Author: Press Room

Māori leaders are discussing self-governance and institutional structures with Indigenous tribal leaders from North America at a symposium in Wellington today.The inaugural Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Symposium at Parliament is focused on sovereignty, kotahitanga, and strategic political action with chiefs from Native American Nations taking the podium to share their experiences and challenges from over 250 years of history.Helmut Modlik, a symposium organiser and chief executive of Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, told Breakfast it was a chance for Māori to learn some valuable insights.”The experience of Indigenous communities in North America have a lot of parallels for us and in…

Police have released the name of a man whose body was recovered from the water in Wellington’s Eastbourne yesterday, saying the death remains “unexplained”.Authorities have determined the body was of missing man Terrence Jameson following the completion of a formal identification process.Public appeals for information on the 74-year-old’s disappearance were made on Sunday, with police saying at the time they had fears for his safety.”The circumstances of Terrence’s death remain unexplained, and as part of our ongoing enquiries, police are still seeking information from the public,” police said.”Terrence was last seen on a track behind Harcourt Park in Upper Hutt…

The Bend has done it again. The McAtamney family, from The Bend, near Patearoa, achieved a record $155 per kg greasy for ultrafine 12.5micron wool at last week’s South Island wool auction in Christchurch. In a statement, PGG Wrightson said John and Sam McAtamney had dedicated years to producing some of the finest wool in New Zealand, if not globally, and their latest achievement was testament to that hard work. “John and Sam have every reason to be proud of this result,” South Island wool sales manager Dave Burridge said. “The wool is exceptionally well-grown and well-prepared, qualities that truly…

Police are appealing for eyewitnesses and anyone else with information after a girl was allegedly “indecently assaulted” in a South Auckland park last week.A child was playing in Aronia Park in Goodwood Heights, Manukau, around 8pm on Friday when she was approached by an unknown man who offered to take her home, police said.She was then “indecently assaulted” by the man in nearby bushes.The girl screamed for help and the man fled the scene. A neighbour responded to the cries and called police but officers were unable to find the man.The victim was receiving support from her family and police.Police…

The Government is moving to streamline the building consent regime by swapping out some council inspections for a self-certification scheme.Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk said the proposal was for building professionals with indemnity insurance working on low-risk projects.It would allow qualified trade professionals – including plumbers, drainlayers and builders – to sign off on their work without needing council inspection.The changes were also expected to cover large homebuilding businesses that construct hundreds of near-identical homes a year.”The building consent system is intended to protect homeowners from defective building work by requiring work to be inspected and consented by a…

Part of a state highway is blocked following a collision between a ute and a portaloo in Hawke’s Bay this afternoon.Police say they were called to a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 2 in Te Hauke around 3.40pm.SH2 near Burma Rd was closed while the road was being cleared. SH2 was closed due to a collision between a ute and a portaloo. (Source: NZTA)No one was injured in the crash.Motorists were advised to expect delays and take an alternate route.

The names of two men charged over the death of Ariki Rigby have been released after applications for name suppression were denied. Thirty-two-year-old Jimmy Heremaia was arrested in Auckland last month, charged with murder and arson in relation to the car that Ariki’s remains were found in. The orchard worker was living in Hawke’s Bay at the time of Rigby’s death. Heremaia faces a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if he’s found guilty of murder and is being held in custody without a plea. Meanwhile, 29-year-old Ropine Paul was arrested this month and is charged with being a party to…

Eighty-three million positions might be at risk by 2027, with jobs in accommodation, wholesale and arts potentially severely impacted. ADVERTISEMENTAutomation, big data and economic pressures might lead to the termination of 83 million jobs globally in the next three years. That’s according to research conducted by the World Economic Forum on over 800 companies and 673 million employees around the world.AI is expected to be a key driving force behind this change and one of the fastest-growing sectors, along with sustainability specialists and business intelligence analysts.The research also says up to 69 million new jobs might be created by 2027.Europe’s…

A Wellington City councillor has taken her colleagues to task at the first public council meeting since Government intervention.This morning’s Long-Term Plan, Finance, And Performance Committee meeting came just days after Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced his intention to intervene at Wellington City Council, appointing a Crown Observer.The council has to amend its Long-Term Plan after it voted to stop the sale of its 34% stake in Wellington Airport.The sale was a key part of the council’s long-term plan with the money from it set to create an investment fund that would cover the council’s insurance risk – which…

The man accused of murdering Christchurch real estate agent Yanfei Bao has had another outburst in open court. Tingjun Cao, who denies the offending, appeared to be unhappy with evidence presented this afternoon. The 53-year-old, who doesn’t speak English, stood up and began signalling towards his lawyers and waving papers around, before yelling in Mandarin.He was then ushered out of court, and Justice Lisa Preston adjourned proceedings. Tingjun Cao, who denies murdering the real estate agent, once again appeared unhappy with court proceedings this afternoon. (Source: 1News)The trial at the High Court in Christchurch has been interrupted multiple times due…