Author: Press Room

Two people have been injured, including one in a critical condition, after a person was trapped following a crash near Glenorchy, Otago this morning. Police were notified of a single vehicle crash around 9.40am on Glenorchy-Paradise Road, between Priory and Lovers Leap Roads.FENZ said it responded with one truck from Glenorchy, one from Frankton, two from Queenstown, and one helicopter. One person was trapped in the vehicle following the crash. Hydraulic cutting equipment was flown in on a helicopter to free the person. Hato Hone St John assessed and treated one patient who was airlifted to Dunedin hospital in a…

More than 500 vehicles, many towing boats, have crossed the Auckland Harbour Bridge today in a protest against aspects of the Hauraki Gulf Marine Protection Act and other proposed fishing reforms.The One Ocean convoy travelled nearly 30km from Albany to Mission Bay, with organisers and supporters calling for “one rule for all” in how the Gulf is managed.Co-organiser Ben Chissell said the protest was not against commercial fishing, but his position was that if the Hauraki Gulf was so badly depleted that areas needed to be shut off, then no one should fish them.Legislation which came into effect last month…

A tramper with a dislocated knee was rescued from a remote part of the Tararua Range this morning. John Burgess, one of the three party members, said the incident occurred at around 10.40am – and was hampered by low-hanging cloud.The group had hiked out of Ōtaki Forks north of Wellington on Thursday and spent the first two nights in Field and Maungahuka hut.Maungahuka hut (Source: John Burgess)One member of the party described strong winds on Friday, reaching 70km/h, leaving some low-hanging clouds over the ridge line this morning. Having crested the 1300-metre Maungahuka, the group was hiking back towards Ōtaki,…

The removal of four large trees in central Rotorua has been welcomed by neighbouring businesses.Four sweet gum trees were felled this week, with a section of Amohia St closed from Monday until Wednesday to allow for their removal.Despite social media backlash regarding the environmental impact of removing the trees, Rotorua Lakes Council says it did so under a health and safety recommendation from experts.”The trees have been showing signs of potential limb branch failures as they have aged and the size and weight of these limbs would require us to continually increase maintenance of the tree canopies,” the council’s parks…

Police said today they have finished a forensic examination of the Manawatū address where three children were killed in a suspected murder last week.The blaze broke out at a home in Sanson around 2.30pm on November 15, prompting a significant emergency services response. Officially, police said they were treating the incident as a homicide.Manawatū Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham said the property had now been handed over to the family but they would have to wait “some time” for the answers to what happened on the fateful afternoon.In the update of the investigation, police also released the full names of…

Air New Zealand has won a number of international awards, including being named the world’s safest airline for 2025 by AirlineRatings.com.Alongside the top gong for safety, the airline was named the best in the South Pacific by APEX, and claimed Oceania’s Leading Airline and Oceania’s Leading Airline Brand at the World Travel Awards 2025.Air New Zealand also won the Forbes Travel Guide’s Innovation of the Year for its Skycouch seats, while readers of USA TODAY’s 10 BEST Awards voted the airline among the world’s favourites, placing second for Best Airline, second for Best Cabin Crew, second for Best Airline Food,…

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu is taking the Crown to the High Court over proposed Conservation Act changes, claiming the plans are a threat to its Waitangi Treaty settlement.Conservation Minister Tama Potaka proposed the changes in August to address a backlog of concession applications that he said “sometimes take years to process”.The changes included streamlining and centralising conservation land management, and a review of Section 4 of the Conservation Act, requiring the Department of Conservation (DOC) to give effect to the principles of the treaty.Ngāi Tahu Kaiwhakahaere Justin Tipa told RNZ the proposal would shift decision-making from conservation boards and…

The German Air Force has been flying low over Aotearoa for the past fortnight, carrying out a major joint exercise with the Royal New Zealand Air Force in one of the largest deployments of its kind to this country.Three A400M Atlas military transport aircraft – supported by an A330 and A321 – have been training with Kiwi crews from Whenuapai to Woodbourne in an operation designed to test how well the two forces can work together as global tensions continue to escalate.Exercise Tūhono Rangi, meaning Connecting Skies, has involved parachute jumps, low-level tactical flying, cargo drops with the New Zealand…

Retailers in Auckland’s Newmarket are trialling body cameras that stream directly to local police as concerns rise nationwide about groups of young shoplifters intimidating shoppers and staff.The cameras are worn by mobile security patrols operating seven days a week and, with a double tap, guards can trigger an alert that instantly streams live footage into the Newmarket police station.Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Knoff-Thomas said the system had already proven “monumentally successful”, boosting police response times and helping lift arrest rates.”These body cameras are the first in New Zealand to be used this way. They can stream live, straight…

Auckland Art Gallery is set to receive one of the most significant bequests in its history – $5 million worth of art from a Kiwi philanthropist. But its donor hopes they won’t be handed over for years.Greg Moyle has a treasure trove of New Zealand 20th Century art and wants to find a forever home for the most important pieces in his collection after he dies.The Kiwi philanthropist has pledged 20 pieces to the gallery, including pieces by Rita Angus, Ralph Hotere and John Pule.But he doesn’t plan on handing it over any time soon.”The bank have just extended me…