Rural News – Farm pay growth slows after strong gains – Federated Farmers

Source: Federated Farmers Farm worker pay growth has levelled off in the last few years, after a post-pandemic period of rapid growth, a new report shows. The 2026 Federated Farmers-Rabobank Farm Remuneration Report, released today, shows the average salary for a farm worker increased by $1,367 to $72,778, or a weighted average rise of 3% across … Read more

Climate News – Commission advises no change to NZ ETS settings but flags late-2020s risk

Source: Climate Change Commission The Climate Change Commission’s routine annual advice on NZ ETS auction settings, released today, recommends keeping auction volumes and price controls the same for now to limit the risk of further price instability and support confidence in the NZ ETS. This year’s analysis also points to a possible unit shortfall risk by … Read more

Fire Safety – Fire and Emergency reminds public to be extra careful while strike action takes place

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand Fire and Emergency New Zealand is warning the public that the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) will be undertaking a strike today, Friday 24 April, between midday and 1pm. The NZPFU has indicated its intention to continue twice-weekly strikes. “I want to reassure the public that all 111 calls … Read more

Health and Employment – NZNO members to consider new offer from Te Whatu Ora

NZNO members to consider new offer from Te Whatu Ora Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation Nurses, midwives and health care assistants who are members of NZNO have received a proposed terms of settlement offer from Te Whatu Ora. Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa NZNO Chief Executive Paul Goulter says the offer was the first received since … Read more

Stop selling arms to Indonesia, West Papuans urge Netherlands

Source: Radio New Zealand A parliamentary hearing in the Netherlands regarding the human rights situation in the country’s former colony, West Papua. 21 April, 2026. Supplied The United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) has called on the Netherlands to stop selling arms to Indonesia. Representatives of the ULMWP were this week at the Dutch … Read more

‘One Final Mission’ for White Ferns great Suzie Bates before retirement

Source: Radio New Zealand Suzie Bates takes a catch during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup final match against South Africa in 2024. AFP/FADEL SENNA One of New Zealand’s most celebrated cricketers has announced her retirement from the international game, but not before one last crack at a another world title. Suzie Bates has announced … Read more

Wellington floods and tropical cyclones: How weather forecasting is dealing with an uncertain future

Source: Radio New Zealand Fast-moving thunderstorms and flooding caught Wellington off guard, as seen on State Highway 2 on Saturday, 18 April. Josh Hay / Facebook Explainer – Has climate change made weather forecasting harder to do – and how is technology changing the game? There was plenty of warning about the dangers of Tropical … Read more

Meat processor fire puts one in hospital

Source: Radio New Zealand St John A person has been taken to hospital after an early morning fire at a South Island meat processor, where an oil burner kept igniting. Two trucks from Cheviot and a tanker were initially called to the scene just before 6am. Two other pumps were also called in. The fire … Read more

Northland police staffer claimed $29,000 for shifts he never worked

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF A Northland police staffer claimed he had worked hours he had not for more than a year before it was discovered, RNZ can reveal. Riki Toby, who was paid nearly $30,000 for overtime he did not do, said the offending started after going through a break-up, which put “extra financial … Read more

Weather: Orange heavy rain warning for parts of North Island

Source: Radio New Zealand MetService Residents in parts of the upper North Island are being advised to clear drains and gutters and avoid low-lying areas due to heavy rain. MetService has issued orange heavy rain warnings for eastern Northland south of Kawakawa until midnight, eastern Auckland north of Whangaparāoa until 3pm, and Great Barrier Island … Read more

Nixing SailGP described as a ‘significant loss’ by Auckland events boss

Source: Radio New Zealand Black Foils SailGP Team and DS Automobiles SailGP Team France collide during Race 3, on Race Day 1. Simon Bruty for SailGP Auckland’s events boss says the government has missed an important opportunity by not putting in the money to keep SailGP in the city next year. The government has decided … Read more

Darfield residents seek answers a year after town’s 10-bed hospital halted admissions

Source: Radio New Zealand District nurse Mary Roberts asks a question at the Health NZ meeting in Darfield. RNZ / Keiller MacDuff Darfield residents came out in their droves on Thursday night hoping to get answers about their hospital and the future of healthcare in the swiftly growing town. The 10-bed hospital suspended admissions late … Read more

Person dead after single-vehicle crash in Wellsford

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF One person has died following a serious crash in Wellsford north of Auckland on Thursday night. Emergency services responded to the single vehicle crash on Waiteitei Road at about 10.20pm. The sole occupant died at the scene, a police spokesperson said. The Serious Crash Unit has completed a scene examination … Read more

Kiwi UFC fighter Michelle Montague’s ‘beautiful responsibility’

Source: Radio New Zealand Kiwi Michelle Montague fights Luana Carolina of Brazil during UFC Fight Night at RAC Arena on 28 September 2025. Paul Kane The ‘Wild One’ is back and plans a short but violent encore inside the cage. Kiwi UFC fighter Michelle Montague is back for her second bout in the world’s biggest … Read more

Firecrews battle blaze at home in Auckland’s Te Atatu

Source: Radio New Zealand Fire and Emergency said it got multiple calls to the blaze in Te Atatu at 5.50am. Marika Khabazi / RNZ Firefighters in Auckland are battling a house fire. Fire and Emergency said it got multiple calls to the blaze in Te Atatu at 5.50am. It says the fire at the two-storey … Read more

Rule-change sees more people getting immunised sooner, midwives say

Source: Radio New Zealand Porirua midwives Tess Willis (L) and Sarah Dow. Supplied / HNZ Midwives say a rule-change allowing them to vaccinate parents, babies and their whanau means more people are getting immunised sooner. After a rule change in February, midwives are able to give a wider range of funded immunisations – including flu … Read more

Papatoetoe residents fear losing homes to Auckland rapid transit route

Source: Radio New Zealand John Hansford doesn’t want to leave the garden and home where he’s lived for 50 years. RNZ / Erin Johnson Uncertainty hangs over residents on the route of Auckland’s next rapid transit project. A brick and tile house on Puhinui Road, Papatoetoe, has been John Hansford’s home for more than 50 … Read more

Remember road safety this Anzac weekend

Source: New Zealand Police So far in 2026, provisionally 102 people have lost their lives on roads - that’s nearly a death every day this year. “With 17 deaths in April alone, that number is far too high,” says Inspector Peter McKennie, acting Director of Road Policing.  So, as New Zealanders gather to commemorate Anzac Day and attend dawn services this weekend, Police advise road safety should be everyone’s … Read more

No rethink on US, drones on right path for now, says new Defence Minister

Source: Radio New Zealand New Defence Minister Chris Penk. RNZ / Nathan McKinnon The new Defence Minister says he has not seen anything in the Iran war that would lead him to reconsider New Zealand’s defence relationship with the United States. Chris Penk also said the country was not going too slowly on acquiring military … Read more

Police say offenders should be alarmed amid high arrest numbers for fuel theft and burglary

Source: New Zealand Police Since 2 March 2026, Police have laid over 370 charges for petrol drive offs and burglaries where diesel was targeted. “Police are taking our response to this type of crime seriously and we are expecting that the number of charges will continue to rise,” says Tusha Penny, Assistant Commissioner Road Policing … Read more

Kawakawa social housing planned for known flood zone ‘beyond belief’, some residents say

Source: Radio New Zealand Kawakawa Business Association chairman Malcolm Francis says the town needs more social housing, but the Far North Holdings-Ngāti Hine Health Trust proposal is in the wrong place. RNZ / Peter de Graaf Plans for a new social housing complex are sparking concerns in Kawakawa, with some residents saying it’s wrong to … Read more

Christchurch stadium opening: Te Kaha opens after 15-year wait

Source: Radio New Zealand The citadel that now rises above central Christchurch is more than just a stadium. As preparations are made for One New Zealand Stadium’s opening night, it’s hard to put into words just what it means to the people of Canterbury. More than 15 years ago, a 6.3-magnitude earthquake tore a path … Read more

Auckland principals say rushed curriculum overhaul risks backfire

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF The Auckland Primary Principals Association says there is qualified support for the government’s curriculum changes, but it needs to slow down. The association was one of many signatories to a letter calling for a pause in the changes published in newspapers this week. Association president Lucy Naylor told RNZ that … Read more

How WWII shaped generations of Māori names

Source: Radio New Zealand For the first decade of Tunisia Aquitania Campbell’s life, her name was a bit of a mystery. Her 13 siblings had stock-standard Pākehā names like Doris and Gloria. Yet, no one really knew how to pronounce Campbell’s first and second names, let alone spell them. The 67-year-old knew it had something … Read more

‘End of an era’ for sewing paper patterns in New Zealand?

Source: Radio New Zealand For New Zealand’s sewing community, the news landed like a dropped pin: paper patterns from the “big four” brands may soon vanish from local shelves. Online shop Pattern Postie owner Bronwyn Summers, based in Whangārei, says she has bought a year or two worth of stock after learning the Australian distributor … Read more