Author: Press Room

A rescue effort was underway overnight after a Royal New Zealand Navy ship with 78 crew on board ran aground south of Samoa.The HMNZS Manawanui had been carrying out a reef survey on Saturday evening when it grounded near the coast of Upolu, the New Zealand Defence Force said today in a statement. “The safety of personnel is our top priority. All of the 78 who were on board are currently in life rafts and accounted for,” maritime component commander Commodore Shane Arndell said shortly after midnight.”The New Zealand Defence Force is working closely with the Rescue Coordination Centre (RCCNZ)…

An iconic Wellington sculpture has returned to its home on the waterfront after an 18-month hiatus.Len Lye’s Water Whirler was removed for repairs following a vandal attack in April 2023, during which the wand-like sculpture was snapped in half.The return of the public artwork, which has perched on the harbour’s edge since 2006, has been delayed by manufacturing problems.However, it was finally reinstalled on Friday, with testing underway on Saturday.Wellington City Council’s public art specialist Greg Cairns said Canterbury University engineer Angus McGregor understood exactly what was required for the wand to meet Lye’s vision and endure the testing conditions…

Climate activist Greta Thunberg was among scores detained on Saturday after staging a sit-in protest demanding an end to EU subsidies for fossil fuels. ADVERTISEMENTClimate activist Greta Thunberg was arrested by Belgian police on Saturday as she demonstrated against fossil fuel subsidies by the European Union.The Swedish activist was joined by dozens of demonstrators from ‘United for Climate Justice’ and “Extinction Rebellion’ as they blocked a key road in Brussels, only a few kilometres from the European Parliament and European Commission buildings.Protesters were surrounded by police and several were arrested whilst onlookers chanted ‘you are not alone’ as they were detained.Last…

Factors behind the Reserve Bank’s decision to leave interest rates on hold are set to be revealed, with analysts looking for any hint at possible future movement.Minutes of the central bank’s September board meeting will be released on Tuesday, shedding light on the decision to keep interest rates at 4.35 per cent.Rates have been at a 12-year high since November, with governor Michele Bullock previously indicating the September meeting was the first time since March the bank’s board did not explicitly consider an increase to the cash rate.Rates have been left on hold for seven meetings in a row and…

As the Government looks to take control of national forestry regulations from councils, questions linger on what it will mean for Gisborne.A research paper released online last month showed that Gisborne region was the only council that developed rules in a “strategic and principled” way after law changes in 2018 enabled councils to set their regulations.The Lincoln University ecologists and planners behind the research paper entitled: A stringent failure: Regulators do not use available tools to protect aquatic ecosystems from clearcut forestry impacts in New Zealand.They are calling for an urgent review of forestry plantation regulations as the research shows…

Lotto’s jackpot has rolled over after there were no Powerball winners tonight.A top prize of $15m was up for grabs but the jackpot is now $17m on Wednesday night.However, six Lotto players will be celebrating after winning $166,667 with Lotto First Division in Saturday night’s draw.The winning Lotto tickets were sold at MyLotto – one each in Northland and Waikato and two in Auckland – and Pak N Save Silverdale and Whitcoulls Glenfield, both in Auckland.The winning numbers were 2, 3, 11, 12, 30 and 36, bonus ball 6, Powerball 6.The last jackpot win was on September 7 when a…

One person has died and two others are in a critical condition following a two-vehicle crash in Canterbury last night.Emergency services were called to the crash on West Coast Rd (State Highway 73) in Kirwee, Selwyn District at around 9.30pm.Police said the crash occurred between Hoskyns and Bealey roads.”Sadly, one person died at the scene,” police said.Two others were taken to hospital in a critical condition.”Police are providing support to the families of those involved.”The serious crash unit conducted a scene examination, and inquiries into the cause of the crash are “ongoing”.The road was closed after the crash but reopened…

Daily school attendance dropped to 73% on the final day of the third school term last week when 200,000 children were absent.Official figures show 744,000 children should have been in class last Friday but only 544,000 turned up.Earlier that week attendance rates were 83%-84% for the Monday-Wednesday, dropping to 81% on the Thursday.The number of children absent on each of those days ranged from about 120-140,000.The figures for the year-to-date showed that attendance always dipped on the last day of the week and the final days of the previous two school terms also had attendance rates around 73%.Parents have admitted…

An Auckland midwife says the number of women needing intervention while giving birth is likely to go up after it was announced Birthcare Auckland would be closing its three primary birthing suites from the end of December.From December 31, the primary maternity hospital said it would be moving its focus to providing post-natal stays for new mothers, newborns and whānau.Evolution Healthcare, which owns Birthcare, said low monthly bookings were the primary reason behind the closure of the suites. Birthcare saw just four births in September, where pre-Covid numbers sat at around 30 to 40 per month.  In a statement yesterday, Auckland…

Key points:A Ministerial Inquiry has found the Ministry of Education’s management of school property has significant problemsIt’s recommended urgent action, including taking control of the portfolio off the MinistryThe Government says it accepts the report and will take a ‘phased approach’Labour says it still leaves schools with uncertainty over current projectsAn inquiry into school property has recommended a new entity is created to take control and ownership of the assets from the Ministry of Education, but the Government says it will make that call next year.The Ministerial Inquiry into School Property was released today, delivering six recommendations for the Government,…