Author: Press Room

In his second week, Wellington Water’s new chief executive says fixing recurring leaks is not a good use of money, with at least a break per day in the pipe network since he started.On Friday morning, a meeting of the Wellington Water committee, which includes the region’s four mayors, heard thousands of leaks have been fixed so far this year.But new chief executive Pat Dougherty, who replaced Tonia Haskell on 18 September, told the committee there was one street in which the drinking water pipe had been patched five times in six days.He said it was not a good use…

The New Zealand Defence Force’s bomb disposal team has disposed of an inert hand grenade after it was discovered at a Wellington property this morning.Police were called to a residential address in the suburb of Kilbirnie around 10.45am where “historical ordnance” was located.”Police assessed the item and advised the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from the New Zealand Defence Force,” a spokesperson said.The EOD team investigated and identified the item as an “inert hand grenade”, which was removed and disposed of in a safe manner.”Anyone who discovers a potentially dangerous item should always exercise caution until the item is deemed…

An eight-legged West Auckland icon is set to be removed temporarily due to construction works in the area.Nicknamed ‘Dale’ by locals, the 5-metre-wide arachnid is a distinctive landmark of Avondale and has towered over its main street for more than two decades.The Avondale Business Association, which owns the statue, said the removal was scheduled for next week as part of preparations for the construction of the Te Hono community centre and Manawa housing development.It said in a statement it is looking to preserve the spider’s legacy.”The spider will be placed in secure storage, where it will be assessed by a…

Police are investigating the discovery of a suspected clandestine laboratory in east Auckland.Police were called to the property on Cosy Pl in Howick shortly before 2pm following reports of suspicious activity.”Upon arrival Police located a number of items allegedly consistent with a clandestine laboratory,” a spokesperson said.”A scene examination has been underway and enquiries remain ongoing.”Fire and Emergency NZ said it was at the scene with two fire trucks and a specialist hazardous materials unit to assist police.A resident told 1News they saw at least four police officers with guns. Another resident said the police were asking the occupants to…

Tirana has unlocked the next step in its bid to join the EU, with talks on the so-called ‘fundamental’ clusters set to take place in Luxembourg on October 15. ADVERTISEMENTAlbania has the “potential” to join Montenegro at the front of the queue of countries bidding to join the European Union, the EU ambassador to Tirana has confirmed.“The combination of political will and administrative capacity … makes me believe Albania has all the potential to be a frontrunner,” Silvio Gonzato told reporters on Friday.“Albania does not have a plan B,” Gonzato added. “There is a clear cross-party consensus on bringing Albania…

A man has been charged with murder after a woman’s body was discovered in a burnt-out vehicle on a Northland beach earlier this month.Jasmaine Corin Reihana, 35, was found dead inside the vehicle on Ripiro Beach in Dargaville on September 9.Detective Inspector Al Symonds said police have conducted an extensive investigation to ensure the person responsible for her murder can be held to account.”I would like to acknowledge the investigation team, who have worked tirelessly to get this result, and also those members of our community who have assisted our enquiries.”Thank you to everyone who has come forward with information…

Optus should have offered more comprehensive compensation to customers hit by a massive network outage last year, a Senate report says.The report released Friday says the telecommunications company’s offer of 200 GB of data in compensation for the 12-hour outage on November 8 was “disingenuous” because few of its customers were likely to make use of the additional data.Optus had considered a rebate for a day of lost service, but discarded that idea because it would have only amounted to $1 or $2.The Senate committee, chaired by Sarah-Hanson Young of the Greens, found the dollar figure might represent what Optus…

Whangārei Boys’ High School has been ordered to pay more than half a million dollars in reparations to the victims of a caving tragedy, including the family of a 15-year-old boy who lost his life.The school was sentenced in the Whangārei District Court today on two charges laid by WorkSafe of putting people at risk of serious injury or death.They arose from the death of 15-year-old Karnin Ahorangi Petera in a school trip to Abbey Caves on May 9, 2023.Judge Greg Davis would have also ordered the school board to pay about $300,000 – reduced from the starting point of…

Israeli attacks targeting Hezbollah members have killed hundreds in southern Lebanon since Monday, while Hezbollah has fired hundreds of rockets at Israel over the last year. ADVERTISEMENTAmidst an increasingly tense situation in the Middle East, the government in Nicosia has assured it is ready to manage the possible evacuation of third country nationals via Cyprus. The issue was discussed in a meeting between Cypriot President Nikos Christodoulidis and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi. Cyprus’ president also met with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikata, who praised the role of the island nation as a pillar of stability in the region. Cyprus…

It’s been five months since the Government banned phones across schools in New Zealand. Phones away for the day is a policy that kicked in from April 29 this year and its implementation has been managed by the Education Review Office (ERO). It means all state schools and kura have to make sure students do not access or use phones while at school, including during break times and school trips outside the school grounds. There are certain exceptions, like if a student needs a phone to help with their disability, monitor insulin levels or do a specific class assignment. The…