ACC

By GUY WILLIAMS A chiropractor who defrauded ACC of more than $130,000 is serving out a community detention sentence in Arrowtown. Matthew Richard Cochrane was convicted in the Auckland District Court in July after admitting eight charges of dishonestly using a document...

By PHILIP CHANDLER A battle-hardened resort father of three preschoolers, living in a state house and surviving on ACC, wants your vote. Joel Rowlands, 35, is standing for The Opportunities Party (TOP) this election in the local Southland electorate as an advocate for...

By MATTHEW MCKEW She's back at work and wearing her infamous, infectious smile again thanks to Queenstown’s community spirit. Finnish bartender Essi Lehtonen’s had a tough few months but the staff, regulars and friends of Frankton Arm Tavern rallied round her...

By TRACEY ROXBURGH An Arrowtown pastor’s set himself a target of being back on the slopes at 100% next season after a ‘‘freak accident’’ at Coronet Peak on July 25 left him with two large metal rods in his hip...

By MATTHEW MCKEW AN overwhelming community response's helping to lift the spirits of a popular Finnish bartender left blind in one eye by a stroke. Essi Lehtonen's been part of the Frankton Arm Tavern team for three years, having moved to Queenstown...

By PHILIP CHANDLER Amidst a health crisis, it's apt foundation works on Queenstown's first surgical hospital started this week. The $20 million-plus hospital's being built next to the Queenstown Country Club by the retirement village's original developer, Sanderson Group. Despite a slight delay...

A Queenstown pensioner's gob-smacked she's had to pay $20,000 for shoulder surgery after a fall, despite paying tax for 50-plus years. Mary Keith, 66, is "pissed off" because she claims if a visitor had suffered the same injury in a...

Only a fifth of claims for injuries on Queenstown's ski slopes in 2018 were from tourists, according to ACC records. Some 5425 claims have been made to the national no-fault accident insurance scheme provider from the resort this year so...

A former Queenstowner is urging injured people to push for full medical scans after being left $90,000 out of pocket by ACC. Stephanie Milne has lost a court battle with the insurance corporation over three neck surgeries. Milne – and her...