Author: Press Room

A store on a landmark Dunedin site is getting a solar-powered upgrade. Placemakers Dunedin, in Burns St, is among 20 buildings across the country selected for the installation of more than 8000 solar panels in total. It is part of a rooftop solar retrofit programme FortHill Property, an industrial investment fund established by Otago-founded construction company Calder Stewart, will roll out across its entire portfolio. General manager Nick Maier said work on Placemakers Dunedin was expected to take place next year. “The type of system you’d expect at a building of that size would be between 25kW and 50kW. “That…

Cabinet ministers are defending a move to hike board fees for Crown bodies by up to 80%, insisting those in the roles are overseeing billions of dollars — not just “beer and skittles.”Labour says the decision proves the Government is out of touch with the cost-of-living crisis and has accused it of trying to sneak the news by the public.A Cabinet document, quietly uploaded online on Monday, shows ministers agreed to lift the maximum annual fee for chairs of governance boards from $90,000 to about $162,000.The “Cabinet Fees Framework” is not binding but provides guidance to ministers when deciding compensation…

ADVERTISEMENT German politicians across party lines denounced European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Tuesday, calling for her resignation after she agreed to asymmetric trade terms that impose 15% US tariffs on EU exports while granting Americans duty-free access to European markets. The deal, struck under pressure from German Chancellor Friedrich Merz both in public and behind the scenes to avoid threatened 30% punitive tariffs, triggered unprecedented cross-party criticism in Germany, where lawmakers described the arrangement as a “capitulation” and “betrayal of Europe”. Merz himself initially appeared satisfied. “With the agreement, we have succeeded in averting a trade conflict…

Businesses concerned about the impact of banning certain in-store surcharges are “well within their right” to scrap the payment systems altogether, a Dunedin cafe owner says. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson announced this week the government planned to ban some surcharges for in-store payments by May next year. “Shoppers will no longer be penalised for their choice of payment method, whether that’s tapping, swiping or using their phone’s digital wallet.” The ban would cover most in-store payments made using Visa and Mastercard, including contactless and eftpos, but not online payments, foreign-issued cards, travel cards or cards issued by…

As the Government mulls what it is going to do about NCEA level 1, a school that dropped it two years ago has no regrets.Education Minister Erica Stanford is promising an announcement shortly about the future of the secondary school qualification.Westlake Boys’ High School on Auckland’s North Shore established its own programme called ‘Elevate’ when it walked away from level 1.”We felt that having our own course meant that we could keep the students longer, headmaster Paul Fordham told Morning Report.”We had situations where students were studying NCEA level 1 and when they left for their external examinations, only had…

Published on 29/07/2025 – 18:09 GMT+2 •Updated 18:13 ADVERTISEMENT Prime Minister Keir Starmer said on Tuesday the UK will recognise a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza and takes steps toward long-term peace. Starmer called ministers together for a rare summertime Cabinet meeting to discuss the situation in Gaza. He told them that Britain will recognise a state of Palestine before the United Nations General Assembly, “unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza, reaches a ceasefire, makes clear there will be no annexation in the West Bank,…

Environment Southland has agreed to sell a large block of land for just $1 after purchasing it six years ago for $650,000.The “Webster Block” is located near Waituna Lagoon — an area of ecological and cultural significance about half an hour from Invercargill.The regional council has agreed to offer the land to Whakamana te Waituna Charitable Trust for the nominal amount to support long-term restoration and management, a council report said.Work is commencing at the site on a “significant” reforestation project and pilot for nature credits.Covering an area of more than 48 hectares, the block was purchased by the council…

A man has died after falling from the Newmarket Viaduct on Auckland’s Southern Motorway in the early hours of this morning, shortly after being allegedly observed speeding by police.Police have launched a critical incident investigation to determine the circumstances of the incident.According to a statement from police, a stationary police car was conducting speed checks on the Southern Motorway near Greenlane just before 1am this morning when a vehicle passed at “excessive speed”.Superintendent Zane Hooper said the police unit activated its lights and started travelling in the same direction as the motorist.Camera operators also began to monitor the vehicle’s movements…

New Zealand is significantly boosting its Pacific Detection Dog Programme to counter the rising tide of methamphetamines flooding the region — much of it enroute to our shores.The canine detectors worked in a perilous environment, as proven by the unsolved murder of New Zealand trained Eto in Fiji.The programme, which sent dogs and trained handlers in Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Cook Islands, was funded by the New Zealand government and implemented by New Zealand Police.From 2018, New Zealand invested $3.8 million but that would be increased to $6.7 million for the next five years.Ports popular with yachts were getting…

Published on 29/07/2025 – 13:56 GMT+2 •Updated 13:57 ADVERTISEMENT A group of 40 cross-party MEPs are pressing on the European Union to suspend its trade deal with Israel and impose sanctions on the Netanyahu-led government, as an UN-backed body warns of signs of famine and widespread starvation in the Gaza Strip. In a joint statement seen exclusively by Euronews, the lawmakers call on the EU to hold the Israeli government accountable for actions that “blatantly breach the Geneva Convention and international humanitarian law.” The statement also urges Hamas to immediately release Israeli hostages still held captive in Gaza after they…