Author: Press Room

Three former Wellington mayors have delivered mixed verdicts on the Government’s decision to appoint a Crown Observer to help the troubled city council.On Tuesday, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown wrote to Wellington City Council, with draft terms of reference for appointing a Crown Observer. Brown repeatedly cited official advice from the Department of Internal Affairs in making the move. The move followed months of wrangling over the council’s long-term plan. A planned sale of the council’s ownership stake in Wellington Airport, pushed by Mayor Tory Whanau, was scuttled at the last minute following a vote by councillors earlier this month.…

A 23-year-old man has been charged after a person was stabbed in South Auckland overnight.Emergency services were called to an address in Māngere at about 2.20am this morning, a police spokesperson said.A person was found with serious injuries at the scene.A 23-year-old man was charged with assault with intent to injure, and committing burglary with a weapon, the spokesperson added.He is set to appear in Manukau District Court.”The victim was transported to hospital, where they remain in a serious but stable condition,” police said.A St John spokesperson confirmed its crews attended the scene, and the patient was taken to Middlemore…

Surf Life Saving New Zealand is predicting a busy summer season, thanks to the increased chance of serious weather events and above-average temperatures.The long weekend sees the start of summer surf life saving patrols along Aotearoa’s coastlines.Surf Life Saving’s Chris Emmett said by summer’s peak there would be 96 patrolled locations nationwide, and they all relied on an amazing group of volunteers.They had been at work over the winter keeping up their knowledge and fitness, and they were keen to begin beach patrols again, he said.But the volunteers needed the public to support them by being aware of risks and…

Kate Winslet has revealed the “door” in the much-debated Titanic scene wasn’t in fact a door.The 49-year-old actress played Rose alongside Leonardo DiCaprio as Jack in James Cameron’s 1997 blockbuster film about the doomed Titanic liner.The film controversially ended with the young lovers stranded in the icy waters of the North Atlantic Ocean as the Titanic sinks to the murky depths.Winslet’s character survives by sitting on what appears to be a floating door, while Jack clings to its side before freezing to death to apparently avoid adding his weight to the wood and causing it to sink.Winslet was recently asked…

Six people have been arrested after a group of boy racers allegedly threw fireworks, bottles and rocks at police in the Wairarapa overnight.Wairarapa police, with assistance from Central District staff, disrupted a planned activity by “antisocial road users” last night.Officers were confronted by a “large and aggressive group” on Waingawa Rd near Masterton at around 1.15am, according to police.”The group threw bottles, rocks and fireworks at officers before police were able to disperse them,” said a police spokesperson.”The rear window of a police vehicle was smashed by the group.”Multiple infringement notices were issued and two cars were impounded, along with…

Fire and Emergency have handed the site of a large vegetation fire which burned through more than 1000 hectares of “environmentally significant” wetlands in north Waikato back to the Department of Conservation.Crews were alerted to the fire, estimated to have burnt through 1039 hectares over five days, on Monday afternoon.At its peak, eight helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft attacked the fire from the air.Incident controller Mark Tinworth said the fire has now been fully contained and under control for three days.”There will continue to be some hot spots and our crews will remain on site to support DOC fire crews…

Police now say they believe a woman who died after being stabbed on an Auckland bus this week may have known the man charged with her murder.The woman died after she was stabbed on a bus in Onehunga on Wednesday.On Thursday, 37-year-old Kael Austin Leona of Onehunga was arrested after handing himself into police.He appeared in court on Friday charged with murder – as well as with threatening to kill another woman on the same day, among other charges.Police initially said it was believed the woman and her attacker were not known to each other – but in an update…

Sections of South Island state highways remain closed this morning due to surface flooding and slips as the cleanup continues from the weekend’s wet weather.MetService issued severe weather warnings and watches yesterday and NZTA said weather was affecting all state highways across the top of the south.State Highway 6 remained closed between Murchison and O’Sullivans Bridge and between Kawatiri and Kohatu this morning.”Avoid this route or delay your journey if possible,” said an NZTA spokesperson.Flooding also closed State Highway 6 between Inangahua and the Lower Buller Gorge on the West Coast.NZTA said this meant access from Nelson and Blenheim to…

Auckland and Wellington commuters and long weekend visitors are being warned both city’s trains will shut down because the tracks and stations are closing for maintenance and upgrades.Auckland Transport is replacing all trains with buses from late Friday evening until Tuesday.AT said its partners, including KiwiRail, will be carrying out essential work in preparation for the City Rail Link (CRL) underground metro which is due to open in early 2026.Buses will also be replacing trains in the Wellington region over Labour weekend.KiwiRail and Greater Wellington are midway through a major project aimed at providing faster and more frequent commuter train…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ A move to remove New World and Pak’nSave online shoppers’ ability to sort items by price is “surprising and disappointing”, Consumer NZ. The change had been made “quietly” to both supermarket brands’ websites, the consumer advocacy group said. Consumer NZ spokesperson Chris Schulz said shoppers were used to having the option, and other retailers, including The Warehouse and Woolworths, still offered it. But he said New World and Pak’nSave now defaulted to sorting by popularity. “Such a move may limit options for shoppers and ultimately bolster supermarket profit margins at the expense of local suppliers,”…