Author: Press Room

A heavy dumping of snow has prompted some road closures and seen vehicles trapped in parts of the South Island this morning. MetService has lifted most of its watches and warnings issued over Labour Day into early this morning, with just one heavy rain warning remaining in place for the eastern ranges of Bay of Plenty until this afternoon, and some snow watches and warnings. It reported that Mount Cook received about 20cm of snow last night, with more to come.A 1News reporter in Dunedin said half-a-dozen cars had been stuck at Pine Hill overnight. New Zealand Transport Agency Waka…

The Government has committed a $6 million investment towards a wider initiative it describes as “the biggest step in a generation” to restore the health of the Hauraki Gulf.The funding was part of a wider $26 million package combining public and private investment aimed at rejuvenating the marine environment, creating jobs, and strengthening connections between people and place.Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said the Hauraki Gulf was one of New Zealand’s great taonga and for too long had been under pressure from pollution, sediment, and overuse.”We’re taking practical steps to rejuvenate it, for our children, our kaimoana, and our communities. It…

Labour has agreed to campaign on a capital gains tax (CGT) covering just property — excluding the family home and farms — to help fund a new scheme offering a limited number of free GP visits.The plan was approved by the Labour caucus in a near-unanimous vote, and the party’s council and policy council have also signed off on the plan.The policy was announced on Monday morning after RNZ was earlier leaked details.It ends months of internal debate over whether to pursue a wealth tax or a CGT.The caucus and party council have settled on the latter, signing off on…

Management at a new wild deer processing plant in Dunedin are calling for hunting access to southern farms with an overabundance of the animals. Southern Wild Game Co project lead Jim Goodall, of Central Otago, said they would start processing wild deer at their newly fitted-out facility in Kaikorai Valley Rd in Dunedin on Monday. The business employs 15 fulltime staff including butchers and boners. Wild deer would be sourced across the South Island, with a strong focus of working with hunters in the Otago and Southland area. Farmers who had any issue with wild deer could contact Southern Wild…

Twenty-three people have been arrested across Auckland for dangerous and unlawful behaviour during weekend celebrations tied to Samoa’s league victory over Tonga, with police saying the majority of revellers marked the occasion peacefully.On Sunday, Toa Samoa beat Mate Ma’a Tonga 34-6 at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium, landing the team a spot in the Pacific Championship final.The arrests, 14 on Saturday night and nine on Sunday, came as officers monitored several town centres across Auckland, including Ōtāhuhu, Māngere, Ōtara and Clendon, that traditionally celebrated the two teams.Police said they observed a high volume of vehicles and pedestrians in these areas, with most…

Te Pāti Māori has moved to suspend MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi as well as a push to “reset” the executive of her Te Tai Tokerau electorate committee.It comes after months of bad blood amongst the party after allegations were made by the MP’s son, former party executive Eru Kapa-Kingi, of a “dictatorship model” from the party leadership.In a meeting last Thursday evening, Te Pāti Māori put forward four motions to its national executive, including the suspension of the Te Tai Tokerau MP.Motion 1 was that the Te Tai Tokerau Electorate Executive be “reset” by way of a Special General Meeting. Minutes…

The Tour of Southland cycle race has been postponed as the recovery continues following last week’s “unprecedented regional weather event”, Cycling Southland has announced.The 69th edition of the event had been scheduled to run from November 2 to 8.Organisers opted to postpone the race to prioritise resources such as traffic management for use as part of the ongoing State of Emergency for the region.Cycling Southland president Julian Ineson said the organisation had been liaising with sponsors, funders, local councils and lines companies.”This has been a really tough call to make, but we believe it’s the right one given the severity…

Key diary dates Thursday 30 October – Friday 31 October : G7 energy and environment ministerial meeting in Toronto, Canada. Monday 27 October – Tuesday 28 October : Agriculture and Fisheries Council, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be in Sweden for her first-ever participation in a Nordic Council meeting, where she will discuss competitiveness, defence readiness and the Arctic with the region’s leaders. Tuesday 28 – Thursday 30 October : European Flagship Conference on Research Security, co-organised by the European Commission. In spotlight France and Spain urged EU leaders to “stay on track” and reject to…

More than 60% of retailers don’t plan to hire additional staff for the Christmas and New Year period, a Retail NZ survey has found.Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young said these results – from about 350 respondents to their Retail Radar survey for July to September – were a reflection of the current market.She told RNZ these businesses faced ongoing pressure, with tight margins, cost-of-living concerns and subdued consumer confidence.”The reality for retailers right now is they’re looking at their margins, they’re looking at the stock they’ve got to move and they’re thinking, ‘Where can I trim costs or look…

A surfboard lost off Tasmania’s coast more than a year ago has washed up thousands of kilometres away on a beach in Raglan – remarkably intact after its epic journey across the Tasman. Kite surfer Albarito Bueno spotted the board while out on the water near Raglan. Covered in mussels and half-buried in the sand dunes, it was clear to him it wasn’t owned by a local. “The shape of the board is made for very big waves – it’s not the kind we use in Raglan every day,” Bueno told 1News. “I removed a few mussels to check the…