A 16-metre Buddha statue is set to disrupt the peace and tranquillity of a small rural community in Waiwera Valley.Residents of the area, about 50km north of central Auckland, said they weren’t consulted about the sculpture – and because the council considered it art, no resource consent was needed.While the…

New Zealanders across the country can now access trusted primary healthcare around the clock with the launch of a new 24/7 digital health service, Health Minister Simeon Brown has announced. “A new 24/7 digital health service, launched today, means people can have virtual consultations with New Zealand-registered doctors and nurses,…

Iconic sweet treat Jaffas is being discontinued indefinitely and will no longer be available on any New Zealand shelves. Parent company RJ’s Confectionery told RNZ today the decision to stop manufacturing the lolly was “due to declining sales”. “We know this will be disappointing news for many Kiwis and loyal…

There are practical, science-backed steps councils can take to help cool our cities as summers get hotter. University of Auckland Senior Lecturer Timothy Welch explains. Stand on any car park on a sunny day in February and the heat will radiate through your shoes. At 30C air temperature, that asphalt…

Time is up for landlords who have failed to bring their properties up to standard, with all New Zealand rental homes now legally required to comply with the Healthy Homes Standards from today.The standards, passed into law in July 2019, introduced minimum standards for heating, insulation, ventilation, moisture ingress, drainage…

Police have released the name of a man who died in a crash with another driver who was known to him in Manurewa last month. He was Iu Toalua, 45, of Auckland.Counties Manukau District Commander Superintendent Shanan Gray extended condolences to his family and friends “at this difficult time”.On June…

Households are generally managing to stay on top of their debt, but hardship cases and business liquidations continue to rise.The latest report from credit bureau Centrix showed a marginal increase in the number of customers in arrears to 485,000 in May on the month before, 12.5% of the credit active…

Questions are being raised over Māori data sovereignty, ethics and trust after the government announced the scrapping of the traditional nationwide five-yearly census.A shift to a system using information from existing government information, smaller annual surveys and targeted data collection will take place from 2030.Two experts joined Scotty Morrison on…

British TV presenter Noel Edmonds has shown the damage done to his River Haven estate in Ngātīmoti after the extreme weather which lashed parts of the country last week.The 320ha estate near Motueka was purchased by Edmonds and his wife, Elizabeth Davies, in 2022 and also houses a cafe, pub,…

Shoplifters could be issued on-the-spot tickets up to $1000 as part of the government’s latest crack-down on crime.  Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith and Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee this afternoon announced the new infringement regime in Auckland, as well as tougher penalties for theft. “Currently, the administrative burden can deter…