MetService issued heavy rain watches for parts of the South Island. Image: MetServiceHeavy rain is on the way for parts of the lower South Island. MetService said today the slow-moving front was expected to bring heavy rain to Fiordland and inland Southland. The watches are for Fiordland, about and north of Doubtful Sound, from 4am until 9pm tomorrow; and for Southland from 7am to 7pm tomorrow. An earlier watch for Westland, about and south of Haast, has been lifted as the threat of rainfall amounts reaching warning criteria has passed.

But Sir Ian said since then he had sent emails to Mr Jones’ office and got no reply about a possible date and no date had been set. Sir Ian said he was looking forward to getting into the boxing ring with Mr Jones but in reality he would much rather dance with Mr Jones and get in the same step as him. But I think there are other ways to do that than mining.’’There had been the suggestion media personality Paddy Gower could be the mediator, Sir Ian said. ‘‘But the way Sir Ian has been talking he is looking at some sort of woke organic mung bean tea party fireside chat,’’ Mr Jones said. Sir Sam Neill has been criticised by Mr Jones for his opinions on the mine but Mr Jones said yesterday he had been contacted by many people telling him to lay off Sir Sam.

Benedict OngA Dunedin city councillor says he is not a safety risk and an increased presence of security guards ‘‘stationed specifically’’ for him is a waste of resources. Cr Benedict Ong’s comments come as the council appears to have increased security since the start of the year, with two security guards regularly at meetings compared with one previously. In a social media post on Wednesday, Cr Ong said the security guards were stationed at meetings for the express purpose of removing or barring him. Ms Barker said security had been at council meetings for a ‘‘number of years and is quite normal’’. Cr Ong disagreed these were required and later posted on social media a video of himself with duct tape over his mouth walking through the Civic Centre.

The Sending You Happiness Project fundraising gala this month at the Loan and Merc in Oamaru forms part of Endometriosis New Zealand’s (ENZ) national awareness month, its founders say. The gala aims to raise vital funds for education programmes while amplifying the voices and experiences of those living with endometriosis. Mrs Guyan said they were ‘‘excited’’ about the event on Saturday, March 28 at the Loan and Merc. ‘‘To be able to focus on things that are a little bit fun and the positive side of it is important,’’ Mrs Guyan said. The desire to help others was another catalyst for the fundraising event, Miss Dennison said.

Wānaka A&P Show general manager Jane Stalker. Next weekend, organisers are expecting 40,000 people at the Wanaka A&P Show. Show general manager Jane Stalker, who had been involved in the event since 1998, said she was excited and nervous for the show every year. There would be 49 food trucks and coffee vendors and 590 trade exhibitors at the Wanaka Showgrounds and Pembroke Park. She recommended people buy their tickets beforehand at a cheaper price and to make their lives as low-stress as possible.

Michelle Frankham and her husband, Mark Frankham, were some of the first at Auckland Airport on Saturday. “We’re just relieved that they’re coming home.”Grandma Claire Eadie (left) welcomed relatives on the flight arriving in Auckland from Dubai with hugs. Eadie’s son remained in Dubai but had told Eadie her grandchildren were upset by the alerts that warned of incoming missiles. David Ramsay was waiting for his wife, Leonie Ramsay, who had been in Dubai since February 20. Richard Parnicky, who is an expatriate living in Dubai, was planning to meet up with friends in Auckland.

The Black Caps also have the bonus of acclimatisation over an extended period, having lost a series 4-1 to India in January. Since 2013 and the infamous hotel room pow-wow after the Black Caps’ dismissal for 45 in a Cape Town test, this side has enjoyed a golden era. The way the New Zealanders play the game makes them standard-bearers for the international cricketing world, despite a relative lack of riches. Finn Allen and Tim Seifert added a record partnership to see the Black Caps beat the UAE at the T20 World Cup in India. Like a form of cricketing roulette, Ahmedabad’s Narendra Modi Stadium block has three types of soil surfaces - red, black and mixed.

Among those attending was Ali Jafari-Gh, an Iranian-born academic who teaches animal science at Massey University. Originally from Karaj, near Tehran, Jafari-Gh said he had travelled to Iran over the New Year period and witnessed protests first-hand. “The main aim is to echo the Iranian voice, which is shut down by the Government,” he said. Amir, who has lived in New Zealand for more than 16 years, said he had struggled to reach family members in recent weeks. “Nobody wants their country to be under attack, but many people believe this operation could help free them from the regime.”- RNZ

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It would become the first big-budget TV series to use Queenstown as a base and showcase the stunning Central Otago landscape. Camera operator Mike O’Connor has kept a record of those early drama days in immaculately kept scrapbooks. Sports clubs in the area were fair game; they needed funds and Hunter’s Gold needed extras. The whole Moke Valley was white, so no continuity [with the previous day’s filming]. Four days later, the key crew would crowd into a tiny edit room set up at our Skippers Lodge accommodation to view the ‘‘rushes’’.

Big win last monthA Masterton man described running through the house in his underwear after winning $5.08m in the Lotto Powerball draw of February 21. Lotto’s First Division Powerball jackpot has been struck twice so far this year. One MyLotto player from the Manawatū-Whanganui region won $10.2m on Wednesday, January 14. One week later, on January 21, a MyLotto player from Otago won $5.3m. For the Powerball jackpot to be claimed, a ticket holder must get all six Lotto numbers correct as well as the added Powerball number.

Auction rooms around the country remained busy in the first week of March, with very little change in either the number of properties on offer or the sales rate from the previous week. Interest.co.nz monitored the auctions of 538 residential properties around New Zealand over the week of 28 February to 6 March, down from 562 (-4.3%) the previous week. Of the 538 properties on offer, 202 sold under the hammer, down from 219 the previous week (-7.8%). That saw the overall sales rate decline by the smallest of margins, to 38% from 39%, so very little change there. It was the third week in a row that the sales rate has been below 40%, after being in the 42% to 45% range in the first three weeks of this year's summer auction season.

Lyall Bay each and the rest of Wellington's south coast has been off-limits since the Moa Point sewage treatment plant failed last month. Photo: RNZPublic health experts are warning the catastrophic failure of Wellington's Moa Point wastewater treatment plant exposes deep, systemic problems with New Zealand's infrastructure management. The government announced a Crown Review Team would investigate the Moa Point failure under the Local Government Act 2002. "The drivers of poor wastewater management are much broader than a single council. That's what we're hoping for with the Moa Point inquiry."

Council policy analyst Hannah Kennedy told a committee meeting this week that the service was not widely used and was handled on an informal basis. The council could also choose to stop providing the assistance, or set a fee to help with costs. Consultation on the policy is set to cover a range of topics such as assistance, extending the service area, inspections, fees for lost or damaged bins, and additional bins. A total 999 requests were received for damaged or stolen bins in the 2024/25 financial year, with 167 replaced. There were 293 rating units paying for additional bins, and a total of 678 additional bin sets.

In fact, it’s not that unusual to see cars from late last century puttering along through the traffic here. Overseas visitors often comment about a blast from the past from seeing cars made as far back as the ’70s and ’80s. Engines from decades long past are far less fuel-efficient and generate much higher emissions compared to those in more recently made cars. Photo: Getty ImagesOf course, we all know that electric vehicles offer one way to cut emissions and protect the environment. The government might be about to ditch holus-bolus the Clean Vehicle Standard, aimed at encouraging the purchase of low and zero-emission vehicles.