Author: Press Room

Former Green Party MP Elizabeth Kerekere says she is excited at the potential opportunity to bring her government experience to a local level.Kerekere is campaigning to become a Māori ward district councillor in Gisborne’s upcoming local elections.She said she could offer a “bridge to government”, which no other candidate could bring, and wanted to “hear the voices of different people” that might not always get heard.Kerekere was elected to Parliament for the Green Party in 2020 but resigned to become an independent MP in 2023 after allegations of bullying.Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting, Kerekere said she refuted all of the…

Selwyn MP Nicola Grigg no longer resides within her own electorate following a boundary reshuffle.The independent Representation Commission has confirmed the final boundary changes to electorates ahead of next year’s general election.As a result of big population growth in towns like Rolleston and Lincoln, the Selwyn electorate is passing around 11,000 voters over to the Wigram electorate.Those voters come from a large area including Prebbleton and Templeton.This means that two-term Selwyn MP, National’s Grigg, now resides in the Wigram Electorate, but plans to seek a third term.“I don’t intend to move out of Prebbleton at this stage, but will continue…

A judge has suggested a Taranaki life coach should have employed his conflict-resolution skills rather than punching a golf buddy in the head in what has been described as a “king-hit” type assault.Albert James appeared in the New Plymouth District Court for sentencing after being convicted of injuring with intent to injure.In December 2024, James and a group of friends were drinking in a New Plymouth bar at about 10pm after having enjoyed a round of golf earlier in the day.James got into an argument with his victim about whose round it was but when his mate offered his hand…

If you’re applying for jobs and keep missing out, recruitment experts say there are some common mistakes you might be making.Unemployment increased this week, to 5.2% — and the underutilisation rate reached 12.8%.It’s a tough environment to be looking for a new role.Career consultant Merrie McDougall told RNZ people who were job hunting should make sure their CVs were fit for purpose.She said applicant tracking software had become widely used in the past five years.This would look at key words and phrases in an applicant’s CV and match them to the job advertisement.”If you don’t have that match, you’re never…

Rotorua Museum’s redevelopment is unlikely to be impacted by the Government’s axing of council wellbeing objectives.The Government introduced changes in July to make councils focus on core services, leaving some to question whether museums and libraries could face the chop.However, Rotorua council leaders have downplayed concerns about how this could impact the museum and the district’s wider cultural footprint.The Government bill removed the promotion of social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing from council remits, which had been reintroduced by the Labour Government in 2018.Museums were listed in the bill as a core service, as were libraries, reserves and other recreational…

Published on 08/08/2025 – 12:43 GMT+2 •Updated 13:31 ADVERTISEMENT The EU’s landmark Media Freedom Act (EMFA) entered into force Friday, with the aim of providing better protection for the press and making media ownership more transparent. The law also aims to limit the use of spyware against journalists, enhance the transparency of state advertising, and strengthen the independence of public media. The new rules also increase protection for journalists and for their sources. Social media platforms should also refrain from arbitrarily deleting or restricting content from independent media under the new regime. The law was drafted by the European Commission and…

There’s been another milestone in Auckland’s City Rail Link with people from outside the project allowed on an underground test run for the first time.Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was aboard along with senior ministers, city leaders and other officials.The train journey started at the revamped Maungawhau Station and headed into a tunnel to arrive at Waitematā or Britomart Station.”We were just saying it’s a bit like Star Trek, warp speed up there the way the tunnel is lit,” Luxon said after standing with the driver.City Rail Link’s first test train. (Source: rnz.co.nz)Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown stayed seated and chatting with…

Published on 08/08/2025 – 12:47 GMT+2 ADVERTISEMENT A new citizens’ initiative is now collecting signatures to reverse what campaigners call a “passenger-hostile” EU proposal — one they say would cost air travellers across Europe money, time, and rights.  “After over a decade of legislative impasse, EU governments are worsening the rights of EU passengers, and we intend to enable Europeans to speak out and against this,” professor Alberto Alemanno, founder of The Good Lobby and one of the petition’s organisers, told Euronews.  While such an initiative doesn’t force the Commission to draft new laws, it does require a formal response within…

A Christchurch zoo found to have substandard animal welfare procedures has work to do to restore its damaged reputation, leaders say.After a six-month pause, Orana Wildlife Park will resume taking new animals, following a review prompted by whistleblowers’ animal welfare concerns and allegations of a toxic culture.The Zoo and Aquarium Association Australasia (ZAA) commissioned an independent investigation into the allegations of poor animal welfare aired on 1News, while the Orana Wildlife Trust Board asked agency Culture by Design to assess the park’s workplace culture.The final report released in December suggested improvements to animal welfare processes, organisational systems, health and safety,…

Christchurch’s embattled Orana Wildlife Park has today confirmed it has maintained its animal welfare accreditation after meeting all requirements set by the Zoo and Aquarium Association of Australasia.A temporary pause on incoming animal transfers from other zoos was put in place in December following a major investigation into its animal welfare procedures and culture. The pause was lifted today following a scheduled six-month review by the association.Issues at the zoo were first raised by a 1News investigation into the park involving 20 current and former Orana staff raised concerns about the way staff – and animals – were treated.The whistleblowers…