Tess Brunton

Invercargill residents are ready for a breath of fresh air from their upcoming council by-election after months of turmoil.

The Southern District Health Board says it did not advise the local council not to go public when lead contamination was found in East Otago drinking water.

An East Otago mother says she's been left confused and concerned as blood test results start to roll in after a lead contamination testing blitz.

Residents affected by the water lead contamination issue in east Otago hope a top level review will shed some light on the issue.

Residents in two coastal Otago towns say they want answers about lead contamination in drinking water ahead of a public meeting where they will confront authorities.

Residents in two East Otago towns are frustrated they do not know when they can drink water out of the tap, not from a tanker.

The Octagon Alcohol Group, formed in a bid to make Dunedin central city safer, can ban serious offenders from all inner city bars with a blanket trespass notice.

New Zealanders can soon dive into history - and remote Fiordland - and explore the country's oldest known shipwreck as part of new documentary series. Video

Regional tourist operators are grappling with another year of uncertainty with some questioning whether their businesses will survive.

Some Central Otago orchards say this season's crop is a write off, while others struggle to find enough workers.

Some trampers are questioning why QR codes aren't displayed at all DOC huts and sites, despite the government's advice to use the app when out and about.

Tourism operators are preparing for their first summer without international visitors in decades as borders remain closed.

Tourism operators are worried they will be bogged down by bureaucracy following a review of adventure activities near natural hazards.

A review into adventure activities operating near natural hazards has found WorkSafe needs to ramp up its industry oversight and more safety improvements could be made.

Hundreds of Otago Polytechnic students are gutted they will not graduate in person tomorrow after an earlier security threat scuppered plans.

Central Otago orchard owners say the push for workers is not over as they prepare for harvest season.

Dreams for turning an old pub in Invercargill into a charity hospital are one step closer to reality with the first strike of a sledgehammer.

Central Otago fruit growers are rubbishing claims they're turning down New Zealanders for local fruit picking work as they would prefer cheap foreign labour.

Immigration New Zealand announced 21 tourism and hospitality roles have been added to the undersupply list for Queenstown Lakes in response to the lack of New Zealanders available to fill jobs.

The tourism industry is warning that tightening rules around how to manage risks could hit the sector hard in the wake of the Whakaari/White Island eruption.

Former Cadbury factory workers have taken a last tour of the building before it is demolished to make way for the new Dunedin Hospital.

A Central Otago community was left scrambling when their power was cut for six hours yesterday without notice during a network upgrade.

Installing a commissioner at the embattled Invercargill City Council is the most sensible option, a local government expert says.

Newly-appointed Tourism Minister Stuart Nash revealed to a sold-out crowd at Tourism Summit Aotearoa in Wellington today he does not want New Zealanders subsidising international visitors.

The tourism industry is facing a multi-billion dollar loss of revenue after borders closed and international travel screeched to a halt.