Author: Press Room

Concerns about the nutritional value of products sold by Invercargill’s food trucks have been raised by the National Public Health Service.But Invercargill City Council says it isn’t tasked with assessing the food sold by vendors, and incentivising healthy options is not within its powers.The views of both parties have been shared in a council report following consultation on an environmental health bylaw which underwent a hearing on Tuesday.Earlier this year, the council asked the public about proposed food truck locations and received “significant” positive feedback.But just two submissions were received during consultation, one of which came from the National Public…

A one-year postponement of new rules barring access to the EU market for goods linked to forest clearance moved a step closer today with EU diplomats endorsing the proposal tabled by the European Commission this month in a dramatic U-turn. ADVERTISEMENTThe EU Council has agreed to a last-minute delay implementation of the EU Deforestation Regulation, with a majority of national diplomats signalling their support at a closed meeting on Wednesday.The law, due to take effect from the end of this year, requires suppliers of cocoa, coffee, soy, palm oil, wood, rubber, and beef to prove their goods are not linked to…

South Auckland actor and musician JP Foliaki has been crowned Celebrity Treasure Island winner for 2024.After 18 gruelling days on the Coromandel island the 30-year-old outplayed 17 other Kiwi celebrities to claim the $100,000 prize for his chosen charity, Childfund. The final challenge had Foliaki spend three determined hours digging in the sand in the ultimate final treasure hunt against All Blacks legend Christian Cullen and actor James Rolleston. He said he was “extremely proud” to win the prize for his charity, who work to provide clean drinking water for people in the Pacific. “This money will go so far…

Award-winning lawn enthusiast Simon Slade has shared his top tips to make your neighbour green with envy as summer approaches.Speaking from Christchurch’s Mt Pleasant, where his green pasture was crowned NZ Home Lawn of the Year in 2022, Slade told Breakfast there was “a bit of science and a bit of art behind it”.”For me, it’s definitely a lifestyle. But if you ask my wife she would probably say it’s an obsession or a way to get out of dinner duties,” he laughed.”I usually get the soil tested once a year, just to check levels and from there just observing…

Mark Rutte, who took over the helm of NATO earlier this month, said that the alliance will ‘do whatever is necessary’ to address any threats and also pledged continued support for Ukraine. ADVERTISEMENTRecently appointed NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte reaffirmed on Wednesday that the alliance is “ready” to protect its territory and make further investments in its defence. “NATO stands ready to confront any enemy, any adversary who tries to attack us now and in the future,” he said. He added that NATO will “do whatever is necessary” against any future attacks. The alliance will continue its support for Ukraine against Russia following their…

Technology once used to bring Tupac Shakur and Michael Jackson back from the dead is now being used to bring warmth and comfort to Dunedin homes. Escea Fireplace Company, based in Green Island, has unveiled a new line of “holographic” electric fireplaces retailing for around $7000. The Escea LE800, LE1000 and LFS800 employ “Pepper’s Ghost” — a technique developed in the 19th century to create the illusion of an image floating in front of an object. The technique had a resurgence in popularity in the 2010s, when it was used to make deceased artists such as Tupac Shakur, Michael Jackson…

Wellington City Councillors will hold an urgent meeting Wednesday afternoon after the Government threatened to intervene.On Tuesday, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown told media he was seeking advice from officials on the options available to him and thresholds to intervene in the city council.It came after the council voted last Thursday to stop the sale of its 34% stake in Wellington Airport.The sale was part of the council’s long-term plan, with money raised from it set to be used to establish an investment fund.Yesterday afternoon, city councillor Diane Calvert emailed Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau to ask for a meeting between…

Creditors of a Queenstown-based building firm placed into liquidation last month are owed just over $360,000, the first liquidator’s report shows. Excel Building Ltd was put into liquidation in the High Court at Invercargill last month on the application of Daeweld Engineering Ltd. The company was incorporated in October 2020 and its sole director and shareholder is Ashley John King. Liquidator Iain Nellies, of Insolvency Management Ltd, said the director attributed the company’s insolvency position to difficulty in collecting amounts owed following the completion of a building contract. Net assets totalled $114,000 and the total estimated deficit, subject to costs…

Christchurch police say a number of serious incidents involving young offenders in the area yesterday are likely to be all linked. Canterbury Commander Superintendent Lane Todd said the first incident occurred outside a Wigram gym where a vehicle was stolen shortly before 6pm. He said four young people then threatened to take another person’s vehicle outside a store in Hornby. “Just before 10pm, a 17-year-old man stepped off a bus on Mackworth St in Woolston and a vehicle described as a Toyota Aqua attempted to drive at him. “One of the offenders then got out of the vehicle and confronted…

With increasingly frequent episodes of drought, flooding and forest fires across Europe, an audit of EU spending and action on the ground suggests the bloc is not keeping up with a worsening situation – and as much as two-fifths of local projects are having little to no impact. ADVERTISEMENTEurope is at risk of being overwhelmed by the effects of climate change unless it ups its game on adaptation, the EU Court of Auditors (ECA) warned on Wednesday.“Our report…raises serious concerns about the EU’s ability to keep pace with the changing climate,” the ECA member who led the audit, Klaus-Heiner Lehne,…