16 May 2025 18:00425225m²1,085m²PRESSURE VALVE IS ON- VIEW TODAYFilled with cherished memories this solid Mangere gem is now ready to welcome a new chapter - yours offering you a rare opportunity to secure your own slice of heaven in a location that ticks every box for convenient Set on an expansive 1085sqm of freehold land this is a home that grows with your family Boasting four bright and generously sized bedrooms The spacious living areas are perfect for entertaining You will be the go-to host for every occasion You are also zoned for excellent schooling including Papatoetoe North School along with a range of quality early childhood care options this home radiates timeless character and lasting comfort With incredibly motivated vendors and genuine urgency this is one of Mangere's most exciting opportunities on the market today Download property documents here; https://vltre.co/YFjZWE Live Auction Link; https://x5u9a.app.goo.gl/yu6VA based on a borrower’s individual credit assessment.Canstar's Most Awarded Personal LoanGet a renovation loan up to $70K and bring your vision to life we can approve your home improvement loan quickly and get your renovation started Monday - Friday:07:00 AM - 08:20 AM2:00 PM to 6:00 PM © Auckland Council 2025 All rights reserved For more information on what data is contained in the cookies please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news Sixty years ago, Hokianga St in Māngere East was dotted with just a few homes and bordered by farmland and the sound of mooing from wandering cows But now noise of a different kind is creating a disturbance in the South Auckland neighbourhood – with Auckland Council confirming the street is home to the city’s rowdiest property Hokianga St boasts about 70 large flat sections Most of them feature 1950s or 60s-era houses working renters or retirees who have put down roots and some of the old homes knocked down by developers and replaced with modern townhouses Cars are jammed alongside the pavement or parked on people’s lawns Many properties have dogs guarding front gates one was adorned with Samoan flags and another with a large inflatable Santa But what makes this street unique is the raucous behaviour of one of its inhabitants, with a single property triggering nearly 60 noise complaints last year – more than any other across the super city However, Auckland Council is refusing to identify the property citing privacy concerns for those responsible for the din It would only confirm the street name and the number of complaints received: 56 at last count So the Herald visited Hokianga St to see what locals thought Resident Siaosi Tohi said most people on Hokianga St kept to themselves other than the sound of vehicles heading to and from work A woman a few doors down said every property on the street seemed to have a dog Her housemate said she’d lived in Hokianga St since 1970 and the neighbourhood had changed considerably One source of noise was boy racers and dirt bike riders who used the street as a race track Another was the sound of arguing from residents’ homes a pensioner clutching a dagger-like gardening tool gave a suspicious look before confirming he had lived in the street for 60 years A girl across the street had been “murdered” a few years back He came to Hokianga St because he “wanted a house” and remembers the area being bordered by farmland The man had been approached by land agents over the years but had no plan to move anywhere else Asked if he had lodged any noise complaints Another retired neighbour said she and her husband bought their Hokianga St home in 1965 when she was still a teenager “There were cows down the end of the road and it was a dead-end street Rowdy “no-hoper” renters used to live nearby but they moved on These days she wasn’t bothered by the noise And she didn’t envisage selling up and moving Auckland Council said it received at least 25,000 noise complaints last year More than half of the complaints were assessed by officials as “no noise” (11,500) or “not excessive” (5881) Excessive noise directions (END) were served nearly 4000 times requiring the property’s occupants to rein in the noise for 72 hours or risk having noise-offending equipment seized or being slapped with a $500 fine Noise control officers served 158 non-compliance with END notices and seized stereos or other equipment 125 times dishing out 18 infringement fines and 18 abatement notices More than 300 noise complaints were referred to police There were no current noise prosecutions under way – with a case involving Waiheke vineyard Cable Bay Wine Ltd recently resulting in a conviction and $50,000 fine Lane Nichols is Deputy Head of News and a senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry Sign up to the Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. The trial system sits 10-15 metres below the surface, and moves with the tide. The shower tray in one of the properties was filled with wastewater. (Source: Supplied) Two Auckland landlords have been ordered to pay a combined $25,900 in exemplary damages and compensation on behalf of two tenants who were unlawfully evicted after complaining about the state of their rentals. Investigators from MBIE’s Tenancy Compliance and Investigations Team said the properties were "some of the worst they have ever seen". An investigation was launched into the two Mangere East units after receiving complaints about sewerage running through the properties and no hot water. The exterior of one of the units. (Source: Supplied) Investigators identified multiple issues with the units, including sewerage and electrical problems, a lack of working smoke alarms, a failure to keep the properties clean and reasonably maintained, and the termination of one tenancy without sufficient reason. They found the shower tray in one unit was full of wastewater. The kitchen had visible stains from leaking wastewater in the above bathroom, creating a strong smell. The other unit had a fan heater on the wall, which leaked a “brown liquid” when used. The kitchen in one of the units. (Source: Supplied) “One tenant had to drill a hole in the kitchen floor for the sewerage to drain out of the kitchen,” TCIT national manager Brett Wilson said. “In the other unit, the shower flooded when used and wastewater would leak through into the kitchen when it rained. It got to the extent where she had to shower standing in a bucket.” After complaining to MBIE, the two tenants were “intimidated” for raising concerns. The dining room in one of the properties. had a (Source: Supplied) MBIE took 8A Gray Avenue Limited and LDW Limited to the Tenancy Tribunal on behalf of the two tenants. Adjudicator K Lash found that the landlords had failed to provide premises that were in a reasonable state of cleanliness and maintained them in a reasonable state of repair. The landlords failed to attend the hearing and provided no evidence or statements to defend themselves. Lash said the case was among the “most egregious” and was satisfied the unlawful acts were “committed intentionally”. The roof of one of the units was in poor condition. (Source: Supplied) “Both respondents are landlords of multiple properties. That is the business they are in. They do and/or should know the law and in particular their obligations under the Act.” Lash was “satisfied” the intent of the landlords could be inferred as “malicious at worst, but intentional at the very least”. “They were aware of the state of both units, not only by the tenants themselves notifying them via the various property managers but also the TCIT involvement. A number of issues were also readily observable.” The exterior of one of the properties. (Source: Seven Sharp) The adjudicator said that no person could be expected to live in such “unsanitary and dangerous conditions”. The landlords were ordered to pay $19,900 in exemplary damages, and the tenants were each awarded $3000 to compensate for the stress they endured while living in the units. Lash said the tribunal usually only ordered maximum exemplary damages in the “most egregious” cases. “This was such a case,” they said. A smashed in door at one of the units. (Source: Supplied) The landlords were also issued a six-year restraining order from committing similar breaches of tenancy laws. “Both these tenants were treated with disregard. Their complaints and requests were ignored. Both were intimidated to leave their homes…neither were afforded a safe and comfortable living environment, and their vulnerabilities were prayed on,” Lash said. Wilson said it was clear the tenants had been treated “very badly” and said it was disturbing how they were disregarded and intimidated for raising legitimate concerns. Waste water was leaking from multiple parts of the units. (Source: Supplied) “Despite the terrible living conditions they were confronted with, these tenants were exceptionally vulnerable and felt they had to accept the units as they found them. Family's rental had 'sewage-soaked carpet' amid landlord failuresAn adjudicator published the address "as a deterrent to the property owners continuing to rent out any of the three current unlawful dwellings" New Zealand Landlord fined $20k over illegal boarding house breachesAn Auckland landlord has been fined for multiple breaches of tenancy laws Crime and Justice “TCIT will not hesitate to take a case to the Tenancy Tribunal where vulnerable tenants are being exploited and treated in the way these tenants were.” The rood in one of the units. (Source: Supplied) Blaze at McDonald's in east Auckland treated as suspected arson Counties Manukau CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Michele Gillespie said a scene guard has been in place at the restaurant overnight Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning 'Wake up call': Businesses warned over lithium battery fires Authorities urge the public to avoid putting lithium batteries in the rubbish or recycling but have also told merchants to "take responsibility for disposal" Explosions heard in 'suspicious' blaze at east Auckland McDonald's Pakuranga Rd was closed in both directions and buildings were being evacuated around the immediate area as a precaution Tree planted as Kyle Whorrall's mother Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei blessed and planted a provided pōhutukawa tree at St Johns Bush in honour of the slain PhD student from the United States Kiwibank lowers long-term home loan fixes Kiwibank is lowering the interest rate it charges on its three Blues veteran Bryce Heem announces retirement from rugby 31 mins ago Govt halts all current pay equity claims, makes it harder to lodge new ones 37 mins ago New Zealand's Cardinal John Dew prepares to go into conclave 10:54am Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 10:49am Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 10:33am National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s 6 mins ago 1Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one Person dies following morning crash on Auckland motorway The 'Trump slump' boosts the left in Canada and Oz – but what about NZ? Erin Patterson shared love of mushrooms in online group Two arrested over alleged plot targeting Lady Gaga concert in RioBrazilian police said they thwarted an alleged bomb attack planned for Lady Gaga's concert on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro. Lady Gaga rocks Copacabana Beach with free concert for over 2 million fansCries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand. Lorde announces new album name, dateThu, May 1 Kim Kardashian to testify in Paris trial over 2016 armed robberyMon, Apr 28 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon, Apr 28 Lorde releases new single after weeks of cryptic teasesThu, Apr 24 Chubby Checker, Outkast, Cyndi Lauper join Rock & Roll Hall of FameMon An Auckland landlord has been ordered to pay a family more than $30,000 after they were stuck living in an "unlawful" property with a sewage-soaked carpet The family's experience of living at the Albany Heights unit was detailed in a recently released Tenancy Tribunal decision — where adjudicator Michelle Pollak published its address "as a deterrent to the property owners continuing to rent out any of the three current unlawful dwellings" comprised of two adults and two children (whose names are suppressed) moved into 310 Dairy Flat Highway in December 2023 was an old farmhouse divided into two households Ashton NZ Property Ltd managed it on behalf of landlords Lingzhi Yuan and Leiyang Shen and flooded two areas beside the bathroom with raw sewage The family contacted the property manager that day but received no reply "Out of desperation," they called a plumber who cleared the blocked sewage line But the toilet clogged and overflowed as soon as it was used again They asked the tenants to rip up the sewage-soaked carpet "The tenants refused to rip up the sewage-soaked carpet as it was the raw sewage that posed a health risk," Pollak said also came that day and unblocked the toilet paper that had blocked up the line The plumber said the pipes were too small and needed to be replaced Another plumber came on May 8 but couldn't unblock the small pipes or remove the grout They were also asked to empty the old septic tank to see if it fixed the issue The landlord did send other contractors to try find solutions including a second emptying of the septic tank the property manager did nothing about the now "unuseable" toilet and the family arranged for a portaloo to be delivered the tenants complained that their neighbour's raw sewage was coming up through their toilet "The smell was so bad the tenants could not use the bathroom at all."  The landlord sent a contractor to drain the sewage from the toilet and unblock a blocked pipe The issue persisted as the neighbour kept using their toilet The landlord later discovered "major" sewage pipe issues across all three properties and replaced them on July 9 installing a stormwater retention tank but no septic tank It was later found that sewage was being channelled into their and their neighbours' backyards which did not comply with council regulations The landlord never lifted the sewage-soaked carpet The tenants said they eventually stopped using the affected areas as it had been soaked in raw sewage for seven weeks The property manager inspected the property several times since the cleaning but claimed she "cannot smell anything" "The tenants say that everyone else that enters the premise can smell the sewage smell immediately and they are unsure how she cannot smell it," Pollak said "The evidence supports a finding that it is more likely than not that sewage-soaked carpet underlay and floorboard that have had a normal surface wet vac clean will not have removed all the faecal coliforms and raw sewage smell in the flooring materials The tenants lived with the sewage-soaked carpet from May 4 this year — a total of 35 weeks and six days The family also experienced several other water-related issues across the course of their tenancy the tenants also claimed that water consistently ran out every one and a half weeks leaving them without water for between 24 and 48 hours The tenants told the tribunal they had used tank water before and were sparing with it They ran out of water frequently because all three properties drew from the same three small 11,000-litre water tanks a family of two adults and two children requires two 32,000-litre tanks of water to ensure there is enough The tenants tried to raise the issue with the landlord who refused to replace them because it was too expensive The tenants also claimed the quality of the water was poor saying it was cloudy and "tasted funny." They claimed they were "constantly getting sore stomachs." They said the quality of the water was so bad they were forced to buy bottled water Photographs sent to the tribunal also appeared to show a 10cm layer of "thick black sediment" at the bottom of all three water tanks Pollak said: "I am satisfied the tenants have proven they were not provided with sufficient potable water "It was not reasonable in all the circumstances for the landlord to provide 11,000-litre water storage capacity to three households knowing that each household required far more than that amount of water "I find the owners intentionally put the tenants to the stress and inconvenience of being without water every 1.5 weeks for up to 48 hours and to having the responsibility for monitoring the water levels daily for three households without an easy way to see the water levels To save them the costs involved with providing these three households with adequate potable water."  Pollak also sided with the tenants on their claim that the property was unlawful She found that the properties being rented by the family and others did not meet the building code and did not have the proper consents She said that on the "balance of probabilities" the landlord knew this "but decided to rent all three units out to earn money off its investment until it could afford to develop the property it had land banked" The landlord was also found to have not provided sufficient smoke alarms The landlord also breached the tenants' right to quiet enjoyment of the property by sending contractors over without warning Pollak said: "These breaches were prolonged and resulted in the tenants and their family living in cold damp and potentially mouldy conditions without adequate potable water or access to proper toilet facilities and they experienced considerable periods of stress and loss of the amenities they are paying rent to enjoy." She found the landlord had shown a "cavalier attitude" to the tenants the tenants were awarded $3,585.71 for the landlord's failure to maintain the toilet a 40% rent rebate of $12,760 for leasing an unlawful property and the $2200 bond was ordered to be returned Pollak ordered the tenants to be charged no more than $330 per week in rent until the end of the tenancy on March 2 The landlords attempted to have their names suppressed but Pollak denied the application and published the address They have lodged an appeal in the District Court against the tribunal’s decision arguing it is incorrect and not supported by evidence on a number of counts An Auckland landlord who operated an illegal boarding house for “vulnerable” tenants has been ordered to pay more than $20,000 for multiple breaches of tenancy laws Licensed real estate agent Angela Sun was found responsible by the Tenancy Tribunal for “multiple breaches” at a property she rented out in Takapuna was also found responsible for breaches at a separate property it rented out in Pinehill Issues at the properties included exposed wires and a lack of fire safety precautions Some tenants living at the properties included people released from jail struggling to find landlords willing to take them in while Sunny Rental Limited was ordered to pay $1200 in exemplary damages to MBIE on behalf of five tenants at the two properties An investigation into the Takapuna property was launched in June 2021 after the Ministry of Business Innovation & Employment’s (MBIE) tenancy compliance team received a complaint from one of the tenants An investigation into the Pinehill property was launched in April 2022 after a complaint was referred to MBIE from the Ministry of Social Development Investigators identified numerous issues at the properties and the absence of written tenancy agreements The Auckland Council issued a dangerous building notice after visiting the Takapuna property due to the exposed wires and lack of fire safety precautions The house was listed on council records as a three-bedroom home at the time of investigations but had been converted into a 10-bedroom boarding house Photos from the property showed numbers above the doors with two bedrooms also having showers inside Sun claimed all rental activities at the two properties were conducted by Sunny Rental Limited and not her personally She also claimed to live at both properties and said there were “multiple exceptions” meaning she did not need to comply with the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA) The adjudicator found “none of these exceptions applied” and did not accept Sun was actually living at the properties “I did not find Ms Sun at all convincing when she gave her recollections as to where she lived,” the adjudicator said “There is a big difference between ‘having a room’ at a property being a room you might store some old furniture Sun said she did not proceed with tenancy agreements because they were excluded claiming she had been “mistaken” about the effect of the RTA “I do not consider that an adequate justification,” the adjudicator said It was also found that three of the tenants at the properties had their tenancies wrongfully terminated “All of the tenants in these premises were vulnerable tenants They included people released from jail who struggle to find landlords willing to take them in,” the adjudicator said “They are the sort of tenants who are therefore vulnerable to being taken advantage of by landlords.” TCIT national manager Brett Wilson said boarding houses had long been a focus for investigators as the people who live in them may not be able to address tenancy issues themselves “The most troubling aspect of this case is that there were multiple people living in these properties without proper fire safety precautions in place and potentially hazardous maintenance issues “The tragic fire at Loafers Lodge is a reminder to all landlords of the importance of maintaining fire safety systems.” Wilson said boarding houses have needed to comply with healthy homes standards since 2021 giving “no excuse for any boarding house operator to claim they are unaware of the relevant law as Ms Sun tried to do in this case” “All landlords have an obligation to be aware of and comply with their responsibilities under the Act “As Ms Sun works as a licensed real estate agent we would expect she had more opportunity than most to ensure awareness and compliance with tenancy rules.” Police say a fire at a McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga is being investigated as a suspected arson Emergency services attended the fire on Pakuranga Rd just before 3pm yesterday Large plumes of smoke could be seen and explosions heard at the fast food restaurant which has "sustained significant fire damage as a result" "At this point in time we are treating this fire as a suspected arson "A scene examination is being conducted this morning and police will work alongside a fire investigator," she said Gillespie said part of these inquiries would be working to understand how the fire began She said police would like to hear from anyone who saw suspicious activity prior to the fire Anyone with information was urged to contact police online or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said A string of fires linked to highly combustible lithium-ion batteries has been deemed a "wake-up call" for waste businesses by Auckland officials with the public facing exposure to toxic smoke from repeat blazes Auckland Council is urging "industry vigilance" around the problem after a scrap metal company was fined $30,000 over a 2023 fire that released toxic smoke near Ōtāhuhu A fire at a recycling plant near Glenfield last month was also initially linked to lithium batteries although investigators were continuing to probe the blaze Auckland Council compliance field operations manager David Pawson emphasised "the importance of remaining vigilant despite the novelty of the issue" Authorities urged the public to avoid putting lithium batteries in the rubbish or recycling The batteries were inside most portable electronic devices Pawson said in a statement: "We recognise this is a new issue and we’re all finding our way with lithium-ion batteries and those handling them "But businesses still need to take responsibility for their disposal — this is their business Emergency alerts were issued to tens of thousands on Auckland's North Shore last month after the largest fire "for a few years" broke out at an Abilities Group recycling plant Residents were urged to close windows to avoid fumes and some beaches were closed due to chemicals released into waterways Takapuna fire station officer Steven Callagher said there were reports that flames broke out in the area of the facility where batteries were recycled and an official cause had not been determined Other recent battery-linked fires have broken out in rubbish trucks in Auckland caused by the ignition of a lithium-ion battery within a large scrap metal stockpile highlighted a "growing national and international issue surrounding battery disposal and fire risk," according to Auckland Council recognised the unique challenges posed by lithium-ion batteries He noted: "There has been considerable difficulty in finding a technical solution to the problems with batteries catching on fire "This is not only a national problem but an international one; these orders form a workaround solution until more technical solutions The judge described the situation as “a new and emerging issue" While acknowledging Sims Metal’s cooperation and the absence of intentional wrongdoing reduced from an initial starting point of $50,000 The enforcement orders issued require Sims Metal to implement several improvements at the James Fletcher Drive site in Favona "The orders are registered with the Environment Court and will remain in place unless superseded by conditions with a new resource consent," the council said Pawson said the council viewed the 2023 case as an "important precedent in balancing empathy for emerging challenges with the necessity of regulatory compliance "It also highlights the importance of proactive risk management and industry-wide collaboration to adapt to evolving environmental risks." A Sims Metal spokesperson said: "Following the May 2023 fire at our Favona facility we have implemented more stringent control measures to support the ongoing management of potentially concealed materials like lithium-ion batteries "We are grateful to the communities and businesses in and around Ōtāhuhu We want to reiterate our appreciation to FENZ and all those who acted diligently to extinguish the May 2023 fire safely and continue to refine and improve our processes." A large fire which caused "significant damage" to a McDonald's restaurant in east Auckland this afternoon is now being treated as suspicious Emergency services were notified of the fire at around 3pm on Monday Fire and Emergency NZ said the building was "totally involved" in flames by the time crews arrived and Papatoetoe were in attendance at the blaze "Everyone was out at the time and there are no reports of injuries." FENZ said the fire was being treated as suspicious "A fire investigator is attending to determine cause and origin." Pakuranga Rd was closed for nearly two hours in both directions with road users advised to avoid the area "Investigations into the cause of the fire at the McDonalds are underway," police said told 1News he heard a couple of explosions coming from the restaurant as the blaze began He said he heard "one or two" explosions The restaurant was adjacent to a Z petrol station and 250 metres along the same road from Pakuranga College A staff member at the service station said they had closed their fuel pumps and there was "huge fire and huge smoke" coming from the fire The Howick Pakuranga Netball Centre Courts were also closed this evening due to the blaze Auckland Transport said several bus routes Pakuranga MP Simeon Brown thanked emergency services who had been responding to the incident "Please follow the advice of emergency services A McDonald's spokesperson said the McDonald's restaurant in Pakuranga had "suffered significant damage" in the fire "Procedures were followed to raise the alarm and safely evacuate staff and customers McDonald’s is assisting emergency services as they begin the investigation into the cause of the fire." A pōhutukawa tree has been planted in honour of Kyle Whorrall the US PhD student slain during an attack at an Auckland bus stop last month The 33-year-old was attacked at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank on April 19 friends and colleagues of Whorrall gathered for a vigil on April 24 at the bus stop where he was attacked Whorrall's mother Carole was joined by members of the community and Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei for the blessing and to plant a pōhutukawa tree in honour of his life The planting ceremony began with a blessing by Otene Reweti from Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei "This tree will stand as a memorial to Kyle to come to this special place and remember Kyle and what he has done and what he was looking to do "This tree indicates times to harvest different things in our seasons and also pōhutukawa in terms of the star from Matariki and pleiades So Kyle is one of those that we are reminded again of his tragic passing in this area," said Reweti Carole was flanked by Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson and one of Whorrall's flatmates as she shovelled dirt onto the base of the tree She softly commented that she enjoyed gardening as the sun shone down on her in St Johns Bush Others shared a poem or short tribute to Whorrall's life and the tragedy that it was cut short Ōrākei Local Board chairperson Scott Milne said that in times of tragedy it was important to "look at the good stuff" and find moments of connection with one another "We have now forged a relationship across the waters This family will come back to see this tree thrive and out of that tragedy we will find good," he said He told Te Karere the tragedy had "turned our community upside down" "Yet in the matter of a few short weeks the community have come together certainly like nothing I have ever seen before "There is just this deep disappointment and we all feel so privileged to live here He said he hoped over time the grief would "turn to healing" and that Carole would continue to come back and see the tree flourish and grow "People understand they have to talk more to each other watch out for one another and we want to make something of this lovely young man's life by changing our attitude." He said the board had worked hard to build relationships over the past six years "The relationship with Ngāti Whātua is deeply personal and important to this board A 16-year-old youth has been remanded in custody after being charged with his murder and a 32-year-old woman was also charged with being an accessory to murder after the fact Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said the investigation was "by no means over" as police believed "there were other occupants in the vehicle" when Whorrall was attacked He said officers have since seized a black SUV on the North Shore It was being forensically examined by police "Our enquiries are ongoing to locate these persons of interest and I encourage them to do the right thing and come into their nearest police station or phone us." The detective inspector said police were also seeking "critical witnesses" including a white Toyota ute that was cut off by the black SUV doing a U-turn in front of them He said police were still working to fully understand the events leading up to his death available to those who have more than 20% equity the special drops to 5.59% from 5.79% and for five years ASB senior economist Chris Tennent-Brown warned that longer-term fixes might not have much further to fall While the official cash rate will probably continue to drop through 2025 he said the Reserve Bank was nearing the end of the easing cycle Floating rates were likely to be lower in the short and long term But one-year rates were likely to be flat or lower in the short term and flat longer-term three and five years were likely to be flat in the short term He said for some time people would have been better off to fix than to float while they waited for rates to drop rnz.co.nz the Blues' veteran midfielder whose rugby journey took him from the All Blacks sevens Toulon and back to New Zealand with the Blues has retired from the game at the age of 36 who helped the Blues win the Super Rugby championship last year He is turning his professional attentions to facts and figures in his new role as a mortgage broker it’s the people I’ve met and the memories I’ve made that stand out the most I’m grateful for the opportunity to have represented several teams on my journey and to finish here at the Blues and winning a championship last season was something special.” “I want to make special mention of my wife Jocelyn for supporting me through this entire journey holding it all down at home so I could focus on doing what I love none of this would have been possible,” he said known as "uncle" at the Blues due to his age said the franchise had helped extend his playing career “I’d like to extend my sincere thanks to the entire Blues organisation - the coaches and everyone who’s played some part in my career,” he said “You’ve all played a huge role in making this such a special time in my life I’ve learned so much and will be forever grateful for your belief in me.” “A special shout-out to the medical staff.. you’ve worked wonders on my body as I’ve gotten older..." Heem said he had been working towards becoming a mortgage broker as part of his professional development at the Blues “I’ve had the privilege of learning a lot during my time at the Blues and I’m eager to bring that knowledge and discipline to the world of finance,” Heem said The government is making it harder to make a claim for pay equity that will cut costs There have been massive pay equity claims in recent years for nurses and resthome workers Workplace Minister Brooke van Velden announced the moves to raise the threshold for proving work has been historically undervalued to support a claim on Tuesday saying changes back in 2020 had created problems "Claims have been able to progress without strong evidence of undervaluation and there have been very broad claims where it is difficult to tell whether differences in pay are due to sex-based discrimination or other factors." Claims were concentrated in the public sector with costs to the Crown of all settlements so far totalling $1.78 billion a year "The changes I am proposing will significantly reduce costs to the Crown," she said "The changes will discontinue current pay equity claims The nurse's union has this year had at least 10 pay equity claims in play The PSA union has said pay equity claims and settlements had resulted in significant improvements in pay and working conditions for many workers rnz.co.nz Cardinal John Dew is about to go into conclave to vote for a new pope is among the 133 cardinals gathered in the Vatican to elect a successor to Pope Francis Dew and his fellow Cardinals will be locked away from the world as they participate in daily votes in the Sistine Chapel until white smoke billows from the rooftop signalling a new pope is selected Read more about how the conclave works here He follows in the footsteps of Cardinal Reginald Delargey and Cardinal Thomas Williams - Kiwis who had previously entered conclave in 1978 and 2005 Dew said cardinals had been meeting daily to share their perspectives on the needs of the church and what qualities a new pope would need to possess to address said needs “Listening to what everyone is saying and the kind of person they're looking for to hear the passion that people have for spreading the work of the Gospel,” Dew said “I think one of the things that a new pope will need to do is to continue to try and give hope to the world “But as well as being the leader of the Church he needs to be a world leader who's prepared to speak out and in this world of disinformation and misinformation and sometimes lies Dew said other cardinals who had previously participated in conclavce described the centuries-old tradition as "divinely inspired" “A couple of the cardinals actually said you can go into the conclave and even have some ideas but it's only after a vote or two that things start to clarify,” he recalled but it became very clear that he was the one They described that as the work of Holy Spirit “And the fact that you're in a place where you have no contact with anybody else – no cell phones no iPads – the whole thing becomes a bit like a retreat and a real time of prayer.” Dew said finding a successor among a sea of so many contenders also had him feeling some "apprehension" the fact that this only happens once every few years and it has incredible consequences for the Church and for the world A trail-blazing tribal leader today starts a new job bringing together eight iwi to look after Taranaki Maunga Iwi now have equal say with the Crown in running the former Egmont National Park The Minister of Conservation will need iwi agreement to approve management plans for what is now called Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki Wharehoka Wano will lead Te Tōpuni Ngārahu – a new body of representatives from the region’s eight iwi – to govern the park alongside the conservation minister The arrangement is laid out in Te Ture Whakatupua mō te Kāhui Maunga, the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Act passed unanimously by Parliament in January Another group called Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi – half appointed by iwi and half by the Crown – will develop management plans for Te Tōpuni Ngārahu and the minister to consider Wano has for nine years been the first chief executive of Te Kāhui o Taranaki the agency set up when Taranaki iwi settled its historical Treaty claims Wano has helped shape Taranaki iwi’s future and he’s also a trustee for the neighbouring iwi’s post-settlement agency Te Kotahitanga o Te Atiawa. He’s one of the dozen counsellors on the Kīngitanga’s Tekau-mā-rua the advisory body for Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po – as he was for her father the late Kīngi Tūheitia At Wano’s farewell from Te Kāhui o Taranaki veteran campaigner Peter Moeahu said Wano was “an ambassador a diplomat extraordinaire,” and reckoned he would need those skills “You might have thought handling one iwi was bad enough referring to South Taranaki’s Te Pakakohi and Tangahoe which are not recognised as iwi by the Crown Te Kāhui o Taranaki chair Jacqui King said Wano had dealt with arms of the Crown on many fronts really challenging because often you get so impassioned by the unjust behaviours and practices “You have to carry that in such a way that you can't be asked to leave - and Whare is an absolute expert at ensuring he says what needs to be said without being offensive.” Te Kāhui’s operations manager Mark Wipatene said he’d known many aggressive cut-throat chief executives – “silverback gorillas who have massive egos” “They wouldn’t last a day in this space because you can’t operate that way.” “Whare has the ability to navigate through that world and bring his kaimahi with him because he has no ego Liana Poutu helped negotiate the maunga settlement and said Wano’s calming influence wasn’t limited to dealings with government “And when we want to take on some whawhai (fight) Whare’s like ‘are you sure that's how you want to do it?’” Wano’s niece and former colleague Puna Wano-Bryant said he would bring impeccable communication to the Maunga job “He has the ability to open new ways for people to heal and reconcile their own relationships with each other.” Wano-Bryant said she often spotted surfboards in her uncle’s car and he would explain he was off to a “board hui” Fellow surfer and new Taranaki Regional Council chair Craig Williamson has known Wano for almost 20 years and praised his work for the betterment of Taranaki communities We’ve had three board meetings this week.” In 2016 the Crown accepted that Taranaki Maunga and the adjacent ranges would become a legal person and own itself as Te Kāhui Tupua the Crown agreed to share management of the national park Te Papa-Kura-o-Taranaki with iwi There's now a search on for four people to represent the iwi of Taranaki on Te Tōpuni Kōkōrangi serving as the face and voice of Te Kāhui Tupua When Parliament passed the redress law in January it officially recognised the peaks as tupuna maunga – ancestral mountains LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air The National Party has introduced a new members' bill to ban social media for those aged under 16 Christopher Luxon announced the bill alongside National Tukituki MP Catherine Wedd this morning Wedd said the My Social Media Age-Appropriate Users Bill "puts the onus on social media companies to verify that someone is over the age of 16 before they access social media platforms" Key aspects of the Bill would include obligations for the social media platforms defence for providers to rely on reasonable verification measures regulatory oversight and a review after three years there are no legally enforceable age verification measures for social media platforms in New Zealand Members' bills are introduced by MPs who are not Ministers and need to be drawn from a ballot to be debated in Parliament Luxon said he was hopeful of gaining bipartisan support He had spoken with coalition partners ACT and NZ First about it but would let them speak about their position He said this was an issue he had been passionate about since 2018 and as a dad he felt the party needed to do more to keep young people safe from online harm We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ "It's time that New Zealand acknowledged that for all the good things that come from social media it's not always a safe place for our young people to be and we need to do something about it." He said teachers and parents had raised issues with him including cyber bullying exposure to inappropriate content and exploitation and social media addiction "Social media should not be exempt from social responsibility and it is time we put the onus on these platforms," he said Wedd said social media was "an extraordinary resource" “As a mother of four children I feel very strongly that families and parents should be better supported when it comes to overseeing their children's online exposure The bill closely mirrors the approach taken in Australia which passed the Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill in December 2024 At the end of last year, a 1News Verian Poll found more than two-thirds of New Zealand voters supported restricting social media access for under-16s The poll results showed that 68% backed introducing similar legislation in New Zealand as in Australia and 10% were undecided or preferred not to say National Party supporters and women showed the strongest support for the proposed restrictions while opposition was highest among 18-34-year-olds and men Wedd said "other jurisdictions are also taking action" "Texas recently passed legislation which bans under 18s from social media use and the UK the EU and Canada all have similar work in train," she said "This bill builds on National’s successful and successful cell phone ban in schools and reinforces the Government's commitment to setting our children up for success." Family First chief executive Bob McCoskrie welcomed the introduction of the Bill but questioned why it was not a government priority "or at the very least have a parliamentary and public discussion via a Select Committee process" "Family First thanks Catherine Wedd for drafting the Bill but once again calls on all the coalition parties in the Government (ACT and NZ First) to adopt the bill as a Government bill and ultimately walk the talk when it comes to protecting children online “This important discussion needs to be a priority for the Government and not left in a biscuit tin." 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 Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" Erin Patterson had shared with true crime fans her love of mushrooms excitement over buying a food dehydrator and plans to cook beef Wellington The 50-year-old mother of two has pleaded not guilty to all counts against her including three murder charges for killing her estranged husband's family after feeding them lunch at her Leongatha home Don and Gail Patterson and Heather Wilkinson all died in hospital from death cap mushroom poisoning after eating a beef Wellington Patterson had prepared for them on July 2023 Patterson claims it was "a terrible accident" Three members of a true crime Facebook group Patterson was part of gave evidence on day five of her Supreme Court trial in Morwell The group was created to go over the case of convicted baby killer Keli Lane she was a really good researcher," group member Christine Hunt said about Patterson's online reputation said in 2023 Patterson had shared photos of a black dehydrator with mushrooms inside "She was a bit excited that she'd purchased a food dehydrator," Barkley said via video link Screenshots of Patterson's messages to the group were also shown to the jury "I've been hiding powdered mushrooms in everything the kids had no idea," she wrote in one post said Patterson "seemed to really like mushrooms" In the weeks before the deadly mushroom meal Patterson asked the group if anyone had cooked a beef Wellington and if they had advice Erin said she was making beef Wellington," Hay said "I think she was at the supermarket and she messaged us something about the beef that she was buying." She said Patterson had told them the mushrooms came from an Asian grocer Hay said Patterson asked her for tips on how to make sure the beef Wellington pastry did not go "soggy" as it was one of Hay's favourite dishes said she joked: "I'd make a tofu Wellington" so we had a good laugh about that," she said Patterson's estranged husband Simon finished his evidence to the jury after almost three days in the witness box Defence barrister Colin Mandy SC put it to Simon that he had asked Erin - two days after the lunch - "is that what you used to poison them?" "I did not say that to Erin," Simon responded The jury of 15 people were shown messages from a family group Signal chat between Simon his former wife and his parents - in December 2022 - after he last week claimed she had sent "extremely aggressive" messages to his mother and father which he said were from a few months later having a crack at me and accusing me of some things in response to what I'd messaged her about," he said After his parents tried to help Erin and Simon resolve a dispute over his child support payments his mother Gail took a step back and stopped reading messages from Erin in the group chat "Mum really struggled with anxiety," he said The trial before Justice Christopher Beale will continue today Lady Gaga gave a free concert Saturday night in front of 2 million fans who poured onto Copacabana Beach for the biggest show of her career (...) Thank you for making history with me,” Lady Gaga told a screaming crowd kicked off the show at around 22.10pm local time with her 2011 song Bloody Mary Cries of joy rose from the tightly-packed fans who sang and danced shoulder-to-shoulder on the vast stretch of sand Concert organisers said 2.1 million people attended the show switching between an array of dresses including one with the colours of the Brazilian flag Some fans – many of them young – arrived on the beach at the crack of dawn to secure a good spot “Today is the best day of my life,” said Manoela Dobes a 27-year-old designer who was wearing a dress plastered with a photograph from when she met Lady Gaga in the United States in 2019 Madonna also turned Copacabana Beach into a massive dance floor last year The large-scale performances are part of an effort led by City Hall to boost economic activity after Carnival and New Years’ Eve festivities and the upcoming month-long Saint John’s Day celebrations in June “It brings activity to the city during what was previously considered the low season – filling hotels and increasing spending in bars generating jobs and income for the population,” said Osmar Lima the city’s secretary of economic development in a statement released by Rio City Hall’s tourism department last month Rio’s City Hall said in a recent report that around 1.6 million people were expected to attend Lady Gaga's concert and that the show should inject at least 600 million reais (NZ$178.3 million) into Rio’s economy Similar concerts are scheduled to take place every year in May at least until 2028 Lady Gaga arrived in Rio in the early hours of Tuesday The city has been alive with Gaga-mania since as it geared up to welcome the pop star for her first show in the country since 2012 Rio’s metro employees danced to Lady Gaga’s 2008 hit song LoveGame and gave instructions for today in a video A free exhibition celebrating her career sold out While the vast majority of attendees were from Rio the event also attracted Brazilians from across the country and international visitors More than 500,000 tourists poured into the city in the days leading up to the show according to data from the local bus station and Tom Jobim airport Rio’s City Hall said in a statement yesterday made a cross-continent trip from Colombia to Brazil to attend the show “I’ve been a 100% fan of Lady Gaga my whole life,” said Serrano who was wearing a T-shirt featuring Lady Gaga’s outlandish costumes over the years the mega-star represents “total freedom of expression – being who one wants without shame” Rio officials have a history of organising huge concerts on Copacabana Beach Madonna’s show drew an estimated 1.6 million fans last year while 4 million people flooded onto the beach for a 1994 New Year’s Eve show by Rod Stewart in 1994 that was the biggest free rock concert in history sixteen sound towers were spread along the beach Rio state’s security plan included the presence of 3300 military and 1500 police officers Among those present were Lady Gaga admirers who remember their disappointment in 2017 when the artist cancelled a performance scheduled in Rio at the last minute due to health issues “She's the best artist in the world,” the 25-year-old said I love you” in Portuguese rose from the crowd behind him whose real name is Ella Yelich O'Connor which also displayed what appears to be the album cover art — an X-ray of a pelvis "100% written in blood," the website read The new album's announcement came a week after she released her latest single What Was That The song's music video was filmed at a mysterious pop-up event in New York City's Washington Square Park that was initially shut down by police. The event ended up going ahead after all, and fans who stayed got to hear the new song for the first time. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) It was the first sign of a follow-up to Lorde's previous album Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat Kim Kardashian thought she was going to be raped and killed when criminals broke into her bedroom in central Paris tied her up and stole more than US$6 million in jewellery 10 people will go on trial in Paris over the robbery abduction and kidnapping of the media personality and the concierge of the residence where she was staying during Paris Fashion Week the night of October 2 Kardashian’s lawyers said she will testify in person at the trial starting Monday and scheduled to run through May 23 "Ms Kardashian is reserving her testimony for the court and jury and does not wish to elaborate further at this time," they said "She has great respect and admiration for the French justice system and has been treated with great respect by the French authorities "She wishes the trial to proceed in an orderly fashion in accordance with French law and with respect for all parties to the case." In interviews and on her family’s reality TV show Kardashian has described being terrified as robbers pointed a gun at her In a 2020 appearance on David Letterman’s Netflix show she tearfully recalled thinking: "This is the time I’m going to get raped Twelve people were originally expected in the defendants’ box and another is seriously ill and can't be tried five of the 10 defendants were present at the scene of the robbery The French press has dubbed them The Granddad Robbers because the main defendants are elderly and have careers as bank robbers with long criminal records Kardashian told investigators she was taken to a bathroom next to her bedroom and placed in the bathtub Her attackers fled on bicycles or on foot and she managed to free herself by removing the tape from her hands and mouth She had also removed the tape from her feet and rushed to her stylist’s room She called her sister Kourtney to tell her about the theft Kardashian told investigators that she had not been injured adding that she wanted to leave France as soon as possible to be reunited with her children According to her testimony and that of the concierge at least one of the suspects had a handgun The gangsters stole many pieces of jewellery estimated to be worth more than US$6 million (NZ$10 million) Only one piece of jewellery — a diamond cross on platinum that was lost during the suspects' escape — has been recovered Two of the accused have partially confessed to the crime is one of two suspected robbers who allegedly entered the apartment his genetic profile was found on the tape used to gag Kardashian who was waiting for him in a parked car at a nearby train station The second robber said he tied up the concierge with cables but did not go up to Kardashian’s apartment said he acted as a lookout in the ground-floor reception area He said he was unarmed and did not personally threaten Kardashian but admitted he shared responsibility for the crime Abbas was arrested in January 2017 and spent 21 months in prison before being released under judicial supervision he co-authored a French-language book titled I Sequestered Kim Kardashian is the second alleged robber suspected of entering the flat although he was filmed by CCTV cameras and numerous telephone contacts with the other co-defendants show his involvement The other defendants are suspected of providing information about Kardashian’s presence in the apartment Others are accused of playing a role in the resale of the jewellery in Antwerp Joe Cocker and Bad Company will be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame — in a class that also includes pop star Cyndi Lauper the rock duo the White Stripes and grunge masters Soundgarden the first female rap act to achieve gold and platinum status and the late singer-songwriter Warren Zevon will get the Musical Influence Award pianist Nicky Hopkins and bassist Carol Kaye will each get the Musical Excellence Award who sang at Woodstock and was best known for his cover of The Beatles’ With a Little Help From My Friends a member of Elvis Costello & The Attractions who argued that Cocker is "about as rock and roll as it gets" Soundgarden — with the late Chris Cornell as singer — get into the Hall on their third nomination They follow two other grunge acts in the Hall — Nirvana and Pearl Jam Bad Company get in having become radio fixtures with such arena-rock staples as Feel Like Makin’ Love Can’t Get Enough and Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy The Ahmet Ertegun Award — given to nonperforming industry professionals who had a major influence on music — will go to Lenny Waronker Some nominees that didn't get in this year included Mariah Carey and subsequent Let’s Twist Again are considered among the most popular songs in the history of rock 'n' roll The 83-year-old has expressed frustration that he hadn't been granted entry before including telling the AP in 2014: "I don’t want to get in there when I’m 85 years old so you better do it quick while I’m still smiling." Lauper rose to fame in the 1980s with hits such as Time After Time and Girls Just Want To Have Fun and went on to win a Tony Award for Kinky Boots have six Grammys and a reputation for pushing the boundaries of hip-hop The White Stripes — made up of Jack White and Meg White — were indie darlings in the early 2000s with such songs as Seven Nation Army Artists must have released their first commercial recording at least 25 years before they’re eligible for induction The induction ceremony will take place in Los Angeles this fall Nominees were voted on by more than 1200 artists historians and music industry professionals The selection criteria include "an artist’s impact on other musicians the scope and longevity of their career and body of work as well as their innovation and excellence in style and technique" Dave Matthews Band and singer-guitarist Peter Frampton were inducted Lorde has dropped her new single What Was That after weeks of cryptic posts and teases that set fans buzzing It's the lead single from her upcoming fourth album and her first original solo release since 2021's Solar Power which is three minutes and 28 seconds in length Some fans had been lucky enough to hear the track in full earlier this week. On Wednesday, Lorde posted a picture of Washington Square Park yesterday with the caption "tonight 7pm". Fans flooded the park an hour before she was supposed to appear, with photos shared of eager fans scaling trees to catch a glimpse of the singer. Shortly before she was to perform, the Royals singer took to social media to tell fans police had shut the event down. "Omg @thepark the cops are shutting us down," the message read. "I am truly amazed by how many of you showed !!! "But they’re telling me you gotta disperse ... I’m so sorry." However, the pop-up event ended up going ahead after all, with fans who stayed getting their first full airing of Lorde's new single. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lorde (@lorde) Lorde, real name Ella Yelich O'Connor, announced the single last week sharing a headshot-style photo of her wearing a red shirt with a dripping wet face Earlier this month, she dropped a 15-second snippet of the unreleased song. In the video posted to TikTok on April 10, Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City. "Since I was 17, I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream, well baby, what was that? What was that?” she sings over a synth beat. It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album, 2021's Solar Power. Her other albums were 2013's Pure Heroine and 2017's Melodrama. Last year, she collaborated with British singer Charli XCX on a remix of Girl, so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat. 07 May 2025 09:00412110m²703m²#THEDAY AUCTION THIS WEDNESDAY 7TH MAY!OWNERS MOVING OUT OF AUCKLAND After more than five decades in this much-loved home the owners are making the move out of Auckland creating a rare opportunity for the next chapter to begin Set on a generous section in a quiet street this solid four-bedroom home offers great bones and endless options or explore development possibilities (subject to council approval) With a garage plus a carport and plenty of off-street parking it's functional and full of promise for families or savvy investors Future development potential (subject to council consents) Located in a central pocket of Mangere East you're just minutes from Middlemore Hospital Zoned for Kedgley Intermediate and Aorere College Don't miss this golden opportunity-properties with history and potential like this are a rare find **CONJUNCTIONALS WELCOME FROM ALL AGENCIES** Auction In Rooms Ray White Manukau from 9:00am Wednesday Disclaimer - This property is being sold by auction or without a price and therefore a price guide can not be provided The website may have filtered the property into a price bracket for website functionality purposes All prospective purchasers shall complete their own due diligence and satisfy themselves with respect to information supplied during the marketing of this property including but not limited to: the floor and land sizes The streets of Massey in Māngere East came alive with vibrant colours a showcase of rangatahi (youth) entrepreneurial brilliance and a wave of community aroha at the Māngere East Cultural Festival With $4,000 from the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board, incredible teamwork from the Māngere East Community Centre and Library this festival brought the community together in a fun way Pasifika Month wrapped up in March with this standout event Hundreds of people gathered to enjoy incredible performances they celebrated the diversity and cultures that make the beautiful Māngere East community shine Special mention to the Māngere East Library whānau for hosting the incredible rangatahi and their start-ups and fundraisers and for celebrating their entrepreneurial spirit Massive shoutout to the amazing rangatahi from Aorere They sold out their food stalls and made great sales on everything from handcrafted jewellery to dumplings and banoffee pie "Big thanks to everyone who helped bring the Māngere East Cultural Festival to life Shoutout to Triple Teez for the bike smoothies much love to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board and Ohomairangi Trust for their support!" Food stalls and info providers all in one place month-long celebration across Māngere Town Centre Library The month was filled with vibrant storytimes and rich cultural experiences for all to enjoy Want to stay in the loop with all the latest news from your area? Sign up for our Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board e-newsletter.  For more information on what data is contained in the cookies, please click the 'Find out more on the Auckland Council website' button. To accept cookies from this site, please click the 'I Agree' button. Sign up for our e-newsletter and be the first to know about exciting events and news. Manukau CityPrice on Application42295m²1,206m²GREAT FAMILY ENTERTERTAINER IN MANGERE EASTIf you're searching for land and space An exceptional opportunity has arisen to secure prime real estate in Mangere East for your future family home Whether you're embarking on your journey to homeownership or looking to upgrade to a larger space offering ample space for family living or rental opportunities Seize this expansive 1,206 sqm section and enjoy the benefits in your future ventures Call us Vine on 021 08370772 or Caroline on 021 971038 21 May 2025 13:00531202m²Exciting Opportunity in Mangere East Awaits You!Auction: 62 Highbrook Drive East Tamaki on Wednesday 21 May 2025 at 1:00PM (unless sold prior) Step into a world of energy with this stunning property boasting 5 bedrooms and a single internal access garage - the epitome of polished perfection perfect for entertaining guests or unwinding in style after a long day where culinary magic is just waiting to happen you'll always be at the center of the action one downstairs for easy access and one upstairs for a touch of elegance Time is of the essence to make this exceptional property yours Act now to secure your piece of real estate perfection Reach out today to arrange a viewing and take the first step towards your dream home See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Manukau CityBy negotiation313Colourful Charm Modern ComfortsPerfect for first-home buyers this well-maintained three-bedroom home is full of charm and character Step inside and enjoy the open-plan living designed for everyday comfort and practicality offering a space that's easy to live in and great for hosting friends or family the charm continues with a covered front porch a cozy spot for your morning coffee or an evening wind-down the property offers secure off-street space for 2-3 vehicles Superbly convenient location with motorway access nearby and just a short drive to Papatoetoe and Middlemore train stations Walking distance to Aorere Park and Walter Massey Park just across the road With its colourful character and easy-care appeal this home is a great find and one you’ll want to see for yourself Don’t miss the opportunity to make it your own Get in touch today to arrange a viewing or join us at the open homes as advertised See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Manukau CityPrice by Negotiation514150m²801m²Spacious Entertainer - 5 Bedroom Beauty!Nestled in the heart of Mangere East this spacious 5-bedroom home offers an abundance of room for both relaxation and entertainment making it the perfect choice for families or those seeking extra space providing ample space for family members or guests A well-appointed bathroom with a separate toilet for added convenience The open-plan kitchen features modern appliances Enjoy the comfort of a combined lounge and dining area The sunroom offers additional living space At the rear are three utility rooms and sunroom offer additional living space Stay cozy year-round with a heat pump for efficient heating and cooling Step outside to a fully fenced backyard with decking and patio areas ideal for summer barbecues or simply enjoying the outdoors providing plenty of space for outdoor activities or potential development Both the interior and exterior are in good condition ready for you to move in and make it your own ensuring everything you need is just a stone's throw away This property is a rare find in a sought-after area Whether you're looking to settle down or invest For more information or to arrange a viewing Manukau CityOffers Over $550,00021167m²77m²Owners Relocated Overseas Must Sell!!!Nestled away from the road in a tranquil cul-de-sac this two-bedroom townhouse is a short stroll from Papatoetoe North School and the green space of Milton Park the upper floor features both bedrooms and a full bathroom Downstairs offers an appealing open plan kitchen with WC and the added convenience of a separate laundry Slide open the door to the sunny deck and fully fenced private backyard increasing your leisure area without adding extra maintenance This well-presented property is a fantastic option whether you're getting a foot up onto the property ladder Motorway access and Mangere and Papatoetoe Town Centres are an easy drive away De La Salle College is a bike ride or quick drop-off for the kids and you'll enjoy being close to the local supermarket and Walter Massey Park This home comes with one carpark to the rear of the complex Disclaimer -This property is being sold by auction or without a price and therefore a price guide can not be provided Manukau CityPrice by Negotiation433127m²318m²Modern 4 Bedroom Family Home With ExtrasDiscover exceptional value in this beautiful 127m2 two-level standalone home that is just 6 years old 3 bathroom gem is loaded with features to enhance your lifestyle Step inside to find brand new timber laminate flooring in the main living area The open-plan kitchen boasts a stylish breakfast bar for casual dining plus there is ample dining space alongside a generous lounge On the ground floor you'll also find another bedroom and a full bathroom this home also includes great storage solutions throughout Upgrades include 3 x fully tiled bathrooms auto garage door opener and even a front entry digital pinpad on the front door you'll enjoy the benefit of extra off-street parking as well as the garage along with a lovely grassy area for the kids to play and space to grow your own veges Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity to purchase a move-in ready home that combines top of the line features and modern living Open Home Sat 4:15pm - 4:45pm & Sun 2:30pm - 3:00pm Disclaimer - This property is being sold without a price therefore a price guide can not be provided All purchasers shall complete their own due diligence seek legal/expert advice & satisfy themselves with respect to information supplied during the marketing of this property including but not ltd to floor/land sizes Manukau CityPrice By Negotiation212-Bedroom Gem Just Minutes from Everything!The vendor is overseas and needs to sell ASAP All offers will be presented and conjunctionals are welcome low-maintenance 2-bedroom apartment in the secure Middlemore Homes Complex- ideal for first-home buyers This easy-care apartment is part of a secure It also features an intercom system for controlled access and a convenient lift service • Modern kitchen with granite benchtop & quality appliances The motivated vendor is ready to meet the market Ignore the CV and contact us today or drop by an open home to view Manukau CityBy negotiation312698m²Spacious Family Home with Endless Possibilities!Looking for a home that offers space This charming 3-bedroom property on a 698sqm freehold section could be the one for you • 3 Spacious Bedrooms – Perfect for families or first-home buyers • 1 Well-Appointed Bathroom – Functional and family-friendly • Single Garage + Carport – Plenty of parking space • Fully Fenced Property – Secure for kids and pets • Large Deck & Outdoor Living Area – Great for entertaining guests • Generous Front & Backyard – Ample space for kids to play or future potential • 698sqm Land Size – A fantastic freehold section with room to grow Whether you're looking for a family-friendly home fully fenced yard ensures privacy and security while the spacious deck is perfect for summer BBQs or relaxing outdoors this home is well-positioned for convenience and lifestyle Call us today to book a viewing and make your offer See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Manukau CityBy negotiation421122m²Brand New Modern: 4-Bedroom Gem!Step into contemporary living with this exquisite ideally positioned in a highly desirable neighbourhood this stunning property combines modern design with ultimate comfort -Four Generously Sized Bedrooms: Each room is designed with space and comfort in mind -2.5 Stylish Bathrooms: Enjoy the ease of two full bathrooms and a convenient powder room -Internal Access Garage: A single garage with internal access provides secure parking and additional storage space -Spacious Living and Dining Area: The expansive lounge and dining area flow effortlessly into the kitchen the perfect environment for both entertaining and relaxing with loved ones -Premium Quality Finishes: Every aspect of this home showcases high-end materials and finishes you’ll enjoy close proximity to top-rated schools beautifully crafted home in a fantastic location Get in touch with us today to arrange a viewing and make this dream home yours See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Manukau CityBy negotiation314883m²For Sale After 16 Years – Vendors RelocatingAfter 16 years and their motivation is stronger than ever This is a prime opportunity to secure an excellent deal in today’s market Tucked away at the end of a peaceful cul-de-sac in Mangere East this beloved 3-bedroom weatherboard and tile home offers remarkable potential There's also a separate utility room in the garage With plenty of natural light and smooth indoor/outdoor flow this home provides a fantastic foundation for those wanting to put their own stamp on it Whether you're a first-time buyer looking for a home with future potential or an investor seeking a project with impressive prospects Set on a spacious 883sqm freehold section with road frontage and zoned Mixed Housing Urban Mangere East is quickly becoming one of the most desirable areas for a wide range of buyers and proximity to Middlemore Hospital make it an ideal location for downsizers Don’t miss your chance to secure a property with great value and exciting future potential See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson Manukau CityPrice by Negotiation321MODERN COMFORT AWAITS IN MANGERE EAST3 spacious double bedrooms 2 well designed bathrooms and a separate toilet downstairs This stunning property boasts 3 spacious double bedrooms and 2 elegantly designed bathrooms with an additional guest toilet downstairs Enjoy quality family time in the welcoming living room The open parking space accommodates one car Ideally located in a family-friendly neighbourhood it's just a short walk to Walter Massey Park This home is perfect for your family's needs Contact us today to schedule a viewing and turn your dream home into a reality Let's work together to make your housing aspirations achievable Manukau CityAsking Price $549,000315170m²Add-Value Invest or Get on the Ladder!SMS Tama directly for information and to book your viewing - 0210738006 Own a solid 3-bedroom home in Mangere-East now Set on a large 170sqm floor plan with a great backyard Add value to improve its look and feel OR get on the ladder with an absolute deal A 3-Beddy in Mangere East well under $700,000 Its an ideal opporunity and ensures you get to live life with convenience Manukau CityPrice by Negotiation31195m²678m²Secure Spacious & Fully Renovated!Discover the charm of 3 Macky Avenue a beautifully renovated 3-bedroom home nestled in the heart of Mangere East This residence features a spacious open-plan kitchen designed for seamless interaction and modern living The recent renovations have infused the home with contemporary elegance ensuring a move-in-ready experience for the new homeowners Whether you're looking to occupy the property yourself or secure it as an investment Set on a generous 678sqm freehold flat section this property offers ample outdoor space for family activities and gardening enthusiasts The fully fenced yard provides privacy and security making it an ideal haven for children and pets alike A standout feature is the large outbuilding with additional storage offering versatile options as a workshop or potential conversion to suit your needs with a variety of amenities enhancing your lifestyle Our sellers are highly motivated and determined to meet the market on the day Manukau CityBy negotiation531242m²5-Bedroom Family Home in a Desirable Location!Discover 25 Steven Street Mangere East – a spacious and well-designed standalone 5-bedroom including one Master bedroom downstairs 3.5-bathroom home that perfectly blends comfort and practicality Step inside to a bright and inviting lounge area complete with a ranch slider for effortless indoor-outdoor flow—ideal for relaxation and family time or simply unwinding in your own outdoor space This home also features a single internal access garage providing added security and everyday convenience you’ll love the easy access to Auckland Airport and Middlemore Hospital making this an excellent choice for families and professionals alike A fantastic opportunity in a sought-after neighborhood—don’t miss out See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson A ute driver has some questions to answer after crashing through the wall of an Auckland home in Mangere East A driver has ploughed a dual cab ute through the wall of an Auckland home Photos show the ute’s bonnet crumpled after the it punched through the Massey Road home’s exterior wall in Māngere East at about 12.40am today Police are now talking to the driver about the early morning crash and are “awaiting the results of blood tests” The driver was taken to hospital with moderate injuries “Thankfully nobody was home at the time of the crash however the property suffered moderate damage,” the spokesman said He said inquiries are ongoing into the crash Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday The trial system sits 10-15 metres below the surface {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/02/13/upgrade-of-dark-dingy-alleyway-brings-relief-to-mangere-east-residents/"},"datePublished":"2025-02-12T22:05:46.86Z","dateModified":"2025-02-17T23:45:47.625Z","headline":"Upgrade of 'dark dingy' alleyway brings relief to Māngere East residents","description":"The narrow alleyway is a connecting space for many residents plagued with decades of antisocial behaviour at a "dark which runs between McKinstry Ave and Cottingham Cres in Māngere East the elderly and students from three nearby schools who use it as a short cut Long-time resident Jenna Toeono tried for years to get Auckland Transport and Auckland Council to make it safer for her community she gave up and asked for it to be closed off "There just wasn't any appetite for any attention to it," Toeono said 'if no one wants to do anything about this how about we just close it down'." Her family has lived on McKinstry Ave for more than five decades Her parents first complained to the then-Manukau City Council more than 20 years ago and got no results She continued their fight when she had children of her own "When my son was one or two years old someone threw a beer bottle over the fence and nearly hit him there were no dodgy things going on in a dark just to help out with some funding with that space." Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board chair Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich says the board allocated $9,006.08 in funding for raw building materials and paint to repair and create a mural at the alleyway AT's senior project manager Ryan Clarke stumbled on the residents' plight through Stuff's 2013 article He was undergoing a leadership programme and together with his group pitched the project to upgrade the alleyway he explored possible funding and secured $80,000 for the project under their responsibility to keep footpaths safe artwork from local street artist Eva Fuemana and engagement workshops with the local school and that was intention behind the project," Clarke said "It's better maintained now." but was happy they had a much safer space for the community to use "Of course you get the one or two that ruin it for the rest of us but the issues have been alleviated." Bakulich says building materials were sourced locally from Māngere Timber and members of Toeono’s family helped with the work LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air Her parents first complained to the then-Manukau City Council more than 20 years ago and got no results. She continued their fight when she had children of her own, fearing for their safety. "When my son was one or two years old, he's now in high school, someone threw a beer bottle over the fence and nearly hit him. "Another time, he found an empty bong and picked it up, not knowing what it was." Before and after of the alleyway that got upgraded last December. (Source: Local Democracy Reporting) Authorities finally put up streetlights, after she spoke to Stuff 12 years ago. "It made a noticeable difference, there were no dodgy things going on in a dark, dingy alleyway. It was definitely a big help. "I reached out to my local board, [and Auckland Transport] after that, just to help out with some funding with that space." Māngere-Ōtāhuhu Local Board chair Tauanu’u Nick Bakulich says the board allocated $9,006.08 in funding for raw building materials and paint to repair and create a mural at the alleyway. AT's senior project manager Ryan Clarke stumbled on the residents' plight through Stuff's 2013 article. He was undergoing a leadership programme and together with his group, pitched the project to upgrade the alleyway. When he returned to AT, he explored possible funding and secured $80,000 for the project, under their responsibility to keep footpaths safe. The upgrade was completed in December, with a new fence, artwork from local street artist Eva Fuemana and engagement workshops with the local school. "It brightens up the space, makes it a lot safer, and that was intention behind the project," Clarke said. Toeono said it wasn't an easy feat, trying to get something done, but was happy they had a much safer space for the community to use. "Of course you get the one or two that ruin it for the rest of us, but the issues have been alleviated." Bakulich says building materials were sourced locally from Māngere Timber, and members of Toeono’s family helped with the work. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air. New Zealand's most valuable state house cannot be subdivided The almost $4 million villa sits on 619 square metres of land in one of Auckland's sought-after heritage areas Politics 32 mins ago 39 mins ago 8 mins ago The country's most valuable state house sits on a large plot of land that cannot be subdivided because it is in one of Auckland's sought-after heritage areas The state house is a 1900s villa on a leafy street in the inner city suburb of Ponsonby and is worth close to $4 million It is a neighbourhood associated with celebrities from sailors to pop stars — last year Lorde sold her luxury villa next door for $4.3m Auckland Council records show the state house is on 619sq metres of land and is subject to hefty development restrictions because it is in both a special character area and historic heritage area That means the land could not be subdivided and any changes to the villa would need council permission Data from Corelogic shows the five most valuable single dwelling homes in Kāinga Ora's portfolio are all worth more than $3.5m Building projects that would create more than 1000 state homes are on hold while Kāinga Ora reviews its portfolio The agency also intends to sell about 900 homes nationally over the next 12-18 months — currently 49 state homes are on the market — of which 32 are in Auckland The money generated by selling off those properties would then be reinvested in more affordable areas The woman living in the country's most valuable state house last week told RNZ it should be sold in part because she feels increasingly out of place in the upmarket suburb finance and policy Gareth Stiven said none of the five most valuable state homes were for sale or had development plans "Like other high value properties in our portfolio these five homes could be sold further down the track Our current national divestment programme has just begun so assessing homes that will be sold is an ongoing process." All five of the most valuable state homes are in Auckland and all but one could be subdivided according to council planning rules is worth $3.7m and the 4626 square metre land has no significant development constraints is worth $3.5m and is on 2904 square metres of land that could be developed into up to 20 homes could potentially be subdivided into four units Corelogic head of research Nick Goodall earlier said the properties' values were tied up in large plots of land "It shows that you could probably build multiple units on that block of land to get better use and more people living in that area which would be well in demand from people wanting to live there to be closer to town." Goodall believed Kāinga Ora should be considering the future of all five of its most valuable properties "There's probably lots of potential development all across Auckland You would expect that these would be ones that would be on the list to look at." rnz.co.nz Join us every Wednesday as we unpack the laws that shape our everyday lives. Topics include:May 28 – Introduction to Law & Treaty of WaitangiJune 4 – Police Powers & Criminal LawJune 11 – Credit Contracts & Consumer LawJune 18 – Housing & TenancyJune 25 – Employment & ImmigrationJuly 2 – Wills, Estates & Family Law Get informed. Know your rights. Empower yourself. had to sell it today otherwise their lender would take possession Photo / Supplied- A South Auckland home was auctioned less than 24 hours after it hit the market - Owners needed to sell to stop their lender from taking possession on Friday - The sale price exceeded their declared reserve of $600,000 It would have been the worst 24 hours of their lives But the stressed owners of a three-bedroom home on Hardie Street Their property sold under the hammer today for $866,000 – well above the declared reserve of $600,000 The sale price ended the threat of foreclosure that had hung over them for some months and forced them unexpectedly to put their house on the market just 24 hours before who pulled off a miracle in an impossibly short time frame Immediately after the auction Lemalu spent time with the vendors and said they had “a lot of mixed emotions” very emotional as well because it was their mum and dad’s home as well He and his team headed to KFC where he shouted them a late lunch Ray White auctioneer Ted Ingram takes bids on the house The recently renovated house attracted 43 registered bidders There were 17 bids over four minutes at Ray White’s auction room in Papatoetoe including several unsuccessful knockout bids including one which saw the price jump from $610,000 to $750,000 While $866,000 is well below the property’s CV of $1.1 million it gave the owners some much-needed financial breathing room The owners had hastily brought forward their plans to auction the home in January after learning that the finance company was going to foreclose on Friday They’d even declared on their listing they were willing to sell for as low as $600,000 to get a deal “This owner has 1 DAY to BEAT THE BANK!,” the listing on OneRoof said - Heavenly Creatures bach for sale - 'my husband liked to say Kate Winslet was in his bed' - Tony Alexander: Don't bet on ultra-low mortgage rates next year - Abandoned castle deep in the Coromandel bush has links to NZ icon Lemalu told OneRoof yesterday that he got an urgent call from the vendors’ lawyer the at night telling him he needed to accelerate their plans “Last night we got the call that it needed to go before Friday.” Lemalu said the owners couldn’t keep up with their loan repayments because of higher interest rates had refused their request to refinance their loan one more month they couldn’t get the finances together to extend their loan The lender is now saying they will take possession on Friday,” he said The agent’s team then scrambled to get the listing live yesterday afternoon They arranged a photo shoot and then hit their phones to let their database know the house was up for grabs adding that more than 35 groups viewed the property during that time at both the three open homes and private viewings The agent had just a few hours to get photos for the listing up Lemalu said the $600,000 reserve would have been enough for the owners to repay the mortgage and cover costs “They were staring down the barrel of breaking even but there’s going to be a bit extra in their back pocket.” Lemalu said that the recently renovated home was “pretty tidy” “It’s in good nick and there’s a double garage A family could easily suit that and also investors,” he said adding that the rental appraisal was about $700 a week Lemalu said the owners had been worried the second-tier lender would sell the house for less than their total debt and chase them for any shortfall Listing and holding an auction within one day is certainly unusual “The shortest I’ve had is two weeks,” Lemalu said He believed it was a success because everyone was drawn to the fact that they might be able to get a bargain given it had a low $600,000 reserve At one stage I just ended up throwing my hands up and telling people if you are interested Ray White Papatoetoe managing director and auctioneer Ted Ingram said the turnout had been great “Real urgency will fill the room and that’s what happened.” Ray White NZ head auctioneer Sam Steele said the turnaround was the quickest he had ever seen He said there were plenty of properties that had their auctions brought forward after receiving offers within a day or two of appearing on the market but there was usually a longer lead time to get to that point but certainly to do it in 24 hours is incredibly fast,” he said people are very keen to get deals done so it should work in [the vendors’] favour.” - Click here to find more properties for sale in Auckland Manukau CityPrice by Negotiation1130m²Great opportunity-first home buyers or investorsModern studio apartment in excellent condition bathed with natural light The seamless flow to the balcony expands the living space offering a perfect spot to enjoy fresh air and unwind soft close drawers with high-quality appliances for a stylish toilet and a washer/dryer combo for convenience The Middlemore homes complex features a secured entry with an intercom system along with lift for added comfort and convenience It is a rare chance to acquire a high-value asset at an exceptional price this exceptional location is just a short stroll away from Middlemore hospital The owner is motivated to sell and is willing to negotiate to meet the market price feel free to attend one of our open homes or contact us to arrange a viewing For further information please go to: - https://www.harcourtsfiles.co.nz/listings/M823 Two Auckland tenants have been awarded compensation after being unlawfully evicted from their properties when they complained about conditions that included having to drill a hole in the kitchen floor for sewage to drain out have been ordered by the Tenancy Tribunal to pay a combined total of $25,900 to the Ministry of Business and were also issued with a six-year restraining order from committing similar breaches of the Residential Tenancies Act MBIE's tenancy compliance and investigations team (TCIT) started investigating two units in Māngere East after the tenants complained about the conditions which investigators later called "some of the worst they [had] ever seen" TCIT filed an application with the Tenancy Tribunal after identifying multiple issues including sewerage and electrical problems a failure to keep the properties clean and reasonably maintained and terminating one tenancy without a sufficient reason Investigators noted the shower tray in one unit was full of wastewater and the kitchen had visible stains from leaking wastewater from the bathroom above The other unit had a fan heater on the wall which leaked brown liquid when it was used Tenancy Tribunal adjudicator Kate Lash found 8A Gray Ave Limited and LDW Limited failed to provide premises that were in a reasonable state of cleanliness and failed to maintain the premises in a reasonable state of repair Lash said the tribunal would usually only order a maximum level of exemplary damages in the most egregious of cases and this was such a case "I am satisfied that these unlawful acts were committed intentionally Both respondents are landlords of multiple properties They do and/or should know the law and in particular their obligations under the act "I am also satisfied that the intent of the respondents can be inferred as malicious at worst They were aware of the state of both units not only by the tenants themselves notifying them via the various property managers A number of issues were also readily observable." In addition to $19,900 in exemplary damages the adjudicator awarded the tenants $3000 each to compensate for the stress they endured throughout their tenancies "Both these tenants were treated with disregard Their complaints and requests were ignored Both were intimidated to leave their homes… neither were afforded a safe and comfortable living environment and their vulnerabilities were preyed on." TCIT national manager Brett Wilson said investigators reported the properties were some of the worst they had seen One tenant had to drill a hole in the kitchen floor for the sewage to drain out of the kitchen the shower flooded when used and wastewater would leak through into the kitchen when it rained It got to the extent where she had to shower standing in a bucket "Despite the terrible living conditions they were confronted with these tenants were exceptionally vulnerable and felt they had to accept the units as they found them." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Owners renting out part of their homes thinking they are not covered by tenancy rules are falling foul of the law Many landlords are quick to hike rents but slow to fix homes The dining room floor in the East Auckland home was so rotten it collapsed A tenant who abused her landlords and attacked their marriage has been warned she will not get name suppression again in similar circumstances The government has said interest deductibility for landlords would mean lower rents Business RSS Follow RNZ News A large house fire has broken out in South Auckland this afternoon A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said crews are at a Māngere East structure fire FENZ say they were alerted to the “well-involved” fire just after 1pm Fire crews have now brought the fire on Gray Avenue under control A police spokesperson said they are assisting with traffic management and have closed the road at the intersection of Gray Avenue and Ōrākau Road Middlemore Hospital confirmed they saw visible smoke drift outside the hospital Hato Hone St John assistance was not required Chief Executive Mangere East Family Services couldn't believe the news when she heard about the Twelve Days of Christmas grant from Auckland Airport The Herald is profiling 12 charities awarded $10,000 each from Auckland Airport’s Twelve Days of Christmas community giving tradition Each grant is thanks to generous travellers who placed unwanted currency into money boxes dotted around the terminals in 2024 While Christmas and school holidays can be a time of freedom and fun the season often goes hand in hand with extra costs “Kids tend to eat more when they’re home all day and there can be extra mouths to feed when friends and whānau visit,” says Carole Tana-Tepania the chief executive at Māngere-based ME Family Services “Cost-of-living pressures are tough on everyone and food is one of the areas that can add extra stress to families at this time of year ME Family Services sees the pressure on families first-hand through its early childhood centre and school and community-based social work services in Māngere and Ōtāhuhu An extra way it helps give those families a boost over the holiday season is by way of a Christmas food box filled with enough pantry staples and treats for at least three meals “It offers some immediate relief through the holiday period where the kids are home and frees up money so they can buy other things they might need for Christmas,” Tana-Tepania says with reduced funding for its community-based support services it was unsure if would be able to give away the LIFE Community Christmas Boxes it has distributed for 10 years That’s when the Auckland Airport stepped in with a $10,000 donation from its Twelve Days of Christmas community giving programme This sees the airport distribute money collected from its globe moneyboxes dotted around the airport where travellers place spare foreign currency when they are passing through “We were racking our brains about how to cover the costs of the boxes this year so we were thrilled with the airport’s support to bring joy and relief to many whānau in our community,” Tana-Tepania says we witness the profound impact of these boxes which not only provide essential items but also foster a sense of connection and hope among families during the holiday season They are often delivered when school is finished and the children’s faces just light up when they see the box and open it Auckland Airport Chief Corporate Services Officer Melanie Dooney says the airport is glad the donation will make a significant contribution to the Christmas Box campaign and strengthen ME Family Services’ community outreach “The Christmas Boxes help spread joy and nurture the spirit of manaakitanga (hospitality and generosity) in our community Auckland Airport also supports the ME Family Services Resource Room by donating items unclaimed from the airport’s lost property and lost luggage that amounted to 14,147kg of items that still had a useful life given to the resource room which helped more than 800 families this year “Auckland Airport is committed to being a good neighbour to the vibrant South Auckland community we’re proud to be a part of – and this is another way we can contribute,” Dooney says Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday. Manukau CityPrice By Negotiation531Your Dream Family Home Awaits!Introducing a rare opportunity to own one of two newly built high-spec homes on the prime corner of Hall Berry Road and Robyn Place These luxurious homes combine practicality and convenience with easy access to local amenities The smart layouts and meticulous attention to detail make them ideal for family living • Location: Prime corner of Hall Berry Road and Robyn Place perfect for families or those needing extra space • Bathrooms: 3 bathrooms and 4 toilets per home - no more morning rush • Comfort: Equipped with heat pumps for year-round comfort • Parking: Single garages with additional off-street parking providing a secure area for children and pets Mangere East is a highly desirable location offering everything you need just a short distance away 2A and 2B Robyn Place: These 5-bedroom duplexes feature high-quality finishes and practical design Contact us today to learn more or arrange a viewing Reach out to Sabu Francis at 0211018085 or Moiz Ali at 0212936273 have to sell it today otherwise their lender will take possession Photo / Supplied- A South Auckland home is being auctioned less than 24 hours after it hit the market - The owners need to avoid their lender taking possession on Friday - Agent's team had to spring into action to get the property ready for sale A South Auckland home is heading to auction today - less than 24 hours after it was listed The stressed owners of the three-bedroom house at 16 Hardie Street are trying to sell before their lender takes possession They hastily brought forward their plans to auction the home in January after learning that the finance company was going to foreclose on Friday They've even declared on their listing they are willing to sell for as low as $600,000 in order to get a deal “This owner has 1 DAY to BEAT THE BANK!” says the listing on OneRoof The property had been renovated but the owners got into financial difficulty Ray White agent Bob Lemalu told OneRoof yesterday that he got an urgent call from the vendors' lawyer the night telling him he needed to accelerate their plans Lemalu said the owners couldn't keep up with their loan repayments because of higher interest rates The lender is now saying they will take possession on Friday," he said The agent's team then scrambled to get the listing live yesterday afternoon adding that he had already held two open homes before speaking to OneRoof - Heavenly Creatures bach for sale - 'my husband liked to say Kate Winslet was in his bed' - Award-winning home next to billionaire's mansion snapped up for secret sum - Swimming champ's $1.6m auction win after four-year home renovation saga Lemalu said the $600,000 reserve was a “great deal” and would be enough for the owners to repay the mortgage and cover costs The home has a 2021 CV of $1.1 million but similar homes in the area have been selling around $700,000 “We have no time for price by negotiation or offers - we just have to take it to auction straight away They need an unconditional result,” Lemalu said The recently renovated home was “pretty tidy” and would suit both families and investors “Whoever comes today – the family is in no two minds they know what is ahead of them and the risk associated but at the end of the day they just don’t want to lose the house to the lender." The house would appeal to families and investors alike Lemalu said the owners were worried the second-tier lender would sell the house for less than their total debt and chase them for any shortfall Listing and holding an auction within one day was certainly unusual Ray White head auctioneer Sam Steele said the turnaround was the quickest he had ever seen but certainly to do it in 24 hours is incredibly fast," he said people are very keen to get deals done so it should work in [the vendors'] favour." - 16 Hardie Street, in Māngere East, Auckland, goes to auction on December 12 at 1pm Sixty years ago, Hokianga St in Māngere East was dotted with just a few homes and bordered by farmland and the sound of mooing from wandering cows Māngere East boasts a giant inflatable Santa However, Auckland Council is refusing to identify the property Hokianga St in Māngere East used to be bordered by farmland Māngere East recorded 56 noise complaints last year making it the most complained-about property in Auckland Aucklanders made thousands of noise complaints in 2024 Lane Nichols is Deputy Head of News and a senior journalist for the New Zealand Herald with more than 20 years’ experience in the industry. Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you Manukau CityBy negotiation311660m²Prime Opportunity in Mixed Housing Urban ZoneDiscover the potential of 1 Ettrick Place Mangere East - a promising property offering 3 bedrooms and a single freestanding garage on a generous 660 sqm section in a Mixed Housing Urban Zone • Well-appointed kitchen with ample storage • Expansive 660 sqm section in Mixed Housing Urban Zone this property benefits from close proximity to schools The Mixed Housing Urban Zone classification presents exciting possibilities for redevelopment or enhancement (subject to council approval) Perfect for savvy investors or developers seeking a strategic opportunity in a rapidly evolving neighborhood Families looking to personalize and expand their living space will also find endless possibilities here Don't miss out on this chance to capitalize on the potential of Mangere East Contact us today to explore how this property can meet your investment or residential needs See this listing on Barfoot & Thompson sold under the hammer for $490,000 after competitive bidding Photo / SuppliedA South Auckland home sold this week for the fifth time in four years and the sale price was almost $300,000 less than what the owners paid for it two years ago where is” condition for $490,000 after 30 bids in Ray White Remuera’s auction room today The property last changed hands for $750,000 in March 2022 and had been listed for sale multiple times before it was marketed as a mortgagee sale last month There were only three exterior photos of the HardiPlank house and one interior photo of the kitchen included in the listing for the property which was marketed at people wanting to get on the property ladder or investors - No address, no photos, no price - agent selling ‘mystery’ South Auckland house - ‘Yuck’ South Auckland home back on the market after unbelievable transformation - Overseas owners of quake-damaged home get $1m surprise Ray White auctioneer John Bowring reminded the six registered bidders at the start of Wednesday’s auction that there were no warranties and none of the chattels inside the home could be guaranteed The auction opened at $200,000 and steadily rose up in bids of $10,000 to $30,000 until bidding stopped and Bowring paused the auction for negotiations It reopened with a slightly higher bid of $480,000 which was enough for the property to be announced on the market and after a last-minute flurry of mainly $1000 bids the hammer finally fell at $490,000 just four people – including two on the phone and two in the room – placed a total of 30 bids A single photo of the kitchen was the only glimpse of what the inside of the house looked like Bowring told OneRoof mortgagee sales usually attracted a lot of interest and most of the people bidding on the Buckland Road house appeared to be investors OneRoof records show the property changed hands four times since it was purchased for $412,000 in March 2020 It sold again six months later for $650,000 in September 2020 and a year later in September 2021 for $665,379 It fetched its highest price of $750,000 in March 2022 which signalled a 35% drop in value between then and now Valocity senior research analyst Wayne Shum said mortgagee sales tended to be the last resort All other options such as moving to interest only for one year or the owner selling it before the bank did were usually explored before the property was sold by the lender Shum said an increase in demand for property - which could be buoyed by a fall in interest rates – would hopefully mean most property owners under financial stress would be able to sell before they were forced to “People try to avoid mortgagee sales as much as they can but in a slower market like 2023 even though you discount it there may be fewer buyers so you could still struggle to sell it.” - Click here to find more properties for sale in Auckland Two homes in Auckland were shot at overnight leaving bullet holes in both buildings and a street riddled with casings Police were called after a residential property in Onehunga was fired upon at 10.30pm with a second home in Māngere East targeted half an hour later The shooter remains on the run and police investigations are continuing Security footage is being scoured for clues Police say they are “keeping an open mind” as to whether the two shootings are connected A police car remains at the scene of the shooting in Māngere East this morning Police would not say if the two shootings were connected raced over to the street this morning to ensure a relative of his He said the family living at the house had owned the property for “a long time” and he claimed they did not have gang connections I’ve known the girl since school,” he said The man said his relative thought she heard fireworks before she looked outside and saw police Armed police were first called to a unit on Ahuwhenua Crescent in Onehunga around 10.30pm on Wednesday after reports of gunshots Detectives and a forensic photographer immediately began examining the scene showing it had gone through the garage hitting a vehicle inside Auckland City Crime Squad Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend said at 10.28pm police responded to reports of a firearm being discharged at an address on Ahuwhenua Cres Those believed to have fired the shots left the area prior to police arriving police are following positive lines of enquiry which includes reviewing a significant amount of available CCTV footage in and around the area,” said Friend “Police enquiries will continue today and there will be an increased police presence in the area “We encourage anyone else who was in the area or has information to assist who have not yet spoken to us to please get in touch.” Police were then dispatched to Māngere East shortly after 11pm following a home being shot at on Haddon St The police immediately established cordons and armed police were once again standing guard Several bullet holes were visible in the home’s windows according to a Herald photographer at the scene Detectives placed at least 18 forensic markers where bullet casings were found on the roadway outside the address Police at both scenes were unable to comment on the night’s events but confirmed both incidents were serious and firearms-related Last night’s shootings come one week after shots were fired late at night in Mt Roskill Gunshots were heard on Ellis Ave around 9.42pm on May 30 with police finding evidence guns had been fired No buildings were damaged and nobody was found injured Police are treating the death of a person at a South Auckland property as unexplained Emergency services were called to the scene on Bari Lane in Māngere East about 4.20pm on Thursday Detective Inspector Simon Harrison said a scene guard remains in place while police conduct a scene examination including speaking with neighbours in the area and those known to the deceased.” A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Friday Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact police on 105 and reference event number P059382398 “More information will be released when we are in a position to do so,” Harrison said A Chinese immigrant has been targeted in a “violent” East Auckland robbery by six people within his first two weeks in New Zealand told the Herald he had just returned to his residence in Flat Bush about 10pm on March 5 after a late-night trip to the supermarket when two vehicles pulled up to his driveway I opened the rear door to get my gym bag out [and] at that moment I realised there were two cars CCTV footage shared with the Herald shows two passengers from one of the vehicles quickly exit and run towards Chen “Before I realised anything I got punched in the face a couple of times “I thought they were going to hurt me and do something really bad.” pushing one of the men and kicking the other before four other alleged offenders ran over to him “I realised that was not a good idea to fight with them because they outnumbered me a lot “I think they were trying to knock me out and just take whatever they want.” ended in the six offenders speeding off into the night only making off with a gym bag full of clothes who moved to New Zealand on a working visa on February 21 said he couldn’t sleep on the night of the attack and was doubting his decision to come to New Zealand “I had the impression that New Zealand is a beautiful country and is a safe place to live but apparently He said he had spent most of his life in China but lived in the United States for eight years and “never “I didn’t even have a verbal fight with anyone,” he said He believed the offenders were driving down the street looking for a target and said it could have been anyone who was attacked A police spokesperson said an investigation is under way police were called to an address on Ballindrait Drive following a report of a person assaulted and robbed,” police said “The victim received minor injuries and a number of items were taken before the offenders fled on foot.” Inquiries were being made into any CCTV footage near the attack Anyone with information on the attack was asked to contact police via the 105 phone service using file number 250306/8803 Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news The requested URL /projects-initiatives/past-auckland-projects-and-initiatives/new-public-transport-network/new-network-for-east-auckland was not found on this site /about-us/news-events/at-projects-finalists-in-smart-city-awards /about-us/news-events/auckland-transport-keeping-auckland-s-major-projects-moving /driving-and-parking/find-parking/parking-in-west-auckland/western-springs-auckland-zoo-car-park /about-us/news-events/auckland-transport-commits-to-supplier-diversity-in-aotearoa /projects-initiatives/west-auckland-projects-and-initiatives/wolverton-culverts-upgrade/wolverton-culverts-upgrade-project-updates /about-us/news-events/projects-and-consultations Auckland Transport (AT) has announced significant milestones on two major projects taking them.. projects will both deliver improved safety increased transport choices through public transport.. projects are funded by the regional fuel tax and although there is currently insufficient funding... greater bus and ferry integration and support for school cycle improvements is long overdue on the peninsula."Auckland Transport chief executive Shane Ellison says Glenvar Road /about-us/news-events/two-major-transport-projects-move-forward /projects-initiatives/east-auckland-projects-and-initiatives/eastern-busway /about-us/news-events/funding-confirmed-to-make-school-streets-safer-for-children /projects-initiatives/city-centre-projects-and-initiatives/puketapapa-he-taunga-paihikara-a-cycling-haven A house has been shot at in Auckland's Onehunga while there was also a second gunfire incident in Māngere East overnight Officers were called to reports of gunfire on Haddon Street in Māngere at about 11pm There is a large police presence at the scene this morning and a number of bullet holes can be seen in the window of the house A nearby resident said the shooting had come out of the blue and was worrying "It's a worry what's happening in the community," he said and anyone with information should get in contact It was the second shooting at an Auckland property overnight with another house shot at in Onehunga earlier in the evening Officers were called to an an address on Ahuwhenua Crescent after receiving reports of gunshots about 10.30pm no injuries have been reported in relation to this matter," Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Friend of the Auckland City crime squad said The suspected offenders had left the area before officers arrived on the scene police were following leads "which includes reviewing a significant amount of available CCTV footage in and around the area" An RNZ reporter at the scene could see an apple sized hole in the garage door of one of the apartments Neighbour Dani was visiting her sister at the time of the incident "There was a massive bang like a massive shot At first we thought it was just like metal or something like that but once we came outside the neighbours came up and said there were men with rifles who had shot through the garage of next door," she said Her sister had lived at her house for two years and nothing similar had happened before Another resident said it was usually a very quiet area There would be more officers in the area during the day There are also reports of a second incident involving gunshots occurred in Haddon St in Māngere East shortly after 11pm An RNZ reporter at the scene said stickers on the windows show where the gunshots had hit the house Police have not commented on this incident so far on Thursday Police said they wanted to speak to anyone in the area or who had information or is it a perception caused by more apartment-dwellers congregating on the streets Mark Mitchell admits there is a "big problem" in central Auckland as residents and businesses call for help the thieves took a safe - so staff replaced it The Sikh owner has lost count of the times his staff members have been threatened and his store robbed by armed offenders New Zealand RSS A person was rushed to hospital with serious injuries this afternoon after being freed from under a vehicle A person has been hospitalised with serious injuries after becoming trapped under a vehicle in South Auckland this afternoon A spokesperson confirmed police went to Massey Rd in Māngere East shortly after 4.15pm where a person “had become trapped under a vehicle” Fire and Emergency New Zealand said crews rescued the person from under the vehicle before leaving them with ambulance staff. “One patient in a serious condition was transported to Middlemore Hospital.” An east Auckland man has launched an online fundraiser to help him recover from what he says was a “violent home invasion” at his property. Flat Bush resident Binh Hoang says he’s trying to recover from the “traumatic” incident which has left him struggling to recover while jobless. His online appeal, started on January 3, has so far raised $945 from 24 donors. “My life was turned upside down by a terrifying home invasion,” Hoang says. “Armed intruders broke into our house, threatened us with guns, and stole our passports, phones, car keys, and cash. “They also destroyed our doors while we tried to protect ourselves.” His online appeal says he’s been left with no savings. He’s struggling to make ends meet while jobless and is facing urgent costs including flights and accommodation to replace passports, new car keys, and other damage not covered by insurance. “I am seeking help to cover these essential expenses and rebuild our sense of safety. “Currently, I am just trying to recover from the sudden lost [loss]. Every contribution, no matter the size, will help recover from this traumatic event and regain stability. “Thank you for your kindness and support during this challenging time.” Hoang says one member of the group was carrying what looked like a rifle. The home invaders broke through his bedroom door and demanded money from him, he says. They’re alleged to have stolen cash, paperwork, jewellery, a bank card and passports from the property. A police spokesperson says police are investigating an aggravated robbery at a Flat Bush property last week. “At around 9.45pm on January 2, four offenders gained entry to the property and demanded property from the occupants. “It has been reported that one of these offenders was in possession with what is believed to be a firearm. “Following this, the offenders have taken property and left the address in a vehicle. “Police are still working to establish the circumstances surrounding what has taken place at the address. “Anyone who saw or heard any suspicious activity in the area at the time are asked to contact police. “They can update us online now or call 105. Please use the reference number 250102/7094.” Information can also be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. The Times is published by Times Media, an independently-owned publishing company based in East Auckland, founded in 1972. Keep informed with the latest breaking news, sports, events & competitions. Our digital papers are emailed twice month on a Thursday. You can see how this popup was set up in our step-by-step guide: https://wppopupmaker.com/guides/auto-opening-announcement-popups/ Fire services have been fighting a dramatic garage blaze in East Auckland this afternoon. Fire and Emergency said they attended a fire at a Cockle Bay property at 1.50pm. Two fire trucks, a support vehicle and a fire investigator are at the scene, shift manager Lauren Sika said. Images from the scene show large plumes of black smoke pouring out of a cabin as firefighters target the blaze with hoses. No one has been harmed in the blaze, a source told the Herald. An Auckland grandmother is baffled and asking why a “punk-ass” targeted her home after it was sprayed with bullets in a drive-by shooting Three adults and a baby were in the home when it was targeted with some of the ammunition travelling through multiple rooms Whoever shot at the Haddon St home in Māngere East on Thursday night is still on the run and police investigations are ongoing. was sitting in the lounge watching the State of Origin with her daughter “It was close because I was sitting in that chair right there “It sounded like it was right outside the window I was just about to get up and actually open the curtain and see what was going on.” She initially thought the shots at her home were the sounds of firecrackers “[My daughter] grabbed the baby and took off and then I hit the deck I thought she might have seen something I didn’t see “Then when it was quiet I got up and I went into the room and I saw her and baby was crying and I said what’s the matter and she had heard the bullet come through the front door.” There are several bullet holes in windows and weatherboards, detectives placed at least 18 forensic markers where bullet casings were found on the roadway outside the address “I didn’t really know what a gunshot sounded like until then At least two of the bullets travelled the length of the house and into the backyard straight through the window and through the wardrobe into the back room “They must have driven up and just started firing at the front of the house.” The family left the home that night and were interviewed by police for three hours On the same night, a home in Onehunga was targeted by two masked gunmen who shot through a garage door I opened up the curtains and I was sitting here just watching cars pass,” the Māngere East grandmother said The woman said she’s still none the wiser as to why the drive-by shooting targeted her home I’m hoping they got the wrong house because I can’t see what connects that sort of behaviour here “[I told police] you can check all our backgrounds “We’ve been here for between 16 to 18 years and never had these heavy experiences “This is not what I know and that was the scary part She’s anxious to find out whether the attack on the home was a case of mistaken identity or a completely random attack “Why would you randomly attack people like that “I’ve swung between being scared to being angry now to having a bit of a laugh where she felt comfortable leaving her door unlocked for short periods and trusted her neighbours to look out for each other ever have thought I’d experience a drive-by shooting “I’m not giving up everything just because you want to be a little pr*ck and go past shooting up my house.” she wasn’t sure she would be able to feel safe again inside her home and I don’t want to be scared out of my house “Just because some punk-ass decided to try and shoot my house if I’m gonna die I’d just rather die in my own home Police have been approached for comment Jaime Lyth is a multimedia journalist for the New Zealand Herald Jaime began working under the NZ Herald masthead in 2021 as a reporter for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei