Author: Press Room

A man has been charged in relation to a hit-and-run which fatally injured a sight- and hearing-impaired man in Rotorua earlier this month. Around 2.15pm on June 15, a motorcyclist allegedly overtook a stationary vehicle and struck Paige Johnson as he was crossing Edmund Rd and Mangakakahi.The 24-year-old was airlifted to Waikato Hospital, where he died of his injuries on June 19.Police today arrested a 31-year-old Hamilton man following searches in Hamilton and Rotorua. He was arrested at a property in Hamilton.“We are glad to get this result and hope it provides some relief to the family,” Detective Senior Sergeant…

A number of Aucklanders have received Watercare bills that say they’ve used zero water, while others claim they’re being overcharged.The zero fee bills claim customers have not used a single drop in the past month or in some cases for months.The issue stems from Watercare’s smart meters, which it told Checkpoint more than 13,000 of are not working.The water supplier also said they’ve known about problems with one type of smart meter since October last year, and the fault has so far affected around one-third of the 40,000 meters installed since 2022.Greg is one customer who has been receiving zero…

A former accounts manager has been sentenced to more than two years prison in the Auckland District Court today for stealing more than $200,000 from a charitable health trust.Sarah-Lee Turnbull, 48, appeared before a packed public gallery of supporters and family on two charges of obtaining over $1000 by deception.She wiped away tears as she sat in the dock.Court documents reveal Turnbull, who also goes by Sarah-Lee Edmonds, was employed at the Waiheke Health Trust from 2019 to 2022.During that time, she made transactions under the guise of paying other organisations like Fullers and the Red Cross, instead sending the…

A New Zealand startup has reached “unicorn” status with agri-tech company Halter worth US$1 billion at the end of its latest fundraising round.The company raised NZ$165 million from global investors on the basis of a US$1 billion (NZ$1.65 billion) valuation.Its cow collar technology, connectivity towers and a mobile app lets farmers virtually fence, move and monitor cattle using sound and vibration cues.Halter chief executive and founder Craig Piggott said it meant a “more precise farm”.”You can lift the productivity of your land, but you can also monitor those animals for health and fertility.”Farmer Markus Woutrsen said it frees up time…

The Government has sent a warning signal to regional councils, suggesting they may be abolished following the replacement of the Resource Management Act later this year.Last week, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones told the Local Government Forum there was “less and less of justifiable purpose maintaining regional government”. “After the upcoming changes to the RMA, I doubt – well, certainly in the party I belong to – that there’s going to be a compelling case for regional government to continue to exist.“There are currently 11 regional councils across the country responsible for the management of natural resources, flood control, and…

Sirens are increasingly taking a backseat to mobile alerts in warning the public of tsunami threats to New Zealand’s cities. But in rural areas with limited connectivity like Northland, the siren system still holds the megaphone.Last week, Christchurch followed Auckland in decommissioning most of its tsunami warning sirens, with other centres like Napier and Wellington shutting down or not having a tsunami siren network in the first place.Christchurch City Council explained sirens were no longer considered suitable as the primary alerting method.”They can cause confusion and delay communities responding, as warnings can be mistaken for different hazards,” a council spokesperson…

The first international flight in five years returned to Dunedin yesterday. There would now be three return Jetstar connections to the Gold Coast weekly, and the mayor said the city would build more accommodation if needed.Dunedin’s first international flights landed in 1994, but paused during Covid lockdowns.Teen Benjamin Paterson petitioned to get them back, more than 25,000 signed, and he met with the Prime Minister last year to campaign.”It’s really exciting to be on the first flight because it’s a big honour,” he told 1News, checking in.Benjamin Paterson. (Source: 1News)Now flying Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Airbus A320s will deliver 58,000…

Nelson’s last four schools without variable speed limits will have them implemented during the school holidays.The Government’s rule for setting speed limits requires local roads outside of schools to have 30km/h temporary speeds in place during the start and end of the school day.Auckland Point, Clifton Terrace, and Birchwood Schools, along with Nelson Christian Academy, currently don’t have the variable speed limits in place.But new variable limits around these schools are expected to take effect from Monday July 14 – the first day back for Term 3.The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including Trump’s swearing, thousands of new homes for…

One person has been hospitalised with critical burns, and two others treated for minor burns, following a house fire in Auckland’s Papakura early this morning. Emergency services arrived to find the property on Duckworth Rd ablaze shortly before 3am. “Three people had evacuated from the property and were assessed and treated by St John ambulance staff at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. One patient was taken to Middlemore Hospital with critical burns, two others sustained minor burns. The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including Trump’s swearing, thousands of new homes for Canterbury, and a strong start for Lulu Sun.…

A man has been arrested in Waikato after crashing into two innocent drivers while allegedly trying to flee from police. Officers were responding to reports of dangerous driving in Huntly when the incident kicked off shortly after 11am Tuesday. Police spotted the vehicle travelling towards Hamilton on the Waikato Expressway before losing sight of it.At around 12pm, reports from the public led police to Pine Ave in Hamilton, and then State Highway 3 at Ōhaupō five minutes later. “Officers have monitored the car for several minutes and then signalled the driver to stop. He’s continued driving, so other units laid…