Author: Press Room

There have been no deaths on New Zealand roads over Labour Weekend, marking a new record for the period in recent years.The official holiday road toll period began at 4pm on Friday and ended at 6am this morning.Last year, a total of six people died on the roads over Labour Weekend.In 2022, five people died, while 2021 saw six deaths and 2020 saw eight deaths.The previous lowest death toll was in 2013, where one person died.During Labour Weekend this year, a “smorgasbord” of severe weather hit parts of the country.State Highway 6 was closed through the Buller Gorge due to…

The mayor of Masterton is warning someone will be killed unless authorities get tough on boy racers.Gary Caffell’s comments follow a meetup in Wairarapa over the weekend where a group allegedly threw fireworks, bottles, and rocks at police.The mayor told Breakfast this is the first time he is aware of this sort of behaviour happening “close to our backyard”, which has left the community “disappointed”.”Lives are at stake here. We’re not talking small fry stuff. We’re talking the fact that these are incidents that could be life and death.”We were lucky on this one on the weekend nobody got killed.…

Christchurch Airport has signed a multimillion-dollar contract to double its freight-handling capacity. It would substantially increase its freight aircraft parking area, known as the apron, meaning it could fit up to eight narrow-body aircraft, or four larger wide-body aircraft – a big jump from the current capacity of three aircraft. The airport has signed an agreement with Fulton Hogan to deliver the project, the completion of which is due at the end of 2025. It would not disclose the value of the project, citing commercial sensitivities, but said it was a “multimillion-dollar” investment. The airport said the expanded apron would…

An Auckland woman has been charged over an alleged hate-motivated assault which took place on Queen Street in September, after being arrested for a separate incident.Police said the 43-year-old was arrested Sunday for allegedly abusing and assaulting staff at a downtown Auckland store.However, her physical description, when it was relayed on police radio, matched that of an offender involved in a alleged hate motivated assault which took place on September 2. A team investigating the September incident made the connection, police said.Police had made “extensive” inquiries after the assault, including reviewing CCTV footage from the central city on the day…

A man was shot in the legs in Porirua last night after reportedly disturbing two people who were attempting to break into cars – sparking a police investigation and leaving him in serious condition.Police were called to an address on Dimock Street at about 10.20pm.“Initial inquiries suggest the man was shot after disturbing two people attempting to break into cars in the street,” a spokesperson said.“The man was transported to hospital in serious condition.”Police asked anyone with information which could assist their inquiries to contact them by calling 105, or anonymously via Crime Stoppers.

Ezibuy’s parent company has appointed administrators — and this time it includes other brands including Katies and Millers.Mosaic Brands told the ASX it had received the support of a majority of its commercial partners and the board had been confident in a restructure process it had under way.That included simplifying operations and reducing the number of shops, focusing on “key growth brands” and reducing costs.Mosaic told the market that the process had involved talking to its lenders, suppliers, landlords and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC).The ACCC has issued court proceedings relating to late or non-delivery of goods during…

A landfill fire in Waikato which burned for nearly a year has resulted in a company and director being convicted and fined a total of $170,000.Puke Coal Ltd (PCL) and its director, Kenneth John Campbell, who had active control of the site, were convicted on four charges each relating to discharging contaminants into the air, using land illegally and breaches of abatement notices, the Waikato Regional Council (WRC) said.The company and the director were fined $85,000 each.As a result of the fire and its smell, WRC compliance manager Patrick Lynch said nearby residents described being “prisoners in their own home”…

A criminal court in Paris on Tuesday postponed French actor Gérard Depardieu’s trial on charges of sexually assaulting two women on a film set because of concerns about his health, shifting the start of the proceedings to March.Depardieu, who has denied any wrongdoing, is accused of using “violence, coercion, surprise or threat” in the alleged sexual assaults that prosecutors say took place on the set of Les Volets verts (The Green Shutters).The court also ordered an expert to assess the 75-year-old actor’s health issues. Depardieu’s lawyer Jérémie Assous requested the postponement, saying that the actor has heart trouble and diabetes-related…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Ezibuy’s parent company has appointed administrators – and this time it includes other brands including Katies and Millers. Mosaic Brands told the ASX it had received the support of a majority of its commercial partners and the board had been confident in a restructure process it had under way. That included simplifying operations and reducing the number of shops, focusing on “key growth brands” and reducing costs. Mosaic told the market that the process had involved talking to its lenders, suppliers, landlords and the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC). The ACCC has issued court…

Ross Hawthorne hopes to complete his vision of establishing a native forest alongside Ashburton River thanks to a grant from the Ashburton Water Zone Committee.Local biodiversity and pest management projects received a boost when the committee approved the $50,000 of funding to the six applicants last week.Hawthorne received $11,343 for the Hakatere Rākau Group to clear weeds and plant natives alongside the Ashburton/Hakatere River.For the last three years, the meatworker has been transforming a roughly 750m stretch of the riverside between Chalmers Ave and Trevors Rd.Hawthorne, now with a small group of volunteers helping out, has already planted 4900 native…