Author: Press Room
Tenants are in the driving seat in the rental market at the moment – but there are still rules about what they can and cannot do when they rent a property.RNZ reported earlier on the things that still catch landlords out.Now, here are six things that tenants can’t avoid.Pay the rent on timeProblems with rent payments are still the bulk of the Tenancy Tribunal’s work. Two-thirds of claims before the tribunal last year related, at least partly, to rent arrears.Tenants have to continue to pay rent even if they are involved with a dispute with their landlord. You cannot withhold…
Drivers heading north out of Wellington on Friday and Saturday are being urged to use Transmission Gully rather than State Highway 59 where there has been a rockfall.The slip occurred between Pukerua Bay and Paekākariki, just south of the Fisherman’s Table restaurant this morning.NZTA said geotechnical experts would be investigating the site of a rockfall to check for the risk of further instability and debris falls.”This work will be done later [Friday] evening once southbound traffic flows ease. They are currently peaking because of the southbound closure of State Highway 1 Transmission Gully for drainage work and repairs.”NZTA said the…
A man has been arrested in Auckland after allegedly threatening members of the public with a speargun and stealing a vehicle.Police said the man arrived at a house on Wyllie Rd in the suburb of Papatoetoe and attempted to open the front door just before lunchtime.Senior Sergeant Steve Albrey said he was unsuccessful and left.”He walked towards a neighbouring driveway where a woman was driving out in her vehicle. The man allegedly pointed a spear gun at the woman but, fortunately, she locked her doors and quickly drove away.”The man then continued to nearby Hillcrest Rd where he approached another…
Santa is back at shopping centres across New Zealand and families are lining up for that classic festive snap.From Auckland’s busiest malls to local favourites in Wellington, Christchurch and further afield, the man in red is now spreading his Christmas cheer across Aotearoa.Santas have been part of the festive season for decades, with the first appearances dating back to the mid-20th century when department stores like Smith & Caughey’s and Ballantynes introduced Santa grottos to bring the magic of Christmas in-store.Smith & Caughey’s in Auckland is no more, and the malls and shopping centres have taken over. Auckland’s biggest festive…
British playwright Tom Stoppard, a playful, probing dramatist who won an Academy Award for the screenplay for 1998’s “Shakespeare In Love,” has died. He was 88.In a statement, United Agents said Stoppard died “peacefully” at his home in Dorset in southern England, surrounded by his family.“He will be remembered for his works, for their brilliance and humanity, and for his wit, his irreverence, his generosity of spirit and his profound love of the English language,” they said. ”“It was an honour to work with Tom and to know him.”The Czech-born Stoppard was often hailed as the greatest British playwright of…
Now that the four-year Tom Phillips saga has concluded, scholar Anna Marie Brennan asks whether agencies acted with the necessary urgency and coordination to protect the children involved. Thursday’s announcement of a public inquiry into the handling of the Tom Phillips case was inevitable. When children go missing for years, the public has a right to understand whether the agencies responsible acted with the necessary urgency and coordination.Yet the inquiry goes beyond one family’s tragedy. It touches on the integrity of New Zealand’s child protection system and its compliance with international law.When Phillips disappeared with his three children from Marokopa,…
A coroner is again warning fishers to wear a lifejacket and not fish alone, after a man died when he was swept away at Omaha Beach in north Auckland.Younchang Ko, 67, was fishing at his favourite spot, the estuary on Omaha Beach, on March 9, 2024 when he disappeared into the water.He was found floating in the water some time later but couldn’t be revived.A report by Auckland Coroner Erin Woolley released on Saturday detailed the circumstances of Ko’s death, but couldn’t conclusively determine the cause.”In accordance with the wishes of Younchang’s family, a lesser, rather than a full, post-mortem…
One person has died, and two have been injured after a vehicle left the road and plunged into the Wairoa River this morning.Emergency services were called at around 4.10am on Saturday after a report of a vehicle leaving the road and entering the river near the intersection of Carroll St and River Pde.”One person has now been located deceased in the water outside of the vehicle,” a police spokesperson said.”While there is not believed to be anyone else outstanding, the Police National Dive Squad will attend to inspect the vehicle.”St John responded with one ambulance and one helicopter.Two people were…
From bad grammar, to the death of possums and concerns that a dad who doesn’t cook has been stereo-typed, some members of the public don’t shy away from complaining about the ads they see on their screens.As KFC pulls its controversial cyberhack ad, we look back at some of the more bizarre complaints about advertising down the years.’Appalling’ and ‘offensive’ commercials prompt passionate complaints – Watch on TVNZ+KFC’s advertisement featuring a masked Colonel-Sanders-style “hacker” prompted 65 complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), making it one of the one of the most complained about of the year.It was accused of…
One person has been seriously injured in a crash involving a truck and a motor home in Picton this morning.Emergency services were called to Dublin Street at around 7.45am. St John responded with one ambulance, one first response unit and one helicopter.”Our crews assessed and treated one patient who was airlifted to Nelson Hospital in a serious condition.”The road has been closed and diversions will be in place. “Motorists, please avoid the area.”