Author: Press Room

A new Auckland retail crime unit has apprehended two “nationally sought” shoplifters this week, police say.The unit began work on Monday, tasked with targeting recidivist retail crime offenders in the Auckland City and west suburbs between Mt Roskill, Mt Albert, Avondale, Pt Chevalier and Ponsonby.Police area prevention manager inspector Wayne Kitcher said that hours after the team began work, two people were taken into custody.”Between them, these two individuals have accumulated more than $250,000 worth of loss to retailers from across the region.”We will allege that this offending was spread across multiple retailers, where high value items were targeted on…

Fire and Emergency crews were at the scene of a commercial building fire in Ōtāhuhu, Auckland this evening.It told 1News the fire, which was at a panel-beating building, was well-involved on arrival.“Multiple crews were called in. In total, 12 fire trucks attended the scene, including three ladder trucks.“Several specialist and support vehicles also attended.”There were no casualties to report at this stage, FENZ added.

One person has died following a crash between two vehicles near Taupō this morning. Emergency services were called to the scene on State Highway 1 in Wairakei, between Link Road and Kauri Drive, at around 7.30am.”Two people from one vehicle have minor injuries, while the sole occupant of the second vehicle died at the scene,” police said. Hato Hone St John said those with minor injuries were taken to Taupō hospital. State Highway 1 remained closed, and the serious crash unit was investigating. “Enquiries into the cause of the crash are ongoing,” police said.

There are estimated to be up to 8 million feral cats in New Zealand – six times more than there are pet cats – and farmers are fed up with nothing being done about it.‘They just keep coming’ – Watch this story in full on TVNZ+A farmer who made international headlines with a feral cat hunting competition for kids says he’s committed to continuing the fight against one of New Zealand’s worst predators.Despite the controversy that followed the North Canterbury Hunting Club’s competition in 2023, organiser Mat Bailey said they are proud they’ve raised the importance of addressing feral cats…

Twenty-one fire trucks were called to a fire at a commercial laundromat in Auckland’s Henderson last night. Fire and Emergency New Zealand was called to the Henderson Valley Road building at around 9.08pm. “When crews arrived, they found the building well ablaze and called for more resources,” a FENZ spokesperson said. Crews from across Auckland were called to the two-storey building, which was being used as a commercial laundromat. A total of 21 fire trucks, including three ladder trucks, a command unit, and multiple support vehicles, were at the scene. “A high-reach ladder was also brought in from Parnell that…

Ten cows are dead after a vehicle collided with a herd of them near Palmerston North yesterday evening. Emergency services were called to Napier Road, State Highway 3, near Ashurst at around 8.30pm following reports of a “collision between a vehicle and a herd of cows”. Police said the driver of the vehicle suffered moderate injuries. Police said 10 of the 20 cows in the herd had died, while four had been injured. Both lanes were blocked following the crash, and diversions were put in place while the road was cleared.

Two people have been seriously injured after a head-on crash involving a stolen car on Auckland’s Northern Motorway this morning. The crash happened around 6.20am at the Wainui off-ramp and led to a two-hour-long closure of the motorway.One of the vehicles involved, a stolen Toyota Aqua driven by a youth, entered the Northern Motorway at the off-ramp and drove against the flow of traffic. “The car travelled roughly 50 metres before it collided with an unsuspecting member of the public, who effectively had no time to react,” Inspector Danny Meade said.Police had been tracking the vehicle after it was stolen…

Gold mining giant Santana has been told to stop any activity at Bendigo it does not have consent to do. Environmental group Sustainable Tarras this week claimed Santana had been operating an industrial factory to process drill samples and co-ordinate drilling crews at Bendigo for years. The Central Otago District Council, which is responsible for land use rules in the area, says it has not approved any activity related to the mining company other than road widening. A council spokesperson said Santana had applied for consent for proposed mining activity in Thomsons Gorge Rd including a borrow pit, workers’ camp…

An Auckland mental health programme catering for people with long-standing or chronic problems will shut down.On Thursday afternoon, Health NZ told patients and staff of Rauaroha Segar House the service would close its doors.Operating from its central-city Khyber Pass Rd base, Segar House is a publicly-funded, intensive programme that involves group therapy and is focused on allowing people to function in society.The service had an allocation of seven full-time equivalent staff members, although RNZ was told it had been operating below that, and 10 patients at any given time.Health NZ has been consulting on its proposal to shut Segar House…

The headline states, “This valley is no longer safe for overnight stays — and DOC isn’t explaining why”.The story that follows conjures a scene from a horror film. Something odd has been going on in Whakataki valley, east of Mount Aspiring National Park, the article claims.”Today, it’s officially been closed to overnight stays — and the Department of Conservation isn’t saying exactly why.”A former hut warden, identified only by their first name, is quoted. An anonymous DOC worker adds, “there’s more going on than we can talk about right now”.As intriguing as it all sounds, none of it is true.This…