Our Community

ALL events will be free at South Alive's school holiday programme next month. Held at the community rooms, nearby community park and basketball courts, the programme will be held on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the first week of the school holidays, then on Monday, Thursday and Friday the second week. From Library Storytime to Girls' Self Defence, there was...

WITH more than five years dedicated to researching the early history of Otautau and surrounds, historian, archivist and researcher Suzie Best is keen to hear from people who have any information about the area. Best was still deep in the research process for her book — Between River & Stream: Tale of a Town that Shouldn’t Have Been (First 50...

Otautau scout Samantha Moore (16) was officially awarded her Chief Scout’s Award at the St Andrews Scouts awards night in Otautau in July. Samantha had worked towards achieving this award for several years, completing a range of activities including attending a Scout jamboree, organising a troop camp and attending several leadership courses. Samantha said attending the 22nd Scout Jamboree at...

WE live and work in difficult times but with Christmas less than three months away, the organisers of Christmas In The Bluff and the Bluff Christmas Parade are forging ahead with plans to welcome the festive season to the port town. The annual popular events were scheduled to be held on Sunday, December 12, starting with the street parade, organised...

SUE Peoples' cat died when it was taken home from the cattery by the wrong family. But the grieving cat owner feels the Southland cattery has paid its dues after she filed a claim with the Disputes Tribunal. The experience had been hard; she now believed catteries should be audited, have standards set and licences held to avoid others going through...

INVERCARGILL City Council's (ICC) first mana whenua-appointed roles have been filled, with nominees to take part in an historic first committee meeting of the Infrastructural Committee next month. Pania Coote, of Te Runanga o Awarua, and Evelyn Cook, of Waihopai Runaka, will be appointed members of the Performance, Policy and Partnerships and Infrastructural Services committees following ICC's resolution to establish...

INVERCARGILL city councillors are worried the proposed Three Waters reforms might not achieve the expected efficiencies for the region, imposing higher costs for its ratepayers. During an extraordinary infrastructural service meeting on Tuesday, the council's elected members endorsed their feedback letter to the Minister of Local Government and the Department of Internal Affairs as part of the Three Waters reform...

Name: Gizmo Age: 3 years Breed: Moggy (domestic cat) Pet likes: Sleeping on the Lego, playing on the trampoline, chasing the wind, watching TV. Pet dislikes: Loud noises, the rain, trips to the vet. Each Pet of the Week receives a $20 PetSmart.nz voucher. Thanks PetSmart.nz. To enter, email a pic of your pet and its name, age, breed, likes, dislikes and favourite food...

BEHIND the discreet doors of a nondescript building in Esk St, is the welcoming clubrooms of the Southland Women’s Club. Twenty-eight years after women in New Zealand gained the right to vote in parliamentary elections in 1893, the club was established in 1921. As well as an opportunity for the public to view the clubrooms during its annual Celebrating Spring this...

THE boxes were all at the back door waiting to be transported to ILT Stadium Southland for this year's Miharo Murihiku Polyfest. However, after the Covid-19 lockdown announcement was made on August 16, the five-day festival was postponed from August 23 to September 27. The boxes still patiently waited by the back door of Miharo waiting for a belated, but still...