University Appointments – Victoria University of Wellington announces new Vice-Chancellor

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Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington Internationally-recognised scholar and national award-winning teacher Professor Bryony James has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Originally from Cornwall, Professor James has been studying, working and leading in the New Zealand tertiary sector for more than 30 years. She is currently … Read more

“Shocking abuse of power” – Greenpeace slams Govt’s climate law change

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Source: Greenpeace The government has announced plans to pass a law retrospectively preventing companies from being sued for the damage that their climate pollution is causing ordinary New Zealanders. Greenpeace Aotearoa is slamming the announcement as a ‘shocking abuse of executive power to help corporate polluters’. The proposed law change would prevent current cases from being … Read more

Local News – Porirua Gold Awards finalists announced

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Source: Porirua City Council There are five Porirua finalists in this year’s Gold Awards, announced last Friday. Established in 1999, the awards recognise organisations across the Wellington region that make a contribution through performance, innovation, leadership and impact. Past supreme award winners have included Park Road Post, Flick Electric Co, Fix & Fogg and Porirua’s very … Read more

Property Market – Steady as she goes: property values plateau while uncertainty lingers – QV

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Source: Quality Valuation (QV) Residential property values continue to hold steady amid growing economic and political uncertainty. Our latest QV House Price Index, out now, shows the average value nationally has grown by 0.2% this quarter to $912,406. That figure is now just 0.3% higher than it was at the start of this calendar year … Read more

Citizenship office smashing timeliness targets

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Source: New Zealand Government After six years of not meeting timeliness targets, citizenship by grant processing has been within target timeframes for the past six months consecutively, says Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden.  “The Department of Internal Affairs aims to get 90% of applications processed within 75 days of being received. April 2022 was a low point, with … Read more

Chelsea FC Women to play at International Football Festival in Auckland

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Source: Radio New Zealand Sam Kerr, centre, celebrates a goal with fellow Chelsea players. AFP High profile side Chelsea FC Women are to play at the International Football Festival in New Zealand. They will take on an Auckland FC Invitational 11 at Eden Park on 8 August. Former Football Ferns goalkeeper Jenny Bindon will coach … Read more

New rugby league boss Andrea Nelson focuses on making ‘lives better’

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Source: Radio New Zealand New NZRL ECO Andrea Nelson. Supplied / NZRL New Zealand Rugby League’s new chief executive Andrea Nelson says the game is about its people and she wants to make their lives better. Nelson said her new job was like a homecoming. Nelson has previously held leadership roles with the London 2012 … Read more

Driver gets up to 200km/h while fleeing police in Auckland

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Source: Radio New Zealand The car was tracked by cameras along the state highway network. 123RF Police say a suspended driver reached speeds of up to 200km/h as he attempted to evade police in Auckland overnight. The driver accelerated away from officers who signalled for his vehicle to stop near Moire Road shortly after 2am … Read more

Do you recognise this man?

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Source: New Zealand Police Police are seeking to identify the rider pictured, following a serious crash yesterday in Taupō. Around 3.15pm, Police received a report of a crash involving and a vehicle and a pedestrian on Taharepa Road. The pedestrian was transported to hospital with serious injuries. Police are making enquiries into the circumstances of … Read more

Xero chief apologises after days of disruptions for customers

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Source: Radio New Zealand Xero users in a number of countries have experienced disruptions over the last five days. The chief executive of accounting software company Xero has been forced to apologise after customers in multiple countries experienced multi-day disruptions. RNZ enquiries reveal that Xero users in New Zealand, Australia and the United Kingdom have … Read more

Federated Farmers welcomes more help for farmer biodiversity protection efforts

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Source: Federated Farmers Federated Farmers is applauding moves by the Government to encourage greater private investment in the work farmers and other landowners do to protect biodiversity and reduce climate change emissions. “We’re really pleased with today’s announcement of two pathways that enable greater assurance to investors and landowners that environment protection and restoration projects are … Read more

Martin Short speaks about ‘nightmare’ of his daughter’s death

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Source: Radio New Zealand Martin Short has spoken publicly for the first time about the “nightmare” of losing his daughter Katherine earlier this year. The Only Murders in the Building star told CBS in an exclusive interview aired Sunday that Katherine’s death by suicide back in February has been devastating. Katherine Short was 42 when … Read more

Police urge caution to dating app users, Southland

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Source: New Zealand Police Southland Police are urging users of dating apps to take steps to protect themselves when meeting up with people they’ve only spoken to online. Southland Area Prevention Manager acting Inspector Mel Robertson says Police have been made aware of two incidents in the last week where people have been assaulted by … Read more

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi putting aside Te Pāti Māori split to focus on new Te Tai Tokerau Party

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Source: Radio New Zealand Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. (File photo) RNZ / Peter de Graaf Te Tai Tokerau MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says she’s putting aside difficult experiences within Te Pāti Māori to move forward with her new political party. The MP was expelled from Te Pāti Māori last year, before the High Court … Read more

Union says police effectively offered ‘0.6%’ pay rise

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Source: Radio New Zealand the Police Association is for the first time driving a pay bargaining campaign, with the slogan “Repay the Risk”. The Police Association says members are “gutted” with what it says is effectively a 0.6 percent pay rise for constabulary staff, while managers have been offered no increase. It comes as the … Read more

Police restructure considers new ways to ‘control their narrative ‘ in ‘depleted media landscape’

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Source: Radio New Zealand Police are reviewing the operating model of their media and communications team. RNZ / Richard Tindiller A proposed restructure of police’s media and communications team is focusing on ways to use their own platforms to “overcome the depleted media landscape”. An internal document says this gives organisations an opportunity to “control … Read more

Fleeing driver tallies up list of charges

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Source: New Zealand Police A fleeing motorist who allegedly drove at high speed across Auckland overnight will now face court on a series of charges including drugs offences. At around 2.20am, Waitematā Police identified a vehicle of interest travelling on Moire Road, Massey. Waitematā West Area Response Manager, Senior Sergent Jon Winthrop says the driver … Read more

New York Times’ Wordle game to be turned into TV show

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Source: Radio New Zealand The New York Times‘ hit game Wordle is set to become a television show, the American newspaper announced on Monday. Wordle gives players six chances to guess a random five-letter word, using green, yellow and gray tiles to help them solve the puzzle. The game show version, which will air on … Read more

Government changes climate law to prevent lawsuits

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Source: Radio New Zealand Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith made the announcement on Tuesday. (File photo) RNZ / Mark Papalii The government has announced it will change its Climate Change Response Act. Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said the act would be changed to prevent courts making certain types of civil findings of liability for climate change … Read more

Sir Graham Henry appointed All Blacks selector

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Source: Radio New Zealand Sir Graham Henry is back in the All Blacks’ fold as a selector. PHOTOSPORT Former All Blacks coach Sir Graham Henry has joined Dave Rennie All Blacks’ set-up as a selector. Henry coached the All Blacks to a Rugby World Cup title in 2011. Henry, 79, coached the All Blacks to … Read more

Industry awards recognise innovation and impact

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Source: New Zealand Government Defence Minister Chris Penk has paid tribute to the contribution businesses supplying the New Zealand Defence Force make to national security and resilience at the Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence to Industry.  “This year’s award recipients have delivered high-quality equipment, assets, infrastructure and services that are fundamental to the successful operations of the New Zealand Defence Force and the Ministry … Read more

Students studying on campus at Massey rising but union says sites a’ghost town’

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Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF The number of New Zealand students studying on Massey Univeristy’s campuses is rising after halving over the past 10 years, it says. Meanwhile, a union leader says the university’s Albany, Palmerston North and Wellington sites feel like ghost towns. Official figures showed Massey had 12,345 equivalent full-time domestic students in … Read more

Oriini Kaipara confirms loyalty to Te Pāti Māori after conflicting reports

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Source: Radio New Zealand author:lillian_hanly] Oriini Kaipara has confirmed her loyalty to Te Pāti Māori after conflicting statements were made to different media outlets. VNP/Phil Smith Oriini Kaipara has confirmed her loyalty to Te Pāti Māori after conflicting statements were made by her spokesperson to different media outlets, as the party announces it will make … Read more

Car hits power pole cutting electricity around Cambridge

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Source: Radio New Zealand Powerlines on a cloudy sky RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King Power was cut off in several parts of Cambridge, in the Waipā District, after a car hit a power pole. Emergency services were called to the crash on Cambridge Road shortly before 2.30am on Tuesday. Police said there were no reports of … Read more

Centuries-old Māori warrior’s cloak returned to Aotearoa

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Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland Museum’s tohunga expert weavers’ advisory group, Taumata Māreikura, is analysing the cloak. Supplied / Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum The return of a centuries-old Māori warrior’s cloak to Aotearoa New Zealand has brought surprise, intrigue, and an ancestral connection for the traditional Māori weaving experts studying it. The … Read more

Government brings certainty to climate change tort law

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Source: New Zealand Government The Government is clarifying climate change laws to provide businesses with certainty around their obligations, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.  “Ongoing litigation in the High Court, where an applicant has brought civil claims against six major businesses for their greenhouse gas emissions, is creating uncertainty in business confidence and investment that … Read more

Trump, Key, Biden or Luxon? The politicians who are good for your KiwiSaver

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Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Quin Tauetau KiwiSaver members in aggressive funds have done better under Democrat US presidents and National governments in New Zealand. Morningstar has compiled data showing typical returns in various time periods. KiwiSaver launched in July 2007, when Helen Clark’s Labour government was in power, and George W Bush was … Read more