Author: Press Room

Extreme winds have hit exposed parts of Canterbury this morning, MetService says.A rare red level strong wind warning is in effect for much of Canterbury, while orange level wind and rain warnings are in effect for much of the rest of the South Island.Power is out to pockets of the central and lower South Island.Alpine Energy in South Canterbury says power is out in Temuka, Makikihi, Geraldine and surrounding areas of the settlements due to the extreme wind buffeting the region this morning.Network Waitaki is also reporting power has been cut in Teaneraki and Enfield due to the weather.Downed lines…

A man has been charged after two planes near Wellington Airport were allegedly targeted by a laser last night.The 35-year-old was set to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow, charged with endangering transport after the incident in the capital last night. At about 6.45pm last night, air traffic controllers reported to police that a plane preparing to land at “was targeted by a laser.” Within five minutes, another plane reported a laser being pointed in its direction, police said.”The information provided to police suggested the laser came from Stokes Valley.”An officer already in Stokes Valley on unrelated matters…

The Nelson-Tasman region is reeling from devastating floods, the closure of its largest sawmill and the potential loss of more than 100 additional jobs across the manufacturing sector.In August, Carter Holt Harvey told staff it would shut the Eves Valley Sawmill and consolidating operations to Kawerau, resulting in the loss of 142 jobs. The following day, Sealord announced it was proposing to cut 79 permanent jobs and close its coated fish factory in Nelson.Griffin’s Snacks has since told staff about a plan to close its Nelson factory that produces Proper Crisps, and move operations to Auckland from late 2027 and…

Clouds are set to spoil the show for more Kiwis hoping to catch tomorrow’s rare partial solar eclipse at dawn — but one city might just get lucky.The eclipse would begin before sunrise and reach its peak around 7am, with the moon covering up to 70% of the sun in parts of the lower South Island. In Auckland, the coverage will be closer to 60%.However, MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley told 1News that the same weather system responsible for strong wind warnings from Stewart Island to Wellington would make it “difficult” to catch a glimpse of the celestial event.”We have high…

A man has been charged with arson after two building fires were reported within a half-hour of each other around Auckland’s Newmarket this morning.No injuries were reported at either of the fires, and police said a 36-year-old man was arrested a short time later in relation to the incidents.The first fire was at a property on Manukau Rd, Epsom at 5.26am, with firefighters called to the scene by a “fire alarm evacuation”.”On arrival, crews found a fire on the ground floor of the building. At the height of the fire a second alarm was transmitted, with six appliances attending.”Crews attended…

A boom in Antarctic tourism has seen visitor numbers surge in recent decades, prompting scientists to question whether the frozen continent can sustain the influx of adventurers perhaps drawn by “last chance tourism”.The vast majority of tourists leave on cruise ships from Tierra del Fuego in South America and cross the Drake Passage to the Antarctic Peninsula. They travel only in the Antarctic summer season, but numbers have swelled in recent decades.Over the 1994/95 season, around 8000 tourists visited the continent, while the numbers recorded for the summer of 2023/24 were just over 122,000. The general manager of Christchurch’s International…

An Auckland man with cerebral palsy says he feels “very let down by the housing system” as he struggles in emergency accommodation unfit for his needs.Kallen Neki told 1News he had been in a temporary unit since the start of the year while he waited for public housing that was wheelchair accessible.Getting through the front door on his chair was a daily challenge, and due to the size of the space he was often only able to move around the house on his knees.”There’s nothing wrong with my brain, but on the physical side there is a lot going on,…

The Health Minister has announced that $100 million allocated from Budget 2025 will be used to fund 21 local projects at hospital facilities across the country. Speaking from Auckland’s Manukau Health Park this afternoon, Simeon Brown said the money had been specifically allocated from Budget 2025 to fund the hospital upgrades, but Health New Zealand had to make business cases to decide which projects the funding would be put towards. “It’s money which is part of the budget. So the money was allocated, Health New Zealand has then been through a process, the money’s now been drawn down. So they…

A humpback whale has died after being found stuck on a sandbank at the mouth of the Waitati River, north of Dunedin on Saturday.Project Jonah, a charitable organisation dedicated to helping marine mammals, said it responded to the stranding on Sunday morning.In a post online, it said medics from the charity went to the beach to monitor the whale, alongside Department of Conservation rangers, Surf Life Saving NZ, and mana whenua Kāti Huirapa Rūnaka ki Puketeraki.”It was hoped the whale would be able to free itself on the incoming tide and during this time, we consulted with several organisations through…

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger concedes he had been “naive” to promise below-inflation rates rises when he first ran three years ago, as he and his opponent Sara Templeton went head-to-head in a Q+A debate.The mayoral election in the country’s second-largest city has seen progressive councillor Templeton running to replace the first-term incumbent. On rates, the two frontrunners have clashed on whether Government-mandated caps on increases are appropriate.On Q+A, Mauger said he was “naive” to have pledged to keep rates rises below inflation when he ran for mayor in 2022, but was adamant voters could still trust him on the issue.”That…