Author: Press Room

Two tiny little spotted kiwi chicks have given conservationists proof that a species thought extinct on mainland Aotearoa for nearly 50 years is not only surviving, but breeding on the West Coast.The discovery followed the revelation earlier this year that kiwi pukupuku species had survived in the rugged South Westland wilderness. Until March, kiwi pukupuku were believed to exist only on pest-free offshore islands.Department of Conservation (DOC) rangers initially confirmed a single bird in the remote area. Now, they’ve found nine birds, including two breeding pairs.The discovery followed the revelation earlier this year that the species, thought to be extinct…

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says he is closely watching the UK’s plan to scrap jury trials for offences carrying sentences of less than three years, a key change the New Zealand Government is also considering to help speed up court processes.”We’re watching with great interest, it’s been an issue that’s been raised here in the context of trying to speed up the processes of the courts,” he said.”There’s been long delays and jury trials of course take much longer.”UK Justice Secretary David Lammy has announced that jury trials for charges with a likely sentence of less than three years in…

New Zealand skier Alice Robinson has secured her second straight women’s World Cup giant slalom victory Saturday (local time) at Mont-Tremblant, Canada.The 24-year-old led after the first run and had a combined time of 2m 16.18s in the first of two races at the resort northwest of Montreal.”I was a bit nervous this morning because the conditions here were so different compared to last weekend, so I wasn’t sure the good skiing from last weekend necessarily meant it was going to be good this weekend,” Robinson said. “I’m really happy to roll it through in these conditions which were really…

Five people have been injured, one seriously, in a crash between a car and a van in Auckland’s northwest this afternoon.Emergency services were called to the intersection of Old Railway Rd and Old North Rd at around 12.20pm.St John said it responded with ambulances, one rapid response unit and one manager.”Our crews assessed and treated five patients, one in a serious condition and two in a moderate condition who have been transported to North Shore Hospital, and two in a moderate condition who have been transported to Waitakere Hospital,” a St John spokesperson said.Police said the road was blocked with…

A woman who has been through the process of withdrawing money from KiwiSaver for hardship reasons says suggestions that people are doing so frivolously are unfair.The sharp increase in hardship withdrawals has concerned the KiwiSaver sector in recent years and Retirement Commissioner Jane Wrightson highlighted it in her recent three-yearly review of retirement income policy.In October, $49.4 million was withdrawn from KiwiSaver funds for hardship reasons, up from $38.4m in October 2024.In November, providers told RNZ that people had learned to manipulate the system to enable a withdrawal – such as letting debt fall into arrears, so it would qualify.Tara,…

Dual-code rugby star Wendell Sailor has spent a night in custody after allegedly being found blocking traffic in the middle of a busy road in a bizarre incident.The 51-year-old former Australian league and union international was arrested after police received reports of a man yelling and standing in the middle of the road in Wollongong about 11pm on Friday (local time).He was allegedly stopping traffic near a busy intersection not far from the city centre while apparently under the influence of drugs or alcohol.Sailor also allegedly fought officers’ attempts to move him before he was charged at Wollongong police station.He…

Racing Bulls team principal Alan Permane believes Liam Lawson has the potential to become a “very good Formula 1 driver” if he can be more consistent next season.Lawson will line up with 18-year-old Arvid Lindblad in 2026 after his current teammate Isack Hadjar was promoted to join Max Verstappen at Red Bull.The Kiwi driver started 2025 with Red Bull but was moved back to the development team after just two races.Speaking to the F1 website, Permane said Lawson was “very talented”.”My mission will be to get him to operate at the level he can operate at when things are all…

Waters are warming in Southland at higher rates than elsewhere, with implications for fisheries and habitats.Details of the issue have been captured in a November report from acting Environment Southland chief executive Rob Phillips, who referenced the recent state of the environment report.Phillips said sea surface temperatures were increasing about 34% faster in New Zealand than the global average.Outside of Fiordland, Southland was experiencing some of the fastest warming, with a 0.4 degree average increase over the past decade, he said.“While it may mean that the region can enjoy some warmer swimming temperatures, continued increases will have detrimental effects on…

IKEA’s long-awaited arrival in New Zealand hit the ground running on Thursday, with more than 18,000 people visiting the new Sylvia Park store on its first day – and shoppers wasted no time filling their trolleys.The most purchased item of the day was the retailer’s iconic FRAKTA blue carrier bag, with a total of 4200 snapped up – making the $1 tote the top-selling product among New Zealand shoppers.Furniture favourites were quick to follow. The white BILLY bookcase, a global IKEA bestseller, was also the first item purchased when the store opened its doors. Other popular sellers from the Swedish…

Firefighters were called to a blaze in East Tamaki on Saturday afternoon after pallets and a shipping container went up in flames.The blaze off Lady Ruby Dr in the industrial area of East Tamaki was reported at around 4.54pm on Saturday.”Crews have found pallets and one shipping container on fire measuring 20m x 40ms,” a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson said.”Currently there are three crews in attendance from Papatoetoe and Otara.”Footage captured by 1News shows firefighters tackling the flames from close range and from a truck positioned at the end of the driveway.The cause of the fire was not yet…