projects and major works requiring lane or road closures in Hamilton Kirikiriroa Road users are encouraged to use alternate routes where possible and we’ll do our best to keep any delays to a minimum Traffic management may be in place to make sure road users can navigate these areas safely while work is underway Works and dates are subject to change based on factors such as wet weather and staff availability pedestrians and people on bikes will continue to have access unless specified below.  One lane of the below streets remains closed until Tuesday 6 May from 7am – 5pm for footpath renewal work Ayrshire Drive (from Highgrove Road to Grandview Road) will be closed Wednesday 7 May from 7am – 5pm for road resurfacing Resident will continue to have access.  Kimbrae Drive (from Korikori Green to Bourn Brook Avenue) will be closed Wednesday 7 May from 7pm – 5am for road safety improvements.  Silverdale Road and Hillcrest Road intersection – partial closure  The Silverdale Road and Hillcrest Road intersection will be partially closed from Monday 5 May to Tuesday 6 May for the infill of the concrete islands.  The intersection will be closed to traffic turning right onto Hillcrest Road and to traffic turning right onto Silverdale Road The intersection remains open for left turning traffic onto both Silverdale Road and Hillcrest Road.  The entry lane of Frost Place is closed until Thursday 29 May from 7am – 6pm for footpath and kerb renewals Residents will continue to have access.  Heaphy Terrace (from Boundary Road to Stanley Street) remains closed until mid-May for the Ranfurly Gully wastewater upgrade and construction of the signalised crossing by Hamilton Jamia Mosque Minor delays are expected on Boundary Road and Marshall Street School speed limit changes  Variable 30km/h speed limits were introduced around 12 Hamilton schools from the start of Term 2 on 28 April 2025 and they operate during school pick-up and drop-off times the speed limits are either 40km/h or 50km/h These changes are in response to the Government’s new speed limit rules which have impacted roads around schools nationally New variable speed limit signs clearly state when the variable speed limit applies, and electronic signs were installed on busy roads or areas where it would be difficult for drivers to notice the signs. For details and maps of the affected areas, visit hamilton.govt.nz/schoolspeedlimits   Please follow instructions from the work crews Thank you for your patience and understanding – it is appreciated Council has a focus to provide a transport network that helps connect people and places in safe, accessible, and smart ways. We have a Vision Zero philosophy for road safety, meaning we aim to have zero deaths and serious injuries on our city’s roads. This is one of the key outcomes in our transport strategy Access Hamilton – Ara Kootuitui Kirikiriroa.  A serious crash has closed a road in Hamilton East. Emergency services were sent to the crash around 8.15am on Anzac Parade, near Memorial Drive, police said in a statement. “One person appears to be in a serious condition. “The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.” Anzac Parade is closed between Grey St and Memorial Drive and motorists are advised to take an alternate route and expect delays. It's unclear how long the Hamilton District Court building will be shut for. received five offers before it hit the market and another nine within a week of listing Photo / Supplied- First-time buyers are snapping up Hamilton homes with many homes receiving multiple offers and selling above asking prices - Interest rates and KiwiSaver withdrawals are motivating buyers with competition high for properties under $750,000 First-time buyers are pouncing on “cheap” Hamilton homes while the going is good on interest rates But one real estate agent in the city believes the spike in newbie activity is already affecting prices Lodge agent Blair Pointon said he had recently sold four properties all within a week of them hitting the market Pointon said 80% of the interest was from first-time buyers targeting sub-$650,000 cross-lease homes and sub-$800,000 freehold homes The well-presented Nixon Street home had already been renovated and extended Pointon’s three-bedroom home on Nixon Street attracted five offers before it hit the market and another nine offers the week after it was listed The property had an asking price of $729,000 and ended up selling for $788,000 It was a similar situation for his listing on Amanda Avenue which was listed for $618,000 and sold for $638,000 Pointon also sold a two-bedroom standalone quirky do-up on Chequers Avenue for $512,000 – $23,000 above its list price “Everything is going a bit nuts at the moment,” he told OneRoof “My assumption is with interest rates starting to come down ‘Why do I have money sitting in my KiwiSaver Why don’t I just buy a property and own something?’.” - Kiwi expat buys Auckland home for $12m-plus after flying visit - Boarding house with $3m CV for sale for first time in 22 years - Half-finished mansion next to NZ’s richest family snapped up Pointon said most of the offers being presented were conditional on finance KiwiSaver withdrawals and a building report – pretty standard first-home buyer requirements they’ve missed out on three or four properties already Everything under $750,000 is very hot at the moment,” he said noting that prices were starting to rise on the back of strong demand Ray White Hamilton principal Mark Keesom had also seen a drastic shift in the number of first-home buyers wanting to buy in the last three weeks with some properties selling above the asking price Keesom said the houses popular with his buyers were three to four-bedroom freehold properties priced between $600,000 and $800,000 sold in four days for $61,000 above its asking price “The renovated ones definitely seem to be moving a little bit quicker but [buyers] are paying more money for them obviously The ones that need a bit of work probably take a week or two [to sell] but seem to be going for not bad money.” He added: “I think [first-time buyers] are coming to the realisation that now is the time to buy.” Keesom cited the sale of a two-bedroom property on Cobham Drive It fetched $756,000 – $61,000 over the expected price – with the buyer upping their initial offer and scooping up the property five days after it hit the market Harcourts Hamilton business owner Campbell Scott said the number of first-time buyers in the market had been slowly building he had seen first-home buyers turn up to bid on a four-bedroom home on Lamont Street Scott said there were 13 registered bidders for the Lamont Street home which was announced on the market in the late $600,000s and sold for $790,000 The Fairview Street auction was less urgent but still got a $726,000 result for the vendor “We are back into that space of more of everything I think we are not in that crazy frenetic market because I think there’s a good number of listings for sale.” He added: “That balance between supply and demand will change quickly and the buying opportunity and or the window we’ve got to participate will close pretty soon I reckon as we start to get more buyers coming in and the rate or new buyers exceeds the rate or next listings each month supply will drop down and the prices will go up.” - Click here to find more properties for sale in Hamilton Police responded to "reports of a group fighting" at a residential address on Firth Street at about 11.30am. "One person was located in a critical condition and has been transported to Waikato Hospital," a police spokesperson said. One ambulance and one rapid response unit attended the scene, a St John spokesperson said. "Our crews assessed and treated one patient who was transported to Waikato hospital in a critical condition." The police spokesperson added: "Police are speaking with several people believed to be involved and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what occurred. "A scene examination will be conducted." One person has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after an "altercation" in Hamilton East this morning. Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Crime and Justice Homegrown music festival's new location revealed New Zealand Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one but one has spent years breaking the law while the other just pays a steep price for sharing his name Stephen Stone’s son files complaint over Crown Solicitor’s statement Stone spent more than 26 years wrongfully imprisoned for the murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens Police believe wave of Invercargill robberies two burglaries and one attempted burglary took place in Invercargill between 2.30am and 4.20am and are believed to be connected Tree planted as Kyle Whorrall's mother Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei blessed and planted a provided pōhutukawa tree at St Johns Bush in honour of the slain PhD student from the United States Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 19 mins ago New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 57 mins ago Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 10:49am Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 10:33am National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s 9:51am Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire 12 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Erica Stanford sent pre-Budget documents to her personal email 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 fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. 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 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon One person has been taken to hospital in a critical condition after an "altercation" in Hamilton East this morning Police responded to "reports of a group fighting" at a residential address on Firth Street at about 11.30am "One person was located in a critical condition and has been transported to Waikato Hospital," a police spokesperson said One ambulance and one rapid response unit attended the scene The police spokesperson added: "Police are speaking with several people believed to be involved and enquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what occurred Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Hamilton has been announced as the new home for the Homegrown music festival In January the festival, which features New Zealand music, confirmed it would be leaving Wellington's waterfront after being there for 18 years From next year it will be held at Hamilton's Claudelands Oval Festival director Andrew Tuck said the move is "about creating something that celebrates our roots and gives back to the region that inspires us" Organisers said that Hamilton offers potential for the festival to expand and evolve as New Zealand's fastest-growing city "Its central location — just a short journey from the Bay of Plenty and the King Country — makes it accessible for a wide range of attendees eager to enjoy Aotearoa's finest musical acts." Tuck said accessibility for as many people as possible is key for the festival and "being close to such a large population makes this dream even more achievable" Hamilton City Council deputy chief executive Sean Murray said the festival returning to the Waikato is "a win for the whole upper North Island" Next year's event will be held on March 14 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 The son of Stephen Stone has filed a Law Society complaint against the Auckland Crown Solicitor alleging she misled the court with her statement about the lack of evidence to retry his father who was acquitted of double murder last week said Alysha McClintock’s statement had caused "significant harm" to his father and family by “perpetuating a myth” the Crown case was dropped because witnesses were unavailable Stephen Stone spent more than 26 years wrongfully imprisoned for the 1989 murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens the Crown admitted he and three others convicted in connection with the crime suffered a miscarriage of justice The Court of Appeal accepted a police failure to disclose two key documents led to the miscarriage Stone’s convictions were quashed in October and a retrial ordered Known as the "Larnoch Road Four" their convictions relied heavily on four eyewitnesses who were given immunity from prosecution and name suppression McClintock told the High Court in Auckland one of the key reasons a retrial couldn’t go ahead was because three of the four witnesses were "no longer available through a combination of the consequences of the appeal decision death and witnesses no longer being in New Zealand" The Evidence Act sets out scenarios where a witness is considered unavailable These include if the person is dead; outside of New Zealand and it’s not reasonably practicable for them to be a witness; they are unfit to be a witness; or they cannot be compelled to give evidence Daniel Stone acknowledged one witness was dead and one was in Australia he claimed that it was not correct to say three witnesses were no longer available the others were “wholly unreliable” witnesses and the Crown’s statement was: “Designed to publicly spin the position in favour of the prosecution in an inappropriate abuse of the Crown's role.” During the Court of Appeal hearing in August the court heard the two non-recanting witnesses had changed their stories significantly multiple times and how bodies were disposed of,” Stephen Stone’s lawyer Annabel Maxwell-Scott told the court The Court of Appeal declined to rule their evidence inadmissible “The fact Mr X and Mr Y each made a number of startling contradictory statements to the police was before both juries in the earlier trial,” the judgement said McClintock said there was no longer enough evidence to prove charges against Stone beyond a reasonable double – referring to additional ESR testing on samples collected by police at the time which had not produced any results of significance; and Stone’s admissions of murder to get parole did not provide a basis for prosecution said outside the court on Wednesday that the Crown’s statement was “incredibly frustrating” “There is no acknowledgement of their own role in these miscarriages of justice and they gave the distinct impression that they believe Stephen has done something — and that's outrageous in my view." McClintock told 1News: "It is not appropriate for me to engage in debate about the reasons for my decision or the content of the statement through the media." Attorney-General Judith Collins’ office said: "It is not appropriate for the Attorney-General to comment about what has been said in Court by a prosecutor about a particular criminal prosecution." Stephen Stone’s acquittal was handled very differently to the acquittal of Alan Hall – another high-profile miscarriage of justice case the Crown and court acknowledged the miscarriage "We cannot end this judgment without acknowledging that just as the criminal justice system has failed Mr Hall so too has it failed the Easton family," said the 2022 judgment Alan Hall was declared innocent in 2023 and received nearly $5 million compensation for 19 years wrongful imprisonment Police have appealed to the public after two aggravated robberies and a series of burglaries in Invercargill overnight Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said officers were called to a premises on Dee St at around 2.30am on Monday to reports of two people entering a store demanding cash A worker was assaulted but not seriously injured Harvey said an attempted burglary and two burglaries were reported at three further premises on Windsor St Police then received a report that two people had entered a Tay St premises and demanded cash and items Harvey said information suggested the incidents were linked "Two vehicles were seen in the vicinity of some of the incidents "The other vehicle is described as a dark-coloured car," said Harvey "We would like to speak to anyone who saw vehicles fitting these descriptions between 1am and 5am." Anyone with relevant information about these vehicles or those involved should contact police on 105 A pōhutukawa tree has been planted in honour of Kyle Whorrall the US PhD student slain during an attack at an Auckland bus stop last month The 33-year-old was attacked at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank on April 19 friends and colleagues of Whorrall gathered for a vigil on April 24 at the bus stop where he was attacked Whorrall's mother Carole was joined by members of the community and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for the blessing and to plant a pōhutukawa tree in honour of his life The planting ceremony began with a blessing by Otene Reweti from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei "This tree will stand as a memorial to Kyle to come to this special place and remember Kyle and what he has done and what he was looking to do "This tree indicates times to harvest different things in our seasons and also pōhutukawa in terms of the star from Matariki and pleiades So Kyle is one of those that we are reminded again of his tragic passing in this area," said Reweti Carole was flanked by Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson and one of Whorrall's flatmates as she shovelled dirt onto the base of the tree She softly commented that she enjoyed gardening as the sun shone down on her in St Johns Bush Others shared a poem or short tribute to Whorrall's life and the tragedy that it was cut short Ōrākei Local Board chairperson Scott Milne said that in times of tragedy it was important to "look at the good stuff" and find moments of connection with one another "We have now forged a relationship across the waters This family will come back to see this tree thrive and out of that tragedy we will find good," he said He told Te Karere the tragedy had "turned our community upside down" "Yet in the matter of a few short weeks the community have come together certainly like nothing I have ever seen before "There is just this deep disappointment and we all feel so privileged to live here He said he hoped over time the grief would "turn to healing" and that Carole would continue to come back and see the tree flourish and grow "People understand they have to talk more to each other watch out for one another and we want to make something of this lovely young man's life by changing our attitude." He said the board had worked hard to build relationships over the past six years "The relationship with Ngāti Whātua is deeply personal and important to this board A 16-year-old youth has been remanded in custody after being charged with his murder and a 32-year-old woman was also charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the investigation was "by no means over" as police believed "there were other occupants in the vehicle" when Whorrall was attacked He said officers have since seized a black SUV on the North Shore It was being forensically examined by police "Our enquiries are ongoing to locate these persons of interest and I encourage them to do the right thing and come into their nearest police station or phone us." The detective inspector said police were also seeking "critical witnesses" including a white Toyota ute that was cut off by the black SUV doing a U-turn in front of them He said police were still working to fully understand the events leading up to his death 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 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 rnz.co.nz Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ 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 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" 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 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 Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album has resigned from his position with Hamilton City Council Councillor Donovan (pictured) has served as an Elected Member of Hamilton City Council since winning a byelection in 2021 He was re-elected on the East Ward in the 2022 local government elections I have made the decision to step down from my role on Council to focus on other commitments,” he said in a statement issued by the Council “Serving on the Council and representing the East Ward and the city at large for the past three and half years has been a privilege and an honour I have learned a great deal from my time on the Council and I will carry these learnings with me as I move forward in my life This city has been my home for over 30 years Paula Southgate thanked Councillor Donovan for his enthusiasm and passion “On behalf of all of Council I want to sincerely thank Councillor Donovan for his service to our community Council acknowledges his positive contributions and passion for the city particularly in his roles as Deputy of Economic Development and Sports Ambassador We appreciate his hard work and wish him all the best for his future.” The resignation does not automatically trigger a by-election as it falls within 12 months of the local government elections this October Council will consider this and the reallocation of duties at the next Council meeting on 20 March Cr Donovan was Chair of the Regulatory and Hearings Committee Speed Limit and Road Closure Hearings Panel and Deputy Chair of the Economic Development Committee Information and Events for the New Zealand Public Service Contact us: newsdesk@insidegovernment.co.nz A 31-year-old man has been arrested following an aggravated robbery at a Hamilton East bar on November 25 A 31-year-old man has been arrested following an alleged aggravated robbery at a Hamilton East bar on Monday He will appear in the Hamilton District Court today In a statement police said they were called to a Cook St bar at about 12.25pm following reports that a man had arrived and presented a knife to the bartender He fled the scene in a vehicle that was allegedly stolen earlier and police say this vehicle was later found abandoned in a carpark off Old Farm Rd A police dog unit responded and tracked the alleged offender to Clyde St locating a number of discarded items of clothing along the way A 31-year-old man was due to appear in the Hamilton District Court today on charges of aggravated robbery driving whilst suspended (third and subsequent) Detective Sergeant Matt Lee commended responding staff and said it was a “well co-ordinated response” He said the alleged offender was swiftly arrested and the cash recovered ”There is no place for this offending in our community this [alleged] offender showed little regard for others attempting to profit from violent crime,” he said ”We want the community to feel and be safe and we will continue our work to ensure that is the case.” If anyone witnesses any unlawful or suspicious activity you can contact police or call 111 if it is happening now or if there is an immediate risk to people or property Information can also be reported online or via 105 It's unclear how long the Hamilton District Court building will be shut for One week after it was blessed and formally named Te Ara Pekapeka Bridge has welcomed its first vehicle traffic today (Friday 6 September) Te Ara Pekapeka means pathway of the bat and reflects the consideration that was given in the design of the bridge to protect pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bat) that live in the Peacocke area.  Traffic management barriers were lifted earlier this afternoon giving Hamiltonians access from Hamilton East directly to the city’s newest neighbourhood in Peacocke for the first time.  and surrounding roads have been open to pedestrians and cyclists since a community open day last weekend.    Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate said this moment marked the start of a whole new community.  “This bridge is a critical gateway to a fabulous and important new part of our city enabling thousands of new homes which we need now and into the future It also provides a well-connected transport network linking to our central city and key routes.  which is a great example of community-led placemaking and backed up by much-needed funding support from Government.”  has a 60km/h speed limit and includes a T2 transit lane in each direction “We know there will be lots of people who are keen to drive across the bridge for the first time and it will be tempting to look over the side and take it all in,” Mayor Southgate said.  “But please take care while we all get used to the new road layout and we can all get to where we’re going safely.”  Major construction work is still happening on the south side of the bridge as upgrades to Peacockes Road and construction of Whatukooruru Drive and the ‘bikes on pipes’ wastewater projects continue in the area.   Drivers who are crossing the bridge for a look are encouraged to use the new roundabout at the intersection of Kairokiroki Drive and Peacockes Road to return via the bridge rather than add pressure on the roads through Bader and Peacocke.   Peacocke is being built with the support from the Government’s Housing Infrastructure Fund made up of a $180.3 million 10-year interest-free loan and $110.1 million of NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi subsidies.   The Peacocke programme will deliver a new bridge a transport network that caters for public transport Other work includes protecting and enhancing the environment and investigating community facilities which are also important parts of creating a new community in Peacocke.   Peacocke will be home for up to 20,000 Hamiltonians.  Waikato Police are appealing to the public for information to help locate 24-year-old Herewini Waikato Police are appealing for information to help find a missing 24-year-old Herewini has been reported missing from his Hamilton East address Police received a report that he had left his home address on Monday and hadn’t been in touch with family since Police and his family have concerns for his wellbeing If anyone has seen Herewini or has information that may assist in locating him please contact police on 105 online or over the phone There’s always so much happening in Hamilton Kirikiriroa With warmer weather and longer days upon us now is the perfect time to get out and about and enjoy everything our city has to offer Check out some of the exciting things happening in November We’re giving away free Tronpost this Saturday 2 November at the Hamilton Organic Centre in Frankton Tronpost is compost made locally from Hamilton’s kerbside food scraps and green waste Using your kerbside food scraps bin reduces the waste sent to landfill and means we get to reuse those food scrapes to make nutrient rich Tronpost Please BYO bucket and we’ll fill it with Tronpost for you Up to 20L per person and 60L per vehicle for groups No bags or cardboard boxes please as these are hard to manage Check out Hamilton City Council’s Facebook event to find out more.    Get your family together and waddle down to Exscite for the Penguin Party.  The Waikato Museum's 30-million-year-old fossil of the Kaawhai giant penguin is now on display in the interactive centre for discovery Come along for an after-hours event on Friday 8 November from 5.30pm – 7pm to celebrate the remarkable discovery of the Kaawhai giant penguin with family-friendly activities and a special talk by the Hamilton Junior Naturalist Club (Junats).  This event is aimed towards families with tamariki aged 5 – 12 years Get your tickets now via eventfinda.co.nz  Come along to Hamilton East Heritage Cemetery on Saturday 9 November to learn stories about some of the cemetery’s most interesting occupants including architects The walking tour offers a rare chance to delve into the stories of the city’s most influential figures set against the backdrop of one of Hamilton’s most historic sites Meet at the main cemetery gates at 2pm wearing sturdy shoes and sunblock.  in Latin America is a vibrant celebration of youth recognising the preciousness and potential of every child Together with the Hamilton Colombian Community Trust and Waikato Hispano Latino Trust Hamilton City Libraries will be celebrating Día del Niño at the Central Library on Saturday 2 November Kids can join in for bilingual story time (Spanish and English) traditional Latino American life music and dancing There will also be spot prizes for kids in costumes No registration is required and kids under 14 must be accompanied by an adult.  Joan Marie Galat is an award-winning author of more than 25 books who encourages students to explore science engineering and mathematics in a fun way through her books Rototuna Library on Friday 8 November from 2.15pm – 3pm for a ‘Dark Matters’ session aimed at teens and those who work with youth light pollution affects more than just humans – discover how our need to light the world affects wildlife and people; and how fact-based books can encourage reluctant readers as well as avid students Spaces are limited so register yourself or your teen today via hamiltonlibraries.co.nz.   Hammond Park in Riverlea is a true restoration success story and holds one of Hamilton's most biodiverse riverside forests has spectacular views down onto the forest canopy and is home to some of our rarest native species such as swamp maire (swamp tree) and pekapeka-tou-roa (long-tailed bats) Around dusk you may be lucky enough to spot glowworms along one section of the path while recent sightings of kaka in this area mean now is a great time to get out and explore Hammond Park Download the Nature in the City App to enjoy a self-guided tour through the area.  with the outdoor Lido Pool at Waterworld scheduled to open on Saturday 16 November This is an awesome spot to come and cool off in the warmer months or hangout with the whaanau in the great play area equipped with BBQs for a family-friendly day out Aqua Fit classes are a multi-level cardio workout where you can work at your own level These classes are designed for a full body workout with almost no impact increasing the heart rate and toning the entire body where Aqua Fit classes are run on Mondays and Wednesdays at 6.30pm Attendees must be 16 years old and over and entry fees apply. Check out all the classes available at the Hamilton Pools via hamiltonpools.co.nz  the Potter Trust destination playground is a perfect spot for a day out with the whaanau The exciting play equipment includes tube slides disability friendly toilets, and shade While you’re there you can also make the most of the park’s off-lead dog exercise area and explore the nearby gully with pathways through native bush. Find out more here.  Te Whare Haka o Tainui brings the Tainui Waka Primary Schools Kapa Haka Festival 2024 to GLOBOX Arena Claudelands on Friday 8 November and Saturday 9 November Check out fantastic performances that all the whaanau will love Claudelands on Saturday 9 November from 9am – 3pm and face painting for the kids while you browse the huge range of local creations on offer Multi-platinum rock band Crowded House is bringing their Gravity Stairs Tour to GLOBOX Arena Crowded House has sold more than 15 million records worldwide including their classics like ‘Don’t dream it’s over’ and ‘Four seasons in one day’ The band has generated billions of streams consistently sold-out tours on multiple continents Buy your tickets at hlive.co.nz/events/crowded-house-gravity-stairs-tour Get ready to laugh - 7 Days Live is coming to GLOBOX Arena on Thursday 28 November See the show raw and uncut – not protected by censors The evening starts with a burst of quick-fire standup comedy from New Zealand’s best comedians before moving into the 7 Days show you know and love – but bigger Buy your tickets at hlive.co.nz/events/7-days-live  Urzila Carlson will be in Claudelands’ Heaphy Room for two shows on Saturday 30 November and Sunday 1 December showcasing her brand new national tour – Just Jokes Come for a show and leave with a sore face from laughing.   Tickets are selling fast, get yours at hlive.co.nz/events/urzila-carlson-just-jokes  A person has died after a crash in Hamilton East this afternoon Police’s initial reports suggest the occupant of the vehicle had a medical event The crash was reported to emergency services at 12.09pm A police spokesperson said the single-vehicle crash happened on Albert St near Galloway St “Initial reports suggest that the occupant appears to have had a medical event,” the spokesperson said a police investigation will be undertaken to establish the cause.” A Hato Hone St John spokesperson said an ambulance responded to the incident They referred all further queries to police A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said crews were alerted to a single-vehicle crash on the corner of Albert St and Galloway St at 12.14pm “Crews from Hamilton City and Chartwell attended.” Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times Police are investigating after one person was left in critical condition following an altercation in Hamilton East this morning One person is in a critical condition following an altercation in Hamilton East this morning Police responded to reports of a group fighting at a residential address on Firth St at about 11.30am “One person was located in a critical condition and has been transported to Waikato Hospital,” said a police spokesperson “Police are speaking with several people believed to be involved and inquiries are ongoing to establish the full circumstances of what occurred Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The toxic relationship ended with the defendant and his now ex both needing surgery One of Hamilton’s iconic events, the Boon Street Art Festival celebrates two significant milestones this year: its 10th anniversary and the city’s 100th mural The festival was first held in 2015 as the brainchild of Paul Bradley and Charlotte Chuen (nee Isaac) who wanted to brighten up the CBD Bradley said coming from Wellington, he was used to having street art around, but upon moving to Hamilton he found there was not much of that here He said he also felt Te Awa The Base had driven a lot of people away from the CBD Bradley said the first festival had been very “modest” “It was mostly just us inviting our mates to paint .. We did it in one weekend and no one really knew that we were doing it so people came to work on Monday and went like ‘oh “It was never really the plan to establish a long-running festival.” It is a firm staple on the Hamilton event calendar Dinsdale and Frankton shining in new colours Bradley said he was proud of the development “It literally changed the face of the city I feel like Hamilton has become a prouder place; it’s no longer the little brother of Auckland “[Boon has] done a lot for people’s engagement with the arts; it brought the art to the people.” “We didn’t want to be generic like ‘Hamilton Street Art Festival’ or so Hamiltonians are in for a new dose of art from March 13-16, after the festival took a break from murals to give sculptures a stage last year As part of the anniversary event programme school groups and the community are invited to help local artist Alice Alva paint Boon’s 100th mural in Lovegrove Lane in Hamilton East The festival programme also features a birthday party with food trucks a design-a-mural competition for children at Waikato Museum businesses that want to support local art can sponsor one of the murals by “purchasing” it for $3500 Besides receiving the blueprints for the artwork the buyers would be promoted on social media and featured on a plaque with the artist’s name Individuals wanting to do something a bit more hands on behind the scenes are invited to email volunteers@boonarts.co.nz because the team are still looking for passionate team-oriented volunteers to bring the festival to life For more information about the festival go to boonarts.co.nz or go to their Facebook and Instagram page @BoonArts for updates and behind-the-scenes content. The complex will not be completed until early 2026 Photo / SuppliedA single buyer has bought the entire top floor of a luxury Hamilton apartment block for a record amount had planned to split the floor into three apartments but the buyer did a "bespoke" deal to create a super-sized penthouse They declined to reveal how much the buyer had paid but did indicate the price would be a record for the city’s apartment market and was above the asking prices of other units in the development which overlooks the river and is due for completion in 2026 They had asking prices of $2.6 million and $2.7m – above the previous apartment record holder a penthouse in the nearby Hills Apartments Agents told OneRoof that Hamilton’s apartment market has changed dramatically in the past four years and the emergence of high-end developments pointed to growing demand for apartment-living among wealthy downsizers in the city - ‘Lady of the manor’ selling the Edwardian dream home that almost killed her - Abandoned convent up for grabs - and it's definitely not haunted - TV legend Dame Julie Christie selling her luxury penthouse Lodge agent James Walsh, who is selling 402/1 and 503/1 at One Cook Street for $2.515m and $2.665m respectively said the premium on the apartment was down to several factors “They are looking right down the river over Bridge Street so it’s a pretty iconic Hamilton view I suppose one of the other things is there is a small amount of apartments so there will probably be high demand for them because there’s not a huge amount of good apartment living in Hamilton and there’s a demand for that type of thing.” Walsh has already sold two apartments in the development one to a downsizer and the other to an out-of-town buyer who was looking for a lifestyle change “They want the lock-up-and-leave and the amenities close to them they want the views but they don’t want all the stuff that goes on with the house sometimes,” he said High quality fittings and fixtures are being used in the building of One Cook Street to match the prime riverside location The seven apartments cover the top three floors of the building said the riverside site was probably one of the best locations in the city and justified having a high-quality block on it “It’s a magic site from a view perspective from an amenity perspective it’s kind of got all you want.” The changes to Hamilton East in the last five to 10 years with the opening of MADE had also helped sell the apartments because residents had everything at their doorstep Mace said while there were other apartments around there was a shortage of bonafide apartment blocks to choose from in Hamilton yet the demand for them was there I don’t think you can compare it to other parts of the market and for a lot of people it’s probably a downsize If you are selling a lifestyle block and you are wanting to leave that part of life behind you where you are tied to the house and to the block and create yourself a bit more versatility of flexibility they can kind of move into this and lose a bit of the strings and give you a bit of freedom time ...” “I think it’s probably one of those markets where people are potentially – believe it or not – probably trading down or trading something of a similar value to get into I think that’s probably part of the reason where it’s probably decoupled from other parts of the housing market or apartment market.” Hills Apartments was the first high-end apartment block to be built in Hamilton in recent years The 19 apartments were completed in 2022 and so far only one had been resold on the open market two-bathroom apartment for $1.185m earlier this month said it had been a difficult property to price because there were so few comparable sales Only one other apartment had been resold since they were completed and it was an off-market sale for $1.13m at the end of last year Barakat said while the Hills Apartments had attracted a lot of interest from older couples looking to downsize only having one car park and not having a downstairs toilet appeared to have put them off “There’s definitely more of a demand for the high-end stand-alone ones rather than these types but what we were getting is a lot of downsizers or older couples.” A two-year-old apartment in the Hills Apartments complex The apartment sold in three weeks to a Raglan family looking for somewhere to stay in during the week so they could be closer to their kids’ schools private viewing and enquiry was really good so I would say yes there is an increasing demand for it for sure especially in that Hamilton East.” Barakat said the Hamilton East apartments offered a high-spec option compared to a lot of the riverside apartments in the CBD “The ones that are in the city and have views on the other side of the bridge they are already there and established [and] they are just looking really dated now.” There are several other Hamilton East apartment blocks also in the pipeline which is stage two of the Hills Village and includes some mixed-use residential and commercial apartments which stage three – the Anzac Apartments – includes a further 10 bespoke apartments Engas Developments is also planning a four-storey complex with 27 apartments on the corner of Anzac Parade Harcourts Hamilton director Campbell Scott agreed it was “slim pickings” when it came to higher-end apartments For a long time Hamilton only had entry-level apartment stock available but this had changed in the last few years with developers building higher quality apartments for owner-occupiers “It’s great to see some of them are taking advantage of the river locations There’s definitely a market for it but there had been for a long time very little supply.” Scott said Hamilton East had always been a sought-after suburb with all the amenities and now had more purpose-built residential apartments but he thought there would be a similar demand for the same type of apartments with secure parking private balconies and views in the CBD if they existed “The ones in the city – when they come up – they are pretty highly contested.” Scott said the high-end apartments in the CBD were scattered around the city and often hidden in repurposed commercial apartments that a lot of people didn’t even know existed There had been several residential apartment buildings touted in the CBD a few years ago but they ended up being put on ice after the market downturn Scott said they were now seeing purpose-built apartments targeting owner-occupiers who were downsizing and wanted a city bolthole and those buyers were happy to spend the money for the lifestyle it provided “You get a $2.5m home and that comes with a fair amount of maintenance you’ve got grounds to look after and that’s great for an age and stage but there’s a lot of people who still want the quality and luxury those homes offer without all of the maintenance aspects that come with it.” - Click here to find more apartments for sale in Hamilton A list of helplines is available at the bottom of the page another is seriously injured and their mother has been stabbed in an assault in the Hamilton suburb of Fairfield overnight Police were yet to reveal details of what they believe happened but forensic scientists were examining a house on Douglas Crescent Police said they were called to the Fairfield address at 2.10am There they found one person dead and two seriously injured "A 34-year-old man was found a short distance from the address with serious injuries and was also transported to hospital where he remains under police guard," police said A neighbour who helped several of the children at the home after the incident said they believed the mother of the children had been stabbed Kasey Ritchie said they helped the other children keep warm in a nearby car until police came two critical care paramedics and two managers also attended the incident "Police would like to reassure the community that this is an isolated incident and there is no ongoing risk to the wider public." Police said the 34-year-old will "face charges in due course" One neighbour Satend Kumar said it is usually a quiet area and the incident was unsettling "The first day of the year and we hear the bad news Kumar said he had lived there for more than a year "Very nice people and quiet here as well.. Hamilton East MP Ryan Hamilton said it was a tragedy and a reminder to reach out to family and friends at this time of the year "This time of year often brings out the best and worst Our deepest sympathies for all the family involved and friends It sounds like it's also been a very stressful event for the neighbourhood so I just trust and hope that they'll get the support they need to work through this this tragic event." Hamilton paid tribute to the first responders "who had to tend to badly injured children while others were celebrating the New Year" It was an isolated event with a person in custody If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk Women's Refuge:(0800 733 843 It's Not OK 0800 456 450 Shine: 0508 744 633 Victim Support: 0800 842 846 HELP Call 24/7 (Auckland): 09 623 1700 (Wellington): 04 801 6655 - push 0 at the menu The National Network of Family Violence Services NZ has information on specialist family violence agencies Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News A safer intersection and range of improvements are on their way for road users in Hamilton’s south-east Hamilton City Council is inviting the community to two drop-in sessions to discuss concepts for a new roundabout at the intersection of Matangi and Silverdale Roads and shared path connecting the roundabout  to the Morrinsville Road overbridge at the Waikato Expressway.   While these sessions will focus on the detail for the new roundabout section over the coming years other upgrades are planned along the stretch of road to support better access for people in their cars and on foot These works are significant to ensure safer movements for everyone said Tania Hermann Council’s Operate and Maintain Unit Director.   “Data and the local community have told us the Silverdale/Matangi intersection is a high-crash area so we’re focusing on improving access here first with the new roundabout and shared path.  “We’re inviting anyone from the local community to come and learn more and provide feedback.”    The improvements are 100% funded by NZ Transport Agency | Waka Kotahi who are undertaking the revocation process to transfer the State Highway 26 (SH26) to a local road following the opening of the Hamilton section of the Waikato Expressway.  The total budget for the Morrinsville Road project is $11 million.  Council's inviting anyone to come chat with the project team understand the detail and provide feedback at:   Check out the Facebook event For ways to contact us with feedback, find the latest information and sign up to receive project updates visit hamilton.govt.nz/morrinsvilleroad  From community gardens and fruit trees to food banks and places to get a community meal The kai map is an initiative by Council to enable the Kai Collective to support our community and whaanau who are in need of some free or low-cost kai.  The Kai Collective in Hamilton Kirikiriroa was established in 2020 in response to COVID-19 and continues to work in collaboration with over 40 key community stakeholders organisations and communities in support of kai distribution and providing access to kai to people and whaanau in need.   The kai map currently has 48 kai locations and includes information about when and where kai can be collected and what organisation oversees the collection point.  If you know of any paataka kai (food pantries) community fruit trees or community gardens being developed across the city we would love to know so we can add these locations to the map Please email kaimap@hcc.govt.nz if you have anything you want to add to the kai map.  Mark Donovan is the third councillor to resign this term Hamilton East Ward councillor Mark Donovan has resigned Donovan was first elected as a councillor in the 2021 byelection and was re-elected in the 2022 local government elections I have made the decision to step down from my role on council to focus on other commitments,” he said in a statement “Serving on the council and representing .. the city at large for the past three and half years has been a privilege and an honour and I will carry these learnings with me as I move forward in my life.” Donovan took on the role of New Zealand sales manager at Tetra Pak He said he already considered resigning from the council then but was convinced by “a few people” to stay on Donovan said: “I believe my business experience can better be utilised in an environment where real progress can be made more swiftly.” Another reason for stepping down was his family “My family has been a big part of my decision Donovan said he would continue working in his role at Tetra Pak and also stay on as a board member of the Waikato Chamber of Commerce On social media, Donovan, an avid cricket fan used a couple of cricket analogies to describe his time with the council the council chambers have felt like a cricket pitch but thankfully haven’t been caught in the slips “I liken it more to the club rooms – it’s a place of teamwork I’ll put the bat down and the pads away and encourage the next generation of business owners to step up to the pitch.” Hamilton Mayor Paula Southgate thanked Donovan for his service “Council acknowledges his positive contributions and passion for the city particularly in his roles as Deputy of Economic Development and Sports Ambassador The resignation does not automatically trigger a byelection as it falls within 12 months of the local elections in October The council will consider this and the reallocation of duties at the next council meeting on March 20 Donovan is the third councillor to resign this term and Melaina Huaki who stepped down from the role in May last year citing health reasons He has had a diverse career across legal, public service, education, advisory, tribes, investment, charities and enterprise.  He was the chief executive of Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki prior to entering politics. He has also worked as a senior advisor to the NZ Super Fund and spent more than seven years as a general manager at Tainui Group Holdings in Hamilton. He played a pivotal role in many of the Waikato-Tainui developments in the city and driving results for the city and region. Tama has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from Victoria University and a Master of Laws from Columbia University. Tama is married to Ariana and they have three children – Tiaria, Te Awarua and Aorangi. He is proudly from Rangitīkei, Ruapehu, Whanganui, Taranaki, Horowhenua, Hawke’s Bay and the Central North Island – and is a Chiefs fan. In his first term as MP for Hamilton West, Tama helped his community in Hamilton get a supermarket reinstated in Nawton.  By clicking subscribe you agree to receive emails from Hamilton West and the National Party. The Government is on track to deliver the 1,500 social homes funded through Budget 2024 and has confirmed strategic partnerships with five Community Housing Providers (CHPs).... Hamilton-based artist Alice Alva was in charge of the community painting wall on Lovegrove Lane Hamilton celebrated a special centenary on the weekend as the city received its 100th mural during the Boon Street Art Festival Under the guidance of local artist Alice Alva the community was invited to give a wall on Lovegrove Lane in Hamilton East a new splash of colour Alva is no stranger to the festival; she was a part of the 2023 event when she beautified Hayes Common Talking to the Waikato Herald at this year’s festival Alva said she felt “very special” to be included in a “great milestone in the history of Boon” “[I was] invited back this year with my background as an educator to try haul together a wall or design the whole community could work on.” In the first two days of the festival’s opening over 80 kids painted parts on the community wall everyone kind of feels like they’re contributing to something.” The festival was first held in 2015 as the brainchild of Paul Bradley and Charlotte Chuen (nee Isaac) who wanted to brighten up the CBD Bradley said coming from Wellington but upon moving to Hamilton he found there was not much of that here He said it had never been the plan to establish a long-running festival She created a mural on 100 Victoria St behind ArtsPost Gallery The design was inspired by a quote from Princess Te Puea Herangi the granddaughter of the second Māori King: “Mehemea ka moemoeā ahau ka taea e tātou” which roughly translates to If I am to dream If we all dream together then we shall achieve “That really inspired me to interpret imperfection action together as being better than perfect action alone and that’s why [in the painting] there are layers Mooney said the paint palette for the mural “spoke” to the architecture around it The other murals are located on Lovegrove Lane on Grey St (between Pita Pit and the Sushi Club) at the SkyCity car park and on Alexandra St (next to The Factory) the festival programme also features a birthday party with food trucks Malisha Kumar is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton She joined the Waikato Herald in 2023 after working for Radio 1XX in Whakatāne The women walked away uninjured seconds before a train crashed into their car Four women escaped with seconds to spare after their car broke down on train tracks as barrier arms lowered and a freight train bore down Footage has captured the harrowing moment at a central Hamilton crossing on Saturday with the women forced to abandon their car before the train crashed into it KiwiRail said the train driver attempted to brake but was unable to stop before “clipping” the car “KiwiRail reminds the public that the rail corridor is an unforgiving environment and although in this case no one was injured the consequences of a collision can be catastrophic.” A video shows four women rushing out of their small hatchback with the car stationary in the path of the oncoming train The barrier arms are lowered with one arm coming to rest on the vehicle’s roof as the last woman exits the car looking back as the train approaches with its horn blasting Just 20 seconds after the last woman exits The person taking the video approaches the car as the train comes to a stop The vehicle is extensively damaged in the collision Another bystander who witnessed the incident claimed on social media that they had to yell at the women to escape “I could hear and then see the train approaching I yelled at the woman to get out of the car The police said they were called to the scene near the intersection of Heaphy Terrace and Claudelands Rd at 5.15pm The small hatchback had broken down on the Grey St railway crossing The road was closed for a period but there were no serious injuries Rail safety charity TrackSafe’s foundation manager Megan Drayton said it was fortunate the freight train was not travelling at full speed She said the group “did the right thing” by escaping the vehicle when they could and she urged caution on railway crossings among the community In November last year, three people died in Hamilton when a train struck a car on a railway crossing. They were William Brown, 46, Shylin Huirama-Osborne, 26, and Sione Nusipepa, 23. Police said all three were in an SUV that collided with a train on the Peachgrove Rd rail crossing in Hamilton at 4.30am on November 19. TrackSafe said the accident was devastating and a reminder of the risks at railway level crossings. Drayton said while collisions at railway crossings were relatively rare, the consequences were often catastrophic. “This collision is an example of that, and we extend our deepest sympathies to all affected. The friends and whānau of the victims, and the rail staff and emergency services involved. “Incidents like these leave lasting trauma.” Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022. The toxic relationship ended with the defendant and his now ex both needing surgery. SectionsShowsVideoPodcastsWinMenuLIVE NOW Island Time531 PINiu DaysNiu FMLatest bulletinPMN NewsFrom left: Namulauulu Lale Ieremia – K’aute Pasifika Chair Leaupepe Rachel Drent – K’aute Pasifika CEO A medical centre will become the base for a new partnership between health and community providers in Waikato Hamilton Pasifika health provider K'aute Pasifika has acquired the Hamilton East Medical Centre It has also forged a strategic partnership with Pinnacle Inc K'aute Pasifika CEO Leaupepe Rachel Drent says it enhances both partners to leverage each other's strengths “Our organisations have a shared understanding that health needs to be responsive to the needs of the community and this can vary across communities “This starts with an understanding that health alone will not deliver wellbeing.” K’aute Pasifika has a 25-year history in the Waikato region Leaupepe said Pinnacle’s leadership in primary care complements K’aute Pasifika’s leadership in cultural responsiveness and equity while Lalaga symbolises the act of bringing things together and building strength through unity The Hamilton East Medical Centre with medical staff in 2023 Pinnacle CEO Justin Butcher said choosing an established medical centre will allow them to explore different practice models while they are learning from the existing team “HEMC was selected for its established commitment to quality primary care making it an ideal first practice for Fatu Lalaga “It’s important to emphasise that this partnership ensures a smooth continuity of care for HEMC’s patients; their dedicated GP team and the high-quality care they provide will not change.” More details have emerged about the family harm incident in Hamilton this morning where a young child was violently killed Neighbours say a woman at the address ran to a neighbour’s house to get help She was “dragged” back to her home by the alleged offender It is understood the alleged offender is her partner or former partner The woman was injured and the alleged offender was also rushed to hospital with self-inflicted injuries A young child died and it is understood at least one other was injured The couple are thought to have four children in total Neighbours have spoken to the Herald about seeing police carry two young children out of the property - a “lifeless” baby and a slightly older infant Police forensic specialists are at the house carrying out a scene examination The walls of the doorway of a home behind the cordon are covered in smeared blood Neighbours are congregating and watching police work several brought to tears over the violence that occurred only metres from their homes a local resident who said he was one of the first on scene told the Herald “I knew the baby was gone .. He said he knew something was wrong when he saw a man dragging a woman across the street Jesse told the Herald that he saw the woman get stabbed "I was trying to look for (the alleged offender) to make sure the kids were OK because we know that they had kids there," he said “That’s all we wanted to know if they were OK but I didn’t want to go inside at the time.” He said the alleged offender was found at a nearby property The last time he saw the injured woman she couldn’t breath properly but was speaking said she and other neighbours helped keep the two uninjured children safe “[One child] was playing with a doll and she mimicked what she saw The trauma that poor child has to live with She said a nana and auntie arrived at the scene and “dropped to ground screaming and bawling” after learning what had happened Police would not be drawn on specifics but other sources have spoken about what happened at the address “Emergency services were called shortly after midnight to Douglas Cres after a report of an assault,” a police spokesperson said.“When police arrived at the property they found one person deceased and two others seriously injured “A 34-year-old man was found a short distance from the address with serious injuries and was also transported to hospital “A scene examination will take place at the property today “Police would like to reassure the community that this is an isolated incident and there is no ongoing risk to the wider public.” The spokesperson confirmed the 34-year-old man will face charges in due course in relation to the incident fire and ambulance have all attended the address and the cordon encompasses at least 10 houses gloves and other tools are strewn across the front lawn of one property which has police tape across it inside the cordon Hamilton East—Stoney Creek Conservative Ned Kuruc unseated Liberal incumbent Chad Collins to become the first Tory to represent the east-city riding Newly elected Hamilton East—Stoney Creek Conservative MP Ned Kuruc speaks to supporters after winning the riding Second attempt at riding successful as Kuruc unseats Liberal Chad Collins Hamilton East—Stoney Creek has gone blue for the first time Conservative Ned Kuruc unseated Liberal incumbent Chad Collins to become the first Tory to represent the east-city riding in Ottawa said Monday’s historic win was “bittersweet.” but (the Conservatives) didn’t win nationally — so that stings a little bit,” he said “I think the people in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek were looking for change.” who placed second to Collins in the 2021 federal election said his main focus in Ottawa will be protecting the jobs of workers in the riding “I’m hoping parties can come together and protect Canadian jobs.” Collins called the result “disappointing.” but the voters are never wrong,” said the longtime Ward 5 councillor “I’ve been doing this for 30 years now and people obviously went a different direction than we would have hoped “It was an honour and a privilege to serve my residents McMaster University political scientist Peter Graefe said the result was “quite astounding” in an incumbent Liberal seat — and one that had been represented by the NDP’s Wayne Marston for three consecutive elections from 2006 to 2015 “It was a surprise to see Chad Collins — despite a long-running reputation in politics in the city — face such a crushing defeat.” Graefe noted the riding now has a much different geography having seen boundary changes in two successive redistributions He said the riding now features a lot of the type of suburbs similar to those on the outer reaches of the GTA that went Conservative on election night He added the Hamilton East—Stoney Creek result is consistent with the outcome in the last two provincial elections which saw Progressive Conservative MPP Neil Lumsden claim the seat twice Graefe said a substantial number of voters new to the riding hailed from the former Flamborough-Glanbrook riding — which has been staunchly Conservative — so it’s “not surprising voters stuck with what they knew.” The redistribution may have had an impact on the outcome who noted he did well in the new portion of the riding in upper Stoney Creek But Kuruc added he also did well at many polls in lower Stoney Creek where Conservatives had typically not done well in the past Kuruc was an important local organizer for Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and hosted Poilievre in the riding numerous times since 2022 — including twice during the campaign Graefe said large Conservative rallies in the riding — including one that attracted more than 4,500 supporters — served to fire up the party faithful when they were likely already energized by the provincial election win by the Progressive Conservatives The key to the win was hard work from his team and volunteers noting they campaigned for close to two years He said the early start allowed his team to knock on 100,000 doors across the riding “There’s no way I could have done this alone,” he said Local political scientist Chris Erl said the Conservative candidate had been “doing a lot of work” in the riding “for a long time.” He added there was a reason Poilievre visited the riding so many times — both before and during the campaign who made waves in 2024 as one of several Liberals who called for former prime minister Justin Trudeau to resign only decided to seek re-election after Mark Carney won the Liberal leadership in early March Graefe said Collins publicly calling out Trudeau and not “seeming that enthusiastic” to be running likely didn’t motivate his campaign workers a great deal — let alone the broader base of the party Although there was speculation that Collins would run for mayor when he hadn’t committed to running again federally he said it’s too soon to say what his next move is “I’m very flattered for people to offer their support in that regard but it’s too soon to think about what’s next from a political perspective.” Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Police were responding to reports of a firearm being seen at a residential address on Massey St in Hamilton Police have taken one person into custody after a firearm was reportedly seen at a residential address on Massey St in Hamilton Armed police were sighted on Massey St, near Frankton School at about 2.15pm A police spokesperson said officers were responding to reports of a firearm at a residential address “We’ve taken a person into custody at the house,” the spokesperson said the school went into lockdown due to police presence outside the school “Please do not come to the school or phone the school as you will not be attended to,” the website said “We will update this website when the lockdown is completed.” At 2.22pm the school’s website said the lockdown was still in place with children able to be up off the floor and use toilets while supervised The school has since issued a message from Frankton School principal Kirsten Ratana saying the lockdown had ended staff and persons on-site are safely accounted for,” Ratana said “Everyone did extremely well and responded to instructions.” Ratana’s message said a notice would be going out to parents and caregivers tonight to provide some more information about our emergency lockdown procedures “I would like to personally thank you for your support while we conduct these lockdowns,” Ratana said Hamilton East—Stoney Creek federal candidates from left: Liberal The newly redistributed Hamilton East—Stoney Creek federal electoral district for the upcoming 2025 Canada election we'll post updated candidate details and riding information you need to vote in the federal election we’ll post updated candidate details and riding information you need to vote in the federal election Hamilton-area voters head to the polls April 28 to choose their next member of Parliament in the snap Canadian election These are the confirmed candidates running in Hamilton East—Stoney Creek: national polling numbers likely to impact voting patterns Jim Boutsikakis (People’s Party) — Boutsikakis is a business owner in Toronto who previously ran for the People’s Party in Etobicoke North Chad Collins (Liberal) — Collins was elected to Hamilton city council in 1995 and served on council until 2021 when he was elected as MP for Hamilton East-Stoney Creek Ned Kuruc (Conservative) — Kuruc is a local entrepreneur and former sports entertainment executive who previously ran for the Conservatives in Hamilton East-Stoney Creek in 2021 Nayla Mithani (NDP) — Mithani works in NDP leader Jagmeet Singh’s office and attended McMaster University The riding formerly began at Kenilworth Avenue but recent boundary changes shifted the western boundary to Parkdale Avenue The boundary changes have also added a chunk of the east Mountain to the riding Ken Hewitt appeared on track to be the lone Conservative candidate participating in Cable 14 Suite B0414 (SmartCentres) in Stoney Creek Coalition of non-profits hosts discussion to shine election light on affordability crisis The riding was created in time for the 2004 federal election from parts of the previous Hamilton East and Stoney Creek ridings The riding was NDP territory under Wayne Marston from 2006 until the Liberals took over in 2015 The total area where dogs are allowed off-lead in Hamilton is proposed to increase by 9% as part of the city's Dog Control Bylaw and Policy review The increase would see 10 new off-lead areas established in parks throughout the city – from Derek Heather Park in the west It is proposed that some of the new areas would be off-lead at all times while others would be off-lead at specific times only to help balance the needs of park users Other proposed changes would see the boundaries of some existing off-lead areas adjusted and one park – Miropiko Reserve – changing from allowing dogs on-lead to having dogs prohibited Hamilton City Council’s Safety and Resilience Unit Director Kelvin Powell says the off-lead areas were last updated nine years ago as part of the previous Dog Control Bylaw and Policy review with significant growth in the city’s dog population since this time the dog population has grown from approximately 12,200 to 13,800 – increasing by about 13% The changes currently being proposed would result in off-lead areas increasing by about 9% to better reflect and support current dog numbers,” said Powell.  “Ensuring dogs can easily access an off-lead area in their neighbourhood is important as it provides a safe space where they can exercise and play away from roads and other hazards We’ve carefully considered where the new off-lead areas should be and now it is important we hear what the community thinks about these proposed changes.” The parks where new off-lead areas are proposed are:  A map and additional details about the proposed changes to off-lead areas can be viewed at hamilton.govt.nz/haveyoursay  Other changes to the Dog Control Bylaw and Policy are setting minimum standards for housing of dogs and simplifying the multiple dog permit requirements – rather than needing to renew their permit each year owners of more than two dogs would apply for a long-term permit that only requires variations when changes occur (e.g Hamilton’s Animal Nuisance Bylaw is also being reviewed at the same time with only minor changes proposed for clarity including better specifying that animals must be housed on private property only.  Photo / SuppliedTwo young families were locked in a desperate fight this week to claim a riverside home in Hamilton’s best school zone Frantic bidding from both saw the price of the five-bedroom house on Jellicoe Drive leaving the vendor $1.161 million richer by the end of the auction His property had been on the market for less than three weeks when he accepted a pre-auction offer of $1.005m The families who turned up at Bayleys’ auction room were eager for a home in zone for Hamilton Boys and Hamilton Girls and fought hard to secure it The owners told OneRoof they were still in shock after Thursday's auction "We absolutely loved that property and know the buyers are going to get so much joy from it Now all our focus can be on our existing ventures in the Coromandel and we're just so grateful we can walk away from this sale with happy hearts." Bayleys listing agent Sarah Adams said the “ecstatic” owner had been prepared to sell it for $156,000 less - ANZ slashes its one-year mortgage rate to 5.59% - but keeps it quiet - Tony Alexander: What the OCR cut means for house prices and your mortgage - Ex-Block star selling his dream home after renovation itch strikes again Adams has a long history with the property She had sold it to the outgoing owner nine years ago for $552,000 not long after they had finished university He had lived in the property for a few years before moving to the Coromandel and renting it out Adams said the vendor was still emotionally attached to the property but had decided to sell to reduce debt and pursue other business opportunities The house was renovated and the kitchen extended in the 1980s The top storey of the house has views over the reserve towards the Waikato River She said there had been a lot of interest in the property during the marketing campaign “Mostly from young families looking to establish a forever home and get into good school zones There are a limited number of those sites.” Everyone who looked at it planned to renovate ranging from a cosmetic touch-up to a full makeover “People saw value in the location and I’m not sure you could even go to two storeys now so to have elevated views was special as well.” Hayes Paddock is one of the city’s five heritage precincts which means there are restrictions around what homeowners can do to their properties Adams is also selling a 1940s ex-state cottage in Hayes Paddock two-bathroom home at 48 Galway Avenue has been newly renovated and is to be auctioned at the end of the month OneRoof records show it last changed hands for $795,000 in January 2022 Hamilton agents told OneRoof last month they had seen a spike in demand for properties zoned for Hamilton Boys They said properties in those areas seemed to get more interest than ones only a street or so away that were outside the zone - Click here to find more properties for sale in Hamilton East