Author: Press Room

Firefighters were kept busy overnight, attending more than 100 weather-related call-outs as the North Island was battered by strong wind gusts and heavy rain.The wild weather downed trees and powerlines throughout Auckland, Waikato and Bay of Plenty.Fire and Emergency shift manager Josh Pennefather said between 5pm and 5am there were 114 call-outs in Auckland, 29 in Waikato, three in Northland and nine in Bay of Plenty.There had been no injuries reported.Most were for loose roofing iron, uplifted trampolines or toppled powerlines and trees, and he urged people to keep clear of downed lines and report them immediately to their electricity…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a cash boost for regional airlines, sellers re-enter the housing market, and Donald Trump’s social media fury. Regional airlines will get access to up to $30 million in government loans, to prevent any more routes being cut. The number of houses for sale has jumped around 9% year on year, as sellers appear to have more faith in the state of the market. Auckland Airport’s clearing a backlog of passengers after wild weather disrupted flights – and there could be more bumpy weather to come during spring. Donald Trump’s unleashed social media fury…

A leaked document reveals Health NZ is planning to employ more graduate nurses on part-time hours and cut the amount of on-the-job training they receive.Health NZ says it is about creating more “flexible” job options – but the country’s biggest nurses’ union accuses it of cost-cutting and “gaming the numbers”, and warns more graduates will go overseas.The “Reset and Review” paper obtained by RNZ lays out Health NZ’s plan to boost graduate employment by creating more part-time jobs, and encouraging other employers to take them on.It is reducing the minimum hours from four days a week to three, or 0.6…

The driver of an SUV involved in a near-miss with a child at a Christchurch intersection has come forward to police and been dealt with through “enforcement action”.The incident, captured on video and shared by police last week, showed the grey SUV turning right through a red arrow while a green pedestrian signal was active. As the vehicle crossed the intersection, a child began to run across the road but stopped just in time after being called back by a parent — narrowly avoiding what police described as a potentially “catastrophic event”.Police thanked the public for their “huge response and…

Police are investigating after a man was found dead on a New Plymouth beach this morning.The man was discovered on Fitzroy Beach’s shoreline at around 6.50am.Police thanked members of the public who provided information that helped identify the man.”We send our condolences to his family and friends at this difficult time. Police are providing ongoing support,” a police spokesperson said.”Residents around Fitzroy Beach may notice an increased police presence, while inquiries continue.”Anyone with relevant information should contact police on 105.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a cash boost for regional airlines, sellers re-enter the housing market, and Donald Trump’s…

Jetstar NZ has been fined $2.25 million in a “landmark case” for misleading customers over their compensation rights when flights are delayed or cancelled.The reserved decision was delivered in the Auckland District Court this morning by Judge Brooke Gibson in what’s been described as “one of the biggest penalties ever imposed” under the Fair Trading Act.Around 2700 passengers have already been compensated, more than $1 million all up, for the offending over 2022 and 2023, relating to flight delays and cancellations. The airline faced 20 charges involving misleading statements about compensation for delayed or cancelled flights, (Source: 1News)Jetstar NZ has…

A 37-year-old man has been charged with arson and will appear in Auckland District Court today following an overnight fire at an Auckland internet cafe. Police were called shortly after 2am today following reports of a fire at E-Force Internet Cafe in Auckland’s Grafton. Hato Hone St John told 1News it responded with one ambulance and one rapid response vehicle. One person was arrested at the scene, and three people were treated for smoke inhalation. Police have said inquiries are still ongoing. The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including a cash boost for regional airlines, sellers re-enter the housing market,…

With house prices still weak, a relatively large number of listings to choose from and interest rates falling, commentators say it probably is a good time to buy a house.ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley said his latest survey of housing confidence showed buyer sentiment was strong.The percentage of people who think it is a good time to buy is the highest since 2011 at a net 26%, just slightly down from the 28% in the previous quarter.So what are the factors that make it a good time to buy, and how do they stack up?Soft pricesPrices were still well down…

A property owner’s plea to clear a “rabbit plague” from his Okere Falls property has raised questions over who is ultimately responsible for pest control in the region.Other than an informal conversation with a local, attempts to contact the owner of neighbouring land proved fruitless. Ross Nicholson then contacted three publicly funded organisations before a solution arrived, which he believed only happened after media involvement. Unused agricultural land adjacent to Nicholson’s property near Otaramarae on the shore of Lake Rotoiti is strewn with warrens and burrows, and rabbits have ventured within metres of his house. He has seen as many…

Jetstar has been fined $2.25 million over misleading customers about what compensation they were entitled to after cancelled or delayed flights. The low cost airline, owned by Qantas, was sentenced over 20 charges at the Auckland District Court today. The charges were filed by the commerce commission in January this year, after the company failed to comply following warnings in 2015 and 2021. Jetstar received a 35% discount on the fine for an early guilty plea and not having a previous conviction in New Zealand. However, the discount was reduced to 10% after the commerce commission successfully sought an uplift…