Author: Press Room

One person is in custody after a 15-year-old was allegedly stabbed at Manukau Bus Station last night.Emergency services responded to a report of an assault at a Manukau Station Rd location at about 8.15pm.Counties Manukau CIB Detective Inspector Karen Bright said officers found the victim “had an injury consistent with a stab wound”. A St John spokesperson said one patient was transported to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.”Police are working with the victim to understand what exactly has occurred,” Bright said. Emergency services were seen inside the Manukau Bus Station last night. (Source: 1News)”Our inquiries are ongoing, but we…

Is it time to consider selling your property investments and put the money into assets that actually grow the economy? One investment expert says New Zealand would be a lot better off if such a change were to occur.Jeremy Williamson, head of private wealth and markets at Craigs Investment Partners, said there was momentum building for a move away from a “love affair with property and property investing”.”We think that’s great for a number of reasons. New Zealand is always going to have an affinity with property investment but there are so many benefits for us as a country if…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ Butter prices might be biting at the supermarket checkout, but there’s a warning that anyone hoping they’ll fall should be careful what they wish for. The price of butter has increased about 50 percent over the past year, pushed up by high global dairy prices. But economists say that’s actually a good thing for New Zealand. Household Economic Survey data shows that in 2023, households spent about $124 million on butter. Between 15 percent and 30 percent of households would buy butter over a one- or two-week period. But the country exported $5.2 billion worth. “It’s…

English pop star Ed Sheeran has added another show to his tour of New Zealand in January next year. The singer/songwriter will play a second show in Christchurch at Apollo Projects Stadium on Sunday January 25. Yesterday, he announced he would play a second show at Go Media Stadium on Saturday, January 17, 2026. It means Sheeran will now play a total of five shows in New Zealand, growing from the originally announced three. The other shows would be at Go Media Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland on January 16, at Sky Stadium in Wellington on January 21, and Apollo…

The mid-year economic slowdown appears to be weighing on the job market with job advertisements falling for a second month.Data from employment website Seek NZ showed job ads fell 3% in June from a month earlier, and 3% lower than a year ago.Applications per job ad — recorded with a one-month lag — were down 2% monthly.It comes as various economic datasets point to the country’s economic recovery stalling in the middle of the year.Seek country manager Rob Clark said job ad levels remained broadly flat for the past year.”While the volume remains below pre-Covid levels, there are pockets of…

The Finance Minister says when a ban on contactless card payment surcharges comes into effect, businesses should pass on the cost to customers as they would any other business cost, if they can’t absorb the bill. The government plans to ban surcharges on contactless card payments no later than May 2026. Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson announced the change on Monday afternoon, declaring: “That pesky note or sticker on the payment machine will become a thing of the past.” “Shoppers will no longer be penalised for their choice of payment method, whether that’s tapping, swiping or using their phone’s digital…

The Government wants to streamline “complex” scaffolding rules to cut costs and boost building time.Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden will begin consulting with builders and construction professionals on how to simplify scaffolding rules and the prequalification process.Prequalification checks are done before a company or contractor can bid on or start work, to verify whether they can do a job safely.In a statement, van Velden said there were concerns from the sector scaffolding rules were too complex and led to a view that scaffolding should be used in all situations, regardless of risk.”Over-compliance needlessly drags down construction productivity,…

A vehicle was seized and more than $32,000 in outstanding court fines and reparations were collected as bailiffs trialled new number plate scanning technology in Auckland at the weekend.Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith announced the trial on Friday, saying: “If you haven’t paid your court fines, you may soon find yourself walking home or needing a lift.”That proved to be the case for one unfortunate motorist at the weekend.Five bailiffs scanned more than 4800 number plates at two police checkpoints on Friday and Saturday, with 208 positive matches for outstanding fines being detected.Ministry of Justice national service delivery group manager Tracey…

While Otago may have topped a national economic scoreboard, more needs to be done to spread the word about the South’s success, a business leader says. Kiwibank’s latest Annual Regional Note, released last week, placed Otago and Southland as the two top performing regions in the country as the South continued to outperform the North. “The further south you go the better the business climate seems,” general manager Troy Sutherland said. Ranking a total of 13 regions on a score from 1 to 10, the report summarises seven economic indicators including population growth, retail sales, employment, house price index, house…

The family of a teenager who died from complications after an operation never got the chance to say goodbye.They were further distressed by being told they needed to organise his body’s repatriation to his hometown.A complaint about the 19-year-old’s care was referred to Health and Disability Commissioner by the coroner.The young man – who died in 2015 – had undergone an operation in January that year related to his type 2 neurofibromatosis – a genetic condition that causes benign tumours to develop on nerves, particularly those in the skull and spine.There were complications due to a post-operative infection and meningitis,…