Author: Press Room

Gardens are being dug up and buildings washed in the Wellington suburb of Newtown, after a “wet slurry” of asbestos was blown onto properties by waterblasters on a nearby roof.According to a letter sent to residents, and provided to RNZ by Wellington City Council, the contamination occurred on 9 March during pressure washing activities on the asbestos roof at 102 Daniell Street.Southerly winds blew the spray over “several” nearby properties, covering them with contaminated debris.Plants and the top layer of soil have been removed from at least one property, and work is underway at others downwind of the building.A council…

Inflation bumped up to 2.5% according to official figures from Stats NZ out today but still remained within the Reserve Bank’s target range. The slight increase in the 12 months to the March quarter followed two consecutive inflation figures of 2.2% in October 2024 and January 2025. “The annual inflation rate is within the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s target band of 1% to 3% for the third consecutive quarter,” Stats NZ prices and deflators spokesperson Nicola Growden said.The largest contributor to annual inflation was rent, which was up 3.7%. According to Stats NZ, rent prices contributed to 14% of…

More court action looks to be in store for Rotorua’s council as groups opposing a controversial sewerage scheme seek a judicial review.The Rotokākahi Board of Control would also look to appeal an Environment Court decision this month that enabled work on the about $32 million Tarawera Sewerage Scheme to restart.The board oversees the iwi-owned private Lake Rotokākahi and has protested the pipeline being built nearby in an area considered wāhi tapu – sacred land.The Rotorua Lakes Council scheme aimed to improve water quality at Lake Tarawera by replacing septic tanks with reticulated sewerage.Work to lay the pipeline near Lake Rotokākahi…

A Wellington business has been fined and ordered to pay reparations after a worker suffered a traumatic brain injury after falling six metres from a slippery roof.In April 2023, 38-year-old Josh Bowles was working on a commercial rooftop without a harness when he fell, suffering a traumatic brain injury and multiple broken bones. The father of five had only been working for Prowash, a business specialising in washing buildings and houses, for two months and had no experience or training in working at height. Bowles spent six months in hospital recovering from his injuries, according to WorkSafe. He still lives…

Air New Zealand has welcomed home its first retrofitted Boeing 787 Dreamliner following a comprehensive “world-first” upgrade in Singapore.The aircraft, ZK-NZH, touched down in Auckland yesterday after spending six months abroad for a “nose-to-tail” retrofit of an all-new cabin interior.Passengers will get their first taste of the upgraded plane when it returns to service in mid-May.All 14 of the airline’s 787s will be retrofitted with the new layout by the end of 2026.New Economy Seat (Source: Air New Zealand)Air New Zealand chief commercial officer Jeremy O’Brien said it’s an exciting moment.”Seeing the first of our 14 Dreamliners to undergo this…

ADVERTISEMENTHow will the Meloni-Trump bilateral meeting today impact the Italian Prime Minister’s reputation at home and abroad? Will her efforts to build bridges with Trump burnish her credentials as an EU leader or backfire and damage her political standing? Today Radio Schuman answers these questions with Euronews reporter Vincenzo Genovese.The two leaders are expected to have sensitive discussions on a wide range of issues concerning the EU-US relations, including tariffs, and Ursula von der Leyen was in touch with Meloni before the meeting.Radio Schuman also takes you to Frankfurt for a meeting of the European Central Bank, touches on a…

Woolworths has been required to take action to address the risk a cracked chimney at the old Dunedin Gasworks could collapse on to its supermarket.  The Dunedin City Council announced late this afternoon the Dunedin Gasworks Museum would be cordoned off while options for its chimney stack were considered, but neighbouring businesses would be able to continue trading. In a statement it said an “Affected Building Notice” had been issued on the neighbouring Dunedin South Woolworths in Andersons Bay Rd, due to the threat posed to “one small corner” of the supermarket. Anna Nilsen, the council’s Group Manager Property Services, said while…

When Cyclone Gabrielle beat its destructive path down the North Island’s east cost, the tiny coastal village of Herbertville wasn’t spared.Remote and isolated anyway – east of Palmerston North, it’s about an hour’s drive to Dannevirke – the February 2023 tempest destroyed the road in and out and flooded the pub, the Herbertville Inn.Water and silt tore through when the bridge over the Wainui River at the village entrance turned into a dam.For the first time since the 1880s, Herbertville was without a tavern.The roads are pretty well repaired but the pub has remained shut – until now.After much work,…

Whakaari/White Island’s volcanic alert level has been raised to level 3 following evidence of “a gradual increase in eruptive activity” occurring. According to GeoNet, volcanic ash has been more frequently observed in the volcano’s steam and gas plume by webcams on the island, with “minor amounts” detected using satellites. “From the coast, this can be seen as a hazy plume trailing downwind from the volcano,” GeoNet said today in a volcanic activity bulletin. “These observations indicate that there has been a gradual increase in eruptive activity.” Evidence of “intermittent explosive activity” was also observed by recent observation and gas flights.…

Ashburton’s mayor is looking at potential fixes for Lake Hood’s toxic algae problem, but the council has been warned there’s “no magic wand or silver bullet”.The Ashburton District Council closed the popular recreation lake on April 3 after two people reported being poisoned by toxic algae, including a jet-skier who fell into the water.It followed a health warning being placed on the lake on March 20 due to the risk posed by cyanobacteria toxins.Ashburton Mayor Neil Brown said the council has been inundated with suggestions for how to fix the lake.”Everyone has one idea on how to fix it, and…