Author: Press Room

Legislation allowing Kiwi homeowners to build granny flats up to a certain size without building consent has been passed. Under the new regulations, which come into effect in Q1 of 2026, Kiwis will be able to construct dwellings of up to 70 square metres in their backyards without a building consent. To be eligible for the exemption, homeowners will need to ensure their granny flats are “simple in design”, meet the building code, and are constructed by professional builders. They will also need to notify their local council both before they begin work and when it is completed. The exemption…

Former prime minister Jim Bolger is being laid to rest at an official funeral service in Paraparaumu.The requiem mass, being held at Our Lady Of Kāpiti Catholic Church, is due to start at 11am and is expected to last for about 90 minutes.Leading political figures from several decades will attend the service alongside friends and family.Bolger, who led the country through significant economic and electoral change during the 1990s, died last week aged 90.He was National Party leader during his term in office from 1990 to 1997, and was the longest-lived former prime minister. He also held the King Country…

Green co-leader Marama Davidson has apologised to supporters of her member’s bill after it was discharged due to her running slightly late to its second reading.The Right to Repair bill – which would have required manufacturers to repair, rather than simply replace, products – was likely to have been voted down anyway by the Government parties.But Davidson did not even get a chance to test support after missing her slot to speak late yesterday afternoon.In a statement, Davidson said she had “made a mistake” by arriving in the debating chamber “20 seconds too late”.”I underestimated the speed at which a…

The principal of Dunedin’s Columba College will not be returning to the school after several months on leave.Charissa Nicol was appointed principal in June 2023.Nicol was quoted on the school’s website as being “passionate about creating opportunities for people to grow and flourish”.”I am dedicated to serving the Columba whānau by fostering connection, competence and character within a community that encourages and supports each other to thrive as our ‘best selves’.”Nicol had been on leave since July 30, with deputy principal Aaron Everett the school’s acting principal.On Wednesday, the presiding member of Columba College Board Graeme Riley and the president…

High winds are battering parts of New Zealand as a second weather system of the week sweeps through.Roads are closed in Otago, Wellington, Canterbury and the West Coast, with power outages across the top of the South Island.You can follow our live updates here.There are red strong wind warnings in place for Wellington, and Wairarapa south of Carterton, Marlborough from Cape Campbell southwards (including the Kaikōura Coast), Canterbury High Country, Christchurch and Canterbury Plains, and coastal parts of Clutha and Southland, also Stewart Island.Residents are being urged to hunker down, stay home and prepare as red severe wind warnings ramp…

Thousands of households are without power in Canterbury, as strong winds lash the region. According to MainPower, more than 6200 homes were affected by outages in Northern Canterbury this afternoon. “We have a large and diverse network in some very rural areas, including Hanmer Springs and around the Culverden basin, which have been particularly hard hit by today’s weather.” MainPower said crews had been deployed across the network to make repairs as quickly as possible, but warned it may not be until tomorrow when it is safe enough to send large teams and equipment to make major repairs. A powerline…

A man has been sentenced to nine months’ home detention for orchestrating a fraudulent immigration scheme where he created fake jobs to trick officials into accepting visa applications. Umesh Patel, a 59-year-old New Zealand citizen, was sentenced at the Waitakere District Court yesterday after pleading guilty to 37 charges related to creating false employment arrangements to support visa applications for foreign nationals.Initially, some of the businesses Patel used to run the scheme were legitimate, but he later used them to fabricate jobs and submit fraudulent documents to Immigration New Zealand. Applicants were required to pay Patel between $10,000 and $30,000…

From nurses to teachers, tens of thousands of workers have walked off the job today in a coordinated “mega-strike” across New Zealand. Thousands marched down Auckland’s Queen St with other rallies across the North Island, but with red weather warnings curtailing events in Wellington and the South Island. The industrial action includes teachers, doctors, health workers, and other public sector workers who are demanding better pay and improved working conditions.Many schools are closed, and non-emergency medical procedures have been delayed.Public Service Minister Judith Collins has labelled the planned action as “politically motivated” and insisted the Government had acted in good…

With Lotto’s Powerball jackpot hitting $25 million tonight, Lotto NZ has reminded players that the odds remain unchanged regardless of the size of the prize.The Powerball draw rolled over to $25 million last weekend after no tickets won the jackpot on October 18.“Powerball always offers the same one in 38.3 million chance to win First Division per line, regardless of the jackpot amount,” Lotto said.Buying more tickets had no impact on your odds either. “Even if you buy multiple tickets for the same draw, your chances of winning will hardly increase at all. Because each new ticket has the same…

An Australian police commissioner has apologised for using a force helicopter to fly to an interstate conference and says he won’t make the same mistake again.Victorian Police Chief Commissioner Mike Bush flew from Melbourne to Hobart for a meeting with his counterparts from around Australia and New Zealand on Monday.A commercial airline flight between the two cities takes about an hour.Bush said in a statement more effort should have been made to find a commercial flight but using the helicopter didn’t cost taxpayers extra.The force’s helicopters were leased and a certain number of hours were already paid for each month…