Author: Press Room

Workplace Relations Minister Brooke van Velden recently announced moves to simplify holiday and sick leave entitlements. Van Velden announced that the much-criticised Holidays Act 2003 will be repealed and replaced with a new Employment Leave Act. The Holidays Act is a notoriously complicated regime which has resulted in some large employers having to back-pay workers in the millions of dollars due to mistaken leave calculations. Previous reform efforts in 2011 and 2018 did not result in any meaningful change. In 2024 van Velden signalled the end to a draft Amendment Bill which was largely based on the work of a…

Most people have one or two names. Laurence Watkins has more than 2000. The Kiwi man holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest personal name – a record that’s stood for more than three decades and can’t legally be repeated in New Zealand.Watkins was 24 years old when he legally added 2310 middle names (later updated to 2253 names) to his moniker in 1990, securing the world record two years later. The list of names is so extensive that when he got married, it took his celebrant more than 20 minutes to recite his full name. Speaking to…

Westland District may be about to get New Zealand’s oldest and second transgender mayor.Hokitika businesswoman Jacquie Grant, 82, leads the tight mayoral race, but only by 64 votes, against incumbent Helen Lash.If elected, Grant would become New Zealand’s second transgender mayor, after the late Georgina Beyer became the world’s first openly transgender mayor in Carterton 30 years ago.Grant told RNZ that being her age and transgender was “probably fairly unique”.”Most people my age are getting ready for a ride on the zimmer frame,” she said.”Age is just a number and the transgender thing is really… I think people in Westland…

One of Auckland’s busiest fire stations has been cleared to reopen, one day after dust samples tested positive for asbestos.The Pitt St Fire Station in Auckland was closed just before midnight on Friday for decontamination as a result of testing from July, Fire and Emergency New Zealand Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler said on Saturday. “This is a result we were not expecting,” Stiffler said, saying the organisation was “disappointed”. “The safety and well-being of our firefighters is of the utmost importance to us, and the station has been closed.”She said Fire and Emergency had “no reason” to believe there…

The Government’s trial of clamping and seizing cars vehicles from people with overdue court fines will be made permanent and quadrupled in scope after it recovered more than $225,000 and impounded 115 vehicles in three months.Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, who launched the initiative in July, confirmed the expansion, saying the number of handheld licence plate scanners used by bailiffs will increase from 10 to at least 39.”We promised to find new and effective ways to force people to pay their court fines. The threat of clamping and vehicle seizures has proved a great success. Victims are our priority and we’re…

Fauono Ken Laban has been elected Mayor of Lower Hutt, making history as New Zealand’s first Pasifika mayor.Fauono secured 8704 votes, comfortably ahead of Brady Dyer on 6974, Karen Morgan on 5529, and Prabha Ravi on 3608.His victory marks a historic milestone for Pacific representation in local government. A long-time broadcaster, sports commentator, and former councillor, Fauono has been a visible advocate for inclusion, youth opportunity, and safer communities across the Wellington region. He is also the only Pasifika mayoral candidate to have been successfully elected in this year’s local elections.The long-time broadcaster secured 8704 votes in the Lower Hutt…

With three more young New Zealanders adding to the meningitis death toll in the past five weeks, the Meningitis Foundation is sounding alarm bells once again.They want free vaccinations for our most vulnerable, all adolescents and young adults, regardless of whether they are in close living situations.Todd Hodder’s son Dion died from meningitis at just 16 years old. He’d had a cold before going to camp, but when asked if he wanted to see a doctor, he declined, saying it was just a virus.Todd Hodder’s son Dion died from meningitis at just 16 years old. (Source: 1News)Tragically, the next time…

Trevor Maxwell will become New Zealand’s outright longest-serving councillor after a pre-election plea for “one more term” became reality for the man known affectionately as “Uncle Trevor”.Progress results in Rotorua’s local elections have Maxwell retaining his seat on the Māori ward, which will also stay, something that delighted the former deputy mayor.Maxwell has been an elected councillor for 48 years, putting him level with Doug Truman, who served on Grey District Council from 1968 to 2016, for the national record.But his re-election, once confirmed, will take him to 51 years and an outright lead.Speaking to Local Democracy Reporting outside his…

More retirees could be out on the street unless there’s urgent Government intervention, according to the Retirement Commissioner.Jane Wrightson is backing a petition organised by the Christchurch Methodist Mission that is calling for action to address the housing crisis facing older people.”There’s some levers Government can pull. One is getting a long-term housing plan that doesn’t get tipped out every time there’s a new government,” Wrightson said.The Housing and Urban Development Ministry estimated that more than 5000 people are currently living on the street, in a garage or a vehicle, with a quarter aged over 65.Research shows that by 2048,…

Oscar winning actor Diane Keaton, who died at 79, was known for her performances and style that helped shaped some of the most indelible films of all time, including The Godfather, Annie Hall, Father of the Bride and Something’s Gotta Give.She was beloved by fans and fellow actors, many of whom paid tribute Saturday after news of Keaton’s death broke. They included co-stars such as Bette Midler, Mandy Moore and Steve Martin, who shared an excerpt of an interview with Keaton and Martin Short that he said “sums up our delightful relationship with Diane”. Here is a roundup of some…