Author: Press Room

Several Blenheim bricklayers have been formally warned by the Commerce Commission following an investigation into suspected cartel conduct.G J Marfell Ltd, Mike Vis Bricklaying Ltd, and bricklayers Benjamin Robertson and Andrew Dwyer may have breached breached Section 30 of the Commerce Act, which prohibits cartel conduct. The Commission’s investigation uncovered a pattern of “courtesy calls”, including text message exchanges where the bricklayers discussed quotes for projects.Commerce Commission chairperson Dr John Small said discussions, particularly when specific pricing was disclosed, could lead to cover pricing which was a form of bid-rigging.He said the warnings were appropriate as while the conduct was…

New Zealand has paid Samoa’s government around NZ$6 million in compensation for last year’s Manawanui disaster, Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced. The total payment was 10 million Samoan Tala and followed a request from the Government of Samoa, Peters said in an announcement today.”We have responded to the Government of Samoa’s request in full and with good faith. We have always said we will do the right thing,” he said. “We recognise the impact the sinking has had on local communities and acknowledge the disruption it caused.”The HMNZS Manawanui struck a reef and sank off the coast of Upolu…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Changes have been signed off that allow NZ Post to reduce the number of days it offers a mail service. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment said on Tuesday the government had approved changes to the Postal Deed of Understanding between the Crown and NZ Post. These are designed to allow NZ Post to operate the mail service in a commercially sustainable way. It has come under pressure as mail volumes have declined in recent years. In 2023, it was reported that NZ Post planned to cut 750 jobs over the next five years in response.…

Police are working through a potential breakthrough in relation to the identity of a man who was found dead in the Christchurch suburb of Heathcote Valley more than two weeks ago.The death occurred on Horotane Valley Rd on September 19, and police believe it was not suspicious.Police earlier said they did not know if the man was a New Zealander, and they were using Interpol to help identify him.Detective Sergeant Chris Power told RNZ today that police had received some information over the weekend that had provided “a strong line of inquiry”.The backpack, found with the body of an unidentified…

Around 21kg of cocaine worth an estimated $7.3 million has been seized from a shipping container at the Port of Tauranga, Customs officers say.The container, which arrived from Balboa, Panama on October 2, was assessed by Customs officers which led to the discovery of a shrink-wrapped duffel bag containing 21 bricks of cocaine branded with ‘VESPA’ and a ‘mouse’ logo, wrapped in fragile tape. An x-ray screening of the cargo revealed the abnormal bag hidden among other legitimate goods. Customs maritime group manager Paul Campbell said Customs had intercepted over 430kg of cocaine in Tauranga in 2025 alone, nearly double…

New Zealand’s largest insurer, IAG New Zealand Limited, has been penalised $19.5 million by the High Court for historical failures to correctly apply discounts to some customers and miscalculation of government levies.The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) launched an investigation into IAG’s conduct following self-reports from the company between September 2021 and December 2024. The breaches affected approximately 269,000 customers and led to overcharges totalling around $35 million.IAG NZ — who operate major insurance brands State, AMI, and NZI — admitted to making false and misleading representations about its insurance products, including incorrect premium pricing and the failure to apply key…

By Anneke Smith of RNZ An orchardist says the horticulture industry is not crying out for workers, as the prime minister urges young people to look for work in the sector. From next November, the Government will means-test 18- or 19-year-olds before they can access a jobseeker benefit. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has encouraged jobseekers to look to horticulture for work, telling Morning Report the sector is “crying out” for young people. “If you go outside of Wellington, to Hawke’s Bay or go to the South Island … The primary industries, for example, in horticulture [and] in our growing industries, they are crying out for young people…

A former financial advisor has been sentenced to nearly four years in prison after misappropriating $1.7 million from two retired couples he had known for over four decades. In June, Murray McClune pleaded guilty to two charges of theft by a person in a special relationship following an investigation by the Financial Markets Authority.Between 2016 and 2018, McClune procured around $1.7 million from two sets of elderly clients who he had known for over 40 years on the basis he would invest the funds on their behalf.Rather than investing the funds he had received, the FMA found that the money…

A three-year-boy died of septic shock in a rural hospital after critical opportunities to save his life were missed by an on-call doctor and a nurse who shouldn’t have been in sole charge of the children’s ward that night.It has prompted the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC) to write to Health NZ to ensure sole-charge clinical staff are suitable at rural hospitals, where resourcing is a problem.An investigation into Alexzander Sutherland-Hunt’s death by the HDC, released on Monday, found systemic failings in the care provided to the little boy when he was taken to then Grey Base Hospital in Greymouth…

One person has been arrested and a homicide investigation launched following the death of a man in Auckland’s New Lynn this afternoon.Emergency services were called to Kaponga Cres in the suburb of New Lynn just before noon to a report of a person injured.St John responded to the incident with two rapid response units, an ambulance, and an operations manager.Despite efforts of first responders, the man died at the scene.Acting Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said one person was taken into custody.”As such, police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter. We would like to reassure the community…