Author: Press Room
Some New Zealanders have adopted more than 10 children from overseas and one woman with previous convictions smuggled children into the country, government briefings have revealed.Internal intelligence reports and warnings to Labour and National immigration ministers show concerns about the motives of some parents in adopting children from abroad, but being powerless to act.A Swedish commission recommended last week that international adoptions be stopped after an investigation found a series of abuses and fraud dating back decades.In New Zealand, too, the abuses – and the unchecked pathway for adoptees coming from countries which have not ratified the Hague Convention -…
By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Kiwibank is the latest bank to cut home loan interest rates. It has cut its one-year special fixed rate to 4.89%, its two-year to 4.95% and its three and six-month rates to 5.29%. It is also cutting a number of its term deposit rates by between 10 basis points and 15 basis points. The official cash rate has fallen from a peak of 5.5% to 3.25%. But a warier tone in the most recent update has raised questions about how much further the rate might fall. The decision went to a vote, and one member of the…
Young drivers are committing fewer driving offences than a decade ago, but road deaths remain high, according to new research from the Automobile Association.The AA said between 2013 and 2024 overall rates of offending by 15 to 19-year-old licensed drivers fell by 41%.Drunk and drugged driving offences fell by 58% and seat belt offences dropped by 52%.AA road safety spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said it was encouraging that more young people were following the rules.”That’s a real positive and demonstrates that we are heading in the right direction with the various road safety initiatives and legislative and policy changes that have…
Consumers are being urged to get ready ahead of the shutdown of 3G mobile networks from the end of the year. Telecommunications Forum chief executive Paul Brislen said most New Zealanders were already using 4G or 5G-compatible devices and would not need to take any action. However anyone with a 3G-reliant phone or device may be affected, including tablets, medical alarms, security alarms, business equipment, vehicle trackers and other devices connected to the internet. “The 3G shutdown is a positive step for our digital future, but it’s important that anyone with 3G-reliant phones or devices checks now so they can stay…
A fourth person has been charged with manslaughter over the Loafers Lodge fire that killed five people in Wellington in 2023.Three people were charged with manslaughter last week following a two-year investigation into whether the state of the building and the management and compliance of its fire safety systems contributed to the fatal outcome.Michael Wahrlich, Melvin Parun, Peter O’Sullivan, Kenneth Barnard and Liam Hockings died in the blaze that began shortly after midnight on May 16, 2023.A 72-year-old man is set to appear in Wellington District Court on Monday.Last week, two men aged 75 and 58, and a 70-year-old woman…
A person was taken to hospital in a serious condition after a car crashed into a house in Auckland’s Manurewa last night. Emergency services responded to a report of a single vehicle crash in Manurewa shortly before 10pm.”It appears the vehicle has crashed into a property on Goh Place,” a police spokesperson said. Fire and Emergency NZ station officer Chris Lane told 1News the car was reported to be on fire when it crashed into the house. “We arrived and found the occupant of the car being removed by bystanders. “We’ve then come down and done a search of the…
One person has died and three others were seriously injured following a crash in Poroporo near Whakatāne last night. Emergency services were called to a single-vehicle crash on Station Rd, near Butler Rd around 10pm. “Sadly, one person was located deceased at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. “Three other people were transported to hospital in a serious condition.” The road was closed while the serious crash unit conducted a scene examination.Station Rd reopened shortly after 4am.
The cash-strapped government is demanding Dunedin Airport put its international flight plan under the microscope amid a call for higher profits. Dunedin International Airport Ltd was among a total of 30 government-owned entities sent letters of expectations from State Owned Enterprises Minister Simeon Brown in March, which were released publicly at the end of May. In a letter addressed to airport chairman Chris Hopkins, Mr Brown said he was writing to outline how the airport’s board could support the delivery of the government’s priorities and its governance expectations. New Zealand was in “a tight fiscal environment” and getting the books…
Transport Minister Chris Bishop has urged officials to get “back on track” as fresh delays hit the roll-out of NZTA’s new national public transport ticketing system.The Motu Move system was supposed to launch in Timaru and Temuka by mid-2025, but has since been delayed due to “challenges with delivery”. Transport officials didn’t provide an updated date for when the new card would actually launch, when queried this week.It’s the third missed launch target the project has faced in the past nine months. The setback comes as an independent review has been launched into the National Ticketing Solution (NTS) by the…
An Auckland man is pleading for help to find his missing dog after an alleged hit-and-run in Paremoremo left his mother and her friend injured during a Sunday morning walk.Emergency services were called to Attwood Rd, Paremoremo at around 7.10am on Sunday to reports two pedestrians had been struck by a white ute while they were walking their dogs.St John said it responded with two ambulances and one manager to the scene.”Our crews assessed and treated two patients, one in a serious condition who was transported to Auckland City Hospital, and one in a moderate condition who was transported to…