“Destructive” gales are wreaking havoc in the Hutt Valley, with one woman describing the alarming moment a trampoline flew into her house Lower Hutt woman Jenna Parker said her neighbour’s trampoline blew into her house this afternoon “I just heard a bang and all the glass shattering We live against the hill so don’t usually get hit by strong winds,” she told the Herald windows on the back of the house and expensive plants – much to my husband’s horror,” she said Parker said they were “doing okay” after the fright and had “quickly whipped out and picked the kids up from school and daycare early so we can hunker down” The family have boarded up their windows and will contact their insurance company once they can see what the full damage is from the storm She said there were “certainly a lot of fences down” during her drive to school and daycare Parker’s is just one property affected by the winds which are so severe that MetService has issued a rare red-level warning Another Hutt woman posted a video on Facebook showing a huge branch that had snapped off a tree outside her home narrowly missing hitting her as she stood behind her car The woman said she had to run to avoid being hit by the large branch and that it could have severely injured or killed her if she had not been fast enough Wellington Region Emergency Management has also warned locals should “take this one seriously” and advised people to stay away from windows and doors and shelter in the middle of their houses This is the first time Wellington has received a red warning since the colour-coded system was introduced in 2019 Wind speeds have already reached at least 150km/h in exceptionally exposed areas and 118km/h elsewhere Gusts of 140km/h are possible through the day “Destructive winds will cause widespread damage including powerlines and roofs with dangerous driving conditions and significant disruption to transport and power supply,” MetService said in a statement high tides and large waves of 7m have the potential to exacerbate the impacts from the damaging gusts affecting the area such as the road leading out to Eastbourne in the Hutt Hutt City Council has warned residents of this area the road will be closed from 6pm for several hours Marine Drive currently has a one-lane Stop-Go section in Mahina Bay to allow contractors to work on making the road safe the road will be closed for travel in both directions for approximately four hours (until at least 10pm) due to expected unsafe conditions at this time “The closure will be in place from the point after Howard Road joins Marine Drive and the Bus Stop at Wellesley School.” “The crew will reassess the road and it will be opened when safe to do so We encourage people to avoid unnecessary travel and plan around this closure,” the council said The Wellington region was battered by huge winds and heavy swells this morning The capital is experiencing some of its strongest southerlies in more than a decade with a gust of 160km/h recorded at Baring Head between Wellington Harbour and Palliser Bay Most flights in and out of the city were cancelled this morning with Air New Zealand advising more were expected to be cancelled throughout the day Cook Strait ferry sailings have also been cancelled until at least tomorrow Power has been knocked out to hundreds of homes around the region Follow the Herald’s live weather blog for continued updates Check Metlink for public transport updates https://www.metlink.org.nz/ Monitor your local council’s website for the latest advice To report weather-related issues within the Wellington City Council area, call 04 499 4444, email info@wcc.govt.nz, use the FixIt App, or fill out the web form. For the Hutt City Council area, report any debris, flooding or downed trees on 0800 488 824 or by using: https://maps.huttcity.govt.nz/RAP/viewer/ call the council on (04) 527 2169 to report urgent issues call the council on (04) 237 5089 to report urgent issues Call Kāpiti Coast District Council 0800 486 486 or 04 296 4700 Melissa Nightingale is a Wellington-based reporter who covers crime She joined the Herald in 2016 and has worked as a journalist for 10 years A pilot's flight path spelled 'I love you' in the sky over Auckland and Warkworth Lower Hutt's Julie Paterson is still recovering from what she describes as a near-death experience from a falling tree branch when she stepped outside earlier Thursday and heard a loud crack "[I saw] this huge branch cracking and falling and I was like I just turned and started running the other way." She said the 100-year-old pohutukawa branch crashed to the ground mere feet from her and thought it would have been 'game over' "I don't think I would be here," Paterson said "That main part of it - the trunk - was quite big Paterson said she was panicking after the near-miss "I went and poured myself a nice glass of wine This tree fell and landed from about 2-3 feet from where I was standing." "destructive gales" may bring trees down and disrupt power and transport A call to consider universal military service was enthusiastically endorsed in the media this week But those backing it seized on stats that also tell a different story Warnings are covering huge parts of the country Wellington and coastal areas of the Wairarapa are bracing for severe gale southerly and south-westerly winds Wellington braces for strongest southerlies in more than a decade New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News What a week we had for the first days of May and also the start of the new school term Flights to and from Wellington were cancelled all of Thursday which happened to be on the first day of May After going through some rough patches trying to get to and from work I must admit that the timing of the parkrun couldn’t happen soon enough Can you believe that today’s weather conditions were so calm and fresh When I woke up this morning for parkrun at 6am it was 5 degrees celsius when the sunrise was starting to show and my two kids were already out of bed I got ready to get my weekly parkrun fix and headed straight to Lower Hutt parkrun wearing my gumboots to complete the walk 20ish minutes later than usual while I attended the pacer events As it was Lower Hutt parkrun’s 13th birthday it also coincided with parkrun New Zealand’s 13th birthday as our course was the first parkrun to be established here Also known as the pioneer event meaning the very first parkrun that was founded in that particular country There were treats at the finish table for everyone to munch on and plenty of smiles to go about The numbers of today’s attendance of 288 participants on the field was not surprising as participants had a possibility to get their shoes wet and also the Hutt River had so much debris on the grass as participants made their way back to the finish line 14 degrees celsius at the time of when I finished my parkwalk where I was talking to both Elana and Steven Traurig from Rhodes parkrun in Sydney that were tailwalking at the event Having met both of them last week as part of the Oceania parkrun World Tourist Meetup I was glad to have taken my time to get to know each other more Elana stopped by the Hutt River under the Ewen bridge where we saw a lovely seal on the river edge and had a few other locals having a look around on how the seal even ended up there Having explained to some people this week at work as to why I wore some funny anti-glare glasses this time I chose to wear sunglasses at parkrun instead after I had an accident playing a sport that affected both of my eyes during Easter weekend Having to focus on getting my eyes to focus clearly again running was not an option as advised by the optometrist who I saw also 2 weeks ago where a few of the volunteers were happy to support the participants on the field even at the cost of sacrificing their parkruns to ensure a smooth operation of the event or even taking a break Even though the numbers were slightly less than usual there were still close to 300 participants on the field having a great time and pacers are there to help achieve our long term goals to get faster increase your endurance or to enjoy yourselves Wellington Region parkrun attendances (This week 6 of which did their first ever debut parkrun The remainder are first timers to the course and visiting from other parkruns (parkrunner - home parkrun): 45 Personal Bests were recorded (those with a (*) beside their name was within 20 seconds on either end of the pacers allocated time): The 13th Birthday pacer team and their pace times are as follows (Pace Time - parkrunner - PB’s obtained by 20 seconds on either end of the pacers allocated time): The following parkrunners who have achieved a milestone are as follows: A big thank you to the volunteer team that consists of 32 enthusiastic participants: I was fortunate to have my belongings placed on top of the blue tarp as it was so muddy at the finish table area as a result of the amount of rain that we had the past few days There was some leftover food that our regulars had brought along to share to celebrate our parkrun birthday Thank you to those who have contributed to our parkrun and especially to Richard McChesney who had setup the very first pioneer event of parkrun New Zealand and to enjoy these special occasions to each and every one of us Did you know that Caroline Bay parkrun in Timaru started up today and a few of the regular parkrunners showed up to their inaugural event this morning One of the 500 shirt members - Martin O’Sullivan messaged me that this travelling crew including the Gordons that live on the road that was closed overnight managed to catch their flight early yesterday morning Although there were a substantial amount of obstacles to clear I was glad that their mission was to achieve the South Canterbury pioneer parkrun and complete the newest parkrun I did the freedom course a couple of weeks ago when I did an extended catchup with my friend when we meetup in Christchurch that I had not seen for almost 7 years who now lives in Hong Hong His hometown is in Timaru and the last time that I last went there was also 12 years ago with this same friend I wrote this part of the journey at East Otago High School parkrun’s 12th event in that run report It was great to catch up at Buzz Cafe with the regulars again and to see how everyone that I managed to talk with are doing well I also managed to see the new token sorting trays that were made by Paul Kennett as he is making our token sorting duties and handing out finish tokens easier by making many hands make light work Attending parkrun cafes is an option to catch up and meet with others If you wish to extend your parkrun connections then this is the best way to do it and keep in touch With both Ara Harakeke and Porirua parkruns now running every week since the latter reopened after a 2 year hiatus there are plenty of opportunities for locals to try out other parkruns There are 8 parkruns in total across the Wellington region now with a potential growth to establish more events in the near future The third of this calendar year is now gone and one of the events on the running calendar (Wellington Half Marathon) that I had wanted to do is not happening due to the injury affecting my eyesight on Easter weekend when I went to my follow up optometrist appointment later in the day I was told that doing contact sports including running can resume around King’s Birthday as my eyesight has made significant progress since then I will start from scratch to bring my running form back to the year 2018 - when I started parkrun which was probably the best shape of my running days For those that were questioning about walking with gumboots to parkrun it was the fourth time that I had walked with them on I usually wear them to events when I plan to walk and know the grass conditions were still moist or not completely dry recovering from bad weather like the finish line area and halfway grass sections Have a great weekend all and see you all next time Lower Hutt parkrun’s Volunteer Co-Ordinator and Pacer Event organizer © parkrun Global Limited (Company number: 09411750) No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner A Lower Hutt woman was left trembling and in shock after she narrowly missed being crushed by a falling tree branch Julie Paterson was getting ready to go to the doctor during the storm when she escaped death I just saw part of this tree breaking away and coming towards me,” she told the Herald Paterson turned and tried to run the other way as the branch descended towards her “It came crashing down and landed right at the back of my car about three feet away from me The fallen branch also tangled in a power line and brought it down “Not only has the tree just tried to take me out but now I could get electrocuted,” she said “I just quickly hurried inside and I was panicking I just couldn’t believe what had just happened “I sat down on my armchair for a couple of minutes thinking that’s when I sort of started realising how close a call it was.” Paterson said the rush of wind was so loud in her ears that she could not hear the tradesmen talking to her when they came to block off the footpath She could not believe the chances of the incident happening to her let alone the chances of it just missing her “That could have done some horrific injuries I really do believe I’ve got angels all around me.” Wind speeds in the Wellington area have already reached at least 150km/h in exceptionally exposed areas and 118km/h elsewhere with Air New Zealand advising more were expected to be cancelled Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news and local stories from Tāmaki Makaurau He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022 Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Chained Dog Awareness NZ urges people to identify the man for authorities Tory Whanau launches Golden Mile project yesterday Become a Wellington.Scoop Supporter » Lower Hutt is set to get a new mayor following this year's local body election with two councillors throwing their hats in the ring for the role Last week Campbell Barry, who has held the mayoralty for two terms announced he would not be seeking re-election That decision meant there was no incumbent for the job at a time of major change for the city with work on Riverlink the Petone to Grenada Link Road and the Wellington to Lower Hutt pathway and sea wall Te Ara Tupua underway RNZ spoke to Brady Dyer and Karen Morgan who will be running for the mayoralty this year Brady Dyer has been running businesses in the Wellington region since 2005 when he turned his high school project into a photography business - Brady Dyer Photography Dyer also started other companies such as a Firefly Cinemas a company which provided the technology to create relocatable drive-in movie theatres He spent six years at Hutt City Council and three years on the Petone community board Dyer told RNZ his main pillar for standing was to deliver Riverlink "It's a once in a generation opportunity to reimagine our city at the core of it it's about flood protection that's what the project is about but on the side of that we have a really amazing opportunity to reimagine our CBD." He said the biggest challenge for people was rates affordability "One of the first things I'll be doing if I become mayor is pushing for a full review of our financial plans so that I can put my hand on my heart and say with absolute certainty that we are delivering value for money." Building community trust in council's consultation process and boosting businesses was a priority for him Karen Morgan has worked in the education sector for over 30 years and was principal of Taita College for seven years Morgan told RNZ that experience meant that she had run a medium sized business managing sixty people She also had been a councillor for the past three years Morgan told RNZ improved social cohesion would be a critical policy for her campaign particularly in light of the impact the Covid-19 pandemic had "We have so many great people doing wonderful things in our city and across our city She said her other policies would be to create inclusive leadership by promoting voices in diverse communities and to support businesses Morgan said projects such as Riverlink provided an opportunity to create jobs for local people The public will cast their votes on 11 October Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Campbell Barry has served 15 years on council and two terms as mayor but says he wants to allow fresh energy into the role in the upcoming local body elections RNZ's list of who is running for the capital's top job and what they are standing for Maps show how three electorates would vanish and two new ones would be set up in the capital The mayors of Wellington's four cities say they've got a lot to get through before local body elections in October The regional council had already decided to create a special ward but the coalition government has forced it to hold a poll on the issue Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking' and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm MetService National Weather Update: May 7 - May 9 Police said emergency services were called to a Mahia Rd property just before 10am after a report of a person seriously injured Mairehau house fire: Firefighters battle two-storey house blaze 10 patients were assessed and treated by our crews in total Auckland commuters face a chaotic morning after two highways leading into the central city have been majorly disrupted by crashes NZ film industry faces uncertainty over US tariff ongoing decline in livestock numbers and questions over longer sentences reducing reoffending Reporter Sierra is at Magnificent Moa Day where experts are revealing their incredible 3.6 million year-old find Emergency services are attending the fire at a McDonald's on Pakuranga Rd A video of a dog abuse incident is circulating on social media showing a dog swinging in the air and slamming into the ground on a walk in Manurewa A memorial tree has been planted at the entrance of St John’s bush in honour of slain American entomology student Kyle Whorrall Victim of abuse is wanting a judicial review Goodman Group is upgrading Highbrook Crossing to add retail dining and public space to New Zealand’s largest business park in East Tāmaki where hip hop crews from all over the world are battling to see who’s the best and Parliament tackles alcohol and mental health The Coleman family has been melting down precious metals for more than 40 years This is the first time they've shared inside their multi-million dollar gold and silver operation The Prime Minister joins Mike Hosking in the Newstalk ZB studio to talk all the big politicial issues Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was joined by Deputy PM Winston Peters and Minister of defence Judith Collins to make a pre-budget defence announcement and 3D-printed limbs help child amputees in Gaza Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is expected to be joined by Defence Minister Judith Collins and deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters make a pre-Budget defence announcement Neighbours heard explosions as a fire ripped through a Mt Roskill house Mum pays tribute after Auckland bus stop killing Australians vote early and insurance companies brace for claims Megyn Cordner and Lucas Prince started their business from the back of a van in 2022 Andrew Che lost his life savings after sending it to the wrong account Barclays Bank has refunded his money after a prolonged battle for compensation Aerial footage reveals the scale of flooding across areas of Canterbury after a destructive weather system hit the region and prompted a state of emergency North Shore real estate agency chief responds to a Real Estate Disciplinary Tribunal decision Mark Mitchell provides an update on the state of emergency in Christchurch and Selwyn A possible mini tornado was spotted about Auckland Harbour as the latest band of wild weather hits the city Fire and Emergency NZ said it responded to more than 30 callouts overnight more Kiwis turning to methamphetamine and Drs are back at the negotiating table NZSA chief executive Oliver Mander speaks about CEO pay in 2024 Waiwhetu woman Julie Paterson heard 'a loud cracking' and saw a tree branch falling towards her during Wednesday's storm Heather Keats updates the powerful system battering New Zealand breaks down why Wellington is under a rare red warning with extreme winds and Local MP Hon Nicola Grigg speak to the media on the local state of emergency in Selwyn Gisborne locals and health workers marched to Heipipi Park where speakers highlighted what they say is a regional health crisis NZ Herald Live: Simeon Brown talks to media A woman who died after being hit by a car in Lower Hutt's Naenae last week has been named by police Emergency services were called to Cambridge Terrace at 11pm last Thursday where she died at the scene Police said they extended their condolences to her family and friends A 25-year-old woman was charged with excess breath alcohol causing injury and death and would next appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on 29 April Health New Zealand have confirmed Houpapa was a health care worker A spokesperson said Houpapa was a health care assistant and a longstanding member of the Hutt Valley team They said their condolences were with her family and friends Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday A court battle between Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry and a disgraced former councillor over “deeply personal and disturbing” Facebook posts can now be revealed Chris Milne left the Hutt City Council under a cloud of controversy in 2022 after being found to have breached the council’s code of conduct and has since become embroiled in a “malicious” Facebook page He has also received a warning from police over what has been described as an “implied death threat” to Barry has described the court action as weaponising the law to “seek cover from political challenge” Barry announced last week he would not be standing for re-election this year but has said in a statement the “abuse” suffered online did not impact this decision The matter has now come to light after Judge Kevin Kelly lifted heavy suppression orders on the case in the Hutt Valley District Court this afternoon Laura started legal proceedings in early 2024 under the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 in response to posts on social media they allege contained false information who was revealed to be the anonymous administrator of the social media page in question is alleged to have been used to make these posts and create a “pile-on” effect with group members the Barrys said they felt unsafe in their own home after a photo of their Lower Hutt home was posted on the page taken from a location they believe was on their property “It started as a page which posted regularly about a range of people and politics at the Hutt City Council,” the mayor wrote in his affidavit while many posts contained highly objectional material they were largely ignored by myself and others because they were what could generally be termed as ‘political discourse’ in the most part.” the content of the posts “started to become deeply personal and disturbing” “They began to include false allegations and threats which have had a serious emotional impact on my wife … and myself They began to include commentary about our home Barry went on to describe a campaign of harassment linked to the page including an anonymous complaint laid about him to the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) claiming the animals on his lifestyle block were being mistreated information relating to the complaint was shared on the Facebook page He also said some of the posts on the page created a “pile-on” where other users would post malicious content in the comments section One such comment was posted by Milne himself saying Barry should be “worried” and that “Mossad always gets its man” “The word ‘Mossad’ is a reference to the Israeli intelligence agency known for covert operations said to include political assassination,” Barry said The comment was later removed after police visited Milne and gave him a warning The posts on the page also include references to personal family matters going through a different court “These relentless attacks have had a cumulative effect on us both The exposure of our personal home and lives has become too hard to bear We have begun to feel unsafe in our own home “We genuinely fear this anonymous person(s) is snooping around our property and personal lives in an attempt to manufacture content for [the page].” Barry said he and his wife had both had to see psychologists for support wondering what false allegation or personal attack was coming next Laura Barry also referred to the impact the posts were having on her work as a solicitor and noted she had been called a “corrupt lawyer in the child court” on the page The court ordered Meta to reveal who the administrator for the page was and it was revealed that Milne had been operating it The Barrys now seek an agreement from Milne to stop making such posts and to pay their legal fees said his understanding was that Milne wanted to come to court and prove the posts did not fall under the umbrella of harmful communications There have previously been suppression orders in place banning not only the reporting of the parties’ names But Dewar today asked Judge Kelly to lift the suppression saying as there was no longer suppression in place for the unrelated family matter A letter in Milne’s affidavit responding to the Barrys’ case cannot be reported due to a question over confidentiality Milne was unable to be reached for comment at the time of publication The matter will go to a hearing later this year for a full argument In a joint statement provided to the Herald the Barrys said they understood public office came with scrutiny “But there is a line — and that line is crossed when attacks target families and deliberately seek to cause harm beyond the political arena “This experience has had a deep and lasting impact The abuse has sought to exploit her sensitive and complex personal family circumstances to cause distress and damage to us both The couple said they had chosen to deal with the matter privately but recent news articles about abuse directed at elected officials and their families encouraged them to let the public know what they had experienced “We want people to know that there are legal avenues available You can hold people who try to hide under the cloak of anonymity to account “We believe it’s important to take a stand — not just to protect ourselves but for the sake of everyone who chooses to put themselves forward for public office and their families “We are now seeking further orders from the court to ensure this person stops what they have been doing to us.” Free Speech Union chief executive Jonathan Ayling said Milne — who is a member of the union — had been using the page to expose concerns over Barry’s credibility “When a mayor can use our law to hide from exposure Speech allows us to hold leaders to account Lawyers gagging critics is the opposite of this,” he said in a statement “Barry claims this has caused “serious emotional distress” to him and his wife But the Facebook posts are legitimate critiques directly related to Barry’s conduct as mayor It’s outrageous that a mayor would silence ratepayers’ voices and even more so that New Zealand law is vague enough to allow it.” A new pathway and sea wall will create the 'final link' Layers of mud stretch along the habourside construction site and cakes to the shoes of reporters as they make their way through what will soon become section two of the Te Ara Tupua shared pathway The pathway has been under construction since 2022 Over 6000 interlocking concrete blocks will be used the project has used $205 million dollars of its $348 million dollar allocation as of April 2025 It will link to the Petone to Melling cycle and walkway that was completed in October 2023 and will double as a coastal wall to protect the road and rail line that can accommodate a potential sea level rise if needed The construction site looks out onto Wellington harbour with many workers spotting the occasional penguin said that marine ecology and the environment was a priority on site "We have trained dogs that can check where the penguins might be," Singh said "We isolate those areas from construction." three little blue penguins were found dead near the site At the time NZTA said conditions and permits were in place to protect the environment during the project's delivery Waka Kotahi project director Ulvi Salayev pointed out two nearby rockpiles built to accommodate penguins while their home was under renovation Salayev said it was a "bed and breakfast accommodation until they can return to a mansion" The project plans also include safe nesting places for birds along the pathway with signage for the public to keep birds safe A child was in the car at the time when a driver rammed police cars and injured five officers were hit by a driver attempting to escape officers in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni Five officers received minor injuries and cars were extensively damaged in the "quick-moving" incident on Tuesday afternoon Police have also confirmed to RNZ that a child known to the driver that rammed officers was in the car A 49-year-old man charged over the incident was granted bail during a court appearance on Wednesday He faces charges of of aggravated assault and failng to stop for police No pleas were entered during the court appearance He was given bail but is restricted to his home The man will next appear in court on 22 April and was given interim name suppression The long term Uber driver who died in a crash on the Wellington motorway last month can now be named as Lower Hutt resident Alan Lindsay Ferguson Police were called to the two-vehicle crash at about 11.30pm on Saturday in the northbound lanes of the Kaiwharawhara section of State Highway 1 The passenger in his car and the driver from another car were taken to hospital injured Uber confirmed Ferguson was one of its drivers "We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of Lindsay a long-term member of the Uber driver community," a spokesperson said "Our thoughts and condolences are with his family and friends at this difficult time and we have reached out to offer our support." including speaking to those involved in the crash The Greens say Benjamin Doyle is feeling "scared and worried about their whānau" The industrial hemp sector is feeling unified and buoyant by a long-awaited regulatory review that it hopes will see more farmers adopt the crop and unlock its economic Audrey Sonerson has been appointed to the role after the resignation of Diana Sarfati The bodies were found in a house in Roseneath after a family member asked for a welfare check Wiria Mohamadi doesn't deny following his alleged victim and picking her up but he does deny the sex was not consensual Big roadworks on State Highway 2 through Lower Hutt are going to cost more than twice as much as originally said The cost of replacing Melling Bridge and putting in a new interchange and associated works is now forecast at $1.5 billion Its original budget was $700m, though RNZ reported in late 2023 there were rumours it would breach a $1b The government said on Friday the higher cost came even despite finding $200m in savings It agreed to extra funding for the Road of Regional significance project "The project has been undoubtedly challenging from a cost perspective," Transport Minister Chris Bishop said in a statement The wider programme includes flood protection and "city revitalisation" with the approximate $1.5b budget met by $1b from New Zealand Transport Agency / Waka Kotahi (NZTA) $295m from the Greater Wellington Regional Council and $180m from Hutt City Council It would "start this year" and take six years to replace the old bridge Bishop said - though dozens of houses and businesses have been demolished over the last two years to make way for it NZTA would take several more months to finalise the design so it could work as efficiently as possible Hutt City Council last year gave a start date of February 2025 The regional council had previously said having to temporarily close the Melling rail line’s two stops during  the project was a  "bitter pill" and the line would now remain open as far as Western Hutt station midway between the Melling and Petone stations until Melling was able to reopen south of where it was now A new walk-and-bike bridge south of the interchange paid for by Hutt City Council was included in the project Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry said signing the final agreements and securing funding was a "once-in-a-generation deal" for the city "We are ready to go," Barry said in a statement on Friday The stretch of SH2 at Melling carried 40,000 vehicles a day and faced years of roadworks and disruption A separate project to replace a big corroded sewer pipe under the highway in danger of failing and spewing effluent into Te Awa Kairangi / Hutt River was set to close one lane when work begins shortly Melling was "a severe bottleneck for traffic that slows down commuters and freight" Corrections and Clarifications RSS Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash on Dowse Drive Police said they were called to the scene about 7.15pm on Sunday A pedestrian is reportedly in serious condition Police are advising motorists to avoid the area if possible Lower Hutt mayor Campbell Barry has announced he will not seek re-election this year He said he wanted to leave on a high and on his terms after 15 years in local government "I've seen the impact of leaders and elected members who stay too long," he said "It's important to allow fresh energy and perspectives to take the city through this next exciting phase." Barry served one term on the Wainuiomata Community Board and two terms as a Hutt City councillor before making history in 2019 when he was elected New Zealand's youngest mayor of a city at age 28 He described the role as the privilege of his life In a statement he said he wanted to make the most of every day in the lead up to local body elections His priority would be reaching an agreement on a new water entity for the wider Wellington region "I personally see it as vital that all of Wellington's metropolitan councils are part of it I'll be doing everything I can to set our region up for success so that a new water entity is ready to be implemented by incoming councils." Barry said he did not have set plans when his mayoralty ends He told RNZ in February he had been reflecting over Christmas on whether or not he would run again and hoped to come to a decision after Easter Barry told RNZ he had no ambitions for central government politics right now "I'm certainly not looking to enter Parliament at this stage I have been involved in politics since I was 19-years-old that's 15 years involved in local government "I'm really looking forward to do doing something different post October and I know that's something my family is looking forward to as well." Barry said he would not throw his support behind anyone running to be his successor "I think that it does a disservice to the people of Lower Hutt when former politicians or outgoing mayors or whatever the case be put their two cents in." He said while the infrastructure was an opportunity, the next mayor will need someone who had in-depth knowledge of the Riverlink project - which had blown out to $1.5 billion in cost "There's no doubt it is going to cause major disruption in the city so we will need someone who is all across that issue and how we can prepare our business community and our CBD and our residents and how they get around town to do their business." The planning for future natural disasters was also something a future mayor needed to continue the work on Barry said his top achievements during his time as mayor had been prioritising the delivery of water infrastructure the rollout of the city's recycling and rubbish service and securing the funding for Riverlink At a Wellington Chamber of Commerce event on Thursday Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged Barry "He's being a great partner with central government over a number of years and we wish you very well for your future as well." Hutt City councillor Karen Morgan has confirmed to RNZ she will run for Lower Hutt mayor at the upcoming election Morgan was the principal of Taita College for seven years and has spent 30 years in the eductaion sector Fellow councillor and former Hutt City Council chief executive Tony Stallinger ran for mayor in 2022 against Barry but told RNZ he would not be running again for the role in 2025 Lower Hutt's mayor says most metropolitan councils will soon face the same problem Wellington does on funding water infrastructure Campbell Barry has beaten long-standing incumbent Ray Wallace for the Lower Hutt mayoral seat Five police staff were injured after vehicles were rammed in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni this evening Police were called to Trinity Ave at 5.25pm after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said police noticed a vehicle of interest leaving the area and signalled it to stop Instead it drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to help A member of the public’s vehicle was also struck A man then tried to flee on foot but was apprehended by police around 5.45pm Parnell said three police vehicles were significantly damaged and five police staff suffered minor injuries in the collisions “Our staff go to work every day to help make our communities safer and behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable,” Parnell said “I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against police creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved.” A 49-year-old man is set to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court tomorrow facing three charges of aggravated assault Police are continuing their investigations and further charges have not been ruled out Sign up to The Daily H Battlefield remains from WWI unearthed by wildfires & rain on the Gallipoli Peninsula in Türkiye have been covered over by Kiwis involved in commemorative duties NZ commemoration lead John McLeod said a small team including members of the NZDF & the NZ Embassy assisted in the covering up of remains that were exposed with many people all over the country expected to capitalise on the two long weekends and school holidays NZCAST’s position is clear: apologies alone are not enough Councils are looking forward to helping to deliver a system that is practical on farm and good for communities from next year Te Uru Kahika FWFP Programme Sponsor and Chief Executive of Waikato Regional Council “Road safety is a responsibility we all share and with more people travelling around the country over the long weekend we need everyone to make safe choices when they’re driving to avoid deaths and serious injuries,” Transport Minister Chris Bishop says Barriers to gender equality exist in many forms and in New Zealand Due to extreme rainfall Hinemoa St pumping station has discharged sewage into the Waiwhetū Stream We advise people to stay away from this area and south of Hinemoa Street for the period of this notice Lower Hutt residents are embracing something timeless – their local library our Neighbourhoods Hubs and libraries saw a collective 2,067,441 visitors representing an 18% increase over the previous year We are on track to surpass these numbers in 2025 A key driver of this growth is the diverse and engaging programme of events offered at the facilities Council’s Head of Neighbourhood Hubs and Library Services says the evolving role of libraries is central to their growing popularity with more people borrowing books online while physical loan numbers decline That tells us people are coming through our doors for more than just books—they’re seeking meaningful experiences and community connection it’s heartening to see our libraries remain places of learning state-of-the-art Moerā Neighbourhood Hub in March this year daily visits have averaged 231 – a whopping 122% increase from last year’s daily average of 104 Ransom attributes this growth to the welcoming environment shaped by staff and the collaborative effort between Council and the local community in bringing the Hub to life “We see Moerā as a real success story and our Hubs and Library services are evolving with them— with connection and sustainability at front of mind The Hub was developed to ensure its longevity for generations to come.” New figures released by Public Libraries New Zealand reveal that more than 1.4 million Kiwis – 28% of the population – were active public library members in the past year with a combined 58 million physical and digital visits recorded across the country the demand for library services is there—and we’re meeting it with heart and a deep commitment to the community,” Ransom says To learn more about your local Neighbourhood Hub and upcoming programmes, visit hutt.city/Hubs 24 hours a day – 7 days a week 04 570 6666 | 0800 488 824 contact@huttcity.govt.nz Privacy Policy Accessibility Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry has announced he’s calling time on the role and won’t seek re-election at October’s election Barry said it’s something he’s been thinking about for “about a year” “Sometimes leaders and elected members hang on too long and don’t quite leave at the right time it feels like this is good timing for me and I’m able to go out on my terms.” Barry was first elected as Mayor in 2019 at 28 making him New Zealand’s youngest-ever elected mayor of a city He ran on a Labour Party ticket and campaigned on a “new approach”. He’s currently in his second term as mayor and served two terms on the council before the role “I’ve been involved in local government for 15 years now The mayor made headlines in 2020 after he revealed he still got asked for ID when purchasing alcohol. He said it’s about leaving on a high and taking on “a new challenge” Barry said he didn’t have anything lined up but is looking for an opportunity outside of politics “I’m not sure exactly what that looks like at the moment,“ he said He said his main priority currently is to “nail the next six months” and get progress on the new regional water entity Running for Parliament isn’t on the cards which he said is something he’s been asked a lot over recent days Water and infrastructure has been a real passion but has no plans yet for work in that area Upper Hutt’s Wayne Guppy has confirmed he is running for another term Porirua Mayor Anita Baker confirmed to Newstalk ZB last year she would be running again Wellington Mayor Tory Whanau has now secured the Green Party endorsement to run again. Andrew Little this week told the Herald he is “actively considering” challenging Whanau for the job The local election will be held on October 11 Ethan Manera is a multimedia journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 and is interested in local issues, politics and property in the capital. Ethan is always on the lookout for a story and can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz The Christmas and New Year festivities may be over but that doesn’t mean the fun has stopped with plenty of events for you to enjoy in Lower Hutt over January Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry says “summer in the Hutt is a great time to get out and enjoy the many activities happening in and around the city “Whether it’s exploring one of the many parks there’s something for everyone to enjoy this summer season.” The line-up of community focused events in Lower Hutt over January includes: You can check out other events happening in Lower Hutt here One person is reportedly in serious condition following a crash on Dowse Dr in Lower Hutt Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash involving a pedestrian and a vehicle in Lower Hutt A police spokesperson said officers were called to the crash on Dowse Dr in Maungaraki about 7.15pm “The pedestrian is reportedly in serious condition Motorists should avoid the area if possible.” A Wellington Free Ambulance spokesperson said emergency services transported one person in a critical condition to Wellington Hospital Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. Chained Dog Awareness NZ urges people to identify the man for authorities. Carrying on from the great autumn condition last week, we had another glorious morning with the forecasted northerly making its presence felt. It was a chilly one for 318 parkrunners - layers were needed on route to the start line, and the dew at turning point was a slightly slippery challenge. It must have been good conditions though because 40 of you ran personal bests. Well done. There were 13 first timers to parkrun - we hope you all enjoyed your run/walk and will continue coming. It’s a great way to start the weekend! There were 24 who have come to their first parkrun in Lower Hutt, from either NZ parkruns or are travelling around NZ from overseas parkruns. parkrun is such a global experience and we hope today is another tick for you. There were some milestones reached too - Brendon Findlay, Kane Barrett and Lynda Buford are all on 25th, and Brigitte Bialy on 50th. Excellent achievement! Back to the Lower Hutt parkrun - the first parkrun in NZ - next week it’s it’s 13 year anniversary and the special pacer event is not to be missed! No part of this site may be reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the permission of the copyright owner. Frameworks, 2 Sheen Road, Richmond, TW9 1AE Trinity Avenue, In Epuni, Lower Hutt. (Source: 1News) A child was a passenger in a vehicle when a driver allegedly rammed three police cars, injuring five officers, in Lower Hutt yesterday afternoon. A 49-year-old man was taken into custody following the incident. Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said officers were called to Trinity Ave, Epuni after receiving a report of suspicious behaviour shortly before 5.30pm. "A responding police unit observed a vehicle of interest leaving the area and signalled for it to stop. "It did not stop and instead, drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to assist." Parnell said a member of the public's vehicle was also hit by the man's vehicle, and that person was uninjured. "The man exited his vehicle in an attempt to flee the scene on foot, and was taken into custody just after 5.45pm." Parnell said three police vehicles sustained "significant damage" and five police staff were assessed with minor injuries. "I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against police, creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved." He said "behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable". Police also confirmed to 1News that a child known to the driver was in the vehicle at the time of the incident. A 49-year-old man was due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court today, facing three charges of aggravated assault, a charge of indecent assault and failed to stop for police. Police experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising Technology has outpaced a currently underway review of the Arms Act and criminals are already taking advantage Crime and Justice US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' was murdered in January 2022 by her neighbour Health Arrest after person assaulted A nurse leaving her shift last month was held up at gunpoint outside the grounds of the hospital More than 25kg cocaine seizure leads to four arrests across NZ Tauranga and Auckland as a result of the six-week investigation Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand Korumburra Baptist Church pastor Ian Wilkinson was one of four guests invited to Patterson's home in the regional town of Leongatha in 2023 Police, experts warn 'emerging risk' of 3D-printed firearms rising 26 mins ago Trade war: Sir John Key's 'optimism' on Trump's next tariff moves 30 mins ago US prisons bureau has challenges — reopening Alcatraz is now another 34 mins ago Erica Stanford accepted meetings through her personal email 5:59pm NRL: Sharks centre Iro wants to be known by new name 5:56pm Juliana Herrera's family tell inquest: 'Stop repeating avoidable mistakes' 14 mins ago 1Sole survivor of poisoned beef Wellington takes the stand US woman who disappeared for more than six decades found safe Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash Photos: Lorde among stars at 2025 Met Gala A$AP Rocky and Rihanna also revealed they are expecting their third child. Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansSun, May 4 Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon Police have raised concerns over the growing risk of 3D-printed firearms with experts predicting criminals will increasingly turn to it as the technology improves and becomes cheaper Firearms Safety Authority chief executive Superintendent Richard Wilson told 1News that 3D-printed firearms were an "emerging risk" which was "trending up" 1% of our firearm seizures are 3D-printed firearms it doesn't deter from the fact that it's probably going to grow because as a technology grows and as criminals look for other ways that they can access our firearms illegally." He said he believed in time it would become easier to access 3D-printed firearms than it would through straw buyers – one of the main methods of accessing illegal firearms currently Wilson said criminals making firearms using 3D printers was something police would not tolerate "We will be detecting and chasing those individuals down." University of Waikato law professor Al Gillespie said it was "just the tip of an iceberg" "The trend looking forward is that there will be many more 3D firearms and criminals will increasingly turn to them." the cost was still prohibitive to making 3D-printed firearms an alternative to traditional illegal firearms but Gillespie said as they became cheaper and more reliable to produce "Criminals often make very strategic decisions about cost and reliability because the other thing about the 3D firearm is that the moment they aren't reliable and they've got a shorter lifespan and that they aren't yet as good as commercially graded firearms but that's probably only a couple of years away." New Zealand was at the "lower end of the curve" when it came to facing the problem with other countries like Canada and the United States experiencing a "much greater rate" of illegal firearms "We can expect that as our criminal fraternity interacts with overseas criminal fraternities through the drug trade and organised crime that they too will learn from the same examples." He said New Zealand has "got to get ahead of the game" in terms of a legislative response "It's foreseeable that someone will use these for nefarious purposes We've got to make sure our law is robust as it can be We have to make sure that illegal firearms of any type do not fall into the wrong hands." Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee said she was "extremely concerned" about 3D printed firearms and that current legislation was ill-equipped to deal with the issue "This speaks volumes to why we need to upgrade the Arms Act and make it more future proof." McKee confirmed the Government was considering incorporating 3D-printed firearms into the upcoming review of the Arms Act which would address the evolving landscape of firearms technology "The difference that we need to make here in New Zealand is to allow the innovation while making sure that we stamp out the criminal misuse." Hamilton-based firm Glacier Rifles used 3D printers to create prototypes of its rifles She said she had directed officials to investigate whether blueprints for 3D printed weapons could be allowed for manufacturers or banned for other people "I don't know what that's going to look like especially when we are the ones throughout the world that are being innovative for 3D printing." McKee hoped to bring the legislation to Cabinet within four to eight weeks Eleven inmate deaths in less than two months A US$3 billion (NZ$5 billion) repair backlog a stunning directive from President Donald Trump for the crisis-plagued federal Bureau of Prisons to “REBUILD AND OPEN ALCATRAZ!” — the notorious penitentiary on an island in San Francisco Bay that last held inmates more than 60 years ago Even as the Bureau of Prisons struggles with short staffing chronic violence and crumbling infrastructure at its current facilities Trump is counting on the agency to fulfill his vision of rebooting the infamously inescapable prison known in movies and pop culture as The Rock Trump declared in a social media post that a “substantially enlarged and rebuilt” Alcatraz will house the nation’s “most ruthless and violent Offenders” Newly appointed Bureau of Prisons Director William K Marshall III said that the agency “will vigorously pursue all avenues to support and implement the President’s agenda” and that he has ordered “an immediate assessment to determine our needs and the next steps” We look forward to restoring this powerful symbol of law and justice,” Marshall said in a statement “We will be actively working with our law enforcement and other federal partners to reinstate this very important mission.” an 8.9-hectare spit of land with views of the Golden Gate Bridge and the San Francisco skyline was once the crown jewel of the federal prison system and home to some of the nation’s most notorious criminals including gangsters Al Capone and George Machine Gun Kelly But skyrocketing repair and supply costs compelled the Justice Department to close the prison in 1963 and the Bureau of Prisons has long since replaced Alcatraz with modern penitentiaries including a maximum-security prison in Florence The former and perhaps future penitentiary is now a popular tourist attraction and a national historic landmark It’s controlled by the National Park Service as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area meaning the Bureau of Prisons could be in for an interagency tug of war if it tries to wrest away control of the island Trump’s Alcatraz directive is yet another challenge for the Bureau of Prisons as it struggles to fix lingering problems while responding to the president’s priorities on incarceration and immigrant detention includes taking in thousands of immigration detainees under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security The problems at the Bureau of Prisons transcend administrations and facilities An ongoing Associated Press investigation has uncovered deep previously unreported flaws within the Bureau of Prisons over the last few years including widespread criminal activity by employees and severe understaffing that has hampered responses to emergencies then-President Joe Biden signed a law strengthening oversight of the agency It remains the Justice Department’s largest agency 155,000 inmates and an annual budget of about US$8 billion (NZ$13.4 billion) but the Trump administration’s cost-cutting measures have eliminated some pay bonuses that were credited with retaining and attracting new staff That has resulted in long overtime shifts for some workers and the continued use of a policy known as augmentation teachers and other workers are pressed into duty to guard inmates A Bureau of Prisons official told Congress at a hearing in February that more than 4000 beds within the system — the equivalent of at least two full prisons — are unusable because of dangerous conditions like leaking or failing roofs a 37-year-old Florida businessman who was found dead April 28 in a suspected suicide at a federal jail in Miami He was awaiting trial on charges that he kidnapped and killed his estranged wife in Spain inmate Ramadhan Jaabir Justice was killed in a fight at the federal penitentiary in Pollock where he was serving a nearly 11-year sentence for a conviction related to an armed robbery As Trump was ordering Alcatraz’s reopening correctional officers at the same Miami jail were fighting to curb the spread of tuberculosis and Covid-19 isolating inmates after they tested positive for the diseases immigration detainees at the facility ripped out a fire sprinkler and flooded a holding cell during a lengthy intake process the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin has sat idle for more than a year after the Bureau of Prisons cleared it of inmates in the wake of rampant sexual abuse by employees the agency made the closure permanent and idled six prison camps across the country to address “significant challenges crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources” While Trump hails Alcatraz as a paragon of the federal prison system’s cherished past other facilities stand as reminders of its recent troubles They include the federal jail in Manhattan which remains idle after Jeffrey Epstein’s suicide there in 2019 exposed deep flaws in its operations where 23 inmates have been charged in recent months with crimes ranging from smuggling weapons in a Doritos bag to the stabbing last month of a man convicted in the killing of hip-hop legend Jam Master Jay A person is in custody after an alleged theft which left a person injured on the grounds of Palmerston North Hospital Police said officers were called to a Ruahine St carpark about 1.30pm on Tuesday Police said the alleged offender left the scene and was found a short time later "Police would like to thank the members of the public who witnessed the incident and intervened to assist the victim," a police spokesperson said That same night a staff member was knocked unconscious Staff have been calling for security improvements Health NZ MidCentral operations group director Sarah Fenwick previously told RNZ it was committed to making staff feel safer She said these included a security escort to vehicles increasing security services on hospital grounds and "opening up" access to the staff carpark for people working afternoon and night shifts "Lighting has been audited in all outside carparking areas to ensure it is well maintained," she said "Interim access to well-lit parking onsite with dedicated security for staff working afternoon and night shifts while a more permanent solution for out-of-hours carparking is developed." rnz.co.nz More than 25kg of cocaine has been seized and four men arrested following an joint investigation into the importation of the drug into Christchurch Police and Customs received information about a "significant importation" of cocaine that had come through Lyttelton Port on March 29 Search warrants were then executed across the country by specialist teams to support investigators with evidence gathering including possession of cocaine for supply and burglary and will appear in various district courts across a range of dates Detective Senior Sergeant Phil Sparks said the seizure equated to more than 250,000 doses of cocaine and $9 million of harm "That is an enormous amount of damage and misery that had been heading into our communities that has now been halted through this investigation." Sparks said the success of the investigation was partly down to the "excellent partnership" between Customs and the police "We continue to have a focus on engaging with businesses and supporting their legitimate services by keeping them safe with prevention advice to deter drug trafficking organisations’ attempts to exploit their people and premises." Customs acting investigations manager Rachael Manning said the investigation resulted from quick action and close collaboration between the agencies as well as industry partners "We know that transnational and serious organised crime groups are actively targeting New Zealand to drive up both demand and supply of illegal drugs such as cocaine for maximum profit They’re using every method possible to exploit any vulnerabilities within international supply chains in secure areas or on vessels themselves." Former prime minister Sir John Key says he remains optimistic about Donald Trump's domestic economic policy despite opposing the tariff strategy that has sent global markets into turmoil in recent months who served as prime minister for eight years was the keynote speaker at an Auckland business summit earlier today Sir John told 1News he believed Trump would ultimately take a more moderate approach to tariffs than initially proposed "I'm not a fan of tariff policies I don't think they really work," he said as I think the stock market is telling you at the moment that actually there will be a more sensible landing place for the tariffs that he's wanting to impose." Sir John said he "wasn't entirely surprised" at Trump's call to go ahead with the policy "They're just a negotiating point I think he simply put on widespread and high rates of tariffs on every country to give himself a leverage point and a negotiating point "What I think he actually grossly underestimated was the stock market reaction You can actually make the case that his own strategy hasn't worked The reason the markets have recovered is because he's taken those tariffs off the most part 'I'm going to negotiate case by case'." Sir John suggested Trump's economic policies could still generally be positive for the US but the tariffs could be trickier for the global economy Asked whether he stood by his October comments that Trump would be good for the economy he said: "Do I think he's going to reduce regulatory burden in the United States It depends on where things shake down in terms of tariffs." Sir John acknowledged that for certain industries Trump's policies could be "a really negative thing" particularly if the president's proposed 100% tariff on the film industry were to be implemented "I can't see how it would be cost-competitive to make a movie in New Zealand with a 100% tariff on it," he said noting that films such as The Hobbit would not have been made in New Zealand without government subsidies who now served as a director of US tech company Palo Alto Networks said he had "always been opposed" to Trump's tariff policies but believes they won't be the "dominant part of his economic solutions" "I don't think it's perfect from New Zealand's point of view but I don't think we should panic either and America will still be a very big market for us to sell things to," he said "There are growing markets around the world It's not a great thing from New Zealand's point of view We've got a very sound economy with lots of options in front of us." Sir John suggested a belief that the Republican Trump was was better "on balance" for the US economy than Democratic opponent Kamala Harris he expressed concerns about Trump's tariff approach: "China doesn't pay those tariffs middle-income consumers or consumers in America do because when a tariff goes on a good that you bring into a country He added: "I don't agree with the massive tariffs and I don't think you'll follow through with all of that and I certainly don't agree with this view on trade." The Cronulla player formerly known as Kayal Iro has explained his decision to change his first name midway through the NRL season Iro made a tryscoring return from a hamstring injury in the Sharks' Magic Round win over Parramatta last Friday sporting a new name on Cronulla's team list The 25-year-old has now requested he be referred to as 'KL Iro' The centre is named after his father Kevin Leslie Iro who enjoyed a decorated career in England and represented New Zealand with distinction The left centre's official documents will still read "Kayal" but the Sharks flyer said he made the switch to 'KL' to avoid any doubt as to how his name should be pronounced "Mum didn't want it to be a two-letter name when I was a kid," Iro said "She's the one that changed it to 'Kayal' I think it was just foreign back then to have a two-letter name "But my dad always wanted it to be 'KL' and I like it that way too because it's easier to pronounce and there's no confusion I was too scared to step on anyone's toes "I guess I've built a bit of a relationship with these fellas now so I asked the question and got it done pretty quick." which was often mispronounced by commentators when his father and uncle Tony were playing "Even my dad and uncle when they were playing the Pommies would pronounce it 'aye-ro' rather than 'ear-ro'," Iro added he loved it but it's pretty cool to hear a commentator saying our family name." Iro was born in England while his father was playing for Leeds but spent most of his childhood growing up in the Cook Islands While he hinted he would be open to facing the Kangaroos in the end-of-season Ashes series "I wouldn't say no but my first thing is getting the Cook Islands qualified for the World Cup next year," he said Iro and the sixth-placed Sharks (5-4) will face one of the most daunting challenges of their season to date when they travel to take on Manly (4-4) at Brookvale Oval on Sunday "They've got a strong right edge and also [Tom] Trbojevic at the back," Iro said "[Trboejvic] is a strike weapon in attack and things happen around him we've got to be aware of him." Audrey Backeberg disappeared from a small city in south-central Wisconsin after reportedly hitchhiking with her family’s babysitter and catching a bus to Indianapolis Nobody ever knew where she went or what happened to her All that changed last week when she was found alive and safe in another state thanks to the fresh eyes from a deputy who took over the case in February Detective Isaac Hanson discovered an out-of-state arrest record that matched Backeberg which triggered a series of investigative moves that led to finding her alive and safe in another state Turns out Backeberg chose to leave the town of Reedsburg on her own accord – likely due to an abusive husband safe and secure; And just kind of lived under the radar for that long,” he said Hanson was assigned the case in late February and he and other officials met with Backeberg’s family to see if they had a connection with that region They also started digging through Backeberg's sister's Ancestry.com account obituaries and marriage licenses from that region they found an address where a woman was living that Hanson said shared a lot of similarities with Backeberg including date of birth and social security number Hanson was able to get a deputy from that jurisdiction to go to the address "I was expecting the deputy to call me back and say ‘Oh nobody answered the door.’ And I thought it was the deputy calling me I could sense that she obviously had her reasons for leaving.” Most of the information he learned during that call he declined to share saying that it was still important to Backeberg that she not be found “I think it overwhelmed her of course with the emotions that she had having a deputy show up at her house and then kind of call her out and talk with her about what happened and kind of relive 62 years in 45 minutes,” he said Hanson described discovering her safe after more than six decades practically unheard of And while he doesn't know what will happen next in terms of her family reconnecting he said he was happy that she can reach out if she wants to so she has my contact number if she ever wants to reach out or needs anything any phone numbers of family members back here," he said "Ultimately she kind of holds the cards for that.” 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 Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed "Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said "This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries." Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries" Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre where he died from a "catastrophic head injury" British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries which did not require transfer to hospital Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Whanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" "Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family along with our condolences to Owen’s family too." Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death "Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends 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 A man who allegedly stormed into a dairy with a machete and made off with half a backpack of cigarettes has been charged with aggravated robbery Video of the harrowing incident shows a man entering the dairy on Birch St Lower Hutt on Saturday with a large machete which he begins waving at the staff member behind the counter and gesturing with repeatedly wearing a hood and a surgical mask to hide his face which the staff member then begins filling with cigarette packets while the masked man continues to wave the machete The armed man then takes the bag and flees within a minute of entering the store The footage then shows the shopkeeper running outside after the man though it is not clear what he runs out to do The footage was posted on social media over the weekend with the son of the dairy owner asking Facebook users if they could identify the robber Police confirmed they were called to the business about 1pm on the Saturday “after a report of an individual entering the store and demanding items” “The individual has also allegedly caused damage to the till during the incident Police investigated the matter and have now arrested a 32-year-old man He was charged with aggravated robbery and is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court today Lower Hutt residents are worried about the fate of missing man Thomas Basire who lived on the fringes of the community and hasn't been seen in months They say vulnerable people in the area are "slipping through the cracks" Basire and his partner were a regular sight pushing a shopping trolley through the streets about Queensgate Mall and sleeping rough in nearby parks The 28-year-old was last seen in late November 2024 walking on the stop bank towards Petone near the Ewen Bridge on Railway Ave He was wearing a red long-sleeved sweatshirt Earlier this week, police said a specialist search team was searching the Hutt River and riverbank for signs of the man A worker in the central Lower Hutt CBD said Basire and his partner had often slept in the awning of a shop on Waterloo Road She said she had tried to help and had gifted them clothes in the winter months when they drew dumpsters together to protect them from the elements "No one wants to sleep outside and they would move on before the shops opened He was trying to look after her in the rain and the cold He was being her pillow and then he'd push their trolley with all of their possessions." Lana Wagner of GBO Tropical Design Store said the pair would sleep in the back of the carpark near her shop he always looked a bit broken," Wagner said there was this young person and it's sad because there was someone's son he was carrying his dinner back towards the library in the weeks leading up to his disappearance Basire and his partner were a common sight in the central city carrying their possessions in a shopping trolley and living in the park near the Hutt Library Workers in the area the area told RNZ the pair caused problems at times an alcohol and other drugs counsellor for nearby Te Paepae Ārahi Trust said he was aware that the couple were living in difficult circumstances and would "park up" in doorways and shelter in bushes nearby but he did not feel that they were outwardly antagonistic to others "My impression would be that they probably had a condition that wasn't being appropriately medicated," he said It means that people are slipping through the cracks and we don't have a support network that's robust enough to be there for them." RNZ has approached Basire's partner for comment Thomas Basire was last seen on 24 November Warning: This story contains details of abuse A man charged with abuse after two Lower Hutt children received "very severe" injuries including multiple broken bones can now be named of the Hutt Valley has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges including assault on a child wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and attempting to pervert the course of justice Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Cotton described the injuries as "very very severe" lacerated internal organs and one had brain bleeds "Their injuries were so extensive one required surgery and it has taken two weeks to understand the full extent of damage to their bodies the suspected abuse was uncovered when one of the children was taken to hospital in an ambulance Allen's lawyer Steve Gill withdrew his name suppression application His other charges include wilful ill treatment of a dog and selling and cultivating cannabis A woman has also pleaded not guilty to charges in relation to the case They include two charges of failing to protect a child and two of attempting to pervert the course of justice and refusing to assist police with a search If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk Oranga Tamariki still has a "considerable amount" of work to do to improve privacy practices A former Destiny Church youth leader who sexually abused several young boys has been sentenced to six years in prison You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image MetService yesterday issued a rare red wind warning - its highest - as winds of up to 150km/h were recorded closing roads and sparking numerous emergency callouts Power has been cut to thousands of properties across Wellington Wellington is under an orange level heavy rain warning until midday Wellington Region Emergency Management Office said people should expect to see debris and some surface flooding on the roads "We are still advising people not to travel unless necessary A Lower Hutt woman who had a narrow escape from a falling branch as the wild winds ripped through Wellington is calling on the council to chop back two pohutukawa trees heavily when she heard a loud crack and ran for her life as a branch fell towards her yesterday She said it was  terrifying and the city council needed to do something about it Wellington Airport advised that conditions had eased enough in the capital for flights to begin operating again the airport is cautioning that there still may be some disruptions today Passengers should check with their airline for specific flight information A number of passengers had to sleep at the airport overnight due to cancelled flights and full hotels Some 200 flights were cancelled in and out of the capital yesterday and there had been a couple of cancellations and diversions this morning Wellington Airport's head of operations Matthew Palliser told RNZ's Nine to Noon programme today they are operating in recovery mode to clear the backlog He said some people slept in the airport last night "Our hotel was full and we had a number of people who had to stay in the terminal so we kept the heating on and looked after them." Palliser said that number of flight cancellations was rare - even for a normally windy Wellington "It's highly unusual to have to cancel the flights for an entire day We do have periods sometimes where flights are diverted because of winds but to have a whole day was definitely an exceptional circumstance "If passengers can make sure they are communicating and checking with their airlines that flights are on time and make sure you come to the airport nice and early as there will be high volumes of people coming through." Interislander Cook Strait ferry sailings have been cancelled until at least this afternoon due to big swells while Bluebridge sailings won't resume until tomorrow Rainfall update from overnightThings have eased in Canterbury, with more breaks between the wet weather today. Most of the showers should clear by the end of the dayStill a wet day in Wellington and Wairarapa however, with Orange Rain Warnings still in place pic.twitter.com/yK2F0U6Zev Roads on Wellington's south coast remain closed because of debris thrown across them by big seas yesterday The city council said it was likely sections of the road from Seatoun to Ōwhiro Bay would be closed for much of today while crews check on damage and start a clean-up The stretch between Lyall Bay and Island Bay is open Hutt City Council said it remained in an active emergency response and contractors have been out across Lower Hutt overnight clearing debris The Lower Hutt suburb of Eastbourne remains cut off this morning A slip on Ferry Rd in Days Bay is blocking both lanes with no access in or out Hutt City Council said contractors plan to open one lane for residents Both lanes of Wainuiomata Hill Rd would be opened for peak traffic travelling to Lower Hutt this morning though lanes may be reduced at 10am to pull down potentially loose material and mitigate further slippage The Petone Esplanade around the Cuba St area is experiencing significant surface flooding and people have been told to avoid the area were rammed by a driver attempting to escape officers in the Lower Hutt suburb of Epuni Five officers received minor injuries in the "quick-moving" incident on Tuesday afternoon A 49-year-old man has been arrested and will face multiple charges in court on Wednesday Wellington District Commander Superintendent Corrie Parnell said police were called to Trinity Ave at 5.25pm on Tuesday after a report of suspicious behaviour Parnell said a vehicle of interest was seen leaving the area drove into the police vehicle and then into two other police vehicles that arrived to assist "A member of the public's vehicle was also hit by the man's vehicle Thankfully the member of the public was uninjured." Parnell said five police staff had been assessed for minor injuries and three police vehicles suffered significant damage "Our staff go to work every day to help make our communities safer and behaviour such as this where police staff and vehicles are targeted is unacceptable," said Parnell "I am incredibly proud of the work from our staff in this quick-moving event where a vehicle was used as a weapon against Police creating a massive risk to the safety of everybody involved." The arrested man will appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on Wednesday facing three charges of aggravated assault and failing to stop for police Parnell said further charges have not been ruled out An RNZ reporter at the scene said shards of glass and mirror were scattered across the stretch of Oxford Terrace between Brees and Mitchell Streets Emergency services were diverting traffic from the scene and escorting residents to their homes within the cordon At about 10pm a tow truck was beginning to remove the vehicles from the street The offenders were tracked down after leading officers on a high speed chase across Auckland After multiple vehicle attacks against officers police are calling for convicted offenders to spend significant time behind bars The family of the woman who was killed after being hit by a car in Lower Hutt have paid tribute to her following her sudden death Sixty-year-old Vanessa Rithia Houpapa died in Naenae last Thursday and was named by police on Monday “It is with deep sadness and a heavy heart that we share on behalf of our Houpapa-Awatere whanau Vanessa Ritihia Houpapa-Awatere has sadly passed away last night The post was flooded by tributes from friends and family “My aunty my heart is so mamae rn this pain and loss for the whanau I wish wasn’t true wish I was there right now,” another said always kept me informed on what’s happening around the place a big loss for us all in Mapu,” another said Emergency services were called to Cambridge Terrace at 11pm last Thursday the police say the second person sustained a minor injury and is to next appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on April 29 after being taken to Hutt Hospital in an unresponsive state By Sam Sherwood of RNZ Today marks 18 months since a Lower Hutt toddler – who would become known around the country as Baby Ru – suffered a fatal fractured skull National Crime Correspondent Sam Sherwood spoke with the boy’s mother who remains one of three persons of interest to police Eighteen months after her son’s killing, Storm Wall says there is not a day that goes by that she does not think about all the little boy missed out on There are the big milestones – second and third birthdays Then there are the day-to-day routines – spending time with his family and all the photos of the smiling little boy that were never taken it’s the ‘what we could have done together’,” Wall told RNZ through tears “I’m just like picturing him in like costumes or like picturing what we could have done that day just missing out on milestones is the most heartbreaking thing anyone could go through.” two days shy of celebrating his second birthday suffered blunt-force trauma so severe it fractured his skull and led to his death The case would become etched in the public consciousness – another young child killed who should have been safe Police have previously said there are three people of interest who were all living at the same Poole St house with Ru Neither Morunga nor Ross have spoken to media since the homicide investigation began On the one-year anniversary Morunga posted on Instagram: “Missed dearly aunty is so sorry boy I couldn’t save you She went on to post an image of a baby holding a woman’s hand with the caption “one year and it won’t get any easier” In an exclusive interview with RNZ marking the 18-month anniversary of her son’s death spoke at length about what she alleges happened to her son and who she claims killed him She said she replayed that day at least twice a week RNZ is unable to report what she alleges happened but Wall said what stuck in her mind the most is her effort to try save her son trying to catch his breath or anything just so he could still be here.” Wall last heard from police at the beginning of the year She said they were checking in to see if they were okay Police are yet to rule out any of the three persons of interest Asked if she found it hard being treated as a person of interest for such a period Wall replied she did not include herself as a suspect The officer in charge of the investigation told RNZ police were still forensically examining several exhibits relevant to the homicide The exhibits include items found by police during a “targeted search” at Moonshine Rd north of Wellington just over a year after Nga Reo’s death Police believe a grey-green 1994 Nissan Sentra with the number plate TE6972 was used to transport items from the crime scene “After that analysis we will complete a full review of the entire case and evidence gathered to determine next steps.” Pritchard urged the person or persons responsible to come forward “It would be the decent thing to do and not continue to carry the burden of having killed a young child.” Wall was adamant she told police everything she knows and said she was surprised no one has been charged to date She said she woke up every morning hoping it will be the day she hears there has been an arrest “I’m just hoping for it to hurry so he can finally rest more.” Wall said she had experienced a “wave of emotions” in the last 18 months Like just having your world shattered just all in one .. there’s no description of what that type of feeling is or was it’s just something no one should go through.” Wall said she had tried to find a “new purpose” since his death She had attended courses and planned to go back to studying in July as every parent says towards their babies.” Wall began to cry as she talked about how hard it was to look at the photos of her son around the home she said looking at the little boy’s smile did make her happy too but his presence within spirit is always here .. which she does not think will ever go away is that she moved to Lower Hutt in the first place Wall says she has not spoken to Ross or Morunga since the day of her son’s death “I despise of them with every inch of my body.” Nga Reo would have been aged 3 years and 6 months this week Wall is sure the little boy would be out imitating his uncles doing the hunting and fishing He would also be making most of the large lawn riding with his pretend lawnmower Police still want to hear from anyone with information about the case or via the Crime Stoppers line on 0800 555 111 Police are appealing for the public's help to catch masked offenders they say assaulted a Lower Hutt dairy owner on Sunday night A group of at least four masked offenders entered a dairy in Knights Road before the group left in a stolen car with cigarettes The group then allegedly dumped the stolen vehicle in Woburn before getting into another stolen vehicle which was dumped on Parliament Street Detective Senior Sergeant Rachael Boyd said police are concerned by the levels of violence used and called for anyone who witnessed anything suspicious or who might have information or CCTV which could assist Netsafe report found six in every 10 New Zealanders deal with scams at least once a month The security guard was stabbed in the torso after she confronted one of the teens about stealing Mark Mitchell promised to step down if there was no significant change in law and order statistics in his first 12 months Multiple Auckland supermarkets are reducing their trading hours over safety concerns The man swam away from officers across a river Unfortunately you are viewing this website on an outdated browser which does not support the necessary features for us to provide an adequate experience Please switch to a modern browser such as latest version of Google Chrome Flying by the light of a full moon above a regional park two Royal New Zealand Air Force NH90 crews have trained with New Zealand Police to ensure the two organisations are trained and prepared to respond to a range of situations was a person had been taken hostage and being held in an isolated rural location.   based about 140km north at RNZAF Base Ohakea were requested to be on hand in case a rescue was necessary The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and Police often work closely on pre-planned operations in which NZDF support is requested for high risk situations “We flew to the Hutt Valley and as soon as we were at our holding point we got a radio call that we were needed to come in and rescue the hostage This all happened about 9.15pm when it was dark,” pilot Flight Lieutenant Jamieson Taylor said The helicopters flew without lights and the aircrew used night vision goggles (NVG) and the moon to help navigate NH90 crews and police train near Lower Hutt | Royal New Zealand Air Force “We joked it was almost like flying during the day The bright moon meant we could still use our peripheral vision whereas often on dark nights when you’re flying under NVG all you can see are the things through the goggles “The challenge is we’ve still got to scan the screens inside the helicopter We’re looking through the NVGs for the view outside the helicopter but then we’ve got to bring our eyes in to view all the instruments inside as well,” FLTLT Taylor said “Night flying is more difficult than day flying then you add in the element that the moon is always different and sometimes you’ve got no moon.” police officers aboard each aircraft fast-roped out of them to the landing zone a short sprint from the building “The road we lowered the team to was gravel and we had a huge amount of dust kicked up from the downwash so that was another challenge we had on the night.” the dust also did an effective job of masking the rescue team as they ran to the target building Police officers aboard each aircraft fast-roped out of them to the landing zone a short sprint from the building police officers fast-roped out of NH90 helicopter “They probably preferred being pelted by small stones and dust than being an easy target.” The secluded location also threw up a few surprises for the pilots with the terrain appearing different in planning images they had studied “There was a lot more undulating terrain than I realised For sorties like that we do a huge amount of pre-planning but you never know what it’s going to look like until you get there,” he said The challenges posed were always good to overcome and the training itself was helpful for pilots in both helicopters to upgrade the team’s air assault flying qualifications “It’s always good working with Police - they operate in quite a similar way to us They like to get the work done and they are real problem-solvers We’ve gotten to know each other over the years which helps when it comes to the real thing,” FLTLT Taylor said The niece of an elderly man killed when his home burned down in an alleged arson attack says she's happy to hear there have been a number of arrests Four men have now been charged with a combination of murder arson and participating in a criminal group appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court on Wednesday is expected to appear on Thursday afternoon A homicide investigation was launched in November after one of three arsons at the Hanson Grove block of flats and the third - in which Moller was critically injured - on 5 November Denise Harrison is the niece of Ian Moller She said she felt some satisfaction when police told her there had been progress but I know that these investigations can take a lot of work .. I think the police have done exceptionally well," she said She said she would be following the progress of the court case Three others appeared on Wednesday on similar charges The fire that killed Moller was the third alleged attack on Hanson Grove in the space of a month Police continue to investigate the three fires Charges against one person relating to the first blaze were dropped last month Anyone with information has been asked report it on 105 with reference file number 241105/2249 or quote Operation Sove 82-year-old David Moller died after the blaze at his Stokes Valley home It's hard to find closure when the culprit is still out there victim's niece says: "The fact that he's died in the way that he has died is constantly in your thoughts." Ian Moller's death is now part of a homicide probe Police say this is the third fire at the Stokes Valley block of flats within the last month Lower Hutt's Popeyes chicken is proving to be so popular amongst the community that it has had to bring in traffic management to prevent long queues from spilling onto the road So far the Hutt City Council has received two complaints from the public and one official has raised concerns about public safety caused by traffic disruptions The restaurant is so popular that when it opened its Lower Hutt outlet earlier this month These customers explained why they were in the queue so we're happy we found a new spot to go," Andrew Miller said "We tried once but it was too busy so we're trying a second time," Aspen Fell said they like to put out the best," River Filo said But River's friend Zachary Naufahu did not share the same enthusiasm I didn't event want to come but she goes 'yes let's go' and then I got stuck in the line," Naufahu said When it opened its first New Zealand outlet in Auckland's Takanini last year cars clogged Great South Road all the way to the motorway off-ramp The restaurant had plans to expand to Palmerston North where city councillor Mark Arnott feared it would cause traffic delays and said the planned store would be on one of the city's busiest intersections "The corner of Tremaine Avenue and Rangitikei Street is one of our busiest intersections with an average daily traffic count of 18,699 vehicles and 10.41 percent of those are heavy vehicles "These two new businesses will have drive-thru entry on Tremaine Avenue with exit on Matipo Street I can clearly see this causing congestion," Arnott said The new store would not be any different to other fast-food outlets across the country you'll see that fast food organisations go close to a major highway or intersection where they get the traffic volumes because that's the model," Smith said The restaurant would be another contributor to the city's local economy people pass through Palmerston North and there's another option for them," Smith said customers shared their thoughts on whether the food was worth the wait but I did get the mild and the chips were quite mild as well," Tineka Cooke said RNZ approached Popeyes owner Tahua Group Limited multiple times for comment but it did not reply A lot of Chinese cooking features meat - but you shouldn't overlook delicious meals like tomato egg and vegetarian dumplings That's the challenge from a pizzeria trying to deter fans of one contentious flavour What doctors say about eating food after you've dropped it milk and olive oil were more expensive while fruit and vegetables were cheaper Police will be keeping an eye on a tangi held in Lower Hutt this week after a woman was killed by a car Vanessa Ritihia Houpapa-Awatere died last Thursday and another person received minor injuries Emergency services were called to Cambridge Terrace in Naenae around 11pm A Health New Zealand spokesperson said Houpapa-Awatere was a healthcare assistant and a "longstanding member of our Hutt Valley team and she will be missed" "Our sincere condolences are with her family and friends at this very difficult time and we are supporting our staff." A 25-year-old woman has been charged with excess breath alcohol causing injury and excess breath alcohol causing death Court documents show her breath alcohol level at more than double the legal limit She appeared in the Hutt Valley District Court on 28 March RNZ understands the victim has family connections to Black Power Police say they will have a visible presence in the Hutt Valley area to ensure the safety of the community and monitor traffic and antisocial or unlawful behaviour and driving-related offending would not be tolerated She was 60-year-old Vanessa Ritihia Houpapa from Naenae One person was killed and another person was injured in Naenae on Thursday night Lower Hutt’s Ricoh Sports Centre is set for an exciting new chapter with the Wellington Phoenix officially taking over as operators of the multi-use sports facility at Fraser Park a result of a competitive public tendering process marks a major step towards revitalising the venue and ensuring its long-term sustainability for both sporting and community use New Zealand’s premier professional football club has had a long-standing connection to Fraser Park through its academy as the new custodians of the Ricoh Sports Centre the club is partnering with Hutt City Council and the Founding Member Clubs—including Avalon Rugby Club and Hutt Valley Softball Association—to transform the facility into a destination venue and dynamic hub for sports Lower Hutt Mayor Campbell Barry sees the partnership as a game-changer and is thrilled to be announcing a partnership that has the potential to be a real win/win for everyone involved and a good example of local government having to think differently “We have an amazing facility here at Fraser Park with a collection of fantastic sporting clubs and organisations,” Barry said “While there were good intentions from all involved the way the Fraser Park Sportsville model was set up in 2019 was fundamentally flawed and cost ratepayers significantly we need to be innovative in the way we deliver community services without further burdening ratepayers “The Phoenix are an iconic local and international sports business and brand By working together this partnership will make the facility a financially self-sustaining entity without the need for ongoing financial support from rate payers while continuing to provide great value for clubs and the wider community.” A New Home for the Phoenix – and the Community Beyond serving as the home of the Phoenix Academy plans are underway to turn the Ricoh Sports Centre into a must-visit destination for sports fans and non-fans alike The facility will feature a revamped café and bar a dedicated space for Phoenix memorabilia and merchandise and interactive experiences that will connect the community with the club’s rich football history Wellington Phoenix General Manager David Dome envisions the centre becoming more than just a sporting venue “We want it to be a destination for corporate functions along with sports events in the Hutt Valley,” he said “The Ricoh Sports Centre has a capacity for over 250 guests making it a uniquely positioned venue for an array of events.” Dome also confirmed that the café and bar will reopen as soon as a new catering partner is announced bringing life back to a space that has long been a gathering point for sports enthusiasts and community members alike While the transition will come with its challenges Dome has called for patience as the club works alongside the Council and local sporting organisations to bring the venue back to full strength “Running a football club is a lot different to running a community facility like this so I’m sure there will be some teething issues,” Dome admitted “But with the support of Hutt City Council and the Founding Member Clubs we are confident this will be a real success as a hub for sports and events in Lower Hutt.” the Ricoh Sports Centre is set to thrive as a financially sustainable community-focused venue - one that not only celebrates sport but also brings people together through a diverse range of events and experiences This partnership is not just about management; it’s about reimagining the role of sports facilities in the community and ensuring a brighter future for Fraser Park For information and bookings visit: www.fraserparkevents.co.nz Residents in Lower Hutt were spooked on Wednesday night as helicopters buzzed over the suburbs with no lights and no record of their presence on flight tracking websites Social media community pages blew up with people reporting seeing the helicopters with no lights along with a line of blue lights A search of flight tracking websites left residents further confused with no flight data showing Police confirmed they and the Airforce had been doing some joint training exercises for Search and Rescue in recent days Sonya McIntyre saw a similar exercise between Petone and Lowry Bay on Monday McIntyre observed the helicopter hovering over the water for about an hour A police spokesperson said these types of exercises were typically posted on the police Facebook pages but on this particular occasion that did not happen The spokesperson said police would try to advise the public next time An NZDF spokesperson confirmed two of their helicopters were working with police in a tactical training exercise in the area on Wednesday night "The exercise was run in consultation with the Greater Wellington Regional Council These exercises are run routinely at various locations throughout New Zealand to ensure the NZDF and police are trained and prepared to respond to a range of situations." The aircraft did not always appear on civilian flight trackers but there was no impact on safety as they were visible to air traffic control "The NZDF attempts to have the least impact on the public as possible during these activities "We acknowledge that these types of training exercises could not happen without the support of our local communities." One complaint was received by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and it was in relation to noise made by a helicopter in Lower Hutt on 12 February "The complainant has been advised that CAA only has authority over noise abatement with regard to requirements at some major airports and therefore there is no further action that the CAA can take." but Health NZ is "not planning to expressly seek a single national provider" The drugs that were taken also pose a danger if people take them recreationally A proposal to ditch ratepayer funding for the Northland Rescue Helicopter and other emergency services has sparked a record number of submissions to the Northland Regional Council It comes after two rescue helicopters had lasers shone into their cockpits in the last week A spate of accidents in recent weeks is a wake up call for pilots in the industry the New Zealand Agricultural Aviation Association says