‘Unique’ 360-degree film festival hits Wellington

Source: Radio New Zealand Wellington’s planetarium will trade galaxies for films as it hosts the only 360-degree film festival, a first for the city. Originating from the Melbourne Planetarium which has been running the festival for six years, this year Space Place will screen Best Of The Fest with eight award-winning or highly commended films … Read more

New stoat sausage bait trial results impressive

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  14 May 2026 The Department of Conservation has been working with pest control developer, Connovation, to develop and register a ready-made bait containing the toxin PAPP (para-aminopropiophenone), to which stoats are especially susceptible. Stoats are relentless killers of native birds, bats and other wildlife, and the key cause of kiwi … Read more

Government to spend $15.5m on palliative care for children

Source: Radio New Zealand The government will spend $15.5m over four years to set up a national paediatric palliative care service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced. The care would be delivered by dedicated specialist teams in both the North and South islands. At the moment, Health New Zealand funds just one specialist paediatric palliative … Read more

Review: Deftones have fans running up the walls of Spark Arena

Source: Radio New Zealand Sacramento rockers, Deftones, turned up the tinnitus at Spark Arena, on Wednesday night. It’s the most people I’ve ever seen crammed into that venue and by the end of the show it seemed like the floor was running up the walls with nearly everyone on their feet. It’s a loyal fanbase … Read more

New Zealanders support stronger nicotine regulation, survey finds

Source: Radio New Zealand More than 1200 adults were surveyed on their attitudes to nicotine and the government’s nicotine policy. 123RF New research shows most New Zealanders want very low nicotine cigarettes reintroduced and two-thirds believe the tobacco industry influences government policy. A low-nicotine cigarette policy was brought in by the last Labour government but … Read more

Lewis Clareburt notches year’s fastest time ahead of Commonwealth Games

Source: Radio New Zealand Lewis Clareburt in butterfly mode (file photo). photosport Lewis Clareburt enjoyed the challenge posted by an up-and-coming young swimmer as he swam under the Commonwealth Games qualifying time at the national swimming championships in Auckland. The two-time Olympian, who swims for the United club in Auckland, didn’t have it all his … Read more

New local initiative increasing attendance at Waikato and Canterbury schools

Source: Radio New Zealand Te Akau School students on their visit to Ninja Valley Hamilton. Show Up and Shine A new, simple and very local initiative is increasing primary school attendance across dozens of schools in Waikato and Canterbury. It comes as the government has set an attendance target for all schools – 80 percent … Read more

Cost-of-living pressure bites housing market

Source: Radio New Zealand The Real Estate Institute says the number of sales fell 7.9 percent year-on-year in April. RNZ Cost-of-living pressure has started to hit the housing market. The Real Estate Institute says that its data for April is the first clear sign that the weight of cost-of-living pressures such as higher fuel costs, … Read more

Air New Zealand expecting full-year loss of nearly $400m due to jet fuel costs

Source: Radio New Zealand A Boeing Dreamliner 787-9, from the Air New Zealand fleet. Supplied/ Air NZ Air New Zealand says it’s expecting a full-year loss of between $340m and $390m due to the soaring cost of jet fuel. The airline expected fuel costs in the second half of its financial year to be $980m, … Read more

Pouri Hut site cleanup a last hurrah for Whanganui ranger

Source: NZ Department of Conservation Date:  14 May 2026 The trip into the Matemateāonga Range was Department of Conservation Ranger Shane Woolley’s last helicopter mission prior to his retirement at the end of this month. “We had a good team in there,” says Shane. “We removed all the burnt iron from the old hut, cleaned up … Read more

Police put the brakes on late-night car thieves

Source: New Zealand Police Thirty minutes of offending across an Auckland suburb overnight ended in arrest for three youths. At around 2.35am, three males entered a Great North Road, Waterview property and broke into a vehicle. Auckland City West Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Guy Baldwin says the group were disturbed as they attempted to … Read more

Sniffing out trouble

Source: New Zealand Police The scent of illegal activity was in the air for Waitematā Police this week after they sniffed out a vehicle carrying a significant quantity of cannabis plants.    At around 3.10pm on 12 May, officers from the West Area Prevention Unit were travelling through Glendene when they observed a vehicle towing … Read more

Slip closes State Highway 6, upper Buller Gorge Road

Source: Radio New Zealand The slip is blocking the road near the Eight Mile Creek Bridge and has closed State Highway 6 and upper Buller Road. NZTA State Highway 6 and the upper Buller Gorge Road which straddles the West Coast and Tasman regions is closed on Thursday morning because of a large slip. The … Read more

NZ-born composer Mark Smythe dies suddenly on hiking trip at 53

Source: Radio New Zealand Mark Smythe, a New Zealand-born composer based in Los Angeles, has died during a hiking trip over the weekend. His sister Kate Ward-Smythe said in a post on social media, that he collapsed and passed away suddenly whilst hiking with friends on Mount Wilson in LA, on Saturday. Sign up for … Read more

How can we catch the lost students?

Source: Radio New Zealand Some studies suggest that the retirement-age pay gap between vocational training and university graduates has closed, but New Zealand still holds the academic path in higher esteem. RNZ / Robin Martin University entrance has long been the gold standard result from our schools – but there’s hope that planned changes will … Read more

Six people facing drugs charges in Southland operation

Source: New Zealand Police Southland Police concluded Operation Mud Dog this week, focused on disrupting the supply and distribution of illicit drugs across the Southland District. On Tuesday, Police executed four drug-related search warrants at addresses across Southland, resulted in six people facing a range of drug supply-related charges. Police also recovered approximately $61,000 in … Read more

Person killed in Bay of Plenty crash

Source: Radio New Zealand The two-vehicle crash happened at about 7.15pm on Wednesday. RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson A person has died and two others have been seriously injured in a crash on the Te Puke Highway. The two-vehicle crash happened between Bell Road and Poplar Lane about 7.15pm on Wednesday. The road is open. … Read more

Are you a Ryan keen to meet other Ryans?

Source: Radio New Zealand Thanks to an international network formed by three Ryans in New York three years ago, groups now party at Rytoberfest, chat in WhatsApp groups, and will soon attempt a new world record at RyanCon. When New Zealander Ryan Mitchell discovered the Ryan Meet Up Instagram page a few weeks ago, attending … Read more

Family of Dylan Barford, whose body lay undiscovered near motorway for weeks, want to know how he wasn’t found sooner

Source: Radio New Zealand Dylan Barford died of accidental methamphetamine toxicity, a Coroner ruled. (File photo) Supplied / NZ Police Auckland man Dylan Barford’s body lay undiscovered near a motorway off-ramp for almost three weeks after he was reported missing and his family want to know why he wasn’t found sooner. The body of Dylan … Read more

Te Atiawa opens high-end development on former colonial parade ground

Source: Radio New Zealand The crowds went through each home to bless them for their new owners. RNZ / Robin Martin Te Atiawa has opened a high-end townhouse development on an inner-city site in New Plymouth where colonial troops once assembled for inspection. Pukekura / The Parade features 36 two-storied two and three-bedroom homes, located … Read more

I thought I was a bad investor, Sharesies didn’t agree

Source: Radio New Zealand Supplied/123rf First person – A little while ago, I wrote about my fairly dismal returns investing in Sharesies. I started on the platform in 2017 and to date, have a simple return of 28.14 percent. That’s well below what I could have achieved in a managed fund. Sharesies say it calculates … Read more

Trades or degrees for higher pay? Here’s the data that shows you

Source: Radio New Zealand The government wants to redirect some of the funding it has been using for the ‘fees-free’ university scheme into trades training. Supplied/ UCOL Does having a degree pay off? The government wants to redirect some of the funding it has been using for the ‘fees-free’ university scheme into trades training. Prime … Read more

High Dependency Unit at Wellington Hospital helps ease bottleneck

Source: Radio New Zealand Stephen James, nurse manager at Wellington’s high dependency unit. RNZ / Kate Green Staff at Wellington Hospital say they could do with a hundred more beds, but the year-old High Dependency Unit has gone some way to easing the bottleneck. The unit has 12 beds for people too sick for the … Read more

Marlborough residents keen to see port redevelopment get underway after years of disruption

Source: Radio New Zealand An Interislander ferry berthed in Picton. RNZ / Samantha Gee It is clear that many people in Marlborough just want to see work get underway on the port redevelopment ahead of the new ferries arriving, after years of disrupted services. The Marlborough District Council is seeking feedback on whether to lend … Read more

David Tamihere still waiting to find out if he will be retried

Source: Radio New Zealand David Tamihere in 2017. RNZ David Tamihere will likely have to wait until July to find out whether he will be retried for the 1989 murder of two Swedish tourists. The Supreme Court quashed his convictions six weeks ago for the murder of Urban Höglin and Heidi Paakkonen, saying Crown prosecutors … Read more

Immigration NZ could ‘demand identification papers from everyone’ says civil liberties group

Source: Radio New Zealand The Law Society says an immigration bill extending search powers and curtailing appeal rights should not proceed in its current form. RNZ Submissions on legislation highlight fears about compliance powers, appeal rights Law Society said its views were not properly represented in regulatory impact statements Lawyer questions how staff will identify … Read more

Can houseplants really purify the air in your home?

Source: Radio New Zealand The question sounds simple. The answer, once you examine the actual measurement science behind it, is more interesting than either “yes” or “no”. The houseplant-as-air-purifier idea can be traced to a 1989 US study, conducted for Nasa as part of research into closed-loop life support systems for space stations. In sealed, … Read more