Author: Press Room

They’re kith and kin distilling alcohol in the aptly-named Gin Tin. Meet the team behind Prophecy Distilling who have been operating for just four months from two converted shipping containers at Earnscleugh in Central Otago, yet have already won a trophy and two medals. Anna Ballantine, her brother Matt Cowie and sister Georgia Cowie, and their respective partners Tom Ballantine, Jamie Cowie and Tom Craven, have been joined by friends Lexi and Barry White. Mr Cowie had once talked about making gin with mates but had not got much further than drinking the spirit. When Mrs Ballantine and her good…

Casino operator SkyCity has reported a small net profit, with revenue down 11% and underlying profit down 42%.The company remained in a trading halt for a second day, to undertake a $240 million fully underwritten capital raising to address current trading conditions, as well as ongoing investment requirements.Chief executive Jason Walbridge said SkyCity was also looking to sell some $200m assets over 12 to 18 months, including the sale of the Auckland carpark concession and the 99 Albert Street office building.Key numbers for the 12 months ended June compared with a year ago:Net profit $29.2m vs loss $143.3mRevenue $852.2m vs…

$120,000 more than expected has been raked in by Ashburton District Council for parking fines, this despite a lower number of infringements.Council figures reveal that the value of parking infringements exceeded the annual budget by $124,567 in 2024/25 following government-enforced price increases in October.The total amount taken in was $574,217, up from the $502,513 in 2023/24.But the number of infringements issued was 6100, 35 fewer than the previous year.Compliance and development group manager Ian Hyde said the reason for the big hike was the Government increasing parking infringements and towage fees in October, and that the council’s budget was set…

Invercargill mayoral hopeful Andrew Clark says a “frosty” relationship with brother Nobby didn’t stop the current mayor from sharing private thoughts on the current council.Clark is visiting Invercargill this week from his hometown, Nelson, where he is also contesting the Tasman mayoralty under the first name Maxwell.His late nomination for Invercargill’s top job drew a cold public response from Nobby Clark, who questioned why he was standing in two places under different names.But Andrew Clark claims the pair had a long phone conversation when he made his nomination, and Nobby even shared thoughts about the council and councillors, which ran…

Two police officers used “unjustified” force on a detainee in Auckland which caused him to fall headfirst onto a concrete bed in an incident the police watchdog said failed to meet basic standards of care.On January 18, 2023, an 18-year-old man, referred to as Mr X in the report, was arrested by police for breaching a bail condition. While the arrest itself was lawful, the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) found serious failings in how officers treated him once in custody.The man was taken to the Auckland Custody Unit, which was overseen by a police sergeant that afternoon, and was…

A former executive of a major New Zealand dairy company has been charged after allegedly receiving more than $270,000 in financial kickbacks.Simon Stewart, the former group market manager of Open Country Dairy Limited, appeared in the Manukau District Court on one representative charge. The charge, brought by the Serious Fraud Office, comes after the results of an internal investigation by the company — owned by the Talley’s Food Group — were handed to authorities. “The SFO would like to thank OCD for their cooperation and assistance.” Stewart is accused of providing information, including “sensitive” price information, and assistance to an…

An expansion at the Ports of Auckland is the first project to be granted consent under the new fast-track regime. The Fast-track Approvals Act, which was part of the coalition agreement between National and NZ First, was aimed at accelerating approvals for projects deemed to have regional or national significance. The approved works at the Port of Auckland included a new reinforced concrete-pillared wharf at the Bledisloe Terminal, an extension to the Fergusson North Berth, a cruise passenger terminal, and other upgrades.It would allow larger cruise ships to berth in Auckland and increase New Zealand’s import and export capacity, Minister…

As a beloved South Auckland landmark, the Ōtara Flea Market is known for being rich in Pacific culture and vibrancy, offering food, music, crafts, and art.That tradition would be allowed to continue after the Ōtara-Papatoetoe Local Board approved a new five-year commercial licence during its monthly business meeting on Tuesday.The licence allowed Ōtara Markets Limited Partnership to run the Saturday market at 1R Newbury Street, Ōtara, from 5am until 2pm, two hours longer than before. The area would also expand by another row of car parks, allowing for more stallholders.Key conditions of the licence included strict monitoring and reporting on…

The Government has confirmed plans to purchase five MH-60R Seahawk helicopters and two Airbus A321XLR aircraft, locking in previously signalled upgrades to the Defence Force’s air fleet.The $2.7 billion investment, part of the Defence Capability Plan announced in April, included more than $2 billion for the maritime helicopters and $700 million for the planes, which will replace the ageing Seasprites and Boeing 757s.Defence Minister Judith Collins and Foreign Minister Winston Peters announced the acquisitions at a media conference at the Beehive this afternoon, describing them as essential steps to ensure New Zealand’s defence assets were “critical combat capable, interoperable and…

New Zealand Post has suspended some forms of shipping to the United States as President Donald Trump’s trade tariffs loom. This included American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands. On its website, NZ Post said there were some restrictions on what could be sent to the US and US territories. This included suspending a number of services temporarily “until further notice”, while formal processes around the new US tariffs were being finalised. The suspended services included sending with economy, economy tracked, economy plus, courier and express. Letters sent via economy letters and documents sent via…