Author: Press Room

There has been a spike in a potentially deadly disease linked to dirty spa pools in New Zealand.Health New Zealand said there were 10 cases of legionnaires’ disease in the year to March, up on three for the same period last year. Eight of those new cases were strongly linked to spas.National Public Health Service medical specialist Matt Reid said ESR tested those with the disease.”The same type of legionella bacteria was detected in both the infected person and in water samples taken from their spa pools. This means that infected water was the most likely source of infection.”In one…

Military aid to Ukraine, migrant returns and reduction of bureaucracy on the table for MEPs. ADVERTISEMENTAmid growing tensions between Europe and the US, and between two crucial summits of EU leaders on defence, MEPs are heading to Strasbourg for a plenary session packed with controversial debates. Here is a selection of the most interesting topics to follow.Military aid to UkraineOn Wednesday, March 12, MEPs will vote on a resolution urging the EU to maintain its support for Ukraine, even if the United States withdraws its backing. The resolution, which is non-legislative, also focuses on European contributions to the security guarantees needed to…

Around $100,000 in cash has been seized alongside methamphetamine after a Hawke’s Bay man was arrested following a vehicle stop last week.Detective Senior Sergeant Kris Payne said police, who were armed as a precaution, executed an armed vehicle stop on State Highway 50 near Tikokino after a vehicle of interest was sighted on March 7.Utensils for drug use and cash were located upon a search of the vehicle, with a further search of the man at the police station locating further methamphetamine and utensils.Payne said a search at the man’s address located 680 grams of methamphetamine and around $100,000 in…

ASB has revised its house price forecast for this year, taking it from predicting the largest increases of any of the main banks to the bottom of the table.For this year, ANZ expects house prices to rise 6%, BNZ 6.8%, Westpac 7.2% and Infometrics 5.6%.Treasury expects 3% growth.ASB had predicted more than 9% but chief economist Nick Tuffley said that had been revised down to 3.4% for this year and 5.1% for 2026.”The pick-up in sales has been sluggish so far and there is a lot of stock on the market, so that will temper how soon prices lift. And…

Dozens of firefighters battled a large blaze at a mechanic’s workshop in Frankton, Hamilton this morning, with a witness reporting “loud bangs” as the flames raged.Fire and Emergency NZ said it received calls to the building on Ellis St at around 11.30am.”We have 35 firefighters and 12 trucks currently working to contain the fire,” a spokesperson said.Crews from as far as Te Awamutu responded to the blaze.Ellis St was closed and the public were urged to avoid the area.”A fire investigator will be sent to the scene to determine the cause.”Fire and Emergency NZ said 35 firefighters attended the fire…

A leading New Zealand cement manufacturer is set to build a new concrete plant in Dunedin. Holcim New Zealand Ltd has been granted resource consent by the Dunedin City Council to construct and operate a concrete batching plant in Kaikorai Valley Rd, on industrial land near the Southern Motorway. A report said the proposed activities at the plant included producing ready-mixed concrete, water reticulation and dispatching product by agitator truck to customers. The company would also be unloading raw materials and admixtures used in concrete into silos, bins, and additive tanks. The batching plant would be located within an approximately…

A woman critically hurt in a crash in Murchison spent almost 36 hours in the car before being found.Named by a friend as Hope Hoyland, police said she was found in her car down a bank on Mangles Valley Rd, between Blackwater Rd and Huntaway Rd, on Wednesday morning.St John said one patient in a critical condition was airlifted to Wellington Hospital.Hoyland had gone off the road two days earlier, said her friend Samara Anderson.”She wasn’t found until Wednesday morning, March 5th—over 36 hours later. By some miracle, she was still alive, but in a critical condition.”She was airlifted to…

Some Hawke’s Bay growers have seen record-breaking revenue two years on from widespread devastation wrought by Cyclone Gabrielle.New Zealand’s apple and pear industry surpassed $1 billion in revenue. The Hawke’s Bay region is home to 65% of the nation’s apple and pear crops.Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said she was “really grateful” for the work done to get the region’s sector up and running again in the wake of the cyclone.”We’ve seen our horticulture seek to stand up, replant those trees, we’ve got an amazing crop coming through this summer and that feeds our economy, gives people jobs, and gets us…

An iwi leader says the passage through Parliament of the Te Korowai o Wainuiārua Claims Settlement Bill has brought joy to his people, but it is tinged with apprehension.The Bill passed its second and third readings in one sitting on Thursday, with the final reading witnessed by members of the three central North Island iwi Tamahaki, Tamakana and Uenuku (ki Manganui-o-te-Ao, nā Tūkaihoro).Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith told the House the passing of the final reading brings an end to eight years of negotiations between the Crown and those represented by the iwi collective Te Korowai o Wainuiārua.As iwi members…

As rain lashes down over Brisbane’s flood-prone suburb of Rocklea, Ryan Gilbert stands under his pergola, watching the water slowly rise and wondering if his home is Alfred’s next target.The backyard, once a place for BBQs and summer afternoons, is now turning into a soggy, swelling pool of uncertainty.Originally from Timaru, Gilbert moved to Brisbane a decade ago and has been living in Rocklea for the past year fully aware of its reputation for flooding. But this is his first cyclone, and the past few days have been a waiting game.“We were pretty prepared, just from hearing through housemates’ families…