The state of emergency put in place due to flooding and storm damage has been lifted in Christchurch but will remain in place for Banks Peninsula Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said some problems remained in Banks Peninsula which needed to be monitored "We've still got a few issues with land movement and possible slips some of them may not come to light for another two or three days we're just keeping an eye on it," he said "We've got a wee issue also with a bit of sewage was overflowing because one of the pumps had a bit of problem but that's all been fixed so we're just monitoring that as well." Mauger said things had settled down in Christchurch there's still people who have got water in their backyard and stuff but we've got to remember the size of the event," he said all it needs is half a dozen high and low tides with no rain and that just quietly gets rid of it all." Lifting the state of emergency in Banks Peninsula would be assessed this week Christchurch remained in a state of emergency with the council saying there was still "some very saturated land" across the district but the state of emergency was lifted at 1pm In an update posted on the Christchurch City Council website on Saturday evening the council said there were still concerns about land stability and the potential for further slips despite fine weather helping to dry things out "The decision has been made not to lift the state of emergency for Christchurch and Banks Peninsula," it said The council said geotechnical engineers had been out checking on land damage with monitoring equipment now onsite at Lighthouse Road in Akaroa to monitor for land movement The majority of roads across Christchurch were now open. State Highway 75, which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region, reopened on Saturday afternoon but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed Roads still closed include Empire Road from Main North Road Lower Styx Road from number 980 to the lagoon Hendersons and Cashmere roads were affected by the managed release of water from the stormwater basins - and the council said Cashmere Road would hopefully reopen on Sunday Hendersons Road would remain closed for at least another couple of day as water was released into the Heathcote River the council was working to resolve issues with the wastewater system "Unfortunately our attempts to repair the main have not been successful," it said on Saturday evening the focus was on temporary pumping to limit discharge into the harbour Contractors would be onsite again on Sunday Akaroa residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Much of Canterbury has been inundated with flood water after days of heavy rainfall which residents say could have been mitigated Akaroa residents are being asked to reduce the demand on the wastewater system The Emergency Management Minister says officials are out checking on residents while further north Cook Strait ferries are sailing again Sea conditions prevented the earthworks from happening before the rain storm hit New Zealand RSS Follow RNZ News The original theatre, founded in 1971, was housed in the Arts Centre. A new location was found in Addington following the quake. Today, people queued to get a look at its brand new forever home, that cost $61 million to complete. The first reactions as people walked through the doors were all very positive. “It's beautiful. I’m really excited to see lots of shows here,” one theatregoer said. “It's just magical. It’s such a moment for the city," another added. The state of the art facility on Gloucester St houses two theatres – one large auditorium that seats 377, and a more intimate space that seats 150. One of Christchurch’s newest residents, days-old Elias, stopped by with his family to give it a once-over. "We thought we'd pop down and see the new opening, and I’m quite interested in architecture and was quite excited to see the building," his father said. Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger described the project as a turning point for the city. “Its return to the CBD is more than symbolic – it’s a celebration of what we can achieve when we work together," he said. With the opening of its new home, the theatre is expected to grow significantly. It currently produces 20 shows annually with a combined audience of 120,000. Court Theatre executive director Gretchen La Roche said the new building "represents a transformative moment for the city’s arts scene”. The first production in the new building, The End of the Golden Weather, opened last night. Artistic director Alison Walls called it symbolic and stirring. “It feels beautifully fitting we open our new home with this deeply personal national story." It's been 14 years since the theatre lost its home in the Arts Centre to the earthquake. (Source: 1News) Christchurch’s Court Theatre has made its grand return to the city, more than a decade after losing its home due to damage caused caused by the February 2011 earthquake. Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire Emergency services were called to Warrington Street in Mairehau at around 8.05am New Zealand Stowaway weka catches ride across Southern Alps The native bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite Chch students discover resilience helps young people deal with the challenges of life State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there were still a "couple of issues in Banks Peninsula that we need to keep an eye on" Little River locals question if some flooding could have been avoided The Banks Peninsula town was cut off after State Highway 75 was inundated by half a metre of water Environment Council defends management of Lake Ellesmere during storm Environment Canterbury is being criticised for its management of Lake Ellesmere Iwi boss to head new board for Taranaki Maunga 26 mins ago Kiwi motorcyclist killed in 11-bike British Supersport crash 41 mins ago National introduces members' bill to ban social media for under 16s 9:51am Three in hospital after Christchurch house fire 9:29am US states push for speed-limiting devices on the cars of dangerous drivers 9:20am Ten dead after tourist boats capsize in sudden storm in China 21 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? Stephen Stone’s son files complaint over Crown Solicitor’s statement 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 Christchurch’s Court Theatre has made its grand return to the city more than a decade after losing its home due to damage caused caused by the February 2011 earthquake A new location was found in Addington following the quake people queued to get a look at its brand new forever home The first reactions as people walked through the doors were all very positive I’m really excited to see lots of shows here,” one theatregoer said It’s such a moment for the city," another added The state of the art facility on Gloucester St houses two theatres – one large auditorium that seats 377 stopped by with his family to give it a once-over "We thought we'd pop down and see the new opening and I’m quite interested in architecture and was quite excited to see the building," his father said Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger described the project as a turning point for the city “Its return to the CBD is more than symbolic – it’s a celebration of what we can achieve when we work together," he said the theatre is expected to grow significantly It currently produces 20 shows annually with a combined audience of 120,000 Court Theatre executive director Gretchen La Roche said the new building "represents a transformative moment for the city’s arts scene” Artistic director Alison Walls called it symbolic and stirring A weka who travelled from the West Coast to Christchurch over the Alps has been returned home after his roadie adventure The endemic bird caught a ride after a couple left their car door open at their campsite in Buller Gorge while packing up from their Easter getaway The gear was split between campers Kim Ranger and her partner Ian's two vehicles hidden in dog blankets in Ian's ute despite multiple stops He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn’t notice the weka," Kim said I opened the back door of the Ranger to get something there it was in the rear passenger footwell what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?”  Kim said they contacted the after-hours vet SPCA and DOC but were told to care for the bird until morning Apart from setting off the car alarm at 7am and covering the inside of the ute with poo Kim said the weka didn't seem distressed after her last name and given its temporary home Ranger was collected by DOC and checked over at the South Island Wildlife Hospital where — apart from being slightly dehydrated — was in good health and was released back to the area from where it hitched a ride DOC Biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander said the episode was a reminder for people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping “There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn’t want to see them accidentally introduced here.”  we also had someone accidentally bring two wētā over from the West Coast in their wetsuits,” said Alexander If you find a native animal has snuck a ride somewhere it shouldn't be; contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next Twelve Year 10 students from Christchurch’s Hornby High School have just finished a two-week wilderness adventure as part of Project K The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs the 14-month programme which is designed to help young people deal with the challenges of life 1News were there as the group returned on mountain bikes They were given a rousing guard of honour by fellow students and showered in love and hugs by their families Tania Mulholland greeted her son Toby McLeish with a tight hug "It's been a really long two weeks without him," she said getting them to achieve things that they've never done before so I think it’s great," she said Kayla said she has learnt "to never give up and to keep trying" Felt like I just wanted to go home but I just pushed through The teens trekked through native bush and arduous terrain near Otira One student said the tasks brought out the best in each of them "You'll feel scared and lonely and down and you just need to push through because you can do this," they said The students were nominated by their teachers to take part Hornby High School principal Ian Murray said those who were chosen had the "best opportunity to grow resilience and character to help them through the challenges that some of them may have been facing at the time" Their final task was to deliver a speech about what they’ve learnt I pushed myself beyond my limits and realised I had more to me than I thought," Kayla told the audience The Graeme Dingle Foundation's general manager for the Canterbury region said they've seen students flourish after going through the programme “We've seen them from students that have got their shoulders down and their heads down chin up and just beaming that they've overcome some amazing obstacles," she said The Graeme Dingle Foundation supports 27,000 young people to undertake a similar journey of discovery each year The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on" "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region Most roads across Christchurch were now open Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours A temporary pump installed has now stopped wastewater entering Akaroa Harbour but residents were asked to continue to limit demand on the wastewater system Cleanup is underway in the Banks Peninsula town of Little River as angry locals are left to wonder if some of the flooding could have been avoided Little River was cut off until this afternoon after State Highway 75 was inundated with water aggrieved residents are questioning if its impact could have been lessened if the council had lowered the level of Lake Forsyth before the storm hit and it could have been avoided,” Little River Service Station worker Andy Davis said “Farmers did approach the council about opening the lake and that was back early or late last week and nothing had been done.” Davis is cleaning up after floodwater smashed the windows and upended freezers in the store it might have been the quakes and that could have broken the glass or it might have been the force of the water actually inside.” Rob McFarland was mopping the floor of the hotel after it flooded for the first time in 150 years “Obviously it’s quite a tragic event – a sea of water in here was the last thing we would have expected,” he said His daughter Sarah McFarland said because the lake was left high water coming down the mountain “had nowhere to go and came through the building” the head of Three Waters said the flooding would not have been mitigated by opening the lake “Flooding in Little River and surrounding areas is caused by issues higher up in the catchment and would not have been prevented by opening Lake Forsyth earlier,” Gavin Hutchison said Diggers opened the lake to the sea yesterday afternoon “We have to time this to coincide with the southerly swells dropping to ensure the channel stays open and has the intended impact and so we can ensure the safety of our staff and contractors when we carry out the work." “Having the lake open before the rain does help but it might help disperse some of the water,” she said she found her shop in 20-centimetre-deep water destroying a lot of her stock and leaving her with a huge cleanup “I’m not sure whether to close the doors and walk away.” The Canterbury Regional Council says there was an agreement to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea last Tuesday but sea conditions prevented it from happening before the rain storm hit with people in Selwyn telling RNZ they are frustrated the lake was not opened to the sea earlier Taumutu farmer Tim Sanson said there had been good warning that a fairly serious weather system was on the way He was expecting around 80 millimetres of rain but received more than 150mm on Thursday which was "a fairly significant chunk of rain in a short period of time" "That is a lot more than what we were expecting from the forecast but to get more than sort of two inches in one hit here Sanson said the decision-making around opening Lake Ellesmere was a long-running "bugbear" for many locals "It's a bit like having a bucket that's full of water and potentially we should be doing that with the lake with a bit more management," he said which required heavy machinery and hard work "It did seem crazy to me watching the bulldozers head down there at high tide I think it was yesterday morning or the morning before to start preparing for opening with the southerly roaring in," he said said he thought the lake should have been opened sooner He woke at 4am on Friday to find six inches of water through his home after a nearby creek overflowed "If the council had opened the lake last weekend when it was nice and sunny then there would have been far less room for the water to move to the lake and travel on its way out to the sea," he said also questioned why officials did not act earlier to open the lake before the heavy rain caused widespread flooding She said she struggled in vain to get officials to open Lake Ellesmere to help the rising floodwaters drain away on Thursday evening She rang the Christchurch City Council and the Canterbury Regional Council after she got home to find water lapping on neighbours' doors The regional council told her it was after hours to call again in the morning and that the lake's opening was out of staff hands Adams said her property was a disaster zone with a repair bill estimated to cost tens of thousands of dollars The council used diggers to create a channel between the lake and sea at certain times governed by a 1990 water conservation order and resource consents held jointly with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu ECan general manger of hazards Leigh Griffiths said consultation for a lake opening began on Monday and by Tuesday afternoon a joint decision had been made to open the lake "We can only open the lake once a joint decision has been made and the lake height reaches a minimum of 1.13m (from 1 April to 15 June) The lake conditions were not met until Tuesday 30 April," she said Griffiths said earthworks had begun to open the lake but in current sea conditions it would not be successful because the cut would fill in and it was unsafe for people to operate machinery in the surf zone "We are watching conditions closely and the lake will be opened to the sea as soon as weather and sea conditions allow This is likely several days away at the earliest," she said Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said he was confident officials had made the right call not to open Te Waihora/Lake Ellesmere to the sea earlier Mitchell met Environment Canterbury staff and mana whenua on Friday about the lake "It is very apparent there is a lot of work and focus on how they manage Lake Ellesmere and the fact that there was a request to put in to widen that access," he said "All the information that they had in relation to that was what informed their decisions and they're all united in the fact that they've done the right thing and they've made the right decisions and they've done what they could." Mitchell said he had full confidence in that decision but he was prepared to hear more about the community's concerns over the the lake's management rnz.co.nz 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 Kiwi motorcyclist Shane Richardson is one of two riders who died in an 11-bike crash at a British Supersport Championship event was fatally injured alongside Englishman Owen Jenner on the first corner of the race at Oulton Park A statement from British Superbikes said the race was immediately stopped and trackside medical services deployed "Due to the extreme severity of the incident and ongoing medical intervention the remainder of the Bennetts British Superbike Championship event was cancelled," a spokesperson said "This catastrophic accident has tragically resulted in two riders being fatally injured and another sustaining significant injuries." Richardson was initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit's medical centre before he was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital with "severe chest injuries" Jenner was also initially treated trackside and then taken to the circuit medical centre where he died from a "catastrophic head injury" British rider Tom Tunstall suffered back and abdominal injuries and a further five riders including New Zealander Morgan McLaren-Wood were transferred to the circuit medical centre with minor injuries which did not require transfer to hospital Three more riders were also involved but were uninjured who was a previous New Zealand rider of the year Cemetery Circuit in Wanganui posted to its social media in tribute to Richardson a fantastic and talented racer and a genuine human" "Devastated to hear we have lost another of our racing family Our thoughts are with Hannah and the family along with our condolences to Owen’s family too." Richardson's sponsor Whites Powersports said the team was "extremely saddened" by the news of his death "Shane will be remembered by many as a great racer Our thoughts go out to Shane’s young family and friends during this tough time The New Zealand Superbike Championship said its "deepest sympathies" went out to Richardson's family and friends We want to protect our kids from the harms of social media. That’s why today National has introduced a members bill to ban social media for kids under 16 years old. pic.twitter.com/TiQJs87DhQ A teenager who admitted being "addicted to speed" behind the wheel had totalled two other cars in the year before he slammed into a minivan at 180km/h in a Seattle suburb killing the driver and three of the five children she was transporting for a homeschool co-op After sentencing Chase Daniel Jones last month to more than 17 years in prison the judge tacked on a novel condition should he drive again: His vehicle must be equipped with a device that prevents accelerating far beyond the speed limit Virginia this year became the first state to agree to give its judges such a tool to deal with the most dangerous drivers on the road already is using it and similar measures await governors' signatures in Washington state and Georgia New York and California also could soon tap the GPS-based technology to help combat a recent national spike in traffic deaths "It's a horror no one should have to experience," said Amy Cohen who founded the victims' advocacy group Families for Safe Streets after her 12-year-old son was killed by a speeding driver in front of their New York home more than a decade ago the minivan driver who was killed when Jones ran a red light was building a backyard greenhouse with her husband to help educate several kids who shuttle between homes during the school day Also killed in the March 2024 crash near Hudson's home in Renton were Boyd "Buster" Brown and Eloise Wilcoxson Hudson's two children were sitting on the passenger side and survived "You always hear of these horrific accidents Smith knew Washington state Representative Mari Leavitt who reached out to offer condolences and tell him she was sponsoring legislation to mandate intelligent speed assistance devices as a condition for habitual speeders to get back their suspended licenses Leavitt predicts it will have an even more powerful impact than revoking driving privileges citing studies showing around three-quarters of people who lose their licenses get behind a wheel anyway the state saw a 200% increase in drivers cited for going at least 80km/h over the speed limit according to the Washington Traffic Safety Commission "I guess I don't understand why someone is compelled to want to drive that fast," Leavitt said "But if they choose to drive that fast with the speed limiter It's going to stop them in their tracks." which Washington legislators passed last month and Democratic Governor Bob Ferguson is expected to soon sign using the first letters of the names of the four victims: Buster didn't receive a speeding ticket in his two previous crashes he likely wouldn't have been required to use the speed-limiter ahead of the fatal one And because it could be 2029 before the law takes effect the judge's requirement at sentencing only applies to his time on probation after being released from prison Competing tech companies that joined forces to lobby for ignition interlock requirements for drunken drivers have been working in unison again the last few years to pitch intelligent speed assistance chief government affairs officer at one manufacturer said fleet vehicles including school buses in the nation's capital have been trying it out for years But it took a lot of refinement before the GPS technology could instantly recognize speed limit changes and compel vehicles with the devices installed to adjust accordingly "We've got a lot more satellites in the sky now," said Ken Denton a retired police officer who is the chief compliance officer at Cincinnati-based LifeSafer the devices would prevent cars from exceeding speed limits or whatever threshold regulators set An override button allows speeding in emergencies but states can decide whether to activate it and authorities would be alerted any time the button is pushed which beeps to alert drivers when they are going too fast is required for new cars in the European Union California Governor Gavin Newsom vetoed a similar proposal last year explaining vehicle safety requirements are set by the federal government and he was concerned a patchwork of state laws could stir confusion Before Delegate Patrick Hope agreed to sponsor the proposal in the Virginia Legislature he tried out the device in Nannini's car which was calibrated to not go more than 14km/h over the speed limit "That was my first question: Is it safe?" Hope said Hope is now pondering whether to install it on the cars of his three children the price could be hefty: US$4 (NZ$6.70) per day and a US$100 (NZz$167.50) installation fee The fee would be less for low-income offenders which provides support services to the loved ones of crash victims knows firsthand the kind of impact slowing down speeders can make A year after her son was struck and killed in front of their New York apartment the road's speed limit had been lowered "When you are going a few miles slower it's much less likely to be deadly." Four boats capsized in a sudden storm at a tourist spot in southwestern China More than 80 people fell into a river when strong winds hit the scenic area in Guizhou province late Sunday afternoon The boats capsized after a sudden rain and hail storm on the upper reaches of the Wu River a man could be seen performing CPR on another person while one of the vessels drifted upside down Initial reports said two tourist boats had capsized but state media said on Monday that four boats were involved and the seven crew members were able to save themselves Guizhou's mountains and rivers are a major tourism draw and many Chinese were travelling during a five-day national holiday that ended Monday Chinese President Xi Jinping called for all-out efforts to find the missing and care for the injured the official Xinhua News Agency said on Sunday Xi underscored the importance of strengthening safety at tourist attractions large public venues and residential communities as well as for the rush of people returning at the end of major holidays CCTV said the capsized boats had a maximum capacity of about 40 people each and were not overloaded An eyewitness told state-owned Beijing News the waters were deep but that some people had managed to swim to safety the storm had come suddenly and a thick mist obscured the surface of the river 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 A person has died following a crash on Auckland's south-western motorway this morning The single vehicle crash was reported to police shortly before 5am the sole occupant of this vehicle died at the scene," a police spokesperson said "Earlier closures of northbound lanes have now lifted and police advise motorists to continue to expect delays as earlier backlogs clear "We appreciate motorists' understanding this morning while emergency services carried out their work." Police said the serious crash unit examined the scene this morning and an investigation was underway into this morning's crash on behalf of the Coroner This is in addition to an earlier crash on Auckland's northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge Emergency services responded to a two-truck collision on the northern motorway near the Auckland Harbour Bridge shortly after 5am New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said all lanes south on State Highway 1 were open again following this earlier crash with five lanes available on the Harbour Bridge "Allow extra time for delays on the Northern Motorway to slowly ease this morning three lanes going south were now open again between Onewa Rd and the Harbour Bridge," NZTA said Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese's landslide win at the weekend following Canadian Prime Minister's Mark Carney's victory less than a week before should indicate to our politicians that the New Zealand "Trump trend" of 2024 may have peaked Trying to capitalise on the electoral success of US President Donald Trump now that his policies are having real-world effects is proving to be a big mistake for conservative leaders Australian voters have delivered a landslide win for the incumbent Labor Party returning Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for a second term with a clear majority of seats When he said in his victory speech that Australians had “voted for Australian values” an unspoken message was that they’d firmly rejected Trumpian values opposition and Liberal Party leader Peter Dutton had such a bad election he lost his own seat While not the only reason for his electoral demise Dutton’s adoption of themes associated with Trump backfired Opinion polls were projecting Dutton’s Coalition to win and exceeded expectations in the election itself the Liberals were “reduced to a right-wing populist party that is all but exiled from the biggest cities” Commentators identified a number of reasons including his “culture wars” and being depicted by Labor as “Trump-lite” Following a Trumpian pathway turned out to be a strategic blunder And Dutton’s downfall mirrors Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre’s defeat in Canada’s election on April 28 Canada’s incumbent centre-left Liberals were heading for defeat to the Conservatives But there were two gamechangers: the Liberals switched leaders from Justin Trudeau to Mark Carney and Trump caused a national uproar with his aggressive tariffs and his call for Canada to become the 51st US state Pre-election opinion polls then did a dramatic flip in favour of the Liberals who went on to win their fourth election in a row Poilievre’s campaign had adopted elements of the Trump style such as attacking “wokeness” and using derogatory nicknames for opponents His strategy failed as soon as Trump rolled out “America First” policies contrary to Canadians’ economic interests and national pride The takeaway for serious right-wing leaders in liberal democracies is clear: let Trump do Trump; his brand is toxic Trump’s actions are harming America’s allies affirmative action and climate change have seen voters outside the US react with self-protective patriotism A perceived association with Trump’s brand has now upended the electoral fortunes of (so far) two centre-right parties that had been in line to win and had been banking on the 2024 MAGA success somehow rubbing off on them what has been dubbed the “Trump slump” isn’t a universal trend the centre-left Social Democratic-led government was ousted in February in spite of Trump ally Elon Musk’s unhelpful support for the far-right anti-immigrant Alternative for Germany (AfD) party the populist Reform UK party has risen above 25% while Labour has fallen from 34% in last year’s election to the low 20s in recent polls But other governing centre-left parties are seeing an upside of the Trump effect In early January it looked like the incumbent Labour Party would be trounced by the Conservatives and the right-wing Progress Party Opinion polls dramatically flipped in early February boosting Labour from below 20% back into the lead Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre will get another term in office Denmark’s governing Social Democrats have enjoyed a small polling boost since Trump declared he’d like to take Greenland off their hands The common denominator underlying these shifts to the left seems to be the Trump effect Voters in countries normally closely allied with the US are turning away from Trump-adjacent politicians people are rallying patriotically around centre-left Trump is harming leaders who could have been his allies the man himself seemed proud of the impact he had in Canada polls in mid-2024 showed support for Trump was growing – heading well above 20% Australia’s election suggests that trend may now be past its peak with debate over ACT’s contentious Treaty Principles Bill behind it and despite NZ First leader Winston Peters’ overt culture-war rhetoric (which may appeal to his 6% support base) the right-wing coalition government’s polling shows it could be on track for a second term – for the time being While the Trump effect may have benefited centre-left parties in Australia and Canada polling for New Zealand’s Labour opposition is softer than at the start of the year While “America First” policies continue to damage the global economy centre-right leaders who learn the lesson will quietly distance themselves from the Trump brand while maintaining cordial relations with the White House could do worse than follow Anthony Albanese’s example of not getting distracted by “Trump-lite” and instead promoting his own country’s values of fairness and mutual respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUGWB5HTRVGGNP5PFWDLBH7SXM","content":"Grant Duncan is a teaching fellow in Politics and International Relations This story is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons licence ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMPLRKQ2NRDPZOPKHPADSUD4UE","content":" The son of Stephen Stone has filed a Law Society complaint against the Auckland Crown Solicitor alleging she misled the court with her statement about the lack of evidence to retry his father who was acquitted of double murder last week said Alysha McClintock’s statement had caused "significant harm" to his father and family by “perpetuating a myth” the Crown case was dropped because witnesses were unavailable Stephen Stone spent more than 26 years wrongfully imprisoned for the 1989 murders of Deane Fuller-Sandys and Leah Stephens the Crown admitted he and three others convicted in connection with the crime suffered a miscarriage of justice The Court of Appeal accepted a police failure to disclose two key documents led to the miscarriage Stone’s convictions were quashed in October and a retrial ordered Known as the "Larnoch Road Four" their convictions relied heavily on four eyewitnesses who were given immunity from prosecution and name suppression McClintock told the High Court in Auckland one of the key reasons a retrial couldn’t go ahead was because three of the four witnesses were "no longer available through a combination of the consequences of the appeal decision death and witnesses no longer being in New Zealand" The Evidence Act sets out scenarios where a witness is considered unavailable These include if the person is dead; outside of New Zealand and it’s not reasonably practicable for them to be a witness; they are unfit to be a witness; or they cannot be compelled to give evidence Daniel Stone acknowledged one witness was dead and one was in Australia he claimed that it was not correct to say three witnesses were no longer available the others were “wholly unreliable” witnesses and the Crown’s statement was: “Designed to publicly spin the position in favour of the prosecution in an inappropriate abuse of the Crown's role.” During the Court of Appeal hearing in August the court heard the two non-recanting witnesses had changed their stories significantly multiple times and how bodies were disposed of,” Stephen Stone’s lawyer Annabel Maxwell-Scott told the court The Court of Appeal declined to rule their evidence inadmissible “The fact Mr X and Mr Y each made a number of startling contradictory statements to the police was before both juries in the earlier trial,” the judgement said McClintock said there was no longer enough evidence to prove charges against Stone beyond a reasonable double – referring to additional ESR testing on samples collected by police at the time which had not produced any results of significance; and Stone’s admissions of murder to get parole did not provide a basis for prosecution said outside the court on Wednesday that the Crown’s statement was “incredibly frustrating” “There is no acknowledgement of their own role in these miscarriages of justice and they gave the distinct impression that they believe Stephen has done something — and that's outrageous in my view." McClintock told 1News: "It is not appropriate for me to engage in debate about the reasons for my decision or the content of the statement through the media." Attorney-General Judith Collins’ office said: "It is not appropriate for the Attorney-General to comment about what has been said in Court by a prosecutor about a particular criminal prosecution." Stephen Stone’s acquittal was handled very differently to the acquittal of Alan Hall – another high-profile miscarriage of justice case the Crown and court acknowledged the miscarriage "We cannot end this judgment without acknowledging that just as the criminal justice system has failed Mr Hall so too has it failed the Easton family," said the 2022 judgment Alan Hall was declared innocent in 2023 and received nearly $5 million compensation for 19 years wrongful imprisonment 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 Lorde was seen wearing a white shirt and jeans while walking through New York City I gave you everything/Now we wake from a dream What was that?” she sings over a synth beat It was the first sign of a follow up to Lorde's previous album Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger has marked the council 10-out-of-10 for its handling of last week's storm although he concedes Little River residents will not be offering glowing reviews Canterbury's Banks Peninsula would remain in a state of emergency until at least Wednesday The emergency was declared for all of Christchurch and the neighbouring Selwyn district on Thursday, after a deluge of persistent rain, but it was lifted in Christchurch city on Sunday and Selwyn on Friday Mauger said no homes were yellow or red-stickered in Christchurch or Banks Peninsula but four homes were evacuated in Akaroa as a precaution Homes and businesses in Little River were swamped by floodwater on Thursday as more than 200mm of rain fell on the peninsula Little River residents were critical of the council, saying if Lake Forsyth had been opened to the ocean earlier The lake was opened on Friday evening and residents said flooding drained from the settlement as if a plug had been pulled from a bath tub 10 out of 10 - it worked really well," Mauger told RNZ when asked to rate the Christchurch City Council's handling of the event acknowledging not opening Lake Forsyth earlier had "caused grief" over there is totally different and they'll go he doesn't know what he's talking about'," Mauger said "ECan and Selwyn have got a good system for opening Lake Ellesmere we don't seem to have the same joined-up approach and I feel we should listen more to locals It hadn't reached the level that we're allowed to open it." Water was approaching the level to trigger the consent before the heavy rainfall arrived on Wednesday and the council had planned to open it on Saturday Mauger said he understood how frustrating that situation was for residents "We've got to look at a better system to make sure that stuff doesn't happen again," he said The council would investigate options to ensure the process ran smoother in future and Mauger was keen to explore the possibility of a mechanical solution as the lake currently had to be opened manually by excavators The council said all roads were now open around the city which was affected by the managed release of stormwater from basins Most roads on Banks Peninsula were also now open or about to open except Bossu Road from #220 to Lands End Road The slip at Lighthouse Road was being monitored regularly "Visual assessments of the road cracks suggests some movement is still occurring "We need several days' worth of information to establish what's happening with the land before we can make a decision about when residents can return to their properties and how access might be restored and potential options to manage this slip in the short and long term." ECan officials are continuing to defend decisions made around when to empty a lake into the sea which some say could have prevented flooding if done earlier The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted in Christchurch but it remains in place for Banks Peninsula but local councils warn that storm damage repairs could take weeks An inquest into the death of Nigel Bom has been told about a incident in which he was held captive and accused of stealing a car The 37-year-old died in Christchurch in 2021 the witness was contacted and told Bom was being held captive by people who thought he had stolen a car The witness went to Bom's housing complex where Bom was being held in a car He removed Bom from the car and punched the person he believed was responsible for stealing the car Bom later told the witness the person he had punched was mad at Bom for talking to the witness about allegedly stealing the car The witness said he knew Bom was a heavy cannabis user and he said Bom had also asked him for methamphetamine Bom told him he was being forced to use intravenous drugs by people who lived in his housing complex The witness said he saw needle marks on Bom's arms He did not ask what type of drugs were being used The witness said Bom had epilepsy and would often have severe epileptic fits which at times resulted in him receiving hospital care He described Bom thrashing around and foaming at the mouth who saw Bom most days and was accused of supplying him with drugs said she was not concerned when she didn't hear from him for five days before he was found dead said she last saw Bom alive on 24 March 2021 The witness was asked by the counsel assisting the coroner whether she was concerned for his welfare when she did not see him for five days Two other associates gave statements saying they raised concerns with the witness when Bom had not been seen or answered his door for several days The witness said she was not concerned because while Bom would often visit her there were other times when she would not see him for sometime and there were times when he would not answer his door to visitors Van Dam said there was evidence from others who claimed she had been supplying Bom with methamphetamine and selling prescription drugs on his behalf smoking hash by age 12 and having a period in which he drank a lot of alcohol In a statement to police following Bom's death the witness said she did not think Bom had dabbled in drugs but on the witness stand on Monday she admitted she knew he smoked cannabis and Bom felt methamphetamine helped with his epilepsy The inquest was set down for five days and will continue on Tuesday A man tortured as a child at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital is taking the Crown to court The bus driver has been charged with assault and made their first appearance in court last week The Chiefs are hopeful Damian McKenzie will be back for this weekend’s crunch top of the table Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific clash with the Crusaders in Christchurch Their star All Blacks play maker was absent as they were humbled by the Hurricanes in Wellington yesterday going scoreless in the second half in a 35-17 defeat McKenzie also missed the Chiefs’ previous outing – a 56-22 win over the Western Force in Mount Maunganui on Anzac Day – while sidelined with a minor hand injury The Chiefs’ loss to the Hurricanes didn’t knock them out of top spot but they have stayed level on points with the Crusaders who now have a game in hand after having the bye this past weekend While their superior points difference (+120 to +96) gives them the edge at present the Chiefs will need a win at Apollo Projects Stadium on Saturday to stay there Coach Clayton McMillan says everything's tracking in the direction that he should be available but they won't count their chickens before they hatch The Crusaders play the Chiefs at 7.05pm Saturday the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua host the Blues at 7.05pm Friday the Waratahs play the Reds at 9.35pm Friday the Force meet the Brumbies at 9.35pm Saturday Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations Copyright © 2025 Communications Fiji Limited FM96 Legend FM Viti FM Navtarang Radio Sargam PNG Haus Bung Yumi FM Nau FM Legend FM Facebook TikTok Instagram X YouTube Threads The long-awaited new home for Christchurch's Court Theatre has officially opened its doors in the central city 14 years after the devastating quakes that drove it out of the Arts Centre People turned up in droves on Sunday to get a first look inside the new $61 million playhouse on the corner of Colombo and Gloucester Streets The theatre had been in temporary lodgings in a shed in Addington since the 2011 earthquake The new space featured a 377-seat main auditorium and a second 120-150-seat studio theatre Incoming Court Theatre chief executive Richard Aindow said it was a significant day for Christchurch "I'm feeling excited about the future of the Court Theatre This space is very different from the one that the company was in for 14 years in Addington it's a purpose-built home the first one in 54 years," he said "There's so many spaces here that can be used so much potential to bring the community in to do new things just in the centre of the city a brand new home - it's exciting." Te Pūtahi Centre for Architecture & City Making director Jessica Halliday said she expected thousands of people through the Court Theatre's doors on Sunday as part of the Open Christchurch festival "This is an incredibly high quality work of architecture.. I'm thrilled when we build really beautiful purposeful meaningful buildings in Aotearoa I think sometimes we cheapen things and this is not cheapening things this is a brilliant place and it's going to be wonderful for anyone who loves theatre," she said Liz Angelo-Roxborough said she lived in the Arts Centre for about 10 years where the Court Theatre was previously based and travelled from Dunedin for the opening of the new building It's in a wonderful central position across from the library and near Te Pae I think Christchurch is well-known for its love of the arts and it needs this support," she said Court Theatre board chair Steve Wakefield said the building would be a fantastic resource for the arts in Christchurch "A theatre is a very complicated building and you design it from the inside out We wanted it to be open to the community and to make sure that connection between the actors on the stage and the audience in the seats is as close and as intimate as possible and that's an important part of creating theatre and making it successful," he said our wonderful Scared Scriptless comedy show that's been running for many years." The Court Theatre's opening season in the new venue begins with Bruce Mason's The End of the Golden Weather The show is directed by Lara Macgregor and stars New Zealand actor Sir Ian Mune as the narrator The End of the Golden Weather is a coming of age story imbrued with nostalgia for a New Zealand childhood summer spent at the beach That idyll plays out as the realities of the outside world and approaching adulthood start to seep in Culture 101 spoke with Sir Ian Mune during rehearsals last week and began with a reading of the play's famous opening scene setter and what Christchurch has done is they have secured this theatre there will always be a professional theatre in Christchurch Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday One of Christchurch's major anchor projects post-quake is on track to open in 2024 Christchurch's Court Theatre has outlived all the other first professional theatres set up on New Zealand It proudly celebrates its 50th birthday on the 21st of April After months of delays the Court Theatre is named as the priority development for the Christchurch's new performing arts precinct but one theatre producer says the decision is a 'big mistake.' Video The Graeme Dingle Foundation runs the 14-month programme which is designed to help young people deal with the challenges of life. 1News were there as the group returned on mountain bikes, in torrential rain, from the final leg of their journey. They were given a rousing guard of honour by fellow students, and showered in love and hugs by their families. The tears flowed freely. Tania Mulholland greeted her son Toby McLeish with a tight hug. "It's been a really long two weeks without him," she said, becoming emotional. "Very glad he's home. Very proud. Very proud." Kayla Davison was given a similar welcome. Her grandmother, Heather Davison, expressed her pride. "I think it’s like more resilience, getting them to achieve things that they've never done before so I think it’s great," she said. The teenagers are proud of themselves too. Kayla said she has learnt "to never give up and to keep trying". "The tramping was kind of wet, cold. Felt like I just wanted to go home but I just pushed through. It was really worth it." The teens trekked through native bush and arduous terrain near Otira, in the central South Island, kayaking, abseiling and camping as well. One student said the tasks brought out the best in each of them. "You'll feel scared and lonely and down and you just need to push through because you can do this," they said. The students were nominated by their teachers to take part. Hornby High School principal Ian Murray said those who were chosen had the "best opportunity to grow resilience and character, to help them through the challenges that some of them may have been facing at the time". Their final task was to deliver a speech about what they’ve learnt. “On Project K, I pushed myself beyond my limits and realised I had more to me than I thought," Kayla told the audience. The Graeme Dingle Foundation's general manager for the Canterbury region, Sian Neary, said they've seen students flourish after going through the programme. “We've seen them from students that have got their shoulders down and their heads down, looking at the ground, to shoulders up, chin up and just beaming that they've overcome some amazing obstacles," she said. The Graeme Dingle Foundation supports 27,000 young people to undertake a similar journey of discovery each year. The 14-month programme, Project K, helps young people deal with the challenges of life. (Source: 1News) Twelve Year 10 students from Christchurch’s Hornby High School have just finished a two-week wilderness adventure as part of Project K. Hornby High School students on a two-week wilderness adventure. (Source: 1News) Two men's shared name brings years of trouble and a hefty bill to one but one has spent years breaking the law while the other just pays a steep price for sharing his name Crime and Justice Destiny Church to move out of its South Auckland headquarters the building was extensively renovated with funding sourced from the sale of its Mount Wellington site and a $1000 tithe from Destiny Church members Business Lake Alice survivor legally challenges Crown redress Malcolm Richards was 15 when he went to Lake Alice and said he still lived with the impacts of being drugged Christchurch's Court Theatre makes grand return to the CBD It's been 14 years since the theatre lost its home in the Arts Centre to the earthquake 42 mins ago A Flaxmere man tortured as a child at the Lake Alice Psychiatric Hospital is taking the Crown to court Malcolm Richards will file a claim in the High Court at Wellington later this morning seeking a judicial review of Cabinet's redress decision Those tortured at the Manawatū psychiatric facility had until last week to choose a rapid payment of $150,000 or head to arbitration The redress scheme only applies to survivors who are still alive that had been subjected to electric shocks and/or paraldehyde injections but Richards has refused the redress on principle "No way I'm taking part in it because it's not legal We can't allow the perpetrator of this crime Richards was 15-years-old when he went to Lake Alice and said he still lived with the impacts of being drugged He was the second survivor to successfully argue his case at the United Nations committee that urged the New Zealand government to compensate him Richards believes December's redress package breaches Article 14 of the United Nations' Torture Convention This article states each country must ensure in its legal system that victims of torture obtain redress and have an enforceable right to fair and adequate compensation including the means for as full a rehabilitation as possible It also states that if a victim of torture dies their dependants are entitled to compensation Richards' lawyer Chris Griggs said Cabinet's redress decision hasn't been legislated excludes survivors who were tortured by means other than shocks and injections and provides ex-gratia compensation that can't be enforced or effectively challenged in court New Zealand ratified the Convention against Torture in 1989 but with a reservation that the government reserves the right to award compensation to torture victims only at the discretion of the Attorney-General of New Zealand The government has said New Zealand is the first country in the world to acknowledge torture of children and provide compensation to recognise their suffering Griggs said the case was a simple one that boiled down to the government needing to comply with international human rights laws "A lot of survivors are telling me what's happening is like a serious crime has been committed by the government so the government goes into a room with the victim and tells them this is what the penalty will be and no correspondence will be entered into Griggs said he would be asking the court to essentially "quash" Cabinet's decision and declare the government needed to comply with international minimum standards While the United Nations didn't have any teeth by way of enforcing these standards Griggs said it was New Zealand's reputation on the line "New Zealand holds itself out to be a champion of human rights We're the first country to speak out on breaches of human rights standards overseas We don't comply with the International minimum standards for remedying torture." "I have heard stories of children being lined up against a wall with their backs to the staff and having syringes full of paraldehyde thrown at their bottoms like a dartboard New Zealand must live up to what happened and the only way we can do that is by complying with the international minimum standards laid down by the Torture Convention." Griggs has drafted a bill to set up an independent tribunal to assess torture claims and compensation and says there's already precedent for this type of arrangement "You might remember many years ago we had a big problem in New Zealand with leaky buildings so the government set up the water weathertight homes tribunal to deal with that problem "Here we have a situation where the government has tortured a whole bunch of New Zealanders over a number of years and international law requires there to be an equivalent process "All we're saying is just treat the survivors of Lake Alice and the other institutions in New Zealand where people have been tortured in the same way you've treated people who've had problems with the weather tightness of their homes Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report no amount of money could make up for what survivors endured "Their stories of abuse were harrowing and heartbreaking Obviously the UN made a determination on Lake Alice quite rightly around torture we've worked hard to make sure we've put in place a redress system to make sure people are compensated for that no amount of money frankly makes up for what survivors have endured." The government's focus was on making sure it acknowledged and formally apologised supported survivors with a better redress system and prevent abuse through improving the operating practices of key government agencies Richards has taken up woodworking in his shed as a means of coping with stress and trauma "It's just what I found that I can lose myself in and when things become too much I just go out to my shed and start cutting out stuff and making stuff." He does not see the point in taking the rapid payment that has been offered by the Crown "[The Minister responsible Erica Stanford] rang me before she made that announcement and I told her no way I'm taking part in it because it's not legal to set their own sentence," Richards said "What's the point of taking $150,000 and living with this.. it gets so much for me that I've gotta go out and lock myself in the shed away from my family." Richards said he had been trying to access support through ACC for special items like screwing teeth — normal dentures give him flashbacks to being gagged at Lake Alice — and a phone plan — he is forgetful and uses his phone to remind him about appointments and medications But challenging the Crown's redress was about more than just money "There's more to this than $150,000 cash The investigation is the most important thing." The Lake Alice redress scheme is separate from Cabinet decisions about the wider redress system for those abused in state care rnz.co.nz A weka nicknamed Ranger has been returned to the West Coast after climbing into a ute and hitching a 300 kilometre ride to Christchurch The Department of Conservation says it is a reminder to people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping or in the outdoors after two wētā recently made a similar trip inside a wetsuit and also had to be returned to the West Coast Kim Ranger and her partner Ian stopped at Berlins campsite near Inangahua over Easter weekend where it is thought the weka took advantage of an open door and climbed into their ute hiding among dog blankets while they were packing up Ranger said Ian then drove home without realised he had a feathered stowaway in the back He got home to Christchurch and hopped out and didn't notice the weka," she said she opened the rear door of the ute and saw the weka in the footwell "I couldn't stop laughing and then I came the realisation what on earth do you do with a weka in Christchurch?" given its temporary home in their ute and her last name who all advised them to leave it in the ute and wait until the next morning "The weka didn't show any signs of being distressed when you opened the door he just stood on the centre console and pooped - though he did set off the car alarm at 7 in the morning The inside of the ute was literally covered in weka poop." DOC staff took the weka to the South Island Wildlife Hospital in Christchurch for a check up DOC biodiversity supervisor Craig Alexander said it was a reminder to people to check their vehicles for any wildlife when camping or in the outdoors "We were able to get [the weka] back over to the West Coast in a small carrier cage on a bus and it was released near the area it had hitched a ride from "There are no wild weka in Christchurch so we wouldn't want to see them accidentally introduced here It's a good reminder for people to be mindful about unintentionally transporting animals in their equipment." Alexander said the two wētā accidentally brought to Christchurch inside a wetsuit from the West Coast were also taken back to the coast for release they're doing it tough because of things like introduced predators and habitat loss We don't want to accidentally introduce new species - even native ones - into places they don't belong as they could have unexpected impacts on our ecosystems." He said anyone who found a native animal that had hitched a ride somewhere it should not have should contact DOC on 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) for advice on what to do next The owner of Gentle Annie Seaside Accommodation and Camping Ground in Mokihinui said his dad was mowing the lawn when he saw the weka DOC gave a written warning to Race to Survive: New Zealand after contestants ate a protected bird But concerns and confusion remain about how the birds found their way to the town of Manaia in the first place The Department of Conservation is worried the voracious forager's reappearance could threaten recovering ecosystems in the province Homes have been evacuated tonight in Christchurch because of landslides after torrential rain sparked widespread flooding And a rare red wind warning in Wellington has been downgraded tonight but residents remain on alert for high tide amid fears of coastal inundation Some residents in the capital have been urged to self-evacuate as monster waves pound the city’s south coast Severe winds of up to 150km/h have smashed Wellington today closing roads and sparking more than 100 emergency callouts With high tide expected about 8pm increasing the risk of coastal inundation Wellington City Council said some residents are advised to leave their homes and seek safety “Wellington City Council is strongly advising residents of the south coast to consider staying somewhere else tonight if possible please be aware you may not be able to access your property by vehicle after 5.30pm tonight.” Christchurch has been placed under a state of emergency after torrential rain triggered widespread flooding with some people rescued from water-logged cars The announcement was made by Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell who travelled to Canterbury this afternoon to survey the damage A local state of emergency has also been declared for the Selwyn district MetService upgraded Wellington’s wind warning to a rare red level with destructive gales and a threat to life from flying items and falling trees “Stay indoors or seek sturdy shelter away from trees Be ready for power and communication outages.” This was later downgraded with an orange strong wind warning and heavy rain warning currently in place Flights have been cancelled for the rest of the day at Wellington Airport with warnings of more wild weather and further disruptions in coming days Follow the latest updates from the wild weather in our blog below Sign up to The Daily H a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Workplace Relations Minister to make 'major' workplace relations announcement 8th) Wheeler Motor Company Canterbury Rams (7-2 The Sharks have taken three straight to swim into the thick of the chase for the postseason and welcome a Rams squad whose best has been a level above even if that level has only been intermittently achieved Will the Sharks take down the back-to-back defending champs or will the Rams swim safely in the shark tank Purchase Tickets Here The Sharks last took the court 8 days ago as the welcomed a Giants squad that was desperately seeking its first win that featured a new look front line in Callum McRae (14pts But that impact didn't slow down a hot shooting Sharks unit that hit 13 triples (to the Giants 5) with 3 apiece between Tukaha Cooper (17pts 5ast) imprinting himself on the game once again the Sharks would overwhelm the Giants as the stormed to a 97-76 victory The Rams were ready but unable to get out of the starting blocks earlier in the week due to the postponement of their last scheduled match against the Panthers But prior to that Auckland welcomed Canterbury to the Sanctuary as they looked to exact some regular season revenge on the team that had taken the championship out of their hands the previous two seasons But it was the Rams who played like they were looking for vengeance as they put on a clinic in Auckland and dominated the Tuatara scoring a league season high 131 points to claim a 53 point victory 9rbs) and Sean MacDonald (31pts) leading the scoring as the Rams dominated for all 40 minutes The Sharks have developed into an efficient offense that is lifted by pinpoint accurate three point shooting led by Keylan Boone (21.3ppg That space outside often gets created by Josiah Allick's (22.3ppg but that will be a much more difficult task for him against a full strength Rams front line 4.5rpg) has been a key performer down the stretch of games in recent wins but will need to be tempered with possession against a tough Rams D The Rams have been rotating through their depth of late allowing a full court defensive effort to be unleashed on opponents while operating on high speed offensively That offense is spearheaded by Taylor Britt (18ppg 6.8apg) and Sean MacDonald (23.5ppg) who can find their way to the rim but possibly more dangerous off the jump shot 8.7rpg) have been a rugged combo who stretch defenses with their range and are backed up by  C.J 5.7rpg) can matchup anywhere defensively and there is a ton of depth with the Isaac brothers (Kaia 10.7ppg Matchup to Watch: Keylan Boone v Walter Brown - Boone had been on a tear offensively hitting 20 points or more in 5 straight game before dropping 15 last time out but when hot he lifts the Sharks to another level Brown could be the perfect foil for his skillset speed and strength to make scoring difficult all advanced stats courtesy of spatialjam.com Creative director Dixon Nacey encourages aspiring young artists to audition for the iconic show saying “It’s a great opportunity to be part of a show that has helped to fast-track the careers of many successful Kiwi entertainers and given thousands of talented young performers the chance to work with and learn from some of the country’s best.” Motivated performers are encouraged to apply online to audition Successful applicants will be invited to attend the audition workshops being held next month in Auckland and Christchurch So, if you, or someone you know, have what it takes to share the spotlight with some of New Zealand’s biggest stars, check out Christmas in the Park and click on AUDITIONS for more information Caption: Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park 2024 at the Auckland Domain Editor’s Note – Coca-Cola Christmas in the Park will be held in Hagley Park Christchurch on Saturday 29 November and at the Auckland Domain on Saturday 13 December For more information or to arrange interviews or photo opportunities, please contact Deborah Delaney on 021 480 961 or deborah@dgaltd.co.nz You are not permitted to download, save or email this image. Visit image gallery to purchase the image The Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board held a workshop to come up with an updated design for the changes along Glandovey and Idris Rds Board chair Jason Middlemiss said the workshop had been productive and Christchurch City Council staff had listened to residents' concerns regarding the cycleways and the inclusion of more trees “The decision is practical and a really good option The result we have landed is close to the best option “The loss of on-street parking and the practicality trade-off for local residents was not there and the cycleways were not going anywhere Middlemiss said the community board had let the decision on transport improvements sit on the table after mixed feedback from submissions at the August 12 meeting for the original scheme design cycle lanes were to run along both sides of the roads and five new pedestrian refuges – three on Glandovey Rd and two on Idris Rd – would be created The pedestrian refuges would serve to “disincentivise” large vehicles using the roads Forty-nine submitters had expressed negative views on the proposal to remove the on-street parking Middlemiss said an option to look at was doing the improvements in stages with $850,000 available for the budget of $1.1 million from the city council transport budget “There is an option of Glandovey as stage one and Idris as stage two and defer that till we have money in the next annual plan.” Included in the updated plan was for six to nine trees to be planted as part of beautifying the area Middlemiss said it was difficult to get trees in but community feedback was for more trees as part of the design He estimated the updated layout would be available to the community board in eight to 12 weeks hopefully we get it back before the end of our term so we can get it over the line – we do not want it drag out till Christmas A police officer was unjustified in pushing a protester during a pro-Palestine protest in Christchurch last year the Independent Police Conduct Authority has found It happened during a fracas between police and protesters in which another protester was arrested outside an eatery where National MPs were dining They were in the city for a caucus retreat a two-day strategy and team-building exercise that kicked off the beginning of the political year in 2024 when they used buses to leave the area at the conclusion of their function An Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) investigation found a number of protesters ran out in front of the buses and blocked the road as the buses left Police warned the protesters to get off the road Videos shared of the protest showed police engaging with the protesters which included members of the Palestine Solidarity Network Christchurch Another video showed protesters shouting “shame on you” as MPs filed into a bus to leave a restaurant where they had been dining A protester ran across a pedestrian crossing and remained in front of one of the buses pulling them off the road and restraining them using a headlock the officers escorted the protester to a patrol car the protest group started to surround and follow the arresting officers and the handcuffed protester Police then formed a line to separate the two groups with officers having to push protesters back Once the arrested protester arrived at the patrol car they were advised that they would receive a formal warning before being released without charge to their home address The police investigation found that the arrest of the protester was lawful and that the officers’ use of force in restraining them was reasonable and justified Police identified that there were no grounds to issue a formal warning in the circumstances with no warning ultimately being given to the protester The IPCA found that the police investigation was conducted appropriately and agreed with the findings In balancing the rights of the protester and of those who were obstructed on the road the authority found that it was reasonable for officers to effect an arrest after issuing the necessary verbal warning The protester offered some resistance when arrested for which the use of the headlock was not unreasonable or excessive in the circumstances Police agreed with the authority that one instance of an officer pushing another protester back from the police line was unjustified The push did not warrant a criminal charge however police carried out a confidential employment process in respect of the officer The authority was satisfied with the process undertaken by police and agreed with the outcome reached National Deputy Leader Nicola Willis, at the time of the protest, said she respected the protesters’ right to protest. “All New Zealanders have a right to protest and we respect that right, as long as it is done peacefully.” She said it was for the “police to judge” whether the incident was peaceful. “They were there to ensure everyone was kept safe and I think everyone was.” Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gatherings. (@gatheringschch) A tour of the best and brightest of Ōtautahi Christchurch’s dining scene All the recommendations that follow are my personal favourites, but if I had to pick somewhere unmissable it would be Child Sister, an unassuming brunch spot where service is efficient bordering on stern, but the food is out of this world. Order the kimchi fried rice omelette then come back for the breakfast sando. Their coffee is fantastic, too. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Gatherings. (@gatheringschch) We had a phenomenally good lunch at Montreal a hotel restaurant with such a good local reputation There is a huge amount of international experience in the kitchen and they bring a unique flair to familiar dishes while a late summer caprese-style salad featured an ice-cold scoop of basil sorbet on top If you can find time for a side trip to Akaroa you won’t be disappointed A new winery-restaurant called Caldera – on the outskirts of the town – offers elevated views of the harbour from the dining room and a big sunny deck where you can enjoy a glass of wine before your food arrives Owner Tony Anderson was a plasterer before this foray into hospitality down-to-earth personality infuses the whole operation in the kitchen his head chef creates wonderful bistro-style meals you can match with an extensive range of house wines I recommend the lamb shoulder (perfect for sharing with a glass of pinot noir) and the souffle made with local Barry’s Bay aged cheddar (you can visit their factory on the way to Akaroa) a fantastic waterfront restaurant where (among other things) you can enjoy a great South Island delicacy: blue cod cooked in a simple tempura here and one of the best things we ate The next day we made it back to the city for a late lunch at Cellar Door truly one of Christchurch’s great culinary experiences You must make some time for an extended visit at this wine bar inside the historic Arts Centre where the owner is devoted to sharing his extensive cellar with the world A “wine flights” experience combined with a Coravin system means you can taste from dozens of special bottles alongside food that makes you feel as though you never want to leave or sometimes more creative themes – part of the fun is picking which one you’ll go for (where else can you try four quarter-glasses of fresh bubbles for around the same price as a glass?) an opulent pan-Asian (with flashes of the Pacific) restaurant operated by the equally glamorous Karen Hattaway It is her seventh restaurant (as she told me her story I thought of the famous Godfather line: “just when I thought I was out they drag me back in”) and her experience and grace pervade the whole restaurant The cocktails (and mocktails) are a real feature here served in a woven basket with chilli mānuka butter a Malaysian seafood curry soup that arrives in an ornate iron bowl The whole restaurant is over the top in the best sort of way and you could always act like an American tourist and book an Āmiki cultural food tour the tours come in a range of shapes and sizes but generally include a multi-restaurant experience of his choice Riwai is on something of a foodie journey himself and enjoys the chance to show off favourite city restaurants while making pleasant conversation with guests and sharing his own takes on the world We had a great day in Waipara wine country less than an hour north of Christchurch on State Highway 1 There are all sorts of places to stop but the crown jewel for food-lovers is Black Estate a wonderful restaurant overlooking the rows of vines doing their quiet magic The building is almost rustic – the floor is simple decking and there are few architectural flourishes – but the menu would easily sit alongside the best bistros of Auckland garnished with fresh herbs and flowers from the garden and the chef’s tasting menu (four courses plus extras with an optional wine match) is the way to go if you have time make sure you try the fish – butterflied whole and grilled You should also take the opportunity to try some of the estate wines which are otherwise hard to find and we quickly ordered two glasses of the Netherwood after sampling it at Cellar Door restaurant the previous day a showcase of New Zealand’s best red wine for a coterie of international guests One of them was New York Times journalist Eric Asimov who made a beeline for Black Estate and spent several hours onsite doing tastings with the owners As I write this he hasn’t published his discoveries to the world so you may want to buy their wine while you still can!) If you’re still in the mood for a serious tasting a sprawling estate of grapes and gardens representing the dream of the Donaldsons who started planting vines in the mid-1970s and whose sons now run most of the business Ivan Donaldson is the patriarch but his wife Chris can take much of the credit – it was she who first bought him a book about winegrowing and while he toiled in the fields she somehow managed to raise four boys while planting a legacy garden Visitors to Pegasus Bay are now the beneficiaries The saplings Chris planted are now tall trees while new projects continue to be installed year-round It’s a beautiful environment to drink pinot and enjoy treats from the onsite deli – but if you’re serious about finding that perfect bottle you can do a tasting inside Hopefully they’ll be showing the Bel Canto a dry riesling that recently won an international Battle Royale – facing down 32 specially selected international vintages to be named the best wine in the world a pizzeria and cidery the locals are willing to queue for Christchurch has too much good food to eat in one weekend but you’ll have a lot of fun giving it a go restaurant reviews and delicious food news From food truck to brick-and-mortar: How three Auckland kitchens made the big move A new generation of local restaurants is finding its start in mobile kitchens The Dish: Omni is closing, Hill House Cafe has a new home and more food news A mighty serving of hospitality happenings Jesse Mulligan: How good is Sid Sahrawat’s newest restaurant Anise? At this pan-Asian newcomer the restaurateur shows what his team can do Restaurateur Michael Dearth’s San Francisco hit list, from Michelin-star bar food to crab salad An expatriate’s return to the decadent foodie city of San Francisco Where to eat on a Monday night in Auckland when it feels like everywhere is closed For when you want good food with good company – at a place that’s open The active botanical skincare brand is rolling out in 50 Sephora stores from May 13 From sushi to souffle and blue cod tempura Jesse spotlights the very best of Ōtautahi spiced treat that turns carrots into something surprisingly sweet and snackable Beetroot is the secret ingredient in this chocolate orange cake These pint-sized Pocket Houses in Auckland's Ōtāhuhu are award-winning Banks Peninsula remains under a state of emergency days after heavy rain caused flooding in Canterbury And Environment Canterbury (ECan) officials are continuing to defend decisions made around when to empty a lake into the sea Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said there was land instability and closed roads in Banks Peninsula which need to be monitored Banks Peninsula MP Vanessa Weenink was out in the community over the weekend and said there remained "a whole lot of clean-up" to do and risks of landslides there's a huge crack through the road - but that crack extends across the hillside and that site was apparently… the site of a historical slip with similar issues back in the '90s," the National Party MP told RNZ's Morning Report "So this is something that was dealt with at that time and geotechnical work was done in the '90s to mitigate it But the volume of rain that's been through last week was pretty huge so that's the kind of volume that will stick into that soil and hold there." and locals had been evacuated from their homes "I think from that perspective it's not having a big impact on people apart from those of course who have been evacuated and a business that's had to shut its doors Some residents were upset Lake Ellesmere and Lake Forsyth were not drained into the ocean in time to mitigate flooding risks "Farmers around the shores of Lake Ellesmere and Lake Forsyth are pretty upset about the impact because they had asked that the lake be drained earlier and for whatever reasons probably quite technical and access reasons that hadn't been done," Weenink said "People are feeling as though they weren't listened to and that's I think the frustrating part of it Farmers around there are used to dealing with water on their land living in the kinds of places that they do… I feel like that has made them more upset about the impact than they might have otherwise been "It's one thing to deal with water on your paddocks and the impact that has because it's not just about the water - it's about the fences it's about the fact that stock has had to be moved and now they can't use some of those paddocks… ECan science director Tim Davie said there were "strict conditions set by the national water conservation order on when the lake can be opened" "Those weren't reached until Tuesday of last week and the storm came on Wednesday - so we were ready to go ECan general manager of hazards Leigh Griffiths last week said consultation for a lake opening began on Monday 28 April and by the following afternoon a joint decision had been made to open the lake once it reached the prescribed target height of 1.15m Once the lake reached that height however, it was too late - the storm making it too dangerous to open the lake, which takes three to seven days Davie said if there was an "absolute emergency" they could override the order but the forecast for the local region ahead of the storm was not dire It wasn't particularly forecast for this area - it was actually North Canterbury "But even if we had been able to open it… it wouldn't have stayed open and we would have had the same issue" because of the rough seas "This lake doesn't open naturally to the sea it would go up at least another two metres before it opened "It's something that we're constantly working at and we're trying to manage it for all the different values of the lake but there are numerous other values as well there is limited ability to control how long it stays that way The length is determined by weather and sea conditions and how quickly gravel is deposited by the sea to close the cut." Davie said real-time updates on the lake levels were available on the ECan website "We've tried twice since the floods to open and it's closed every time This is a really difficult environment to open the lake." Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell said he was confident officials had made the right call but was prepared to hear more about the community's concerns over the the lake's management the lake height was 1.62m and closed to the sea Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday Despite pumping wastewater out onto the street and cleaning toilet paper and human faeces off his lawn for most of the day The Canterbury Regional Council is being criticised for its management of Lake Ellesmere with residents frustrated the lake was not opened to the sea before last week's storm An Uber Eats driver was injured in a dog attack while delivering food in Christchurch The driver followed instructions from the customer who stated their gate and door would be open and to “meet at the door” Despite a dog warning sign at the property on Riley Cres in Woolston The driver’s partner told Chris Lynch Media the homeowner took the food without restraining the dogs or offering help “My partner was left outside bleeding in shock and pain,” she said He required multiple hospital visits and has been off work since saying it responded five days later with no compensation Uber said it was evaluating whether the customer should stay on the platform It advised the driver to seek help from ACC and report the incident to police The Christchurch City Council animal management team is also investigating Police said no complaint had been received Christchurch United threatened early in the Southern League clash but just as the Royals looked to be settling they were caught napping and Ben Campbell brought down his opponent on the edge of the box The Royals continued to probe and threaten with attacks that troubled Christchurch United Daniel Meyn broke the deadlock in the 40th minute for the visitors The Royals came out of the break strong and continued to frustrate Christchurch United Max Davidson and Luis Deaker tilted the balance in favour of the Royals who had multiple attacks — including Turner coming close with a curled shot They were unlucky to concede with the final kick of the match — Waisea Henry’s in the fifth minute of added time which ensured the visitors remained at the top of the table going down 3-2 to Nomads United to lose their unbeaten home run Wānaka enjoyed most of the possession in the first half and took a deserved 1-0 lead into halftime thanks to Ronan Dillow’s 11th minute goal Nomads equalised when Caleb Cotton scored from a penalty in the 63rd minute and further goals to Guy Reeves and Cooper Goldsmith gave them a 3-1 lead with five minutes to go Dillow reduced the deficit in injury time by scoring his second for Wanaka Cashmere Technical beat Ferrymead Bays 3-2 Selwyn United and Universities of Canterbury had a 2-2 draw and Coastal Spirit won 3-0 against Nelson Suburbs both Northern and University continued their unbeaten records University are top on goal difference after thumping Northern Hearts 9-1 Ashton Hodson opened the scoring on 11 minutes and it was 3-0 to the students before Bailey Chambers pulled one back just after the half hour mark and Blake Allison and Oscar Crowe both scored braces Northern had a much tougher task against the previously unbeaten Royals After dominating early in wet and windy conditions Northern found themselves 1-0 down after George Barker buried a penalty in the 16th minute Toby Orchiston headed home the equaliser in first half stoppage time The second half continued to be a fierce battle Northern created better chances and the Royals looked likely on the counterattack when Asti Wallace whipped a free kick 30m out from goal into the top corner Queens Park left it late to record their first win of the season with two goals in injury time helping to overcome Green Island 3-1 Sebastian Castillo Viveros’ eighth minute opener was cancelled out by Harrison Mclean's 60th minute penalty for Green Island The game look to be heading for a draw until Zac Owen-Gear pounced on a loose ball to rifle an unstoppable shot into the back of the net in the first minute of added time Ryo Okuyama added another in the 95th minute Roslyn Wakari recorded a 4-2 victory against Mosgiel The game was evenly poised 1-1 until the stroke of halftime when Roslyn’s George Holland pounced from close range to make it 2-1 Reese Burtenshaw had earlier levelled for Mosgiel after Hamish Mair’s 25th minute opener for Roslyn Two near identical breakaway goals to Ben William-Davies midway through the second half gave Roslyn a 4-1 lead Harvey Stevens pulled one back for the home side but Roslyn claimed the three points Roslyn captain Amelie East-Giles scored a hattrick to lead her side to a 6-3 win against Halswell United at home University had a 4-0 win against Coastal Spirit and the Royals had a 2-0 victory against Universities of Canterbury New Zealand (AP) — In a weekend of must-win matches in Super Rugby Pacific some teams achieved and others stumbled in the six-team playoff race The defending champion Blues were at the top of the must-win category, having begun to lose touch with sixth place when they were beaten a week ago by the Queensland Reds It was the seventh loss of the season for the Auckland-based team They had to win Friday against the sixth-place Western Force and they did 40-19 in a match which was closer than the margin indicated The Blues’ victory depended a great deal on their scrum dominance The win lifted the Blues to sixth overnight before they were displaced from that position when Moana Pasifika beat the Dunedin-based Highlanders 34-29 on Sunday The Blues dropped back to seventh while the Perth-based Force dropped to eighth Coach “Stern” Vern Cotter had made clear his displeasure after the Blues’ loss to the Reds left their season dangling by a thread with matches remaining against the Force Moana Pasifika and the New South Wales Waratahs “It’s never really nice when your coach is questioning your attitude,” Blues captain Patrick Tuipulotu said “But I think that’s what we needed — a bit of a wake-up call." Moana Pasifika posted its fifth win of the season in another must-win match to move into playoffs contention. But they have a tough finish against the Blues, Crusaders and Hurricanes The Wellington-based Hurricanes needed to back up last week’s performance against the Canberra-based Brumbies when they became the first New Zealand team to win in Australia this season That win lifted them into the top six but into a very tight struggle to hold onto a playoffs place They produced another upset, beating the top of the table Chiefs 35-17 with the help of four second-half tries by winger Bailyn Sullivan who replaced Kini Naholo at halftime The Hurricanes moved up to fifth place after Round 12 two points clear of Moana Pasifika and four ahead of the Blues The Chiefs remained atop the standings in a points tie with the Christchurch-based Crusaders who couldn’t take advantage of the Chiefs’ loss because of a weekend bye The Brumbies stayed in third place after a 40-17 win over the Waratahs despite an upset 36-33 loss to the Fijian Drua The Fijian Drua maintained an outstanding home record when they beat the fourth-placed Reds in Suva on Saturday The win echoed the Drua’s 41-17 win over the Reds in 2023 and 28-19 win in 2024 So far this season the Drua have won three of five home matches but haven’t yet managed to win away from home and are at the bottom of the table the Drua have had 19 home matches and won 14 That includes victories over the Crusaders But the Reds especially have struggled in Fiji The Drua sealed their win with a 79th minute try on Saturday to replacement Isikeli Rabitu dealing a blow to the Reds in their first match since their head coach Les Kiss was named to succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach Former Wallabies utility Kurtley Beale scored a try to mark his return to rugby after a 10 months break The 36-year-old Beale didn’t shirk contact in his first match since sustaining a ruptured Achilles in a Sydney club game He played at fullback and turned in a solid 72 minutes before being substituted Beale had a number of neat touches before crossing in the left corner for a second-half try “It’s good to be back but disappointed in the end,” he said Sign In Register The defending champion Blues were at the top of the must-win category, having begun to lose touch with sixth place when they were beaten a week ago by the Queensland Reds Moana Pasifika posted its fifth win of the season in another must-win match to move into playoffs contention But they have a tough finish against the Blues beating the top of the table Chiefs 35-17 with the help of four second-half tries by winger Bailyn Sullivan who replaced Kini Naholo at halftime The win echoed the Drua’s 41-17 win over the Reds in 2023 and 28-19 win in 2024 So far this season the Drua have won three of five home matches but haven’t yet managed to win away from home and are at the bottom of the table The Drua sealed their win with a 79th minute try on Saturday to replacement Isikeli Rabitu, dealing a blow to the Reds in their first match since their head coach Les Kiss was named to succeed Joe Schmidt as Wallabies coach Former Wallabies utility Kurtley Beale scored a try to mark his return to rugby after a 10 months break AP rugby: https://apnews.com/hub/rugby Southland Sharks (79) defeated by the Wheeler Motor Group Canterbury Rams (128) Sals NBL Box Score Southland Sharks (35) defeated by the Wheeler Motor Group Canterbury Rams (41)  Sky Broadband Rapid League Boxscore  Kemara has been ruled out of the remainder of the rugby season after suffering an ACL injury while playing against the Highlanders last week.  he’s confirmed he has re-signed with the Crusaders through until 2028.  A young man still making his way in the demands of professional rugby Kemara is excited to continue his journey with a club that has produced a number of world class 10s and is hoping that he can continue that legacy upon his return from injury.  Kemara spoke with Lesley Murdoch mid-week about the injury and re-signing.  There’s a big weekend in store for Christchurch where the curtain is being raised on the new Court Theatre The new $56 million playhouse is the theatre's first permanent home since the 2011 earthquake destroyed its Arts Centre venue the theatre has masqueraded as "The Shed" in a converted warehouse in Addington The new theatre is the latest act in a four-decades-old saga involving multiple venues and reinvention Court Theatre artistic director Ross Gumbley and Lara Macgregor director of opening show The End of the Golden Weather See terms of use for easy access to all your favourite programmes THE LEADING SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR THE LEISURE INDUSTRY Back to Latest News back Christchurch’s long-awaited Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre is moving towards completion with construction teams pushing to complete its final stages Understood to be about 90% complete as of the end of April with construction on track to finish by October no opening date has been announced for the facility Christchurch City Council’s Head of Recreation recently advised media that the Council could not set an opening date until “practical completion” of the project This handover process will see the building being checked and tested before being handed over to the Council by the Crown Infrastructure Delivery (CID) Cox told Christchurch’s The Press “practical completion isn't handed over on a specific date “It's handed over when everything meets what's required for the practical completion to be issued.” A post shared by Crown Infrastructure Delivery Ltd (@crowninfrastructuredelivery) the Council will take control of the building installing what it needs to operate the facility gym and sport equipment while also undertaking staff training This needs to be done before the venue hosts swimming and basketball competitions at Special Olympics’ 2025 National Summer Games from Wednesday 10th to Sunday 14th December Current work at the facility include the installation of scoreboards the laying of wooden flooring in the 3,780 metre² community courts area and the commencement of final pool installations with the planting of 19,500 plants and trees around the facility A key recent milestone was the installation of the liner for the 50 metre competition pool which is undergoing watertightness testing before it can be filled One of the first zones set to be finished is the High Performance Sport New Zealand level which includes a 60 metre indoor running track and treatment and recovery spaces for elite athletes Experiencing significant delays during construction the budget for the facility has risen from an estimated $317 million to a likely final cost in excess of $650 million The Council's financial contribution to the project is capped at $146.9 million with the remaining costs expected to be covered by the Crown with additional expenditures arising from unforeseen challenges such as contaminated soil disposal and pandemic-related delays Images: Work in the pool area at the Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 28th April 2025 - Napier Aquatic Centre reopens after $4 million refurbishment 19th March 2025 - H2O Xtream Aquatic Centre to open in April 25th February 2025 - Christchurch City Council embarks on recruitment drive for Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 5th November 2024 - Work underway on construction of 50 metre pool at Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 4th October 2024 - Hardwood Technology spotlights its line marking for Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 12th August 2024 - Court floor installation underway at Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 17th June 2024 - Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre to be surrounded by 20,000 native plants and trees 28th May 2024 - Expectation of July 2025 completion for Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 1st November 2023 - Sport Canterbury unhappy at further Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre delays 27th October 2023 - Builder wants more money and extended timeframe to finish Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 21st March 2023 - Trident Homes Tactix General Manager frustrated over delays on building Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre 27th February 2023 - HPI named as operator of Parakiore movement arts centre 2nd March 2022 - Water slide installation commences at Christchurch’s Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news Click here to view our subscription options Click here to view our subscription options product and event updates delivered right to your inbox The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services See more see more See the directory see all Get your business noticed in our targeted directory Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week Website by Syn-Pro by SISIS Cricket Groundcare Machinery The highly awaited Plunket Shield tournament is getting underway on the 11th of November with Central Stags taking on Otago Volts in Match 1. Here are the Fantasy Cricket Predictions and Betting Tips for Plunket Shield 2024-25, Match 7, 8 and 9, to be played on the 28th of November at the Eden Park Outer Oval, Auckland; Seddon Park, Hamilton and the McLean Park, Napier. Here are the Fantasy Cricket Predictions and Betting Tips for Plunket Shield 2024-25, Match 4 - Northern Districts vs Auckland Aces, Match 5 - Central Districts vs Canterbury Kings and Match 6 - Otago Volts vs Wellington Firebirds, to be played on the 18th of November at the Seddon Park, Hamilton; Saxton Oval, Nelson and University Oval, Dunedin. Here are the Fantasy Cricket Predictions and Betting Tips for Plunket Shield 2024-25, Match 1, Match 2 and Match 3, to be played on the 10th of November at the McLean Park, Napier; Basin Reserve, Wellington and Hagley Oval, Christchurch. Notifications can be managed in browser preferences. Forecasters are warning of a ‘threat to life’ from falling trees and flying debris I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice New Zealand faced a barrage of severe weather warnings on Thursday, with heavy downpours triggering a state of emergency in Christchurch, the South Island's largest city, and "destructive" gales lashing the capital, Wellington. Heavy snow and large waves battered other parts of the country, though no deaths or serious injuries were reported as of Thursday afternoon NZT. The full extent of the damage remained unclear. Wellington, notorious for its blustery conditions, experienced its first-ever red wind warning – the highest alert level – as gusts reached up to 150kph (93 mph). MetService, the national meteorological service, warned of a "threat to life" from falling trees and flying debris, urging residents to stay indoors, avoid travel, and keep away from doors and windows. The severe weather also brought heavy downpours, prompting authorities to declare a state of emergency in Christchurch. While damage assessments were still underway, initial reports indicated that evacuations were not widespread. Flights to and from Wellington were cancelled throughout Thursday and passenger ferry sailings between the North and South Islands were halted until at least Friday afternoon. MetService expected five metre (16 foot) swells in the Cook Strait, the body of water between New Zealand’s two largest islands. About 1,000 properties were without electricity Thursday afternoon in the wider Wellington region, which has a population of 550,000. The city’s largest university closed for the day, the Royal New Zealand Ballet cancelled an evening performance, and several schools sent students home. Wellington is New Zealand’s windiest city, registering gusts at gale speeds of 63 kph (39 mph) on about half the days of the year. But Wellington’s emergency management chief, Dan Neely, warned residents to take the warnings seriously because the southerly tempest was unusually strong and could threaten lives, Radio New Zealand reported. In the city of Christchurch, the largest in the South Island, and in some nearby rural areas, heavy deluges caused rivers to spill over their banks, closing roads and prompting fears the floodwaters could reach homes. Local states of emergency were declared Thursday, including in Christchurch, Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell told reporters. Orange-level warnings – the second most serious – were issued across parts of both islands for severe rain and large sea swells, and in some South Island districts for heavy snow. The storm system that lay across much of the country Thursday was due to ease Friday. New Zealanders are accustomed to wild winter conditions because of geographic features that produce variable and sometimes extreme weather across the country of five million people. But it was unusual that such widespread warnings were issued. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies 19:30 - 21:00 BST (UTC+1)This lecture will look at A400M Atlas capabilities and service It will include current operations and the global reach displayed on EXERCISE MOBILITY GUARDIAN’s record-breaking flight Doors open at 19:00. Tea and coffee will be available before the lecture. Donations are appreciated. A map of the campus site, showing the location of the lecture theatre and car parks, can be found at: https://www.bournemouth.ac.uk/about/contact-us/directions-maps/talbot-campus-interactive-map. Sqn Ldr Myers joined the RAF as a pilot in 1992 and following flying training joined the Air Mobility Force flying the C130K Hercules he helped introduce the C130J Super Hercules into RAF service Following tours in the Air Mobility Force HQ the UK Defence Academy as Directing Staff and Air Platform Protection specialist in Air Command he returned to the flightdeck initially flying the C130J again before transferring to the A400M helping to expand its capabilities into the Tactical Air Transport roles.Sqn Ldr Myers is a Qualified Flying Instructor Evaluator Pilot and Qualified Warfare Instructor and has a breadth of test and evaluation instructional and operational experience across 32 years of service RAeS Christchurch Branch - A400M lecture - 22-05-25 - Event flyer.pdf Join a global community of Aerospace Professionals share knowledge and learn about all the benefits of being a member Find details of aerospace and aviation events taking place across the world in many of the industry hubs In January 1956 the Christchurch Branch of the Royal Aeronautical Society was formed with an initial membership of 146 primarily de Havilland employees working at what was previously the old Airspeed factory {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"/2025/05/04/state-of-emergency-lifted-for-christchurch-remains-for-banks-peninsula/"},"datePublished":"2025-05-03T18:51:11.539Z","dateModified":"2025-05-04T01:36:09.986Z","headline":"State of emergency lifted for Christchurch Damage from severe weather in Canterbury over the past few days. (Source: Christchurch City Council) The state of emergency put in place in response to flooding has been lifted for Christchurch but remains in place for Banks Peninsula. Mayor Phil Mauger said things in Christchurch had settled down but that there were still a couple of issues in Banks Peninsula the council "need to keep an eye on". "It’s good to have access to powers under the State of Emergency if they’re required. There are some road closures over there, and some land instability that needs to be monitored," he said. "Although we are transitioning into a recovery period, we are still keeping a close eye on the stormwater basins, and monitoring river levels, to ensure we keep any disruption to a minimum." Lifting the state of emergency for the Banks Peninsula ward would be assessed next week. Crews out surveying damage from a long spell of severe winds and heavy rain. (Source: 1News) State Highway 75, which reconnected Banks Peninsula with the rest of the region, reopened on Saturday afternoon, but some smaller roads across the peninsula remained closed. Most roads across Christchurch were now open, with just Empire Rd from Main North Rd, Lower Styx Rd from number 980 to the lagoon, Hendersons Rd, and Cashmere Rd remaining shut. These roads were impacted by the managed release of water from stormwater basins which continued to drain slowly. The landslip at Lighthouse Rd in Akaroa continues to be regularly monitored with no changes in the past 24 hours. Publican of damaged inn says scale of flooding worst in 50 yearsPublican Sarah McFarland of Little River Inn is hopeful it would be back up and running soon Little River locals question if some flooding could have been avoidedThe Banks Peninsula town was cut off after State Highway 75 was inundated by half a metre of water Main road to Akaroa still blocked days after floodingThe highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night Selwyn lifts state of emergency as severe weather recovery continues Flooding from heavy rain has led to a state of emergency being declared in Christchurch (including Banks Peninsula) 30 mins ago 46 mins ago 25 mins ago A publican on Banks Peninsula says for the first time in 50-odd years businesses on the main road of Little River have been flooded Follow updates with 1News' live blog A state of emergency remains in place in Selwyn Canterbury's civil defence and emergency management says rain is easing in the region and they will be spending the day assessing the damage Publican Sarah McFarland said a breached stream ran through the entire lower level of her Little River Inn on Thursday as well as a couple of other businesses on State Highway 75 and that sort of flooding has not been seen for half a century and farmland in the area has also borne the brunt of heavy rain and floodwaters McFarland said she was hopeful the inn would be back up and running soon A Banks Peninsula business owner says Little River is no longer an accurate description for the village there's lots of little bridges and you see the water rushing through like 20 times at the level The river is 20 times the size of what it normally is "A little river is no longer a little river." Fowler said it was the third time the settlement has flooded since he moved there in 2010 Volunteer firefighters had been flat-out trying to divert the water rnz.co.nz The main road to Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is still blocked days after intense rainfall flooded State Highway 75 The highway from Christchurch has been closed from Motukarara to Little River since Wednesday night and extreme caution is still advised on the remainder of the route to Akaroa Photos and videos shared by residents on social media show fallen trees and other major damage on the highway which is the only road connecting communities like Akaroa to the rest of Canterbury Aerial footage captured by the Christchurch City Council on Thursday evening showed farmland submerged below floodwaters across the peninsula and Minister for Emergency Management Mark Mitchell noted the full extent of the damage would not be clear until the water subsided The council also reported large cracks on Lighthouse Road in Akaroa "The assessment found there [is] no immediate danger to the evacuated properties or other properties in the vicinity," the council posted on its Facebook page we may require houses further down to evacuate at short notice." Contractors opened Lake Forsyth to the ocean on Friday afternoon allowing the lake to drain excess water over the next seven days rnz.co.nz so confusing — on a re-release of the Grammy award-winning Brat.