Author: Press Room

  Half year update (HYEFU) expected to show bigger deficits for longerReturn to budget surplus likely pushed out a further year to 2028/29Economic and financial forecasts weaker in near termLikely increase in borrowing of around $6 billion in 2026-28 The government’s financial outlook is expected to deteriorate as a sluggish economy and weaker tax take further delay a return to budget surplus and cause an increase in borrowing. The Half Year Economic and Fiscal Update (HYEFU) will be released on December 17 with updated financial and economic forecasts for the next few years and comparison against this year’s Budget in…

One person had died following a motorcycle crash during the early hours of this morning in Waikato. The crash occurred on Morrison Road in Pukekawa and was reported to emergency services at around 5.35am today. “There do not appear to have been any other vehicles involved in the crash,” police said. Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are currently underway.

An abandoned proposal by the Dunedin City Council to sell Aurora Energy cost more than $240,000, but several councillors say the information-gathering exercise was worthwhile. Kevin Gilbert was one councillor who argued the council had to take a serious look at possibilities. “There were legitimate benefits to both the option of selling Aurora and in keeping it,” he said. Cr Brent Weatherall was another. “The mammoth exercise for councillors and residents was extremely cost-effective considering the magnitude of the city’s most valuable organisation and large public consultation process,” he said. Now that the decision had been made not to sell,…

One person has died, and seven others are injured following a two-vehicle crash near Stratford in Taranaki last night. Emergency services were called to State Highway 3 near Monmouth Road in Pembroke at around 11pm. “One person was located deceased, and seven others were located in a moderate to serious condition,” police said. Hato Hone St John responded to the crash with three ambulances, one rapid response unit and one first response unit. It said seven people were transported to Taranaki Base Hospital, with one in a critical condition, one in a serious condition and five in a moderate condition.The…

Two people have been taken into custody, and their vehicle seized after they were seen driving dangerously, crashing into multiple vehicles in Christchurch last night. Officers responding to a separate incident spotted someone driving dangerously just before 10pm yesterday. The officers turned off their lights and sirens and watched the vehicle from a distance. “Shortly after the vehicle has crashed into multiple other vehicles at the Fitzgerald /Moorhouse Avenue intersection,” a police spokesperson said. Multiple injuries were reported, including one in a serious condition who was transported to hospital. “Charges are being considered for two people.”

By Jeremy Wilkinson, Open Justice multimedia journalistGrant McLellan was shocked, to say the least, when he saw his $60,000 Mercedes listed for sale for just $9000. He had not created the listing and was furious when he found out who it was. He claims it was Christopher Schwartz, a former Christchurch car dealer. McLellan’s frustrations grew when he found out Schwartz had allegedly used a Government register to list himself as being owed thousands on the vehicle, without having any proof of such debt. McLellan says it’s a loophole in the Personal Property Securities Register (PPSR) that needs to be…

A new plan focused on reducing family and sexual violence has been released by the Government.The launch of the second Te Aorerekura Action Plan for the prevention of family violence and sexual violence on Sunday was hosted by Karen Chhour, as Minister for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence. She was supported by the Police Minister Mark Mitchell and the Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston.Te Aorerekura – the National Strategy to Eliminate Family Violence and Sexual Violence – is a 25-year strategy designed to achieve intergenerational change.”Three years into the Strategy, this second Action Plan is another…

One person has died following a water-related incident off the coast of Moutohora Island near Whakatāne last night.Emergency services responded to reports a man had been recovered from the water unresponsive after jumping off the side of a boat around 9pm.CPR was commenced on Moutohora Island. However, efforts to resuscitate him were unsuccessful, police said.”Police Search and Rescue coordinated the response with Coastguard Whakatāne volunteers attending the scene and a helicopter transporting him to Tauranga Hospital.”The death was not being treated as suspicious and would be referred to the Coroner.A member of the public discovered the man in the water…

A Lower Hutt family who came to New Zealand as refugees from Syria has reflected on their imprisonments under the Assad regime after its collapse earlier this month.Half a century of rule by the Assad family in Syria ended after insurgents captured city after city and converged on the capital, Damascus.Diaa and his father, Mohammad, were detained while they were walking home in 2011.”I didn’t do anything, I was 15 years old, just two days after passing my intermediate school,” Diaa said. He was imprisoned for a few weeks.Mohammad was locked up for a year and accused of helping to…

Police have released the names of four people who died in a two-vehicle crash south of Rotorua last week.Emergency services were alerted to the crash on State Highway 5 near Whakarewarewa at about 7.50pm on December 9.The collision involved two cars carrying seven people, police said.”Three people in one vehicle died, and their names were Amelia Rose Frost, 26, of Napier, Ruben James Frost, 18, of Napier, Tray-Dee Akuhata Wall, 20, of Rotorua.”The fourth person who died was travelling in the second vehicle, was 50-year-old MaryJane Merehini Heke, of Rotorua.”State Highway 5 was closed for two hours on December 10…