Author: Press Room

Wellington Airport has unveiled its new terminal centrepiece this morning — an illuminated artwork sculpture representing the local bird spirit Manu Muramura.In May, the airport announced the famous giant eagle sculptures would be replaced after 12 years in the terminal. The new artwork — spanning a total length of 15m — was created by a team of designers and sculptural artists at Wētā Workshop in Miramar. The artwork suspended above the main terminal concourse featured a fibreglass body and wings with steel armature, polycarbonate feathers and a 3D-printed head complete with internal lighting. Wellington Airport unveils new terminal centrepiece created…

Discounted permits to park in Tauranga’s city fringe are a “good start”, but the fees are still “penalising residents,” a city centre dweller says.Tauranga City Council paused its plan for paid on-street CBD-fringe parking after residents objected to having to pay to park outside their homes.The parking charges were meant to start on August 4 but will begin August 18.Councillors signed off on allowing one discounted resident permit, costing $300 per year, for each CBD-fringe property, at a meeting on Tuesday.Additional permits could be purchased at $150 for a month, $750 for six months or $1500 a year. Anyone could…

Police are investigating the unexplained death of a woman found at an apartment block in Auckland’s Parnell last night. Emergency services were called to an apartment block on Cracroft Street just after 9.30pm on July 7. “A woman was located unresponsive inside a unit, and on ambulance staff attending she was pronounced deceased,” Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said.”The circumstances of her death are unclear, and police have commenced an investigation into what has occurred.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a cold weekend on the way, Israel reveals a new plan in Gaza, and what not do when driving…

What’s an extra bathroom worth in a house, really?If you’re trying to get ready in the morning alongside your spouse and kids, you might think the answer is “quite a lot”.Cotality, formerly Corelogic, data shows that people are willing to pay more for houses with multiple bathrooms.Head of research Nick Goodall looked at the value of three-bedroom houses compared to the value of three-bedroom houses with two bathrooms, when the characteristics such as floor size, land area and decade built, were otherwise similar.For a three-bedroom house built in the 2000s, people were willing to spend $39,000 more for a second…

The man accused of murdering Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson in the early hours of New Year’s Day can now be named. He is 32-year-old Hayden Donald Jason Tasker of Motueka. Until now, he had interim name suppression, which lifted today. Tasker is facing a raft of charges including murder and attempted murder, which he has previously pleaded not guilty to. The charges relate to the incident shortly after midnight on New Year’s Day in Buxton Square carpark in the central city. Fleming and her colleague Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay were struck by a vehicle while on foot patrol.…

Two Japanese warships sailed into Wellington Harbour this morning as part of a ceremonial port visit to the city. The ships, helicopter destroyer JS Ise and destroyer JS Suzunami, were on an Indo-Pacific deployment and had arrived in the capital from Sydney. “The intent of the deployment is to improve the JMSDF tactical capabilities and to strengthen cooperation and understanding with allied and partner navies in the Indo-Pacific, as well as contribute to the peace and stability of the region,” an NZDF spokesperson said. HMNZS Canterbury, returning from the recent Exercise Talisman Sabre in Australia, escorted the two ships into…

The names of four more electorates will be changed for the next general election.The Representation Commission, who outlined proposed changes to electorates in March this year, have now finalised boundary adjustments to 49 general electorates and three Māori electorates.Nineteen were unchanged. It said the main areas of change were in Auckland, the Bay of Plenty, Christchurch and the lower North Island.The loss of an electorate in Wellington was also finalised, with Ōhāriu, Mana and Ōtaki being replaced with two new electorates named Kenepuru and Kapiti.After hearings and submissions were made on the proposed changes in June, the commission today announced…

South Dunedin’s Hillside Workshop has produced 500 rail wagons in just over a year. KiwiRail chief metro and capital programme officer David Gordon visited the Hillside Rd workshops yesterday and congratulated its team on reaching the major milestone. The workshop marked the production of its 500th rail wagon since production began in March 2024. He said the goal was to assemble a total of 1500 wagons before the workshop would transition to focus on wagon maintenance and refurbishment. The Hillside Workshops were KiwiRail’s main heavy maintenance facility in the South Island where it maintained locomotives and wagons and built brand-new…

A Christchurch man has been sentenced to 18 months jail for poaching 1432 sea cucumbers. Jason Murray Nix, 55, learned his fate in the Christchurch District Court yesterday for two charges under the Fisheries Act. He was also banned from all fishing for three years. Nix received a total sentence of 30 months’ imprisonment as he was also sentenced on separate police charges. His equipment, including two boats and a car, was forfeited to the Crown. In November 2023, Nix and another man were stopped by police on other issues, and his vehicle was impounded due to other legal matters.…

Two men have been arrested after allegedly “scrambling” to hide guns, drugs and cash in the engine bay of a car in rural Auckland. Police – including the armed offenders squad – yesterday carried out a search at a property in Patumāhoe following a report of a person acting in a threatening manner. Officers arrivede to find a man in the garage area attempting to hide items, Inspector Matt Hoyes said. “This person was quickly taken into custody without incident.” A second man was then seen “also scrambling to hide a number of items”.“He failed to follow police instructions and…