Author: Press Room

Police and council are investigating after a woman and her two children claim they witnessed a park ranger violently and “inhumanely” attacking pūkeko in an Auckland regional park.Katie Rodgers told NZ Herald she saw someone she believed to be a park worker “aggressively striking and injuring” the native birds with what appeared to be a large hammer or mallet at Shakespear Regional Park on Thursday.Her husband told the Herald the man “appeared to take pleasure in deliberately breaking the birds’ legs, leaving them suffering on the ground rather than dispatching them humanely”.He said that once the man realised he was…

A red strong wind warning has been issued for parts of Canterbury, with MetService warning of destructive 150km/h gusts as severe weather threatens to batter much of the South Island and lower North.MetService said an active front preceded by a strong north to northwest flow would move northeast over the South Island during Sunday and then would become slow moving over central New Zealand on Sunday.The red warning for Canterbury covered areas west of the foothills and west of State Highway 1 south of the Rakaia River, and was in place for 17 hours from 10pm Saturday to 3pm Sunday.MetService…

Outgoing Green Party MP Benjamin Doyle has launched a scathing attack on Parliament during their valedictory speech this afternoon.Doyle, who uses they/them pronouns, announced they would be resigning from Parliament earlier this month following controversy over their social media posts. They had used the term “bussy” – a slang term used by some in the rainbow community.Speaking in the House this afternoon, Doyle said: “This place is hostile and toxic, especially if you are not a cis straight white man with a blue suit and a briefcase, but most of all it is not fit for purpose.”As a nation we…

Dunedin’s Kitchen Things store is on the chopping block amid a call for creditors to vote the beleaguered retailer into liquidation. Nearly 400 creditors are owed a combined total of more than $16.5 million. A group of seven companies associated with the premium cooking appliances retailer and other operations were all placed into receivership and voluntary administration last month. Receiver Stephen Keen, of Grant Thornton New Zealand, said yesterday they had run a sales process calling for potential purchasers for all or part of the Kitchen Things business. “Unfortunately, this has not eventuated for the Dunedin store, and steps have…

Griffin’s Snacks is proposing to close its Proper Crisps factory in Nelson.A spokesperson for the company said it told staff in Nelson and Wellington last week of a proposal to consolidate all savoury snack manufacturing at its Wiri site in South Auckland.”If the proposal goes ahead, 82 roles across Nelson and Wellington could be affected, with production potentially moving to Wiri from late 2027 and into early 2028. This transition would be supported by significant investment in the Wiri site including the creation of new roles.”It said its Papakura site would not be affected.The spokesperson said it was consulting in…

It has been revealed a former manager at the Talley’s Group likely forged documentation related to ACC claims, but the company never notified the government agency.The revelations came as part of the ongoing defamation case the food group has taken against TVNZ and reporter Thomas Mead.Talley’s is suing TVNZ to restore its reputation. The company has claimed it lost income and its reputation had unfairly suffered after a series of reports alleging health and safety concerns.Today it was revealed former staffer ACC partnership manager Rebekah Vincent likely forged claim documentation in 2019.”I found there was evidence of files being edited…

Young speakers spoke about overcoming adversity at this year’s national Ngā Manu Kōrero secondary schools’ speech competition – marking its 60th anniversary, and winners include a defending champion and an award-winning singer.Students from around the country gathered at Jubilee Stadium in Whanganui to hear what their peers had to say on topics around tikanga, identity, aspiration and ambition.Pou Ariki Hemara-Daniels defended his national speech title at this year’s Ngā Manu Kōrero competition. The Sir Turi Carroll junior English speaker from Kaitaia’s Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Rangi Āniwaniwa used “savage” humour and an energetic performance to deliver a memorable…

Dunedin-founded Forsyth Barr is now a quarter-owned by a billion-dollar Australian private equity firm. The company, whose headquarters are in Dunedin, had until now been wholly owned by staff. But shareholders on Thursday approved a deal in which Sydney-based Mercury Capital acquired a 25% stake in the company. In a statement, Forsyth Barr said the shareholding position was viewed by its board as “a natural next step in the company’s ongoing evolution”. Forsyth Barr managing director Neil Paviour-Smith said initial discussions on the deal, which was first announced publicly in July, dated back a couple of years. The company had…

Johnny and Azita Agnew have a history of delving into the lives of society’s most marginalised groups and creating artful documentaries such as their latest six-part series Dadolescence. They talk to Emily Simpson about gaining the trust of five teenage dads, and how they combine their marriage with their intense working life. Dadolescence is packed with scenes that make you feel like a spy. Three teen mates, the kind who probably treat teachers and parents to monosyllables, frankly discuss the impact of pregnancy on a relationship. A new teen dad rises in darkness and dresses in high-vis for a job…

Black Ferns star Ruby Tui says Britain’s fish and chips have nothing on New Zealand.Tui is in England to cheer on her teammates as they take on Canada at the semifinals on Saturday.But rather than the pitch, the 33-year-old will be watching from the BBC’s commentary box.While it’s been “amazing” and “super fun”, there’s one thing Tui can’t get behind – Britain’s fish and chips.The staple is typically served with mushy peas, curry sauce or gravy, and lashings of vinegar.”I tell ya, the amount of people that told me fish and chips were good here – lying, bro. Lying,” she…