Diane McCarthy

5 days ago | stuff.co.nz | Caroline Williams |Diane McCarthy |Zita Campbell

An embattled Southland lagoon will be the subject of an upcoming hearing to decide if periodic openings to the sea should be allowed. Waituna Lagoon is located southeast of Invercargill next to Toetoes Bay, and forms part of an internationally significant wetland. But the area has battled both high water levels and algae outbreaks in recent years due to nutrient build-up, with run-off from surrounding farmland proving an issue.

1 week ago | stuff.co.nz | Catrin Owen |Diane McCarthy |Lee Tulloch |Hamish McNeilly

In late May, a husky puppy arrived at a shelter in Austin weighing just three pounds, about half the weight she should have been. She was fished out of the bottom of a rubbish bin, whimpering, cold and barely clinging to life. “The animal welfare space sees these stories constantly,” said Elizabeth Ferrer, marketing and communications program manager of Austin Animal Center. Staff reached out to Austin Pets Alive, a local animal rescue that has specialised veterinary care.