 years

  THE Winton Jockey Club is celebrating its 150th season in the thoroughbred racing industry this weekend....

• Regional councils’ demise: the issues It is billed as the biggest shake-up to councils in 30 years, but a lot of questions about how the government’s regional council ‘‘reset’’ will work and what will happen remain unanswered. RNZ political reporter RussellPalmer looks into the issues.

  THE government last week announced plans to replace regional councillors with boards made up of mayors and maybe some minister-appointed representatives....

• ‘I felt unheard and unseen’

  A SOUTHLAND woman feels she has been let down by the mental health system....

• Fears dumpsite could harm dolphins

  A DOLPHIN specialist who actively monitors Colac Bay’s Hector’s population is worried deadly toxins are only a couple of storms away from spilling out into the ocean, with potentially disastrous consequences for the mammals....

• Grieving son in MIQ battle

  GRIEVING Malcolm Mitchell was prevented from attending his father’s funeral in Invercargill this week because of what he says is an inhuman Managed Isolation and Quarantine (MIQ) process....

• SI oyster farmer alleges cover-up

  STEWART Island’s last oyster farmer says frustration has turned to anger as his wait to return to oystering at his marine farm in Big Glory Bay continues....

• Questions for district mayoral hopefuls Southland is a gateway region to four out of 10 of the nation’s great walks (Milford, Routeburn, Kepler and Rakiura) as well as Tuatapere’s Hump Ridge Track, which is set to become the 11th. Additionally, its unspoiled, rustic beauty and popular multiple outdoor pursuits are incredible drawcards for tourists. Southland’s industry is heavily reliant on seasonal workers, who are sourced via overseas visitors on working-holiday visas. But lockdowns, border closures and isolation, and the lack of accommodation options have led to the industry’s workforce being significantly under-resourced, thereby strangling the recovery of the region’s tourism industry. The lack of staff in this sector means those who are passing through are not experiencing the visitor experience the industry would usually provide. Question 1: What is the biggest issue facing Southland’s tourism industry and what would you do to fix it? Question 2: What are your goals and priorities for council?

  WENDY JOY...

• City pensioner loses $134k savings

  AN Invercargill pensioner has lost $134,000 after cyber criminals hacked his online bank accounts, convinced staff to change his phone number, then siphoned his money in an elaborate scam....