Author: Press Room

Members of a touring Canadian hockey team are recovering from their injuries after a crash on State Highway 5 between Napier and Taupō on Sunday.RNZ understands the van was carrying a group of Canadian hockey players who had been playing at under-16 and under-18 competitions in Hawke’s Bay and were on their way to Tauranga.Tauranga Hockey Association general manager Megan Cleverley told RNZ they have cancelled their games, and are in shock over what happened.”It’s really sad to hear. Hopefully they are on the road to recovery,” she said.Cleverley said a few of the girls stayed in hospital overnight, but…

A Northland commercial fisher has been ordered to pay more than $104,000 after under-reporting and selling green mussel spat.David John Lovell, 48, was sentenced on Friday on one charge under the Fisheries Act in the Kataia District Court following a successful prosecution by the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).Lovell was fined $50,625 for under-reporting and selling green mussel spat and ordered to pay $53,540 in reparations to MPI.Fisheries NZ regional manager compliance North Andre Espinoza said Lovell sold 1738kg more of green-lipped mussel spat than he reported on his Monthly Harvest Report for the 2021/2022 fishing year.”His offending continued into…

The talks come a day before US officials are set to meet with Russia’s delegation. ADVERTISEMENTUkrainian Defence Minister Rustem Umerov announced on Sunday that talks between US and Ukrainian delegations in the Saudi Arabian capital, Riyadh, were “productive and focused” and with “key points including energy” addressed.In a post on social media platform X, Umerov, who led the Ukrainian delegation, emphasised that President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s goal is to “secure a just and lasting peace” for Ukraine and Europe at large, claiming, “We are working to make that goal a reality.”The Ukrainian delegation also included State Secretary of the Ministry of…

Five people were injured in a serious crash near the University of Auckland in central Auckland today.Police said the crash on Symonds St was reported just after midday.”At this early stage it appears a vehicle has collided with a tree and a pedestrian.”One person was transported to hospital in a critical condition and four others suffered moderate to minor injuries,” police said. St John said three people were taken to Auckland City Hospital while a fourth was treated for minor injuries at the scene.Five were injured, one critically, in the crash on Symonds St reported just after midday. (Source: 1News)A…

New Zealand First’s Winston Peters sees no need for a relaxation of New Zealand’s immigration settings in any trade talks with India.He told Morning Report on Monday any liberalisation of the country’s immigration settings would provide an unnecessary “incentive”.The Prime Minister has just returned from a five-day trip to India where he held bilateral talks with his counterpart Narendra Modi, and announced the beginning of official trade talks between the two countries.While Sir John Key tried in both 2011 and 2016 to get a free trade agreement off the ground, talks never really progressed, and under the previous Labour government…

Dozens of cars have come off worse for wear after driving through roadworks on a busy Napier thoroughfare.The damage included paint chips, windscreen chips and tyres covered in stones from loose chips at roadworks.Napier City Council said there was an issue with the chip sealing of Meeanee Rd on Sunday. “When the issue was identified all sealing works stopped and the team began sweeping and tidying the road,” the spokesperson said.“We now have staff inspecting the roads affected and will continue to tidy up any loose chip.”One person wrote on social media their car had eight chips in the windscreen…

By Anan Zaki of RNZ One of the country’s biggest home builders is warning about cost pressures, as suppliers lift prices amid a challenging sales picture for building companies. Generation Homes said the sector faced price increases for numerous products, such as cladding, insulation, plasterboard and lining and flooring, with increases ranging from 3 to 7 percent – costs that would likely be passed on to home buyers. Well-known products with price rises included Pink Batts insulation, which was up 4 percent, while James Hardie cladding was another signalling higher prices. GIB plasterboard prices have also increased by 3.9 percent…

The money owed by the controversial Du Val Property Group has grown from $238m to $306m according to a new report.The troubled Auckland property group comprised of 70 companies and entities, needs further extensive forensic investigating after its estimated debt grew to $306.3m, statutory managers PwC said.The accountancy firm took over the running of Du Val in August after it was put under statutory management by Cabinet.A PwC Statutory Managers’ First Report released in September showed Du Val was estimated to owe about $238m to creditors and investors.But six months later a a second report released Friday put that figure…

Last night’s Good Sort has spent nearly 50 years working in the New Zealand prison system, with the past few decades being spent among the facilities’ gardens.Bill Bean, 77, believes working the soil is an important part of rehabilitation.Bean became a prison officer in 1979 after retiring from 12 years in the Navy, working his way up to divisional officer and eventually horticulture instructor.”Our thing is to employ them, keep them busy and, at the end of the day, learning.”None of the vegetables grown are kept, with Pāremoremo Prison supplying hundreds of kilos to foodbanks weekly.One prisoner says the gardening…

Three high schools have been blocked from fielding ‘year 14’ rowers at this week’s Maadi Regatta as officials enforce strict new eligibility rules for the event.The New Zealand secondary schools rowing championships, which gets under way at Lake Karāpiro on Monday, is operating under new regulations in 2025 after schools overwhelmingly voted in favour changes earlier this year.Under the new rules, students returning for a sixth year of high school are ineligible to compete in the Maadi Regatta.The ban was voted through after a group of principals from across the country banded together and called for a special general meeting…