/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. Sat, 17 Jan 2026 02:05:27 Z en /news/wellington/gastro-outbreak-affects-30-staff-at-wellington-hospital-emergency-department/ /news/wellington/gastro-outbreak-affects-30-staff-at-wellington-hospital-emergency-department/ More than two dozen staff are caught up in a gastro outbreak at Wellington Hospital’s emergency department. Health New Zealand has put precautionary measures in place to try to minimise its spread. Dedicated infection control teams are also in place. The first cases were reported last Friday and a 12-hour deep clean was completed the next day. Health NZ said about 30 people have shown symptoms consistent with the stomach illness. It said sick leave is being managed and patient care is continuing as normal. There was no indication of it spreading further through the hospital. – RNZ Thu, 15 Jan 2026 06:39:42 Z /news/wellington/police-called-in-over-msd-disability-support-services-post-christmas-party-incident/ /news/wellington/police-called-in-over-msd-disability-support-services-post-christmas-party-incident/ Police spoke to a public servant after complaints by female colleagues of “unacceptable behaviour” following their work Christmas party. The Ministry of Social Development confirmed to the Herald it received two complaints involving an employee after its December 11 Christmas function. Wellington City area commander Inspector Dean Silvester said police received a report on December 18 of “an alleged incident”. “Police made initial inquiries into the report and a man was spoken to in relation to the incident,” Silvester said. “With the information provided to police at the time, no criminal offending was identified.” Police would not elaborate on what the man’s alleged behaviour was towards the women. Silvester said the person who made the report had been advised of the outcome and police had offered them support. The ministry’s deputy chief executive for Disability Support Services (DSS) Anne Shaw said the organisation “immediately dealt with the complaint and the staff member complained about no longer works for us.” She said the incident happened outside the office later in the evening after the function was over. “We thought it was important to let all staff at DSS know there had been complaints and that the staff member complained of had resigned.” She said DSS supports the women who spoke up about the incident. “We take any claims of inappropriate behaviour very seriously,” she said. A whistleblower who contacted the Herald claimed “alcohol was supplied and consumed in a manner that posed serious risk to staff health and safety” at the Christmas party. In response to claims of “excessive” alcohol consumption at the event, Shaw said the department’s alcohol policy was clear. “The consumption of alcohol on MSD premises at any time requires the prior approval of a manager,” she said. “For social gatherings at our national office site, guidance is that alcohol cannot be consumed before 4pm and people need to leave by 7.30pm. Hosts need to have food available as part of being a responsible host. “These policies were complied with,” she said. A spokeswoman for Social Development Minister Louise Upston said it was “an operational matter for MSD/DSS” but would not say if the politician had been made aware of the incident. “The minister expects all matters of this nature to be taken seriously,” the spokeswoman said. 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, 14 Jan 2026 03:06:51 Z /news/wellington/public-servant-quits-disability-support-services-after-complaints-following-christmas-party/ /news/wellington/public-servant-quits-disability-support-services-after-complaints-following-christmas-party/ A public servant has quit their role after a probe into complaints from female staff of “unacceptable behaviour” following their work Christmas party. The Ministry of Social Development’s deputy chief executive for Disability Support Services (DSS) Anne Shaw confirmed to the Herald it received two complaints involving an employee after its December 11 Christmas function. “We immediately dealt with the complaint and the staff member complained about no longer works for us,” Shaw said. She said DSS supports the women who spoke up about the incident. “We take any claims of inappropriate behaviour very seriously,” she said. She said the incident happened outside the office later in the evening after the function was over. “We thought it was important to let all staff at DSS know there had been complaints and that the staff member complained of had resigned, as we take any claims of inappropriate behaviour very seriously.” A whistleblower who contacted the Herald claimed “alcohol was supplied and consumed in a manner that posed serious risk to staff health and safety” at the Christmas party. In response to claims of “excessive” alcohol consumption at the event, Shaw said the department’s alcohol policy was clear. “The consumption of alcohol on MSD premises at any time requires the prior approval of a manager,” she said. “For social gatherings at our national office site, guidance is that alcohol cannot be consumed before 4pm and people need to leave by 7.30pm. Hosts need to have food available as part of being a responsible host. “These policies were complied with,” she said. A spokeswoman for Social Development Minister Louise Upston said it was “an operational matter for MSD/DSS” but would not say if the politician had been made aware of the incident. “The minister expects all matters of this nature to be taken seriously,” the spokeswoman said. 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, 13 Jan 2026 04:23:40 Z /news/wellington/police-trying-to-find-family-of-toddler-found-walking-down-road-in-tait%C4%81-lower-hutt/ /news/wellington/police-trying-to-find-family-of-toddler-found-walking-down-road-in-tait%C4%81-lower-hutt/ Caregivers of a toddler found wandering down a busy suburban road in a nappy and singlet in Lower Hutt have been found. Police were earlier doorknocking homes in the suburb of Taitā after the boy, estimated to be 3 or 4 years old, was found walking on High St some time before 10am. “Good morning all, if you are missing your child 3/4years old, he is now with the police as we had no other choice,” wrote a member of the public on social media. The child was spotted walking towards the suburb of Pomare, and the poster urged the boy’s family to contact police. A police spokeswoman earlier confirmed officers were doing door knocks in the area the child was found to see if they could find the house he disappeared from, but at that point had not received a report about a missing child from the caregivers. Since then, the caregivers had contacted police to report the toddler missing, the spokeswoman said. It is not yet clear how long it took for the child’s disappearance to be reported. Mon, 05 Jan 2026 22:04:28 Z /news/wellington/completely-reckless-and-unacceptable-boy-racers-hurl-bottles-fireworks-at-police/ /news/wellington/completely-reckless-and-unacceptable-boy-racers-hurl-bottles-fireworks-at-police/ A police crackdown on a 200-strong boy racer convoy in Wellington overnight ended in officers being pelted with bottles and fireworks. Four people were arrested and 22 fined when police descended on the meet, which rolled into the capital from Whanganui, Levin and Palmerston North. They were first met with an alcohol checkpoint at Motukaraka Point, Pāuatahanui, about 10pm, police said. The unruly drivers then moved to Jamaica Drive in Granada North, where more officers were waiting. Boy racers then moved to Seaview, where tensions rose, and police were faced with bottles and fireworks hurled in their direction. “Fortunately, no officers were injured, however this is completely reckless and unacceptable,” Hutt Valley Area Commander Inspector Wade Jennings said. “Police are committed to disrupting any and all anti-social road-user behaviour – it puts our community members in harm’s way." The police crackdown is part of the wider Operation Kereru, which has been going on in Wellington, Whanganui and Wairarapa regions throughout 2024 and 2025. “We will continue to take action, whenever we can, to prevent damage to our roads and the unruly behaviour that comes with these activities,” Jennings said. He said the constant anti-social behaviour is “very frustrating to our community”. Earlier this year a 1000-person meet in Levin saw riot police called in after several people were injured, including two officers, and a woman’s legs run over. The boy racer meet in and around Levin in May led to people being struck by cars, injured police, arrests, damage and disorder, including one a group setting fire to the road outside a Mobil petrol station. At the time, the Police Minister labelled the boy racers involved in the destructive events “cowardly, try-hard idiots”. In May, the Government announced new legislation targeting drivers who participate in street races. It will see boy racers have their vehicles destroyed or forfeited in the majority of cases. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said in May the existing penalties “aren’t strong enough to deter this appalling behaviour”. He said police reporting found the frequency of anti-social road events was increasing and “enough is enough”. “Kiwis are sick of seeing these idiot drivers putting everyone around them at risk, so we’re taking action through a range of much tougher penalties,” Bishop said at the time. Wed, 24 Dec 2025 02:37:27 Z /news/wellington/helpless-neighbours-of-k%C4%81inga-ora-tenant-say-rubbish-household-items-regularly-thrown-over-fence/ /news/wellington/helpless-neighbours-of-k%C4%81inga-ora-tenant-say-rubbish-household-items-regularly-thrown-over-fence/ Lower Hutt residents are at their wit’s end after a tenant at the neighbouring Kāinga Ora flat started throwing everything from dirty laundry to scooters and stepladders into their yards multiple times a week. The agency said it is doing what it can about the “complex” matter under the Residential Tenancies Act, and “won’t hesitate to take further action” if needed. The issue first began about August this year when Claire* noticed multiple items had been thrown over the fence into her garden one day. She wondered whether the wind had somehow blown them over, until it continued happening. While it is sporadic, items can be thrown over daily or even multiple times a day, while other times it might happen as little as once a fortnight, she said. Claire has had everything from dirty clothing to a stepladder, a scooter, metal poles from a rotary clothesline and pieces of wood thrown over her fence. In September, she laid a formal complaint with Kāinga Ora, and has continued to contact them when she has had the energy for it. The first real response she had was when a property manager knocked on her door to discuss the complaint. A stepladder is one item that has come flying over the fence. She told Claire she would need to speak with the tenant. Claire has not had any resolution offered since then, and has not had a response to her emails since the beginning of December. Meanwhile, items continue to fly over the fence. Just the other day Claire was working in her garden when she heard noises and retreated inside. She watched from the window as the neighbour threw a scooter over the fence. “I started asking can they just extend the fence up much higher so that nothing can be thrown over? They said no, they can’t,” she said. “I don’t know what else to do ... obviously just being polite and going through the normal channels isn’t doing anything.” Dirty laundry is often tossed over the fence. Claire has lived at her house for nearly 10 years and this is the first time she has had issues with rubbish being thrown over the fence. “It’s so stressful,” she said. “My garden is my place that I really enjoy being in, but it’s like every day I’m just thinking is there something else? “It’s a human impact.” She has started wondering whether she should sell her house to get away from the issue. Meanwhile, the neighbour on the other side of the Kāinga Ora flats said he had laid complaints several times since the issue began. He regularly had rubbish, household items, and “just random bits and pieces” landing in his yard. Aaron* estimated it happened two or three times a week. “I have made four complaints to Kāinga Ora, I’ve called 111 like three times, I made three or four 105 complaints to police.” Aaron said he felt “very insecure” knowing someone was regularly throwing things into his yard, and wondered whether the person was also climbing up to peer into his yard or even coming over the fence to retrieve items. He felt as though he needed to be at home all the time in case that happened, but equally didn’t enjoy being at home because of the stress caused by seeing things thrown over. He felt “helplessness” and “frustration” at the situation and what he felt was inaction from agencies. “If I was a landlord and my tenants were doing that, I would be taken to the Tenancy Tribunal,” he said. While he sympathised that housing managers for Kāinga Ora were often in difficult situations with tenants, “at some stage something has to be done”. He wanted Kāinga Ora to assure him it would not happen again or evict the tenant to remove the issue entirely. Kāinga Ora regional director for the Greater Wellington region, Sarah Willson, said they were looking into the matter and investigating what could be done. “We appreciate how distressing this situation has been,” she said, noting they were taking it seriously. “While privacy rules prevent us from sharing all the details, we are using the tools available under the Residential Tenancies Act [RTA] to resolve this issue and will keep reviewing the situation closely. “We’ve investigated raising the height of the fence between the two properties but that’s unlikely to resolve the issue as there are other complex factors driving the behaviour that we, as a landlord, cannot address.” Willson apologised for not acknowledging some of the recent communications from affected residents. “We are looking into it and won’t hesitate to take further action under the RTA, where appropriate.” Hutt Valley area prevention manager Inspector Shaun Linguard confirmed police have received reports about two incidents at the property, but said no criminal offending was identified, meaning police could not take any further action. The Herald was unable to speak with the tenant. The residents’ names have been changed. 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 12 years. Mon, 22 Dec 2025 21:23:11 Z /news/wellington/former-deputy-police-commissioner-jevon-mcskimming-gets-home-detention-for-child-sex-abuse-images/ /news/wellington/former-deputy-police-commissioner-jevon-mcskimming-gets-home-detention-for-child-sex-abuse-images/ Former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming has been sentenced to home detention, with his lawyer saying he had a pornography addiction which “simply overwhelmed him”. A report into his offending said he showed an “entitled attitude” and centred the impact of the offending on himself and his loved ones, rather than the victims of child sex offending. He also admitted starting to seek objectionable material ten years ago, despite the charges only dating back five years. The 52-year-old earlier pleaded guilty to three representative charges of possessing objectionable material after an investigation revealed he had used his work devices to search for bestiality and child sex abuse images. The case ignited a national scandal last month when heavy court suppressions were lifted, allowing it to be reported for the first time that police had ignored complaints about McSkimming from a former affair partner, instead laying criminal charges against her before properly investigating her claims. The disgraced ex-cop appeared in the Wellington District Court this afternoon for sentencing before Judge Tim Black. He arrived at court in a business shirt and blazer and sat in the dock with his arms crossed and head cocked as he listened to the lawyers make submissions on his sentence. Jevon McSkimming enters the Wellington District Court for his sentencing. Photo / Mark Mitchell A lawyer for the prosecution said McSkimming’s offending involved a “profound breach of trust”, and that while McSkimming was searching for child abuse imagery, other police officers were busy “picking up the pieces” of child sexual abuse around the country. Any discount for prior good character and remorse should be weighed against comment from the pre-sentence report, the prosecutor said. That report found McSkimming had an “entitled attitude”, noting he confessed he had started seeking objectionable material in 2015. While he expressed remorse, the report writer said he centred the impact on himself and those close to him, and did not express contrition regarding the level of harm caused to the children in images. He also did not acknowledge how his offending contributed towards the “significant ongoing global industry” of child sexual abuse. Defence lawyer Letizea Ord said most of the images viewed by McSkimming were thumbnails, and that he clicked on about 160 of them. She said it was relevant that he did not download or distribute any of the images. McSkimming “had an addiction to pornography which simply overwhelmed him”, she said. Jevon McSkimming was sentenced in the Wellington District Court today. Photo / Mark Mitchell “He has suffered a very, very significant fall from grace in respect of these matters. He has lost his career. He has lost his financial security for the future. He is likely to be ostracised from the workforce. He has experienced relentless press exposure and public approbation,” Ord said, adding this had a “significant psychological impact” on him. She disagreed he had minimised his offending, and said he was “extremely remorseful” and “deeply ashamed”, and fully understood how he had contributed to a “culture of exploitation and dehumanisation”. Judge Black noted the majority of the images viewed were of bestiality involving adults, but a “significant minority” was of child sexual abuse. “The viewing of such material contributes to the ongoing, what would appear to be almost insatiable, demand for such material, which in turn creates untold real harm and real misery to thousands and thousands of children every year,” he said. Judge Black adopted a starting point for sentencing of three years in prison. He allowed a 25% discount for the guilty plea. He also allowed a 15% reduction for McSkimming’s “significant rehabilitative efforts”, which included engagement with a psychologist and 25 sessions with a faith-based therapist. Judge Black said McSkimming, along with his wife, had enacted practical steps at home which made it “impossible” for him to access objectionable material. The judge also gave 10% in discounts for remorse and previous good character, and also noted if he were to send McSkimming to prison he would be a “prime target” for violence. With discounts, the sentence came to 18 months in prison, which he commuted to home detention for nine months, with six months of post-release conditions. He declined to add McSkimming to the child sex offenders register. Reporters pursue Jevon McSkimming as he leaves the Wellington District Court in August. Photo / Mark Mitchell McSkimming’s offending was only discovered when police searched his devices amid an investigation into complaints by former affair partner, Ms Z, who claimed he was a sexual predator. The revelations he had in fact carried out thousands of Google searches over multiple years looking for sexual abuse imagery, as well as news some of New Zealand’s most powerful police officers tried to shut down an investigation into his behaviour, sent shock waves around the country. The summary of facts detailed an extensive list of Google searches on McSkimming’s devices, including references to underage girls, incest, animals, and words such as “slave”, “abuse”, and “extreme”. Many of the searches were for AI-generated images or illustrations. The summary said he contacted a colleague after the searches were found, telling them he needed different types of pornography to make himself “feel anything”, and it “just kept escalating”. McSkimming’s first recorded search took place on July 1, 2020, which was as far back as the police’s retrievable records could go. About a third of the Google searches he made on his work phone were adult or pornographic content searches. A total of 2945 images McSkimming accessed were assessed by police as objectionable material, and he is estimated to have opened or enlarged about 160 of them. 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 12 years. Wed, 17 Dec 2025 02:15:00 Z /news/wellington/wellington-city-council-ratepayers-undercharged-in-accounting-error/ /news/wellington/wellington-city-council-ratepayers-undercharged-in-accounting-error/ A $3.4m accounting blunder by Wellington City Council has left households facing surprise rates top-ups next year, after an error saw ratepayers undercharged for the capital’s sludge levy. The error was included in rates bills sent out in August and November this year and works out to an average of $40 per ratepayer, but ranges from between $3 and $100 undercharged per bill. Commercial ratepayers have been undercharged between $500 and $5,000 each, an average of $1,200 per levy payer. A council spokesman said it legally cannot waive or absorb the cost and the undercharge will have to be footed by ratepayers in their February and May rates bills next year, so it can be passed on to the sludge facility’s funding entity. The Council’s chief strategy and finance officer Andrea Reeves said the error was discovered during a quarterly reporting review and the council “took immediate action” to investigate. “We want to sincerely apologise for this error,” Reeves said. “To prevent this happening again, stronger internal controls have been put in place, including additional review steps.” Wellington City Council chief financial officer Andrea Reeves. Photo / Supplied February rates bills will include personalised information about the undercharge, Reeves said, and no penalties or interest will be applied. The mistake happened when the levy was uploaded into the billing system, the council said. “Some amounts were entered as GST-inclusive instead of GST-exclusive, and an incorrect fixed charge was used.” What is the sludge levy? In 2024, Wellington City Council included a special sludge levy to rates bills, to help fund its first-of-its-kind under-construction sludge minimisation facility. The project has faced its own financial challenges, with a potential $83m budget blowout revealed earlier this year. Sewage sludge is a natural and unavoidable by-product of the process of treating wastewater. A render of Wellington City Council's new sludge treatment plant. Image / WCC The city produces more sludge than it can currently deal with, leading the city council to approve the construction of a new sludge minimisation facility at Moa Point near the airport in late 2022. The facility was initially budgeted to cost $200m, but climbed to $400m by the time it was approved in 2022, before being raised again to a budgeted $428m in June 2023. The budget blew out again in August this year when councillors were told the cost of the project grew to between $478m and $511m. 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, 17 Dec 2025 01:01:46 Z /news/wellington/man-stabbed-in-wellington-bar-fight/ /news/wellington/man-stabbed-in-wellington-bar-fight/ Police are calling for witnesses to a Wellington bar fight during which a man was stabbed in the early hours of Saturday morning. A brawl in the Allen St Ace of Spades bar turned ugly when a man was stabbed in the abdomen. Bar security staff managed to separate the group and provide aid to the victim. The man was seriously injured and remains in stable condition in hospital, police said. Police were called to the central city venue at 1.30am on Saturday and said the incident involved a small number of patrons. They would like to speak to anyone who witnessed the stabbing, as well as anybody who may have video footage of the fight, or has information about those involved. Police are calling on those with any information to call 105 and reference file number 251213/4525. Mon, 15 Dec 2025 00:41:11 Z /news/wellington/several-attackers-injured-during-fatal-waikanae-home-invasion-police-say/ /news/wellington/several-attackers-injured-during-fatal-waikanae-home-invasion-police-say/ Police say a man killed in Waikanae last month was the victim of a “targeted home invasion” in which several attackers were also injured. Officers have now charged five gang associates with murder, and one with being an accessory, in the ongoing homicide investigation. Police were resolute in holding all those who were responsible for the death of Michael Tofts to account, Detective Inspector Jamie Woods, field crime manager, said. Tofts died at a property on Kakariki Grove, Waikanae on November 19. “We believe Mr Tofts was the subject of a targeted home invasion which led to his death,” Woods said. “A large investigation team is making good progress in identifying everyone involved.” Several attackers were injured in the home invasion and police confirmed a firearm was used during the altercation. Police are looking for information about four vehicles they believe are involved in a homicide in Waikanae. Police have not yet recovered the firearm. “We believe there are people who knew this was going to happen and assisted those who carried it out,” Woods said, urging people to come forward with information. Police also want to hear from anyone who saw or has footage of the vehicles pictured between 1pm and 7pm on Wednesday, November 19. They are a silver 2013 BMW M5, a white 2005 Suzuki Swift, a white 2013 Hilux ute and a grey 2008 Audi A3 station wagon. All the vehicles are believed to have been in and around Paraparaumu and Waikanae around the time of the homicide and travelled to Kāpiti from different locations in the Wellington region, including the Hutt Valley. “We also believe that after the alleged murder, the white Suzuki Swift travelled over Akatarawa Rd towards Upper Hutt and the silver BMW travelled towards Paraparaumu and may have disposed of items,” Woods said. The occupants of the vehicles are believed to be involved either directly or indirectly in the home invasion and in the lead-up to it. Five men aged between 20 and 43 have been charged with murder, and one 26-year-old man was charged with being an accessory after the fact. They are all in custody and due to appear in the Wellington High Court in January. All information can be given by contacting police via 105 by phone or online, quoting file number 251119/8049. Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. A neighbour earlier told the Herald the property thought to be at the centre of the fatal incident was well known to other residents. “We’ve seen the Armed Offenders Squad there before, searching the place, and having the people inside go outside. “And we’ve had a guy come up here [to our house] on a motorbike who told us we should call the police.” She called the police 105 non-emergency number and reported what she’d been told, the woman said. Kāpiti Coast District Council had also previously been contacted about vehicles on the property, she said. She wasn’t sure how many people lived on site. “I know there’s a bus there. It’s a bit of a shambles.” Sun, 14 Dec 2025 21:40:39 Z /news/wellington/fire-near-wellington-airport-sends-large-amount-of-smoke-into-the-air/ /news/wellington/fire-near-wellington-airport-sends-large-amount-of-smoke-into-the-air/ Crews are responding to a vegetation fire in Wellington, with nearby residents advised to close windows, doors and stay inside. Fire and Emergency New Zealand were called to the blaze in Moa Point, near an inlet pumping station, about 1.52pm. “There is a large amount of smoke in the area. If you are impacted by this, please close your windows and doors, and stay inside if possible,” Fire and Emergency said. Four trucks and a command unit are in attendance, alongside one truck from Wellington Airport’s fire brigade. The southern end of Stewart Duff Drive, where crews are working, is closed. Fire and Emergency advised people to avoid the area and use the other entrance to the airport. Thu, 11 Dec 2025 02:10:06 Z /news/wellington/deeply-distressing-time-mayor-speaks-out-after-10yo-raped-at-local-park/ /news/wellington/deeply-distressing-time-mayor-speaks-out-after-10yo-raped-at-local-park/ Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban says the violent sexual assault of a 10-year-old boy at a popular local playground “has no place in our community”. The traumatic incident happened at the end of last year at Avalon Park in the Hutt Valley. The alleged offender followed the victim into the park’s public toilets on December 28, where he threatened him with a cold object to his neck, before robbing, sexually assaulting and raping the boy, according to court documents of the case. The defendant was in Oranga Tamariki care at the time, with the agency saying it was limited in its powers to physically detain the youth, and he was not under a detention order at the time. It has led to the Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad to raise the case with Oranga Tamariki. Laban said his thoughts are with the victim and his whānau, and said the community “must work together to ensure the safety and wellbeing of all our people, young and old”. He said his council is committed to community safety and will continue to assess and take action to address high-risk environments. Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban. Photo / Supplied. A Hutt City Council spokesperson said CCTV was used by police in investigating this case, and the council has increased CCTV coverage of the park since the attack as part of the new Motutawa Skatepark facility. In March this year, the defendant was found unfit to stand trial under the Criminal Procedure (Mentally Impaired Persons) Act, based on two mental health reports. He is considered to have a high to very high risk of reoffending. Judge Jan Kelly ordered in May that the defendant be detained in a secure facility under the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003 for three years. The act allows for his detention to be continually extended if, at the end of the three years, he is still considered a risk. Where to get help: If it’s an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. If you’ve ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone call the confidential crisis helpline Safe to Talk on 0800 044 334 or text 4334. (available 24/7) Male Survivors Aotearoa offers a range of confidential support at centres across New Zealand - find your closest one here. Men and Trauma New Zealand: 0800 636 263 Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list. If you have been abused, remember it’s not your fault. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 07:08:18 Z /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