Author: Press Room
Experts have figured out how to move the giant Rakaia Salmon statue for a $300,000 refurbishment, but its moving date is still to be confirmed.Incidentally, a hook will be used to snag the 12m, 1.6 tonne salmon by crane and place it onto a truck to be transported.Ashburton District Council community and open spaces manager Toni Durham said the plan is to remove the salmon before Christmas for a major renovation but the exact dates were being work out.”There are still a few logistics to be sorted out,” Durham said.Original statue sculptor Phil Price, who had the successful tender for…
By Felix Walton of RNZ The Supreme Court has thrown out Uber’s appeal against treating drivers as employees. It comes after a group of four Uber drivers took the ride-sharing company to the Employment Court in 2022 over their employment status. They argued that drivers should be considered employees rather than contractors and be entitled to benefits such as leave entitlements, holiday pay and a minimum wage. The Employment Court ruled in favour of the drivers, which Uber appealed unsuccessfully at the Court of Appeal in 2024. Uber then appealed that decision at the Supreme Court, where on Monday five…
The Government’s new mandate to carry out random oral-fluid roadside drug testing marks a milestone in New Zealand’s road safety policy, writes Joseph Boden.Under recently passed laws, police can now stop any driver, at any time, to screen with an oral swab for four illicit substances: THC (cannabis), cocaine, methamphetamine and MDMA (ecstasy).Police will begin the rollout in Wellington in December, with nationwide coverage expected by mid next year.Drivers will face an initial roadside swab taking a few minutes; a positive result triggers a second test. If confirmed, the driver will face an immediate 12-hour driving ban and have their…
An economist says US president Donald Trump’s flip-flopping on tariffs has New Zealand businesses on edge.Trump has cancelled tariffs on several US food imports, including beef and kiwifruit.Sense Partners economist John Ballingall said it was good news for a lot of businesses – but many were still finding it hard to relax.”The [frequent] changes are making life very difficult for our businesses. When businesses are uncertain they tend not to invest or hire people, and the constant flip-flopping is certainly affecting businesses’ planning,” he said.”When the global economic environment is uncertain it can be a bit risky making big investment…
By Giles Dexter of RNZ The Green Party is pledging to revoke consents for any coal, hardrock gold or seabed mining projects, including two in Otago, granted under the fast-track regime if it forms part of a government at next year’s election. “Today, we are putting the seabed mining, hardrock gold mining and coal mining industries – and their investors – on notice. Your fast-track consents are not safe and they are not secure,” co-leader Marama Davidson said. The Greens have been warning they would revoke consents as far back as December 2024, when the initial fast-track bill passed its third…
Friends are rallying around a mother who lost three children in a devastating house fire in Sanson, Manawatū. The blaze broke out around 2.30pm on Saturday, prompting a significant emergency services response.Police have confirmed four fatalities from the Manawatū home – three children and a man. In a GiveALittle page set up yesterday evening, friends of the family paid tribute to the grieving mother. “Our dear friend has suffered the sudden, unbearable loss of her three beloved children, her angels … They were the light and love of her life, and her entire world has been shattered,” they wrote. The…
Six weeks after a father and son died in a house fire, the family have spoken for the first time about what happened that night, revealing the heroic actions of a father who died trying to save his youngest son and the devastating impact their deaths have had. RNZ national crime correspondent Sam Sherwood reports.Yea Seul Park was at home in Jakarta when she received a message from her younger sister who lived in Auckland with her husband Jung Sup Lee, and their two sons, a 13-year-old and 11-year-old Ha-il.”There was a fire in the house last night,” the message…
A move by ACC to use artificial intelligence to help decide which long-term claimants should go back to work is being called “shocking”. It comes as the state insurer is under instruction from its minister to reduce the long-term claims pool. There are about 25,000 long-term claimants that have been receiving compensation for a year or more – the most there had ever been. ACC earlier this year commissioned advice to work out how it could remove existing clients and prevent new ones from entering the pool. In the year to June 2025, a record 8000 long-term claimants were taken off its books…
Police have charged a 57-year-old woman with murder following the death of a man in Kaitāia yesterday.Emergency services were called to reports of assault at an Okahu Road property at around 12.35pm yesterday.A man found was found with critical injuries, and despite receiving medial attention, died at the scene. The woman, who was arrested at a separate property, will appear in Kaitāia District Court today, Acting Detective Inspector Tania Jellyman said.“Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter,” Jellyman said. “A scene examination is continuing and a post mortem examination will be carried out in the coming…
A new, non-stop seasonal route has been announced between Queenstown and Brisbane by Air New Zealand. In a statement today, the national carrier said this would make it easier for Kiwis to swap snow for sand and enjoy some sunshine in the Australian state of Queensland. The service begins on June 22 next year with 1 flight from Queenstown on Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 9.05am taking 3 hours and 50 minutes, and from Brisbane at 11.55am (3 hours, 35 minutes) until October 23. The service would offer more than 17,000 seats, “providing a convenient link between the Southern Alps and…