Author: Press Room

 – Customer arrears edge higher in May on April, but lower than year ago  – Vehicle, mortgage, personal loan arrears drop, buy now pay later rise  – Financial hardship increases, company liquidations higher  – Consumer and business credit demand rises Households are generally managing to stay on top of their debt, but hardship cases and business liquidations continue to rise. The latest report from credit bureau Centrix showed a marginal increase in the number of customers in arrears to 485,000 in May on the month before, 12.5 percent of the credit active population, but down 1 percent on a year…

TVNZ has revealed the most-watched shows on its streaming service this year – with the 6pm news, Demi Moore’s The Substance and kids’ favourite Bluey proving top audience hits.The most-streamed show on TVNZ+ is the broadcaster’s flagship 1News at Six, which has amassed 698,000 logged in viewers so far this year.The Substance, The Rookie, Rogue Heroes and Bluey round out the top five.In total, TVNZ+ has reached 2.17 million viewers, who have collectively engaged with 205 million minutes of content each week.Demi Moore’s Golden Globe-winning performance secured the second spot and reached 251,300 viewers.Premium dramas such as Rogue Heroes and…

Four years of failed attempts to get a dedicated student bar in Dunedin have pushed scarfies to prepare a public campaign to find a new site.The last dedicated student pub – Starters Bar – was shut down due to earthquake risks and is now demolished.The Otago University Students’ Association is searching sites for a new licensed bar, but hasn’t secured one yet.President Liam White told 1News: “We had a great location but unfortunately we were outbid on the building.”However, this coming semester, the association plans to gather public support.”We’re looking at a community campaign of trying to get key stakeholders…

Wellington’s troubled water services provider will be replaced with a new stand-alone entity by this time next year, which councils say will be less costly for ratepayers.Upper Hutt City Council today agreed to back the “reset”, which already had the support of Porirua, Lower Hutt and Wellington City Councils and Greater Wellington Regional Council.Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry, who chairs the Wellington Water Committee, welcomed today’s “milestone”, saying the decision marked “a reset for water services in the region”.Unlike Wellington Water, the new entity would own the water infrastructure that was currently owned by councils, which meant it would be…

New Zealanders across the country can now access trusted primary healthcare around the clock with the launch of a new 24/7 digital health service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced. “A new 24/7 digital health service, launched today, means people can have virtual consultations with New Zealand-registered doctors and nurses, anytime, anywhere,” Brown said. “This is about making sure Kiwis can get the medical help they need when they need it, especially when they can’t get a timely appointment with their regular general practitioner (GP), or outside normal clinic hours.” Using secure digital technology, the service connects patients to doctors…

There are practical, science-backed steps councils can take to help cool our cities as summers get hotter. University of Auckland Senior Lecturer Timothy Welch explains. Stand on any car park on a sunny day in February and the heat will radiate through your shoes. At 30C air temperature, that asphalt hits 50–55C – hot enough to cause second-degree burns to skin in seconds.Right now, in the northern hemisphere summer, 100 million Americans are dealing with 38C temperatures. Britain is preparing for hundreds of heat deaths. In New Zealand, of course, we’re still lighting fires and complaining about the cold.But that…

The Government wants to electronically monitor some asylum seekers and migrants, and is preparing for mass arrivals of asylum seekers by plane.It is also hoping to bring in new rules on dawn raids and on making it an offence to charge migrants for jobs, even if that happens overseas.Immigration Minister Erica Stanford said that electronic monitoring offered an alternative to detention for migrants and asylum seekers who pose a security risk, or might run away, particularly before deportation.The legislation was introduced in April, and Stanford told RNZ electronic monitoring reflected recommendations from a review by Victoria Casey KC three years…

Tōtara Energy LP — which has a strong Māori investment base — has taken a 30% stake in Central Otago-based Pioneer Energy Group Ltd Partnership. Pioneer Energy, which is 100% owned by the Central Lakes Trust, would remain the majority shareholder in the subsidiary company. The announcement followed an international equity raise process. Pioneer said in a statement the successful bid came from a New Zealand-based organisation which aligned closely with Pioneer Energy and Central Lakes Trust’s values and community-focused approach. While the amount of the investment has not been disclosed, last month outgoing chief executive Fraser Jonker said seeing…

A former financial adviser has pleaded guilty after misappropriating $1.7 million from two sets of “elderly clients” and issuing false statements to cover up the fraud.Murray McClune pleaded guilty to two charges of theft by a person in a special relationship under the Crimes Act 1961 following an investigation by the Financial Markets Authority.He had worked in the insurance industry since the late 1960s and had an established book of clients, including some who had used his services for decades and considered him a friend. Between 2016 and 2022, McClune procured around $1.7 million from two sets of elderly clients…

A teenager reported missing from Auckland’s New Lynn last week has been located “safe and well”, police said.Whetu, 17, was last seen at Lynn Mall at around midday on Tuesday and subsequently reported missing.Police and her whānau were concerned for her safety, with relatives saying her disappearance was out of character.In a statement today, police said: “The 17-year-old previously reported missing from the New Lynn area has been located safe and well.”