Author: Press Room

Dozens of local councils had until today to decide to either disestablish their Māori wards or keep them and hold a referendum on their future. The vast majority have chosen the latter option.And as their decisions trickled through over the past month, a common theme emerged – frustration with the Government for putting them in this situation.What is that situation?Forty-five councils have established or resolved to establish Māori wards since a law change in 2021 stripped a provision that had previously allowed communities to veto Māori wards in a vote.But the National-led Government officially rolled back Labour’s changes this year,…

The pedestrian killed when he was struck by at least one car on Wednesday night has been described by his brother as a champion for farmers.Steven Cranston, 43, died when he was hit while walking on Nau Mau Road on the outskirts of Raglan, in Waikato.Bradley Cranston told RNZ he was still trying to understand exactly what happened to his older brother, after getting the shocking news on his 41st birthday.Steven, a farm manager at Eureka near Hamilton, was walking his dog through Raglan on Wednesday afternoon.It was understood he walked across the Wainui Road one-lane bridge in the middle…

The council recognised for having the country’s best-tasting tap water is at “step one” of how it will respond to looming Local Water Done Well rules.The Government enacted the Local Government (Water Services Preliminary Arrangements) Act this week, which required councils to provide transparent information on their water services and set out proposals to achieve financially sustainable services that met standards.The Local Government Water Services (Transitional Provisions) Bill, expected to be introduced in December, will make structural and financing tools available for councils to use.Rotorua Lakes Council, whose council-controlled organisation InfraCore won New Zealand’s best-tasting tap water title in May,…

A man has been taken to hospital with critical injuries from an incident in Auckland’s Pakuranga Heights this afternoon. Hato Hone St John was alerted earlier this afternoon and sent one ambulance and two rapid response vehicles to the scene at 3.43pm. “One patient in a critical condition has been transported to Middlemore Hospital by ambulance.”Please refer to police New Zealand for further information,” a spokesperson said.Police said officers were called to a residential address on Jade Ave, Pakuranga Heights shortly before 4pm. “Officers are making inquiries after a man presented outside a residential address in Pakuranga Heights with injuries…

Moscow has repeatedly claimed its forces have captured all of Niu-York but the Azov Brigade has dismissed those claims, saying Ukrainian forces continue to hold their positions. ADVERTISEMENTUkraine’s Azov Brigade says it has stabilised a previously “catastrophic” situation in Niu-York in the southeastern Donetsk Oblast, retaking part of the settlement from Russian forces.Niu-York lies south of Toretsk, a key front-line town that has become one of the focal points of the Russian offensive in Donetsk.”At the time the brigade was deployed to the area, the situation on the front line was catastrophic,” the Azov Brigade said in a statement posted on X.”However, thanks…

An inquiry is underway to “determine if anyone is missing” after a vessel was found capsized off Northland’s Doubtless Bay this afternoon. A member of the public alerted the Coastguard to the incident near Berghan Point / Te Whatu just before 12pm, a Coastguard spokesperson told 1News. “Volunteers from Houhora and Whangaroa have completed a search and are currently bringing the vessel back to shore.”The spokesperson said volunteers are working alongside police to “determine if anyone is missing”.

Speaking to Italian business representatives at the Cernobbio Forum at Lake Como, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians, “want this war to end more than anyone else in the world.” ADVERTISEMENTVolodymyr Zelenskyy has said Ukrainians have “no choice to fight and defend our lives” more than two years after Russia invaded the country.Speaking to Italian business representatives at the Cernobbio Forum at Lake Como, Zelenskyy said Ukrainians, “want this war to end more than anyone else in the world.””But definitely not through the destruction of their nation, their culture, their cities,” he said.”Our people are under constant threat of Russian missile and drone…

The Associate Minister of Immigration has granted residency to a Brazilian couple whose immigration adviser forgot to apply for their residency path back in 2021.Newton Santos and Nubia Chiarelli have been fighting for three years to get their case reviewed by Associate Minister Chris Penk.In July — after Green Party MP Ricardo Menéndez March pointed out that migrants struggling to stay in the country were “spilling their guts” to the media to get noticed by the Immigration Minister — the couple finally got an update from Penk.In a letter sent to March on July 25, Penk said he had looked…

Fonterra and Meridian Energy have landed at the top of a new climate change scorecard for New Zealand’s top carbon emitters. The worst scores given out went to Air New Zealand, Mitre 10 and Alliance Group. The Climate Action Tracker Aotearoa (CATA), launched yesterday, rated 21 New Zealand companies with the aim of bringing international standards to carbon emissions reporting in New Zealand. Companies that scored well welcomed the ratings yesterday; companies that performed poorly questioned them. CATA project lead Prof Sara Walton, co-director of He Kaupapa Hononga the University of Otago Climate Research Network, said the scorecard at this…

Median barriers on State Highway 2 near Katikati are “severely limiting” access and hurting horticultural and agricultural businesses, farmers say.The flexible wire rope barrier was installed on State Highway 2, south of Katikati, in July as part of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) safety improvements.Sections of the new median barrier can be found between Katikati and Ōmokoroa.The barrier has drawn criticism and protests because it limits cars and trucks from turning into side streets.Rick Burke, who has farmed on Lund Rd for 40 years, said the barriers would have an economic impact.“With vehicles having to unnecessarily travel a considerable…