Author: Press Room

One cellblock at Ngāwhā prison in the Far North was evacuated this morning after a prisoner lit a fire in his cell.Northland Region Corrections Facility general manager David Pattinson said staff responded immediately to remove the man from his cell and put out the fire.The other prisoners in the wing were escorted to a secure yard but were returned to their cells shortly afterwards without incident.Pattinson said the prisoner would face internal misconduct charges and police would be notified.He said there were no injuries and there was no threat to the wider security of the prison.”Safety is our top priority…

Foodstuffs North Island Limited and Foodstuffs South Island Limited say they will appeal the Commerce Commission’s decision to decline clearance for the two to become a single national grocery entity.In December 2023, Foodstuffs North Island (FSNI) and Foodstuffs South Island (FSSI) jointly filed an application with the Commerce Commission for clearance to merge into one New Zealand-owned co-operative.Last month the Commerce Commission announced it had declined to give clearance, citing concerns over potential harm to the competitive process.The Commission said it considered the merger likely to substantially lessen competition in many acquisition markets.In a statement, FSNI and FSSI said they…

Regulations Minister David Seymour has announced an online portal for people to lodge “red tape horror stories” with the Regulations Ministry.The ACT leader says regulations compliance removes billions of dollars from New Zealand’s economy every year, with NZIER estimating the cost to businesses at $5 billion in 2015.”We want to hear from tradies, farmers, teachers, chefs, engineers – every person doing productive work. If there’s red tape in your industry that needs cutting, we want to know about it. The Ministry might not be able to resolve every issue that’s brought to its attention straight away, but we are keen…

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown has unveiled his plans to strip three council-controlled organisations of their responsibilities.Brown’s draft Mayoral Proposal for Auckland Council’s 2025-2026 annual plan released this morning would see the council take control of Auckland Transport’s back-office functions and strategic direction.This includes all communications, marketing, legal and finance functions.”As funder and shareholder, Auckland Council has the right to put conditions on our funding. I have proposed that we get advice on how we can make operational funding of AT’s back-office functions conditional on Auckland Council providing those services,” Brown said.”I have also proposed that Auckland Council take responsibility for…

Kinleith Mill plans to halt paper processing next year with 230 jobs on the line. Workers were called to a meeting at the mill in Tokoroa on Wednesday morning. The pulp and paper mill is owned by Oji Fibre Solutions, which in September announced it was closing its operation at Penrose, Auckland. Up to 75 workers were affected. Oji said that closure was partly due to high power prices. Oji chief executive Jon Ryder said in a statement the company was proposing to simplify Kinleith Mill’s operations by focusing on pulp and discontinuing lossmaking paper production. “Therefore, we are consulting on…

Liam Payne will be laid to rest in a private ceremony overnight. The former One Direction star died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on October 16 at the age of 31 and it has now been revealed that his parents have put together a “perfect service” for him which will take place this evening NZT, exactly five weeks on from the tragedy.A source told The Sun: “Liam’s funeral is taking place tomorrow afternoon in the Home Counties.”His family have gone to great lengths to put together the perfect service and give him the send-off he deserves.”Liam…

State Highway 1 between Tūrangi and Waiouru – known as the Desert Road – will close for nearly two months over the summer for maintenance works.The key North Island route will be closed from January 6 until late February 2025 as part of the SH1 Tīrau to Waiouru Accelerated Maintenance project. The undertaking “is the largest and most ambitious maintenance and renewal projects to be undertaken in New Zealand”, New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) regional manager of maintenance and operations, Roger Brady, said in a statement”The alpine environment and potential for a cold snap means we need to do this…

By Nona Pelletier of RNZ Consumers will soon begin paying a lot more for electricity lines charges, with average monthly increases of between $10 in the main centres to as much as $25 in some regions. But that is just the beginning. Rates will continue to rise in each of the following four years so that consumers will see their lines charges cost $30 a month more in five years time to as much as a $85 a month in some regions. The Commerce Commission said consumers would benefit from its decision to allow the national grid owner, Transpower, and…

The High Court in Christchurch has heard evidence about murder-accused Tingjun Cao being stopped for a police vehicle check on the same day he was arrested.Officers involved in the stop on July 22, 2023, three days after Yanfei Bao’s disappearance, have detailed how it unfolded as the trial reaches its fifth week.Acting Sergeant Abigail Howe, who initiated the stop, recalled Cao was holding his phone when she arrived so his hands caught her attention.Screenshots from police bodycam of Tingjun Cao, who is charged with the murder of Yanfei Bao. (Source: Supplied)”I saw that he had scratches on his hands which…

A controversial plan to enable housing to be built in Nelson’s Kākā Valley is one step closer — but the developer isn’t celebrating yet.Last week, the Environment Court issued its decision to approve Private Plan Change 28 which would rezone about 287 hectares of land from rural to urban.The rezoning would enable about 750 homes to be built in Kākā Valley and along the Botanical and Malvern hills.The plan change was jointly lodged by a syndicate of two developers. Bayview Nelson was responsible for about 400 homes while the remaining 350 were projected by CCKV Development for the Maitahi Village…