Author: Press Room

In the depths of South Westland, nature is putting on quite a show – with the rātā in full bloom.The Predator Free South Westland Project has been working to eradicate possums, rats, and stoats from over 100,000 hectares in the area, and flew a cameraman in to capture the flowering at its height.Photographer Jason Blair, who took the footage, said it was “incredible”.”It blew me away and caught me almost off guard … it was really dense flowering and really dense colour, super vibrant.”The flowers were a bit of an enigma, waiting up to seven year before blooming again.Blair said…

From hunting to boy racing, a new series The Regions from TVNZ’s Re: News shows what it’s like to grow up in small towns. Zoe Madden-Smith, who was born and raised in central Auckland, shares what she learnt from young people across the country.I watch as Brodie Green pulls out a small scalpel from his bag and slices open the deer he shot just minutes ago. Within moments he’s taken out the stomach and intestines and is showing us how to wear the deer as a backpack to get it off the ridge and back to his truck. “First you…

ACT leader David Seymour says he’s had a “very positive” meeting with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon as the coalition partners disagree over a decision to write to police for Philip Polkinghorne after his wife’s death.Yesterday, Luxon said his coalition partner had made an “ill-advised” decision to write to police amid an active investigation three years ago. But the PM’s remarks were criticised soon after by Seymour himself, saying Luxon “didn’t know all of the facts” in the case.It was followed by ACT leader’s attempt to drive a Land Rover up the stairs of Parliament yesterday – a move deemed a…

A man has been charged with murder following the death of a woman following an altercation in Ngāruawāhia late last year.Police said officers were alerted to several people fighting on Waipa Esplanade, near the intersection with Newton St about 1.30pm on December 27.”Several minutes later, a critically injured person was taken to an ambulance station on Jordan St,” a spokesperson said.Turipapa Tukere, 42, later died before she could be airlifted to hospital.A homicide investigation was launched the same day with Waikato police seeking special search warrant powers as part of the investigation.The Criminal Activity Intervention Legislation Act 2023 allows police…

Even some KiwiSaver managers are not convinced by a plan to remove some of the barriers to the schemes investing in private assets – but others say there are significantly higher returns on offer for investors.Consultation is currently under way on the proposal.Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Andrew Bayley said more KiwiSaver schemes investing in private assets would bring “substantial benefits” for New Zealand.It would offer a significant supply of private capital to businesses and the wider economy, and would offer KiwiSaver members another asset class that could give them higher returns, he said.He said it could mean KiwiSaver schemes…

Southland’s mayor says the district council will delay a decision to turn three sealed roads back into gravel roads as long as it can while it hopes for more funding from the central government.Residents of Crooked, Waterloo and Wilanda Downs roads were awaiting the decision by the council, which had already been delayed.Mayor Rob Scott said the roads were important but the council was short on funds for its roading programme, and had been lobbying central government.”I’ve been talking until government right up to the Prime Minister late last year and I’m hoping they’re starting to listen, because the government…

As the price of gold soars to a record NZ$5000 an ounce, the West Coast Regional Council is bracing for an influx of miners new to the industry — and its environmental rules.The council issues resource consents for the earthworks and water use needed in alluvial goldmining and it deals with recurring complaints about creeks running dirty, allegedly from mining operations.That keeps West Coast Regional Council (WCRC) compliance staff on the hop – checking out the cause and making site visits to see if miners are sticking to the conditions of their consents.The council’s Resource Management Chair Brett Cummings —…

Updated: 11/02/2025 – 19:35 GMT+1Dogs and a cat dressed in haute couture by Anthony Rubio took to the catwalk at New York Fashion Week, with looks inspired by Marc Chagall and the Moulin Rouge. … More At New York Fashion Week in the United States, animals were dressed as stars in haute couture, accompanied by models.Last Sunday, designer Anthony Rubio presented luxurious outfits worn by a cat and several dogs.For their owners, he created looks inspired by the works of painter Marc Chagall and the elegance of the Moulin Rouge.

Speaker Gerry Brownlee has expressed his “strong displeasure” at ACT leader David Seymour’s attempt to drive a near 80-year-old Land Rover up the steps of Parliament.A security guard stopped Seymour driving a 1948 Land Rover Series I up the stairs on Monday.The vehicle, believed to be the oldest Land Rover in the country, was in Wellington as part of a fundraising campaign into heart valve research.Attempting to drive up the steps of Parliament places more pressure on the PM to rein in the ACT Party leader. (Source: 1News)After getting out of the car, Seymour said you “shouldn’t have to get…

An European arrest warrant for a 44-year-old Austrian woman identified as Mariana M was issued by Austrian police on Monday. ADVERTISEMENTAustrian police have issued a continent-wide arrest warrant for a woman they say pretended to be a shaman to defraud people in multiple European countries of their money and possessions. Police say they discovered cash, jewellery and gold worth over €10 million at the women’s house in the Lower Austrian town of Mödling.They named the suspect as 44-year-old Austrian citizen of Serbian origin, Mariana M, who went by her shaman name Amela.Police believe Mariana M may have defrauded people in…