Author: Press Room

Dunedin’s Regent Theatre has been granted a liquor licence after being grilled for selling “nothing more than snacks” alongside large pours of wine. The theatre’s on-licence was renewed for 18 months by Dunedin’s District Licensing Committee last month, following a hearing in February. It was opposed by Dunedin City Council licencing inspector Alison Blair, who in her report raised concerns about operations without a certified manager and the volume of wine servings. She also questioned the manner in which the theatre sold food. According to a menu, patrons at the Regent Theatre could choose from either a “regular” or “large…

Exporters around the world are still digesting exactly what US President Donald Trump’s moving array of tariffs will mean for them and their businesses.But what are New Zealand’s biggest exports to the US, and how might they be affected?Last year, exports of goods to the US were worth just under $9 billion.That was 12.7% of all goods exported, the second highest. The US has become a much more significant destination for exports in recent years.In the 12 months ended December 2024, these were the most exported goods to the US.1. Meat and ‘edible offal’ — $2.5 billionWestpac chief executive Kelly…

Air New Zealand says its full year underlying profit will be down as much as a third on last year given a “substantial” drop in the compensation it expects to get from engine manufacturers for its grounded aircraft. The national carrier estimates earnings before taxation for the 2025 financial year to be within a range of $150m to $190 million, compared with $222m last year. “The airline is engaged in ongoing negotiations with engine manufacturers regarding appropriate levels of compensation for unserviceable engines, and accurate timeframes for engine returns,” it said in statement to the market. “These discussions continue to…

Even before it got colder, power bills in New Zealand and Australia were going to spike because regulators are increasing charges for the use of pylons, substations, poles and wires. But should they be? By energy economics experts Richard Meade and Magnus SöderbergWinter is coming to New Zealand and Australia, and with it come those inevitably higher power bills from heating our homes.But even without that seasonal spike, household power bills were already set to rise by NZ$10 to $25 a month in New Zealand and up to A$9 a month in parts of Australia.This is not, as some might…

A 10-day hīkoi on horseback has been completed by a Hawke’s Bay iwi who hope to raise awareness and funds to buy back a landmark that was once sacred Māori land.For the last 100 years, the more than 1000 hectare Kahurānaki Station, which included Mt Kahurānaki, has been a working sheep farm.However, now it is up for sale and Ngāti Kahungunu hoped to buy it back.The group first began their journey in Mahia, traversing rugged East Coast farmland.Today, after 254 kilometres, they arrived at Kahurānaki Station and were met with a pōwhiri by iwi and local supporters. Trek organiser Kelly-Aroha…

The co-owner of the company which employed a funeral director sentenced for interfering with human remains and obtaining money by deception says it has been was an “incredibly painful chapter” for the business.Fiona Bakulich, a former employee of Tipene Funerals, pleaded guilty to charges in February and was sentenced last week to two years and three months in prison.Bakulich took payment in 2017 of $3000 for the cost of lining and sealing a casket with zinc, which she kept for herself. Following Cyclone Gabrielle, the casket at Waikumete Cemetery was disinterred, revealing it had not been lined, and the deceased…

Residents are challenging the district council on its lack of consultation after it removed stairs and created a barricade to a Wainui Beach accessway.Wainui locals described the move as “upsetting” and an “insult” during a tense meeting last week.One resident took it upon himself to remove the barricade, which he said was “unlawful” and had been put up in “a sneaky way”.”We just want our steps back,” another local said.Gisborne District Council agreed to replace the stairs last November. However, it reviewed the decision when cost estimates rocketed past $100,000.Council officials said scaffolding stairs at the Tuahine Crescent Beach accessway…

ADVERTISEMENTAuthorities have dismantled four major criminal networks responsible for fuelling the flow of drugs into the European Union and Turkey, the EU’s law enforcement agency Europol said in a statement.It follows a series of “coordinated raids” supported by the agency, which led to the arrest of 232 suspects, including several “high-value targets”.Europol said the investigation, codenamed Operation Bulut, took place across multiple jurisdictions and involved authorities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.The law enforcement agency said that the groups were arrested in connection with the seizure of at least 21 tonnes of drugs in Europe and Turkey, including…

Campbell Park Estate, with its 35-room limestone baronial mansion as the centrepiece, has been sold by liquidators for $3.2 million. The Waitaki Valley property, which included a self-contained village of 35 houses, has been bought by Hamilton man Stuart Foote, who was yet to finalise his plans for the site, Stuff reported. In August last year, it was confirmed the property would be sold to pay off debts of former Mainzeal boss Richard Yan, who was adjudged bankrupt in May. That followed the appointment of the Official Assignee as liquidator of Richina Ltd, by special resolution of shareholders. Mr Yan…

When fifteen-year-old Janie Taiiringa-Roimata Bennett was diagnosed with a malignant bone cancer, her whānau turned to tikanga Māori to help guide their journey through the trauma of treatment, surgery and recovery, and the grief of losing a limb. Janie was first diagnosed a year ago with osteosarcoma, a cancer that affects the arms, legs and pelvis, and for her it meant the amputation of her right arm up to her shoulder. The surgery and subsequent treatment took place last year and she has since gone into remission. A year on, the whānau visited the hospital to take possession of the…