Author: Press Room

Wellington City Council has revealed the final design for the Golden Mile upgrade on Courtenay Place, but a contractor for the majority of the project is yet to be signed on.As RNZ reported earlier this week, the council confirmed construction would begin on the Courtenay Place element of it in April, with the work expected to take two years.The council also confirmed it would cost $116 million, which included funding from NZTA Waka Kotahi.It would see cars banned during from 7am to 7pm between Lambton Quay and Courtenay Place, along with widened footpaths and a cycle lane.Work would begin first…

The first successful test of a train through Auckland’s City Rail Link has been hailed as “momentous” and a “colossal milestone” ahead of the project’s expected opening next year.The 3.45km journey began at Waitematā (Britomart) and took two-and-a-half hours to reach Maungawhau, passing the two new underground stations at Te Waihorotiu and Karanga-a-Hape.Moving at around 5km/h, the pace of the first trip of the three-carriage train was “deliberately slow” to allow technicians to complete checks and balances around tunnel clearance, power supply, and signalling. Five trips were completed overnight.Watch the test run on TVNZ+The 3.45km journey began at Waitematā (Britomart)…

Hamilton’s recent run of hot days likely beats anything the city has experienced since temperature records began, says a climate scientist.The place once dubbed the City of the Future by a marketing campaign is experiencing a taste of its own climate future with a run of hot days, which senior climate scientist Luke Harrington says is probably unprecedented.”The last 10 days, actually now 11, have been the hottest continuous 10 or 11 days stretch certainly of the records that I have available. They go back to the early 1990s, but I think if you went further back in time they…

Fixed home loan rates are now two percentage points lower than they were at the peak of the market, but the longest terms might not have much further to fall, ASB economists say.They have released their latest home loan report.It noted that interest markets were “volatile” and could change quickly, which could flow through to mortgage rates.Although the Reserve Bank was due to review the official cash rate (OCR) next week, the rates paid were not reliant solely on that rate, they said.”Fixed-term mortgages have been moving across many maturities since the Reserve Bank’s November cut.”They said they expected “slight…

South Auckland residents, plagued with decades of antisocial behaviour at a “dark, dingy” alleyway, feel safer after it was recently upgraded.The narrow alleyway, which runs between McKinstry Ave and Cottingham Cres in Māngere East, is a connecting space for many residents, the elderly and students from three nearby schools who use it as a short cut.However, for many years, people have been scared to use it.Residents complained of late-night noise, vandalism and violence, smashed beer bottles and used condoms, and in the past, it has been a hotspot for gang violence.Long-time resident Jenna Toeono tried for years to get Auckland…

Dresden commemorated the victims of World War II and the destruction of the city eight decades ago with several events on Thursday. ADVERTISEMENTDresden marked the 80th anniversary of the Allied bombing of the city in World War II. The annual event carries a lot of significance to Dresdeners and Germans at large.“My grandma was ten at the time and she pulled her little sister through a firestorm in a handcart. She told me so much about that time,” said a woman attending the events.“We’re actually from Berlin, but we come here every year and think it’s very, very good that…

Police have identified the man who died after being struck by three vehicles on Auckland’s South-Western Motorway, but none of the motorists have come forward so far.West Auckland man Joshua Nathanuel Love, 34, died in the early hours of last Friday after being hit by at least three vehicles on SH20 after walking onto the motorway.A police spokesperson said none of the drivers stopped after the incident.One witness who called the police after arriving at the scene said it was disgusting no one had stopped after hitting the victim.Police said officers were continuing to review CCTV footage and were working…

An Australian law firm has filed a class action against pharmaceutical giant Johnson & Johnson in the Auckland High Court today accusing it of selling and marketing ineffective cold and flu medicines. Lawyers at JGA Saddler allege the company manufactured and distributed several varieties of oral (tablet and syrup) cold and flu products that are ineffective at relieving the symptoms they were marketed to treat.It says brands including several varieties of Codral Cold & Flu and Sudafed PR contain phenylephrine, which has been marketed and sold as a nasal decongestant. An Australian law firm lodges Auckland High Court claim against…

This summer has not provided much sunshine for north Canterbury, but one Oxford farm has grown its very own.The field of sunflowers in South Eyre don’t just bring joy and great photos, but has also raised more than $50,000 for charity in the last three years.Owner Kerry McCorry said she grew the sunflowers for the cows one year.”I shared them in Oxford on the free food stall and people really loved them so that’s what gave me the idea.”The money raised from the $10 entry fee and $2.50 price per stem are all donated to charity.”It really makes me feel…

Tarras distillery Scapegrace has won a gold medal at the World Whisky Awards in London. The award was won by its Vanguard Whisky brand, which was judged best in category of the single-malt no-age statement category. Scapegrace co-founder Mark Neal said it was a “milestone moment” for the Scapegrace team. “The World Whisky Awards represent the pinnacle of international whisky competitions, so winning this award is a massive achievement for us.” Vanguard was distilled with glacial waters from the Southern Alps, using locally grown barley, he said. The end result was a “Highland malt-esque whisky, which is rich, elegant and…