Author: Press Room

One person has died in a serious two-vehicle crash that has closed State Highway 1, north of Waimate this morning. A police spokesperson said officers were called to the scene on the Waimate Highway (State Highway 1) near Makikihi, Waimate shortly after 6am. “The road is expected to be closed for some time,” a spokesperson said. A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told 1News that crews from Waimate, Saint Andrews, Glenavy and Timaru responded to the crash. “We are there in dual capacity, both to clear the scene and provide first aid and also due to a fire that started as…

The closure of two mills in the central North Island will leave “a huge vacuum” in the community, a worker says – and “half of the people” he spoke to in the wake of the announcement are considering moving to Australia, he added.More than 230 workers will lose their jobs after Winstone Pulp International, the Ruapehu District’s largest employer, confirmed it would shutter the Tangiwai Sawmill and Karioi Pulpmill.The company cited “the dual impacts of internationally uncompetitive energy prices in New Zealand, and the relatively low current and forecast market prices for pulp and timber”.Jude Sinai, a union delegate and…

Te Rūnanga o Ngāti Whātua is seeking to overturn the Kaipara District Council’s decision to abolish its Māori ward in the High Court today.The Kaipara District Council was defending the rūnanga action, expected to cost ratepayers as much as about $180,000.The rūnanga was applying for a judicial review of the process the Kaipara District Council used in making its decision at a High Court hearing in Auckland, with council and rūnanga legal representatives present at a hearing tomorrow.The hearing’s outcome could derail the Kaipara District Council’s required work towards getting a proposed new-look political structure, without its Te Moananui o…

ACT Party leader David Seymour has secured a full six month-long select committee process for his Treaty Principles Bill.Cabinet agreed on Monday to the outline of what the Treaty Principles Bill will look like, along with the timing of the process, with the select committee due to report back in May next year.That would take the ACT-led debate right past Rātana celebrations and Waitangi Day next year – when the government will likely be challenged again on the issue.National MPs know their hands are tied to the coalition agreement, despite the party ultimately preferring it to be done and dusted.Māori…

School expenses are constantly increasing, and this year Italian families have spent around seven per cent more on school supplies compared to 2023. ADVERTISEMENTRoughly 7 million students from elementary and high school are starting the new school year in Italy. It’s only the first day, and families have already spent a considerable amount on school supplies.School expenses have been on the rise, and this year, Italian families have spent around seven per cent more on school equipment in comparison to last year. Book prices alone increased by 18 per cent compared to the previous year. As a result, buying secondhand…

New mums and dads are set to receive a superannuation boost on top of government-funded paid parental leave.Laws locking in 12 per cent super payments while parents use up to six months of parental leave passed the House of Representatives on Thursday.With the coalition also backing the government changes, the super payments are all but assured to become law for an estimated 180,000 families each year.The changes will apply for eligible parents with babies born or adopted from July 2025.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said it was critical reform.”This will help narrow the gender gap in retirement savings,” he told parliament.”The…

Graham Norton’s career has taken him from standup to rubbing shoulders with showbiz stars on his eponymous chat show. He’s also an accomplished author whose fifth novel hit the shelves this week. Hilary Barry caught up with Norton to talk writing, his chat show, and the anecdote-sharing Kiwis who regularly park their derrière in his notorious red chair.In the old days of television, interviewing stars overseas meant costly satellite bookings and a team of technicians to ensure the connection was clear and the pictures and sound were in sync.Since the pandemic, we’ve moved to Zoom, an easy means of communication…

Retail giant Kmart is set to open its largest New Zealand store in Auckland’s Westgate in 2026.The store will span 6700 square metres at the Maki Place Retail Centre on Maki St in Westgate — making it the largest Kmart store in the country by surpassing the 5000 square metre Manukau Supa Centa Store.Kmart Australia and New Zealand chief executive John Gualtieri said the opening was a testament to the “strong traction the Kmart brand has achieved amongst New Zealand consumers”.”As New Zealanders continue to face rising household costs, providing access to great value products at the lowest prices has…

A last-minute amendment to the Government’s gang patch ban legislation has prompted concern from legal experts.The Conversation reported that a person convicted of publicly displaying gang insignia under the new legislation three times in five years would also be banned from possessing gang insignia for five years – and banned from having insignia in their homes.”In essence, it will make it illegal for repeat offenders to live in the same place as gang insignia is displayed – regardless of whether the insignia is theirs or belongs to someone else on the property,” it reported.Police would be able to apply for…

Australians managed to find room in the family budget to shower dads with gifts on Father’s Day despite ongoing financial pressures.More money was funnelled into hardware stores and men’s clothing outlets last month, pushing household goods spending a solid 4.4 per cent higher in the month of August.Spending on presents as well as meals and drinks out nudged Commonwealth Bank’s household spending insights index up 1.8 per cent over the month.Many families shouted dad feed at the pub to celebrate Father’s Day. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)CBA chief economist Stephen Halmarick chalked up the spending boost in August to the early…