Author: Press Room

Inland Revenue (IR) promised it would use the $29 million in additional funding it was given in the Budget to target taxpayers who had not met their obligations.Data shows — so far — it is delivering ahead of its goals in many areas.It outlines its performance against a number of key indicators.In terms of revenue and recovered or disallowed expenditure due to IR interventions, it is targeting an extra $63 million in revenue at a minimum for the current tax year, to a total $1.038 billion.In the September quarter, it reported $397.4 million, well ahead of the target range up…

Before a quiet Christchurch man seemingly vanished from his St Albans home a note was left on his front door with only the word “farm” scrawled across it.Stewart Willis, 63, left all of his belongings inside his rented house – a unit tucked between others – on Colombo St, on or about July 24, 2023, police said.There had been no sign of him since, leaving those in the neighbourhood to wonder whether he left to start a new life or if his body was lying somewhere undiscovered.When Willis first disappeared, police said they had concerns for his welfare but, more…

NIWA has released its Annual Climate Summary for 2024, providing an insight into last year’s weather, including the sunniest, wettest and warmest places in New Zealand.Here’s a look at some of the key findings.Temperatures(Source: 1News)2024 was the 10th warmest since records began – not as hot as 2023, but still a warm year. The nationwide average temperature was 13.25C, 0.51C above the 1991-2020 annual average.Temperatures were above average for much of Northland, northern Waikato, Bay of Plenty, coastal Hawke’s Bay, southern Taranaki, Whanganui, eastern and southern Wairarapa, Tasman, inland northern Canterbury, Banks Peninsula, and eastern Otago.  They were near average…

New Zealand’s most popular baby names for 2024 have been revealed today.For girls, the top name given to newborns in 2024 was Isla, with 190 babies sharing the name. It marks the third time in five years Isla has topped the list for girls. Also in the top 10 list for girls were Amelia, Charlotte, Lily, Isabella, Olivia, Hazel, Harper, Mia, and Mila. For boys, the top name was Noah for the second consecutive year, and the fourth year in a row the name was in the top two.Oliver, Leo, George, Jack, Luca, Theodore, Elijah, Theo, and Arthur rounded out…

It’s “likely” anyone unable to submit their feedback on the Treaty Principles Bill by Tuesday will get another chance to do so, the chair of Parliament’s justice committee James Meager says.Pressure was mounting to extend the deadline for public submissions, after technical problems with Parliament’s website prevented many people from giving feedback.RNZ has confirmed the justice select committee will meet at 9am Thursday to make a decision on late submissions.”Likely anybody who was unable to make a submission yesterday due to website issues will have the opportunity to do so but I can’t pre-empt the Committee’s decisions,” Meager said.Technical problems…

There has been a whale stranding at Farewell Spit in Golden Bay, with a refloating attempt to be made this afternoon. According to the Department of Conservation, 10 pilot whales stranded last night.Eight were found alive this morning.”We aim to refloat the surviving eight at high tide on Wednesday afternoon,” DOC Takaka Operations Manager Ross Trotter said. “We have plenty of volunteers to help keep the whales cool so do not need people to come and help at this stage. Conditions are cool with some rain which is good for the stranded whales.”The whales are showing signs of having been…

Police are appealing for anyone who might have seen any suspicious activity the night a man arrived at an Auckland police station with a child’s body in a car to come forward.On Monday, a 37-year-old man appeared in court charged with murder after arriving at the Manukau Police Station at about 1am with the deceased child.Acting Detective Inspector Veronica McPherson said police were not seeking anyone else in connection to the child’s death, but called on potential witnesses to come forward.”We would like to hear from anyone who witnessed any suspicious activity around the Waiouru Road area in Highbrook and…

A week after Russian gas stopped flowing through Ukraine, the European Commission maintains there is no threat to security of supply despite data showing a steep drop in reserves as temperatures fall across much of the bloc. ADVERTISEMENTThe EU executive has dismissed the suggestion that the latest figures for gas storage levels across Europe raise the spectre of imminent shortages a week after imports of Russian gas via Ukraine ended almost three years since the Kremlin launched its undeclared war on the country.Gas stopped flowing through Soviet Union-era pipelines on New Year’s Day upon the expiry of a five-year transit…

“Only time will tell” if Rotorua’s introduction of separate food and organic rubbish collection bins will work, one resident says.Rotorua Lakes Council announced on Monday it will introduce weekly food and green waste kerbside collection from July 2026, while its general rubbish collection will reduce to one fortnightly pick-up.Some locals have expressed concerns about general waste moving from weekly to fortnightly collection, while others support the effort to send less waste to landfill.The 80-litre bin will join the 140-litre general waste bin, 240-litre recycling bin and glass crate.The bins will be serviced by Smart Environmental, which signed a nine-year contract…

As the EU’s demand for critical raw materials such as lithium is unmet, the EU is signing agreements with like-minded Latin American countries to bridge the gap. ADVERTISEMENTAfter Russia’s war on Ukraine prompted Europe to recognise its dependence on Moscow for gas supplies, growing geopolitical uncertainty has also forced the EU to reconsider where it sources the raw materials needed for its energy transition.  Although the EU’s overall demand is not fully met, a few member states still produce critical raw materials. France produces 76% of hafnium used in the EU, while Belgium produces 59% of arsenic, Finland produces 38% of…