Nelson Mail

Nelson woman taking on cancer one step at a time

Just over a year ago, young Nelsonian Izzy Thurlow was a competitive swimmer, gym instructor and runner when she developed a persistent ache in her leg. “I honestly thought I’d just pushed myself too hard,” she said. “I was still teaching...

PM’s promise with a catch

Plans to build the Hope Bypass are under way, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has assured a roomful of Nelson-Tasman business leaders. But, as Luxon faced questions at a Nelson-Tasman Chamber of Commerce lunch yesterday, he was quick to temper...

Fuel prices starting to bite

Social agencies in Nelson are bracing for a surge in people seeking help as the pressure from rising fuel prices starts to bite. Agencies spoken to were already seeing an uptick and, with the uncertainty over how long the Iran war would last, they...

ONE STEP, FIVE BENEFITS: Why this new SPF is a busy person’ s best friend

If you’ve ever looked at a 10-step skincare routine and thought, love the idea, simply don’t have the time, you’re not alone. Between work, school drop-offs, getting to the gym or just getting out the door, the ‘perfect’ morning routine can feel like...

First Nelsonian Civic Award presented

When it comes to volunteering, a stalwart of Nelson Returned and Services’ Association has a simple philosophy. “There’s an old saying – we work because we have to, we volunteer because we want to,” Brian Ramsay told the Nelson City Council on...

Troubled waters for region’s tourism firms

Soaring fuel prices are hitting Nelson Tasman tourism businesses as costs rise and travel plans are disrupted. Abel Tasman Sea Shuttles general manager Keith Knapp said he was “very concerned” about the fuel crisis. “We keep a lot of staff on over...

Fuel costs push savings drive

The head of Nelson City Council is asking staff to find cuts to help manage the impact of rising fuel costs, councillors have been told. On Thursday, the council’s chief executive, Nigel Philpott, told the council’s delivery oversight committee that...

Big bill for developing central city car parks

Spending more than $3 million developing two car parks in the Nelson CBD has been criticised as heading in the wrong direction, but the mayor believes the city still needs more parking spaces. Developing a car park at Millers Acre to replace spaces...

New cancer clinic cuts travel time for top of the South patients

For many people living in the top of the South Island, receiving a cancer diagnosis brings an immediate logistical hurdle alongside the medical one. Accessing specialist treatment often means booking flights or enduring long drives to Christchurch....

Like ‘toilet paper in Covid’

Sales of electric vehicles in Nelson following fuel price hikes have been “next level”, a car dealership director says, while a charity that restores and re-homes bikes can’t keep up with demand. Car Company Limited / BYD Nelson general manager Ben...

Oil crisis ‘huge issue’ for Nelson

The flow-on impacts of fuel price hikes and potential shortages are a “huge issue” for Nelson, the city’s mayor says. However, Nick Smith said the council was a “small player” and the primary response sat with central government, and he had confidence...

Drivers wary of ‘queue jumping’ are delaying traffic

It’s a familiar design at traffic lights – vehicles splitting into two lanes at an intersection, then merging back into one on the other side. What’s also familiar is all the traffic sticking to just one of the available lanes. In a recent debate on...

The ‘most intense’ intersection

Safety improvements are needed at a “shocking” highway intersection near Nelson, a business leader says. “It’s always a bit scary when there is a crash there,” said Ben Conning, director of popular food market Connings, next to the Appleby Highway...

Unrest brings uncertainty

Increasing global unrest and rising fuel prices will have “huge ramifications” for Nelson’s port and airport, local politicians have been warned. Yesterday, Infrastructure Holdings Ltd, the company that oversees Nelson Airport and Port Nelson, gave a...

Works bring ‘world of pain’

Two weeks after a popular Nelson art gallery and cafe became an “island of roadworks”, business is down an average of 30%. “It’s pretty brutal,” said Red Art Gallery & Cafe co-owner Antony Stevens. “Some days it’s not worth opening.” The Nelson City...

Plan pitched for sports pavilion

A Nelson man has a bold plan to build a beach sports hub and pavilion at Tāhunanui Beach. Dave Miller, the director of events, management and construction company BeachedAz Ventures, presented the estimated $10 million plan to the Nelson City Council...

New dump charges proposed

The days of estimating how many cubic metres of waste you have to dump could be gone, with plans to replace existing fees with a “simpler and clearer price structure”. At a meeting last week, Nelson City councillors agreed to send a new pricing...

Nelson’s traffic up by 6%

If you think Nelson’s congestion is getting worse, you’re not imagining things: data shows the city’s traffic flows were up 5.8% over 2025. From December 2024 to December last year, traffic in the Nelson Tasman region had a 4.9% increase, while...

Edge of Blue

‘Quiet enjoyment’ wins

Speed bumps on the Tāhunanui Hills will be removed despite successfully reducing crashes and rat-running. The 20 speed cushions were installed on Moana and Bisley avenues by Nelson City Council in early 2024 as a trial after locals sought action on...

In the footsteps of murderers

Nelson’s Bridge St is a construction zone these days. But 160 years ago it was a thriving thoroughfare at the centre of one of the grisliest episodes in the fledgling settlement. Now its dark history and its changing present are coming together in a...

Rise in violence, aggression

The Male Room director Philip Chapman has become far more cautious of late. At the Nelson drop-in centre for the homeless, he’s seen an increase in violence over the past year, the type of incidents that would make most people’s hair curl. Other...

Axe hangs over CBD trees

Nelson’s CBD is to be stripped of 23 trees as the council moves into the next phase of its $78 million infrastructure replacement and street revitalisation programme. The Nelson City Council plans to remove the trees this month as part of the Bridge...

Man’s last wish that orphanage boys not ‘be forgotten’

When Tony Clark first set eyes on St Mary’s Boys Orphanage Cemetery – on a hilltop overlooking part of Tasman Bay – it was covered in weeds, low-hanging branches and waist-high grass. The Nelson man set to work restoring the site in Ngāwhatu Valley,...

Council grant to help vulnerable women

Vulnerable women struggling to find secure housing will have a place to go to for help thanks to a Nelson City Council grant. The council has announced a $100,260 grant has been awarded to the Nelson Women’s Centre to deliver a Housing Vulnerability...

Bombs away

It was Nelson’s turn to find out who was the bomb at doing the best manu, with bragging rights and a trip to represent the region at the grand final up for grabs. Nelson Mail visual journalist Martin De Ruyter was there at Nayland Pool to capture all...

Home cameras not enough

Tasman District elected members will be able to claim almost $5000 for a home security system, but one councillor is concerned that cameras alone won’t be enough of a deterrent. At a full council meeting earlier this month, councillors green-lit the...

Mayors to push for continued bypass backing

The mayors of Nelson and Tasman say the Hope Bypass must go ahead, even as a National Infrastructure Plan casts doubt on major roading projects. On Tuesday, the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission released the 30-year plan looking at priorities for...

Spotlight on river catchments

Restoring native habitats in New Zealand’s river catchments would help protect communities from increasing climate change-related threats like flooding and drought. That’s according to organisations investigating the best way to re-establish native...

Mother denies inducing illnesses in her young child

A mother accused of fabricating her young child’s illness and tampering with medical lines to cause infections has denied the charges at the opening of her jury trial. In the High Court at Nelson yesterday, the Crown case hinged on what it alleged was...

Meth offences see big drop

Methamphetamine offending in the Nelson Tasman police district has fallen by more than half in five years, official data shows. The figures come even as wastewater testing suggests the drug remains deeply embedded in the region. Police say the...

Fashion label Robyn Reynolds to close after 25 years in Nelson

After 25 years dressing women in handmade boutique clothing, Nelson designer Robyn Reynolds is closing her store, and stepping into an entirely new creative life. At 67, and about to become a grandmother, Reynolds says the timing feels right. Her...

Outfield fix may delay towers

Repairs to the outfield at Saxton Oval could force plans to build new media towers at the cricket ground to take a back seat. Building new media towers at the Nelson cricket ground has long been touted as a necessity if the region wants to secure...

Liquor laws ‘out of step’

Liquor licensing across Nelson and Tasman is facing growing criticism, with community and business leaders saying strict and unclear conditions are hurting low-risk community events. Italian Festival organiser Flavia Spena said licence restrictions...

Finding “THE ONE” for your skin

Meet the suitors The Palmer’s body oil trio Each Palmer’s body oil brings its own unique personality, charm and skin-loving strengths: the key is finding ‘the one’ that feels right for you and your skin’s needs. • Cocoa Butter Body Oil – the...

A Waitangi welcome

Visitors to Whakatū Marae were greeted with a hongi after the pōwhiri during the commemorations for Waitangi Day in Nelson yesterday. Te Rā o Waitangi ki Whakatū 2026 was held at the marae with a strong crowd in attendance.

Waitangi, cohesion and the challenge to our major parties,

Last year, Ngāi Tahu hosted Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and other senior National Party ministers at our annual Waitangi Day commemoration event in Te Waipounamu. Much was made of the prime minister supposedly “running away” from Waitangi to hide...

Companies avoid conviction

A group of development and construction companies have avoided conviction after building dozens of retaining walls without having obtained authorisation first. Nelson City Council regulatory services head Mandy Bishop said the council discovered...

A long road to recovery

Unnati Patel’s life was changed in a split second at a highway intersection with a history of serious crashes. On January 23, the Nelson woman was a passenger in a crash at the intersection of State Highway 60, Appleby, and McShane Rd, just before...

New high school principal focused on student wellbeing

Being Māori, having a disability and being part of the LGBTQIA+ community meant school wasn’t always easy for Lex Davis. But, thanks to his teachers, he loved his school years, which set him on a path into the profession – and now a school’s top...

$12.89m boost for marina

The Government is injecting $12.89 million into Nelson’s planned marina expansion, which is expected to generate over 100 local jobs. The loan to the Nelson City Councilowned Nelson Marina Management Ltd is a boost for the project that includes a...

Five NZ Post retail locations to close in Nelson-Tasman

New Zealand Post has confirmed the closure of five of its retail locations across Nelson and Tasman as part of a nationwide overhaul of its store network. Yesterday, the state-owned enterprise announced it will remove services from 142 urban retail...

Tasman third in MDMA use

Tasman’s consumption of MDMA is the third-highest in the country, surpassing that of both Auckland and Wellington, according to the police’s latest wastewater testing results. Released in December 2025, Tasman’s MDMA consumption was detected at an...

Family co-housing community grows with new tiny home-dwelling residents

Three-year-old Olivia How loves to pack baking into a basket and walk it down to her substitute grandparents who live just a few houses along. “They’re like her own grandparents,” Olivia’s mother Tomomi says, “She loves hanging out with them.” The...

Schools avoid teacher gaps

While some New Zealand regions are starting the year scores of teachers short, Nelson and Tasman District appears less badly hit. But local school principals warned they were not “out of the woods” regarding the teacher shortage, with few suitable...

Pic’s crunches competition

Pic’s Peanut Butter is gearing up for another chunky year. The Nelson-based spread manufacturer saw sales reach $40 million and revenue grow by 20% in the 2025 financial year, and it anticipates another 20% increase in sales in the current year. Most...

Into the wild

Paddlers, boarders at risk

Stand-up paddleboard ( SUP) and other small-vessel users are getting caught out in dicey situations without lifejackets, while those who are buying inflatable boards online may be missing out on the safety advice they need to keep them out of...

Access dispute heats up

Iwi members blocking access to an “illegal” boat launching area just out of Nelson say they are acting as guardians of the estuary. For several days over the past week, Andrew Stephens, from the Wakapuaka 1B Trust, together with whānau member Helen...

Monkey bars’ reign of pain

Bumps, scrapes, and breaks happen every day in the playground, but it’s the monkey bars that are head and shoulders above the rest for causing injuries. Data from ACC shows the number of injuries relating to playgrounds across New Zealand has been...

Extreme heat could be new norm by 2050s

A record-shattering heatwave akin to unprecedented events in other parts of the world is possible in our current climate, scientists have found, and New Zealand needs to do more to get prepared. Universityof Waikato researchers Hamish Lewis and Dr...

Deck to be chopped back

A non-compliant deck at the holiday house of Gun City owner David Tipple and his sons will have to be reduced in size, and steps to Kaiteriteri Beach removed as part of a retrospective consent. A hearing for the controversial 80m² deck overlooking the...

Casual market not working

Students returning home to Nelson for the summer holidays are struggling to find jobs with enough hours. Data from Student Job Search shows that while there were lots of jobs available in Nelson, there was high competition for roles, and most...

Couple’s ‘impossible’ burger truck dream becomes a booming eatery

When Marty and Clare Soulek first floated the idea of running a burger truck, they were repeatedly told it would never work. Site after site across Nelson and Tasman turned them away, warning the business wouldn’t last through winter. Instead, the...

Officer’s legacy lives on

There were a few tears at the briefing for Nelson police officers ahead of their New Year’s Eve patrols in the city. But there was also a determination to do their job in memory of their colleague, Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming. A year ago Fleming, 62,...

Running legend honoured

Rod Dixon tells a story of misbehaving in class so he would get the “punishment” of doing three laps around the football field. When his teacher at Nelson’s Tāhunanui School cottoned on, the penalty was changed to writing lines, and young Dixon’s...

Resource consent lodged

The resource consent application has officially been lodged for a planned new surf lifesaving club at Nelson’s Tāhunanui Beach. But, while the club is excited to see progress on the project, a Nelson City Councillor has questioned why the application...

Flood victims face uncertain future

Heavy rain hit Tasman District on June 27, sparking the worst flood there in almost 150 years. The region went into a state of emergency again two weeks later, as another ‘atmospheric river’ struck the already sodden land. Katy Jones spoke to property...

What’s on in Nelson Tasman

Tomorrow Golden Bear Brewing 11th Summer Music Festival: Over the next 15 days, musicians and their bands will be banging out the sounds across all genres at the Golden Bear Brewing Company in Māpua. Starting with the Brazilian Social Club, this...

Shake-up in city’s hospo scene

A shake-up is under way in Nelson’s hospitality scene, with new venues opening and several established spots changing hands, as operators expand and invest. But it’s not all bright news with Two Thumb Brewing Co. Nelson going into liquidation on...

Whooping cough cases spike

Whānau are being urged to make a bubble around vulnerable family members this Christmas as Nelson-Marlborough experiences a surge in whooping cough cases. The latest data from the New Zealand Institute for Public Health and Forensic Science shows...

World’s ‘fastest-growing sport’ hits the Nelson region

Motueka real estate business directors Roar and Rebecca Kristoffersen discovered the sport of padel while visiting friends on a recent trip to Roar’s native Denmark. “In the past we would always say, oh let's go and have a drink and a meal or...

Historic land dispute settled

Ownership of more than 3000 hectares of land in Te Tauihu will be returned to descendants of its original Māori owners, including the Kaiteriteri Recreation Reserve and the Abel Tasman Coast Track Great Walk, under a historic agreement signed on...

Demand up but course to go

A school in Nelson has experienced its highest demand in years for an outdoor education programme, set to disappear under Government reform. Nayland College has created a waiting list for its year 11 outdoor education (OED) course next year, after...

Solve scalp issues

An itchy-feeling, flaky scalp can be a real confidence killer. It’s the kind of persistent annoyance that makes you think twice about wearing your favourite black top, or might even hold you back from hitting the gym. More than 50 per cent of the...

Holiday hotspot eyes its future after flood

Bethany Park manager Roger Armstrong exudes positive expectation. “Perfect” spring conditions have left a soft bed of newly-sown grass for the hundreds of campers due to start descending on the holiday park in Kaiteriteri next week. Permanent...

‘Fastest planning in the west’

Resources will be stretched as councils face an “incredibly constrained” timeframe to come up with their first regional spatial plan that will shape the future of Nelson and Tasman. Under the Government’s reforms released yesterday, the Resource...

Spectacle has global potential

The organiser of an increasingly popular sports festival in Nelson is already seeing the potential to put it on the international running map. The Spectacle running festival was held on Friday and Saturday, and featured just under 600 more...

Quiet Nelson corner becomes a street food destination

Tucked into a tired-looking suburban road, Street Food on Washington is easy to miss – and that, owner Ben Smith says, is both “a blessing and a curse”. The small family-run eatery has quietly built a loyal following in a low-decile neighbourhood that...

Tasman workers stay home

Tasman workers are choosing the kitchen table over the car commute, topping the country as the region with the highest percentage of people working from home. According to the 2023 census, 20.8% of employed adults in Tasman mostly work from home, up...

New lens on spending eyed

A “value-for-money lens” will need to be cast over all council funding decisions to meet a new 4% rates cap proposed by the Government, Nelson mayor Nick Smith has warned. Meanwhile, Tasman mayor Tim King says the cap could be achievable, but it would...

Business leaders push back

Nelson business leaders say the region is seeing far more economic activity and investment across multiple sectors than national coverage suggests. Speaking at a Chamber of Commerce event at Tides Hotel on Thursday, regional developer Andrew Spittal...

Visa declined for autistic boy

When Nithin Mankeel and Aparna Jayandhan Geetha met in nursing school in India, they shared a dream of moving to New Zealand and starting a family. For 15 years they worked towards it - including living apart for eight years while Mankeel worked in...

Region facing food crisis

Charities supporting families in a “burgeoning food crisis” are struggling to keep up with demand as donations dwindle. High rents, “unsustainable” food prices and unemployment are fuelling demand for food bank services in the Nelson region, while...