Author: Press Room

Master carver and teacher Renata Tane (Ngāti Rēhia) is calling for the return of around 70-90 carving chisels that were stolen from NorthTec’s Kerikeri campus – Te Pou o Manako in mid-April.In a statement, Tane said some of the chisels that were stolen had a significant connection to him including ones that once belonged to his grand-uncle, and a set he received during his time training at the prestigious Te Puia Māori Arts and Crafts Institute in Rotorua.”All the chisels have carried my blood, sweat and tears over the past 18 years of my career – not to mention all…

Amanda Whiting, chief executive of IAG NZ, said the survey shows climate-change concern is “front of mind” for Kiwis.  “People have seen the devastation wrought by storms like Cyclone Gabrielle and are much more aware of the risks.”  Climate change and natural disaster risk now outrank school zones, public transport and crime rates in terms of importance for buyers.  More than half of respondents said the weather and natural disaster risk was among their top three concerns when buying a home.  And four-in-five people want their councils to provide more information on a property’s natural hazard risks – but only…

An Auckland man was “inappropriately” charged with serious sexual assault after officers conducted an “inadequate” investigation, the police watchdog has found. The findings were part of an Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation looking into how officers handled an incident that saw a man falsely accused of a serious crime for more than a year. The man’s ordeal began on October 25, 2019, while he was giving a woman a tour of a rental property he owned. Five minutes after arriving at the property the woman locked herself in the bathroom and called 111, claiming the man had threatened and…

A roadworker in Auckland’s Remuera is in a critical condition after being run over and crushed by a truck on Wednesday night.  The man, who is suffering leg and pelvic crush injuries, was rushed to Auckland Hospital just after 10pm.  Senior Sergeant Kuhrt Wieneke spoke with Newshub at the scene of the crash on Victoria Ave, where new asphalt was being put down by roadworkers.  “What we know is a large truck rolled down the hill and collected one of the workers here, causing critical injuries to him,” he said.   “He has been taken through to Auckland City Hospital with…

Former Port of Auckland (POAL) boss Tony Gibson maintained health and safety was a “core part” of the business under his watch as he defended his record in court today. The 69-year-old is on trial in the District Court at Auckland over two charges related to the death of 31-year-old Pala’amo Kalati while working at the port in August 2020. The stevedore, a father-of-seven, was working a night shift when a container fell on top of him, killing him. A Maritime NZ investigation led to several charges being laid against the company, and Gibson who was chief executive at the…

By Phil Pennington, RNZ The cost of junior doctors doing extra hours to plug workforce shortages has skyrocketed to more than $70 million a year. The costs for 2022-23 were more than twice as high as the year before when they were $33m, figures generated for RNZ by Te Whatu Ora show. They were also 2.6 times higher than the $23m paid in 2020, when doctors worked long hours to tackle the Covid pandemic. Health NZ was forced by big gaps in the rosters to virtually double the rate it paid per shift in June 2022. “My reaction when I…

Ponsonby bar and restaurant owners are working together to ramp up security following a fatal shooting on Sunday. A man was found dead outside an address on the Central Auckland street after “reports of a firearm being discharged”.Police have since released images of an “extremely dangerous” man investigators are seeking after the incident. Police are still working to find the ‘extremely dangerous’ man.Speaking to 1News today, Ponsonby Social Club owner Bobby Mukai said in his 24 years working in Ponsonby, he’s never seen something like this happen.”We all just want the community to feel safe.” Mukai said he’s been in…

More than $160,000 has been raised by Otago-based outdoor gear brand Kea Outdoors in its first week of an equity crowdfunding campaign on crowdfunding platform PledgeMe. Founder Matt Butler, who quickly changed tack when his fly fishing guiding business — reliant on overseas tourism — was hit by Covid-19 and decided to tackle problems he saw in the outdoor gear industry, particularly equipment and accessories, hopes to raise $500,000 this month. The company was fully funded through crowdfunding campaigns, he said. To date, it had raised more than $700,000 from product-focused Kickstarter campaigns and sold 18,000 items to more than…

Police have named the man at the centre of a homicide probe over a fatal shooting in Auckland’s Ponsonby.On Sunday night, one person was found dead on busy Ponsonby Rd after they left a parked car, alongside three other people and walked in the direction of the suspect.The man — who police allege pulled a gun from a shoulder bag and fired shots during the incident — was earlier pictured in surveillance camera footage released by authorities.Police named the man this afternoon as Hone Kay-Selwyn.”A warrant has now been issued for the 31-year-old’s arrest for unlawful possession of a firearm,”…

That same year, the rules were changed to allow people to enrol to vote as late as election day, then-justice minister Andrew Little saying about 19,000 voters were “disenfranchised” in 2017 due to their details not being up to date. “Special votes in enrolments or enrolment updates while voting can take up to 10 times longer to process, and that’s what put us under so much pressure during the official count,” Le Quesne said. None of the mistakes, once fixed, had any effect on the outcome in any electorate or the overall result. Le Quesne said it was “a matter for Parliament…