Author: Press Room

By Eloise Gibson of RNZ Changes to road user charges are a “leap into the unknown” and will increase New Zealand’s emissions, a researcher says. Massey University mathematics professor and climate writer Robert McLachlan said the current petrol tax paid by drivers was the equivalent of paying a carbon tax of $448 per tonne of emissions, more than four times New Zealand’s actual carbon price. Right now there are two payment systems operating: road user charges (RUCs) which are levied by the kilometre on diesel vehicles and EVs, and a petrol tax paid for by the litre for petrol cars. Dr…

The search for a vessel that made a mayday call in the Cook Strait last night has been suspended. Police said the call was made via VHF channel 14 around 10pm, with a report that several people were on board a boat that was in trouble around three nautical miles from Karori Rock.Multi-agency search called off as police announce inquiry into the nature of the emergency call.  (Source: 1News)Police Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp said the person who made the call indicated the boat was taking on water with two people on board. “They failed to respond after several further transmissions, and…

It started with a friendship bracelet. It ended with an engagement ring. Taylor Swift, the pop superstar, and Travis Kelce, the football champion, are engaged.The fiancés, both 35, announced the news in a joint post on Instagram. It is the latest chapter in the couple’s love story, one that has spanned two years, two Super Bowls, an album announcement and the highest-grossing tour of all time.Here is a look at some of the major events in their relationship.The couple shared a photo of the engagement ring to fans. (Source: Instagram )A friendship bracelet, undeliveredIt started, fittingly, with a friendship bracelet.It…

New Zealand ticketing and event listing business Eventfinda has sold to Ticketek.Eventfinda chief executive James McGlinn said the deal would bring Ticketek and Eventfinda together and allow the Ticketek group to service a “really important segment of the live event ecosystem with Eventfinda’s agile self-service ticketing platform”.He said Eventfinda had been providing that to venues and organisers for the better part of 20 years.”With ticketing flexibility and white label functionality that has really resonated with that part of the market.”Ticketek has a world-class system that operates at the part of the market where they are providing incredible ticketing services to…

Radio listening remains an essential part of RNZ, even as it adapts to ever changing audience needs, chief executive Paul Thompson writes. The biggest challenge for all media organisations is adapting to ever-changing audience habits and needs. It’s been the key to RNZ’s success throughout our 100 years. It was top of mind in 2014 when I gave a “call-to-arms” speech in Glasgow that set a new vision for RNZ to become a successful multimedia organisation. I saw this shift as essential if we were to deliver our public media charter effectively and efficiently to more New Zealanders. At the time RNZ…

After a Richmond business spoke out against a ban on advertising flags, members of the blind and low-vision community have praised Tasman District Council for the rule.Karen Wilson, a member of Blind Low Vision New Zealand, thanked the council for being a leader in accessibility during a meeting of the region’s accessibility forum yesterday.“For us, being able to go into a shop and spend our money is a priority – for the shopkeepers and for us.”Being able to walk down a footpath and know that we aren’t going to have a flag fall in front of us, hit us in…

By Ellen Lovegrove Christchurch dairy owner John Patel has his finger on the pulse. Months before Adeeva Keua – who goes by @christchurchgal on TikTok – made his Richmond dairy go viral for their Fruitae Ice Creams, Patel was working hard to source them. “I have been trying to get them here for around two months, and we were finally able to get 200 boxes from Auckland with 12 ice creams per box.” Patel owns and operates Megha Discounters Richmond, a small business which recently struck fruit-flavoured gold. Ice cream coated in chocolate may not seem like a new concept,…

The NRL will allow Brandon Smith to play in the final round for South Sydney, as the embattled Rabbitohs hooker plans to fight charges laid by Queensland police.The reverberations of Smith’s drug-supply charge were still being felt around the NRL on Tuesday, with his former club Sydney Roosters caught up in the drama.Smith has been summoned to face Southport Magistrates Court next month, on a charge of supplying dangerous drugs.He has also been accused by Queensland Police of disclosing inside knowledge for betting, and faces another charge over that.South Sydney have stood by the 29-year-old with coach Wayne Bennett adamant…

Three people are likely to face serious charges after they were stopped in a car allegedly containing 422 pāua taken from Kaikōura’s south coast – more than half of which were undersized.Fishery Officers had previously stopped the car on Sunday afternoon and were attempting to inspect their catch when the driver of the car drove off, Fisheries New Zealand district manager Marlborough/Canterbury Stuart Moore said. The car was stopped by police yesterday in Rangiora.”Of the 422 pāua recovered from the car, 230 were undersized. People who disregard the rules like this steal from us all,” Moore said.Boxes containing some of…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Insurance has had the largest price rise of any item tracked in the consumer price index since 2000, Consumer NZ says, and there’s a risk that more people may not be able to access it at all in future unless there are industry changes. Consumer has released a report into the insurance industry, investigating how climate change is affecting the cost and availability of house and contents insurance. It noted the cost of insurance had gone up 916 percent since 2000. That is ahead of the increase in the price of cigarettes and tobacco, which…