Transpower needs ‘fit for purpose’ Public Works Act to expand electricity transmission system

Source: Radio New Zealand File image. Supplied / Transpower The national grid operator says it will probably have to use a streamlined public works act a lot more in future to get land and access to expand the electricity transmission system. A select committee is hearing submissions on the Public Works Amendment Bill that aims … Read more

Christchurch council investigating ways to mitigate stench from damaged wastewater plant

Source: Radio New Zealand Bromley Wastewater Treatment Plant. The Christchurch City Council is investigating pumping millions of litres of screened and chlorinated sewage into the ocean each day in an effort to mitigate the putrid stench coming from Bromley’s damaged sewage treatment plant. The council was last week hit with an abatement notice after Canterbury … Read more

Community alarmed by dog-attacks on sheep, warns person could be next

Source: Radio New Zealand A rural Auckland community wants to see something done about dog attacks on their sheep. RNZ / Finn Blackwell A rural Auckland community is wanting to see something done about dog attacks on their sheep, raising concerns a person could be next. Residents in Paremoremo are sounding alarm bells saying the … Read more

Police seek robbery victim following arrests

Source: New Zealand Police Auckland City Police are seeking the victim of an aggravated robbery in Ellerslie this afternoon to come forward. Six people have been arrested over the offending which occurred at the Ellerslie Train Station. Sergeant Tim Roberts, of Mt Wellington Police, says the victim left the area before Police could speak with … Read more

Extra funding for Smokefreerockquest and Tangata Beats 2026

Source: New Zealand Government The Government is investing in extra support for Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Tangata Beats, Associate Health Minister Casey Costello announced today. “Any event that promotes a smokefree and vapefree lifestyle for our young people is worthy of government backing, and these events have become an iconic part of our Smokefree work”, Ms … Read more

Boosting the teacher workforce and investing in success

Source: New Zealand Government The Government is announcing new initiatives to strengthen the teacher workforce, and new data shows supply is at its strongest in two decades, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “Growing and developing the teacher workforce of the future is one of my key education priorities, and new projections show our initiatives are working. … Read more

Naval officers face charges over sinking of HMNZS Manawanui

Source: Radio New Zealand UAS footage of RNZN Divers surveying the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the Southern Coast of Upulo as part of Op Resolution. 25 October 2024 New Zealand Defence Force Charges have been laid in relation to the loss of Royal New Zealand Navy vessel HMNZS Manawanui, off the coast of Samoa … Read more

Track to Harwoods Hole permanently closed over safety concerns

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Tracy Neal The track to the country’s deepest natural sinkhole at the top of the South Island has been permanently closed because of safety concerns. Harwoods Hole, which is a nearly 180-metre deep vertical shaft, is part of a cave system in the Abel Tasman National Park. Department of … Read more

Nina Hotel Island South Presents a New Look as an Urban Oasis

Source: Media Outreach HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 March 2026 – Nina Hospitality, the hospitality arm of Chinachem Group, announces the launch of a major renovation at Nina Hotel Island South, which first opened in 2010. The project redefines the property as an urban oasis on Hong Kong Island’s south side, … Read more

New appointments to University of Otago Council

Source: New Zealand Government Universities Minister Dr Shane Reti has announced two new appointments to the University of Otago Council.  “Universities play a vital role in educating the workforce New Zealand needs and contributing to our country’s economic growth and wellbeing. Strong governance is essential to support that role,” says Dr Reti.  “I am pleased … Read more

Health New Zealand removes new advice about Ehlers-Danlos syndromes and hypermobility spectrum disorder

Source: Radio New Zealand Some patients with a rare disorder experience complications and have to rely on feeding tubes, intravenous fluids and strong pain killers. 123rf Health New Zealand has removed controversial recommendations that people suffering from a rare connective tissue disorder not be given certain treatments. It follows criticism from patients and advocacy groups. … Read more

Prison death: Guards didn’t take inmate’s mental health seriously, inquest hears

Source: Radio New Zealand File photo. Flickr / David Zoppo An inquest into the death of an Invercargill Prison inmate has heard guards did not take concerns about his mental health seriously. Nukuroa Strange, 30, died in August 2022. Coroner Amelia Steel was considering whether Strange received adequate mental health support while in the custody … Read more

Businesses fear months of roadworks on Lower Hutt streets will put potential customers off

Source: Radio New Zealand Facebook / Te Awa Kairangi – Delivering RiverLink On the first afternoon of road works being in effect on Queens Drive and High Street in Lower Hutt traffic is heavy, as businesses say they are worried how the nine month-long closure is going to hit their bottom line. The intersection between … Read more

How Aucklanders can better prepare for flooding and storms

Source: Auckland Council A new Auckland Council commissioned report shows that many Aucklanders are making assumptions about flood risk that could put them in danger. The Renting and Climate Change in Tāmaki Makaurau / Auckland report found that renters often expect landlords to tell them about hazards, but this doesn’t always happen. It also shows … Read more

Watch: Prime Minister Christopher Luxon speaks to media amid US-Israeli conflict with Iran

Source: Radio New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is taking questions from reporters in his weekly post-Cabinet media conference. It comes as US President Donald Trump warns the deadly US-Israeli conflict with Iran could last for four weeks. Luxon has refused to be drawn on whether the coalition fully supports the strikes by the United … Read more

Transport – Road freight sector watching oil prices as Middle East conflict continues

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand Transporting New Zealand says the road freight industry will be monitoring the risk of fuel supply issues and rising oil prices closely, as conflict in the Middle East pushes up the global price of crude. Chief Executive Dom Kalasih said diesel is typically the second-largest cost for road freight … Read more

Employment Disputes – Fire and Emergency received calls for 10 incidents during today’s NZPFU strike

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand Fire and Emergency New Zealand received calls for 10 incidents between 12pm and 1pm today, Monday, 2 March, the fifteenth time the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU) has taken strike action. Of the 10 incidents, eight were in areas impacted by the strike. Four of these were fire alarms … Read more

Thousands of shipping containers filled with NZ exports caught up in Middle East conflict

Source: Radio New Zealand File photo Unsplash / Aron Yigin Thousands of shipping containers filled with New Zealand exports bound for international markets are caught up in the Midd le East conflict. New Zealand has a free-trade deal with the Gulf Cooperation Council which includes countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman. New Zealand exported … Read more

Aged care sector needs better funding, nurses need more money – association

Source: Radio New Zealand A rally for the aged care sector and its workers in 2024. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone The Aged Care Association says the sector needs better funding to be able to compete with the public sector for nurses. It comes after public and mental health nurses employed by Health New Zealand ratified … Read more

Publicly-funded x-rays and ultrasounds now offered in Wānaka

Source: Radio New Zealand Matt Doocey says the changes will reduce travel time for patients. RNZ / Mark Papalii Publicly-funded x-rays and ultrasounds are now offered in Wānaka, the government has announced. The lack of local diagnostic testing was a key concern raised by residents at a Rural Health Roadshow last year. The change was … Read more

Firearms owners say gun laws overhaul doesn’t go far enough to undo ‘damage’

Source: Radio New Zealand A selection of firearms which are now prohibited, on display to media at a 2022 police press conference. RNZ / Ana Tovey Firearms owners say the government’s overhaul of gun laws doesn’t go far enough to undo the “damage that was done” after the 15 March terror attacks. A Muslim leader, … Read more

GOD55 Sports Honored to Partner With Honda LCR Team in MotoGP

Source: Media Outreach KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 2 March 2026 – GOD55 Sports has announced a three-year partnership with the Honda LCR Team, bringing fans across Southeast Asia closer to MotoGP. The collaboration features prominent branding on the bikes of Johann Zarco and Diogo Moreira, special event liveries, and exclusive fan-focused … Read more

Actor Awards 2026: See which nominees are taking home a win

Source: Radio New Zealand Now, it’s time for the Actors. The show formerly known as the SAG Awards is taking place, as the last major stop for many nominees before the Oscars on 15 March. The Actor Awards are voted on by members of the Screen Actors Guild, which this year placed Paul Thomas Anderson’s … Read more

Former solider and sex offender Adrien Bell’s volunteer work sparks concern

Source: Radio New Zealand Just Zilch. RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham There are concerns that a former soldier sentenced to home detention for filming young people using a bathroom for six years is now volunteering at a Palmerston North food rescue charity. Adrien Bell, who also goes by the surname Bennett, has volunteered at Just Zilch … Read more

Death after man’s methadone dose changed

Source: Radio New Zealand Andy Dean Photography/ 123rf Two people had their therapeutic methadone doses changed by Te Whatu Ora against their will, with one man dying of an overdose only six weeks later, according to two separate rulings by the Health and Disability Commissioner (HDC). In one case, a pharmacy mistakenly gave one woman … Read more

Wāhine Māori acknowledged with awards for cancer research

Source: Radio New Zealand Katya Hutton. Supplied / Cancer Society Three emerging Māori researchers leading innovative projects to improve cancer outcomes for whānau Māori will receive this year’s Māori Cancer Researcher Award. Their research range from exploring how papakāinga living can strengthen the practice of Rongoā Māori, to developing next-generation immunotherapies with fewer side effects, … Read more

Qatar Airways, Emirates flights to Doha and Dubai cancelled amid Iran attacks

Source: Radio New Zealand Emirates has cancelled flights through Doha and Dubai. Thierry Monasse A Qatar Airways 777 and two Emirates A380 planes are stuck in Auckland after the airlines were forced to cancel flights through Doha and Dubai amid the Iran attacks. “Auckland Airport is supporting those airlines with aircraft parking and operational assistance … Read more