Author: Press Room
Crash-landings have begun earlier than usual, as Kaikōura’s Hutton’s shearwater birds / tītī continue to battle against the elements and bright lights.Hutton’s Shearwater Charitable Trust chairperson Ted Howard said injured birds have already been rescued in the town, as new season fledglings leave the nest, only to become disorientated by the town’s street lighting.Efforts to protect the tītī led to the Kaikōura district obtaining international dark sky sanctuary status last year, with the Kaikōura District Council adopting new lighting rules in the District Plan.‘‘Normally we don’t see crash landings until late March or early April,’’ Howard said.‘‘This year we seem…
New figures have revealed the rate at which crime is steadily rising on transport networks nationwide.Police data released to 1News under the Official Information Act shows an increase of crime on transport and at transport hubs over the last year.The numbers show reported crimes against victims – whether in transit or at a transport terminal – increased by 6% between 2023 and 2024.That’s a total of 3277 offences last year, including acts intended to cause injury, burglary and theft.Crimes that didn’t involve a victim also increased by 14% between years – for example: Dangerous or negligent acts, illicit drug offences,…
Fluoride will start being added to Whangārei drinking water on Wednesday morning, subject to the outcome of a High Court hearing in Wellington tomorrow.Whangārei District Council this afternoon voted almost unanimously to back down at the eleventh hour on its months-long and highly-vocal refusal to fluoridate its drinking water by March 28 as ordered by the Director-General of Health, risking potential legal charges, up to $200,000 in fines $10,000 a day for failing to comply and more.WDC Cr Patrick Holmes said that refusal equated to a 3.8% general rates rise to cover the close to $5 million in extra unbudgeted…
A fresh corruption investigation hit the European Parliament this week as arrests were made by the Belgian authorities and the offices of Chinese telco Huawei were searched. But what are the rules lobbying in the European Parliament? ADVERTISEMENTInstitutional lobbying pushed too far – that seems to be at the heart of the corruption scandal shaking the European Parliament. Yet, lobbying activities are supposed to be regulated by rules designed to prevent such excesses. What constitutes lobbying and is it legal?The EU does not use the word “lobbyist” but rather “interest representative”, and defines this as “any natural or legal person, or…
A woman has been taken into custody and a man taken to hospital with serious injuries after reports of an altercation in Auckland’s Penrose this afternoon.Police said they were called to Mt Smart Road just after 5pm, where a man was then located with serious injuries.”Those injuries are not currently thought to be life-threatening,” police said.The man was taken to Auckland City Hospital, and a 26-year-old woman was found nearby. “Charges will be laid in this matter,” police added.
A Canterbury couple are stunned to be cleared by a doctor of any injuries after a vehicle ploughed into their house over the weekend – landing on their bed as they slept.Defying all odds, the pair managed to get out unscathed from beneath the wreckage of the car, which also took out their bedroom wall.Llewellyn and Sue-ann Venter were renting the home with their two children. They had no insurance, but were thankful to still have each other.Immediately after the incident, Sue-ann was pinned under the wreckage, while Llewellyn battled to save her.”I don’t know how I did it. I…
A former Destiny Church youth leader who sexually abused several young boys has been sentenced to six years in prison.Kiwa Hamiora-Te Hira pleaded guilty late last year to multiple charges of sexual violation and indecent assault.The assaults took place over five years while Hamiora-Te Hira was working for youth programmes understood to be connected to Destiny Church.”The breach of trust in this case was egregious, there’s no other way to describe it,” said Judge Clare Bennett before delivering her sentence at the Manukau District Court on Monday afternoon.”These young men placed their trust in Mr Hamiora-Te Hira… And he abused…
Olympians, local kayakers, businesses and Forest & Bird are joining forces to fight plans for a hydro-electric scheme in the Bay of Plenty.The Kaituna River is used as a training ground for extreme kayakers, but landowner Taheke 8C was preparing to lodge an application to build a weir – a low-head dam – which would divert the river flow into a private lake and affect three sections of white water.The weir was part of Taheke 8C’s proposed green energy hub – including its geothermal project – aiming to provide 85% of the electricity currently imported into the Bay of Plenty…
Online gambling is more likely to cause harm than any other type of betting. So why is the government about to make it legal?Tracey had never been a gambler. She and her husband would sometimes play the pokies when they went to the pub and she’d bought the occasional Lotto ticket.But her life changed when she was targeted by an online casino.”I got addicted to gambling by an email that I received out of the blue.”The online casino was offering her inducements. And she took them. “I had the free spins and I did quite well. I used the $1000…
By Eloise Gibson of RNZ Gas company Clarus has removed an advertisement which said renewable gas was flowing in its pipelines after complaints about greenwashing. The advertisement, which appeared on Stuff and The New Zealand Herald, showed a photo of a family in a kitchen making pancakes above the text: “Renewable gas now flowing – Enjoy all the same benefits of gas with renewable gas.” Complainants told the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) the ad deceived the public into thinking they were buying renewable gas, when only only a small proportion was biomethane from a composting plant and the majority was…