Author: Press Room

Waikato police are appealing for CCTV and dashcam footage from Te Aroha locals as concerns grow for the whereabouts of missing man Louis.The 44-year-old has been missing since November 13, when he was last seen around 10am, believed to be heading to the Tui Domain Track via the Hamilton Street entrance, at the base of Mount Te Aroha.”Since then, there have been no sightings of Louis despite our efforts to locate him,” said Detective Inspector Matt Cranshaw.”As time passes, we are getting more concerned for his wellbeing.”Cranshaw said officers have been searching around Te Aroha, with volunteers from Land Search…

The intertwined threads of skiing, travel and tourism have remained constant in Scott Callaway’s working life, writes Tim Cronshaw. When Scott Callaway took to the ski slopes in the 1970s, perfecting his next powdery turn was uppermost in his mind. That’s not to say the then-Christchurch youngster was short on ambition. For skiing would take him around the world over 26 consecutive winters. Later, it would lead him to senior roles in the Mount Cook Group, Coronet Peak and The Remarkables ski areas, Air New Zealand, AJ Hackett Bungy and more latterly Christchurch Airport. As an 18-year-old, that was all before him and passing…

The new leader of the newly-rebranded Opportunity Party says she will chase the 5% threshold at next year’s election as she looks to focus on connecting with voters rather than just releasing policy.Qiulae Wong, appointed leader after an application process, said she was frustrated with the state of politics and the lack of “ambitious, bold solutions” to challenges including climate change, long-term superannuation sustainability and housing affordability.The party has changed its name from the Opportunities Party (TOP) to “Opportunity”, stuck with the colour teal, and said it supports both business and the environment..Asked why she entered politics, Wong told Q+A…

Two Dunedin businesses are coming together to provide a one-stop-shop for all Pasifika goods. The former Wakari butchery Daveta meats will now be operating out of St Kilda Pasifika clothes and grocery store Island Fresh. Butcher Paula Suguturaga said the idea to collaborate came from “the struggle”. It made more economic sense to work together. Paying rent and the operational costs for his shop in Wakari was becoming difficult after he had a “hiccup” in August last year and could not find a slaughterhouse to send his livestock to. His business was shut for 11 months while he waited for…

The Tongariro Alpine Crossing, and other popular walks at Tongariro National Park, will reopen on Monday following a devastating fire last week. The fires began on November 8, and scorched through nearly 3000ha of conservation land and bush before being extinguished on November 12. The Department of Conservation’s (DOC) Central North Island operations director Damian Coutts said all tracks, excluding Mangatepopo Track, would reopen to visitors at 9am on Monday November 17 after being deemed safe by FENZ. He said that while it would take some time to assess and repair the damage, access to huts and tracks was almost back to normal.”We…

Police have confirmed that four people, including three children, have died in a house fire in Sanson, Manawatū. Emergency services were called to the property, southwest of the town on State Highway 1, about 2.30pm Saturday. It was confirmed there were “several fatalities” from the blaze. Inspector Ross Grantham, Manawatū Area Commander said the bodies of two children were recovered from the scene this evening, and family was present during this time to bless them with karakia.”Work is ongoing to locate the body of a third child, while the body of an adult has already been removed,” he said. He…

One person is in custody and a homicide investigation launched after an assault at a Kaitaia property left one person dead. Emergency services were called to a reported assault at an address on Okahu Rd, just south of the main township shortly after 12.30pm, where one person was found in a critical condition.”Despite emergency services best efforts, they sadly died at the scene,” Detective Inspector Geoff McCarthy said. He said police arrested a person in relation to the incident at a separate address a short time later and were not seeking anyone else at this stage.Cordons were in place, and…

A leading iwi leader says there’s a “sliver of hope” to help Te Pāti Māori’s caucus reconcile, but that the window of opportunity was closing quickly, especially after the party’s leadership moved to expel two “rogue” MPs.Ngāti Kahungunu Iwi Incorporated chairperson Bayden Barber told Q+A that party leadership threw a spanner into the works of discussions when it expelled Takuta Ferris and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi earlier this week. “The decision from the Maori Party National Council has basically ignored the aspiration of the iwi chairs to try and find a way forward together,” Barber told Q+A.Barber and other iwi leaders travelled…

Stats NZ’s latest figures reveal international tourism is almost back to pre-covid levels, driven largely by Australians hopping the ditch in big numbers.Visitor arrivals surged for the year to September reaching 1.48 million, the second-highest number of Australian arrivals since 2019 according to Stats NZ.The Government hoped to push those figures even higher with the recent Michelin star deal and a new multi-million-dollar tourism campaign.While places such as Rotorua and the lower south island were set to benefit, some regions – such as Northland – feared they have been left out. Rotorua has been selected for two of four government…

A severe thunderstorm warning issued this afternoon for parts of Canterbury has been lifted. Shortly before 3pm, MetService lifted a thunderstorm warning for the Christchurch and Selwyn areas after thunderstorms had been detected near Darfield, Oxford, Kirwee, Charing Cross and Greendale.Hail pictured in Christchurch at 2.30pm. (Source: Supplied)The forecaster said the thunderstorms were “accompanied by very heavy rain and large hail”. Have you experienced the wild weather today? Send your pictures and videos to [email protected]”Very heavy rain can cause surface and/or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous,” the forecaster warned. Large hail…