Author: Press Room
An increasing number of reports of New Zealand sea lions being harassed by people trying to take photographs and videos is “really sad to see”, a Dunedin volunteer group says.Footage provided to 1News shows a group of people surrounding a sea lion pup late last month at Blackhead Beach and throwing and kicking sand at it, appearing to be trying to get it to move for a video.New Zealand sea lions/pakake are one of the rarest sea lion species in the world and found only in New Zealand. Once prevalent along the entire coastline, they now reside primarily in the…
A parent says her daughter was horrified at what she witnessed when a children’s Pride event get disrupted by a Destiny Church-linked protest at the weekend. Destiny Church’s Man Up and Legacy groups stormed the Te Atatū Community Centre and library to protest a children’s science show hosted by a drag artist on Saturday.Around 30 young children and adults were barricaded inside during the incident.Hollie Colegate’s daughter Evie, who had been at the centre all day for a dodgeball tournament, was in the lobby during a break between games when a “large group of very big, threatening guys came into…
By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Fuel importers have been making bigger margins recently, and there is a warning it could dent the impact of falling oil prices on New Zealand motorists. Data from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) showed the fuel importer margin was about 15 percent to 16 percent of fuel prices through the start of 2025 – higher than the long-term average over the past 20 years of 11 percent. Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said as fuel prices rose, the level of margins would tend to rise too. “Using a 12-week moving average, the…
Nearly 40% of the Kiwis who left the country last year were aged under 30, new migration data shows, as New Zealand experienced its largest calendar year net loss of citizens.Stats NZ released provisional data for the 2024 calendar year earlier today, showing 72,000 citizens left the country, which more than offset 24,900 arrivals.Therefore, there was a net migration loss of 47,100 New Zealand citizens last year, according to provisional figures. This compared with a net loss of 43,300 in 2023. The record net loss for a 12-month period was 48,500 citizens in the 12 months to August. But, the…
A Palmerston North man’s brutal attacks on two puppies — both approximately four months old — had them screaming in pain and left them lame, according to an appalled SPCA.Warning: This article contains details that could be disturbing to some people.The man has now pleaded guilty to charges of willful ill-treatment of animals, according to the SPCA. The Palmerston North District Court heard that in July last year, a woman saw the man approach the two tan crossbreed puppies, known as King and Hunnie.According to the SPCA, the witness said they heard the puppies screaming, with the man holding what…
Tātau Tātau o Te Wairoa Trust has begun legal proceedings in the High Court over freshwater rights in Wairoa.The trust is requesting a legal declaration that the beds of significant rivers and lakes in their area – such as the Wairoa River, Hangaroa River, Mangapoike River, Ruakituri River, Waiau River, Waikaretāheke River, Whakakī Lake and its surrounding tributaries, as well as Lake Waikaremoana – are held subject to customary title.The move follows the same framework as Ngāi Tahu’s 2020 statement of claim seeking recognition of its rangatiratanga over the freshwater resources in its rohe (area).The Ngāi Tahu claim began to…
Passengers on an Air New Zealand flight from Wellington to Dunedin on Saturday were told 13 volunteers would need to get off the plane to lighten the load or all the baggage would be left behind.One of the passengers told RNZ he and other passengers were paid hundreds of dollars each to get off the overweight Air New Zealand flight, which the airline blamed on over-fuelling.Michael Reddell was on the plane to Dunedin to take his daughter to the University of Otago on Saturday when the airline announced passengers would need to disembark or the baggage be unloaded.Passengers were told…
Film production in Canterbury is getting a boost with the opening of a new studio facility at the City’s university. Kōawa Studios recently hosted its first commercial feature film, Holy Days. And it’s not only providing opportunities for movie producers but students too.For Daniel Davy, who is in his third year of a digital screen degree, he’s getting a hands-on look at cutting-edge film production tech. “Most of it’s practical studying here… So we get to use the brand new state-of-the-art technology here and film equipment and the camera gear and stuff like that, which is really pretty lucky,” he…
The Defence Force has taken the Selwyn District Council to the Environment Court over its refusal to ban residents living near an army rifle range from complaining about its noise.A hearing began today in Christchurch.The military wanted new properties and developments built near the West Melton Rifle Range to be subject to a “no-complaints covenant”, to protect itself from neighbours raising issues about noise at the range.The Selwyn District Council declined to include the covenant in its district plan, and the Defence Force has appealed to the Environment Court to reverse this decision.In an opening submission, the lawyer for the…
It’s the Reserve Bank’s first official cash rate (OCR) decision of 2025, and you betcha, it’s likely to be another cut, writes 1News Business Correspondent Katie Bradford.Homeowners – or those dreaming of owning their own slice of Kiwi land – are yet again looking to the central bank’s big call at 2pm tomorrow.In fact, you could almost bet the house, or that eye-watering mortgage, on it being another cut of 50 basis points or 0.5%. That would take the rate from 4.25% to 3.75%.It’s pretty much a done deal, three months in the waiting.Reserve Bank governor Adrian Orr made it…