Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Police are attending a serious crash in Hunua.
At around 9am, two vehicles collided at the intersection of Paparimu and Hunua roads.
One person is currently in a critical condition and will be airlifted to Auckland City Hospital.
The Serious Crash Unit will examine the scene.
Diversions are in place in the area and an investigation will commence into the crash in due course.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: Plant and Food New Zealand – Press Release/Statement:
Headline: The challenge of gene editing a plant (NT)
Gene editing is a new technology with the potential to breed new crops faster. With changing regulations worldwide on how gene editing can be incorporated into food production systems, what does it actually take to gene edit a plant crop? This week Scigest host and scientist Jay Jayaraman speaks to Zac Hanley, GM Science – New Cultivar Innovation about the science of gene editing plants. They talk about the process of gene editing, some of the challenges in using the technology and how gene editing could help develop the plant varieties of the future.
For more about the use of gene technologies in food production, see https://www.plantandfood.com/en-nz/gene-technologies. To view our full catalogue of podcasts including extra links on some podcasts please go to our Scigest pages: www.plantandfood.com/scigest
– –
Source: New Zealand Police (District News)
Police are attending a serious crash in Pukekohe this morning.
The crash occurred at around 9.15am, involving a vehicle and pedestrian at the intersection of Ward and Wellington streets.
The pedestrian is currently in a serious condition.
Police are aware that traffic has built up in the area, and we are advising the community that there will be diversions put in place.
Please avoid the area if at all possible.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
Work to ensure the continued safety of wire rope barriers on State Highway 1 Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway got underway this week.
Crews are carrying out maintenance on a 5km section of barriers located between the Johnstones Hill tunnels and the Watson Rd bridge crossing (the third bridge when heading north) in the southern section of the motorway.
Work will take place overnight, between 6pm and 6am, Monday to Thursday, to minimise disruption. During the works, there will be a 60km/h temporary speed limit in place with a shoulder and single lane closure past the work zone. Work will be limited to a maximum of 1.5km, within the 5km section, at any one time.
The works are expected to take up to 3 weeks to complete, subject to weather conditions.
Please visit the NZTA Journey Planner website for up-to-date information on these works, including any changes due to weather.
Journey Planner(external link)
NZTA thanks everyone for their patience as we undertake these important works to ensure the continued safety of road users on the Ara Tūhono – Pūhoi to Warkworth motorway.
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
The first planned night closures of State Highway 2 Remutaka Hill for 2025 begin this coming Sunday.
The route will be closed for planned maintenance for five nights, 9 pm to 4 am, from Sunday, 23 February to Friday morning 28 February. (Sunday to Thursday nights).
Road crews will be carrying out resurfacing, sign replacement, clearing drainage, maintaining barriers, and doing line marking.
Drivers must be ready for the closures and ensure they book and escorted crossing if they need to travel the route at night. The only alternative detours are via the Pahiatua Track or Saddle Road to the north – a much longer trip.
Escorted crossings for drivers of light vehicles are available during closure nights but must be booked in advance and can be made here:
Remutaka Hill Closure Escort Booking Form(external link)
Because major resurfacing works are planned, there will only be one escorted crossing per direction each night. It means bookings are essential.
Full closures mean maintenance works can be finished faster, and they are safer for road crews. Traffic volumes are also lighter at night, compared to during the day, so fewer drivers are affected.
Important information for Remutaka Hill closures
More information about planned maintenance closures for Remutaka Hill can be found here:
State Highway 2, Remutaka Hill, planned night closures. February – June 2025:
|
Nights Closed |
Start 9 pm |
Finish 4 am |
|
5 |
23 February |
28 February |
|
1 |
9 March |
10 March |
|
5 |
6 April |
11 April |
|
1 |
18 May |
19 May |
|
1 |
15 June |
16 June |
Source: Media Outreach
WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 February 2025 – The capital came alive this weekend with thousands of Wellingtonians enjoying all the range of activities on offer at the Lunar New Year Festival, organised by Asian Events Trust, held on 16 February at TSB Arena, Shed 6 and Frank Kitts Park to welcome in the Year of the Snake.
[from Left to Right] Tory Whanau, Wellington Mayor; Mark Mitchell, Minister for Ethnic Communities Hon of New Zealand.; Vincent Wong, President – APAC of Lee Kum Kee; Nancy Lu, Member of Parliament in New Zealand
Among those joining the celebrations was the newly appointed Minister for Ethnic Communities, Hon. Mark Mitchell, who officially opened the grand celebration.
Asian Events Trust Chair, Linda Lim, said the response from the community was overwhelming.
“Each year, we are amazed by the number of participants in this event. It has become an event Wellington looks forward to. We are thrilled to celebrate the cultural diversity of Wellington, where Asian communities come together to experience this rich mix of cultures.
“What started 23 years ago as a small celebration has flourished into one of Wellington’s biggest cultural events.” says Linda.
Global sauces and condiments brand Lee Kum Kee returned as the festival’s principal sponsor, continuing its commitment to promoting and sharing authentic Asian flavours and culture worldwide. Lee Kum Kee featured a diverse range of sauce products at their stall and the Lee Kum Kee Panda was popular, posing for photos and spreading joy among festival-goers.
“At Lee Kum Kee, our mission is to promote Chinese culinary culture worldwide. We’re thrilled to connect and engage with communities by supporting this event. This vibrant celebration embodies our commitment to honouring cultural traditions and fostering connections among diverse communities—values that are at the very heart of our brand,” said Gary Hui, Business Development Director – APAC, Oceania of Lee Kum Kee.
The Asian food market remained a crowd favourite. Lee Kum Kee offered a variety of sauces for free at the food market, including Premium Soy Sauce, Seasoned Soy Sauce for Dumpling, Gluten Free Oyster Sauce, and Chiu Chow Style Chilli Oil, to bring a superior culinary experience to the public. These sauces not only enhance the flavours of traditional dishes but also invite festival-goers to explore new culinary possibilities.
2025 Wellington Lunar New Year Festival, 29 January to 16 February. The full festival programme is available at www.lunarnewyearfestival.co.nz.
https://www.LKK.com/
Hashtag: #LeeKumKee #WellingtonLunarNewYearFestival
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
Source: New Zealand Police (National News)
An investigation is under way into the death of a person, who was found following a car fire at Puketaha overnight.
Emergency services were called to a vehicle fire at the intersection of Marshmeadow and Holland roads about 3.50am. The person was found deceased in the vehicle by firefighters, who notified Police.
The death is being treated as unexplained and cordons are in place while a scene examination is carried out.
Diversions are expected to be in place for several hours and trains are delayed while Police work at the scene.
Information will be released proactively when it becomes available.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
Source: Auckland Council
You can now have your say on proposed updates to Auckland Council’s Cemetery and Crematoria Bylaw. These changes follow a statutory review of the bylaw and will not impact the day-to-day running of Auckland’s public cemeteries.
Auckland Council looks after more than 50 cemeteries in Tāmaki Makaurau, including North Shore Memorial Park, Waikumete Cemetery and Manukau Memorial Gardens. Each offers a peaceful place to honour and remember loved ones, while catering to the customs and traditions of the diverse communities of Tāmaki Makaurau.
Councillor Josephine Bartley, chair of the Regulatory and Safety Committee explains a bylaw is one tool the council uses to help keep public cemeteries and crematoria safe and serving Aucklanders effectively.
“Our cemeteries are special places, and they deserve to be treated with care and respect. That’s why we have a bylaw in place and a dedicated, thoughtful team managing them,” she says.
The Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw sets out how our cemeteries operate on a daily basis, taking into consideration the cultural, physical and social needs of those who use them. It is supported by a code of practice.
Like all bylaws, there is a legal requirement to review it every few years to ensure it continues to work for Aucklanders.
Following our statutory review, council staff recommend keeping the rules we have now. This means there are no changes proposed to how Auckland’s cemeteries run on a day-to-day basis, and no change to the rules for Aucklanders.
However, the review found some duplicated and outdated information in the code of practice. To make the bylaw clearer and easier to understand, we propose to move most rules in the code of practice to the bylaw, so they are in one place.
These proposed changes will not impact the rules for Aucklanders, they will just tidy up the bylaw so it is clearer. Changes like this can only be made through a statutory review of the bylaw.
“Council staff carried out the legally required review of this bylaw in 2024 and found it to be working well. Therefore, we propose for the rules to stay the same,” says Cr Bartley.
“While the changes being proposed are administrative, we want to hear from Aucklanders whenever we make changes to our bylaws – no matter how small. It’s important these local rules work for our communities, and now is the perfect time to share your thoughts if this matters to you” she says.
You can have your say on the proposed changes to the Cemeteries and Crematoria Bylaw on the Have Your Say website. The consultation closes on Sunday 23 February.
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government is turbo charging growth to return confidence to the primary sector through common sense policies that are driving productivity and farm-gate returns, Agriculture Minister Todd McClay announced today.
“The latest Federated Farmers Farm Confidence Survey highlights strong momentum across the sector and the Government’s firm commitment to back rural New Zealand, with farmer confidence surging by 68 points since July 2024 – the largest one-off improvement in sentiment since the question was introduced,” Mr McClay says.
“With the primary sector generating more than 80 per cent of New Zealand’s goods exports directly employing more than 359,000 Kiwis, ensuring its continued success is crucial to every Kiwi’s economic future.
“That’s why last year we took over 20 actions to slash red tape and free up farming, unwinding the damage done by the previous government.
“And we’re not stopping there. This year we are going for growth and will deliver on further actions that will support the long-term success of the rural sector. We are focused on four key themes:
“These next steps are part of a broader vision for a thriving primary sector that continues to drive economic growth while delivering high-quality, safe produce. We are committed to growing the primary sector, and we won’t be shutting down farms or sending jobs and production overseas.
“The positive momentum we are seeing now is just the beginning. The Government will continue delivering for rural communities — ensuring they remain at the heart of New Zealand’s economic success,” Mr McClay says.
