Milestone for major North Canterbury roading project

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Source: New Zealand Government The development of an important North Canterbury roading link in its largest town has hit a major milestone, with the Government confirming support for the project’s initial stages, Associate Transport and South Island Minister James Meager says. The NZ Transport Agency Board has approved $4.5m in funding for the Rangiora Eastern…

‘Bit embarrassing’: EV advocates on scrapping of clean car standard

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Source: Radio New Zealand EV proponents say getting more people into cars would change the country’s energy system. (File photo) RNZ / Mark Papalii An electric vehicle advocacy group is calling for consistent, cross-party policies to get more battery-run cars and charging infrastructure on the road. Drive Electric presented its State of the Nation report…

Offender tracked down after frightening car theft

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Source: New Zealand Police A man has been charged after allegedly stealing a vehicle outside a central Auckland supermarket, forcing a young boy from the front seat. Police responded to Williamson Avenue in Ponsonby after 6.15pm. Senior Sergeant Dave Plunkett, Auckland City Road Policing, says a SUV had been parked outside the supermarket. “The driver…

Public Service Commissioner says job cuts ‘regrettable’ but sector needs reform

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Source: Radio New Zealand Public Service Commissioner Brian Roche will be in charge of implementing the public sector changes the government announced on Tuesday. RNZ / REECE BAKER An overhaul of the public sector is a chance to modernise it and the associated job cuts were regrettable but a fact of life, thehe head of…

Halfback Ereatara Enari leaving Hurricanes for Wales

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Source: Radio New Zealand Ereatara Enari of the Hurricanes scores a try against the NSW Waratahs. MARK EVANS The Hurricanes halfback Ereatara Enari will leave the franchise at the end of the Super Rugby season to join Welsh club Dragons. The 28-year-old former Samoa international was first named in the Hurricanes squad in November 2024…

Auckland hornet eradication enters new phase

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Source: New Zealand Government Biosecurity New Zealand’s yellow-legged hornet eradication in Auckland remains on track, with growing confidence the pest can be wiped out, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard says.“It’s been more than six weeks since we’ve found a hornet or nest – that’s encouraging.”“At this point in autumn we’d normally still expect to see hornets…

Iran war could affect NZ economy for two years – Infometrics

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Source: Radio New Zealand New Zealand’s economy was recovering before conflict broke out in Iran, Infometrics says. RNZ New Zealand’s economy was recovering before conflict broke out in Iran, Infometrics says, although it was relying too heavily on growth in the public sector. But it now faces disruptions for the next two years. The economics…

Pedestrian critical after Red Beach crash

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Source: New Zealand Police A man is in critical condition following a crash in Red Beach on Wednesday night. Emergency services responded to Whangaparāoa Road after 9pm, to reports that a collision had occurred involving a van and a pedestrian. “On arrival the male pedestrian was located with critical injuries, and he was transported to…

Pharmac proposes removing priority access of type 2 diabetes meds for Māori, Pacific

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Source: Radio New Zealand Board member of Diabetes Aotearoa, Graham King RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly A once-controversial decision to prioritise access to type 2 diabetes medication for Māori and Pacific people is showing life-saving benefits, just as Pharmac proposes removing that access. Pharmac is proposing to widen access to three type 2 diabetes medicines from…

Auckland FC pip South Island United for place in Pro League final

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Source: Radio New Zealand Auckland FC’s Isa Prins celebrates after scoring. Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz / PHOTOSPORT Auckland FC will play South Melbourne in the inaugural OFC Pro League final. Auckland beat South Island United 1-0 in their semi-final at Mount Smart. Substitute Isa Prins headed home the winner in the second half. South Melbourne…

Replacing public servants with AI could come with hidden costs, critics warn

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Source: Radio New Zealand Replacing public servants with artificial intelligence could come with more costs, critics say. 123RF Replacing public servants with artificial intelligence could come with more costs that will eat into any savings, say critics. The government says the plan to cut another 8700 people sector jobs in about 40 core agencies will…

Household budgets so stretched it’s no longer a cost of living crisis but ‘the cost to survive’

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Source: Radio New Zealand Members of the KiwiHarvest Chef Collective: (from left) Peter Gordon, Brent Martin and Alfie Ingham. Supplied / KiwiHarvest Food charities warn the pressure on household budgets is now so dire it is no long a cost of living crisis – but the cost to survive. They are again asking government to…

‘Spanner in the works’ for job market

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Source: Radio New Zealand Seek country manager Rob Clark says ad numbers are still around historical highs. RNZ Seek says there was a little improvement in the job market in April, but it’s still easier to be hiring than applying, and conflict in the Middle East has thrown a “spanner in the works”. The recruitment…

Marking Pink Ribbon Day as extended breast screening reaches more women

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Source: New Zealand Government Pink Ribbon Day is an important reminder of the value of early detection, with more than 16,440 eligible women aged 70 and 74 already taking up the opportunity for free breast screening since eligibility was extended last year, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. “Breast cancer remains the most common cancer affecting…

Coroner warns of misusing prescription drugs after young woman dies

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Source: Radio New Zealand Unsplashed/Supplied The dangers of misusing prescription drugs have been highlighted by the death of a young Dunedin woman, a coroner says. Wynter Horrell, 20, died at her South Dunedin home in December 2021 after diluting her prescribed tramadol with water and injecting the opioid painkiller into her bloodstream using her portacath…

Almost 20% of townhouses selling for a loss

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Source: Radio New Zealand A set of townhouses under development in Auckland. RNZ / Todd Niall Two townhouses in upmarket St Andrews Road, Epsom in Auckland, have resold for losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars – and data showsthey are not unusual. Almost 20 percent of townhouses are being sold for a lower price…

What are New Zealand diets deficient in?

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Source: Radio New Zealand Iron and iodine deficiencies are among the world’s most common nutrient deficiencies. Several local nutrition experts say iron, zinc, and potentially selenium, iodine, and vitamin D are worth highlighting. University of Auckland nutrition associate professor Andrea Braakhuis said New Zealand’s last adult nutrition survey in 2009, along with subsequent research, suggests…

‘I answered to a name that wasn’t mine’

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Source: Radio New Zealand Hira Nathan (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāpuhi) carries a name rooted in whakapapa, identity and connection to four generations of his whānau. But at a job interview for a roofing gig in Hamilton a few years ago he was referred to as “Harry the Marry” and told his name was “too…

Business performance sentiment remains near record low – BDO report

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Source: Radio New Zealand Construction business owners are feeling the pressure of market conditions most acutely. Supplied/ Unsplash – Josh Olalde Economic and political uncertainty is keeping businesses from taking advantage of near-term growth and investment opportunities, with some businesse leaders expecting to become financially insolvent over the next 12 months. A semi-annual Business Performance…