The Timaru Herald
Scarborough Rd occupants speak out
People living in a paddock near Timaru have responded to neighbour concerns about their “shanty town”, saying they are normal people trying to live peaceful lives. Last week, residents of Scarborough Rd, about 6km out of Timaru, raised concerns about...
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Fundraiser hits $2m mark
A community campaign to support the upgrade of Timaru’s Aorangi Stadium has passed the $2 million mark, with confirmation Sport Canterbury and Thompson Engineering have become gold partners. The milestone was a major step towards the fundraising...
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Offender vows ‘never again’
A long-time cannabis user who morphed into a small-scale dealer has assured a judge in the Timaru District Court that she is “never going to offend again”. The defendant, a 58-year-old woman from Pleasant Point, near Timaru, was told by Judge Maurice...
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Timaru first in NZ to join global art mission
The influence of total immersion Māori education and efforts to revitalise te reo are increasingly paying off in the workplace. A new report, commissioned by Te Māngai Pāho and completed by BERL, has investigated the economic value of te reo Māori....
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Meager retains Rangitata
National’s James Meager will represent the Rangitata electorate for a second term having retained the seat with a significant majority over his closest rival. With 100% of the preliminary count in, James Meager (22,236) led in Rangitata with a margin...
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Neighbours have had enough
Residents on the picturesque Scarborough Rd south of Timaru say they have had enough after the establishment of a camp in a paddock in the area, which they fear may become a “shanty town”. However, the owners of the land say the people on their...
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Rock throw changes charge
Police have conceded that a patched Black Power gang member threw a rock at a Timaru house in August, and did not fire a shot at the dwelling. When originally arrested, the 42-yearold man was charged with discharging a firearm to intimidate a person...
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Company guilty of ‘vile’ smells
An Environment Court judge has ruled there was no doubt in her mind who was responsible for the bad odours emanating from an industrial area in Timaru in 2024. Judge Prudence Steven found Farm Brands Ltd (FBL) guilty of 10 of 12 Resource Management...
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It’s a ‘recipe for disaster’
The months-long closure of a passing lane on State Highway 1 in the Waimate district is causing frustration, with some commuters fearing for their safety while travelling on the stretch of road. The left lane of the southbound passing lane near Ōtaio...
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New boss planning ahead
Fire and Emergency NZ’s new Mid-South Canterbury boss says his focus is on the upcoming summer season and ensuring the region’s stations are well resourced. A former district commander for the West Coast, Myles Taylor said he has extensive experience...
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Timaru waste to fuel plant proposed
Timaru’s council has leased land in Redruth to a company which proposes to build a waste processing plant it says could make the town the South Island hub for turning waste into New Zealand-made energy. Process Engineered Fuel (Pefco) chief executive...
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Man admits frenzied attack
A convicted killer who strangled his wife to death on their honeymoon was released from prison early, deemed by the Parole Board to be a “low risk” of reoffending. Three years later, he stabbed two people to death over slashed tyres. Rodney Stuart...
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Fundraiser for Timaru boy
A Timaru mum is remaining hopeful a second overseas trip can unlock improved health outcomes in New Zealand for her ailing 6-year-old son. Nesa Morey flies out to San Francisco’s Benioff Children’s Hospital on November 22 with her son, Armani Docos,...
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Debate over naming rights
Timaru’s deputy mayor has shot down a suggestion it would be inappropriate for the council to go out to the market to find a naming rights partner for Timaru’s upgraded stadium. Councillor Scott Shannon did not mince his words as elected members...
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Backdoor to reopen in CBD
A national retail chain is returning to Timaru’s CBD, six months after it left, in a move its owner hopes will be permanent. The Backdoor retail store will reopen at 218 Stafford St in November, after closing in April, when company managing director...
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Rare collection off to auction
A substantial collection of artworks offering a “fascinating snapshot” of Canterbury history will go under the hammer this month. The paintings, sketches and cartoons were once published in The Press before later being hung on the walls of the...
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Fire brigade to celebrate with parade, open day
The Waimate volunteer fire brigade will celebrate 150 years of service to its community with a parade on the town’s main street and station open day today. The brigade’s acting deputy chief fire officer John McConnell said the occasion was a chance to...
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Meth use fuelled online fraud
A 29-year-old man was in the throes of a methamphetamine addiction when he ripped off a string of people on Facebook Marketplace, the Timaru District Court heard on Tuesday. “You mocked up screenshots to make it seem you had paid for goods,” Judge...
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Ex-worker commits arson
A dismissed dairy farm worker caused more than $46,000 damage when he used a “cocktail of flammable material” to deliberately set a house, that had been his on-farm accommodation, alight with him inside. Accommodation at the house had been part of the...
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Contracts won’t be chased
The former owner of a long-running South Canterbury business had hoped a liquidator would secure payment for two substantial contracts cited in the downfall of his company, but that will not happen. Siebers International, an electrical, refrigeration...
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Innovative ideas shared
With agritech as the priority, the head of Timaru’s economic development agency hopes a visit by UK businesses will build on the scale and capability of the district’s food and fibre economy. As part of the 2026 New Zealand Global Incubator Programme,...
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Revamp nears completion
The finishing touches to the $4.15 million State Highway 1 intersection upgrade outside Timaru’s Showgrounds shopping centre are nearly complete, but more work is now planned nearby. Mark Pinner, NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi area manager, has told...
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New vicar felt call to serve the district
Brett Roberts’ father had a rule that once his son turned 16 he could decide for himself whether he wanted to continue going to church. “So, I was holding out 16,” said Roberts, now 36. “My parents separated when I was 7 and Dad is still, and was...
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Bottle-O hearing emotional
Emotions were running high at a liquor licensing hearing for a company that wants to open a bottle store in Fairlie, with some opposed to the application in tears as they spoke. Singh Trading owners Mandeep Singh and Ramanpreet Kaur lodged an...
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Female trio admit assaults
Three women involved in bathroom assaults on a three other females at a Timaru bar have now admitted their roles in the attack that left one victim needing emergency eye surgery. Two of the defendants pleaded guilty in the Timaru District Court on...
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Grocery bill doubles to $600
In Ōamaru, German-born Thomas Koentges, 45, now a New Zealand citizen, believes the coalition Government has not made Aotearoa/New Zealand a “fairer” place, and has instead increased division, both financially and within communities. He and his wife...
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Top cop identifies priorities
Road policing and protecting his staff are at the top of the agenda for Aoraki’s new top cop. Inspector Matthew “Matt” Scoles, who was welcomed as the new Aoraki area commander at a pōwhiri at Arowhenua Marae when he officially started in the role on...
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‘Zombie hospital’ has ‘worst ICU’ in NZ
Dr Peter Doran describes his place of work as akin to a “zombie hospital”. “Bits are falling off all the time, [there are] things we used to do that we’re not doing, things that we’re not doing as well,” said Doran, the branch president of the...
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‘Makes sense’: Timaru mayor
A majority shareholding in South Canterbury’s electricity lines company could be on the market early next year if the Mackenzie District Council also pushes through with an approved proposal to sell its shares. Mackenzie District councillors last week...
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Behaviour costs doctor $127k
A Timaru GP who tried to import thousands of unapproved ivermectin tablets and sent “highly unprofessional” emails threatening health officials with international court trials has been suspended from practising medicine. Dr Tracy Anne Chandler,...
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Council backs share move
Councillors have approved a proposal to sell Mackenzie’s shares in lines company Alpine Energy, with a final decision to follow community consultation. The proposal to divest Mackenzie District Council’s (MDC) 4.96% shareholding was presented by...
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Fan shares Phar Lap story
A devoted fan of Phar Lap is adamant the racing great’s death was caused by an accidental overdose of arsenic delivered by an intoxicated Australian “horse doctor”. Wayne Hinchliffe, a long-time friend of the race horse’s strapper Tommy Woodcock, made...
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Getting youngsters on a roll
Fears that November’s election may see the lowest youth vote ever have helped fuel a campaign to encourage young voters to enrol. The Y Central South Island’s Your Vote Matters campaign has been launched with social media posts sharing common myths...
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‘Billions’ in potential resource
A plan to grow New Zealand from the south provided the backdrop to the first public outing for candidates standing in the Rangitata electorate, with one suggesting that the key to unlocking a “high-tech, high-income” future for the region was sitting...
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Big screen run for Phar Lap
A 43-year-old poster has been unearthed as the perfect promotional accompaniment for a special one-off screening of the Phar Lap movie, helping celebrate 100 years since the racing great’s birth.
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Pareora chains shut down
Low stock numbers have forced the closure of both chains at Silver Fern Farms’ Pareora plant in what has been described as an “unusual” move. In an email sent to staff at the plant on September 15, site manager Bevan Forrest said the seasonal shutdown...
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Company traded insolvent
The liquidator of the company behind a South Canterbury-based construction and concrete business says it traded while insolvent. However, according to his latest report on the liquidation of Baseline Concrete Ltd, which covered the six months to...
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Timaru’s star keeps rising
A strong, collaborative effort between the town’s port, council and its regional tourism agency have contributed to Timaru’s huge increase in visits, the head of New Zealand’s cruise association says. In town for a cruise-ready workshop on Thursday,...
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Coroner spots safety issue
A coroner has urged the reinstatement of shelved safety work on State Highway 1 south of Timaru after finding a slick, degraded road surface contributed to a 2018 crash that killed a 31-year-old Waimate woman. Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame said in her...
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It’s not all in my head’, mother says
Faced with a terminal diagnosis, Kat Stevens wants to make the most of the time she has left with her family and to ensure no-one else experiences the devastating series of events she has. After months of back and hip pain and deteriorating health,...
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Pause disappoints mayors
South Canterbury’s mayors have expressed disappointment after the Government paused council mergers, with two saying they were unsurprised by the announcement. The Government yesterday morning said no decisions would be made on its controversial Head...
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NZ link to ‘house of horrors’
A man being investigated by the FBI over a US property described as a “house of horrors” once lived in New Zealand under a stolen identity. Raymond Horsch’s three-storey property in Philadelphia, which he shared with his son Eugene Horsch, has been...
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ECan recommend users pay
Hundreds of private water supplies across Canterbury are in areas with elevated nitrate levels, but ECan said those affected should buy their own filters rather than expect the agricultural sector to help out, senior staff at Environment Canterbury...
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LGOIMA requests increase
Waimate’s council has received one of the highest rates of official information requests in the country per population, and that is being attributed to increased public interest and engagement in the decisions it made. Figures, released in a report to...
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‘A fabulous community’
It was an exciting, albeit nerve-racking, wait for the arrival of a crane to install the latest sculpture on Geraldine’s Sculpture Trail. But it was all worth it, spokesperson Rosie Woods said. On Friday, the third permanent work was installed on the...
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Call to move historic maritime items
Important pieces of the town’s maritime history should be moved before the sea they were once connected to take them away, a Timaru man says. Grant Stewart said he had enjoyed “wandering aimlessly” in his retirement and as part of his meandering, he...
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Moa bones discovered
A daily coastal walk with her young daughter and one of her dogs has resulted in a momentous discovery for a South Canterbury woman, who found the skeletal remains of a now-extinct flightless bird. Pippa Yates, her 8-month-old daughter Molly and one...
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Pokémon catches customers
As the Pokémon trading card game’s 30th anniversary is celebrated worldwide, a Timaru business owner has credited the popular hobby with helping turn her business around. Yesterday, the milestone was commemorated with the release of a special card...
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Residents ‘living in islands’
Resident satisfaction in Tekapo has dropped eight percentage points, with councillors pointing to over-tourism as a key driver. The Mackenzie District Council revealed the figures from its annual resident opinion survey at a council meeting last...
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‘Totally heartbreaking’
Luca Fassbender had his heart set on attending a specialist learning centre when he starts high school next year. But now his family is seeking alternative arrangements after being told the school’s board of trustees was not accepting any out-of-zone...
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‘A really good job’: Council cuts costs
The head of Timaru’s council is praising his team for doing an “exceptionally good job” in trimming costs for 2025/26 leading to a surplus. Faced with ballooning debt and budget deficits, the council has been on a crusade to pull in its spending in...
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ECan releases nitrate maps
Swathes of the Canterbury Plains south of Christchurch are at the highest risk level for having nitrates in drinking water, with private wells regularly showing nitrate nitrogen concentrations above the maximum acceptable value (Mav). That value is...
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Choice to market or park it?
A report laying out the options for the future of Timaru’s oldest watering hole, and the building next to it, will be tabled at a council meeting in October, with the town’s advocate for historic sites still interested in it. The site of the former...
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Six staff slated for theatre
The council is advertising for a marketing and programming manager, and a technical production manager for Timaru’s Theatre Royal with six full-time roles likely at the new facility. Timaru District Council chief executive Nigel Trainor updated...
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Cruise impact anticipated
With an estimated 30,000 international passengers expected to arrive in Timaru this summer, a workshop is planned to show members of the public how they can get involved. The town was expecting triple the number of cruise ship visits this summer,...
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Professionals find work
After sending about 200 job applications, Danny Nelson estimated just 2% resulted in an interview. The experienced manager and former real estate salesman had been looking for work for more than six months. At 59, he began to wonder whether employers...
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Call for mystery buffs to start amateur sleuth group
Emma Heppell has always enjoyed mysteries, and now she is calling on other amateur sleuths to look at unsolved cases. The Waimate woman, who owns The Old Tin Shed Ice Cream and Art Emporium, said she spent a lot of time alone working in her business,...
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Business changes hands
A little-known logistics company helping to move containers, logs and refrigerated cargo through South Island ports has changed hands as part of an A$11.7 billion global takeover. Qube operates across New Zealand’s freight network, including at...
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Man’s offending accelerates
A young man who began 2026 with a clean criminal record is now facing sentencing in December for attempted arson and nine driving offences. The attempted arson charge followed an incident in Timaru on May 6, with the defendant pleading guilty in the...
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Emails surface in wagyu case
The embattled founder of the NZ Wagyu beef empire is facing fresh scrutiny as “potentially undermining” new emails surface in court. The revelations are linked to the disputed sale of a Canterbury farm currently subject to a High Court freeze order –...
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‘Friendly people, tasty pies’
Timaru has reached another massive international audience after being featured in a piece on the rise of fitness-focused holidays that ran in the UK’s Independent online publication. Organised by Tourism New Zealand, senior fitness writer Harry...
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Steaming ahead for a good cause
Undeterred by heavy rain and snow, a Timaru man is pushing on toward Aoraki Mt Cook on a 13-tonne traction engine to raise funds for charity and honour his late father. Thomas Kyle, 20, is driving his family’s 1910 Burrell traction engine from Timaru...
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Port has 47% jump in profit
There is much more to PrimePort Timaru’s performance in 2025-26 than a significant improvement in earnings, according to its chief executive. Phil Melhopt said the 47% increase in before tax, and after tax, profit levels came with strong demand across...
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A ‘disproportionate focus’
A recent restructure of Venture Timaru aimed to tackle the organisation’s “disproportionate focus on tourism” and “insufficient investment in economic development”, according to documents released to The Timaru Herald. The council-controlled...
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Slippery tiles under fire
It has only been through sheer luck that no-one has fallen on tiles in the district’s CBDs and died, a Geraldine man has told councillors. Speaking in the public forum of yesterday morning’s Timaru District Council meeting ahead of a decision around a...
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Record cruise season ahead
Investment in infrastructure at Timaru’s port and strong relationships with senior executives from international cruise lines has been attributed to a record scheduled cruise season. PrimePort Timaru will also be the home port for a second ship for...
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Son sets fire to family home
A lack of lunch and a previous night’s argument appear to have been the spark that led to a man attacking his parents with an axe, critically injuring his mother, and causing extensive fire damage to their 159-year-old homestead, Belvoir House. The...
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Trees up for chop along main route
More than 30 trees along a high-profile arterial route in Timaru could be in line for the chop as council staff seek approval from councillors to remove them. In a report, Timaru District Council’s roading network team leader Adam Ward and transport...
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Drink-driver chased vehicle
An intoxicated motorist dangerously chased another vehicle across Timaru because he believed the occupants did not like his ute. Judge Campbell Savage described the 41-year-old man’s driving on May 11 this year as appalling after he had pleaded guilty...
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Conduct probe cost $29,000
An investigation into whether a Mackenzie councillor pushed one council staff member and slammed the door in another’s face has cost ratepayers more than $29,000. The code of conduct investigation was launched in May after a confrontation between...
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Out-of-this-world work
A Timaru engineering company’s work on specialist components for scientific hardware is destined for the International Space Station, and it’s hoped there will be more opportunities for other South Canterbury businesses to get involved. Contracted by...
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Ship forced to wait at sea
A specialised heavy-lift ship carrying six new locomotives for South Island rail routes is expected to finally dock in PrimePort Timaru this morning. The 144.7m-long Bruce had, last week, been listed to dock in Timaru on Friday or Saturday, but it was...
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Thomas goes full steam ahead
It is expected to be a slow and testing journey, but a young Timaru man is determined to travel 400 kilometres on a traction engine to honour his late father and raise funds for charity. Thomas Kyle, 20, will drive his family’s 1910 Burrell traction...
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Friends of Aigantighe to mark 50 years
It began with a simple purpose – to foster interest in the district’s public art gallery, support exhibitions, bring people together, and help with buying works for the public collection. Formed in August 1976, the Friends of the Aigantighe Art...
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