Author: Press Room

A man who died after being found on the side of a Bay of Plenty highway has been named by police. He was Zain Mateng Taikato-Fox, 20, from Rotorua. Taikato-Fox was found critically injured on the side of State Highway 33 by four men at 7.10pm on Saturday. He was taken to Rotorua Hospital but died a short time later. “Police offer our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time,” a spokesperson said. An investigation was launched following his death. “Police are continuing to work to establish the circumstances leading to the man’s injuries.”On Monday, police urged…

A 19-year-old Lower Hutt man faces multiple charges after police discovered two firearms and ammunition during a search warrant linked to gang insignia breaches.Police said the man was seen “wearing gang insignia in a public place” at a May tangi, after which an investigation was launched.Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Sears said officers from the Wellington gang disruption unit carried out a search warrant at a Taita address earlier today. Police said they located two firearms (Source: NZ Police)”Police located two firearms, along with about 90 rounds of ammunition. A gang patch was also located and seized during the search,” he…

The Conservation Department is defending its plan to charge for parking at Punakaiki’s Pancake Rocks and other tourist hotspots in National Parks.DOC is about to trial paid parking in its carpark next to the new Punangairi Visitor Centre in Punakaiki, and at Franz Josef and Aoraki Mt Cook. Punakaiki café owner Grant Parrett has objected, telling the West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Board this month that DOC would be effectively charging people to visit a National Park.But DOC’s senior project manager John Dore said the parking charges would not contravene the National Parks Act.”The Conservation Act 1987 allows for charging…

A Whanganui whānau is rallying behind their mother, a pioneering New Zealand Army veteran, as she battles Stage 4 lung cancer and seeks support for a life-saving medication not funded in New Zealand.Suzanne ‘Su’ Gingles made history in 1978 as one of the first women to serve in the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and was the first to complete Combats Corps Training, qualifying for the distinctive red diamond.She then faced a fight lasting more than 40 years to be properly recognised as a woman for her military achievements.Now, Gingles is fighting a different battle after she was diagnosed with…

A record number of New Zealand mortgage holders changed lenders in June, with more than 3500 borrowers refinancing their loans worth a total of $2.5 billion in lending.Short-term loan structures, minimal break fees, and competitive cashback offers drove the refinancing surge, which was the largest since the Reserve Bank began tracking the data in 2017.Cotality NZ chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said the elevated level of switching likely reflected that borrowers were actively monitoring rates and terms.”With nearly 14% of mortgages on floating rates and another 39% fixed and due to roll off by the end of 2025, a large…

An Auckland non-profit organisation is furious at what it calls a deepening crisis after a litter of six puppies was found dumped in a shoe box in a block of public toilets.According to the Saving Hope Foundation, a woman using the bathroom at the Weymouth boat ramp in Manurewa last week discovered a “slightly moving and squeaky” shoe box. The woman and her partner opened the box and found six tiny newborn puppies with their umbilical cords attached. They put the box in their car and headed straight to the vet, where the puppies were warmed and fed. One of…

The government is set to repeal the oil and gas ban this week, after a significant 11th-hour change handing discretionary powers to two ministers.A 25-page amendment was published at 5pm on Monday, leaving opposition MPs less than 23 hours to prepare for the debate.The change largely deals with the rules for decommissioning oil and gas fields, and who is responsible for paying for the cleanup.Taranaki’s Tui oil field was abandoned in 2019 after its Malaysian owner Tamarind Taranaki went bust, costing taxpayers a total $293 million to clean up, with work concluding just last month. The government initially set aside…

Close to 36,000 nurses, midwives, and healthcare workers have begun a nationwide 24-hour strike today. From 9am, members of the New Zealand Nurses Organisation walked off the job. Those in the public health sector were overworked, under-resourced, and understaffed, the union said. Health New Zealand said that despite today’s strike, hospitals and emergency departments would remain open. The latest mediation talks between the union and Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora broke down, leading to the strike. NZNO chief executive Paul Goulter told Breakfast mediation fell through because “the gaps were just big”. “It seems that the staffing claims we…

A severe thunderstorm watch issued for Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Gisborne has expired as crews begin to clear some slips and debris from roads across the network. Yesterday, MetService issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Auckland, Great Barrier Island and the Coromandel Peninsula which expired at midnight, as a heavy rain band lashed the North Island. This morning, the forecaster warned of more rain with heavy falls expected in the Bay of Plenty and the far north of Gisborne, issuing a watch that expired at 10am.Thames Coromandel District Council said some roads remain blocked today due to slips, downed…

One person has died and another was seriously injured following a three-vehicle crash near Auckland Airport this morning. Police said the crash on George Bolt Memorial Drive, near the intersection with Tom Pearce Drive, was reported about 4am. Shortly after 8am, police confirmed one person has died in the crash. “A second occupant of the same vehicle has sustained serious injuries and has been transported to hospital,” a police spokesperson said. “A lane has been opened up for southbound traffic on George Bolt Memorial Drive to use.”Police on scene said traffic was flowing in the area, but urged travellers to…