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SouthlandAugust 14

Person in critical condition after being pulled from Mataura River

A person is in a critical condition after being pulled from the Mataura river in Otamita, near Gore.

Gemma Sinclair

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Rural Life OtherAugust 13

Fleeced: police investigating the theft of bales of strong wool in South

Strong wool is back in the sights of thieves, as police investigate the fleecing of bales in the South.

Shawn McAvinue

DunedinAugust 13

Multiple cars torched in suspicious early-morning blaze

Five cars in a Dunedin industrial car yard were allegedly set alight in a suspected arson.

Laine Priestley

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DunedinAugust 13

Dealer’s drug trafficking busted by prison phone call to mum

When a Dunedin drug trafficker was locked up, his desperation grew — so he enlisted the help of his mother.

Rob Kidd

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DunedinAugust 13

An eye on the prize: eclipse glasses selling fast

John Lewis

UPDATED

West CoastAugust 14

Pedestrian hit by car dies in hospital

WorldAugust 14

Farage fights off Count Binface challenge

Reuters

ODT QuizAugust 13

ODT quiz: August 14

Dunedin

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DunedinAugust 13

Taiaroa Head bird flu closure would be ‘catastrophic’ for tourism

A knee-jerk reaction to the threat of bird flu risks having a “catastrophic” impact on the jewel in Dunedin’s tourism crown, a cruise industry leader says.

Tim Scott

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DunedinAugust 13

Man argues ‘principle and fairness’ in parking dispute with airport

A Dunedin man is questioning the competence of Dunedin Airport management, saying he paid cash due to a faulty parking machine while those with no cash exited the carpark for free.

Steve Hepburn

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DunedinAugust 13

Driver sickness hitting bus services

Public bus passengers in Dunedin and Queenstown are being asked to be patient as driver sickness impacts services in both areas.

DunedinAugust 13

Dunedin geologist part of crack team that discovers visitor from space

A streak of red lighting up the sky sent a Dunedin scientist to the North Island in search of a rare visitor from outer space.

Laine Priestley

Latest News

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WorldAugust 14

Farage fights off Count Binface challenge

2

NationalAugust 14

Terms of reference for Victim Support workplace probe

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NationalAugust 14

Polkinghorne denies police accusation he killed wife

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ChristchurchAugust 14

Christchurch man charged with human trafficking, migrant exploitation

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UPDATED

West CoastAugust 14

Pedestrian hit by car dies in hospital

Otago

QueenstownAugust 13

Queenstown gondola might be a goer, National says

If re-elected National will tackle traffic congestion in Queenstown, including possibly backing a gondola-based mass transit system, party leader Christopher Luxon says.

Mike Houlahan

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QueenstownAugust 13

High school students caught up in Queenstown traffic woes

Traffic congestion in Queenstown is doubling or tripling students’ travel time to high school.

Philip Chandler

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Central OtagoAugust 13

Triple distinction sends Clyde play to national stage

A short play written and produced by Clyde local theatre director Joy Ramsay has earned distinctions across three categories at the Theatre New Zealand competition in Dunedin held at the end of last month.

Carys Trotter

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South OtagoAugust 13

Team tames watery workplace in South Otago flood protection push

Working pinned between two rivers and an ocean has been challenging, but rewarding, leaders of a $2 million flood protection project say.

Richard Davison

Canterbury

ChristchurchAugust 14

Christchurch man charged with human trafficking, migrant exploitation

Immigration NZ says the charges relate to 11 people.

Sam Sherwood of RNZ

SelwynAugust 14

Canterbury mayors want to pause fast-track housing developments

Two Canterbury mayors are backing calls for a pause and review of the Government’s fast-track housing development decisions.

CanterburyAugust 14

United axe coach as league hopes hang in balance

Christchurch United head coach Albert Riera has been removed from his role with just two games remaining in the season after a poor run of form.

By Sam Coughlan

ChristchurchAugust 14

Family desperate to find Richard Leman’s remains

The family of a Canterbury father-of-three murdered and dismembered by Michael Scott Rodger are desperate to find the rest of his body to say goodbye and bury him with dignity.

National

NationalAugust 14

Polkinghorne denies police accusation he killed wife

Philip Polkinghorne has denied killing his wife as the accusation was put directly to him by police.

Rowan Quinn of RNZ

NationalAugust 14

Terms of reference for Victim Support workplace probe

Every current employee will have the opportunity to participate in the review, Victim Support says.

NationalAugust 14

Luxon remains ‘relentlessly optimistic’ about NZ

The Prime Minister hasn’t referenced his tumultuous week at all in a speech at the Business Canterbury election conference, focusing instead on the state of the world and National’s plans in the South Island.

NationalAugust 13

Calls to overhaul of eyewitness identification laws

An overhaul of New Zealand’s eyewitness identification laws is needed to “mitigate harm”, Criminal Cases Review Commissioner says.

Southland

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SouthlandAugust 13

100kmh zone a potential death zone

Calls to lower the speed limit on a stretch of Bluff Highway are falling on deaf ears.

Toni McDonald

SouthlandAugust 13

Shelter bags donated to homeless a ‘godsend’

Three Southland Rotary Clubs have funded 43 shelter bags, which were donated to and set distributed by the Salvation Army have been described as a “godsend”.

Tayler Mutton

Sport

CanterburyAugust 14

1st XV final: Christchurch Boys’ High v St Andrew’s

Six years ago, St Andrew’s College upset title favourites Christchurch Boys’ High to win the Miles Toyota Premiership. On Saturday they will have an opportunity to repeat history.

Sam Coughlan

RugbyAugust 14

Mo’unga ‘logical replacement’, unlikely to feature in first test

All Blacks coach Dave Rennie said it’s a matter of when, not if, Richie Mo’unga plays test rugby again.

FootballAugust 14

NZ Football withdraws support for Infantino

New Zealand Football has formally withdrawn its support for the candidature of Gianni Infantino as Fifa president at the 2027 Fifa Congress.

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RugbyAugust 13

Who will lift the Meads Cup in 2026?

Grassroots rugby at its finest is back when the Heartland Championship kicks off tomorrow. Kayla Hodge takes a glance at the teams.

Kayla Hodge

Lifestyle

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Home & GardenAugust 13

An ode to harakeke

Harakeke —  "Phormium tenax" — is one of the most recognisable plants in Aotearoa.

Garden Life by Tom Terry, Dunedin Botanic Garden apprentice

Home & GardenAugust 13

Into the woods: Queenstown cabin wows judges

When the Master Builders’ top Southern homes were revealed recently, one stood out as being much smaller and completely different to the rest.

Kim Dungey

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EntertainmentAugust 12

International musicians gather to celebrate NZ composer’s work

Walking through Waitārere Forest, headphones on, John Psathas is imagining an entire concert.

Rebecca Fox

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EntertainmentAugust 12

Personal explorations of memory, history, and identity through life-size material sculptures

Five full-size mannequins dressed in Victorian mourning dress dot the floor of Milford Gallery.

Rebecca Fox

Business

BusinessAugust 13

How Chinese electric vehicles are reshaping New Zealand's car market

Chinese-made electric vehicles are reshaping the country's car market as Chinese imports make up 73 percent of New Zealand's fully electric vehicles.

ChristchurchAugust 14

Idea to turn council facilities into solar power generators

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger wants to turn some of the city’s biggest power users into their own electricity generators, with a giant solar project at the wastewater treatment plant the first step in an ambitious plan inspired by his trip to China.

BusinessAugust 14

RNZ to cut staff by 10%

RNZ is preparing to reduce its staff numbers by about 10% over the coming year.

BusinessAugust 14

Visitor numbers remain up as South Island maintains record levels

Nine percent more overseas visitors arrived in New Zealand in the June 2026 year — and arrivals from Australia have hit a record level.

Rural Life

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Rural EventsAugust 13

Next level bidding at in-lamb ewe fair in Eastern Southland

Demand was strong for in-lamb ewes near Gore last week, an agent says.

Shawn McAvinue

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Rural EventsAugust 12

Ploughing on: NZ team move to backup plan after shipping delays furrows brows

The New Zealand ploughing team are on their way to compete in southeastern Europe, leaving their tractors and ploughs behind.

Shawn McAvinue

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Rural EventsAugust 12

Scores of triallists and dogs to compete at indoor charity event in Waimumu from Friday

Entries have closed for the 11th annual Southern Indoor Charity Dog Trials near Gore.

Shawn McAvinue

Red MeatAugust 12

Strong lift in red meat exports in June supported by higher sheepmeat, beef volumes

New Zealand red meat exports were worth $1.37 billion in June, 50% higher than June last year and a record value for exports in June, the Meat Industry Association says.

Food & Wine

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Food & WineAugust 11

Lemon provides brightness to winter days

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Food & WineAugust 11

Warm roasted red cabbage, beetroot and onion salad

In Season: Alison Lambert

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Food & WineAugust 11

Polytechnic brewery’s fate decided

Beer: Ric Oram

Food & WineAugust 11

How to know when fruit and veg are still safe to eat — and when they should be binned

World

WorldAugust 14

Thousands stranded at airport as record rain falls in Tokyo

More than 360mm of rain fell in 24 hours, inundating roads and railways, during one of Japan's busiest holiday weeks.

Reuters

WorldAugust 14

Bird remains found in engine after passenger partially sucked out of plane window

Bird remains were found in the engine of a Ryanair Boeing 737 NG plane where a passenger was partially sucked through a broken window shortly after takeoff from Greece in July, the US National Transportation Safety Board has said.

WorldAugust 13

‘Like science fiction’: Total solar eclipse wows spectators in Spain

Spectators across Spain watched in wonder as a rare total solar eclipse swept across the north of the country, plunging it into darkness.

WorldAugust 13

Half of Afghan women ‘rarely leave home’ under Taliban

Afghanistan is the only country in the world banning girls from secondary school and women from university.

Reuters

West Coast

West CoastAugust 13

WCRC picks electoral system despite impending abolition

All councils are required to pass a formal resolution on the voting system before September 12.

Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy reporter

West CoastAugust 12

Budget approved to tackle Paroa flood risk

The West Coast Regional Council has approved $100,000 to address flooding risk at Paroa, Greymouth.

Vihan Dalal, Local Democracy reporter

Video

DunedinAugust 13

Hiss off: Broad Bay goose defends turf from sea lion

It looked a mismatched contest between a bird and a lion, but the winged warrior came out on top.

Steve Hepburn

DunedinAugust 13

Collector's vintage treasures up for sale

A Dunedin radio and television enthusiast's vision of opening a museum for vintage radios and televisions has turned to static.

John Lewis

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DunedinAugust 13

An eye on the prize: eclipse glasses selling fast

While they are not particularly en vogue, the special glasses being sold for the upcoming total solar eclipse in the south, have almost run out in Dunedin.

John Lewis

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DunedinAugust 13

Ong called out for Facebook post, ejected from meeting

A Facebook post published during a council meeting led to the latest ejection of struggling Dunedin city councillor Benedict Ong.

Grant Miller

Opinion

OpinionAugust 13

The India-NZ FTA: looking beyond the politics

Shakespeare’s famous comedy, Much Ado About Nothing sums up a manufactured outrage over the India-New Zealand Free Trade agreement.

Sunny Kaushal

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OpinionAugust 13

Snakes and leaders

By the time you read these words Christopher Luxon may already be an ex-prime minister – deposed by his own colleagues less than three months out from a general election.

Chris Trotter

OpinionAugust 13

A big win achieved by someone who has big character

Ryan Fox's victory at the British Open at Royal Birkdale has been described by some commentators as New Zealand's greatest sporting moment. That's a bold claim.

Stu Crosson

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EditorialAugust 13

Local government mess

The deadline for local government amalgamation proposals under the Head Start programme has passed but ratepayers around the country are likely wondering what will happen next.

Editorial

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OpinionAugust 13

Cartoonist’s view: August 14

Today's cartoon from Shaun Yeo.

YeoCartoonist

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OpinionAugust 12

AI and bio-weapons

Artificial intelligence, based on large language models is shaping up to be the most efficient destroyer of value since the South Sea Bubble.

Gwynne Dyer

100 Years Ago

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NewsAugust 13

Remembrance of exemplars

Fifty-two old boys of the High street school paid the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, and their names have been recorded on the memorial gates which were unveiled yesterday afternoon.

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NewsAugust 12

Trains rescheduled for game

The annual match between Otago and Southland will be played at Carisbrook tomorrow afternoon. Great interest is being taken in this match, and a large contingent of Southland supporters is coming up from Invercargill to witness the game.

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NewsAugust 11

Crossing the planet

When the airman finally hove in sight, escorted by 10 aeroplanes, tumultuous cheering commenced, and lasted until he made a perfect landing.

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NewsAugust 10

Submarine sinks at dock

While undergoing repairs at Deyonport, submarine H29 sank.