Author: Press Room

In a “uniquely Hurunui” move, a North Canterbury council is land banking to prepare for future natural disasters and the threat of climate change.The growing risk of sea level rise to its beach communities has led to the Hurunui District Council buying a $3.8m block of land south of Amberley.Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said buying the land gave people options and allowed them to prepare for future events.”This land purchase is about putting people first, providing security in mitigating against the effects of coastal hazards, while leading the way in proactive coastal relocation.”The Ashworths Rd property was on a terrace…

ADVERTISEMENTA new report reveals that Grok — the free-to-use AI chatbot integrated into Elon Musk’s X — showed “significant flaws and limitations” when verifying information about the 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran (June 13-24), which now seems to have subsided.Researchers at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab) analysed 130,000 posts published by the chatbot on X in relation to the 12-day conflict, and found they provided inaccurate and inconsistent information.They estimate that around a third of those posts responded to requests to verify misinformation circulating about the conflict, including unverified social media claims and footage purporting to…

A second person has been arrested and charged in relation to a fatal alleged hit-and-run in Rotorua last week.A motorcyclist allegedly overtook a stationary vehicle and struck Paige Johnson as he was crossing Edmund Rd in Mangakakahi at around 2.15pm on June 15.Johnson, who was sight- and hearing-impaired, died in hospital on June 19.Following a 10-day search and several public appeals for information, police yesterday arrested a 31-year-old man in Hamilton.He was expected to appear in the Hamilton District Court today charged with manslaughter, failing to stop to ascertain injury or death, and driving while disqualified.Police said today a 55-year-old…

If you have bad credit, you might be wondering whether a bank will ever be willing to give you a home loan.A person’s credit score reflects how well they had paid off credit in the past and how likely they are to be able to service their debts in the future.It takes into account factors such as how long you have had credit accounts — that could also include things like power and internet bills — how often you make your payments on time, how much you owe on loans and credit cards, what types of credit you have, how…

In a decision marking the end of an era for Palmerston, longtime business owner Bernie Sugrue is selling off nearly every commercial property he owns along the town’s main street — a total of six shops, including the renowned McGregors Bakery & Tearooms. Speaking to the Otago Daily Times, Mr Sugrue described the decision to “sell everything” as deeply emotional. “I’ve been involved since 1988, so it’s a long time. “I’m not sure I’m even happy saying I’m doing what I’m doing.” The move follows growing public frustration from locals and the Waihemo Community Board over the deteriorating state of Ronaldsay…

Seventeen-year-old Sam McGee has been named Tūhura Otago Museum’s photographer of the year.Water Wings, a picture of a white-faced heron in mid-motion, emerged as the winner among more than 4450 entries from around the world.“This stunning image of the heron in its breeding plumage impressed us with its excellent composition and moody, almost monochromatic tones,” the judging panel said.“The patience in waiting for the heron to dip its beak into the water really paid off, the droplets add dynamic movement to the photo.”Runner-up for photographer of the year was Neale McLanachan for A balanced meal (juvenile male tomtit).A balanced meal…

ADVERTISEMENTAt a high-level pledging event in Brussels on Thursday, the GAVI Vaccine Alliance rallied international donors to fund its next five-year programme.So far, GAVI has secured over €7.7 billion – still short of its overall target, though more pledges are expected in the coming weeks.”What’s at stake is the lives of millions and millions of children. And I think there is nothing more important in the world than the lives of millions of children,” GAVI Chairman José Manuel Barroso told Euronews in an interview.“It makes a difference if they get immunisation, if they get vaccines or not. Because if they…

Auckland Council has given the all clear for the country’s largest supermarket to be built on the North Shore.Supermarket operator Foodstuffs has been granted a resource consent for a 6461 square metre Pak’nSave to be built at 6 Fred Thomas Dr in Takapuna.A spokesperson for Auckland Council confirmed it had received the application in December last year and it was approved on June 12, 2025.The supermarket would be slightly larger than Pak’nSave’s previous endeavour, the $100 million Highland Park location which opened earlier this year.Documents provided to RNZ by Auckland Council indicate it would be built on a 9826 sqm…

The navy has neutralised a set of World War II-era mines found on the seafloor in the Hauraki Gulf near Auckand. According to the New Zealand Defence Force, the mines were laid during the early parts of the war to protect Waitematā Harbour and the Hauraki Gulf from threats posed by the Japanese and German navies. They were designed to be detonated from stations on the shore if the enemy was spotted. By 1944, the Allies were pressing on Berlin and pushing Japan’s advances back, meaning the threat of attack had reduced. The mines were decommissioned by remote detonation. But,…

A homeowner’s “trusty pooch” and a police dog unit have combined to put a paws on car thefts in an East Auckland suburb overnight. At 3.45am this morning, a Greenlane resident awoke to his dog barking, leading him to discover two people outside his home looking at parked cars with a torch.By the time police arrived, the pair had fled in a vehicle, but Inspector Jim Wilson credited the man’s “trusty pooch” with alerting his owner.A police helicopter monitored the vehicle, and it was successfully spiked, however, it continued onto Great South Rd. The vehicle was seen being driven on the opposite…