Residents in the Matamata area are in shock after a college student was hit and killed by a freight train.Matamata Mayor Adrienne Wilcock told Morning Report it was a tough time for the community following the death on Wednesday afternoon.”It’s always sad when these tragedies happen and you feel it…

Property valuations are set to be posted to owners in the Queenstown Lakes and the average house value is now above $2 million. The values are updated every three years for All 32,604 properties in the district by independent valuers Quotable Value (QV) on behalf of Queenstown Lakes District Council.…

By Susan Edmunds of RNZ KiwiSaver members spooked by market movements have been shifting to more conservative funds, but not at the levels seen when Covid hit in 2020, providers say. ANZ Investments managing director Fiona Mackenzie said there a couple of hundred ANZ KiwiSaver members had got in touch…

Fires are being deliberately lit just outside of Christchurch this week to test new theories on how wildfires spread under various conditions. The experimental research is a collaboration between multiple organisations, including Fire and Emergency New Zealand and the United States Forest Service.A series of controlled stubble fires were lit…

Double murderer Scott Watson has appeared before the parole board, where it emerged he was involved in a misconduct incident in prison last year.The 53-year-old has spent nearly half his life in jail for the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope in the Marlborough Sounds in 1998.Watson wore his…

Retailer Briscoe Group has reported near record full-year sales, though tight profit margins hit the bottom-line. The owner of Briscoes homeware and Rebel Sport said both brands delivered positive sales growth, though trading conditions were expected to remain tough. “Looking forward we do not underestimate just how tough trading will…

When Re: News visited Ashburton and Greymouth as part of our new series The Regions, we asked rangatahi where they hung out in their free time. Why did so many of them say Macca’s?Fast food joints are a favourite hangout spot for young people, especially for those living in the…

“In the end, successful business is people working together.” That was one of the messages from economist Shamabeel Eaqub to those attending a People Expo in Oamaru this week, organised by Dairy New Zealand and the Dairy Women’s Network. Mr Eaqub outlined both global and national economic trends, and spoke…

As a teenager, Jeremy Duckmanton did not like the idea of milking cows or getting out of bed early. Fast forward 25 years and he says a career in the dairy industry was one of the best things he could have done. Mr Duckmanton, of DMT Dairies Ltd, is a…

Education Minister Erica Stanford has had her meeting with Associate Education Minister David Seymour, with issues facing the school lunch programme on the agenda.Speaking to reporters before question time, Stanford said this morning’s meeting was “really productive”.”We went through some of the complex and challenging issues and I offered David…