/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, 03 Dec 2025 04:19:37 Z en /news/wellington/motorcyclist-seriously-injured-after-crash-while-fleeing-police/ /news/wellington/motorcyclist-seriously-injured-after-crash-while-fleeing-police/ A motorcyclist is in serious condition after crashing while fleeing from police in Lower Hutt last night. Police observed the motorist riding in a dangerous manner on Fairway Dr before they turned onto Taita Dr about 10.30pm, said Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Wade Jennings. The motorcyclist allegedly accelerated and overtook another vehicle before they failed to turn a corner and crashed into a fence, said Jennings. The incident occurred before police signalled the rider to stop, he said. They suffered serious leg injuries and were taken to hospital. The Serious Crash Unit examined the scene, and inquiries into the circumstances of the accident remain ongoing. Sun, 30 Nov 2025 21:52:02 Z /news/wellington/heartless-suffering-man-jailed-after-racehorse-starves-to-death/ /news/wellington/heartless-suffering-man-jailed-after-racehorse-starves-to-death/ A man has been sentenced to six months in prison, fined $1500 and banned from owning a horse for five years after letting his racehorse starve to death. He had earlier been found guilty of five charges relating to horses he kept and appeared in Palmerston North District Court today for sentencing. It comes years after the SPCA were first alerted to the man, being sent a photo of the horse, named Ginger Jane, dead in an Ohakune field. Two other of the man’s horses, Mad About You and Angeca, were found “in very poor body condition, without adequate shelter and covers”, SPCA said. When questioned by the animal welfare organisation, the man told an inspector to “back off”, saying he has ordered a tonne of carrots and 800kg of sileage. Angeca was underweight and had festering scabs and a skin infection causing discomfort and irritation, SPCA said, while Mad About You was thin. Surviving horse Mad About You, surrounded by carrots. Photo / SPCA “Insufficient shelter meant the horses were exposed to cold Ohakune winter temperatures with frequent showers and snow,” the organisation said. The inspector confiscated the horses. The state of the horses “illustrates a lack of thought for basic animal welfare”, SPCA CEO Todd Westwood said. A vet said the photo of Ginger Jane’s body showed she had likely starved to death and would have got to a point where she could no longer stand. “No animal should experience this kind of unnecessary and heartless suffering,” Westwood said. “Everyone at SPCA is heartbroken over the senseless loss of Ginger Jane, but so grateful that our inspectors were called before it was too late for the other two horses on the property.” The man said he did not realise the ill health of his animals and he had assumed the feed and trees in the paddock was sufficient. Fri, 28 Nov 2025 02:25:34 Z /news/wellington/cricket-wellington-investigates-on-field-brawl-between-local-t20-teams/ /news/wellington/cricket-wellington-investigates-on-field-brawl-between-local-t20-teams/ A group of Wellington cricket players have been left bruised and battered, after a social Twenty20 match turned into violent chaos over the weekend. The Upper Hutt United Cricket Club Bharat XI team faced off against the Hutt District Cricket Club Royal Blues at Trentham Park in Upper Hutt on Saturday, but it’s alleged a disagreement over an umpire’s call saw things take a serious turn. Video appears to show players beating each other with cricket equipment in the sunny field while spectators watched on. One player, who the Herald has agreed not to name, shared photos of their bruised body, alleging players were “smashing each other with bats and stumps”. “The fight started due to the umpire decision, which turned into heated argument,” they said. Photos show a player’s grazed and reddened abdomen, bruised thighs and their fingers bandaged up. Players were left bruised after a violent scrap during a social cricket match at Trentham Park in Upper Hutt on Saturday. Cricket Wellington said it is aware of the reports of the scrap. “Cricket Wellington, and both clubs involved, Hutt District Cricket Club and Upper Hutt Cricket Club, take all matters of player and participant safety extremely seriously,” a spokeswoman for the organisation said. “At this stage, we are in the process of understanding exactly what occurred. “Once all relevant information has been gathered, we will fully support the disciplinary process outlined in the Cricket Wellington Code of Conduct to ensure appropriate action is taken.” One social player's fingers were bandaged after the violent scrap. The players were filmed hitting each other with bats. The Royal Blues won by forfeit, scoring 8-155 (20). The Upper Hutt United squad scored 1-24 (3). The teams involved have been contacted for comment. Police said they were not aware of the incident. Mon, 24 Nov 2025 02:06:21 Z /news/wellington/the-mp-mulling-his-future-as-electorate-disappears-in-a-puff-of-smoke/ /news/wellington/the-mp-mulling-his-future-as-electorate-disappears-in-a-puff-of-smoke/ Third-term Labour MP Greg O’Connor is weighing up his future in Parliament after the abolition of his Ōhāriu electorate, and losing out at Labour’s selection for a new seat. The party has picked a suite of candidates for the rejigged Wellington electorates after boundary changes saw sweeping changes to the local seats. Union economist Craig Renney will run in the Wellington Bays seat, formerly Rongotai, in the 2026 general election, likely to challenge incumbent Green MP Julie-Anne Genter. Kenepuru, the new electorate made up of parts of O’Connor‘s Ōhāriu as well as Porirua, will be contested by Labour’s finance spokeswoman Barbara Edmonds. Ayesha Verrall has been selected in the Wellington North seat, formerly Wellington Central, which has moved northwards, losing suburbs like Mount Cook and Brooklyn and gaining Khandallah and Ngaio. O’Connor reportedly went up against Verrall to be Labour’s candidate in the seat, but lost to the former Health Minister at the weekend’s meeting. Changes to Wellington electorate boundaries. Speaking to the Herald this morning, O’Connor said he is still reflecting on the weekend’s events, and won’t be rushing into a decision on his future. “It’s a democratic process, and you respect it,” he said. Asked whether he would seek a spot on the Labour Party list as a ticket into Parliament, O’Connor said that “hasn’t been a consideration, I haven’t been on the list before”. In previous elections, he ran seat only, taking himself off the list, relying solely on winning Ōhāriu to re-enter Parliament. “I’ve never had a plan B,” he said. “The funny thing about it, normally when an MP says they lost their seat, it means that someone else has taken it. In my case, it disappeared in a puff of smoke, over Mt Kaukau.” He plans to reassess his future in Parliament over the Christmas period, after a “lads’ tour around the South Island” with his son. It is despite previously pledging to stick around regardless of the boundary changes. “I’m just a young man, politically. I’ve only been in this game for six years, seven years. There’s a lot of life left in this old dog yet,” he told RNZ earlier this year. Assistant Speaker Greg O'Connor in the Speaker's chair during a debate. Photo / Parliament TV O’Connor previously served in the Police force for nearly four decades, including as an undercover officer, before going on to be president of the New Zealand Police Association. He stood against long-serving incumbent Peter Dunne in Ōhāriu in 2017, with Dunne pulling out of the race shortly before the election. Last election, he beat National’s Nicola Willis in the seat by around 1000 votes. Since the end of 2023, he has served as an Assistant Speaker in Parliament. 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. Sun, 23 Nov 2025 23:52:45 Z /news/wellington/wellington-s-golden-mile-paused-after-council-agrees-to-review-staff-warn-cost-could-rise-to-220m/ /news/wellington/wellington-s-golden-mile-paused-after-council-agrees-to-review-staff-warn-cost-could-rise-to-220m/ Wellington City Council has hit pause on its $139 million Golden Mile revitalisation project amid warnings it could balloon to $220m. The new council met for its first proper meeting today, where it voted on the review, as well as giving itself pay bumps, signing off on committee chair appointments, and hearing maiden speeches of its new members. Mayor Andrew Little, who campaigned on undertaking a review, said the council is “between a rock and a hard place”. “We’ve now heard of significantly more cost increases,” Little said, calling for the council to be fiscally responsible in its constrained financial situation. Little said undertaking a review may lead to alternative options for the area, but said agreeing to the review is not determining an outcome. Wellington Mayor Andrew Little presiding over Wellington City Council's first meeting of the term. Photo / Mark Mitchell It will be undertaken independently by a third party at a cost of between $200,000 and $400,000 and take three to six months. That cost would be funded by taking on further debt. All but four councillors voted in support of the review, with Green councillors Rebecca Matthews, Laurie Foon, Geordie Rogers, and Jonny Osborne against. Matthews urged the council to fast-forward the project, rather than press pause, while Rogers took aim at Little’s arguments for the review, warning the further delay comes as people flee Wellington for greener pastures. Wellington City Councillors meet to vote on pausing the Golden Mile during their first meeting proper of the term. Photo / Mark Mitchell Council officers warned councillors of further blowouts in the project’s budget. The revitalisation project, which aims to spruce up the capital’s tired nightlife and hospitality strip, was expected to cost $78m when it was conceived in 2020. In 2023 the cost was said to be $116m, with a built-in rise to $139m to include contingency. The council is now including an additional $21.9m for work on water infrastructure on the stretch, funded solely by the council, taking the project to just over $160m. The Herald revealed on Friday a $15-25m blowout had been found in phase two of the works, the Courtenay Place stretch, during recent contract negotiations. Now, by extrapolating the phase two blowout to the rest of the project, which stretches through to Willis and Manners Sts and Lambton Quay, the full cost of the entire project rises to a forecast $200-$220m, officers said. It comes after the council in August revealed another $20m cost escalation, which was able to be reduced after the project was scaled back. Wellington City Council has released its new design for the Golden Mile on Courtenay Place. Image / WCC The review has been set up to look into the project’s risks and costs to re-evaluate the cost benefit ratio, as well as economic analysis into the short-term and long-term impacts, with the aim of seeing if it remains a viable project and aligned with the council’s goals. While the project is co-funded at 51% by NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), the agency has the power to withdraw its funding if the council seeks to change the design, even if changes are minor. Council officers said they had three attempts to try to change the scope within current limits but have not been able to work around “significant cost escalation” of $15-25m for the Courtenay Place phase of the works. To get the full NZTA funding, council officials said, it would have to complete the full project down to Lambton Quay. Flyover footage was released in February, showing what the final design could bring to Courtenay Place. It includes excluding private vehicles during daytime, a cycleway running down one side of the street, widened footpaths, new public seating and outdoor dining spaces. There would be more trees and rain gardens that did not need watering and which were designed to filter rainwater before it entered the harbour. It was previously part of the now-canned Let’s Get Wellington Moving transport package (LGWM). The Golden Mile component was passed over to the council, with the agreed NZTA funding, after a deal with the National-led Government, which campaigned on scrapping LGWM. Following the review, council officers will present its findings to the council for next steps. 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. Thu, 20 Nov 2025 02:51:18 Z /news/wellington/one-dead-after-crash-involving-cyclists-in-parkvale-wairarapa/ /news/wellington/one-dead-after-crash-involving-cyclists-in-parkvale-wairarapa/ One person has died following a crash involving two cyclists in rural Wairarapa yesterday. The person died in hospital after being airlifted from the scene in critical condition. Emergency services responded to the incident, which happened around 11.30am Saturday on Kokotau Rd, Parkvale, near Carterton. No other vehicles were involved in the crash, a police spokeswoman said yesterday. Kokotau Rd was closed while emergency crews, including the Serious Crash Unit, worked at the scene. Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing, police said. Sun, 09 Nov 2025 01:01:37 Z /news/wellington/wellington-mayor-elect-andrew-little-reveals-his-pick-for-deputy/ /news/wellington/wellington-mayor-elect-andrew-little-reveals-his-pick-for-deputy/ Incoming Wellington Mayor Andrew Little has announced second-term Labour ally Ben McNulty as his deputy mayor, and has announced shorter terms for council appointments. “I’ve been impressed with Ben’s grasp of the important issues facing Wellington, such as housing affordability, transport and community facilities,” Little said at the announcement this afternoon. “Crucially, he was among councillors who consistently advocated for public transparency, including issues like the sale of the airport shares.” McNulty is a second-term Labour councillor representing the Takapū Northern ward, and was the top-polling councillor in Wellington’s recent elections. “I’m grateful for the trust and faith that Andrew Little has placed in me,” McNulty said. “The challenge in front of this council is huge. Public trust must be restored, rates need to be brought under control and Wellington needs to grow out of its current malaise. “I’ll be throwing absolutely everything I’ve got into this role to ensure we build a cohesive team and positive council culture where all voices are heard.” He previously worked in financial services and digital marketing, as well as owning a boutique film lab business before turning to local politics. Councillor Ben McNulty during a Wellington City Council meeting in 2024. Photo / Mark Mitchell He grew up in Ngaio, attending Onslow College and currently lives in Johnsonville with his wife and young family. Last term, McNulty was deputy chair of the council’s regulatory processes committee. He was one of three left-wing councillors who withdrew their unconditional support for then-Mayor Tory Whanau amid a bitter disagreement about the proposed sale of the council’s airport shares. He has a strong social media presence and was recently elected with the largest vote majority for a Wellington City councillor since the single transferable voting system was introduced. Yesterday he posted to social media that he’d “splashed out”, treating himself to a new watch before the council’s swearing in. The deputy mayor is tasked with acting as a conduit between the Mayor’s office and councillors and standing in for the mayor when they are unavailable. Upon her election in 2022, former Mayor Tory Whanau chose Green Party ally Laurie Foon as her deputy, citing the pair’s shared vision and Foon’s business connections. Other former deputies include Dame Kerry Prendergast and Justin Lester, who both went on to lead the capital themselves, as well as Paul Eagle who later became Rongotai MP before an unsuccessful run for the mayoralty. There was “definitely more than one” councillor who put the name forward for the current role, and there were multiple candidates Little had in mind before making his selection. Little has also introduced 18-month terms for key council appointments, including the deputy position. He said the appointments will change after the half-term mark, noting “we will see how the next 18 months go.” The shorter appointments were one way to achieve a transparent and accountable council, he said, and would keep staff “sharply focused on providing the best service for residents and what’s best for the growth of our city”. Andrew Little during his press conference at the Wharewaka Function Centre after the results came in naming him mayor-elect. Photo / Mark Mitchell. “We have a lot of talent around the council table and it is important that there are opportunities for councillors to grow and flourish.” He also said he tried to strike a good balance of skills, background, and experience in his committee chair appointments. Little, alongside the rest of Wellington City Council, will be officially sworn in tomorrow at a pōwhiri and inaugural council meeting at Pipitea Marae. The first proper council meeting will be on November 20. Little was announced as mayor-elect with a landslide 25,000 vote majority earlier this month. Little and the left bloc have a commanding majority around the council table 10 to six, with five Labour councillors, plus Little, four Green councillors and six independent councillors firmly on the centre right. Since his election Little said he has been having “very fruitful” discussions about the term ahead, including one-on-one meetings with all elected councillors about their priorities. Little campaigned on bringing “serious leadership and real change” to the council. including doing a line-by-line review of spending to keep rates increases down, and protecting community facilities. 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. Tue, 28 Oct 2025 23:20:20 Z /news/wellington/jobhunters-desperate-as-600-people-apply-for-casual-mini-putt-role/ /news/wellington/jobhunters-desperate-as-600-people-apply-for-casual-mini-putt-role/ A Wellington jobseeker says hunting for work “feels like a lottery” after missing out on a part-time casual mini putt position that attracted more than 600 applicants. When local business owner David Kirby uploaded his job advertisement to Seek, he wasn’t expecting the amount of engagement it received. A Christmas casual role, working as a sales assistant at Welly-Putt in the capital’s CBD, has attracted more than 600 applicants in just over three weeks - painting a bleak picture of the state of the capital’s job market. The job ad offered an average of 5-15 hours of work each week, “ideal for someone looking to supplement their income while in Wellington,” but Kirby said it had attracted people from “all walks of life” including people who were “overqualified”. The minimum wage role is just one of hundreds currently available across Wellington. Seek said in a statement there were 558 jobs on the site for Wellington roles paying up to $50,000 per annum. There are 1824 in Auckland and 673 in Christchurch. “You definitely get a vibe that it’s people who just need a job. There’s a lot of people applying who realistically aren’t going to be the right fit because of what they’re after, but definitely the whole spectrum, for sure,” Kirby said. Welly-Putt owner David Kirby was surprised to receive more than 600 applications for a part time casual role at his mini golf business. Photo / Tobias Macintosh One woman who applied for the role, who did not want to be identified, believed scoring a job in the capital felt like a “frustrating pipe dream”. “It just feels like an impossible task, and completely out of reach,” she said. “It doesn’t feel like 10 or so years ago where you did stand a good chance. These days, even when you’re putting your best foot forward, everything’s good on paper, you’re interviewing well, you’re still not really getting anywhere and it’s frustrating.” She did an interview for the position but was told she had not made the cut. “It’s so hard to stay motivated and stay focused on job seeking and putting yourself out there for an interview because it’s just starting to feel like a lottery,” she said. “It’s so hard not to stress out and you start to feel ill. It just starts to kind of upend your whole life, you don’t know where your money’s coming from or you don’t know how you’re going to look after yourself. It’s really, really emotionally distressing.” The annual average unemployment rate in Wellington City was 4.8% in the year to June 2025, up from 3.8% in the previous 12 months, according to Infometrics. Recent job losses across the likes of the public sector have contributed to the city’s unemployment rate rise from 2.8% to 4.8% over the year to June. The number of Jobseeker Support recipients rose 16% from last year to 7157 people, the highest number since Infometrics began collecting the data in 2009. “My heart goes out to the amount of people who are applying,” Kirby said. “It must be really demoralising, I can’t imagine what it is like for people out there at the minute.” Kirby had previously seen around 100 applicants for roles he’s advertised, and had a slight inkling this one could be similar, after a former employee told him that many jobs online had about 800 applicants. Wading through the endless applications was taking up a lot of Kirby’s time, but he remained determined to give everyone a fair crack. “It’s not fair to not give people a fair go, or at least view the application. It’s just a case of putting a bit more time into it and whittling it down slowly but surely,” he said. He has interviewed about 25 people so far. A large bulk of those applying for the role are students, or young people looking to secure their first job. Kirby said people often asked for feedback on what can be done better if they did not get the job, but they “didn’t even do that much wrong. It’s just you’re talking about the numbers game”. He hoped to get two or three employees from the stack of applications. He wanted to wish all jobhunters luck, as the market at the moment was an “absolute shocker”. Tue, 28 Oct 2025 21:46:04 Z /news/wellington/car-full-of-teens-ploughs-into-plimmerton-property-crash-caught-on-video/ /news/wellington/car-full-of-teens-ploughs-into-plimmerton-property-crash-caught-on-video/ A car full of teens spinning out of control and careening into a property has been captured on video. A group of youths were filmed speeding along a residential road in Plimmerton, north of Wellington, before crashing head-on into a fence. Emergency services responded to the crash on Moana Rd in Plimmerton, near Porirua, just after midnight on October 15. Video footage, obtained by 九一星空无限, shows a silver hatchback shooting around a corner at speed, close to nearby houses, before crossing the centre line and losing control. Loud screeching can be heard before the car ploughs into a fence. The video was recorded from someone in a car parked near the Plimmerton Boating Club, who can be heard saying “Oh my god.” 九一星空无限 understands there were multiple youths in the car at the time of the crash, and that they are students of a nearby high school. Police confirmed the occupants of the car were aged in their late teens and said officers were making inquiries to determine the circumstances of the crash. A police spokeswoman said the car appeared to have also collided with another vehicle. Wellington Free Ambulance transported one person to hospital with minor injuries. Multiple youths have been hospitalised this year for driving incidents, including a 12-year-old in Christchurch who crashed a stolen vehicle after police signalled for it to stop. The child suffered serious injuries after losing control of the vehicle and crashing it into a parked car in August. Inspector Paul Reeves, Canterbury District Metro Response Manager, said police initially signalled for the stolen vehicle to stop on Aldwins Rd, in Phillipstown. The car can be seen losing control and crashing into a fence. “The car failed to stop and was not pursued by police,” said Reeves. “At about 1.40am the vehicle was then observed travelling east on Memorial Avenue, where it lost control, crashing into a parked car before coming to a stop on the footpath. “Police did attempt to lay down road spikes, which were unsuccessful.” Meanwhile four teens were hospitalised earlier this year after flipping a car in Kumeu, Auckland. Police had signalled for the driver to stop, but the driver fled the scene, losing control of the vehicle and landing it upside down in a residential property a short time later. Four people were taken to Auckland City Hospital, two each in critical and serious conditions. Tue, 28 Oct 2025 00:32:26 Z /news/wellington/wellington-wind-death-tree-branch-victim-dr-richard-tyler-remembered-as-incredibly-generous-man/ /news/wellington/wellington-wind-death-tree-branch-victim-dr-richard-tyler-remembered-as-incredibly-generous-man/ A Wellington GP who died after being hit by a branch in high winds was an “incredibly generous man” with a great sense of humour and strong drive to help patients, a fellow doctor says. Richard Tyler, a specialist GP, was critically injured on Tuesday morning when gale-force winds dislodged a tree branch on a walking track on Mt Victoria. He was discovered by a member of the public and rushed to hospital, but died of his injuries a short time later. A person close to Tyler described the incident to the Herald as a “freak accident”. Meanwhile, General Practice NZ chairman Dr Bryan Betty said he knew Tyler “around the traps” and that his death was “an absolute tragedy” and “a great loss to general practice”. He was involved in setting up the Wellington Independent Practitioners Association (WIPA) to help GP practices “start to come together to really start to look at population health”. Tyler was “integral to the development of modern-day general practice in the lower North Island”, Betty said. Tyler was also involved in setting up the Wellington After Hours Medical Centre, and had been the director at the Medical Assurance Society (MAS) for decades. He retired from that role in 2017. “He was an incredibly generous man, he was incredibly intelligent,” Betty said. He had “an absolute desire to improve outcomes of patients . . . he was just one of those people who sort of just pushed things forward”. Tyler also had a great sense of humour, Betty said. “It’s a tragedy for this to happen in this way.” Betty shared his condolences with Tyler’s friends and family. Speaking in his role as Tū Ora Compass Health chairman, Betty said the organisation’s “sympathies and hearts go out to them in what’s an incredibly difficult time”. The scene on a walkway on Mt Victoria where Wellington specialist GP Richard Tyler was fatally struck by a branch. Photo / Mark Mitchell “He will be sorely missed. He was a central figure in Wellington general practice.” In a statement, Tū Ora said it acknowledged Tyler’s death with “deep sadness”, referring to him as a “distinguished” general practitioner and a “cornerstone of primary care in the Greater Wellington region”. “Dr Tyler played a pivotal role in uniting general practices under a shared governance model, significantly strengthening coordination and service delivery across the region through the Wellington Independent Practice Association (WIPA). He was a founding director when WIPA was established in 1995 and became Chair in 2002,” Tū Ora said. Following the consolidation of Primary Health Organisations (PHOs) in the region and the formation of Compass Health in 2010, Tyler became chairman of the PHO — a role he held until 2014. “His governance expertise was instrumental in shaping the organisation’s early structure and strategic direction.” Under his leadership, Compass Health grew, covering a population of over 300,000 people. Now known as Tū Ora Compass Health, the PHO serves over 440,000 enrolled patients across the greater Wellington region. “Dr Tyler’s legacy is one of strategic vision, integrity, and generosity. His contributions have left an enduring mark on primary care governance, both regionally and nationally. “We extend our heartfelt sympathies to Dr Tyler’s whānau, friends, and colleagues. His passing is a profound loss to our community, and he will be remembered with deep respect and affection.” MAS chairman Brett Sutton also shared a statement about Tyler’s “long and distinguished history” with the organisation in which he provided “steady leadership, deep wisdom and unwavering commitment”. “As a specialist GP, Richard brought an invaluable perspective to the Board. His deep understanding of the medical profession helped MAS stay closely aligned with the needs of our practitioner membership, ensuring that our services remained relevant, supportive and grounded in the realities of professional life,” Sutton said. “As chair, he steered the organisation through the turmoil of the Christchurch earthquakes and the global financial crisis, and the subsequent upheaval they caused in the finance and insurance sectors.” Tyler would be remembered not only for his “remarkable tenure”, but also for the “care, insight, and dedication he brought to everything he did”. “Our thoughts are with Richard’s family, friends and all those who had the privilege of working alongside him.” A former patient of Tyler’s, Pat Vincent, also shared memories of him. “We were shocked to hear the news,” she said. “Richard Tyler was our family doctor at the Johnsonville Medical Centre for nearly 40 years. He delivered our youngest son. He was a diligent doctor who was direct and a straight talker, but with a keen sense of humour.” Thu, 23 Oct 2025 00:36:09 Z /news/wellington/transmission-gully-public-back-a-speed-limit-lift-to-110kmh-but-change-is-not-happening-fast/ /news/wellington/transmission-gully-public-back-a-speed-limit-lift-to-110kmh-but-change-is-not-happening-fast/ More than 90% of commuters want a faster Transmission Gully, including the Transport Minister, but a long-touted speed limit increase will not happen any time soon. Ahead lies a summer of disruption on the $1.25 billion motorway project, with 20km needing to be rebuilt over the next six months, while transport officials continue to work through a bureaucratic process to consider the speed increase. The 27km motorway remains technically unfinished, despite opening to the public in March 2022. A 110km/h speed limit has long been on the cards for the road, with new figures released by the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) showing overwhelming public support for an increase. Public consultation between May and July this year received 2071 responses on increasing the limits for Transmission Gully and Raumati Straights. Of those responses, 92% supported an increase while only 5% were against. The rest had mixed views or were unsure, figures released under the Official Information Act reveal. Transmission Gully. Photo / Mark Mitchell Transport Minister Chris Bishop told the Herald that “like over 90% of submitters, I’m keen to see it happen”. Bishop spoke at an event in Porirua last month to launch a report by Infrastructure New Zealand into the benefits of the route. Advice provided to Bishop before the event by NZTA warned he risked being asked about the status of the speed limit increase. The agency told Bishop it was undergoing a legal process as required, but also raised “known road surface and roughness issues”, which appear to be holding up progress. “The actual risk profile of these issues on raising the speed limit to 110km/h is being evaluated as part of the speed limit review.” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Transport Minister Chris Bishop announce speed increases on 38 roads around New Zealand. Photo / Mark Mitchell Those issues are at the centre of a rework programme, spelling daytime lane closures and full closures at night over summer while 20 lane kilometres of the 27km highway are resurfaced as part of finishing the road. NZTA‘s website states the full decision-making process on a speed increase can take up to between six and 12 months, depending on scoping, design, and funding for necessary infrastructure. That decision must be made independently by the agency’s director of land transport, Brent Alderton. It is unclear how long it will take for the limit to go up once the decision has been made. “The speed limit for both Transmission Gully and Raumati Straights remains at 100km/h until this process is complete”, NZTA’s website states. The Infrastructure NZ report found Transmission Gully shaves an average of nine minutes off trip times, has healthier injury statistics, and delivered $79 million in savings in 2024. “Travel times are shorter and more reliable throughout the day, for both the new road and the old route. Travel time savings range from a median of five minutes across the day, up to 31 minutes in peak times on the most congested days,” the report said. Nobody has died on the stretch of motorway since it opened, and the rate of serious injuries per million vehicles has fallen from 0.6 on the old route to 0.2 on Transmission Gully. Plans for Transmission Gully stretch back more than 100 years. Construction officially began in September 2014, when Prime Minister John Key turned the first soil on the project. It was built under a public-private partnership (PPP) by the Wellington Gateway Partnership (WGP), with NZTA, CPB Contractors, and HEB Construction subcontracted to carry out the design and construction. Then-Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern, alongside former ministers Grant Robertson and Michael Wood during their stand-up after the Transmission Gully opening ceremony. Photo / Mark Mitchell The road’s opening was down to the wire in March 2022 and was made possible only after NZTA agreed to defer some quality assurance tests until after the opening, and reduced the requirements for others. After years of budget blowouts and Covid-19 delays, severe weather events, and the Kaikōura earthquake, there was a desire to get the road open and to iron out any problems later. It was officially opened by then-Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern and is used by almost 25,000 vehicles a day. 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. Thu, 16 Oct 2025 03:09:46 Z /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