Written by Jonathan Leask
Sheep will keep grazing beneath the panels as the 42-megawatt project gives a Canterbury farmer a second income stream and helps feed the grid.
Weather remains the main risk to Ashburton's second bridge, but NZTA says the NZD $134-$144 million project is still on time and on budget.
Rolleston residents are set to gain new retail and office space as the town square project moves ahead after a 2024 pause.
Residents in Montalto have six months to devise a takeover plan for their ageing water scheme, after the council delayed some upgrade work.
Safety fears on a 500-metre stretch of Allens Road could be eased if NZTA backs the council's $1.5m bid for a footpath.
Local businesses face another 18 months of disruption after Selwyn District Council awarded Fulton Hogan an around NZD $19 million contract for Lincoln upgrades.
Restoration of the 109-year-old Ashburton footbridge is nearly finished, with the $880,000 job due to reopen it by the end of October.
Around 2,700 Selwyn properties may have been underbilled, leaving ratepayers facing up to GBP £1.4 million in water charges.
Frustration is mounting in Methven after EA Networks admitted its revised lighting timetable was not communicated clearly to businesses and residents.
Residents face a higher risk of illegal dumping after Methven's household item drop-off trial failed to stop the depot being used as a dump site.
Residents may face higher borrowing costs if NZTA co-funding falls through, as the $5.37 million Rolleston roundabout is brought forward.
Ratepayers could face higher bills as Canterbury councils prepare a mandatory regional spatial plan estimated at GBP £7 million to GBP £10 million.
Residents will pay six months of targeted rates before the new food and garden waste service begins in January after bin delays.
The Environment Court has upheld the scheme, though tougher conditions must be filed after objections over Rangitata water use were rejected.
About a quarter of the Rakaia rollout cannot yet report readings, leaving Ashburton District Council unable to rely on the system for wider use.
