Author: Press Room
The Prime Minister has fired back at Chris Hipkins over what he says was an attack on his personal finances.Labour leader Chris Hipkins criticised Christopher Luxon on Wednesday for making hundreds of thousands of dollars – tax-free – in recent property sales.”Why should he be able to make more than $600,000 in one year from flipping properties whilst the people who go out and work hard every day for a living pay tax on every single dollar that they earn?”The Labour Party announced on Tuesday it would campaign on a capital gains tax on property, excluding the family home and…
A mechanic believes a look at the Warrant of Fitness system was “overdue”, but said Kiwis would need to change some of their habits for the proposed changes to work. Yesterday, the Government opened a series of proposed changes to transport law up for public consultation, with a shakeup to the frequency of WoF and CoF A checks among the ideas put forward. Under the proposed changes, the first WoF for new vehicles would last 4 years. Vehicles between four and 10 years old would need checks every two years, while those older than 10 would still need to get…
A woman killed in Pahīatua had expressed concerns in the weeks before her death about the behaviour of her son, who is now wanted in connection with the deadly assault.In messages obtained by RNZ she wrote to a relative her son was “so nasty at times”, and had recently been “having a go at people verbally” in the town.It can also be revealed her son, who is believed to have had a history with mental health services, was planning to leave the home on the day she died and take a bus to Rotorua.Karen Gilbert-Palmer, 74, was found dead at…
Council workers and contractors in Invercargill have been head down, doing “big work” to clean up the city’s parks after last week’s strong winds toppled and pulled trees from their roots. Invercargill was lashed by last week’s winds, which reached up to 120km/h, causing widespread destruction. The city is still under a local state of emergency, with all parks in Invercargill and Bluff closed until further notice. In Queens Park, crews have spent the last few days clearing fallen trees littered throughout the park that were blocking paths and making it unsafe for the public. Crews woking to clean fallen…
A South Auckland community has won its battle against a new liquor store opening in its neighbourhood.The Auckland District Licensing Committee (DLC) has declined an application from SSB 2024 to revive an off-licence bottle shop at 70 Russell Rd, Manurewa.The site, which is the old Black Bull Liquor Manurewa, is situated close to 16 early childhood centres and three schools – the closest, Manurewa Intermediate, is directly next door.There are also five alcohol outlets within a 1km radius in the area – one of the most deprived areas in New Zealand.The application had received 49 objections from residents, police, and…
Whānau Āwhina Plunket is now offering measles vaccinations to the families of babies who are too young to receive it themselves.Chief nurse Zoë Tipa said 20 sites were already up and running, as part of its pilot immunisation programme funded by Health NZ, with another four set to be operational by the end of November.”There is community transmission of measles, so that’s not great, and we know this is an anxious time for a lot of families, especially those with babies under one who are too young to be immunised against measles,” she said.”That’s why it’s so important that everyone…
The Department of Conservation says its signs are increasingly becoming targets for vandals. The department said it had 26,759 signs across Aotearoa and there were 902 signs flagged in the works system for replacement or repair in the South Island alone.Recent incidents included the green and yellow signs being shot at, driven into, “keyed” so that information could not be read, or removed altogether. A DOC sign peppered with bullet holes. (Source: The Department of Conservation)That compared with a total of 1155 signs being replaced or repaired in the three-year period from July 2022 to now. The department spent $350,523…
Fonterra’s farmer shareholders have today voted in favour of selling its consumer businesses to French dairy giant Lactalis.In August, Fonterra agreed to sell its major brands such as Mainland and Anchor for $3.845 billion.The inclusion of Bega licenses held by Fonterra’s Australian business brings the total proceeds for the sale of consumer and associated businesses to $4.22b.In a statement today, Fonterra said it received a “strong mandate”, with 88.47% of votes in support of the sale.Chairman Peter McBride said the decision to divest the Mainland Group businesses is significant and one the Board did not take lightly.“We have examined the…
Forty-three people have been arrested and 96 guns seized after police executed dozens of raids up and down the country last week. The searches took place between Monday, October 13 and Sunday, October 19, as part of a coordinated crackdown by New Zealand and Australian police. The two agencies had worked to monitor real-time intelligence and assessments of targeted persons of interest. Some of the guns seized by police. (Source: Supplied)A total of 83 searches and 34 compliance checks were carried out by police in New Zealand, resulting in 43 arrests and 110 charges. Police seized 96 firearms in the…
Police investigating the murder of Bill Maangi in Gisborne last month are seeking the movements of a vehicle of interest.Maangi, 36, was found critically injured on the front lawn of a property between Lytton Rd and Riperata St at around 4am on September 29 after he was shot.He died in Gisborne Hospital a short time later, despite efforts to save him.Detective Inspector Martin James said police were making good progress in the investigation but needed the public’s assistance.A Hyundai Sonata with the registration AFN215 was stolen from accommodation lodge Forrester House on Ormond Rd sometime between 7.30pm and midnight on…