Author: Press Room
A fourth person has been charged with manslaughter over the Loafers Lodge fire that killed five people in Wellington in 2023.Three people were charged with manslaughter last week following a two-year investigation into whether the state of the building and the management and compliance of its fire safety systems contributed to the fatal outcome.Michael Wahrlich, Melvin Parun, Peter O’Sullivan, Kenneth Barnard and Liam Hockings died in the blaze that began shortly after midnight on May 16, 2023.A 72-year-old man is set to appear in Wellington District Court on Monday.Last week, two men aged 75 and 58, and a 70-year-old woman…
A person was taken to hospital in a serious condition after a car crashed into a house in Auckland’s Manurewa last night. Emergency services responded to a report of a single vehicle crash in Manurewa shortly before 10pm.”It appears the vehicle has crashed into a property on Goh Place,” a police spokesperson said. Fire and Emergency NZ station officer Chris Lane told 1News the car was reported to be on fire when it crashed into the house. “We arrived and found the occupant of the car being removed by bystanders. “We’ve then come down and done a search of the…
One person has died and three others were seriously injured following a crash in Poroporo near Whakatāne last night. Emergency services were called to a single-vehicle crash on Station Rd, near Butler Rd around 10pm. “Sadly, one person was located deceased at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. “Three other people were transported to hospital in a serious condition.” The road was closed while the serious crash unit conducted a scene examination.Station Rd reopened shortly after 4am.
The cash-strapped government is demanding Dunedin Airport put its international flight plan under the microscope amid a call for higher profits. Dunedin International Airport Ltd was among a total of 30 government-owned entities sent letters of expectations from State Owned Enterprises Minister Simeon Brown in March, which were released publicly at the end of May. In a letter addressed to airport chairman Chris Hopkins, Mr Brown said he was writing to outline how the airport’s board could support the delivery of the government’s priorities and its governance expectations. New Zealand was in “a tight fiscal environment” and getting the books…
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has urged officials to get “back on track” as fresh delays hit the roll-out of NZTA’s new national public transport ticketing system.The Motu Move system was supposed to launch in Timaru and Temuka by mid-2025, but has since been delayed due to “challenges with delivery”. Transport officials didn’t provide an updated date for when the new card would actually launch, when queried this week.It’s the third missed launch target the project has faced in the past nine months. The setback comes as an independent review has been launched into the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) by the…
An Auckland man is pleading for help to find his missing dog after an alleged hit-and-run in Paremoremo left his mother and her friend injured during a Sunday morning walk.Emergency services were called to Attwood Rd, Paremoremo at around 7.10am on Sunday to reports two pedestrians had been struck by a white ute while they were walking their dogs.St John said it responded with two ambulances and one manager to the scene.”Our crews assessed and treated two patients, one in a serious condition who was transported to Auckland City Hospital, and one in a moderate condition who was transported to…
Two sections of State Highway in the Mackenzie Country that were closed overnight – because of risk from snow and ice – have now reopened.State Highway 8 between Twizel and Fairlie and State Highway 80 between Lake Pukaki and Aoraki/Mt Cook were closed on Saturday night as a safety precaution to both motorists and crews working on the roads.The New Zealand Transport Agency said the crews had been busy gritting and treating areas of ice on the roads.The road closures were lifted around 10am on Sunday.However, motorists are still advised to take care when travelling.A road snowfall warning is still…
An alligator at Auckland Zoo recently had to undergo a veterinary examination after being seen swallowing a jandal in her habitat.Dixie, an American alligator, continued eating normally afterwards, but the zoo’s veterinary team took action to ensure no lingering health concerns.An endoscopy was performed under general anaesthesia by the zoo’s veterinary team, assisted by external specialist Dr Tomm Fluen.Using a flexible camera scope, the team thoroughly examined Dixie’s stomach but found no trace of the jandal, just half digested meat and vegetation.Auckland Zoo staff examine the contents of Dixie’s stomach. (Source: Auckland Zoo)Head of veterinary services James Chatterton said this…
Parents of New Zealand citizens and residents will be granted multi-entry access for up to five years if they met health, income, and insurance criteria when the Government introduces a new longer-term visitor visa in September.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Immigration Minister Erica Stanford announced the Parent Boost visa this afternoon, saying the Government was delivering on its commitment to support parents who live overseas to visit and stay with their families for longer.The visa may be renewed once, allowing a total stay of up to 10 years, provided the holder spends at least three months outside New Zealand before…
Senior Labour MP Willie Jackson says his party remains “absolutely” willing to work with Te Pāti Māori, but suggests both need to prioritise “jobs, health, homes” to help win against the National-led Government.The two parties’ relationship is shaping up as a defining issue at the next election. Labour’s Māori development spokesperson and campaign chairperson for the Māori seats told Q+A that the 21-day parliamentary ban imposed on Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Debbie Ngarewa-Packer and Rawiri Waititi was excessive and unjustified.”We thought there should be a sanction… We were just talking a day,” Jackson said, adding that Labour had supported a…