Author: Press Room

Despite Dunedin and Christchurch being two of the colder cities in New Zealand at this time of year, new research shows they have some of the lowest potential to reduce heat-related carbon emissions. University of Otago physicist and Sustainable Energy Programme director Associate Professor Michael Jack said it was because the cities had low use of LPG/natural gas to heat homes and water. He said the research showed how much energy was used in each New Zealand region to heat its homes and hot water, and the carbon emissions associated with that. By contrast, Taranaki and the upper West Coast…

A woman is assisting police after a newborn baby’s body was discovered in an Auckland CBD park this morning.Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews said police were called to the scene at Albert Park at around 7am after a park worker discovered the infant.”Sadly, when examined, there were no signs of life.”Newborn baby found dead in popular Auckland park – Watch on TVNZ+A scene examination was underway and police were speaking to a woman believed to be the baby’s mother.A post-mortem examination would be carried out in the coming days.

A Palestinian affairs expert says recognising statehood without concrete follow-up action would be “meaningless” as New Zealand considers its position on the issue.Australian National University senior lecturer Anas Iqtait, who has worked for the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on Palestinian Issues, told Q+A that recognition followed by inaction would “cement the current realities” for Palestinians.The Government has said it will decide soon how and when to recognise a Palestinian state, following moves by Australia, Canada, and the UK towards recognition.Iqtait argued Western states should instead sanction Israel for its operations in the West Bank and Gaza,…

The leader of a Wairarapa hapū, who wants to close a public paper road over their land, says they will consider lodging a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal if a council bylaw supporting the closure doesn’t pass.The proposed bylaw to shut the road on the southernmost tip of the North Island has triggered backlash, with the Wairarapa District Council receiving 3500 submissions on it.Ngati Hinewaka chairperson Haami Te Whaiti is not surprised at the response.“I’m not surprised,” he said, “because the right of passage over our land is something they think they’re entitled to because it’s been happening for a…

Christchurch company CProPainterPlaster has collapsed owing Inland Revenue an estimated unpaid tax value of over $1 million. The business working in the house construction industry went into liquidation under an application filed by the IRD at the Christchurch High Court on July 10 with the New Zealand Insolvency and Trustee Service appointed as liquidator. In the first liquidators report released on August 15 the cause was understood to be a failure to account for taxation. The liquidator was working to establish communication with sole director and shareholder, Christopher Pabaira, to obtain the company’s financial statements and position. CProPainterPlaster is estimated…

New research on Rangitoto is helping scientists plan for what might happen if Auckland’s biggest volcano erupts.University of Auckland researchers have discovered that the hardened magma below Rangitoto is still warm 600 years after it formed.The report was led by PhD student Alutsyah Luthfian and assisted by associate geophysics professor Mila Adam.”We found signs of a hidden hydrothermal system beneath Rangitoto that was unknown for us,” Adam said.”We were measuring natural electric signals in the subsurface and they showed us a specific pattern that tells us there are circulating waters. The only way this could be happening is if the…

It’s known as the Olympics of motorcycling, the International Six Days of Enduro.And this week, four young South Island riders are set to make history, becoming the youngest New Zealand team ever to line up in the Junior Trophy which has the world’s best under 23 riders.The gruelling endurance event has been running for more than a century. Nearly two decades ago, Taupō hosted the competition but this time the spotlight is on Bergamo, Italy, where riders will face brutal summer heat and unforgiving terrain.The Kiwi juniors Jonty Richards, Blake Affleck, Dylan Huddleston and Thomas Easton have been training over…

A flight between Auckland and Blenheim has had to divert to New Plymouth this afternoon after a system alert forced a landing.Air New Zealand chief safety officer Nathan McGraw said pilots on flight NZ5509 noticed an “aircraft system indication” during the flight.The plane landed safely at about 12.38pm with emergency services on standby as a precaution.”Our maintenance team will now inspect the aircraft, before it can return to service, and we are working to get customers on to their final destinations as quickly as possible.”

Rotorua Lakes Council’s local election candidates have mixed views on the use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) in campaigning and whether it risks undermining the qualities voters expect from them.It comes as one expert compares the nature of such content with junk food as it becomes increasingly prolific.This will be Rotorua’s first local elections since ChatGPT launched.Dr Bronwyn Isaacs, a University of Waikato anthropology lecturer specialising in the cultural politics of AI, said she had observed a rise in generative-AI use in political content.Its affordability, ease of access and the ability to manage the pressure for a high volume of…

A polytech project has grown into a full-fledged commercial venture with potato-based ice cream now being churned out in Dunedin.The starchy sweet treat was soon to be scooped out at popular ice cream parlour Patti’s and Cream.Agria potatoes soaked in water was the start of culinary arts student Emily Gilbert’s ice cream, complete with dairy-free dark chocolate and sugar.“The name of the brand is Mud, which is milk plus spud,” she told 1News.New Zealand produces around half-a-million tonnes of potatoes per year and potato milk is a big deal overseas, sold in supermarkets for people needing low FODMAP foods for…