Author: Press Room

Two people have died after a car and a truck crashed in Northland earlier this morning. Emergency services responded to the scene on State Highway 1 at Brynderwyn just after 3am. “Sadly, the two occupants in the car were pronounced deceased at the scene,” a police spokesperson said. The truck driver sustained minor injuries, and was assessed and treated at the scene by St John. Police said the road would be closed intermittently as the serious crash unit continued to work at the scene.Motorists were advised to still expect delays and take an alternative route if possible.An investigation was underway…

A 57-year-old man has been charged with manslaughter in relation to the disappearance of Jason Butler almost four years ago.Jason Butler was first reported missing to police on October 27, 2021, after he had not been seen since October 23, 2021.At the time, police conducted extensive searches in and around the Ōmāio area, including along the Haparapara River and bush areas.Butler was never found.Read more: Whānau still seeking answers amid report into missing man’s dischargeToday, police executed a series of search warrants in Ōmāio and Ōpōtiki before arresting a 57-year-old man.Jason Butler went missing in the bush while on unsanctioned…

Aerial images have revealed the extent of damage caused by flooding in Waitomo earlier this week.On Tuesday, some communities in parts of the central North Island were cut off as torrential rain caused widespread flooding, slips, and extensive road closures.Images shared by Waitomo District Council showed entire sections of cracked road and debris teetering on the edge of newly-formed cliff edges.Repairs were “likely to take years and cost millions of dollars”, the council said. General environment and strategy manager and local Civil Defence controller Alex Bell said there were many residents who were still coming to terms with the impact…

A Northern California aquarium has raised more than US$2 million (NZ$3.4 million) for sea otter conservation in just two days. All it took was Taylor Swift wearing a vintage T-shirt.Swift wore a vintage Monterey Bay Aquarium otter conservation T-shirt in a release party movie for her new album, The Life of a Showgirl, sending her ardent fans on a quest to buy the shirt, last produced in the 1990s. After the aquarium was flooded with calls about buying the T-shirt showing two otters floating on their back, it decided to re-release the garment Thursday as part of a special campaign…

Wellington mayoral candidate Ray Chung has just narrowly scraped onto the city’s council.Chung was voted onto council in 2022 and ran for mayor this year, spearheading an election ticket of council candidates named Independent Together.He came third in the race for the mayoralty behind Andrew Little and Karl Tiefenbacher.Final results released on Friday show he has only just made it onto council, 44.51 votes ahead of Labour’s candidate, Joy Gribben, in the city’s Wharangi/Onslow-Western Ward.Both the prime minister and the opposition leader criticised Chung over an email about former mayor Tory Whanau, saying it was “absolutely disgusting” and calling it…

An injunction preventing the media from publishing certain details related to the investigation into Tom Phillips and his family remains in place.Phillips died following a shootout with police after they were called to reports of a burglary in the early hours of September 8.After Phillips’ death police said it was clear he had received help.On September 8, lawyer Linda Clark, acting for Tom Phillips’ mother, went to the High Court in Wellington seeking an urgent injunction.The injunction – which prevented media, police and Oranga Tamariki from publishing certain details related to the case – was granted by Justice Helen Cull.The…

Drivers across the South Island are being urged to plan ahead and remain vigilant on the roads this weekend as wild weather hits from this afternoon. MetService issued orange heavy rain warnings and watches for some areas, including Buller and Grey, the Westland Ranges, headwaters of Canterbury and Otago lakes and rivers, and Fiordland into Saturday. These areas were forecast to receive up to 170mm of rain, with peak rates of 30mm/h expected. Also in Canterbury high country, an orange strong wind warning was issued from late this evening, with severe gale northwesterlies gusting up to 130km/h in exposed places.New…

By Craig McCulloch of RNZ Newly released documents lay bare the government’s alarm and “dismay” after being blindsided by the United States’ sudden tariff hike on New Zealand exports in August. That’s despite Trade Minister Todd McClay’s public insistence at the time that the new 15 percent rate was “not surprising” and did not come as a blindside. Correspondence – released to RNZ under the Official Information Act – shows a scramble inside the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) and Beehive to respond to the “deeply disappointing development”. Officials described the rate increase as an “unwelcome surprise” that…

The man accused of killing Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming in Nelson at the start of this year has had his case moved to Christchurch. Hayden Tasker appeared at the High Court in Wellington by video link from jail today. Justice Dale La Hood said the 32-year-old’s case would be moved to Christchurch. Tasker previously pleaded not guilty to six charges, including murder and attempted murder. A provisional trial date has been set for May of next year.Fleming and her colleague, Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay, were struck by a vehicle in the early hours of New Year’s Day while on foot…

There were 18 calls to Fire and Emergency NZ during today’s one-hour strike by the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union. Around 2000 union members walked off the job between 12pm and 1pm today after negotiations with Fire and Emergency New Zealand broke down. The striking firefighters were demanding better pay, conditions, and equipment. Over the course of the strike, FENZ said it received 18 calls – 10 of which were in areas impacted by the strike. Three incidents were vehicle crashes, while the remaining were building alarms, which it was alerted to through alarm systems or 111 calls. None were…