Evan Harding

A 62-year-old Manapouri man who kayaked the length of Lake Te Anau over two days, said his biggest challenges during the 64 km journey were battling one-metre high waves and enduring the sun's intense heat.

Tensions are rising over a plan to aerial drop 1080 poison on Stewart Island, with a Givealittle page set up by a newly-formed trust opposing the move.

Two men have been convicted in relation to a fire at Southland's Awarua Wetlands in 2022 that destroyed 1330 hectares and took a week to get under control at a cost of $1.5 million.

The commercial seafood industry is concerned that an ambitious pest extermination project on Rakiura/Stewart Island involving the aerial dropping of 1080 poison could potentially affect its entire industry.

The family of a young man was powerless to do anything about his slide into drug use after he sustained head injuries more than a decade ago, the Invercargill District Court was told.

A man received 29 stitches and was hospitalised for a week after being “chewed” by a police dog when he fled police, the Invercargill District Court has been told.

Crown-owned social housing provider Kāinga Ora is to help Habitat for Humanity to complete a residential subdivision where the Kew Bowl cycling velodrome once stood in south Invercargill.

The cost to build a community hub for south Invercargill residents has risen to $5.8 million, which is $1.6m more than was estimated when the project was launched in 2022.

The Southland District Council has requested $25.75 million funding from the Government to get Stewart Island powered by renewable energy sources rather than diesel generators.

Lawn bowls star Sheldon Bagrie-Howley has been suspended from the Bowls NZ high performance squad for six months after “breaching his athlete agreement”.