Author: Press Room

A shuttle bus driver says he and his passengers were “centimetres” from a potentially fatal collision on the road to Whakapapa ski field, after two cars attempted risky overtakes on a blind stretch yesterday morning.Dashcam footage of the incident provided to 1News shows two vehicles overtaking the bus on Bruce Rd at around 9.20am on Saturday.A Volkswagen Golf can be seen narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with an oncoming Mercedes, cutting back in front of the bus at the last second.”I thought, this is it – we’re gonna hit something or we’re gonna be hit,” Ruapehu Scenic Shuttles owner operator…

A proposed council bylaw to close off a popular Wairarapa paper road has triggered a backlash from users who fear it will set a precedent for other wilderness areas. The paper road, which is an unformed public road, is east of Cape Palliser and passes through Māori land to a Department of Conservation Reserve. It is a heritage protected area with archaeological sites spanning back to its early Māori occupation around 1000 AD. The owners of the land, Ngāti Hinewaka, say, for years they’ve had to put up with vandalism, including fires which had destroyed native bush. A big concern…

New Zealand’s Young Farmer of the Year, Hugh Jackson, believes new technology could help significantly boost cattle numbers on his Te Akau sheep and beef farm.Jackson, speaking on Q+A, said new technology could transform grazing management on land like his Waikato property, which has been in his family’s hands since World War II. He suggested the farm could potentially double its cattle capacity, saying they “should easily be able to sort of double the amount of cattle that we could run”.The technology uses GPS collars to create virtual boundaries, allowing farmers to manage grazing without physical fencing. Jackson said the…

An “extremely rare” software fault was behind Saturday’s air traffic control disruption that delayed and left flights circling across the country, says Airways NZ chief executive James Young.New Zealand’s sole air traffic service provider experienced an issue with a component of the air traffic control system that looks after traffic between New Zealand and Australia at around 4.30pm yesterday.Young told 1News the issue stemmed from a technical failure during a routine operational shift in the Tasman airspace sector.”During quiet times, we consolidate sectors, so air traffic controllers look after a larger part of the airspace. In busy times, we what…

It’s a familiar sight in local Facebook groups: a CCTV image, a caption like “Do you know this person?”, and a warning that someone has allegedly been caught shoplifting, scoping a house for a burglary, or even worse.The posts, often widely shared across platforms by businesses or individuals, might appear to be a form of community justice, but the legal risks that come with making them are real.In New Zealand, publicly accusing someone online of committing a crime can have legal ramifications.The Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) says it receives complaints about public shaming or identification on social media…

An 87-year-old contestant on The Chase has captured the hearts of viewers after pausing her appearance on the popular quiz show to pay tribute to her husband, who is living with dementia.Ann, one of four contestants, paused before her cash builder round to make a personal request to host Bradley Walsh.”Could I make a plug for my husband?” she asked. Walsh responded immediately, “Plug away, darling”.Ann then addressed the camera: “His name is John, he is in a care home and they’ll all be watching. Can you say hello to John and all the staff?”Walsh obliged, delivering a heartfelt message:…

Two people have been arrested after a firearms incident in the Christchurch suburb of Shirley overnight. Emergency services received a report of “a group of people allegedly holding a firearm” and making threats from a vehicle in Shirley at about 1.20am. Police cordoned off an address on Marshland Rd, where two people were taken into custody. Armed officers attended the scene as a precaution. No injuries have been reported as a result of the incident.A 32-year-old man is due to appear in Christchurch District Court on August 18, facing multiple charges including unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of…

Learner drivers could be left in the lurch if a charity that provides free lessons is unable to replace its ageing car.Outwest Youth, based out of Helensville in Auckland’s north-west, gives lessons to those who can’t get them elsewhere. But its 14-year-old Mazda Demio is now in need of retirement.For the past five years, the trust has been using the dual-control car but according to general manager Naomi Bartley, it’s getting old and is on its “last legs”. “We’ve had some reasonably major repairs needed on it the last couple of times and it’s just beginning to give those signs…

A young Kiwi mum and her six-year-old son, who were detained at the US-Canada border and held for weeks, have been released from ICE custody.A friend of Sarah Shaw told 1News she had landed in Washington state and was now home safely. They said she intended to speak about her experiences at a later date.Shaw and her son, Isaac, who flew home from a Texas facility, were detained three weeks ago after dropping her other children off in Vancouver to catch a flight.On July 24, the mother had taken her two older children to the Canadian city so they could…

Christchurch City Council will next week vote on whether to offer Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere as a potential site for the National Erebus Memorial. It would remember the 257 people killed in the Air New Zealand plane crash on Mt Erebus in 1979.Some of the victims’ families have endured a decades-long wait for a memorial and hope the emergence of a Christchurch site will eventually put an end to years of controversy and delay.A plan for a memorial in Auckland’s Dove Meyer Robinson Park divided opinions, with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens. It was ultimately…