Author: Press Room

Forty-three hikers have been evacuated as firefighters battle a blaze covering around 300 hectares of Tongariro National Park this evening.Thirteen crews of firefighters from eight brigades are fighting the fire with support from three helicopters with monsoon buckets.The fire was reported on SH47 just north of the junction with SH48 at 3.15pm.In a statement, the Department of Conservation (DOC)’s central North Island operations director Damian Coutts told 1News 43 hikers and the hut warden were “evacuated by helicopter from Mangatepopo Hut” as a precaution. “DOC staff are providing welfare at Whakapapa Village. We have not had any reports of anyone…

Craft beer businesses say it’s harder then ever to stay open as cost pressures climb, including CO2 needed for brewing.Brewing has been one of the industries hit hard by climbing prices and supply insecurity as gas reserves have dwindled.CO2, a byproduct of gas processing, is stored and sold on as a liquid.Our only onshore source was at Kapuni, but when the plant temporarily shut down for repairs in 2023, prices skyrocketed and have never returned to previous levels.Brewers were also facing low consumer confidence, higher excise taxes, wages, and prices for hops and grain.Invercargill brewer Nathan McKenzie from Hopsession Brewing…

One person has died following a crash between a car and a bus carrying a school group attending a kapa haka competition in Rotorua last night. Five ambulances and two helicopters were sent to the scene.Police said the crash on Te Ngae Rd, Ōwhata involving was reported at 9.15pm. “A passenger in the car was killed, and the driver and a second passenger were critically injured,” a police spokesperson said. Police said the crash on Te Ngae Rd, Ōwhata involving a bus and a car was reported to police at 9.15pm. (File image). (Source: 1News)”The bus was carrying passengers at…

The morning’s headlines in 90 seconds, including dozens hurt in Rotorua bus crash, a new summons for Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, and a pricey slice of high country luxury. One person is dead and 30 more injured after a crash in Rotorua. An earthquake jolted the centre of the country last night. The King’s brother Andrew has been formally asked to speak to a US Congressional Committee about Jeffrey Epstein. Leicester Fainga’anuku, Josh Lord, and Wallace Sititi are all into the All Blacks to face Scotland this weekend. A high country station in the South Island is up for sale with…

Napier City Council has updated its building rules, opening the door to six-storey terraced housing and apartment-style living on dozens of streets near the central city and Taradale.The changes to the proposed District Plan take effect after all appeals have been resolved, marking the end of a multi-year review.The new High Density Residential (HDR) zones encompass 1595 properties on 44 Napier streets, including parts of Marine Pde and Puketapu Rd, with resource consents now able to be granted on a non-notified basis.The proposed changes are despite 400 submitters making about 500 suggestions.Of those, 200 of the suggestions were against the…

A man has been arrested after a police chase lasting two hours ended when his motorbike became stuck in wet grass at a South Auckland park.Police said the bike was spotted on Great South Road in Takanini at around 9.15pm on Tuesday, with checks showing its licence had been lapsed since 2019. Inspector Matt Hoyes said police signalled the rider to stop, but he instead made a u-turn and took off. The Eagle helicopter was deployed to track the motorbike, which travelled across South Auckland for nearly two hours. Inspector Hoyes said the man rode through several reserves and pedestrian…

Thousands of Kiwis are dreaming of what they’d do with a spare $40 million as Lotto’s highest Powerball jackpot in more than a year looms this Saturday.But for anyone who wins, one of the first and hardest decisions isn’t what to spend the money on – it’s who to tell about it.Lotto NZ’s Winners Booklet reveals secrecy is a major concern for many winners.”It’s very important to think carefully about this as soon as you find out about your win,” the booklet says.”Be careful who you tell. The more people you do tell, the greater the chances of others finding…

Horizons Regional Council is inviting the public to a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Moutoa floodgates –the largest piece of river management infrastructure in the Whanganui-Manawatū region.A tour of the floodgates will be held on Saturday, November 22 allowing people to see how the gates protect properties and farmland along the lower Manawatū River.Horizons river management team leader projects Diandri van Zyl said the event will help people understand how the floodgates work and showcase recent upgrades.”The Moutoa floodgates provide protection to communities living along the lower reaches of the Manawatū River. We’ve created this event to help these communities…

The final evaluation for the Government’s military-style boot camps found it was too small to provide any meaningful data, and its implementation was rushed.The 82-page report says the pilot contributed to “meaningful and positive change” for the young people involved, while acknowledging the cohort was too small to draw firm conclusions. It also highlighted a range of barriers and challenges to achieving outcomes.Those barriers included rushed implementation, challenging transitions, a lack of continuity around therapeutic support, a lack of capacity in the residential phase, and support for whānau began too late before the rangatahi returned home.It also noted the efforts…

A 20-year-old has been arrested after an explosive device, weapons and drug paraphernalia was found at a Takapuna address on Auckland’s North Shore this week.Officers were led to the Karaka St address while investigating an incident involving threatening behaviour.During a search of the address, police had located an antique pistol, a BB gun, class B controlled drug ketamine, scales, a hunting knife, three other knives, a set of knuckle dusters, and other drug paraphernalia.Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Williams said police also located what appeared to be a “small improvised explosive device”. Staff and nearby residents were then evacuated as a…