Author: Press Room

A new 42-home subdivision at Amberley has been given the go ahead despite concerns about traffic and water management.The Hurunui District Council has backed a recommendation from independent commissioner Andrew Willis to rezone a 4ha section on Amberley Beach Rd from rural to residential.Some councillors expressed concerns about drainage, but council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said it will be subject to a separate stormwater resource consent application to Environment Canterbury (ECan).Everlasting Developments Ltd applied to build a subdivision on a 4ha section on Amberley Beach Rd earlier this year, for 42 sections with an average size of 700 square metres.The…

The Government’s decision to axe schools’ obligation to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi has shocked groups representing school boards, teachers and principals.The Government had been moving to change the emphasis on the requirement in the Education Act, but on Tuesday announced it would remove it altogether.Education Minister Erica Stanford said the treaty was the Crown’s responsibility, not schools’.”School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.Education Minister accused of…

McDonald’s latest Wānaka proposal is serving up split opinions – with some residents seeing it as a more palatable offer, and others concerned they will not get a say.The fast food giant’s application for resource consent to build a restaurant at Mt Iron was declined by independent commissioners in February following a three-day hearing and super-sized opposition.It has now applied to build a 450sqm restaurant and drive-through next to a BP petrol station in the Three Parks business area, just over 1km from the original site.Wānaka’s Isaac Neil said he believed Three Parks was a better place for the golden…

The European Commission on Tuesday praised Ukraine’s “remarkable commitment” and progress towards EU accession but urged the war-torn country to reverse recent “negative trends”, especially in the area of corruption. The Commission said in its annual report card on candidate countries’ progress that it “positively assessed” the roadmaps and action plan Kyiv adopted earlier this year on the rule of law, public administration reform and on the functioning of democratic institutions as well as its negotiating position for the fundamental clusters. It states that Brussels stands ready to support Ukraine’s ambition to close negotiations before the end of 2028, but…

Most EU respondents in France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and Spain think that effective regulation of AI is a greater priority than encouraging its development, according to a recent YouGov survey. Spain is the country most in favour of greater AI regulation among the seven member states, at 73%. On the other hand, only between 11% and 20% take the opposing view that “it is more important that new technology, such as AI, can be developed freely, even if this means that the industry is less regulated”. Most EU citizens in these seven countries are still unsure whether…

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…

No matter how many symptoms you have, if they’re not having an impact on your day-to-day life, a diagnosis of ADHD shouldn’t be made, writes psychiatrist and mental health academic Professor David CoghillAttention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental condition that affects around 2.5% of adults and 7% of children. It causes difficulties with attention, impulsivity and hyperactivity.If unrecognised and untreated, ADHD can significantly impact educational and work achievements, and social and emotional wellbeing. It can also increase the risks of serious accidents and injuries, offending, mental illness and substance abuse.A strong link has been found between ADHD and substance…

Falsified claims, fabricated quotes, and inaccurate reporting can destroy a journalist’s credibility and, for some, even their career. But what happens when a journalist finds their name and photo on a story they never even wrote? This is becoming an increasingly common occurrence, as part of campaigns orchestrated by pro-Russian disinformation actors — some of which fit into the Storm-1516 operation, a Russian propagandist group that spreads false narratives about Ukraine and the West online. As part of this strategy, the work of legitimate news outlets — from Euronews to the BBC and ABC News — is impersonated, while journalists’…

A single Kiwi mother of two living in Western Australia has been left with severe burns to a quarter of her body after a firebombing attack on her car early last month.Penny Travers, a Perth-based disability support worker, spent 17 days in hospital after a firebomb was hurled at her vehicle in the early hours of October 6.Though it was hurled at Travers’ car, it failed to go through the window but set her carport on fire.Perth firebomb attack leaves Kiwi mum hospitalised – Watch on TVNZ+A single Kiwi mother of two living in Western Australia has been left with…

Iwi leaders will meet with Te Pāti Māori leadership at Parliament on Tuesday in an effort to put a stop to extraordinary infighting.The National Iwi Chairs Forum took the unusual step of requesting a hui with the political party last week in a bid to mend divisions.Since then, the party’s president John Tamihere has publicly asked for MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to quit politics.Tamihere accused the pair of conspiring to overthrow the leadership, after Ferris’ Te Tai Tonga electorate launched an online petition for Tamihere to stand down.Party president John Tamihere called for Kapa-Kingi to throw in the…