The Timaru Herald
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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Surf Life Saving Kids SPF 50+ Sunscreen
Get kids on board with sun-safe behaviour with this fun Minions-themed sunscreen. The Despicable Me collab is dermatologist tested and formulated specifically for children’s delicate skin. The SPF 50+ broad-spectrum sunscreen is four-hours water...
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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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Plan to grow New Zealand from the South
An ambitious plan to grow the South Island’s economic output from $79,400 per person to $130,000 by 2035 has been set out by the island’s Chambers of Commerce. Released yesterday, a day ahead of the South Island Election Conference in Christchurch,...
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Hampton House demolished after 102 years
The demolition of the 102-year-old Hampton House in central Timaru started yesterday, as its new owners prepare the site for development. Ahead of the demolition starting, owner Raymond Bowan told The Timaru Herald he did not like pulling down old...
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Will Theatre Royal be home to new cafe?
A cafe at Timaru’s Theatre Royal has not been ruled out, with a senior member of council staff saying it would look at “all opportunities” for the facility once it reopened. The possibility of a cafe was raised at yesterday’s Timaru District Council...
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Local ingredients key to gelato shop’s business
Ten months ago, Nicolette Garner knew nothing about gelato let alone anything about running a business. With a background in vet nursing, Garner moved to the South Canterbury town of Geraldine, from north of Auckland, in 2021, following other family...
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Historic flats beyond repair
A 102-year-old Timaru building once hailed as the first block of flats to be erected in Canterbury will come down tomorrow, with its owners working to salvage as much as they can before it is demolished. Potato farmers Raymond and Adrienne Bowan...
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It’s full steam ahead for Frank
It has been a challenging few months for 89-year-old Mackenzie councillor Frank Hocken as he found himself at the centre of a council investigation. But with that business behind him, Hocken has no plans to slow down. Over the past 40 years, Hocken...
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Vandal keeps his licence by ‘fine margin’
A District Court judge was “sorely tempted” to disqualify a 20-year-old man from driving for damaging a Timaru reserve, but ultimately decided not to on Tuesday because of the effect it could have on his job. The man pleaded guilty to a charge of...
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Fundraising wheels turning for school
In a bid to co-ordinate transport for sports, trips and school activities, the Friends of St Joseph’s School Temuka have undertaken a fundraising drive. With both parents in many families working, the group’s president said there is a lot of extra...
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Little penguins inspiration for new book
The little penguins on Caroline Bay have been capturing the hearts of many since they began nesting off Marine Parade, and now they are the subject of a book to be released during an inaugural week celebrating children’s literature. Kahu’s Busy Day in...
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Transform WINTER SKIN
That feeling of tightness after a shower? Blame it on the season. This is what experts mean when they talk about a ‘compromised skin barrier’, and it’s something many of us are experiencing right now. Dryness is caused by both external and internal...
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New art gallery exhibition celebrates water
A new exhibition at a Timaru art gallery celebrates the power of water. Mike Glover’s Tangled Up In Blue opened at the York Street Gallery of Fine Art on Friday evening and included 11, most of them new, works painted around the theme of water. “I...
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Historic immigrant settlement recognised with name and sign
It was occupied for only nine years but the importance of a historic immigrant settlement located at Timaru’s Pātītī Point has been officially signposted, much to the delight of a descendant whose family were residents there. Peeress Town was a small...
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Timaru man continues fight to save dog
A Timaru man says he feels let down by the legal system after his High Court appeal to save his dog was dismissed, but he remains determined to keep fighting. Craig Edgar’s dog Beau has been in the Timaru District Council pound since he was seized in...
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Raceway shaping as winner
The future of racing at Timaru’s Phar Lap Raceway has received a major boost with support from New Zealand’s harness and thoroughbred racing organisations. The positive news comes as the industry looks at how major infrastructure changes should be...
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Mayor clarifies comments
Timaru’s mayor says he was not taking aim at any particular councillor when he called out elected members not picking up their fair share of the workload. Nigel Bowen’s comments at last week’s Timaru District Council meeting came after councillor...
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Harlequins rugby thriller in extra-time win
Harlequins showed its championship winning qualities in an upset extra-time South Canterbury senior club rugby title win over Temuka on Saturday. It was Harlequins’ third straight Hamersley Cup win, and the 24-19 victory was achieved after finishing...
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Exhibition brings two potters together
Creating with clay has linked them with their community, and one another, and it is connection that forms the basis of Sue Inkster and Marita Bool’s latest exhibition in Timaru. Connections, which opened at the York Street Gallery of Fine Art on...
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Seafarers bench seat honours late long-serving committee member
Fay Bailey never got to see the new centre built by the organisation she dedicated 45 years of her life to in Timaru, but her memory lives on in a new bench seat in her honour outside the building. Bailey was a volunteer at the South Canterbury...
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