Author: Press Room

The founders of the collapsed Du Val companies will continue to have their assets frozen and their passports held by the court, the High Court has ruled.Du Val is in statutory management, owing more than $300 million, and its main owners, Charlotte and Kenyon Clarke, are in receivership, with a preservation order on their assets.The Financial Markets Authority (FMA) obtained the interim order last August and the couple fought back against that at a hearing last month but the court has agreed with the FMA.In laying out the background to her decision, Justice Anderson said the High Court had the…

Amid concerns around the behaviour of some homeless people in central Nelson, one charity is renewing calls for a night shelter in the city.Earlier this month, Simon Duffy from business promoter Uniquely Nelson told Nelson City Council that there had been an “escalation” of people living on the street over the past 2 years.He was joined by Lucinda Blackley-Jimson, chief executive of the Nelson Provincial Museum – the “epicentre” of homeless issues in the city.She described incidents of smoking, taking drugs, public urination and threatening behaviour impacting the safety and well-being of museum staff and visitors.“While we have absolute sympathy…

The government is calling the controversial ‘Everyone Must Go’ campaign a winner for attracting Australian tourists to New Zealand shores. The campaign was ridiculed when it was launched. Media in the United States and United Kingdom called it tone-deaf, while opposition MPs said it made New Zealand sound like a clearance-sale item. But Tourism New Zealand stats show it delivered 7981 additional visitors between March and May. Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston said that was more than 1000 additional visitors than expected. She described the campaign as a winner, aimed at grabbing people’s attention – and it did. “We…

Philip Morris allegedly pitched draft legislation to NZ First as part of a lobbying campaign for its Heated Tobacco Products, according to documents released in litigation against a US vaping company.The documents claim Philip Morris corporate affairs staff “reached out to NZ First to try and secure regulation to advantage IQOS” — the Heated Tobacco Product (HTP) with a monopoly in the New Zealand market.RNZ searched through more than 10,000 documents relating to New Zealand, mostly from 2018 and 2019, which were released as part of legal action in the US against vaping company JUUL.The documents shed new light on…

A modern-day Robin Hood supermarket plans to deliver profits back to foodbanks.The Community Grocer has begun delivering pantry staples to online shoppers in three cities, with profits going to the Salvation Army and its community partners.Its Auckland kai champion Joel Williams is helping to run the initiative.”We’re working in partnership with market gardeners. It’s an online shopping platform where anybody can jump online, order some groceries, choose their pick-up point that they want to pick it up from,” he said.”That sounds pretty normal, the difference is who are the shareholders? Community organisations, so the profits from the sale of these…

It might sound idyllic to live beside a lake, but for Pegasus residents, it is anything but.The Pegasus Residents’ Group wants answers on the fate of Pegasus Lake, due to ongoing issues with toxic algae.Environment Canterbury (ECan) issued an abatement notice to the developer, Templeton Pegasus Ltd, last month about the state of the artificial lake in the Canterbury town.It followed the latest public health warning for toxic algae, which was issued in December.Residents’ group chairperson Matt James said frustration was growing among residents, who continued to face uncertainty.‘‘We have a good relationship with Templeton Group, which has given us…

A Northland lines company says substation break-ins are endangering lives and causing power cuts affecting thousands of people.Top Energy chief executive Russell Shaw said he was shocked by what he described as the offenders’ “astonishing recklessness” and “absolute stupidity”.In the most recent break-in, thieves took essential equipment from a substation and forced a power shutdown that left 4500 Far North homes in the dark.Shaw said the thieves also sabotaged a high-voltage earth connection, putting themselves — and any staff working at the substation afterwards — at serious risk of electrocution.In another break-in, thieves damaged generators and made them unusable just…

A review by Health New Zealand has outlined “significant” staffing issues at Nelson Hospital but stops short of outlining how this will be addressed. Senior doctors spoke out to 1News earlier this year, saying patients’ lives were being put at risk due to staffing levels at Nelson Hospital. The subsequent review by HNZ’s top clinicians has found that Nelson Hospital has specific shortfalls in some services compared to the rest of New Zealand. Senior doctors say patients’ lives are being put at risk. (Source: 1News)It found there was a shortage of senior doctors, especially in general medicine, geriatrics, obstetrics and…

Devices found near a body beside Auckland’s Southern Motorway were pipe bombs that could have killed people, police say.Police were alerted to the death about 11.30am on Tuesday and it resulted in the motorway being closed for many hours.Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Hayward said an investigation into the man’s “sudden death” was continuing and further specialist examination of two devices found near him had been completed.”From this examination, police can confirm both devices were in fact viable pipe bombs.”These devices would have been capable of causing death or serious injury to any individual in proximity.”Hayward said these devices had now…

A doctor pleaded guilty overnight to giving Matthew Perry ketamine in the month leading up to the Friends star’s overdose death.Dr. Salvador Plasencia became the fourth of the five people charged in connection with Perry’s death to plead guilty. He stood next to his lawyer and admitted guilt to four counts to Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett in federal court in Los Angeles.Plasencia, 43, was to have gone on trial in August until the doctor agreed last month to plead guilty to four counts of distribution of ketamine, according to the signed document filed in federal court in Los Angeles.He spoke…