Cries for help heard near Dunedin walking track, search underway

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / REECE BAKER A search and rescue operation is underway after cries for help were heard near a Dunedin walking track. In a statement, police said they were appealing for information after receiving reports that someone was yelling for help near the Mackie Dackie track, off Flagstaff-Whare Flat Road in … Read more

Caution advised as some third party travel booking services ‘price gouging’ customers

Source: Radio New Zealand Consumer NZ’s Head of Research and Advocacy Gemma Rasmussen said third party websites can sometimes engage in price gouging. Mongkol Chuewong A Dunedin woman is urging people to check they are not booking flights through a third-party agency, after her elderly mother paid $1300 for two one-way seats with bags from … Read more

Hundreds of homes and businesses still without power after storm

Source: Radio New Zealand 123RF Repair crews are trying to restore electricity to hundreds of households and businesses in the North Island, after storms knocked out supplies this week. About 10,000 properties lost power in the Tasman district on Tuesday after trees came down on powerlines. Network Tasman restored the vast majority by that afternoon. … Read more

Appeal for information following cries for help heard, Whare Flat, Dunedin

Source: New Zealand Police Police are appealing to the public for any information after receiving reports that someone was heard yelling for help near the Mackie Dackie track, off Flagstaff-Whare Flat Road, Whare Flat, Dunedin, this morning. Around 9.30am today, Police received a call with a report from someone who was walking the Mackie Dackie … Read more

‘I want to sit down with her’: Cancer patient demands meeting with Nicola Willis

Source: Radio New Zealand Catherine Cook sold her business to pay out of pocket for Keytruda for her aggressive breast cancer treatment. Supplied An Auckland woman who is self-funding treatment for her rare, aggressive breast cancer is fed up after years of asking the government to fund a “life-saving” medicine for more patients. Catherine Cook, … Read more

Towel shortage at Waikato Hospital leaves elderly patient unable to shower

Source: Radio New Zealand Waikato Hospital. RNZ / Simon Rogers A towel shortage at Waikato Hospital has left an elderly patient unable to shower for days, with the family feeling appalled by the lack of basic care. Maureen Cruickshank, whose mother stayed at the hospital earlier this month, said the wards ran out of towels … Read more

China beef safeguards unlikely to restrict New Zealand exports

Source: New Zealand Government China has today announced quotas on beef imports following a safeguard investigation into the impact of rising imports on its domestic industry. The measures, which apply to all of China’s major trading partners for beef including New Zealand, will take effect from 1 January 2026 for a period of three years. Under … Read more

New schools opening in 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand Work on several other new schools was also expected to begin in 2026. Unsplash Two new primary schools are scheduled to open at the start of 2026 – one in Christchurch and the other in Auckland. The Ministry of Education said the schools in Rolleston and Flat Bush would open with … Read more

Auckland FC determined to avenge earlier loss to Newcastle

Source: Radio New Zealand A rain-soaked Auckland FC captain Francis De Vries gestures during his side’s 2-1 loss to the Newcastle Jets in a round six A-League men’s competition match at Mount Smart Stadium, 30 November, 2025. Photosport Auckland FC are out for revenge. The A-League leaders host the ninth placed Jets to kick off … Read more

Road blocked, Gibbston Highway/SH 6, Queenstown

Source: New Zealand Police Gibbston Highway/State Highway 6, Roaring Meg, Queenstown, is down to one lane following a crash this morning. Police were called to the three-vehicle crash, between Waitiri Road and Kawarau Gorge Road, around 10.30am. Initial indicators are that there has been minor-moderate injuries. The road is expected to remain partially blocked for … Read more

‘Well behaved’: Police, St John report quiet night as Kiwis celebrate New Year

Source: Radio New Zealand Fireworks at Auckland’s Sky Tower. RNZ / Robert Smith Wet weather in parts of the country seem to have dampened New Year celebrations with both police and St John reporting relatively quiet nights. The ambulance service responded to 177 incidents between 10pm and 3am – around 40 percent down on previous … Read more

Weather; Rainfall of up to 100mm, severe thunderstorms possible for South Island

Source: Radio New Zealand Parts of the South Island are welcoming the New Year with heavy rain warnings and severe thunderstorm watches. It has been a turbulent week across the country, with downpours and strong winds threatening celebrations. At the Twisted Frequency festival in Takaka overnight, police helped evacuate up to 100 people to Takaka … Read more

Road deaths down for third year in a row, but still too many – police

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Richard Tindiller Police are crediting Operation Open Roads for the reduction in road deaths for the third year in a row. In a statement, police said the provisional number of road deaths in 2025 was 272. In 2024, 292 people died on New Zealand roads. As of 7am on … Read more

PSA NEW YEAR WARNING – Fire at will is coming – job security of workers at risk like never before

Source: PSA – New law will make it easy for bosses to fire workers at will – Employment Relations Amendment Bill most anti-worker law in a generation As 2026 dawns, working New Zealanders will soon face increased job insecurity with a new law coming into force that will give bosses the power to fire workers at will. When … Read more

Fish & Game Seeks Feedback on Potential Sea Run Salmon Regulation Changes

Source: Fish and Game NZ Sea-run salmon populations in Canterbury are at critically low levels, prompting Fish & Game to seek public feedback on potential regulatory changes designed to increase the relative size of the spawning population. The primary way Fish & Game can influence the sea-run salmon fishery is by changing the harvest rate through … Read more

Appeal for information: Kaipara Coast Highway incident, Makarau, Auckland

Source: New Zealand Police Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting, Waitematā CIB: Police investigating the incident on Kaipara Coast Highway, Makarau, Auckland, where a person was found deceased on the road, are appealing to the public for information. Around 5.20am today [Thursday 1 January], Police were called with a report that someone was deceased … Read more

New year, new start for vocational education

Source: New Zealand Government Today marks a major step forward for vocational education in New Zealand, with ten regionally governed polytechnics and eight new Industry Skills Boards officially beginning operation, Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds says. “Today is more than the start of a new year, it is the start of a stronger, more responsive … Read more

Person found dead on Kaipara Coast Highway, north of Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Marika Khabazi One person has been found dead on Kaipara Coast Highway, north of Auckland. Police had earlier asked motorists to avoid the village of Makarau after an “incident”. In a statement, police said officers were called to the scene about 5.20am this morning “where a person was found … Read more

One dead following crash on State Highway 26 in Waikato

Source: Radio New Zealand A person has died following a crash in Waikato’s Hauraki District. Police were called to the intersection of State Highway 26 and Cadman Road in Tirohia at around 12.40am this morning. The sole occupant of the single vehicle crash died at the scene. The road was closed as a result of … Read more

Motorists asked to avoid Makarau after ‘incident’

Source: Radio New Zealand RNZ / Marika Khabazi Motorists are being asked to avoid the village of Makarau, north of Auckland, after an incident. Police were called to Kaipara Coast Highway around 5.20am on Thursday. The road is closed in both directions. More to come… Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated … Read more

Update: Kaipara Coast Highway incident, Makarau, Auckland

Source: New Zealand Police One person has been located deceased on Kaipara Coast Highway, Makarau, Auckland, this morning. Police were called to an incident around 5.20am where a person was found deceased on the road. The death is being treated as unexplained and enquiries into the circumstances are underway. A scene examination is taking place, … Read more

Reduction in road deaths for third consecutive year, Police enforcement at a record high

Source: New Zealand Police The provisional number of road deaths in 2025 is currently 272, down from 292 in 2024. This marks three years in a row that road deaths have seen a reduction, due in large part to Operation Open Roads, says Superintendent Steve Greally, Director Road Policing. “Over the last three years, we … Read more

Fatal Crash: Tirohia, Hauraki

Source: New Zealand Police One person has died following a crash at the intersection of State Highway 26 and Cadman Road, Tirohia, Hauraki, early this morning. Police were notified of the single vehicle around 12.40am. Despite emergency services efforts, the sole occupant of the vehicle sadly died at the scene. The Serious Crash Unit have … Read more

Road closed, Kaipara Coast Highway, Makarau, Auckland

Source: New Zealand Police Kaipara Coast Highway, Makarau, Auckland, is closed while Police respond to an incident this morning. Police were called to the incident around 5.20am. The road is closed in both directions and cordons are in place at the West Coast Road intersection and the Kahikatea Flat Road intersection. Motorists are advised to … Read more

Why did fashion make us so mad in 2025?

Source: Radio New Zealand Fashion! A delight to the senses, a thing of beauty, a source of pleasure, pain and, in its determined ridiculousness, humor. But this year, fashion was more likely to inspire something else: pure, unadulterated rage. Sydney Sweeney’s great jeans ad — or were they great genes?! — became a cultural firestorm so … Read more

Revellers ring in 2026 New Year with celebrations across the country

Source: Radio New Zealand A New Year’s reveller. RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson The near year has started with a bang across the country. In Auckland, more than half a tonne of fireworks launched high up the Sky Tower. Thousands poured into the central city after streets were closed to get a prime viewing spot … Read more

New Zealander arrested for breaking through Perth Airport security, going onto tarmac

Source: Radio New Zealand A New Zealander has been arrested for walking onto the tarmac at Perth Airport. 123rf.com A New Zealander has been arrested for breaking through security and walking onto the tarmac at Perth Airport. Australian Federal Police said the 25-year-old man had been denied entry to his flight on Tuesday because he … Read more