Author: Press Room

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ There may finally be some good news for jobhunters – but which sectors are going to pick up fastest? Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment data shows that the number of online job advertisements increased by 3.5 percent in the year to September. It is the first annual increase recorded in any quarter since the same time in 2022. Growth was led by the IT and construction industries, up 10 percent. There was a fall in education job ads, down 13 percent. Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said it felt like the bottom of the…

Police are investigating after a “deliberately lit” fire gutted a café on Auckland’s Hibiscus Coast over the weekend. Emergency services were alerted to the fire at Sunflour in Ōrewa around 11.20pm on Saturday. Multiple calls at the time reported flames coming from the two-storey building.On Sunday, the café’s owners said they were “devastated” after their “little home away from home” was seriously damaged in the incident, which they said involved a break-in and deliberate ignition.”This place means so much to us and to so many of you who’ve made it part of your daily routine, celebrations, and community,” the owners…

Children of surviving sailors from a New Zealand Royal Navy protest mission against nuclear testing in French Polynesia over 50 years ago are calling for ongoing support for future generations who may suffer from unexplained health issues.Watch Marae’s full report on TVNZ+.Donna Weir’s father, Allan Hamilton, served in the Royal NZ Navy and was sent to Mururoa Atoll onboard the HMNZS Canterbury, one of two frigates that were deployed in 1973 to peacefully protest France’s nuclear testing regime in the Pacific. It was there Hamilton witnessed two nuclear blasts and was exposed to radiation.He died decades later of cancer at…

A cycle trail connecting two Fiordland towns is one step closer to completion.Fiordland Trails Trust has gained consent to construct a new 5.4km section of its Lake2Lake Trail, solving an issue where users had to cycle on State Highway 95 between Balloon Loop and Supply Bay Rd.Trust chairman David Boniface said his group was uncomfortable with that arrangement, and settled on a compromise for the new section of track after a preferred route through the national park faced challenges.”Our trail numbers have grown so incredibly in the last five years, particularly since Covid, that we just needed to press on,…

The decision by US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth to remove an infantry brigade in Romania has reignited fears about a troop pullback away from Europe by the US administration, even as Russia continues its war of aggression against Ukraine. While most European allies understand that the US will be pivoting to Asia to counter China’s growing influence, experts warn that a sudden, uncoordinated retreat could undermine European security and embolden Russia. Europeans are rushing to rearm at the fastest pace since the end of the Cold War. Last Wednesday, the United States announced an infantry brigade stationed mainly in…

A long-awaited expansion of Nelson Hospital’s emergency department has been opened today, but the head of the department says unless more staff are hired soon, they won’t be able to use the extra capacity. The ED expansion includes six new beds and consultation space and while the largest section was opened today by Health Minister Simeon Brown, it wouldn’t be fully operational until April. Head of the ED Dr Harriet Harper says it will increase capacity from 23 beds to 29. “We’ll have a bit more wiggle room to do our core emergency work rather than having to see people…

Christchurch Airport is preparing for record-breaking international passenger arrivals landing this summer. Overall international capacity is up 15% on last season which places the airport ahead of passenger traffic before Covid. The season started on Saturday with the arrival of passengers on a China Southern Airlines flight from Guangzhou, followed by Cathay Pacific’s return from Hong Kong yesterday. Airport managers are crediting the strong growth to long-standing relationships developed with airline partners. Many airlines are opting to fly earlier and more often or have introduced larger aircraft to boost seat numbers for travellers and exporters. Christchurch Airport chief executive Justin…

“Dangerous” measures to remove fallen trees in Otago and Southland have become the biggest long-term concern after last week’s devastating windstorm.Logger Mike Hurring told 1News he and his team of 60 expected to take a year to get a “good hold” on the sudden workload.One farm he attended this week was that of Bryce Clark, whose cattle yards were mostly destroyed by fallen tree trunks.”I couldn’t believe it. We’ve had the odd tree come down every now and again, but this is beyond any scale that we’ve had before,” Clark said.He had more than $100,000 of damage to his property…

Costs of specialists court reports have gone up by over 60% in the past five years, with one lawyer saying she was quoted nearly $16,000 for a single report – four times the usual amount. A lack of psychiatrists means private providers are being called upon, in some cases costing thousands of dollars more and often paid for by the taxpayer.Since 2020, costs for specialists reports, including those for mental health, has jumped from $14.7 million to $23.7 million this year.It’s believed a lot of the cost is funded by legal aid, which is funded by taxpayers. The Government said…

An investigation is underway after workers at an Auckland business discovered 36kg of cocaine – worth around $12.6 million – stashed inside a container.Detective Senior Sergeant Jason Hunt said staff working at the Auckland premises were unloading legitimate goods shipped from Brazil when the cocaine was discovered.”It was in the bags on top of the legitimate product in the container.”Police were then contacted, and detectives from the National Organised Crime Group seized the drugs, valued at around $12.6 million.The container was shipped from Brazil and contained legitimate product, police said. (Source: New Zealand Police)Hunt said it was a prime example…