Author: Press Room

If you’re spending your evenings in front of a heater, you might be keeping a wary eye on your power bill.The cost of heating your home makes up about a third of what you pay for power each month.But what’s the cheapest way to do it?Here’s an overview of how the various options compare.Heat pumpsThey can have a high upfront cost, but Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority lead adviser on energy efficient appliances Gareth Gretton said heat pumps were “by far and away” the most efficient form of heating.Depending on how much you’re charged for electricity, it might cost you…

A person has died following a single-vehicle crash in Matakana this evening.Emergency services are at the scene on Leigh Rd, between Quintal and Takatu roads. Police were alerted to the crash shortly after 6pm.The road is closed while emergency services work at the scene.Motorists have been advised to avoid the area if possible.

Paw-friendly panels have been added to a new water pipe bridge in Wellington, making it more comfortable for dogs to walk across.Greater Wellington Regional Council completed a new water pipe bridge in the Kaitoke Regional Park late last year.Nick Leggett, chair of Wellington Water — which manages water pipe bridges for the council — said the bridge formed part of a popular walkway loop, and the park was visited by 350,000 people last year.He said the bridge combined “a critical piece of infrastructure with something that people can use and enjoy”.But feedback from the community found the bridge walkway’s grate…

Auckland Council is pushing for stronger powers under the Dog Control Act 1996 to address the growing number of roaming and uncontrolled dogs.Despite this, frontline rescuers and local leaders say the crisis requires immediate on-the-ground action.Jo Coulam, a volunteer at the Saving Hope Foundation, said rescue groups are overwhelmed and feel abandoned.Coulam criticised the council’s desexing pilot for not targeting the right communities and highlights that rescue groups are carrying too much of the burden.Saving Hope has rehomed 637 dogs and puppies in the past month, with 46 requests received in a single day.“We spoke in May about the Kāinga…

Journalist Aaron Smale has been covering the issue of abuse in care in New Zealand for over a decade and has now been involved with the making of a powerful documentary featuring adult survivors of our children’s homes and other institutions. He reflects on the process of sharing part of a story, the whole of which is too big and too ugly to ever truly be told.Watch The Stolen Children of Aotearoa on TVNZ+. How do you tell the story on film of how more than 200,000 children were abused when they were in the custody of the state and…

A New Zealand-first genomic study in Canterbury could transform the wine industry with a single cell and save growers millions.Lincoln University scientists say the study would help the billion-dollar export industry grow more disease resistant vines and slash chemical spray use by up to 80%. Associate professor at Lincoln University Chris Winefield said samples taken from vineyards go into a $500,000 machine for genome sequencing.Professor Winefield said genome sequencing could save the wine industry tens of thousands of dollars. (Source: 1News)The data collected can then be used to identify genetically improved grapevines for breeding programmes and as a tool to…

A person has died in a single-vehicle crash which downed powerlines in Marlborough this evening.Emergency services were alerted to the crash on State Highway 6 between Leslies Rd and Mt Riley Rd in Okaramio around 6pm.”Powerlines have been brought down obstructing the road,” police said.SH6 will be closed for some time while the serious crash unit examines the scene. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Three people were rescued after a high-stakes nighttime rescue in “trying conditions”, hundreds of kilometres off the coast of New Zealand last night. At around 2.30pm yesterday, Maritime NZ’s rescue coordination centre was notified that a launch bound for Tonga from New Zealand had encountered trouble south of the Kermadec Islands — about 350 nautical miles north-east of New Zealand. A mayday was declared shortly after, and the crew decided to abandon the launch for a life raft.“They took life jackets, a grab bag and other essential supplies. They gave themselves the best chance of survival,” search and rescue officer…

The name of a man who died after a concrete truck hit a house in Auckland on Monday has been released by police. He was 38-year-old Mingwei Yu from Papatoetoe.”Our thoughts are with his family and friends at this difficult time,” police said. Emergency services were called to the property on Rangitoto Ave just after 9am on Monday, July 14.Footage captured by 1News at the scene showed a concrete truck that had appeared to have been tipped on its side earlier against the home.Police said Yu’s death had been referred to WorkSafe and the coroner. A WorkSafe spokesperson said on…

A 54-year-old woman has been arrested and charged after allegedly supplying a cake laced with cannabis to a work shared lunch at Hawke’s Bay Hospital. Police said the woman was due to appear in court next month.1News understood hospital staff ate the cake laced with cannabis at a shared lunch and returned to work, where people later started feeling the effects.1News also understood at least two hospital staff members had to be treated in the emergency department as a result.Health New Zealand has been tight-lipped on details regarding the incident, but advised no clinical staff or senior medical officers were…