Author: Press Room

A plume of ash is being emitted from Whakaari/White Island after two small eruptions last week. Earth Sciences New Zealand said this afternoon that since the eruptions last week, MetService had detected volcanic ash and Sulphur dioxide in satellite imagery. An observation flight found a plume of ash rising from the volcano to between 400 and 500 metres above sea level, being blown southeast for 5 to 8km.”Based on our modelling, the observed activity is unlikely to impact the mainland with ashfall,” Earth Sciences said. The minor ashfall on the island has resulted in deposits of fine ash accumulating on…

Amid a shifting geopolitical landscape and rising global instability, European Union enlargement has re-emerged as one of the bloc’s defining strategic questions. At a high-level Euronews summit bringing together EU officials and leaders from candidate countries, the message was clear: expanding the Union is no longer a matter of choice, but of necessity. But the unique gathering also highlighted the mounting frustrations on both sides with the enlargement process, in particular with the use of vetoes. Here is what you need to know about Euronews’ first such summit. Enlargement is a geopolitical necessity All the leaders present at the summit…

Homes in many parts of Dunedin slipped in value, industrial property gained a little and the situation overall was flat. Updated valuations throughout the city confirmed a mostly stable property market since 2022. However, residential properties were worth a bit less in places such as central Dunedin and the combined area of Māori Hill, Roslyn and Belleknowes. Property owners have received, or soon will receive, their three-yearly valuations by Quotable Value (QV) on behalf of the Dunedin City Council. They reflect the likely price a property would have sold for on June 1 this year, excluding chattels. This affects the…

A vegetation fire in the rural south-east Auckland suburb of Whitford this afternoon has been contained.Six fire trucks, one helicopter and other support vehicles were called to the scene just after 12pm, a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson told 1News.Footage taken by 1News shows thick smoke billowing from the area.The fire, which measured 200x100m in size, was contained to the hillside, the spokesperson said around 2.20pm.Crews have since left the scene, Fire and Emergency said in an update just before 5pm.”The fire is contained and is now a controlled burn that’s been left with the property owner.”A resident at the…

European Council President António Costa warned EU candidate countries and member states to make crucial decisions on enlargement or risk remaining “trapped by painful historical legacies,” as Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy condemned Hungary’s veto as “specific support” for Vladimir Putin. “Accession partners must decide if they have the determination to move forward with their European Union transformation or if they prefer to remain trapped by painful historical legacies,” Costa said. The European Council chief called on the bloc’s 27 members to decide on enlargement or risk losing time. “The European Union must also decide whether it can afford to lose…

Two men have been charged after a person was seriously injured in an incident at an Auckland barbershop this afternoon. Police said they were called to a business on Great North Rd in Avondale around 3.25pm following reports a person had been seriously injured. “Upon arrival one person was located in a serious condition and was transported to hospital,” a police spokesperson told 1News.”It is believed all parties involved are known to each other.”Inquiries are ongoing to establish the circumstances around what has occurred.”Two men were arrested following the incident.A 28-year-old man is due to appear in the Auckland District…

On November 4, 1975, a teenage Richard O’Mahony walked the usual 1km route from his home in Kildare, Ireland, to the bus stop. But instead of stepping on the bus heading to school, he climbed on one going in the opposite direction, marking the beginning of a 50-year tenure in the machining trade. Yesterday, that milestone was marked at Bison Group, the Dunedin-based manufacturing business founded by brothers Greg and Mark Fahey which has developed a strong international niche in the container weighing and lifting market. Mr O’Mahony was the first person employed by the brothers and, having been there…

A western Bay of Plenty iwi is reviving its waka traditions through building and launching waka on the Kaituna River and its waterways.The Kaituna River runs from Lake Rotoiti to the Maketū Estuary at a length of 50km. Last year, Tapuika iwi launched a waka tētē – a smaller, nimble canoe compared to the traditional war or ceremonial canoes – named Te Tauihu o Te Rangi on their ancestral river, marking the return of waka for the first time in a century. Now they are nearing the completion of a second waka tētē.The initiative is part of a project that…

A new 42-home subdivision at Amberley has been given the go ahead despite concerns about traffic and water management.The Hurunui District Council has backed a recommendation from independent commissioner Andrew Willis to rezone a 4ha section on Amberley Beach Rd from rural to residential.Some councillors expressed concerns about drainage, but council chief executive Hamish Dobbie said it will be subject to a separate stormwater resource consent application to Environment Canterbury (ECan).Everlasting Developments Ltd applied to build a subdivision on a 4ha section on Amberley Beach Rd earlier this year, for 42 sections with an average size of 700 square metres.The…

The Government’s decision to axe schools’ obligation to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi has shocked groups representing school boards, teachers and principals.The Government had been moving to change the emphasis on the requirement in the Education Act, but on Tuesday announced it would remove it altogether.Education Minister Erica Stanford said the treaty was the Crown’s responsibility, not schools’.”School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said.Education Minister accused of…