Author: Press Room

One person has died after a ‘serious’ three-vehicle crash that closed a 17km section of State Highway 5 near Rotorua this afternoon.Police said the crash was reported at around 3.15pm on Sunday.”The person sadly died at the scene,” said a spokesperson.State Highway 5 has been closed between Tapapa Rd and Maraeroa Rd.”Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.”The Serious Crash Unit are in attendance and the road remains closed while a scene examination is carried out.Hato Hone St John said it responded with two ambulances and a first response unit.”Two patients have been treated and are being…

The Greens are taking aim at the coalition government’s policies, saying they lack genuine care.Party co-leaders Marama Davidson and Chlöe Swarbrick gave their annual “State of the Planet” speech on Sunday at Wynyard Quarter in Auckland, their first delivered together.Davidson said the government’s policies were devoid of evidence.”Policies like boot camps for the young, benefit sanctions for the already struggling, higher criminal penalties. A punitive and petty politics that makes life harder for those already excluded and does nothing – nothing – to keep communities safe and well, this is divisive, stale, cruel and ineffective.”Successive governments had been stuck on…

International students and overseas workers could still move to Australia’s regions even if the opposition attempts to free up housing supply by slashing migration.Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has promised that if elected in 2025, a coalition government would introduce a two-year ban on foreigners buying existing homes, cut the number of international students and reduce overseas net migration from 260,000 to 160,000.The government would need to increase supply by leveraging existing homes – something Mr Dutton said would free up more than 100,000 homes in the next five years.David Littleproud wants regional universities to continue to offer places to international…

The Government says live animal exports won’t go ahead if “very high” standards aren’t met, but welfare and rights activists are pushing for the country’s ban to be kept.New Zealand banned live animal exports on ships for breeding and milking in April, last year, but the coalition government is currently working on reinstating the practice – promising purpose-built ships and a certification regime for importers.Speaking to Q+A, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay said officials would be implementing the gold standard to ensure animals are well cared for. He said new standards would prevent a repeat of the Gulf Livestock 1 ship…

Two people are lucky to be alive after a helicopter crash in Northland on Sunday. A police spokesperson told Newshub it went down near the Uretiti Beach campground near Waipu around 12:15pm. A photo from the scene shows the helicopter resting on the sand with severe damage to its rotor blades. Hato Hone St John said it responded with one ambulance, one rapid response vehicle and a helicopter. “Two patients were assessed and taken to Whangārei Hospital in a moderate condition,” a spokesperson told Newshub. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has been notified, the police spokesperson said. Newshub has contacted the…

Dame Hinewehi Mohi — famed for singing God Defend New Zealand in te reo Māori at the 1999 Rugby World Cup — is being inducted into the NZ Music Hall of Fame for her ongoing contributions to the revitalisation of the language.The trailblazing performance at Twickenham 25 years ago inspired debate around the use of te reo in New Zealand and normalised the singing of our anthem in both Māori and English.But Dame Hinewehi’s impact did not stop there, extending to advocacy for the growth of Māori music.Daily te reo lessons alongside her father, who chose to reconnect with his…

An out-of-sorts Chiefs needed a late Damian McKenzie penalty to beat the Rebels 26-23 in Melbourne and entrench their top-four status.A fourth straight win for the New Zealand side wasn’t easily achieved as the Rebels fought back from a 12-point deficit midway through the second half to level the scores with six minutes to play.The Chiefs kept their cool, snaffling possession and driving back onto the attack, where a penalty adjacent to the posts was converted by McKenzie, who finished with 16 points and was typically influential in their attacking game.When they flowed, the visitors made significant inroads but silly…

Jesse Campbell shared a TikTok video where he claimed quality of life in Australia was “10 times better” than in New Zealand. “That’s no knock on New Zealand, that’s just the facts,” the 26-year-old who has been in Australia for three years said on an eye-opening trip back home. He didn’t hold back his thoughts. “Cost of living is cheaper, you get paid more, the weather is better, there’s more going on over there, the beaches are better, there’s more opportunities. “Honestly, I just reckon the quality of life it produces over there is just so much better than New…

Dame Hinewehi Mohi’s induction into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame honours her remarkable career — and the enduring influences of her recently passed Nan and her daughter Hineraukatauri. In a heartfelt interview with Seven Sharp’s Te Rauhiringa Brown, Dame Hinewehi shared how these pivotal figures — along with her passion for te reo Māori and the mentorship of key individuals — have shaped her extraordinary journey.From a young age, Hinewehi was immersed in music, thanks to her father, who learned te reo Māori in his 30s after his parents were punished for speaking it. Determined to reclaim his…

A fire at Auckland’s Gulf Harbour Country Club early this morning has seen its golf shop go up in flames.The Whangaparāoa Peninsula course, which hosted the New Zealand Golf Open in 2005 and 2006, was closed ‘with immediate effect’ in July last year. Residents have vowed to fight the decision.A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) said it received multiple calls to the fire just before 3am.The fire at the Gulf Harbour Country Club has destroyed its golf shop. (Source: Leon Shouksmith)Firefighters arrived to find a fire at the club’s golf shop. The blaze was put out just…