Author: Press Room

A group of tenants have been awarded more than $12,000 after living in a property with a cockroach infestation that was so bad the sound of the insects scuttling across the ceilings kept them up at night.The tenants’ ordeal was detailed in a recently released Tenancy Tribunal decision.The tribunal noted the six tenants first reported a cockroach issue when they viewed the $1300 per week property and decided to rent it.They told the landlord — Pr Property Management Limited as agent for Bhavika Enterprises Lrd — about it, and it assured them that pest control would be called in to…

The police watchdog has rebuked an officer who punched a man three times in the jaw during an arrest.The incident occurred on the night of December 12, 2022, police said this morning. Officers were responding to a family harm incident at a rural property off State Highway 16 near Auckland’s Waimauku.The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) said: “Police were called to the man’s property after he was heard ‘going crazy’ at about 10pm, during an argument with his partner. Before officers arrived, the man left the property, intending to go for a walk to ‘cool off’.”The two officers who attended…

Residents are being urged to avoid the scene of a slip in Greymouth with more rain likely to be on the way.The slip yesterday blocked access to more than 50 homes in Arnott Heights.Mayor Tania Gibson said no homes were at risk, and Grey District Council said there were no reports of personal injury.In an update this morning, the council said: “The geotechnical engineers on-site have advised there is still movement in the hill and some small slips have occurred overnight.”Our hard working teams have cleared a lot of debris and aim to establish road access later today.”However, this is…

By Denise Garland of RNZ An Upper Hutt Brewery has been told to remove its Kupe beer from sale and take down associated promotion, after it was found to be in breach of advertising standards. Te Aro Brewing named its Kupe New Zealand IPA after the Polynesian navigator as part of its Age of Discovery series – a limited range of beers showcasing historical explorers including Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan. It also promoted the Kupe beer on its Facebook and Instagram accounts, including associating it with the Matariki holiday in June. Concern about the product and its promotion was first…

An Upper Hutt Brewery has been told to remove its Kupe beer from sale and take down associated promotion, after it was found to be in breach of advertising standards.Te Aro Brewing named its Kupe New Zealand IPA after the Polynesian navigator as part of its Age of Discovery series – a limited range of beers showcasing historical explorers including Christopher Columbus and Ferdinand Magellan.It also promoted the Kupe beer on its Facebook and Instagram accounts, including associating it with the Matariki holiday in June.Concern about the product and its promotion was first raised in July, with Māori cultural adviser…

The country’s biggest coal miner Bathurst Resources is seeking another 20 years of development work. It will use the fast-track approvals process for two new projects near existing sites to supply local and export markets. Bathurst Resources chief executive Richard Tacon said 90 percent of its sales were for coking coal used in steel making, with some coal supplied to the domestic market for industrial heating. Pre-feasibility work was taking place at the Buller Plateau on the South Island’s West Coast to produce coal for overseas export used in steel making. Another project in the early stages is the Rotowaro Extension…

The Government is expected to make an announcement soon about the future of liquified natural gas imports, which Energy Minister Simeon Brown says are needed to firm up New Zealand’s electricity generation.Soaring wholesale electricity prices are causing turmoil in the energy sector.Brown spoke to Q+A for a wide-ranging interview on Saturday, where he discussed the ongoing energy crisis, local government and issues in his other ministerial portfolios.The minister acknowledged there had been a lack of investment in generation capacity by electricity gentailers over the past decade.”I think we haven’t seen as much investment back into generation as we should have…

Central Otago’s latest gold mine could be operational by November after getting the tick from councils after a drawn-out application process. There has been a mixed reaction in the Millers Flat community after Hawkeswood Mining received approval to operate an alluvial gold mine near the Central Otago village. In a decision released on Friday, independent commissioners Louise Taylor (chairwoman), Ros Day-Cleavin and Craig Welsh approved resource consents from the Central Otago District and Otago Regional Councils. Company director Andrew Hawkeswood said he was eager to get on with gold-mining. “It’s been a long time coming.” Dewatering was expected to begin…

D-day — decision day — for Darleen Tana is fast approaching.Next Sunday, Green Party members will decide whether to invoke the so-called waka-jumping legislation, which could dump the independent MP from Parliament.Q+A caught up with the former Green, in what could be their final week in Parliament.”It’s not going to be any more stressful than any other week,” Tana said.”I’m here, exactly where I’m meant to be.”Next Sunday, 200 Greens delegates at a special general meeting, will decide Tana‘s future. They will decide whether to invoke the so-called party-hopping law which would eject the independent MP from Parliament.Tana — who…

BNZ is making further cuts to its home loan rates. The bank has cut its fixed rates by between four and 20 basis points, with longer-term rates seeing the biggest fall. It comes as wholesale interest rates move lower following the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate cut on August 14. Some banks lowered their lending rates immediately after the OCR announcement and others followed suit. The BNZ’s popular 18-month rate was now 5.99 percent, and the two-year rate was at 5.89 percent. It followed a cut to its home loan rates on 20 August, and a move to stop charging first-home buyers and other low-equity borrowers…