Author: Press Room

Two North Canterbury mayors are backing a call to ban the sale of fireworks. Waimakariri Mayor Dan Gordon and Hurunui Mayor Marie Black said they would support a ban on fireworks sales, while Kaikōura’s Craig Mackle believes a ban is “inevitable”.The mayors were responding to calls by New Zealand First leader Winston Peters for a ban on the sale, manufacture and importation of fireworks for private use.Peters said the misuse of fireworks wreaks havoc on pets, emergency services and the environment.A private member’s bill is set to be entered into the ballot by New Zealand First MP Jenny Marcroft.The Waimakariri…

The theft of a solid bronze Peace Bell weighing a tonne overnight on Tuesday is a tragic loss for the community, local councillors say.On Tuesday morning, Auckland Council staff discovered the bell – a treasured symbol of friendship between New Zealand and Japan – was missing from the Japanese Garden beside the Henderson Civic Building.Henderson-Massey Local Board chairman Chris Carter said the bell had been gifted to the former Waitākere City Council from the Japanese city of Kakogawa in 1997 following the signing of a friendship agreement between the two cities six years earlier.”It represents decades of friendship and cultural…

New figures show Australian visitor arrivals surged over the past year — while migration data shows a record number of New Zealanders leaving.Stats NZ said visitor arrivals from across the Tasman reached 1.48 million in the year ended September, up from 1.33m the year before.Stats NZ said it was the second-highest number of Australian visitor arrivals after 2019, pre-pandemic.”The increase in visitor numbers from Australia in the September 2025 year coincided with an increase in flights between Australia and New Zealand, and a Tourism New Zealand marketing campaign from early 2025 targeting the Australian market,” Stats NZ international travel statistics…

Thousands of te reo learners are gathering in Hawke’s Bay for the second year of Aotearoa’s national Māori language festival Toitū te Reo.Described as a two-day “celebration, inspiration, education, and activation of the language and culture”, it is being hosted in Heretaunga Hastings on Thursday and Friday.The audience has the chance to hear from those still learning te reo, such as broadcasters Mike McRoberts and Moana Maniapoto while rubbing shoulders with long-time advocates such as Sir Tīmoti Kāretu.The festival is divided into two zones: Rangimamao, entirely in te reo Māori and Pūmotomoto, entirely in English.Part of Hastings Street North is…

The difficult rescue of two people stuck on the rocks at a blowhole on the Coromandel Peninsula this morning became even more complicated when a bystander fell into the surf on the incoming tide. Emergency services were called to the Whiritoa blowhole at the southern end of the beach at around 8.30am today after reports of two people on the rocks needing help.Sergeant Bradley York from the Waikato Search and Rescue team said two people had been caught out by the “big surf’ and incoming tide. One was believed to have a broken leg. A pair rescued after becoming stuck…

Farmers got a glimpse of a new no-frills electric farm bike for the first time at the Canterbury A&P Show this week that is due to be commercialised by a startup next year. The first batch of 100 Galvbikes powered by a 64V battery are expected to be released on the market next year at the National Fieldays after a second capital raise. Ampify co-founders Anthony Clyde and Chris Mason — who started BurgerFuel — were showing farmers the utilitarian bike designed to handle the everyday knocks of farming at the three-day show in Christchurch. The agricultural bike with a…

A North Dunedin bottle store in the student quarter has agreed to close an hour earlier after facing a backlash.Bottle-O Cumberland originally applied to increase its off-licence hours to 9am until 10pm each day.Currently, its hours vary from 10am to 8pm on Monday and Tuesday, 10am to 10pm on Wednesday to Saturday and 10am to 6pm on Sunday.The Dunedin City Council’s district licensing committee held a hearing on the application on Thursday, receiving opposition from the University of Otago Proctor, police, a Ministry of Health delegate, the Chief Licensing Inspector, and a member of the public.They raised concerns about the…

Published on 14/11/2025 – 15:00 GMT+1 •Updated 16:02 Elicit Plant is a French startup that has gained international recognition for helping crops cope with water shortages — a challenge that’s becoming critical for farmers worldwide. The company’s breakthrough started with phytosterols. Aymeric Molin, agronomy engineer and Chief Operations Officer at Elicit Plant, explains: “Phytosterols are natural molecules found in all plants. They help regulate how easily substances pass through the plant’s cells, enabling the plant to adapt to the different stresses it encounters.” Elicit Plant’s headquarters function as both a research centre and a testing ground, equipped with biology and…

As Angela Davis looked at those attending the Emerging Director Awards function in Dunedin last week, she felt uplifted. Those in the room were inspiring and they were all cheerleading one another in what was a friendly, inclusive and supportive space, she said. Ms Davis, a Dunedin-based strategy consultant, is this year’s winner of the Institute of Directors’ Otago-Southland branch emerging director award, while Central Otago’s Emily Walker was named runner-up. From Wellington originally, Ms Davis also did a stint living in South Korea as her husband was a project manager for the New Zealand Defence Force. She moved to…

Hanmer Springs is gearing up for a busy summer season after a storm ripped through the town, forcing many popular walking tracks to close.Gusts of more than 200km/h swept through the Canterbury tourist area on October 23, uprooting trees, overturning irrigator pivots and uplifting roofs and fences.Popular trails like Alligator Alley, Easy River and Perseverance could be out of action for several months, but it is hoped the popular Conical Hill Walk will be open before Christmas.Popular trails like Alligator Alley, Easy River and Perseverance could be out of action for several months. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting)Hurunui Mayor Marie Black…