Author: Press Room

Another round of severe weather is forecast to hit today in both the North and South Islands, with travellers urged to “drive to the conditions” when heading home from the long weekend. Yesterday, the forecaster said an active low pressure system would sweep over large areas of the country from this afternoon into Tuesday, bringing rain and severe gales just as holidaymakers were likely to be heading home. A state of emergency remained in place for Southland, the Clutha District, and the Kaikōura District as nearly 15,000 properties in the lower South Island were without power following last week’s weather…

A 33-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly fleeing police in west Auckland yesterday afternoon. Police received reports of a vehicle with a firearm being driven erratically through Westgate around 4.20pm on Sunday. Ground units followed the vehicle through Huapai and Kumeu, and the Eagle helicopter was deployed to follow the vehicle through Massey and Henderson.”At around 5.40pm road spikes were deployed which brought the vehicle to a stop within minutes, on Te Kanawa Crescent, Henderson,” a police spokesperson said.Police said a man was taken into custody, and a range of driving-related charges were being considered.

An early morning magnitude 4.5 earthquake has jolted the Hawke’s Bay region near Napier and Hastings. GeoNet reported the tremor struck at 1.08am around 5km south of Napier, at a depth of 24km. Nearly 2000 people reported feeling the “moderate” shaking, according to GeoNet’s website. One person wrote on social media that their house was “jolted horrifically” during the quake. Another commenter said the shaking felt “a bit more than moderate” near Bluff Hill, Napier. GeoNet encouraged people to remember to “Drop, Cover and Hold” during the event of an earthquake. “In the event of a big shake and when…

The former operator of a Balclutha health store has been put into liquidation owing $220,000. The director of Ibbotson 2020 Ltd, which formerly operated Health 2000 Balclutha, attributed the insolvency to competition with online sales and the effects of Covid-19. The liquidators’ first report said the company had operated the franchise natural health store for nearly five years, retailing health products and supplements from a leased premises in Balclutha. The company’s sole director, listed as Stacey Hill, cited several factors as contributing to the insolvency, “including the ongoing effects of Covid on retail operations, competition from discount outlets/online sales, as…

Police are seeking help from the public following a burglary in the early hours of Saturday morning in Palmerston North. Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Deegan said the residential burglary in the Stoney Creek Rd area was reported to police on Sunday evening, and likely occurred in the early hours of Saturday morning.”A Polaris Ranger 1000 all-terrain vehicle was stolen, along with the trailer it was on,” he said. Deegan said police wanted to hear from anyone who may have been in the Stoney Creek Rd area at the time who may have seen the vehicle and the trailer, or had…

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has arrived in Malaysia along with other world leaders for the start of the East Asia Summit amid tight security. Thousands of police officers have been brought into Kuala Lumpar and a lockdown is in force in the central city with only official vehicles allowed to travel in the area. On arriving Luxon’s motorcade passed one of the numerous pro-Palestine protests that were being held in the city. US President Donald Trump was attending the ASEAN meeting this year, primarily to observe the signing of a further peace deal between Thailand and Cambodia after cross-border military…

Dunedin businesses are gathering for a showcase to share practical advice on how to reduce energy bills amid a “real shakeup” in the electrical industry. The free one-day showcase of solutions to rising energy costs and climate change, “Electrify Dunedin”, will be held at Toitu Otago Settlers Museum tomorrow. It would include two workshops aimed at local businesses looking to cut costs and future-proof their operations, and households wanting to save money on energy bills. It is part of the nationwide Rewiring Aotearoa tour, organised locally by a volunteer-run community group. Organiser Louis Brown said prices were forecast to be…

Work is about to begin on a new organic facility being built by Ecogas in Christchurch to turn food and garden waste into biogas and fertiliser. The waste-to-organics processing company, owned 85% by Alexandra-based Pioneer Energy Group and 15% by Ecostock managing director Andrew Fisher, is building the factory on a 3ha site in Hornby. The facility is due to begin operating in early 2027, and up to 100,000 tonnes of organic waste is expected to be turned into renewable energy, biofertiliser and biomass fuel each year to support local farms and industry. Ecogas chief executive Peter McClean said in…

ANALYSIS: Recent measles cases are a stark reminder of the pending danger of a measles outbreak. Focusing on the immunity of children and closing the “immunity gap” is essential, say medical experts Anna Howe, Emma Best and Rachel Webb.The recent confirmation of new measles cases unconnected to international travel suggests the highly contagious disease has likely started spreading through communities, according to Health New Zealand.This is a stark reminder of the pending danger of a larger measles outbreak. To prevent transmission once the measles virus has been introduced, a population immunity of around 95%, evenly distributed throughout communities, is necessary.New…

The former operator of a Balclutha health store has been put into liquidation owing $220,000. The director of Ibbotson 2020 Ltd, which formerly operated Health 2000 Balclutha, attributed the insolvency to competition with online sales and the effects of Covid-19. The liquidators’ first report said the company had operated the franchise natural health store for nearly five years, retailing health products and supplements from a leased premises in Balclutha. The company’s sole director, listed as Stacey Hill, cited several factors as contributing to the insolvency, “including the ongoing effects of Covid on retail operations, competition from discount outlets/online sales, as…