Author: Press Room

The National Land Transport Programme for the next three years has a hard focus on more state highways, road maintenance, and greater public transport in the country’s main cities.Transport Minister Simeon Brown announced the programme alongside the New Zealand Transport Agency in Wellington on Monday afternoon, and didn’t mince his words on the coalition’s new focus.”There’s less money going into cycleways, and I think New Zealanders are sick and tired of the amount of money going into cycleways.”He said the move away from prioritising public transport was in the coalition agreement with New Zealand First — with the new focus…

Australia could miss its renewable energy target without a big acceleration in financial commitments for new electricity generation in coming months.The investment readout from the Clean Energy Council, released on Tuesday, showed financially committed renewable generation projects at 1.6 gigawatts so far in 2024, surpassing 2023’s woeful total of 1.3GW when solar and wind farms flatlined.But a pick-up in financial sign-offs in the remaining months of the year is needed to reach the required run rate of 6-7GW per year to achieve 82 per cent renewable energy generation by the end of 2030.This year’s investment in renewables has already outstripped…

Key points:Waikato Hospital staff took several minutes to notice patient’s monitor alarm had been activatedCoroner’s inquiry found the death at the hospital’s emergency department was preventableHealth NZ said she had extensive cardiac history and earlier detection wouldn’t have made a difference.A woman who suffered a heart attack died in Waikato Hospital because no one heard her alarm going off.The 84-year-old, who had been living in an aged care facility, was admitted to the hospital’s emergency department (ED) with severe chest pain in February 2023.While waiting for a cardiology assessment, the patient was put on a bedside cardiac monitor.She later went…

The European Union needs to “show boys and girls” that leadership means men and women “leading together,” Vestager said. ADVERTISEMENTOutgoing European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager has denounced EU governments for undermining Ursula von der Leyen’s efforts to appoint a gender-balanced ‘college’ of Commissioners responsible for steering the EU’s powerful executive. Capitals have flouted von der Leyen’s explicit request for both a male and female candidate to form part of her next executive, in order to provide her leeway in striking the right gender balance.”Unfortunately it’s a de-masking of the lack of efforts when it comes to equal opportunities and gender balance,”…

A Dunedin transport company is stepping up to support a national waste reduction scheme that could lead to nearly 200,000 tyres being recycled across Otago. Dynes Transport has teamed with Treadlite, a Christchurch tyre collection and recycling company, to support the government’s Tyrewise scheme to minimise the waste produced by used and end-of-life tyres. Under the scheme, a stewardship fee had been placed on all new tyres since March, and from this month end-of-life tyres would no longer attract disposal fees. Treadlite director Blake Richardson said garages had historically generated the majority of tyres in New Zealand, and the country…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says New Zealand and Malaysia are united in their calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza – despite disagreeing about whether Hamas is a terrorist entity.Luxon is visiting Malaysia with a trade delegation in the hopes of boosting trade by 50% over the next six years. The world leader and his Malaysian counterpart, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, are also wanting to work more closely on combatting transnational crime and terrorism.Anwar told media today that in their bilateral meeting, the two discussed tensions in the South China Sea, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and “the atrocities committed…

Continued delays are jeopardising the EU’s €724bn post-Covid recovery fund, warns a new report by the European Court of Auditors (ECA). ADVERTISEMENTThree years after creating a huge fund to stimulate post-pandemic recovery, EU member states have used under a third of the €724bn in grants and loans, EU auditors said in a report published today (2 September). By the end of 2023, Belgium, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden had not received any post-Covid money for the fulfilment of milestones and targets, the EU Court of Auditors said.  Almost all member states have experienced delays in submitting payment requests, whether…

Firefighters will continue to monitor a blaze at a north Canterbury forestry block overnight which is expected to increase in size with strong winds forecast for the region.The forestry fire north of Waipara first reported on Thursday was initially contained by Saturday, but gusty winds caused multiple “break-out” fires on Sunday afternoon.Fire and Emergency NZ incident commander Des Irving said crews, supported by heavy machinery and five helicopters, would be working to reestablish containment lines as strong winds proved challenging for firefighting. “We are expecting strong winds this afternoon which could prove difficult conditions for firefighting, and we could see…

The hike in education-related expenses remains a growing problem, especially for poor and single parents, but also for the children of refugees. ADVERTISEMENTStarting school is the beginning of a new adventure for children all over the world and a big day for youngsters in the Czech Republic.Data from the country’s Ministry of Education shows that there are 118,000 first-graders this year, and a total of 998,000 learners registered for the nine years of primary school. For parents, however, equipping their children for school requires considerable financial expenditure. ”The start is demanding, from the briefcase to the supplies, the rings, the food, so…

Seascape was meant to be New Zealand’s highest residential building — but construction has stopped, thanks to a feud between the builder and developer. It was being marketed as the “very best lifestyle imaginable” by Sotheby’s real estate; an architectural masterpiece due for completion by “Q2 2024”.But that date had come and gone, and the Seascape tower in downtown Auckland sat unfinished after work was shut down last month over a dispute between the developer and the builder.The empty building site on Customs Street East was closed off and guarded by security workers, with no word on when work would…