Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has marked the council 10-out-of-10 for its handling of last week's storm although he concedes Little River residents will not be offering glowing reviews Canterbury's Banks Peninsula would remain in a state of emergency until at least Wednesday The emergency was declared for all of Christchurch and the neighbouring Selwyn district on Thursday, after a deluge of persistent rain, but it was lifted in Christchurch city on Sunday and Selwyn on Friday Mauger said no homes were yellow or red-stickered in Christchurch or Banks Peninsula but four homes were evacuated in Akaroa as a precaution Homes and businesses in Little River were swamped by floodwater on Thursday as more than 200mm of rain fell on the peninsula Little River residents were critical of the council, saying if Lake Forsyth had been opened to the ocean earlier The lake was opened on Friday evening and residents said flooding drained from the settlement as if a plug had been pulled from a bath tub 10 out of 10 - it worked really well," Mauger told RNZ when asked to rate the Christchurch City Council's handling of the event acknowledging not opening Lake Forsyth earlier had "caused grief" over there is totally different and they'll go he doesn't know what he's talking about'," Mauger said "ECan and Selwyn have got a good system for opening Lake Ellesmere we don't seem to have the same joined-up approach and I feel we should listen more to locals It hadn't reached the level that we're allowed to open it." Water was approaching the level to trigger the consent before the heavy rainfall arrived on Wednesday and the council had planned to open it on Saturday Mauger said he understood how frustrating that situation was for residents "We've got to look at a better system to make sure that stuff doesn't happen again," he said The council would investigate options to ensure the process ran smoother in future and Mauger was keen to explore the possibility of a mechanical solution as the lake currently had to be opened manually by excavators The council said all roads were now open around the city which was affected by the managed release of stormwater from basins Most roads on Banks Peninsula were also now open or about to open except Bossu Road from #220 to Lands End Road The slip at Lighthouse Road was being monitored regularly "Visual assessments of the road cracks suggests some movement is still occurring "We need several days' worth of information to establish what's happening with the land before we can make a decision about when residents can return to their properties and how access might be restored and potential options to manage this slip in the short and long term." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday ECan officials are continuing to defend decisions made around when to empty a lake into the sea which some say could have prevented flooding if done earlier The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted in Christchurch but it remains in place for Banks Peninsula but local councils warn that storm damage repairs could take weeks which residents say could have been mitigated The Emergency Management Minister says officials are out checking on residents while further north Cook Strait ferries are sailing again New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image An Uber Eats driver was injured in a dog attack while delivering food in Christchurch The driver followed instructions from the customer who stated their gate and door would be open and to “meet at the door” Despite a dog warning sign at the property on Riley Cres in Woolston The driver’s partner told Chris Lynch Media the homeowner took the food without restraining the dogs or offering help “My partner was left outside bleeding in shock and pain,” she said He required multiple hospital visits and has been off work since saying it responded five days later with no compensation Uber said it was evaluating whether the customer should stay on the platform It advised the driver to seek help from ACC and report the incident to police The Christchurch City Council animal management team is also investigating Police said no complaint had been received The Chiefs are hopeful Damian McKenzie will be back for this weekend’s crunch top of the table Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Crusaders in Christchurch Their star All Blacks play maker was absent as they were humbled by the Hurricanes in Wellington yesterday going scoreless in the second half in a 35-17 defeat McKenzie also missed the Chiefs’ previous outing – a 56-22 win over the Western Force in Mount Maunganui on Anzac Day – while sidelined with a minor hand injury The Chiefs’ loss to the Hurricanes didn’t knock them out of top spot but they have stayed level on points with the Crusaders who now have a game in hand after having the bye this past weekend While their superior points difference (+120 to +96) gives them the edge at present the Chiefs will need a win at Apollo Projects Stadium on Saturday to stay there Coach Clayton McMillan says everything's tracking in the direction that he should be available but they won't count their chickens before they hatch The Crusaders play the Chiefs at 7.05pm Saturday the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua host the Blues at 7.05pm Friday the Waratahs play the Reds at 9.35pm Friday the Force meet the Brumbies at 9.35pm Saturday Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations Copyright © 2025 Communications Fiji Limited FM96 Legend FM Viti FM Navtarang Radio Sargam PNG Haus Bung Yumi FM Nau FM Legend FM Facebook TikTok Instagram X YouTube Threads An inquest into the death of Nigel Bom has been told about a incident in which he was held captive and accused of stealing a car The 37-year-old died in Christchurch in 2021 the witness was contacted and told Bom was being held captive by people who thought he had stolen a car The witness went to Bom's housing complex where Bom was being held in a car He removed Bom from the car and punched the person he believed was responsible for stealing the car Bom later told the witness the person he had punched was mad at Bom for talking to the witness about allegedly stealing the car The witness said he knew Bom was a heavy cannabis user and he said Bom had also asked him for methamphetamine Bom told him he was being forced to use intravenous drugs by people who lived in his housing complex The witness said he saw needle marks on Bom's arms He did not ask what type of drugs were being used The witness said Bom had epilepsy and would often have severe epileptic fits which at times resulted in him receiving hospital care He described Bom thrashing around and foaming at the mouth who saw Bom most days and was accused of supplying him with drugs said she was not concerned when she didn't hear from him for five days before he was found dead said she last saw Bom alive on 24 March 2021 The witness was asked by the counsel assisting the coroner whether she was concerned for his welfare when she did not see him for five days Two other associates gave statements saying they raised concerns with the witness when Bom had not been seen or answered his door for several days The witness said she was not concerned because while Bom would often visit her there were other times when she would not see him for sometime and there were times when he would not answer his door to visitors Van Dam said there was evidence from others who claimed she had been supplying Bom with methamphetamine and selling prescription drugs on his behalf smoking hash by age 12 and having a period in which he drank a lot of alcohol In a statement to police following Bom's death the witness said she did not think Bom had dabbled in drugs but on the witness stand on Monday she admitted she knew he smoked cannabis and Bom felt methamphetamine helped with his epilepsy The inquest was set down for five days and will continue on Tuesday A man tortured as a child at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital is taking the Crown to court The bus driver has been charged with assault and made their first appearance in court last week The original theatre, founded in 1971, was housed in the Arts Centre. A new location was found in Addington following the quake. Today, people queued to get a look at its brand new forever home, that cost $61 million to complete. The first reactions as people walked through the doors were all very positive. “It's beautiful. I’m really excited to see lots of shows here,” one theatregoer said. “It's just magical. It’s such a moment for the city," another added. The state of the art facility on Gloucester St houses two theatres – one large auditorium that seats 377, and a more intimate space that seats 150. One of Christchurch’s newest residents, days-old Elias, stopped by with his family to give it a once-over. "We thought we'd pop down and see the new opening, and I’m quite interested in architecture and was quite excited to see the building," his father said. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger described the project as a turning point for the city. “Its return to the CBD is more than symbolic – it’s a celebration of what we can achieve when we work together," he said. With the opening of its new home, the theatre is expected to grow significantly. It currently produces 20 shows annually with a combined audience of 120,000. Court Theatre executive director Gretchen La Roche said the new building "represents a transformative moment for the city’s arts scene”. The first production in the new building, The End of the Golden Weather, opened last night. Artistic director Alison Walls called it symbolic and stirring. “It feels beautifully fitting we open our new home with this deeply personal national story." It's been 14 years since the theatre lost its home in the Arts Centre to the earthquake. (Source: 1News) Christchurch’s Court Theatre has made its grand return to the city, more than a decade after losing its home due to damage caused caused by the February 2011 earthquake. Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff The US President said Hollywood was dying a "very fast death" due to the incentives that other countries are using to attract American filmmakers New Zealand More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation Crime and Justice Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire Emergency services were called to Warrington Street in Mairehau at around 8.05am Stowaway weka catches ride across Southern Alps The native bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite Chch students discover resilience helps young people deal with the challenges of life State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there were still a "couple of issues in Banks Peninsula that we need to keep an eye on" Film industry anxiously awaits details on Trump's 100% movie tariff 7:17pm Search underway for Masterton man, 74, missing since Sunday 7:07pm Crooks, culture first order of business for Mike Bush in Victoria 7:05pm Charges filed against Woolworths over pricing, misleading specials 6:45pm Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 6:33pm Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 7:28pm 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand DOC apologises after non-toxic pellets spark warning at Nelson sandflats Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Christchurch’s Court Theatre has made its grand return to the city more than a decade after losing its home due to damage caused caused by the February 2011 earthquake A new location was found in Addington following the quake people queued to get a look at its brand new forever home The first reactions as people walked through the doors were all very positive I’m really excited to see lots of shows here,” one theatregoer said It’s such a moment for the city," another added The state of the art facility on Gloucester St houses two theatres – one large auditorium that seats 377 stopped by with his family to give it a once-over "We thought we'd pop down and see the new opening and I’m quite interested in architecture and was quite excited to see the building," his father said Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger described the project as a turning point for the city “Its return to the CBD is more than symbolic – it’s a celebration of what we can achieve when we work together," he said the theatre is expected to grow significantly It currently produces 20 shows annually with a combined audience of 120,000 Court Theatre executive director Gretchen La Roche said the new building "represents a transformative moment for the city’s arts scene” Artistic director Alison Walls called it symbolic and stirring More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." A weka who travelled from the West Coast to Christchurch over the Alps has been returned home after his roadie adventure The endemic bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite in Buller Gorge while packing up from their Easter getaway The gear was split between campers Kim Ranger and her partner Ian's two vehicles hidden in dog blankets in Ian's ute despite multiple stops He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn’t notice the weka," Kim said I opened the back door of the Ranger to get something there it was in the rear passenger footwell what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?”  Kim said they contacted the after-hours vet SPCA and DOC but were told to care for the bird until morning Apart from setting off the car alarm at 7am and covering the inside of the ute with poo Kim said the weka didn't seem distressed after her last name and given its temporary home Ranger was collected by DOC and checked over at the South Island Wildlife Hospital where — apart from being slightly dehydrated — was in good health and was released back to the area from where it hitched a ride DOC Biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander said the episode was a reminder for people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping “There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn’t want to see them accidentally introduced here.”  we also had someone accidentally bring two wētā over from the West Coast in their wetsuits,” said Alexander If you find a native animal has snuck a ride somewhere it shouldn't be; contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next Twelve Year 10 students from Christchurch’s Hornby High School have just finished a two-week wilderness adventure as part of Project K The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs the 14-month programme which is designed to help young people deal with the challenges of life 1News were there as the group returned on mountain bikes They were given a rousing guard of honour by fellow students and showered in love and hugs by their families Tania Mulholland greeted her son Toby McLeish with a tight hug "It's been a really long two weeks without him," she said getting them to achieve things that they've never done before so I think it’s great," she said Kayla said she has learnt "to never give up and to keep trying" Felt like I just wanted to go home but I just pushed through The teens trekked through native bush and arduous terrain near Otira One student said the tasks brought out the best in each of them "You'll feel scared and lonely and down and you just need to push through because you can do this," they said The students were nominated by their teachers to take part Hornby High School principal Ian Murray said those who were chosen had the "best opportunity to grow resilience and character to help them through the challenges that some of them may have been facing at the time" Their final task was to deliver a speech about what they’ve learnt I pushed myself beyond my limits and realised I had more to me than I thought," Kayla told the audience The Graeme Dingle Foundation's general manager for the Canterbury region said they've seen students flourish after going through the programme “We've seen them from students that have got their shoulders down and their heads down chin up and just beaming that they've overcome some amazing obstacles," she said The Graeme Dingle Foundation supports 27,000 young people to undertake a similar journey of discovery each year The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on" "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed Most roads across Christchurch were now open Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours A temporary pump installed has now stopped wastewater entering Akaroa Harbour but residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system A search and rescue operation is underway for a Masterton man in his 70s missing since Sunday John Rafferty was last seen at Masterton Railway Station about midday on May 4 The 74-year-old did not board a train and left on foot about 20 minutes later Matheson said it was possible Rafferty was staying with a friend but police and loved ones "want to know he’s safe" and John doesn’t have his cell phone or wallet," he said A search team and a helicopter has been out looking for the missing man "We are really keen to know that he’s safe." Police have released an image from CCTV showing Rafferty on a station platform on the day of his disappearance He was wearing a blue jacket with 'NASA' written on the back Anyone who saw him was asked to contact police on 111 or online at 105 if there was Information after the fact The next top cop of the troubled Victoria police force embraces his "outsider" status to curb its leadership malaise and has a stern warning for crooks Former New Zealand Police commissioner Mike Bush won the race to become Victoria's chief commissioner after months of top-level staffing woes The 40-year police veteran steps into the role on June 27 with a five-year contract The Kiwi conceded the job will be no picnic with Victoria's crime rate hitting an almost decade-high in 2024 everyone knows that," he told reporters today "These crime issues are actually global they are quite similar wherever you go but it's not good enough just to turn up after the act Rising youth crime and high-profile cases of alleged offenders committing crimes while on bail spurred the Victorian government to strengthen laws in March Bush said he was familiar with the crackdown but bail laws were just one part of the solution to tackling youth crime along with a "prevention mindset" He retired from the NZ police force in 2020 after joining in 1978 and spending his final six years in the top job Whakaari/White Island volcano eruption and Covid-19 pandemic were among the biggest crises Bush confronted during his tenure Bush also made headlines in 2022 after it emerged he had a past drink-driving conviction when unsuccessfully applying to become head of the UK's Metropolitan Police Former New Zealand police minister Stuart Nash describedr Bush as hard but fair He said Bush regularly met with police forces across the Tasman in his previous role and recalled travelling with him to every district across New Zealand once a year to chew the fat with communities and then we all had biscuits and a cup of tea," Nash told AAP "Mike is someone who had deep credibility in policing." The state government has not handed the reins of Victoria Police to an outsider since former NSW Police assistant commissioner Christine Nixon in 2001 The Kiwi was happy to wear the "outsider" tag and is already hatching plans to hit the ground running "I've got a lot to do to come up to speed," Bush said "Culture is a consequence of leadership." establishing relationships with community groups amid rising tensions and increasing police visibility on the beat were among his other top initial priorities Victoria Police was thrust into leadership turmoil in February with a no-confidence vote from officers costing chief commissioner Shane Patton his job Emergency Management Commissioner Rick Nugent became acting chief and expressed an interest in making the move permanent before throwing in the towel in April Deputy Commissioner Robert Hill will serve in an acting capacity until Bush takes over Bush intends to speak with Patton before starting and said he wouldn't shy away from pushing back if he disagreed with the government Premier Jacinta Allan said a recruitment agency was hired and instructed to find a leader capable of addressing the "challenges" plaguing the force "Mike Bush is the best person for the job," she said whose union led the no-confidence vote against Patton following a bitter pay dispute admitted there was a disconnect between members and leaders The state police union secretary welcomed Mr Bush's appointment and pledge to listen to the mounting workforce concerns "We have a police force that is currently under-resourced that needs fresh officers," he said The Commerce Commission has filed criminal charges against Woolworths NZ for alleged inaccurate pricing and misleading specials that may have breached the Fair Trading Act The commission filed the charges against Woolworths in the Auckland District Court It indicated in December last year that it would be filing separate criminal charges against Woolworths and two Pak'nSave supermarkets the commission said there were ongoing issues with pricing in the supermarket sector and the operators may have breached the Fair Trading Act deputy chair Anne Callinan said operators should know what the expectations were "Supermarkets have long been on notice about the importance of accurate and clear pricing and specials and we're not satisfied with the continuing issues we're seeing across the industry "Pricing accuracy is a consumer right and an expectation of a competitive market well-resourced businesses that should invest the time and effort to get pricing and promotions right." She said the charges were filed to remind all supermarkets that they are expected to fix the pricing accuracy issues and implement better processes In a statement when the charges were announced Woolworths managing director Spencer Sonn said it was important customers could trust prices advertised at their supermarkets Woolworths said it has cooperated with the Commerce Commission's pricing investigation for some time rnz.co.nz Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." Shane William Pritchard has been charged with crimes he didn’t commit and chased for debts he doesn’t owe That’s because the Dunedin man is not the only Shane William Pritchard in town While the duo’s shared name and age has sometimes been a handy loophole for one Shane for the other it has caused problems for 36 years It’s been years of fearing every knock on the door Years of wondering if he’ll be hand-cuffed and taken to jail to be honest,” says Shane William Pritchard a scout and a member of the Air Training Corp remembers getting quite a shock when her friend called one evening She'd been acting as a referee for a gun licence for Shane whose friend informed her that the police had a long list of offences against Shane’s name Not long after that the police turned up to where Shane was working at the local tannery to arrest him “You're scrambling in your head to think of ways that you can prove it's not you.” Another Shane William Pritchard had been born in Otago They were separated by just two weeks and about 50 miles – one growing up in Mosgiel the other in Milton – but also by the lives they’d been leading To watch the full video story go to TVNZ+ Shane from Milton had huge problems focusing at school He was raised in foster care and then boys’ homes I just wanted to look cool and get in trouble,” he tells Fair Go Milton Shane was used to run-ins with police he got pulled over in his car and asked about his driving licence one’s got a licence and the other hasn’t.’ And I’m like ‘obviously it must be the one with a licence’.” he went to his bank to draw out an ACC payment and was asked which bank account was his He says that at that point he was trying to figure out what was going on “I thought it was just an error.” But he took advantage of the situation and withdrew a large sum of cash Mosgiel Shane became aware of the withdrawal when a scheduled car payment was declined and when Milton Shane turned up at the bank to withdraw more money Identity fraud was considered but Milton Shane was legitimately expecting an ACC payment so the withdrawal appeared to be a genuine mistake and the police couldn’t take any action 'Anything I could get away with Mosgiel Shane thought the bank incident would have alerted police to the problem But his nemesis had cottoned on to the advantages of having a second identity to use Milton Shane acquired a suite of furniture on hire-purchase Milton-Shane clocked up more driving offences Mosgiel Shane thought about changing his name but realised he’d have to provide his previous name in the process the courts and debt collectors such as Baycorp should be able to distinguish between himself and Milton Shane The police first addressed the issue in the 1990s after Mosgiel Shane went to the media He was given a letter to carry with him should he be apprehended He and his parents felt his situation wasn’t being taken seriously Mosgiel Shane went to the media a second time in the mid-2000s the police gave their word that a record in their system would stop the misidentification from happening again This does appear to have worked as far as police action goes But while Mosgiel Shane was given the same reassurance by the Ministry of Justice he continued to receive demands from the courts for unpaid fines He’d also get stopped and questioned whenever he left the country for work trips or holidays It took a huge toll on Mosgiel Shane’s mental health not realising the constant stress it placed on his life John Pritchard says that at times his son felt his life wasn’t worth living worrying about what he was going to do to himself and that really ate me up.” he and his son were in tears as Shane admitted he was at breaking point He described going for days at a time unable to eat or sleep wondering what might happen next "Am I going to be in a position where they've got me in handcuffs or I've got debt collectors coming to the door?" ...You're spiralling into this black hole." He started taking anti-anxiety medication which helped And events regarding Milton Shane seemed to settle Milton Shane was charged for fishing without a licence in Twizel and failing to comply with fisheries officers But a court registrar incorrectly entered the birth date of Mosgiel Shane in the system both Shanes were being chased to pay the $1530 fine It was Mosgiel Shane who spotted the error and rang the court He also sent a statement from his manager saying he’d not been fishing in Twizel that day The reply he got was to say he’d been given the wrong form and that they wouldn’t accept his proof They just wanted to know how I was going to pay the fine.” The first Milton Shane knew about this was when Fair Go told him Mosgiel Shane had been chased for the fine He was told to pay up or face the consequences feeling he shouldn’t have to pay good money to correct someone else’s mistake But it cost Mosgiel Shane over $5000 in legal fees and took months of back and forth between him “Why should anybody have to pay their own money to right somebody else's wrongs and prove who they are I’m sick and tired of proving who I am all the time.” He wanted the Ministry of Justice to take responsibility and reimburse him for his legal costs saying court staff such as the registrar in this case have immunity if they make mistakes such as the one made here and if I make a mistake and it's affecting my client that it's going to cost them money to rectify a mistake that I've made.” he deserves a million apologies from those guys,” she says Milton Shane told Fair Go he still gets in trouble but wants the other Shane to know he doesn’t use his birth date anymore And he had a message for him: “We’ve got to get it sorted for you so you can have a good life with you and your family because I’m trying to get my life together with my son and my grandson” He offers to meet to see if they can sort it out together but I’m not interested in meeting him,.” says Mosgiel Shane He says he doesn’t hold any grudges and accepts Milton Shane’s apology And he believes the only way for that to happen is for the courts and the Ministry of Justice to give him a guarantee that mix-ups won’t occur in the future Fair Go asked the Ministry of Justice to appear in person to apologise and provide reassurance to Shane of its plans to guard against these mistakes The Ministry declined our request to be on camera saying any comment on an individual case would compromise the independence of the courts as the Ministry operates separately But it did send a written apology directly to Mosgiel Shane It also admitted mistakes can occur in clerical records but said instructions were clear and the importance of getting things right had been emphasised to staff Mosgiel Shane isn’t totally convinced that’s the end of it “All I want is for the Ministry of Justice and the courts to do their job I'd like to live without this hanging over me all the time his criminal check has come back showing a clean slate Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims." Van Velden told Midday Report she believes in pay equity but the current thresholds were "a bit too loose" Asked how she ensure women were not hurt by this the minister said "I'm a woman and I support women who work" "I also support removing gender based discriminations from our workforces but what I don't support are muddied laws and unclear laws," she said "So these changes are better for all women who are working where we can genuinely say hand on heart that what they are finding with their claims is genuine gender based discrimination." Van Velden told reporters at Parliament any current claims would be stopped and need to restart under the new threshold to show "genuine" gender discrimination and make sure the comparators were right She gave a figure of 33 current claims that would be stopped as the legislation was put through under urgency "You have librarians who've been comparing themselves to transport engineers We have admin and clerical staff at Health New Zealand comparing themselves to mechanical engineers." Social workers had compared themselves to air traffic controllers "We don't believe we have that setting right." Any comparison would now be between female employees and male employees at the same employer "But you cannot go fishing for discrimination across the New Zealand workforce." All current settled claims would continue but the government was drawing "a line in the sand" "We're not stopping claims." The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers The union said the changes would make it "impossible for people in female-dominated professions to be paid fairly" "Women across the country will pay the price for this," PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said "The government's changes today are a dark day for New Zealand women as the government says it will repeal the pay equity law and extinguish 33 existing claims in a constitutional overreach "The PSA is exploring all possible avenues to oppose these unconstitutional amendments and stop this attack on women We will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all." "This is a blatant and shameful attack on women," New Zealand Nurses organisation chief executive Paul Goulter said "Women in workforces predominantly performed by female employees have been underpaid and undervalued for generations That is what pay equity claims seek to rectify," he said "This move by the government will widen the pay gap between men and women." The union had at least 10 pay current pay claims across Aged Care These cover many nurses and support workers The E tū union also called the changes an attack on women and a green light to pay them less for work of equal value The government was pulling the rug out from under a 13-year-long fight in aged care "These changes are not about evidence — they are about saving money by keeping women underpaid," national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said in a statement A number of unions have called a snap rally at Parliament at 1pm today in light of the announcement the Council of Trade Unions and representatives of other unions say they will be "protesting the government's attack on women and the destruction of progress on pay equity..." rnz.co.nz Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. Virgin is Lorde's fourth studio album. Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris, tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery. More than eight years later, 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery, abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2, 2016. Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23. "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said. "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities. "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion, in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show, Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her. In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show, she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped. I’m like, ‘What is happening? Are we gonna die? Just tell them I have children. I have babies, I have a husband, I have a family.'" Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box. One of them has died, and another is seriously ill and can't be tried. According to the investigation, five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery. The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records. Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub. Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth. She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room. She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft. Shortly afterwards, Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured. She filed a complaint, adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children. According to her testimony and that of the concierge, at least one of the suspects had a handgun, with which he threatened the victims. The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery, including a ring of great value, estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million). Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered. Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime, as their DNA was found at the crime scene. The alleged ringleader, 68-year-old Aomar Aït Khedache, is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment. Nicknamed "Old Omar", his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian. He left the hotel on a bicycle, as did two other robbers, then met his son, who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station. The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment. Yunice Abbas, 71, said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area, making sure the escape route was clear. He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian, but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime. Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision. In 2021, he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian. Didier Dubreucq, 69, known as "Blue Eyes", is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat. He denies any involvement, although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement, according to the investigation. The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment. Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp, Belgium. First-time nominees Chubby Checker, Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper, the hip-hop pioneers Outkast, the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden. Salt-N-Pepa, the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status, and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award. The late record producer Thom Bell, pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award. The late Cocker, who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends, had the backing of Billy Joel, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top and Pete Thomas, a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions, who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets". Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination. They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam. Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love, Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy. The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker, a former head of Warner Bros. Records who signed Prince and R.E.M., and had a part in records from Madonna, Randy Newman, the Doobie Brothers, Rickie Lee Jones, Paul Simon and Gary Clark Jr. Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey, Phish, Billy Idol, Joy Division/New Order, Maná, the Black Crowes and Oasis. Checker’s recording of The Twist, and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll. The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before, including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old. I’ll tell them to drop dead, so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots. OutKast, made up of André 3000 and Big Boi, have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop. The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army. Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction. The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall. Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists, historians and music industry professionals. The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians, the scope and longevity of their career and body of work, as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique". Last year, Mary J. Blige, Cher, Foreigner, A Tribe Called Quest, Kool & The Gang, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted. Headway is issuing a strong and urgent warning to whānau, schools, and young people about the deeply troubling ‘Run It Straight’ trend, a challenge gaining popularity among rangatahi that encourages participants to charge at each other in full-speed collisions. This is not a sport; it’s a direct assault on developing brains. This year, the weather played kind, offering clear skies and mild winds — a rare gift in the Tararua Range, which averages over 160 days of gale-force winds and 200 days of rain annually. The Commissioner will work alongside the Secretary for Education, Ms Ellen MacGregor-Reid, and other Ministry staff, who will remain actively involved in the negotiations. Their advice and expertise will be central to his decisions. From the return of a legendary cultural relay to a brand-new forest trail course and a kids' run that brings schools together in celebration of movement, this year’s event promises to be one of the most vibrant and community-driven editions yet. Whānau across Aotearoa are beginning their Smokefree journey this May as part of the That’s Us campaign, led by Hāpai te Hauora. The campaign encourages whānau to give up smoking for the month of May with the support of their local Stop Smoking Service. Her scholarship, combined with her indigenous worldview, earned her the respect of many Oxford academics at the time, and has gone on to be celebrated by members of Māori communities and researchers worldwide. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gatherings. (@gatheringschch) A tour of the best and brightest of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s dining scene All the recommendations that follow are my personal favourites, but if I had to pick somewhere unmissable it would be Child Sister, an unassuming brunch spot where service is efficient bordering on stern, but the food is out of this world. Order the kimchi fried rice omelette then come back for the breakfast sando. Their coffee is fantastic, too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gatherings. (@gatheringschch) We had a phenomenally good lunch at Montreal a hotel restaurant with such a good local reputation There is a huge amount of international experience in the kitchen and they bring a unique flair to familiar dishes while a late summer caprese-style salad featured an ice-cold scoop of basil sorbet on top If you can find time for a side trip to Akaroa you won’t be disappointed A new winery-restaurant called Caldera – on the outskirts of the town – offers elevated views of the harbour from the dining room and a big sunny deck where you can enjoy a glass of wine before your food arrives Owner Tony Anderson was a plasterer before this foray into hospitality down-to-earth personality infuses the whole operation in the kitchen his head chef creates wonderful bistro-style meals you can match with an extensive range of house wines I recommend the lamb shoulder (perfect for sharing with a glass of pinot noir) and the souffle made with local Barry’s Bay aged cheddar (you can visit their factory on the way to Akaroa) a fantastic waterfront restaurant where (among other things) you can enjoy a great South Island delicacy: blue cod cooked in a simple tempura here and one of the best things we ate The next day we made it back to the city for a late lunch at Cellar Door truly one of Christchurch’s great culinary experiences You must make some time for an extended visit at this wine bar inside the historic Arts Centre where the owner is devoted to sharing his extensive cellar with the world A “wine flights” experience combined with a Coravin system means you can taste from dozens of special bottles alongside food that makes you feel as though you never want to leave or sometimes more creative themes – part of the fun is picking which one you’ll go for (where else can you try four quarter-glasses of fresh bubbles for around the same price as a glass?) an opulent pan-Asian (with flashes of the Pacific) restaurant operated by the equally glamorous Karen Hattaway It is her seventh restaurant (as she told me her story I thought of the famous Godfather line: “just when I thought I was out they drag me back in”) and her experience and grace pervade the whole restaurant The cocktails (and mocktails) are a real feature here served in a woven basket with chilli mānuka butter a Malaysian seafood curry soup that arrives in an ornate iron bowl The whole restaurant is over the top in the best sort of way and you could always act like an American tourist and book an Āmiki cultural food tour the tours come in a range of shapes and sizes but generally include a multi-restaurant experience of his choice Riwai is on something of a foodie journey himself and enjoys the chance to show off favourite city restaurants while making pleasant conversation with guests and sharing his own takes on the world We had a great day in Waipara wine country less than an hour north of Christchurch on State Highway 1 There are all sorts of places to stop but the crown jewel for food-lovers is Black Estate a wonderful restaurant overlooking the rows of vines doing their quiet magic The building is almost rustic – the floor is simple decking and there are few architectural flourishes – but the menu would easily sit alongside the best bistros of Auckland garnished with fresh herbs and flowers from the garden and the chef’s tasting menu (four courses plus extras with an optional wine match) is the way to go if you have time make sure you try the fish – butterflied whole and grilled You should also take the opportunity to try some of the estate wines which are otherwise hard to find and we quickly ordered two glasses of the Netherwood after sampling it at Cellar Door restaurant the previous day a showcase of New Zealand’s best red wine for a coterie of international guests One of them was New York Times journalist Eric Asimov who made a beeline for Black Estate and spent several hours onsite doing tastings with the owners As I write this he hasn’t published his discoveries to the world so you may want to buy their wine while you still can!) If you’re still in the mood for a serious tasting a sprawling estate of grapes and gardens representing the dream of the Donaldsons who started planting vines in the mid-1970s and whose sons now run most of the business Ivan Donaldson is the patriarch but his wife Chris can take much of the credit – it was she who first bought him a book about winegrowing and while he toiled in the fields she somehow managed to raise four boys while planting a legacy garden Visitors to Pegasus Bay are now the beneficiaries The saplings Chris planted are now tall trees while new projects continue to be installed year-round It’s a beautiful environment to drink pinot and enjoy treats from the onsite deli – but if you’re serious about finding that perfect bottle you can do a tasting inside Hopefully they’ll be showing the Bel Canto a dry riesling that recently won an international Battle Royale – facing down 32 specially selected international vintages to be named the best wine in the world a pizzeria and cidery the locals are willing to queue for Christchurch has too much good food to eat in one weekend but you’ll have a lot of fun giving it a go Jesse Mulligan stayed at Hotel Montreal restaurant reviews and delicious food news From food truck to brick-and-mortar: How three Auckland kitchens made the big move A new generation of local restaurants is finding its start in mobile kitchens The Dish: Omni is closing, Hill House Cafe has a new home and more food news A mighty serving of hospitality happenings Jesse Mulligan: How good is Sid Sahrawat’s newest restaurant Anise? At this pan-Asian newcomer the restaurateur shows what his team can do Restaurateur Michael Dearth’s San Francisco hit list, from Michelin-star bar food to crab salad An expatriate’s return to the decadent foodie city of San Francisco Where to eat on a Monday night in Auckland when it feels like everywhere is closed For when you want good food with good company – at a place that’s open A bloom of daffodils welcomed a stream of stars A new venture opening soon with a collection of 1300 bottles from a team of wine experts The active botanical skincare brand is rolling out in 50 Sephora stores from May 13 From sushi to souffle and blue cod tempura Jesse spotlights the very best of Ōtautahi spiced treat that turns carrots into something surprisingly sweet and snackable Beetroot is the secret ingredient in this chocolate orange cake The state of emergency put in place due to flooding and storm damage has been lifted in Christchurch but will remain in place for Banks Peninsula Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said some problems remained in Banks Peninsula which needed to be monitored "We've still got a few issues with land movement and possible slips some of them may not come to light for another two or three days we're just keeping an eye on it," he said "We've got a wee issue also with a bit of sewage was overflowing because one of the pumps had a bit of problem but that's all been fixed so we're just monitoring that as well." Mauger said things had settled down in Christchurch there's still people who have got water in their backyard and stuff but we've got to remember the size of the event," he said all it needs is half a dozen high and low tides with no rain and that just quietly gets rid of it all." Lifting the state of emergency in Banks Peninsula would be assessed this week Christchurch remained in a state of emergency with the council saying there was still "some very saturated land" across the district but the state of emergency was lifted at 1pm In an update posted on the Christchurch City Council website on Saturday evening the council said there were still concerns about land stability and the potential for further slips despite fine weather helping to dry things out "The decision has been made not to lift the state of emergency for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula," it said The council said geotechnical engineers had been out checking on land damage with monitoring equipment now onsite at Lighthouse Road in Akaroa to monitor for land movement The majority of roads across Christchurch were now open. State Highway 75, which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region, reopened on Saturday afternoon Roads still closed include Empire Road from Main North Road Lower Styx Road from number 980 to the lagoon Hendersons and Cashmere roads were affected by the managed release of water from the stormwater basins - and the council said Cashmere Road would hopefully reopen on Sunday Hendersons Road would remain closed for at least another couple of day as water was released into the Heathcote River the council was working to resolve issues with the wastewater system "Unfortunately our attempts to repair the main have not been successful," it said on Saturday evening the focus was on temporary pumping to limit discharge into the harbour Contractors would be onsite again on Sunday Akaroa residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system Much of Canterbury has been inundated with flood water after days of heavy rainfall Akaroa residents are being asked to reduce the demand on the wastewater system Sea conditions prevented the earthworks from happening before the rain storm hit The long-awaited new home for Christchurch's Court Theatre has officially opened its doors in the central city 14 years after the devastating quakes that drove it out of the Arts Centre People turned up in droves on Sunday to get a first look inside the new $61 million playhouse on the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Streets The theatre had been in temporary lodgings in a shed in Addington since the 2011 earthquake The new space featured a 377-seat main auditorium and a second 120-150-seat studio theatre Incoming Court Theatre chief executive Richard Aindow said it was a significant day for Christchurch "I'm feeling excited about the future of the Court Theatre This space is very different from the one that the company was in for 14 years in Addington it's a purpose-built home the first one in 54 years," he said "There's so many spaces here that can be used so much potential to bring the community in to do new things just in the centre of the city a brand new home - it's exciting." Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture & City Making director Jessica Halliday said she expected thousands of people through the Court Theatre's doors on Sunday as part of the Open Christchurch festival "This is an incredibly high quality work of architecture.. I'm thrilled when we build really beautiful purposeful meaningful buildings in Aotearoa I think sometimes we cheapen things and this is not cheapening things this is a brilliant place and it's going to be wonderful for anyone who loves theatre," she said Liz Angelo-Roxborough said she lived in the Arts Centre for about 10 years where the Court Theatre was previously based and travelled from Dunedin for the opening of the new building It's in a wonderful central position across from the library and near Te Pae I think Christchurch is well-known for its love of the arts and it needs this support," she said Court Theatre board chair Steve Wakefield said the building would be a fantastic resource for the arts in Christchurch "A theatre is a very complicated building and you design it from the inside out We wanted it to be open to the community and to make sure that connection between the actors on the stage and the audience in the seats is as close and as intimate as possible and that's an important part of creating theatre and making it successful," he said our wonderful Scared Scriptless comedy show that's been running for many years." The Court Theatre's opening season in the new venue begins with Bruce Mason's The End of the Golden Weather The show is directed by Lara Macgregor and stars New Zealand actor Sir Ian Mune as the narrator The End of the Golden Weather is a coming of age story imbrued with nostalgia for a New Zealand childhood summer spent at the beach That idyll plays out as the realities of the outside world and approaching adulthood start to seep in Culture 101 spoke with Sir Ian Mune during rehearsals last week and began with a reading of the play's famous opening scene setter and what Christchurch has done is they have secured this theatre there will always be a professional theatre in Christchurch Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday One of Christchurch's major anchor projects post-quake is on track to open in 2024 Christchurch's Court Theatre has outlived all the other first professional theatres set up on New Zealand It proudly celebrates its 50th birthday on the 21st of April After months of delays the Court Theatre is named as the priority development for the Christchurch's new performing arts precinct but one theatre producer says the decision is a 'big mistake.' Video A weka nicknamed Ranger has been returned to the West Coast after climbing into a ute and hitching a 300 kilometre ride to Christchurch The Department of Conservation says it is a reminder to people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping or in the outdoors after two wētā recently made a similar trip inside a wetsuit and also had to be returned to the West Coast Kim Ranger and her partner Ian stopped at Berlins campsite near Inangahua over Easter weekend where it is thought the weka took advantage of an open door and climbed into their ute hiding among dog blankets while they were packing up Ranger said Ian then drove home without realised he had a feathered stowaway in the back He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn't notice the weka," she said she opened the rear door of the ute and saw the weka in the footwell "I couldn't stop laughing and then I came the realisation what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?" given its temporary home in their ute and her last name who all advised them to leave it in the ute and wait until the next morning "The weka didn't show any signs of being distressed when you opened the door he just stood on the centre console and pooped - though he did set off the car alarm at 7 in the morning The inside of the ute was literally covered in weka poop." DOC staff took the weka to the South Island Wildlife Hospital in Christchurch for a check up DOC biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander said it was a reminder to people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping or in the outdoors "We were able to get [the weka] back over to the West Coast in a small carrier cage on a bus and it was released near the area it had hitched a ride from "There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn't want to see them accidentally introduced here It's a good reminder for people to be mindful about unintentionally transporting animals in their equipment." Alexander said the two wētā accidentally brought to Christchurch inside a wetsuit from the West Coast were also taken back to the coast for release they're doing it tough because of things like introduced predators and habitat loss We don't want to accidentally introduce new species - even native ones - into places they don't belong as they could have unexpected impacts on our ecosystems." He said anyone who found a native animal that had hitched a ride somewhere it should not have should contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next The owner of Gentle Annie Seaside Accommodation and Camping Ground in Mokihinui said his dad was mowing the lawn when he saw the weka DOC gave a written warning to Race to Survive: New Zealand after contestants ate a protected bird But concerns and confusion remain about how the birds found their way to the town of Manaia in the first place The Department of Conservation is worried the voracious forager's reappearance could threaten recovering ecosystems in the province Homes have been evacuated tonight in Christchurch because of landslides after torrential rain sparked widespread flooding And a rare red wind warning in Wellington has been downgraded tonight but residents remain on alert for high tide amid fears of coastal inundation Some residents in the capital have been urged to self-evacuate as monster waves pound the city’s south coast Severe winds of up to 150km/h have smashed Wellington today closing roads and sparking more than 100 emergency callouts With high tide expected about 8pm increasing the risk of coastal inundation Wellington City Council said some residents are advised to leave their homes and seek safety “Wellington City Council is strongly advising residents of the south coast to consider staying somewhere else tonight if possible please be aware you may not be able to access your property by vehicle after 5.30pm tonight.” Christchurch has been placed under a state of emergency after torrential rain triggered widespread flooding with some people rescued from water-logged cars The announcement was made by Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell who travelled to Canterbury this afternoon to survey the damage A local state of emergency has also been declared for the Selwyn district MetService upgraded Wellington’s wind warning to a rare red level with destructive gales and a threat to life from flying items and falling trees “Stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees Be ready for power and communication outages.” This was later downgraded with an orange strong wind warning and heavy rain warning currently in place Flights have been cancelled for the rest of the day at Wellington Airport with warnings of more wild weather and further disruptions in coming days Follow the latest updates from the wild weather in our blog below Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The only high-reach ladder truck in Auckland broke down last night A police officer was unjustified in pushing a protester during a pro-Palestine protest in Christchurch last year A police officer was unjustified in pushing a protester during a pro-Palestine protest in Christchurch last year the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found It happened during a fracas between police and protesters in which another protester was arrested outside an eatery where National MPs were dining They were in the city for a caucus retreat a two-day strategy and team-building exercise that kicked off the beginning of the political year in 2024 when they used buses to leave the area at the conclusion of their function An Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation found a number of protesters ran out in front of the buses and blocked the road as the buses left Police warned the protesters to get off the road Videos shared of the protest showed police engaging with the protesters which included members of the Palestine Solidarity Network Christchurch Another video showed protesters shouting “shame on you” as MPs filed into a bus to leave a restaurant where they had been dining A protester ran across a pedestrian crossing and remained in front of one of the buses pulling them off the road and restraining them using a headlock the officers escorted the protester to a patrol car the protest group started to surround and follow the arresting officers and the handcuffed protester Police then formed a line to separate the two groups with officers having to push protesters back Once the arrested protester arrived at the patrol car they were advised that they would receive a formal warning before being released without charge to their home address The police investigation found that the arrest of the protester was lawful and that the officers’ use of force in restraining them was reasonable and justified Police identified that there were no grounds to issue a formal warning in the circumstances with no warning ultimately being given to the protester The IPCA found that the police investigation was conducted appropriately and agreed with the findings In balancing the rights of the protester and of those who were obstructed on the road the authority found that it was reasonable for officers to effect an arrest after issuing the necessary verbal warning The protester offered some resistance when arrested for which the use of the headlock was not unreasonable or excessive in the circumstances Police agreed with the authority that one instance of an officer pushing another protester back from the police line was unjustified The push did not warrant a criminal charge however police carried out a confidential employment process in respect of the officer The authority was satisfied with the process undertaken by police and agreed with the outcome reached National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis, at the time of the protest, said she respected the protesters’ right to protest “All New Zealanders have a right to protest and we respect that right She said it was for the “police to judge” whether the incident was peaceful “They were there to ensure everyone was kept safe and I think everyone was.” No one knew he'd fallen after a guard rail gave way while he was loading containers The driver followed the customer’s instructions who stated their gate and door would be open and to “meet at the door.” Uber said it is evaluating whether the customer should stay on the platform {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/05/04/state-of-emergency-lifted-for-christchurch-remains-for-banks-peninsula/"},"datePublished":"2025-05-03T18:51:11.539Z","dateModified":"2025-05-04T01:36:09.986Z","headline":"State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Damage from severe weather in Canterbury over the past few days. (Source: Christchurch City Council) The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula. Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on". "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required. There are some road closures over there, and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said. "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period, we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins, and monitoring river levels, to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week. Crews out surveying damage from a long spell of severe winds and heavy rain. (Source: 1News) State Highway 75, which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region, reopened on Saturday afternoon, but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed. Most roads across Christchurch were now open, with just Empire Rd from Main North Rd, Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon, Hendersons Rd, and Cashmere Rd remaining shut. These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly. The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours. Publican of damaged inn says scale of flooding worst in 50 yearsPublican Sarah McFarland of Little River Inn is hopeful it would be back up and running soon Little River locals question if some flooding could have been avoidedThe Banks Peninsula town was cut off after State Highway 75 was inundated by half a metre of water Environment Main road to Akaroa still blocked days after floodingThe highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night Christchurch's Court Theatre makes grand return to the CBD It's been 14 years since the theatre lost its home in the Arts Centre to the earthquake Council defends management of Lake Ellesmere during storm Environment Canterbury is being criticised for its management of Lake Ellesmere A publican on Banks Peninsula says for the first time in 50-odd years businesses on the main road of Little River have been flooded Follow updates with 1News' live blog A state of emergency remains in place in Selwyn Canterbury's civil defence and emergency management says rain is easing in the region and they will be spending the day assessing the damage Publican Sarah McFarland said a breached stream ran through the entire lower level of her Little River Inn on Thursday as well as a couple of other businesses on State Highway 75 and that sort of flooding has not been seen for half a century and farmland in the area has also borne the brunt of heavy rain and floodwaters McFarland said she was hopeful the inn would be back up and running soon A Banks Peninsula business owner says Little River is no longer an accurate description for the village there's lots of little bridges and you see the water rushing through like 20 times at the level The river is 20 times the size of what it normally is "A little river is no longer a little river." Fowler said it was the third time the settlement has flooded since he moved there in 2010 Volunteer firefighters had been flat-out trying to divert the water rnz.co.nz Cleanup is underway in the Banks Peninsula town of Little River as angry locals are left to wonder if some of the flooding could have been avoided Little River was cut off until this afternoon after State Highway 75 was inundated with water aggrieved residents are questioning if its impact could have been lessened if the council had lowered the level of Lake Forsyth before the storm hit and it could have been avoided,” Little River Service Station worker Andy Davis said “Farmers did approach the council about opening the lake and that was back early or late last week and nothing had been done.” Davis is cleaning up after floodwater smashed the windows and upended freezers in the store it might have been the quakes and that could have broken the glass or it might have been the force of the water actually inside.” Rob McFarland was mopping the floor of the hotel after it flooded for the first time in 150 years “Obviously it’s quite a tragic event – a sea of water in here was the last thing we would have expected,” he said His daughter Sarah McFarland said because the lake was left high water coming down the mountain “had nowhere to go and came through the building” the head of Three Waters said the flooding would not have been mitigated by opening the lake “Flooding in Little River and surrounding areas is caused by issues higher up in the catchment and would not have been prevented by opening Lake Forsyth earlier,” Gavin Hutchison said Diggers opened the lake to the sea yesterday afternoon “We have to time this to coincide with the southerly swells dropping to ensure the channel stays open and has the intended impact and so we can ensure the safety of our staff and contractors when we carry out the work." “Having the lake open before the rain does help but it might help disperse some of the water,” she said she found her shop in 20-centimetre-deep water destroying a lot of her stock and leaving her with a huge cleanup “I’m not sure whether to close the doors and walk away.” The main road to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is still blocked days after intense rainfall flooded State Highway 75 The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night and extreme caution is still advised on the remainder of the route to Akaroa Photos and videos shared by residents on social media show fallen trees and other major damage on the highway which is the only road connecting communities like Akaroa to the rest of Canterbury Aerial footage captured by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday evening showed farmland submerged below floodwaters across the peninsula and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell noted the full extent of the damage would not be clear until the water subsided The council also reported large cracks on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa "The assessment found there [is] no immediate danger to the evacuated properties or other properties in the vicinity," the council posted on its Facebook page we may require houses further down to evacuate at short notice." Contractors opened Lake Forsyth to the ocean on Friday afternoon allowing the lake to drain excess water over the next seven days rnz.co.nz The Canterbury Regional Council says there was an agreement to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea last Tuesday but sea conditions prevented it from happening before the rain storm hit with people in Selwyn telling RNZ they are frustrated the lake was not opened to the sea earlier Taumutu farmer Tim Sanson said there had been good warning that a fairly serious weather system was on the way He was expecting around 80 millimetres of rain but received more than 150mm on Thursday which was "a fairly significant chunk of rain in a short period of time" "That is a lot more than what we were expecting from the forecast but to get more than sort of two inches in one hit here Sanson said the decision-making around opening Lake Ellesmere was a long-running "bugbear" for many locals "It's a bit like having a bucket that's full of water and potentially we should be doing that with the lake with a bit more management," he said which required heavy machinery and hard work "It did seem crazy to me watching the bulldozers head down there at high tide I think it was yesterday morning or the morning before to start preparing for opening with the southerly roaring in," he said said he thought the lake should have been opened sooner He woke at 4am on Friday to find six inches of water through his home after a nearby creek overflowed "If the council had opened the lake last weekend when it was nice and sunny then there would have been far less room for the water to move to the lake and travel on its way out to the sea," he said also questioned why officials did not act earlier to open the lake before the heavy rain caused widespread flooding She said she struggled in vain to get officials to open Lake Ellesmere to help the rising floodwaters drain away on Thursday evening She rang the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Regional Council after she got home to find water lapping on neighbours' doors The regional council told her it was after hours to call again in the morning and that the lake's opening was out of staff hands Adams said her property was a disaster zone with a repair bill estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars The council used diggers to create a channel between the lake and sea at certain times governed by a 1990 water conservation order and resource consents held jointly with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu ECan general manger of hazards Leigh Griffiths said consultation for a lake opening began on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon a joint decision had been made to open the lake "We can only open the lake once a joint decision has been made and the lake height reaches a minimum of 1.13m (from 1 April to 15 June) The lake conditions were not met until Tuesday 30 April," she said Griffiths said earthworks had begun to open the lake but in current sea conditions it would not be successful because the cut would fill in and it was unsafe for people to operate machinery in the surf zone "We are watching conditions closely and the lake will be opened to the sea as soon as weather and sea conditions allow This is likely several days away at the earliest," she said Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said he was confident officials had made the right call not to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea earlier Mitchell met Environment Canterbury staff and mana whenua on Friday about the lake "It is very apparent there is a lot of work and focus on how they manage Lake Ellesmere and the fact that there was a request to put in to widen that access," he said "All the information that they had in relation to that was what informed their decisions and they're all united in the fact that they've done the right thing and they've made the right decisions and they've done what they could." Mitchell said he had full confidence in that decision but he was prepared to hear more about the community's concerns over the the lake's management rnz.co.nz It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/05/03/main-road-to-akaroa-still-blocked-days-after-flooding/"},"datePublished":"2025-05-02T18:50:36.375Z","dateModified":"2025-05-02T19:16:09.094Z","headline":"Main road to Akaroa still blocked days after flooding","description":"The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night Flooding at Banks Peninsula following heavy rains in the Canterbury region. (Source: Christchurch City Council) The main road to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is still blocked, days after intense rainfall flooded State Highway 75. The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night, and extreme caution is still advised on the remainder of the route to Akaroa. Photos and videos shared by residents on social media show fallen trees and other major damage on the highway, which is the only road connecting communities like Akaroa to the rest of Canterbury. Cracks in Lighthouse Road in Akaroa. (Source: Christchurch City Council) Aerial footage captured by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday evening showed farmland submerged below floodwaters across the peninsula, and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell noted the full extent of the damage would not be clear until the water subsided. The council also reported large cracks on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa, forcing some residents to evacuate. "The assessment found there [is] no immediate danger to the evacuated properties or other properties in the vicinity," the council posted on its Facebook page. "However, if conditions change, we may require houses further down to evacuate at short notice." Flights resume at Wellington Airport after day of disruptionAround 200 flights were cancelled yesterday with the capital subject to a rare red wind warning World rnz.co.nz Qantas confirms new Auckland-Perth flights Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December Business Wellington Airport is operational again today after high winds saw most flights cancelled yesterday with the capital subject to a rare red high wind warning Around 200 flights were cancelled in Wellington yesterday with Air NZ's head of airports Kate Boyer telling RNZ it cancelled 157 flights Air New Zealand chief operating officer Alex Marren said this morning both jet and regional aircraft have been able to land today Follow our live weather updates here Two flights were diverted however due to strong wind gusts Aidan O’Connor was on one of the them - a flight from Christchurch that turned back after they were unable to land He said he was in Christchurch for a cricket conference yesterday alongside 100 other people when the bad weather began "Most of the group attending were able to fly out to other parts of the country but unfortunately the the 9 or 10 of us that were due to fly to Wellington yesterday had our flight cancelled,” he said O’Connor said he spent the night in Christchurch before waking up at 4am today to attempt to fly out this morning "Tried to fly out at 6.25 [and] got all the way to Wellington and the pilot all of a sudden revved the engine up and we were up in the air again." He said the plane tried to land a second time before the pilot announced they would be turning back to Christchurch "I think there was hope after the first the landing and then I think as soon as the pilot revved to get the plane back up the area there was a big sigh even before the announcement came on," he laughed O’Connor said he’d flown in and out of Wellington many times but said this time "certainly wasn’t smooth' A few jumps and we basically got to the same spot twice and then both times the pilots said ‘no it's too much we just can't safely land'." He said there was a “resigned” feeling at the airport but he understood the pilot was simply doing their job in taking care of the 200-plus passengers on board "I saw a number of other flights were able to land But I'm sure they have their reasons for it They've got to worry about 200 people with their safety." He had since managed to sort flights home to Wellington through Auckland Marren said conditions were expected to improve today but there was the potential for further disruption this morning Our teams are working hard to take care of our customers to get them safely to their destination as quickly as possible and we appreciate their patience and understanding while we work through this disruption "We recommend customers check the Air New Zealand app or website for the latest updates on their flight status Our contact centre is currently experiencing high call volumes so we encourage customers to self-manage their travel where possible can be made via the ‘Manage My Booking’ feature on the Air NZ app or website." Wellington Airport said this morning advised customers to keep an eye on its website and check in with airlines for specific flight information "It’s still wild and windy here in Wellington but conditions have eased enough for some flights to begin operating However it will take time for airlines to clear the backlog and there may still be disruptions." Qantas has announced that direct flights between Perth and Auckland will take off later this year Flights between Auckland and Western Australia's capital would begin in December The airline also added flights between Perth and Johannesburg and Sundays with an approximate flight time of 8 hours Perth to Auckland flights would operate as QF111 on Monday The approximate flight time was around six hours and 45 minutes Both flights would use Qantas A330 aircraft with 27 business class seats and 224 economy seats The new flights would allow a one-stop route to London via Perth It would also allow for connections via Perth from Auckland to airports across South Africa the new flight to Auckland would also allow a one-stop connection to New York on the airline's QF3 service “We’re so excited to be launching two new international routes unlocking more options and greater choice for all Australians to connect to the world through our growing network," Qantas International chief executive Cam Wallace said “By connecting Perth directly with Auckland and Johannesburg we’re supporting the local economy by opening valuable inbound tourism opportunities for Western Australia as well as generating new jobs for the state These routes also enable further growth throughout Australia with connections across our domestic network." Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted.