Author: Press Room

One of the last empty “super-lots” in the heart of Christchurch’s central business district is set to be transformed into the city’s largest multi-use development since the devastating earthquakes more than a decade ago.The $130 million project, named Downtown, will rise on the site between Manchester Street, Cashel Street and Lichfield Street, on the former site of Bedford Row – an area where every building was lost in the quakes.The large-scale precinct will feature 18 individually designed buildings housing a mix of retail stores, hospitality venues, office spaces, and apartments.Lead developer Richard Peebles said the goal was to create a…

ADVERTISEMENTA dangerous toxic cloud formed following a fire at a swimming pool chemicals factory in Vilanova i la Geltrú. The blaze erupted at around 02:20 on Saturday, 10 May, at Clim Waterpool, a company specialising in cleaning products for swimming pools.The affected site, located at 18 Rambla dels Països Catalans in Vilanova i la Geltrú, contained approximately 70 tonnes of chlorine—a highly toxic substance when it burns.Catalonia’s Civil Protection activated its chemical risk plan, PLASEQCAT, and sent emergency alerts to residents’ mobile phones in the affected areas.Immediate Response and Containment OrdersLockdown orders have been lifted, however vulnerable people are still…

Police will have to pay back speeding fines totalling approximately $50,000 after a camera site in Auckland was found to have broken the rules.Up to 650 tickets issued to drivers on State Highway 16 in Kumeū are now being reviewed after a concerned motorist queried the location of the camera van. He said it was too close to where the limit drops from 80km/h to 50km/h – and police now agree. They have apologised and will pay the fines back.The area’s Road Policing Director admitted in a response released under the Official Information Act this week that the mobile speed…

Stephen Stone’s recent acquittal for rape and murder after 26 years in prison is the latest case to highlight a need for changes to our justice system, says private investigator and advocate Tim McKinnel. He talks to Cushla Norman about his deep involvement in a long list of such cases, and his frustration with what he sees as the state’s reluctance to make necessary changes.”The state is incredibly reluctant to admit when it gets it wrong.” Watch Tim McKinnel’s interview with Cushla Norman on TVNZ+. A private investigator who has helped expose some of New Zealand’s most prominent miscarriages of…

A section of State Highway 29 over the Kaimai Ranges which was closed due to an earlier crash has been reopened.New Zealand Transport Agency said the major route connecting the Bay of Plenty and Waikato regions was closed in both directions this morning between State Highway 28 (SH28) and Hanga Road, north of the Kaimai lookout.In an update shortly after 9am, police said the road had reopened. Police thanked motorists for their patience.Earlier, St John said it sent one rapid response vehicle and two ambulances to the scene shortly before 7am. “One patient, in a serious condition, was transported to…

The vast number of sheep in New Zealand relative to the country’s human population has long been the subject of jokes aimed at New Zealanders abroad. It’s true: The country is one of a handful in the world that’s still home to more sheep than people.But humans are catching up, according to new figures released Wednesday. With a population of 23.6 million sheep and 5.3 million people, there are about 4.5 sheep for each New Zealander, government statistics agency data showed.That’s down from 22 sheep per person in 1982, when farming sheep for meat and wool was New Zealand’s biggest…

Search teams will continue to look for a missing tramper in Milford Sound today.The missing tramper has been named online as Eli Sweeting, 25, who failed to return after a planned day trip to climb Mitre Peak on Sunday. The alarm was raised promptly, and a search and rescue operation began immediately, shortly before midnight on May 5.On Monday, emergency services began a large-scale air and ground search operation involving multiple agencies. In an update today, police said it was maintaining “a positive outlook as search efforts continue”. “After weather prevented search teams deploying yesterday, staff spent the day planning…

Shoppers are turning away from butter as prices soar – and there’s a warning retail prices could get another dollar higher.As global dairy prices have soared, so too has the retail price of butter.Stats NZ recorded the average price of a block of butter in March at $7.33, up 10% from its December level of $6.66.In Woolworths this week, home brand butter was selling for $8.49.The Global Dairy Trade auction price for butter has risen from US$6631/MT in December to US$7992 in the latest auction.A spokesperson for Woolworths said the supermarket was trying to keep butter prices as low as…

A Whangārei home destroyed after a speeding car crashed through its roof had been hit three times before by vehicles flying off the same stretch of road, a relative of a former owner says.She fears it will happen again and is urging the council to build a crash barrier or realign the road, before luck runs out and someone is killed.Around 11pm on Tuesday a car police say was travelling at high speed left Mill Road, smashed through a fence, sailed over one unit on Millers Lane and landed on another.The car crashed through the roof into the living room,…

Severe thunderstorm watches were in place for the upper North Island with downpours and flash flooding possible throughout Friday.1News weather presenter Dan Corbett warned conditions in the mid-afternoon were likely to provide a “sucker’s gap” where a lull in the rain might deceive people into believing the worst of the weather had passed.He said there would be more heavy rain to come around the afternoon commute time and Auckland workers making their way home should be prepared.Within the hour to 5.30pm, 23mm of rain had fallen on the North Shore suburb of Birkdale and 22mm of rain had dropped at…