Author: Press Room

Christchurch’s Court Theatre has made its grand return to the city, more than a decade after losing its home due to damage caused caused by the February 2011 earthquake.The original theatre, founded in 1971, was housed in the Arts Centre. A new location was found in Addington following the quake.Today, people queued to get a look at its brand new forever home, that cost $61 million to complete.The first reactions as people walked through the doors were all very positive.“It’s beautiful. I’m really excited to see lots of shows here,” one theatregoer said. “It’s just magical. It’s such a moment…

Frustration is mounting among residents in Wellington who have been without power since early Thursday.Thousands of homes lost power during the storm which battered the region this week.Most have since been restored, but Wellington Electricity says some repairs will continue until the middle of next week.Natasha Eagle and her two children have been coping without electricity at their Island Bay home for four days. She said communication had been muddled and sparse, and it was difficult having no idea whether restoration was hours or days away.That view was backed up by Brooklyn resident Sean Keaney. He said he and his…

More than 60 people gathered at a memorial and fundraising event today for American PhD student Kyle Whorrall, who was fatally attacked at an Auckland bus stop last month.Whorrall, 33, was attacked at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank on April 19, and died from his injuries in hospital.A 16-year-old youth has been charged with murder and aggravated robbery, and a 32 year-old woman has been charged with being an accessory after the fact to murder.Dozens of members of the community, local businesses, Whorrall’s friends and his mother Carole Whorrall attended the event at a local restaurant,…

Twelve Year 10 students from Christchurch’s Hornby High School have just finished a two-week wilderness adventure as part of Project K.The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs the 14-month programme which is designed to help young people deal with the challenges of life.1News were there as the group returned on mountain bikes, in torrential rain, from the final leg of their journey. They were given a rousing guard of honour by fellow students, and showered in love and hugs by their families. The tears flowed freely.Tania Mulholland greeted her son Toby McLeish with a tight hug.”It’s been a really long two weeks…

Tonight’s Good Sort is Dr Warren Nicholls, a retired GP from Feilding who never quite stopped being a doctor.Rather than retiring quietly, Dr Nicholls took his skills on the road as part of a mobile medical service aimed at increasing access to healthcare, especially in rural areas.The caravan, known as the GLOB (Get Lots Of Benefits), parks up in places like Feilding.There are no appointments needed – people just show up, provide their details, are seen by nurses, and then by Nicholls himself.Together, the team checks basic information like weight, blood pressure, heart rate, and oxygen levels.”There’s a huge need…

The public service boss says his sector is “not as politicised as some would have you believe”, even amid significant change in its senior ranks and politicians’ commentary. Sir Brian Roche, who was appointed as Public Service Commissioner in November last year, told Q+A public servants are “very neutral”. “[Politicisation of the public service] is something we have to remain alert to. But I don’t see any particular examples of it at all,” he said.”I think the public deserves to know that they have an independent group of people who serve the government of the day.”Sir Brian had criticised a…

Defence Minister Judith Collins has clarified a new $957 million boost to the Defence Force is in addition to the previously announced $12 billion Defence Capability Plan.More than $2 billion was set aside in this year’s Budget to replace the Defence Force’s ageing fleet of maritime helicopters in a pre-Budget announcement at Auckland’s Whenuapai Air Base today.A new $957 million investment over four years in Defence Force missions, people, estate maintenance and international engagement was also signalled.Both investments were initially touted to be part of the wider $12 billion Defence Capability Plan which indicated the country’s defence spending would hit…

Lady Gaga gave a free concert in front of at least a million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career.“Tonight, we’re making history. (…) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd.The Mother Monster, as she is known, kicked off the show at around 22.10pm Saturday local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary. Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand.Lady Gaga performed her classic hits, including Poker Face and Alejandro, switching between an array of dresses…

Parents will now have easier access to what their children are learning at school with the Government’s launch of a new online resource aimed to support learning at home.Launching today, the Ministry of Education’s new Parent Portal website will offer year-by-year summaries of what students will be taught in English and maths under the refreshed curriculum, alongside activities, videos, and resources for learning at home. More subjects will be added as the curriculum rollout continues. Education Minister Erica Stanford said the tool is about putting parents back at the centre of their child’s learning journey. “This is about giving parents…

The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula.Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council “need to keep an eye on”.”It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required. There are some road closures over there, and some land instability that needs to be monitored,” he said.”Although we are transitioning into a recovery period, we are still keeping a close eye on the…