Author: Press Room

The Waimate Event Centre will be closed over the long weekend after a fire in the complex which has been extinguished.The council-owned complex, which houses the library, gym and squash courts will be closed for the weekend.Waimate District Council chief executive Stuart Duncan said the extent of the damage was still unknown.”We do not yet know the extent of the damage. “Everyone inside was safely evacuated, and the complex will be closed for the weekend.”FENZ said it responded to an alarm activation at the event centre at about 2.25pm.Two crews from Waimate responded and confirmed there was smoke coming from…

French brandy is at the heart of a commercial dispute between Beijing and Brussels over Chinese electric vehicles (EVs). ADVERTISEMENTThe wine-growing town of Cognac, in southwestern France, is at the epicentre of a trade war between China and the EU. Since mid-October, Beijing has imposed temporary anti-dumping measures for imports of European brandy. This comes after the EU Commission said it wants to impose heavy tariffs on electric vehicles coming from China. Anxiety and frustration against the French government are brewing among the makers of the eponymous cognac. ‘We’re being completely sacrificed'”We’re being held hostage in a dispute between the…

Josh Wiegman was 12 when he emigrated from the Netherlands to New Zealand. Although he came from a rural town, it was a big move from a country of 18million people where the density of population meant it was hard to stand out. What he had noticed through his startup journey in his new country was the support available and that “everyone is here to help”. The entrepreneurial 19-year-old University of Otago student is the co-founder of Cue-Go , a Dunedin-based event technology business which was one of nine startups recently accepted into Startup Dunedin’s Distiller Incubator. Cue-Go won the…

A “roaring trade” of Gisborne’s kerbside rubbish collection stickers online has raised concerns it could be linked to a much larger issue — illegal waste dumping.Sold by the council for $2.80 per orange sticker and $36.40 for a sheet of 13, the stickers are being sold much cheaper online — $20 a sheet.”Why pay more!” one of the seven sellers asks.Gisborne residents use the stickers for rubbish disposal and collection, with one sticker required for 5kg of refuse. Ratepayers on collection routes were mailed 13 stickers — one per week — at the same time rates invoices were sent out.District…

A ‘farmer-centric’ approach of incoming EU agriculture and food Commission Christophe Hansen has drawn criticism from stakeholders sitting on the final side of the food value chain. ADVERTISEMENTHopes are high that Commissioner-designate Cristophe Hansen will navigate the increasingly polarised food policy debate—but his written replies to questions posed by MEPs have left a bitter taste in many, citing an overemphasis on agriculture and insufficient focus on food-related issues.Answering European lawmakers earlier this week, Hansen reiterated his commitment to presenting a comprehensive vision for agriculture and food within the first 100 days of his mandate. This roadmap will ideally replace the…

Less money will be spent on road safety improvements in Tasman over the next three years than what had originally been budgeted.Tasman District Council was not successful in all its funding bids to the New Zealand Transport Agency, leaving a $5 million hole between the council’s budgets and the funds it has available for the work.The funding gap affects the 2024-27 period and left the council with the question of whether it can continue to fund all the work.However, the council received an additional $2.1 million from NZTA in the 2018-21 period, and an additional $2.4 million in the 2021-24…

A group of MEPs is calling for daylight saving time to be abolished given its negative impact on health. ADVERTISEMENTThis weekend the clocks go back across Europe – but a grouping of 67 members of the European Parliament (MEPs) are saying the practice should be abolished.  Lawmakers raised concerns with the “outdated” impact of changing the clocks on sleep cycles, traffic accidents and heart attack rates.”It is time to put an end to the biannual clock change, which has been proven to have negative effects on health, well-being, and safety,” MEP Seán Kelly (Ireland/European People’s Party) said in a statement,…

A battle that appears to have broken out between Air New Zealand and Jetstar in the domestic aviation market may just be the start of a run of good news for consumers, one aviation expert says.This week Air New Zealand and Jetstar have announced sales.Air New Zealand said on Monday it was making more than 200,000 seats available for travel periods between January and June next year.Auckland to Kerikeri was advertised from $59 each way, and Auckland to Wellington $69. Auckland to Queenstown was promoted from $99 each way. Christchurch to Wellington was from $59.Then Jetstar promoted a “cheeky getaway…

Two time Grammy-winner US rapper Tyler, the Creator has announced a New Zealand show as part of his 2025 world tour.The tour is named after his forthcoming album, Chromokopia, which is set to release October 28 this year.His one-off show in New Zealand is scheduled for August 18, 2025 at Auckland’s Spark Arena.Special guests on the tour will include US rappers Lil Yachty and hip-hop duo Paris Texas. It will span North America, Europe, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand over the course of 2025. Earlier this week, Tyler the Creator, also known as Tyler Okonma, released Noid, the…

The speed limits on two rural Nelson roads are being reduced before the end of the month as the council seeks to lock the lower speeds in before a Government deadline.On Wednesday morning, Nelson City Council held an extraordinary meeting to bring forward the speed limit reductions for Cable Bay and Māori Pa Roads.Both roads currently have speed limits of 100km/h.Earlier this year, a joint committee of both Nelson and Tasman councils approved a new regional speed management plan which would see both roads reduced to 80km/h.However, the Government has adopted a new rule outlining the requirements and procedures for…