/news/wellington/rss 九一星空无限 Keep up with the latest news from around the Wellington region with 九一星空无限talk ZB. Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:26:23 Z en /news/wellington/local-elections-2025-biggest-wins-and-closest-calls-as-special-votes-loom/ /news/wellington/local-elections-2025-biggest-wins-and-closest-calls-as-special-votes-loom/ The results from Saturday’s local body elections are in, with two races where mayors waltzed into office with more than seven times the votes of their closest rival, while another is holding a nail-biting lead of only four votes. The Herald has analysed the most resounding wins, and the closest calls, from the published preliminary and progress first past the post results. Final results are expected to be published by Friday. Special votes are yet to be counted, meaning that for a number of races, dramatic changes could still be in store. On the numbers alone, Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown can claim the strongest majority in the country, with about 90,000 votes more than the second-placed candidate, Kerrin Leoni. His result reflects the super city’s more than 270,000 residents who voted this election. By calculating the ratio between the successful candidates result and their runner-up, it is the Hauraki District’s Toby Adams who won by the greatest ratio of votes in the country. Adams, who is now heading into his third term leading the Hauraki District, received 4694 votes, while second-placed Roman Jackson only secured 622, giving Adams 7.5 votes for every vote cast for Jackson. Asked about his convincing win, Adams responded with a celebratory “woohoo”, saying he was not aware he had won with such a margin. Mayor Toby Adams shows off an environmental initiative: new orange recycling bins, a clean, cut-up carton, ready for the bin, and the finished low-carbon, upcycled building product from saveBoard. “Hauraki always punches well above its weight,” he said. “It’s quite pleasing, quite humbling”. Adams said he was confident he would win, but did not expect such a result, noting incumbent mayors have the advantage of having the profile to effectively campaign throughout their term. In the Grey District, Tania Gibson received 7.2 votes for every vote cast for her rival, the Money Free Party New Zealand’s Richard Osmaston. Osmaston ran for mayor in five districts, losing each race. The closest race, both by numbers alone and ratio of votes, was for the Westland District Council leadership, with Hokitika businesswoman Jacquie Grant named mayor-elect on a tight four-vote lead over the incumbent, Helen Lash. Jacquie Grant is the Westland District Mayor-elect but is ahead by only four votes. But Grant is not celebrating yet, saying in a post on Facebook “the election is not a done deal”. She said until special votes are counted on Thursday, “it is a waiting game”. At 82 years old, a victory would make Grant the country’s oldest mayor and the second transgender mayor after the late Georgina Beyer. Among those provisionally elected with the closest numbers is Whakatāne District Mayor-elect Nándor Tánczos, who was ahead of the incumbent, Victor Luca, by only 96 votes. Nándor Tánczos. Luca was first announced the winner on progress results, but he’s been overtaken by Tánczos on the new numbers. The former Green Party MP, who gained attention for being the first Rastafarian MP and skateboarding to work at Parliament, said on social media that while there are still 500 special votes to count, he does not expect the result to change. Chris Knox is a scientist turned data-journalist who investigates the stories behind the numbers, and creates interactives for Herald readers to explore them. Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Mon, 13 Oct 2025 08:02:46 Z /news/wellington/nz-gin-business-mothers-ruined-forced-to-rebrand-after-trademark-battle-with-energy-drink-giant/ /news/wellington/nz-gin-business-mothers-ruined-forced-to-rebrand-after-trademark-battle-with-energy-drink-giant/ A Wellington craft gin business has been forced to start again after a years-long trademark battle with an energy drink giant because its name contained the word “mother”. During the Covid lockdowns, lifelong friends Jo Davy and Helen Gower began experimenting with gin distilling. The Wellington-based scientists said that, with their combined lab experience, home distilling came naturally. “We realised that we could make good gin, and we had already had the idea for the name, so we thought we would just launch ourselves into a big adventure and see if we could make it commercial.” Both being mums, they decided on the name Mothers Ruined, a reference to “mother’s ruin”, a historical term for gin that derived from the 18th-century “gin craze” in England. Overconsumption of cheap and readily available gin led to reports of widespread neglect of children by drunken mothers. Davy and Gower applied for a trademark and set up a small distillery at Gower’s home. Their range of gin, bottled in unique recycled paper bottles, made it into more than a dozen stores across the Wellington region, and the pair sold thousands of bottles. Mothers Ruined gin distillers Helen Gower (left) and Jo Davy. “We were going great guns,” Davy said. Then, in May 2022, they were notified that there had been an objection to their trademark application from Energy Beverages, which owns global energy drink brands Monster Energy and Mother. “It was a bit of a blow”, Davy said. But the pair planned to fight, and sought help from Wellington intellectual property lawyer Kate Duckworth, who took on the case pro bono, and advised them to keep the business going. “Kate was convinced that we would win, we’d got that historical precedent, their energy drink, Mother, is a non-alcoholic in a can. How was anyone going to be confused? “She advised us to go ahead, get the bottles printed, launch, go to market, and so we did, but we had that trademark thing hanging over us.” The process dragged on for three years, with delays for hearings and extensions, leading to Davy and Gower making the difficult choice to throw in the towel. “It could have dragged on forever. If we wanted to really scale the business, having a trademark battle hanging over us was absolutely not going to help that, so we decided to call it quits with Mothers Ruined.” Davy said the decision came with “a lot of tears and a lot of rage”, and the pair have been forced to “go back to square one”. “We were tracking well, and we were scuppered.” They had to destroy thousands of unused cardboard bottles that had been printed with their branding, and Davy said the whole ordeal had set them back years. She accused Energy Beverages of using “big corporate ... kind of tactics” to go after a small start-up. Energy Beverages would not comment on its opposition to the Mothers Ruined trademark. Mother energy drink. The battle hasn’t stopped Davy and Gower, who plan to relaunch next year under the name Lippy Gin. “We’re quite lippy women,” Davy laughed, saying the name was a nod to their fight with the corporate giant. “It is back to day jobs for a bit, but still fully intending to come back with Lippy.” They are currently looking for a contract distiller and have “grand plans” for the business, aiming to start a podcast this year to build a community before potentially seeking investment next year. While they haven’t forgiven Energy Beverages, they say bowing out of the dispute was necessary for the business. “It was going to stop us from being anything other than a glorified hobby business, and we don’t want to be a glorified hobby business. We want to be a major player.” Global firm’s ‘aggressive’ strategy Earl Gray, an independent barrister specialising in intellectual property, said the Mothers Ruined case was not the first time Energy Beverages had gone after other companies in trademark disputes. “They have an aggressive strategy, that’s certain,” he said. It was previously in a long legal battle with Frucor Suntory, the New Zealand-based maker of V energy drink, over Frucor Suntory’s trademark for a particular shade of green on cans of V. After multiple court decisions, Frucor Suntory’s trademark registration was eventually upheld. Intellectual property barrister Earl Gray. Photo / Sangro Chambers Gray said opposing the Mothers Ruined trademark through the Intellectual Property Office, rather than simply suing the pair, was likely a strategic choice. “It would be very, very expensive if they sued people every time they did that. Objectively, I would have been surprised if they had succeeded. “But they probably have enough success, or scare enough people away, that they think it’s worth doing.” He said there were two alcoholic drinks on the market with registered trademarks that included the word mother: Mother’s Milk gin and In The Name of Mother Nature, a French champagne house. Their continued existence suggested Mothers Ruined could have succeeded if the case had made it to a hearing. “But by putting people to a lot of expense, people with deeper pockets often win.” Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Sat, 11 Oct 2025 20:19:00 Z /news/wellington/police-investigate-death-of-three-month-old-baby-girl-in-masterton/ /news/wellington/police-investigate-death-of-three-month-old-baby-girl-in-masterton/ Police are investigating the death of a 3-month-old baby girl in Masterton. Masterton police Detective Senior Sergeant Philip Skoglund said police were notified about 2pm on Thursday October 2. “Officers are now working to determine what exactly has occurred,” Skoglund said. He said the family have been assisting police with their investigation. Police are awaiting a formal report from the pathologist, Skoglund said, after the post-mortem examination. Tue, 07 Oct 2025 02:26:51 Z /news/wellington/wadestown-samurai-sword-burglary-accused-named-as-john-charles-salanoa/ /news/wellington/wadestown-samurai-sword-burglary-accused-named-as-john-charles-salanoa/ The man accused of trying to burgle a multimillion-dollar property with a samurai sword before being shot at and bitten by a police dog can be named. John Charles Salanoa, 54, missed his first appearance in court today because he was undergoing surgery following the volatile Sunday afternoon incident. Salanoa was arrested after allegedly trying to steal a Porsche from the Wadestown property, armed with what police called a “long-bladed weapon”. He had been scheduled to appear by video link from hospital in the Wellington District Court today, but upon call of the matter his lawyer informed the judge that he was in surgery and they had been unable to take instructions from him yet. The hearing has been adjourned until Monday. Salanoa faces charges of aggravated burglary and assault with a weapon after allegedly attacking a man with the samurai sword, court documents show. Police said they were called to a property on Anne St about 12.35pm that day after reports a man had entered a property armed with a “long-bladed weapon” and attempted to steal a vehicle. The property in question has an estimated value of $2 million to $3 million. Speaking to the Herald, a neighbour yesterday alleged a man had entered the complainant’s garage with the sword and had been spotted on security cameras trying to steal a Porsche. The homeowner had called the police upon seeing the man on the cameras. Police earlier said the man began damaging the property upon being challenged, and on police arrival, he was sprayed with OC spray. He retreated to a room in the house and refused to come out. He then allegedly became violent and “presented a threat to attending staff while still in possession of his weapon”, police said. “OC spray and Tasers have been used, and when the man has continued to escalate, a single shot has been fired by a police staff member. “The Armed Offenders Squad and Police Negotiation Team have then arrived, and the man has been taken into custody with the assistance of a police dog about 2.20pm.” He was taken to hospital to be treated for a dog bite, and had also suffered a superficial wound to his shoulder. Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said on Sunday this was a fast-moving situation involving a volatile offender. “We are fortunate this incident was resolved with no injury to our staff or members of the public. “We will be ensuring the victims of the initial burglary incident receive support, as they are understandably very traumatised by what’s happened today,” Parnell said. “Our staff attending the incident will also be supported.” The matter will be referred to the IPCA, as is standard procedure for incidents of this nature. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Thu, 02 Oct 2025 03:27:38 Z /news/wellington/alleged-burglar-armed-with-samurai-sword-tried-to-steal-porsche-from-wellington-home/ /news/wellington/alleged-burglar-armed-with-samurai-sword-tried-to-steal-porsche-from-wellington-home/ A man shot at by police in Wellington last weekend had allegedly entered a multimillion-dollar property with a samurai sword and attempted to steal a Porsche, the Herald understands. The 54-year-old is also accused of attacking a man with the sword during the incident on Sunday afternoon. The defendant is due to have his matter called in the Wellington District Court on Thursday and is facing charges of aggravated burglary and assault with a weapon. Police say they were called to a property on Anne St about 12.35pm that day after reports a man had entered a property armed with a “long-bladed weapon” and attempted to steal a vehicle. The property in question has an estimated value of $2-3 million. Speaking to the Herald, a neighbour alleged a man had entered the complainant’s garage with the sword and had been spotted on security cameras trying to steal a Porsche. The homeowner had called the police upon seeing the man on the cameras. Police earlier said the man began damaging the property upon being challenged, and on police arrival, he was sprayed with OC spray. He retreated to a room in the house and refused to come out. He then allegedly became violent and “presented a threat to attending staff while still in possession of his weapon”, police said. “OC spray and Tasers have been used, and when the man has continued to escalate, a single shot has been fired by a police staff member. “The Armed Offenders Squad and Police Negotiation Team have then arrived, and the man has been taken into custody with the assistance of a police dog about 2.20pm.” He was taken to hospital to be treated for a dog bite, and had also suffered a superficial wound to his shoulder. Court documents show he allegedly attacked a man, using a samurai sword as a weapon, during the fracas. A court registrar confirmed the defendant is still in hospital, so will appear in court by video link with a custody officer. One neighbour told the Herald on Wednesday the area did have burglaries sometimes, noting a separate occasion when another neighbour spotted a man trying to break into her garage. The woman, who said she loved murder mystery stories, was absorbed in her book when she was startled by a police officer knocking on the door to inform her of the attempted break-in. “I told him he interrupted a very important part of the book,” she said. She was unfazed by the most recent incident near her house, saying she kept a walking stick beside her bed in case of intruders. Another local said it was a “horrifying bloody thing to happen in our neighbourhood”. He said he would be “slightly more watchful” as a result of the alleged burglary. Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said on Sunday this was a fast-moving situation involving a volatile offender. “We are fortunate this incident was resolved with no injury to our staff or members of the public. “We will be ensuring the victims of the initial burglary incident receive support, as they are understandably very traumatised by what’s happened today,” Parnell said. “Our staff attending the incident will also be supported.” The matter will be referred to the IPCA, as is standard procedure for incidents of this nature. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 07:38:33 Z /news/wellington/wellington-mayoral-candidate-karl-tiefenbacher-vows-to-resign-if-blocked-by-council/ /news/wellington/wellington-mayoral-candidate-karl-tiefenbacher-vows-to-resign-if-blocked-by-council/ Wellington mayoral hopeful Karl Tiefenbacher says he would resign as mayor and ask the Government to call in commissioners to replace the elected council if he couldn’t implement his policies. Speaking to 九一星空无限talk ZB Wellington Mornings host Nick Mills, Tiefenbacher was asked by a caller if he would honour his campaign promises. “In the event that you do not honour that manifesto, would you be prepared to resign after an allocated time frame?” the caller asked. “Yeah, 100%, as far as I’m concerned, my only interest in doing this job is to get Wellington back on track and to make it the city, the great city it once was,” Tiefenbacher said. “If I can’t achieve that, I have no issue with standing down, I’ll even ask for a commissioner if need be, mate”, he said. After the interview, Tiefenbacher clarified to the Herald he would only resign and try to get the council replaced if things got to a point where it could not make effective decisions with a left-wing majority council. Karl Tiefenbacher. Photo / Mark Mitchell He then said it was not entirely “a left or right thing”. “I think we can work with people on either side, [but] I think if it gets to the point whereby we’re making poor financial decisions still, because the council is maybe lopsided, then I would be happy to say, ‘look, if we can’t do better for the city, then I’m happy to say I will resign’”. He said there were some on the left he could work with, but others on the “far left, which makes it more difficult to have rational conversations”. Tiefenbacher, a centre-right pro-business candidate, announced his bid to lead the capital on 九一星空无限talk ZB in March. His priorities include changing the culture of the Wellington City Council, keeping rates down, and stopping wasteful spending. Asked by Mills what he would cut to stop rates rises, he said cycleway projects and the Golden Mile project would be on the chopping block. Tiefenbacher, who calls himself “Wellington’s ice cream guy” as the founder of Kaffee Eis, has previously run for council twice and lost. Last year, he fell short by only 45 votes to the Green Party’s Geordie Rogers in a byelection for the Pukehīnau Lambton Ward. His biography states Tiefenbacher was born and raised in Wellington and had “a successful career in the finance sector for 18 years” before starting cafe and gelato manufacturer Kaffee Eis. Wellington City Council meeting at their chambers on The Terrace. Photo / Mark Mitchell. Issues at the Wellington City Council came to a head late last year when its Long Term Plan was passed. The Government stepped in with the appointment of a Crown Observer. He ended his term in July this year, noting no further need for government intervention. In 2021, then-Local Government Minister Nanaia Mahuta appointed commissioners to Tauranga City Council after an independent report found significant governance issues in the council and the resignation of three elected members, including first-term Mayor Tenby Powell. Wellington’s mayoral race has already been plagued by scandal, legal threats, and claims of dirty politics. Tiefenbacher is running for mayor against Alex Baker, Andrew Little, Diane Calvert, Donald McDonald, Joan Shi, Josh Harford, Kelvin Hastie, Ray Chung, Rob Goulden, Scott Caldwell, and Pennywize the Rewilding Clown. Voting has been open since September 9 and closes at noon on Saturday, October 11. Provisional results will be released the same day, with the final results declared on October 16. Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Wed, 01 Oct 2025 01:54:06 Z /news/wellington/tramper-rescued-from-upper-hutt-bush-after-falling-into-steep-canyon/ /news/wellington/tramper-rescued-from-upper-hutt-bush-after-falling-into-steep-canyon/ A tramper has been rescued after falling into a steep, narrow canyon in the Upper Hutt bush. Wellington Police’s search and rescue squad was called into action on Sunday after a personal locator beacon (PLB) activation in the Little Akatarawa River area. It would have taken hours for members of the person’s tramping group to reach an area with cellphone reception, police said. The Rescue Coordination Centre requested assistance after the beacon was activated by a tramping group deep in the bush. Upon arrival, police rescue teams discovered a patient had fallen from height into a steep and narrow canyon, suffering moderate injuries. Land Search and Rescue (LandSAR), Canyon Search and Rescue, and the Wellington Free Ambulance Rescue Response team helped move the patient to a suitable site to be airlifted out by helicopter.  Rescuers were able to move the patient to a spot where the helicopter could extract them. Wellington District Search and Rescue duty officer Constable Jago Dellow said this was a significant team effort in difficult terrain. “The combined expertise of our volunteers and emergency services ensured the patient received urgent medical care,” Dellow said. The tramping group was well prepared and carrying multiple PLBs. “If they hadn’t had a beacon, it could have taken hours to reach an area with cellphone coverage,” he said. “This incident highlights the importance of carrying multiple forms of communication and letting someone know your plans before heading into the outdoors.” As summer approaches, police remind outdoor enthusiasts to be prepared Before heading into the outdoors, make sure you’re properly equipped. That means packing enough warm clothing, food and shelter to handle unexpected conditions – and carrying at least two reliable forms of communication. One of those should ideally be a PLB, which can alert emergency services even when you’re far from cell coverage. Plan your trip carefully and always let someone know where you’re going and when you expect to return. These simple steps can make all the difference in an emergency. The rescue chopper pulled the patient from the bush in Upper Hutt. Rescue Coordination Centre reminds users to register beacons PLBs are important tools for people heading into the wilderness but they should be registered to help rescuers do their job properly. There are 150,000 registered beacons in New Zealand. “We don’t know just how many beacons are out there all told,” said search and rescue officer Alex Taylor. Registering them is “incredibly easy to do” and can be done online on the beacons.org.nz website. Beacons, which cost between $400 and $600 and last for five to 10 years, should not be put in the rubbish. According to beacons.org.nz, owners should first ensure their beacon is deregistered on the website and then send it to the RCCNZ office in Lower Hutt so the battery can be safely disabled and disposed of. More information can be found on the website. RCCNZ is responsible for responding to crashed or missing aircraft incidents, offshore maritime incidents, and PLB alerts across an area stretching from the South Pole to nearly the equator. The range stretches halfway to Australia and halfway to Chile and includes some of the Pacific islands and the Antarctic area. When a beacon alert comes in, the first thing the team will do is check to see if it’s registered and then try to contact the owner or their emergency contacts. If that doesn’t work, they check to see if the location it is pinging at is associated with a known landfill or dump. Sometimes, depending on the terrain or the orientation of the beacon, the alert can be precise, while other times it may have a margin of error of up to a kilometre. If the antenna is extended, this affects how precise the location is. The beacon allowed rescuers to find the patient hours earlier than they otherwise would have. If the team cannot verify the alert is accidental, they will send out “assets”, often a rescue helicopter, to search the area it is pinging. The choppers have better equipment for narrowing down alert signals. The RCCNZ has asked that, heading through spring, PLB owners make sure their devices are registered or, if they are disposing of them, that they deregister them and send them to be properly decommissioned. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Mon, 29 Sept 2025 00:42:25 Z /news/wellington/man-charged-after-laser-pointed-at-planes-near-wellington-airport/ /news/wellington/man-charged-after-laser-pointed-at-planes-near-wellington-airport/ A man is before the courts after a laser was pointed at two commercial aircraft in Wellington on Saturday. Around 6.45pm, police were alerted by Air Traffic Control that a plane preparing to land at Wellington Airport had been targeted by a laser. Five minutes later, a second plane reported the same. The laser appeared to come from Stokes Valley. An officer already in the area responded and, within 10 minutes, located a man with a laser. He was taken into custody. An officer already in Stokes Valley on unrelated matters was able to respond, and within 10 minutes, the man was located with a laser and taken into custody. Police say pointing a laser at any aircraft is extremely dangerous and warn that offenders will be held to account. A 35-year-old man is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on Monday 22 September, charged with endangering transport. Sat, 20 Sept 2025 20:22:16 Z /news/wellington/loafers-lodge-murder-trial-unreliable-defendant-changed-story-around-insanity-symptoms/ /news/wellington/loafers-lodge-murder-trial-unreliable-defendant-changed-story-around-insanity-symptoms/ The man who lit the deadly Loafers Lodge hostel fire changed his story about what happened around the time he would have been considering his plea of insanity, a court has heard. Despite the inconsistencies in the alleged murderer’s accounts, a psychologist has said he believed the man’s self-report that voices commanded him to light the fire. Dr Krishnen Pillay was the only one of six psychologists who assessed the man who believed he was insane. The defendant is on trial in the High Court at Wellington charged with arson and five counts of murder for killing Mike Wahrlich, Liam Hockings, Peter O’Sullivan, Melvin Parun and Kenneth Barnard on May 16, 2023. He has interim name suppression and is claiming a defence of insanity, but does not dispute that he lit the fire. He has previously been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and absconded from a mental health facility just weeks before the fire. Pillay has been giving evidence for the defence this week, providing his expert opinion that he believes a defence of insanity is available to the man. The Loafers Lodge fire accused has interim name suppression throughout the trial. Photo / Marty Melville The defendant spent the first few months after lighting the fire flatly denying he had done it, and telling experts he was not hearing voices at the time. In contrast, when Pillay interviewed him at the end of August that year, the man’s story changed to say he had been commanded by voices to light the fires. “This significant change took place around the time that he was thinking about his plea of not guilty by reason of insanity,” said Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop during cross-examination. She noted Pillay was the only expert who did not include in his report any considerations about whether the defendant’s account of what happened was reliable. She noted that psychologists assessing the mental health of those accused of crimes are required to consider whether the person is “malingering”, which involves falsifying or exaggerating symptoms for some type of personal gain. “Please explain to the court why you have not addressed this elephant in the room, that all five other experts say that [the defendant’s] accounts are unreliable,” Bishop said. Pillay said the defendant tended to say what he thought people wanted to hear, and said he would expect him to become more “open” about his symptoms once in recovery from his mental illness, which the man was at the time of the interview. Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop has been cross-examining the expert. File photo / Mark Mitchell He said he was careful not to put words in the defendant’s mouth or ask him if voices had told him to do it. Pillay also said it was possible the man hadn’t told earlier interviewers about his symptoms because he didn’t want to incriminate himself. “From my read of your report, your two reports, you don’t mention reliability at all. Is that right?” Bishop asked. “I may not have, I probably don’t mention reliability in the report,” Pillay said. “By contrast, all of the other experts in this case have expressly questioned the reliability of [the defendant’s] self-report within their reports,” Bishop noted. She also pointed to some of Pillay’s notes in which he described the defendant as “truthful”. “It looks like that was a scribbled note as it came to mind. I just scribbled things in the margin,” Pillay said. Bishop took him through several inconsistencies in the defendant’s accounts, including the fact he lied to police and two other experts initially by saying he had not lit the fire. “You’d agree that fundamentally demonstrates [he] is capable of lying about the fires,” Bishop said, asking if Pillay agreed he should have taken this into account in drawing his own opinion. After a lengthy pause, Pillay said yes. He noted denial was a “fundamental thing” and it was common in his experience for people to start telling the truth after receiving treatment. Loafers Lodge hostel was set on fire in May 2023. Referencing other inconsistencies in the man’s accounts, Pillay said the defendant was an “unreliable historian” but that he did apply “a degree of scepticism” when assessing his reliability. Through her cross-examination Bishop also pointed to multiple pieces of evidence which she said did not support a finding of insanity. Pillay agreed much of the CCTV footage of the defendant was clinically unremarkable and showed the man being organised and keeping good hygiene. “We know from the history that when [he] is very unwell, he tends to be grossly disorganised, grossly thought-disordered,” Bishop said, adding that the behaviour by the defendant before the fire was not consistent with how he was known to act when he was seriously unwell. Pillay said the man’s “flare-ups” waxed and waned and could happen and diminish quite suddenly. He agreed that some of the man’s more serious symptoms, including crawling on the floor and “sniffing at blood” were not exhibited at the time. When pressed by Bishop, he agreed that the “objective evidence” did not show he was seriously psychotically unwell, and that he primarily based his opinion on the defendant’s self-report of his symptoms. Pillay disagreed with the other experts on many aspects of the defendant’s mental health, noting multiple behaviours he believed were signs the man was seriously unwell. The trial continues. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Tue, 16 Sept 2025 03:44:52 Z /news/wellington/wellington-house-price-slump-weighs-on-national-average-median-house-now-761-000/ /news/wellington/wellington-house-price-slump-weighs-on-national-average-median-house-now-761-000/ A slump in house prices in Wellington and Northland brought down the national median price, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand (REINZ). The median price for New Zealand decreased by $4000, or 0.5%, to $761,000 in the 12 months to August, REINZ said. But only three of 16 regions did not see a rise in the past year. House prices in Wellington fell 6.9% to $740,000 when compared with August last year. Northland house prices dropped 3.2% to $600,000. A spokesperson for REINZ said public sector headwinds, buyer caution and investor retreat were some factors having a negative impact on the Wellington region. “The region’s largest employer, central government, has been reducing headcount and freezing hiring, denting household confidence. “Many buyers are delaying decisions due to uncertainty about job security and cost-of-living pressures … and investors have pulled back in favour of regions with stronger rental returns.” Auckland’s median house price increased by 1.3% to $964,000 year on year. The most significant increases were recorded in Gisborne, up 11.3% from $620,000 to $690,000; Southland, up 8.9% to $465,000; and in the West Coast, up 7.8% to $385,000. “Across New Zealand, confidence in the property market is tempered with caution,” said REINZ chief executive Lizzy Ryley. “At this stage, both buyers and sellers appear to be taking a measured approach as they watch how the market unfolds, particularly as we near Spring.” Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon said the New Zealand housing market remained fairly static in August. “Prices were flat for the month, and sales continued to ease off their earlier highs. “The price performance remains mixed across the country. Conditions have been tougher in the main centres … the more rural regions have generally fared better, particularly in the South Island – prices in Otago and Southland have been on the rise this year and are above their Covid-era peaks.” Meanwhile, sales across the country stalled in August, with nationwide sales declining year on year and month on month by 3.7% and 11.1% respectively. “While sales have eased in parts of the market, most regions are still seeing increases in median prices. Properties are taking different lengths of time to sell depending on the area, which shows that while the market is active, buyers are considering their options carefully,” Ryley said. Tue, 16 Sept 2025 01:58:42 Z /news/wellington/government-confirms-long-promised-watts-peninsula-reserve-in-wellington/ /news/wellington/government-confirms-long-promised-watts-peninsula-reserve-in-wellington/ The Government has finally confirmed it will turn 72ha of “majestic” land on Wellington’s Watts Peninsula into a public reserve after 14 years of promises and stalled plans, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka and Land Information Minister Chris Penk announced the decision at the peninsula today. The land, regarded as a prominent Wellington landmark situated at the northern tip of Miramar Peninsula, is currently owned by Land Information New Zealand (Linz). It will be transferred to the Department of Conservation (DoC) and the reserve will be managed by a trust with trustees appointed by local iwi Taranaki Whānui, Wellington City Council and DoC. The cost to maintain the reserve will partly be the responsibility of the Port Nicholson Block Settlement Trust (PNBST), which is the commercial entity set up to manage Taranaki Whānui’s Treaty settlement. The council will also spend $750,000 per year to help manage the reserve and $2.5 million from the Plimmer Bequest Fund will be used for future upgrade work. Potaka said public access would be established in about “six to 12 months” after natural hazards on the “majestic” parcel of land had been dealt with. A reserve on Watts Peninsula was first announced in 2011. The former New Zealand Defence Force land is home to historical military gun emplacements and former ammunition magazines. There are several historical pā sites on Te Motu Kairangi (Miramar Peninsula), making the land culturally significant to iwi. The area is also connected to early European settlement as it formed part of the New Zealand Company’s purchase and was eventually carved up. The first owner of Lot 3 was James Watt, after whom the peninsula was named. The area is already popular for recreation with walking tracks, a community garden and a farm that hosts school visits. “Watts Peninsula, also known as Mātai Moana, is a prominent landmark with enormous historical and cultural significance for many New Zealanders,” Potaka said. Penk said the reserve was a long time coming and thanked everyone who had advocated for a reserve. Before it can officially open to the public, it must be transferred from DoC under the Public Works Act and be prepared for public access. Conservation Minister Tama Potaka (left) and Land Information Minister Chris Penk with Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau and Taranaki Whanui representative Te Whatanui Winiata on Watts Peninsula. Photo / Mark Mitchell Chris Finlayson was the Arts, Culture and Heritage Minister in 2011 when the reserve was first announced and said it would be protected as a place of national significance for all New Zealanders. “We now have the opportunity to preserve and regenerate it as a space for future generations to enjoy. The site will be protected as a distinctive national destination with cultural and recreational potential,” he said in a Beehive press release at the time. At that time, Wellington Prison, known as Mt Crawford prison, was still operating on land adjoining the area earmarked for the reserve. In 2014, the Crown, PNBST and Wellington City Council signed a memorandum of understanding to develop the future vision for the reserve. In 2018, PNBST started working with the Ministry for Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) on a proposal to develop the former prison site. There were plans for a commercial precinct including a cafe, early learning centre, superette and a community or cultural centre. Construction was expected to start last year if special consent had been granted but the then-Environment Minister David Parker declined it, which stalled the plans. In Budget 2019, Linz received $4m to prepare the land for public access and site maintenance until the reserve was established. Last year, Linz head of Crown property Sonya Wikitera said $2.3m of that money had been spent on activities including removing dangerous trees, regular mowing and maintenance, and hazard, archaeological and seismic assessments. Sir Peter Jackson’s green vision realised Sir Peter Jackson, who owns tens of millions of dollars worth of commercial property in the area has long voiced his hope for the land to become a “long-promised public reserve”. The film-maker publicly voiced concern about protecting the “green belt” for future generations in 2011. He said at the time that he did not intend to buy the land but supported it remaining in public ownership. Film-maker Sir Peter Jackson has advocated for the land on Watts Peninsula to become public reserve. Jackson is mentioned by name in a 2017 Cabinet paper about the fate of Watts Peninsula. “The filmset area has previously been used for filming, notably by Sir Peter Jackson, and parties like him and other stakeholders are opposed to development on the site as this will likely prevent future filming work,” the paper said. The ministers said they had not spoken to Jackson about the announcement but acknowledged he had previously expressed his views about the site. Penk said the Government is “really keen to remain engaged with everyone who has got a strong view on what exactly the land could be used for”. “It’s an open invitation for anyone who has got a view, Mr Jackson included, to remain engaged, no longer through Linz but through the Department of Conservation and Minister Potaka about what that could look like,” he said. Jackson and his partner Fran Walsh also purchased land at Shelly Bay in 2023 to restore its “natural beauty” and stop a controversial $500m housing development planned there. In June it was revealed Jackson had sought consent to create a museum and exhibition space as well as residential accommodation in a historic building on the Shelly Bay site on the peninsula. Ethan Manera is a Wellington-based journalist covering Wellington issues, local politics and business in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz. Wed, 10 Sept 2025 04:06:32 Z /news/wellington/three-arrested-after-1000-haul-of-shoplifted-meat-found-in-car/ /news/wellington/three-arrested-after-1000-haul-of-shoplifted-meat-found-in-car/ Three people have been arrested in Wellington after being stopped by police with a car full of allegedly shoplifted meat. About $1000 of meat was found in the vehicle and the three occupants, an 18-year-old man from Lower Hutt and two young people, were arrested. All three were charged with shoplifting offences and are due to appear in Wellington Youth Court today. Police had been notified at the weekend of separate instances at supermarkets in Island Bay and Crofton Downs where premium cuts of meat were taken. A vehicle of interest was spotted travelling north from Wellington and was stopped without issue in Lower Hutt. Prime cuts of beef, pork and lamb appear to have been recovered, including at least eight T-bone steaks, two pork shoulder roasts, three pork leg roasts and five legs of lamb. The meat was discovered when a vehicle was stopped in Lower Hutt. Photos supplied by police show more than 35 packs of beef, including T-bone steaks starting from $25. The highest priced beef items appear to be more than $50. One of the legs of lamb was more than $70. “These were targeted thefts of high-value items, no doubt destined to be on-sold,” said Wellington area prevention manager Inspector Jason McCarthy. “We won’t tolerate this type of offending and are working hard to hold those committing retail crime to account.” Police have made several arrests related to meat thefts in recent years, including one woman who was charged with stealing $14,500 worth from a catering company in 2022. Elyse Elizabeth Wilson was found to have stolen the meat from her previous employer in Otago and sentenced to six months’ home detention. Police also arrested a man in December 2024 for stealing more than $1000 worth of meat from a single supermarket in Auckland. Tue, 02 Sept 2025 01:54:21 Z /news/wellington/transmission-gully-set-to-be-resurfaced-rebuilt-over-summer/ /news/wellington/transmission-gully-set-to-be-resurfaced-rebuilt-over-summer/ Wellington commuters can expect more disruption on the beleaguered Transmission Gully, as work's done to patch up a stretch of the Lower North Island highway for up to half a year. The Transport Agency is planning to re-surface and rebuild several kilometres of the road north of Porirua, likely meaning lane closures during the day, and full closures at night. The work's forecast to go from roughly October until March. It comes just three and a half years after the $1.25 billion highway opened after years of delays, and relates to a legal battle with one of the road's builders over unfinished work and quality issues. The agency settled the matter out of court. NZTA Regional Manager Mark Owen said the work's not unexpected, but part of the road has deteriorated faster than expected, and concedes it will be frustrating for drivers over virtually the entirety of summer. "At the moment there are some sections that are a little bit rough, and the chipsealing's not always the most waterproof," he said. "[The road] was finished acceptable for people to use, but it wasn't complete." NZTA is still finalising its plan for the work, and is expected to announce a schedule and cost over the coming week or so. Owen concedes it's frustrating and asks drivers to be patient, but sees this as the last major hiccup before the highway's finally completed. "It's going to take a little bit of time ... we've got an intensive programme to fix it so it lasts its life cycle." A proposal for Transmission Gully's speed limit to be increased to 110km/hr is also being considered, but would likely have to wait until after this work. Wed, 27 Aug 2025 17:00:06 Z /news/wellington/loafers-lodge-murder-trial-firefighters-explain-narrow-escape-from-deadly-fire/ /news/wellington/loafers-lodge-murder-trial-firefighters-explain-narrow-escape-from-deadly-fire/ The first firefighters to enter the raging Loafers Lodge hostel blaze have described their narrow escape from the building shortly before a deadly flashover happened. Brady Cutting and Noel Wellington have detailed crawling blindly on their stomachs through pitch black smoke towards an “unbearable” heat as they tried to find the fire. They have both given evidence in the Wellington High Court during a trial for the man accused of lighting the fire. The 50-year-old, who has interim name suppression, has denied five counts of murder and two of arson. He is accused of killing Mike Wahrlich, Liam Hockings, Peter O’Sullivan, Melvin Parun and Kenneth Barnard in the fire, which happened shortly after midnight on May 16, 2023. Wellington told the court there was “zero visibility” on the fire floor that night. He explained how he held the thermal imaging camera directly up to his visor to try to see a thermal layout of the room, but even then smoke was obstructing his vision. The defendant has name suppression throughout the trial. Photo / Marty Melville “I started to notice sparks of flashes from within the smoke. This is a clear indication that fire was going to flash or flashover,” he said. Flashover is when a fire reaches such a high temperature that all combustible materials in the area can spontaneously ignite. His colleague, Cutting, had earlier described flashover, saying it meant “everything in the room can burst into flames and if you’re in there when it happens you’ll essentially burn to death in your equipment”. Wellington took several long pauses as he described the moment he started seeing the signs that flashover was “imminent”. “At about the time I noticed the signs of flashover, I was hit by something very heavy that had fallen from above. I was on my knees and it knocked me to the floor. I quickly realised the structure from above us was collapsing down,” he said. He sent a radio message advising of the danger and was instructed to withdraw. A short time after they left the building, the flashover happened. Cutting also spoke of the narrow escape, saying shortly before leaving they had been trying to spray water towards the seat of the fire. “Conditions, including the heat, were changing rapidly,” he said. “The heat was unbearable, we were essentially lying on the floor simply trying to protect ourselves.” After they left the building and took off their breathing apparatus sets, he said he spent some time “gathering myself for a bit and reflecting on what just happened”. Station officer Mark Powell also gave evidence, describing having to make the call to withdraw his crew. Staff advised they were still searching the mezzanine floor and had one room left to check. “I told him to leave it and get out immediately.” Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop said the defendant did not want to live at Loafers Lodge. Photo / Marty Melville Within seconds of exiting, the flashover happened, he said. He believed if anybody was still on the third floor at that time, they had not survived. “I had to make that call to protect the firefighters, as they would have not survived long at all in that flashover event.” The trial began yesterday, with Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop suggesting to the jury the defendant lit the fire because he didn’t like living at Loafers Lodge. He had lived at the boarding house for just a week before he started the deadly blaze. Bishop understood he did not dispute he was the one who lit the fire, but would likely claim a defence of insanity. Loafer's Lodge residents Mike Wahrlich (top left), Liam Hockings, Peter O'Sullivan, Melvin Parun (bottom left) and Kenneth Barnard were killed in the blaze. She explained CCTV footage would be presented to the jury, showing the man first trying to light a fire under a couch about 10.30pm, which was put out by other residents. The footage then shows him returning and lighting another fire in a cupboard shortly after midnight. Bishop said for a verdict of insanity the jury needed to believe on the balance of probabilities the defendant was labouring under a disease of the mind - to such an extent it made him incapable of either understanding the nature and quality of the acts, or knowing the act of murdering the five people was morally wrong. He could still be guilty of murder even if he didn’t intend for his actions to kill anyone, so long as he knew they were likely to cause death. The trial, before Justice Peter Churchman, is expected to take five weeks, and more than 100 witnesses will be called to give evidence. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Tue, 26 Aug 2025 01:39:25 Z /news/wellington/hutt-city-council-s-controversial-licence-plate-recognition-parking-system-brings-in-triple-the-fines-of-the-average-warden/ /news/wellington/hutt-city-council-s-controversial-licence-plate-recognition-parking-system-brings-in-triple-the-fines-of-the-average-warden/ A controversial new parking ticket system is bringing in more than triple the fines of the average warden, but a Lower Hutt man says drivers are being used as “guinea pigs”. Hutt City Council has received a flood of appeals over its licence plate recognition (LPR) system after a printing error meant multiple people were sent tickets accusing them of “impossible” parking offences. Bewildered drivers told the council they could not have committed a parking offence when their tickets said they did, because they were out of town or even out of the country on those days. Others said their tickets stated they had parked without paying in the early hours of the morning when they were asleep, or when they had proof their vehicle was at the mechanic. Some tickets even appeared to defy the laws of time. “The notice states that my vehicle was parked from 1.32pm until 12.15pm, which is not only incorrect but also an impossible timeframe,” one wrote in their appeal. How the new tech works The council began officially using the LPR system, known as the Aero Ranger camera kit, in February after a six-month trial. The kit is attached to the windows of one of the council’s parking enforcement vehicles. The camera records information about vehicles and visible parking signage as it drives around, then on its return, can register whether a car should have moved or whether it has paid for the parking. The technology can also check that warrants of fitness and car registrations are current and identify vehicles that have been registered as stolen. ‘We’re the guinea pigs’ Local man Dave, who wanted only his first name used, said he has had three tickets waived since LPR was introduced. The cameras on the council car are from the Aero Ranger kit. Photo / Hutt City Council One of the tickets was incorrect because the system had not recognised he had a parking pass, and the other two were waived after he continued to push back on the printing error. Dave said he received the tickets in the post more than a month after the offences were committed, which was unfair because it did not allow him to properly defend against them. “You’re relying on a system that hasn’t necessarily been challenged enough,” he said. “We’re the guinea pigs and we’re being used to sort through the issues with their system.” One person appealed four tickets, saying it was “absolutely ridiculous and terrible ticket management”. “Now you expect people to pay a massive amount of money up front or you will send collections? How does this provide opportunities for people to pay when you are dropping mass amounts on people? I will absolutely take responsibility for not paying for parking. That is okay. But finding out I have three tickets backdated to near a month ago? I need an explanation.” The council has refused to waive most of the tickets, saying that while the times printed on the ticket were incorrect, the data and photographs collected by the system were not. Hutt City Council began using the LPR car for infringements in February, 2025. “LPR cameras record a vehicle’s licence plate number, location, tyre stem position, and the parking conditions that apply in an area,” council staff wrote in responses to the appeals. “At times, things don’t always go according to plan, and some teething issues are always expected when a new system is adopted.” So far, the new system has issued $873,000 worth of infringements, most of which were spread across the five months to July. Tickets given out by on-foot parking wardens – of which there are about five – totalled about $1.2 million over the five months. Across the five months, the LPR system has been more than three times more lucrative than the average warden. Hutt City Council introduced a licence plate recognition (LPR) car to its parking enforcement fleet in early 2025. Photo / Hutt City Council In the first few months of operation there were nearly 200 appeals relating to the LPR system, many of which resulted from the printing error. About $1400 worth of these tickets were waived or cancelled, either due to a legitimate error or as a gesture of goodwill from the council. “Council was comfortable with the legitimacy of all the LPR infringements that were issued, as they were backed by solid photographic evidence,” said the council’s head of environmental protection, Justin Roberts. He said the council took note of complaints from drivers who received several tickets in the mail in one go, and who said they would not have committed subsequent offences if they had received a physical parking ticket sooner. “In this regard, a one-off educational [lenient] approach was taken for the roll-out of the technology, and so some tickets were waived based on their own individual merits,” Roberts said. He also referred to the high number of images that had to be reviewed by staff before tickets could be sent out, which meant tickets were only sent out about a fortnight after the offence. The council has now managed to bring this timeframe down to one week. Similar LPR systems have been brought in by councils around New Zealand, including in Wellington, Auckland and Hamilton. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Sat, 23 Aug 2025 21:59:59 Z /news/wellington/judge-rules-in-favour-of-lower-hutt-mayor-campbell-barry-in-messy-property-dispute-with-mother-in-law/ /news/wellington/judge-rules-in-favour-of-lower-hutt-mayor-campbell-barry-in-messy-property-dispute-with-mother-in-law/ A judge has ruled in favour of Lower Hutt’s mayor Campbell Barry in a messy property dispute involving his estranged mother-in-law and even his political rivals. The court’s decision has detailed the “irretrievably broken down” family relationship, finding that an order to ultimately remove mother-in-law Debra Harris from the jointly-owned property was needed. Harris, who has been supported by or linked to three of Barry’s political rivals and critics, has argued having to leave the property will cause her hardship, particularly due to her ongoing treatment for cancer. But Justice Karen Grau found the hardship suffered by Barry and his wife, Laura Barry, would be higher if Harris were to remain, pointing to Harris’ “intrusion” into their privacy by “stealing their security camera footage to use against them”, as well as allegations from Harris that Barry was “corrupt”. “This decision is not about fraud or corruption, unlawful building work or mistreatment of animals. Debra has made these and other allegations,” Justice Grau said in her decision, released yesterday. “Nor is it about politics, or who did what work on the property, or how people choose to live in their homes. Such matters are only relevant to the extent they demonstrate the total breakdown in the relationship between the Barrys and Debra and the hardship claimed by both sides of this unhappy situation.” The Barrys bought the 5.1ha Wainuiomata property in 2019, jointly with Laura Barry’s parents, John and Debra Harris. They intended to live together on the property and share the ownership costs, but the relationship took a turn for the worse in 2022, when John and Debra Harris separated from each other. Campbell Barry keeps sheep and alpacas on the Wainuiomata property. Debra Harris now lives in another dwelling on the property, while John Harris lives overseas and covers both of their shares of the costs for the property. He told the court he had made nine separate offers since 2022 to try to buy out his ex-wife, but has been unsuccessful. Multiple grievances have since been raised, including Debra Harris’ belief that she and her husband put more money into the property than the Barrys. This was based on the fact their cash deposit was higher, but did not account for the mortgage the Barrys took out to cover their share, which only they are responsible for servicing. “As John has said (and demonstrated), everything worked out as an equal split between the two couples. Debra says he is not telling the truth. When asked at the hearing why he would do so, she said he was controlled by the Barrys,” Justice Grau said. She highlighted issues around the finances “as an example of how Debra’s views make it difficult, or impossible, for co-ownership to continue”. The Barrys wish to carry out renovations that a necessary due to weather damage, but cannot currently do so without Harris’ agreement. Justice Grau also referred to allegations of corruption that were made against Barry in 2020, which were determined to be unfounded after a Serious Fraud Office investigation. “However, Debra continues to state that the purchase of the property was ‘dodgy’. She refers to Campbell as ‘corrupt’. She also refers to what she says are the ‘unethical, if not unlawful criminal circumstances’ in which the property was acquired.” She has appointed Mark Crofskey - a “political commentator and a vocal opponent of Campbell” - as her agent and has had another of Barry’s opponents, Leigh Sutton, as her support person in court. She has also been linked to former councillor Chris Milne, who Barry has taken to court under the Harmful Digital Communications Act over social media posts. The judge referred to the way Laura Barry’s relationship with her mother had “deteriorated” since the Harrises separated, with Laura Barry alleging her mother had been making “malicious comments” about them on Facebook and sending upsetting messages to her. Debra Harris claimed she was a victim of elder abuse, but also said she could simply treat her daughter as a neighbour and get on with her life, Justice Grau said. “I have not referred to all of the many matters that have been raised. In my view, what I have described above is amply sufficient to demonstrate that the relationship between the co-owners has irretrievably broken down.” She also noted Harris had acknowledged CCTV footage given to the court of the Barrys was taken by her from their security cameras. Debra Harris has been linked to former councillor Chris Milne, who Campbell Barry has taken to court under the Harmful Digital Communications Act. “This is a matter of significant concern, as it suggests a high degree of intrusion into the Barrys’ private affairs.” Harris has told the court she does not want to leave her home and is unwell following her cancer diagnosis. She said it was “disgusting to be treated like this”. But Justice Grau said the hardship to the Barrys was higher if Harris was to remain a part-owner of the property. Removing her ownership of the property would not stop her making further allegations against the Barrys, but it did mean the Barrys no longer had to worry about their public critics being invited onto their property. “Nor will they need be concerned about people stealing their security camera footage to use against them. “As I have said, Debra’s beliefs are intractable, even when they are demonstrably mistaken.” Justice Grau found an order should be made allowing the Barrys to acquire Harris’ share of the property, but has asked parties to make further submissions on what form the order should take and how it should relate to John Harris’ share. Once this is settled, the judge will allow three months for Debra Harris to vacate the property. Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime, justice and news in the capital. She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years. Wed, 20 Aug 2025 01:29:11 Z /news/wellington/wellington-bus-catches-fire-on-state-highway-1/ /news/wellington/wellington-bus-catches-fire-on-state-highway-1/ A Wellington Metlink bus has caught fire blocking a lane of traffic on State Highway 1 this afternoon. Four fire trucks and a water tanker are at the scene on the motorway in Linden between Tawa and Porirua. A Fire and Emergency spokeswoman told the Herald the fire was out but crews had stayed to give the bus a “good water down”. The NZ Transport Agency said fire blocked one of the two southbound lanes between the Mungavin Interchange and the SH1/SH59 merge. Metlink is the Wellington region's public transport provider. Photo / Ross Setford Metlink confirmed the bus had no passengers and was not in service. Staff onboard the bus were safe, a Metlink spokeswoman said. A photo posted by the agency shows a thick cloud of white smoke coming from behind an overbridge. SH59 LINDEN, SOUTHBOUND - BUS FIRE - 2:50PMA bus fire is BLOCKING one of two southbound lanes between the Mungavin Interchange and the SH1/SH59 merge. Expect delays and allow additional time for southbound travel on SH59 south of Mungavin. ^CS pic.twitter.com/GckvqMHQ8t— NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi - Wellington (@nztawgtn) August 15, 2025 Police are controlling traffic. A local posted on a community Facebook page to warn of the disruption. “We just drove past a small Metlink bus fully ablaze between Porirua and Tawa (Southbound) on SH1 - avoid the area if you can!” the post said. It comes after an Auckland Transport bus caught fire on the city’s North Shore this morning. The bus driver and another person were hurriedly trying to fight the blaze with fire extinguishers while they waited for firefighters. Auckland Transport said an out-of-service bus with no passengers on board caught fire outside the Birkenhead depot at 8.48am. “Staff noticed smoke coming from the engine of the diesel-powered bus, and a crew from Fire and Emergency acted quickly to extinguish it.” There were no injuries, and the cause of the fire would be investigated, AT said. Fri, 15 Aug 2025 03:49:35 Z /news/wellington/hutt-city-council-to-switch-all-parking-meters-to-cashless-after-huge-vandalism-bill/ /news/wellington/hutt-city-council-to-switch-all-parking-meters-to-cashless-after-huge-vandalism-bill/ Locals and visitors to Lower Hutt won’t be able to use cash to pay for parking any more because theft and vandalism of the meters is costing the council too much. The Hutt City Council has had to fork out $114,000 so far this year to replace vandalised parking meters, despite thieves managing to take only $2975 in cash. “These crimes are completely pointless,” said head of environmental protection Justin Roberts. While the amount stolen is comparatively small, the costs to repair and replace the meters has been large. Replacing just one vandalised meter costs $2500 to $7000. “The damage done far outweighs the small amount of cash stolen per meter. It’s ratepayers who end up footing the bill, and the result is frustration for drivers and added pressure on businesses,” Roberts said. About 96 of the council’s 181 parking meters across Lower Hutt still accept cash. While this was originally done to suit all payment preferences, the ongoing vandalism means that cash payment is no longer practical, especially in Petone, which has been particularly hard-hit. As meters have been vandalised, they have been replaced with cashless meters, but the council will now move to proactively block off coin payments at all meters to prevent further vandalism. Conversion to card-only payments will begin on Monday and is expected to be completed within two weeks. Payment can still be made with the PayMyPark app. Other councils had made similar moves away from cash meters in recent years, and meters in Porirua were now cashless, the council said. “Most people are very comfortable with using a card at meters or paying via the PayMyPark app, but we understand this change will be an adjustment for some people,” Roberts said. The council is working with police and the Safe City team to respond to the vandalism and thefts and is asking local businesses to share any CCTV footage that may help with investigations. Tue, 12 Aug 2025 03:01:36 Z /news/wellington/diver-who-died-in-wellington-harbour-named-as-chiu-minh-looc/ /news/wellington/diver-who-died-in-wellington-harbour-named-as-chiu-minh-looc/ The diver who died at Lower Hutt’s Lowry Bay this week has been identified to RNZ as 46-year-old Wellington real estate agent Chiu Minh Looc, also known as Jack. Friend Jack Gordon told RNZ he was an avid scuba diver, who had done a lot of training. He said they often went diving together and were meant to go later this week. “I’m the one who got him in the water for the first time ever,” Gordon said. “He was a really determined guy and really passionate about diving. “He just loved supplying his family with seafood. Seafood is so hard to come by and expensive.” Gordon described Looc as a hard-working and loving family man, with a great sense of humour. He said Looc was known in the Wellington community for posting on social media about his seafood creations. “He was smiling every time you see him. He had a really big heart and always wanted to take you to a big buffet. “He loved his food and his hot pot, and posting about his food.” Ray White Johnsonville sales manager Philip Reeve told RNZ Looc was one of their real estate agents. “I heard through one of my colleagues that the person who was reported missing was Jack,” he said. “I’ve dived myself in the past and I know it’s very easy to get into difficulty, but it [Looc’s death] was completely unexpected. “Talking to his family, they said going back to his car afterwards, his lunch was sitting there waiting for him, when he came back from his dive, which he never came back from.” Reeve said Looc left behind a wife, two children and two brothers, who were in a great deal of shock. “He was just a fun guy to have around the office. He worked primarily with the Chinese community, being Chinese himself. “He was very generous with his time, and always willing to share his knowledge and experience.” – RNZ Sat, 09 Aug 2025 20:56:27 Z /news/wellington/police-launch-search-for-missing-diver-in-wellington-harbour/ /news/wellington/police-launch-search-for-missing-diver-in-wellington-harbour/ The police dive team is searching for a missing diver in Wellington Harbour today. The diver was in the water off Lower Hutt’s Lowry Bay but failed to surface. A police spokeswoman told the Herald they were alerted to the incident at 11am on Tuesday. “The Police National Dive Squad has been called out and is carrying out a search of the area,” the spokeswoman said. Tue, 05 Aug 2025 03:12:24 Z