Author: Press Room

A major West Coast highway will remain partly closed until the end of this week as contractors battle unstable conditions with more rockfall occurring overnight.Heavy rain, flooding, and slips hit Westland over the weekend, which saw a local state of emergency declared in part of the region.On the West Coast, State Highway 6 is shut between Haast and Paringa. A section between Paringa and Fox Glacier re-opened late this afternoon. An update on the section between Lake Moeraki to Paringa is expected at 9am tomorrow.Rockfall on SH6. (Source: NZTA)Meanwhile, in Tasman, a sudden rockfall this afternoon has closed SH6 between…

A struggling Queenstown hotel among the most luxurious in New Zealand has been sold, but some creditors owed money are unlikely to be paid. A second receivers’ report released last week says the Carlin Hotel, a lavish six-star, seven-storey boutique property built for about $30million in 2022, continues to operate after the sale. All company employees had accepted offers of employment by the new owners, the report said. Carlin Hotel Property Management Ltd, the management company operating the hotel, and Queenstown Views Villas Ltd, which owned six of the hotel’s nine units subject to a management agreement with the former,…

Dairy giant Fonterra has confirmed it will sell its consumer business, including major brands Anchor and Mainland.Chief executive Miles Hurrell said it decided a sale was in the cooperative’s best interests.”We have been working with our team of advisors to assess potential divestment options, the assets and businesses in scope, and the best pathway to maximise value for our Co-op.””This work, coupled with the confidence we have in our revised strategic direction, has confirmed a divestment of our global Consumer and associated businesses is in the best interests of the Co-op,” Hurrell said. Famous brands attract interestThe sale would include consumer…

Under the new proposal, the current four-month fully paid leave could be extended to six months, and five-month leave at 80% pay could increase to seven months. ADVERTISEMENTA proposal for extending fully paid parental leave in Portugal to six months is currently under parliamentary review but will not be approved by the end of this year as although the measure was sent for specialized discussion, a final vote date has yet to be scheduled.The Portuguese Parliament recently approved an extension of initial parental leave benefits. Under this proposal, the current four-month fully paid leave could be extended to six months,…

The Government has announced law changes aimed at better protecting people in state care, ahead of Tuesday’s formal apology for historical abuse.The Responding to Abuse in Care Legislation Amendment Bill will have its first reading debate after the apology at Parliament.The changes include:Removing strip searches of children in care and provide new search powers for people visiting youth justice facilitiesStrengthen restrictions for people working with young children, including closing a loophold which allows people with overseas convictions to work with childrenEnforce better record keeping by Government agencies by giving the Chief Archivist more powers, including giving deadlines by which agencies…

The Local Government Minister has announced his pick for the Crown Observer appointed to oversee Wellington City Council, saying it was not a decision taken lightly.Lindsay McKenzie, a former chief executive of Tasman and Gisborne district councils, has been appointed to a seven-month term beginning on Wednesday.Last month, Local Government Minister Simeon Brown announced he would appoint an observer, after the council spent months wrangling over its long-term plan.A planned sale of the council’s ownership stake in Wellington Airport, pushed by mayor Tory Whanau, was scuttled at the last minute following a vote by councillors in October.McKenzie’s term will conclude…

Almost half of all funds donated to Givealittle in the last year — around $15 million — have gone to Kiwis needing help with their health, according to the crowdfunding site’s latest report.It showed New Zealanders donated a total of $33.1 million, a drop compared to last year’s $43.5 million. Of the approximately 11,000 pages created in the last year, the top three categories chosen were health (2407), community (1487) and animals (1043).Givealittle chief executive Lythan Chapman said it was no surprise that health was the dominant category.”I think the cost of living crisis will definitely be impacting that”, she…

Outdoor recreation groups are worried health and safety rules have hampered New Zealanders accessing the great outdoors.The Government recently asked for feedback on the legislation — with some who want clarity on who is liable when people are, for example, tramping, hunting or climbing on private land.Aotearoa Climbing Access Trust general manager Edwin Sheppard told 1News the current law is “vague”.”The law is designed to regulate work and work-related accidents. It’s not supposed to cover recreation,” Sheppard said.He believed it was time to clear up the rules.”The law lacks clarity and that has created this widespread perception that landowners who…

Workers and residents in parts of Porirua are being asked to check their yards for a missing 77-year-old man.Police said Graham Russell Smith was reported missing at 6.30pm after going for a walk on Doctor Track on the Colonial Knob walkway.”The area has multiple walkways and mountain bike trails in the area and is an extremely popular area for walkers, day trampers and mountain bikers,” Detective Senior Sergeant Peter Middlemiss said.”It’s likely some members of the public have seen Graham, and we would like to hear from anyone who saw or interacted with him.”Smith is around 165cm tall, of slight…

It’s the first time a British leader has been hosted for Armistice Day in France since Winston Churchill joined General Charles de Gaulle in 1944, Starmer’s office said. ADVERTISEMENTBritish Prime Minister Keir Starmer is joining French President Emmanuel Macron at a Paris ceremony marking the 106th anniversary of the Armistice. Their meeting signifies a celebration of the two countries’ friendship, as nations across the world pay tribute to their fallen soldiers in World War I. The Paris ceremony echoes Franco-British commemorations that occired 80 years ago, when Allied troops liberated most of France’s territory from Nazi occupation, Macron’s office said.This…