Author: Press Room

Police are responding to a “serious incident” in western Waikato this morning. A police officer has been injured and a person killed, after a reported burglary in the Waitomo District. Follow our live updates hereCommissioner Richard Chambers confirmed the police response in a media release shortly after 7am. In a message to staff, he said: “The suspect has been shot by police and has died. A second person has been taken into custody.”A confrontation resulted, “during which a colleague has been shot and injured.””The officer has been taken to a hospital in a serious condition, but I advised he is…

A couple have spent $38,000 trying to get resource and building consent to build a cottage on their property for an elderly parent, only to discover at the last minute they must pay thousands more for further information — that does not guarantee consent.It is a situation Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk labelled “unacceptable”, and which the council has apologised for.Mike and Karen Sanson said the 11-month process had taken a chunk of their savings before the build even began, and in July they made a formal complaint to Waikato District Council.The council’s latest request for further information related…

What exactly is the message of Brian Tamaki’s Destiny Church? John Campbell highlights some consistent themes: far-right prejudices, manifest anger and hatred. Meanwhile, for some former members, the church leaves a lasting taste of sadness and fear. Inside Destiny: Faith, flag, family – Watch on TVNZ+In February, sitting at my desk looking out over the ceaseless, metallic tide of Auckland’s Nelson Street, I was contacted by two people about Destiny Church. Some days, I hear from so many people that I’m not sure how to respond to it all. (Some days, I can’t.) But these two penetrated my overflowing inbox,…

A former Reserve Bank chairperson says he doesn’t think there will be long-term damage to trust in the central bank over its handling of Adrian Orr’s departure.Arthur Grimes told Q+A there were short-term concerns about its reputation and he believed the central bank had made some “misleading” statements. “Probably the top of the list [of the RBNZ’s priorities] was to ensure privacy,” Grimes said.”But having said that, it was important not to say something that could potentially mislead, and I think some of the statements were misleading.”Further revelations, reported by The Spinoff, show the bank didn’t publicly disclose a board…

Stargazers in inland South Island regions are in for a treat tomorrow morning, with clear skies forecast to offer some of the country’s best visibility for the total lunar eclipse — while parts of Northland, Wellington, and the East Coast may miss out under cloud cover.MetService meteorologist Oscar Shiviti told 1News visibility was looking “promising” for much of the South Island, with clear skies expected in most areas. “The exceptions to that were coastal Fiordland, the coast of Marlborough and Nelson, where we are expecting some partly cloudy conditions.” Fine conditions were expected across most of the North Island’s, he…

Four gang members have been arrested and several search warrants carried out across the Hawke’s Bay as police respond to gang-related violence across the region.A Gang Conflict Warrant, put in place on Friday, gave police special powers to search the vehicles of suspected gang members, and to seize firearms, weapons and vehicles.Two search warrants and four invocations of the Gang Conflict Warrant in Napier and Hastings led to the arrest of four Mongrel Mob members.Inspector Dean Clifford said it had been a “busy 24 hours” for officers.”The action overnight was part of our response to recent gang violence in the…

Police are investigating a brazen set of burnouts in central New Plymouth – directly outside the city’s central police station and district court on Saturday afternoon.Footage circulating online showed a vehicle revving and skidding on Powerham St around 5pm, with tyres screeching and thick smoke billowing into the air. A man recording the incident can be heard encouraging the driver, saying, “Come down here, bro,” as the skidding car approached a pedestrian crossing near the station.An orange roadwork sign reading “TEMPORARY” appeared to have been placed over the vehicle’s number plate, obscuring its registration. Several people could be seen standing…

NZ First leader Winston Peters has promised to make KiwiSaver compulsory, with contributions from employers and employees rising to 10% and tax cuts to curb the extra cost.The current Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted the policy in his keynote speech capping off his party’s annual meeting in Palmerston North.He also condemned immigration, promoted nationalism, spent a significant portion of the speech criticising the left-leaning parties and transgender ideology as part of the “woke” left.He announced an agreement from Cabinet to legislate that English would become an official language of New Zealand.In his brief opening remarks on Saturday, Peters predicted “massive…

Former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer has warned New Zealand’s democracy is in a fragile position – like many countries around the world – saying more work is needed to make it stable and robust. Sir Geoffrey has had a distinguished career within and outside frontline politics, serving four terms as an MP, along with tenures as a member of the Privy Council, a judge at the International Court of Justice, and as Law Commission president. Currently an honorary fellow of law at Victoria University, he spoke with Q+A about his forthcoming book, titled How to Save Democracy in Aotearoa…

An armed robbery at a Hamilton steak house this morning has led to a police hunt for two people still on the run.Police were called to Smith & McKenzie Steak House in Lynden Court in the suburb of Chartwell at about 11.20am on Sunday.Two people, one carrying a gun, allegedly stole cash before fleeing the scene in a vehicle.”Thanks to the informants and the information provided, police knew the registration of the vehicle used,” a spokesperson said.Police located the vehicle in the Chartwell area a short time later with the police Eagle helicopter deployed to assist.Armed staff were in the…