The Press

Mass school failure tipped

Modelling by a secondary school teachers union shows almost 15,000 students are at risk of failing the new qualification set to replace the NCEA from 2029, in addition to 18,000 who did not achieve under the current system last year. The modelling,...

‘Clear’ mammogram to aggressive cancer

In September last year, Sarah Starkey received an “all clear” text message after a mammogram. Three months later that message was abruptly changed by her GP, with a diagnosis of an aggressive stage 3 breast cancer. As the 48-year-old mum of two young...

Super Round back in Chch next year

Super Rugby Pacific is set to confirm Super Round will return to Christchurch from April 2 to 4 after the festival of rugby proved a wild success when held in the South Island city this year, Stuff revealed exclusively last night. Stuff understands...

Selwyn at centre of surge in confidence

After some of the toughest years in his 24 years in business, a West Melton winery owner says the tide has turned – with his business growing by at least 25% over the past year. “We’re back in growth mode,” said Philip Caunter of Melton Estate. The...

NZ Post rules out change of mind on shop closures

Politicians have criticised the closure of two key NZ Post shops in Christchurch as “daft” and “a kick in the guts”, but one of the bosses of the state-owned service is standing by the decision. “I know it’s change, but I see this as really positive...

Bargain-hunters push up prices

House prices in east Christchurch are rising the fastest in the city, as both home buyers and investors are drawn to the city’s most affordable suburbs. While house values in the past year have risen about 4% across the city as a whole, those in some...

Melbourne's cultural cool

Arriving in Melbourne at the end of winter and on the cusp of spring feels less like entering a city in cosy hibernation and more like stepping into a town lit up in celebration of the cooler months. It’s a city where locals meander the streets after...

Kiwis on brink of retirement sans safety net

New Zealanders nearing retirement with few assets say they’re struggling to find jobs and secure housing – leaving some facing the stark prospect of retiring into poverty. Earlier this week, the Christchurch Methodist Mission handed a petition to the...

Where are all those stadium concerts?

Christchurch’s new multi-purpose stadium has secured two international concerts in its first year of operation – and the operator admits it had hoped for more. “Three stadium concerts in the first year is not as many as we’d hoped,” Venues Ōtautahi...

Big plans for another of the city’s ‘dirty 30’

A $20m renovation of the former State Insurance building on Worcester St in the Christchurch CBD has begun. A rooftop bar and golf simulator are mooted for the ‘dirty 30’ deco heritage structure.

No money for food, power

The number of retirement-aged Kiwis waiting for social housing is rising, as a Christchurch-based provider calls on the Government to act now to prevent a looming crisis. Yesterday, the Christchurch Methodist Mission presented a petition signed by...

Spring TV essentials

TV WEEK

Nearly 13,000 flock to dazzling light show

Thousands of people have visited this year’s biggest light show, with tens of thousands more set to flock to Christchurch’s Illuminate festival. The annual event in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens opened on Friday night, following some setbacks, but...

'Rural feel'

Cousins Geoff Spark and Hannah Williams are behind Rossburn, a planned 270-home development on part of their family farm on the eastern edge of Rangiora. But for the pair, the project is about more than converting paddocks into housing. With Rangiora...

Kiwis among 1300 missing

Five New Zealanders are reported to be among up to 1300 people missing after a disastrous flood involving landslides along the Nepal-china border. It is understood at least some of the Kiwis had been on a religious trek to Tibet. Prime Minister...

Unpaid Gloriavale staff claim $39.4m

Sixty-one former Gloriavale members are seeking almost $40 million compensation for years of unpaid labour, denied employment entitlements, and workplace abuse. The statement of claim filed with the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) in Christchurch...

Action on Airbnbs likely

Christchurch city councillors are eager to clamp down on the city’s Airbnbs, spurred on by a ruling suggesting short-stay accommodation will no longer be tolerated without the right building permit. This month the Ministry of Business, Innovation and...

Future feared if fast track not approved

The closure of Bathurst’s Stockton Mine could have significant consequences for Westport, Buller and the wider West Coast economy, including the loss of hundreds of jobs, a new report finds. Development West Coast commissioned independent economic...

Fire and ice

When I first heard about Elemental – Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa’s new adults-only wellness experience featuring New Zealand’s first snow room – I was not sold on the idea. It didn’t sound relaxing. Stepping into falling snow in the name of...

Say it right The tiny village with the tricky name

Shock Airbnb call

A ruling banning a Christchurch Airbnb unit from offering visitor accommodation is likely to send shockwaves through the short-term rental sector. In a decision that could affect thousands of properties across New Zealand, the Ministry of Business,...

Master of the miniature tree

Steven Yin has always been fascinated by gardening and from a young age was happy to get his hands dirty while indulging his love of horticulture. Yin was born in China and moved to Wellington with his family when he was 10. The family lived in an...

Fire risk could close Port Hills and forest

Authorities are preparing for a prolonged wildfire season that could lead to the closure of parts of Christchurch’s Port Hills and Bottle Lake Forest when the fire risk reaches extreme levels. Christchurch City Council has never closed areas due to...

CCHL to put $300m into port expansion

Extensions to the container port at Lyttelton have been given the final go-ahead, with ratepayer-owned Christchurch City Holdings (CCHL) agreeing to put $300 million of equity into the $821m project. CCHL and subsidiary Lyttelton Port Company (LPC)...

Heartbreak at city home

Flowers and toys have been left at the Aranui, Christchurch, home of a boy who lost his life on Friday following a dog attack. Emergency services were called and found the 1-year-old in a critical condition. He died at the scene despite efforts by...

Billion-dollar game

Rugby league has never been richer, with the NRL recording nearly $1 billion in revenue last year and recently signing a broadcasting deal worth more than $6b. But in Canterbury, the community clubs helping develop the players who feed that...

Ngāi Tahu’s vision for the south

Ngāi Tahu has entered the council amalgamation debate with its own proposal to replace 24 councils with five, aligned to major river catchments within the iwi’s takiwā (district). The Government is forcing a fast-tracked amalgamation of local...

Get set for spring

Spring will soon be in the air and we need to start planning for the coming growing season. Yes, it is time to make a plan. Now is the time to peruse new seed catalogues, which have just been released, to see which new varieties you can plant for...

Row erupts on running of red zone

The chairperson of the committee that manages Christchurch’s red zone says council staff have too much say in what happens in the area. The chronic dysfunction that has plagued the residential red zone spilled into yesterday’s Ōtākaro Avon River...

On the ball

Three years after it was seemingly done and dusted, one of the most beloved shows of the 2020s is back. Nominated for 61 Emmy Awards during its original three-season run, Apple TV’S sporting dramedy Ted Lasso was just the injection of feel-good, upbeat...

Could this be Christchurch’s tiniest house?

Tucked away on a back section in Papanui is a house – a very, very small house. Covering just 44 square metres, it might be the smallest standalone in Christchurch. Its double garage is almost bigger. Darian Fix bought it three years ago for...

Dream in limbo

Supermarket puts tavern's future at risk

Autism diagnoses triple

Autism rates have tripled in the past 15 years among both children and adults, and the increase “shows no sign of abating”, a new study says. Using information on diagnoses from three large databases between 2009 and 2023, researchers of Otago...

Space race

Hills closed in the snow

When the snow came down in Christchurch and surrounding areas yesterday morning, travel disruption quickly followed. About 20 people were trapped near the Sign of the Kiwi cafe on Dyers Pass Rd due to road safety concerns in the Port Hills. Ice...

Small-screen highlights

This month offers a bewildering array of viewing options. For free-to-air fans, there are fresh seasons of The Great Australian Bake Off (August 13, TVNZ 1), Paddy Gower Has Issues (August 4, Three) and Documentary NZ (TBC, TVNZ 1), a new local foodie...

Funding query unanswered

Lyttelton Port’s planned $800 million expansion at Te Awaparahi Bay will require new borrowing and an injection of money from its ratepayer-owned parent. Documents released under official information law show that the expansion would be funded through...

Retailer revived

Members of the the Christchurch arts community have sent their best wishes to the Arts Centre’s director, Philip Aldridge, following news he is critically unwell and will not be returning to work. The Arts Centre of Christchurch Trust Board announced...

August's movie picks

While the roll-out of this year’s Whānau Mārama New Zealand International Film Festival dominates the cinematic month ahead, there are also plenty of other options for movie lovers to feast on. For those who fancy a trip to the cinema, local...

GAME-CHANGER

If you love growing from seed but don’t have the space for a greenhouse, or if you’ve struggled with seed germination, this DIY plastic tub greenhouse is a game-changer. It’s beginner-friendly, as well as budget-friendly and easy to set up. Compact,...

Peters eyes reversing a ‘dead rat’

NZ First leader Winston Peters says the Government’s decision to remove employment from the Reserve Bank’s mandate was a “dead rat” he had to swallow but he will look to bring it back. He also said he believed in “full employment” as a policy, meaning...

Students feel jobs squeeze

Canterbury students say they are facing unprecedented competition for even entry-level work, with an average of eight job seekers applying for each vacancy on one job site. New data from tertiary student and recent graduate-oriented careers platform...

Riding the rails

I’ve never needed much convincing that a spa treatment is the best possible way to be parted with my money. have been knelt on in Bali, stretched out in Thailand and scrubbed down stark naked in a room of strangers in Morocco. I have been kneaded into...

Wide opposition to developer’s takeover of narrow street

An Addington neighbourhood has been told the city council had no choice but to approve a large development of one-bed units which will more than double the number of homes in the suburban cul-desac. The residents of the narrow dead-end Kenilworth St...

Bad news for bird keepers

Kiwis with backyard chooks may be expected to cull their flocks if the dangerous H5N1 bird flu strikes, officials warn. As of yesterday, there have been two confirmed cases of the H5N1 strain of high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) – commonly...

Wastewater scheme cost climbs by $11m

Akaroa’s wastewater scheme will now cost $164.3 million after the Christchurch City Council voted to spend an additional $11m on a longer overflow pipe, despite staff saying there was no evidence it would work better than a shorter one. The move was...

Businessman fighting back after ID scam

A Methven business owner has watched four years of hard work unravel in a matter of weeks after a scammer allegedly stole his business identity, leaving customers out of pocket and his once-busy cleaning company now fighting to survive. Richard Yeo...

Goodbye to Southern Ballet

One of Christchurch’s longest-running dance schools has closed after 50 years – and two of its former leaders have opened a new academy from the same premises. Southern Ballet announced last Thursday it would close at the end of the term two holidays,...

Flipping heck

A New Brighton dairy received an unexpected weekend visitor. As the Union Mini Mart is quite a distance from the beach, and estuary, it was quite surprised when a seal popped in and started browsing the shelves.

Who wrote the new curriculum?

‘By Kiwis for Kiwi kids.” Those were the words of Education Minister Erica Stanford at the announcement of the new national curriculum that will soon be taught in years 1 to 10 in schools. But months on, former Ministry of Education curriculum writers...

Gangster cleared

A judge is sure an affluent gang boss was receiving illegitimate funds, but it is not enough to prove he was involved in a multimillion-dollar drug syndicate. Justice Rachel Dunningham found Comanchero Motorcycle Club national commander Vetekina...

Granddad’s plunge into floodwater

Driving in the pitch dark and pelting rain on Inland Route 70 near Kaikōura last Tuesday, 67-year-old Algie Brown’s truck plunged off the broken Cribb Creek Bridge into the freezing waters below. Shortly after the terrified grandfather fought his way...

‘Shock’ over rise of new shoplifter type

A year ago, Sergeant Melissa Shaw’s retail crime team was set up to curb such theft in Christchurch. Shaw expected to deal mainly with drug addicts who repeatedly steal to fund their next hit. And there have been those. But then came the surprise: A...

Meat ban sees grocer opt for fish alternative

An independent supermarket unable to sell meat has found an alternative protein to attract customers. Harvest Market on Ferry Rd in Christchurch has partnered with Theo’s Fisheries, a long-standing family-owned Christchurch business. Harvest Market...

Kayaking Antarctica

For many, it might be difficult to quantify why they would choose to visit Antarctica – the coldest, leasthospitable environment on Earth, when a Pacific island beach or vibrant foreign city is far more accessible (and affordable). Being neither...

Love-Hate Relationship

Air fryers are a thing. This means either all other methods of food preparation are now obsolete or we need to put all the fryers and, ideally, their owners into a rocket and fire it at the sun. But which? Swivel-eyed convert Carly Gooch and artisanal...

Mānawatia a Matariki mā Puanga

The South Island’s long-awaited Woodend and Hope bypasses still have no money allocated to start construction, prompting Waimakariri mayor Dan Gordon to write to Transport Minister Chris Bishop to seek answers on when that might change for the critical...

Rain reckoning

Canterbury could face New Zealand’s biggest annual flood-damage bill for infrastructure by 2075, with power, water and road networks carrying most of the projected cost. New modelling prepared for the New Zealand Infrastructure Commission estimates...

Facing the floodwaters

More than 100 Kaikōura residents were denied the comfort of their own beds last night, as they sheltered from floodwaters that deluged the town following dramatic rainfall. About 140 people gathered at the town’s full to capacity Takahanga Marae,...

Snow in the south

Otago towns blanketed with 25cm

Fresh plan emerges to save Dux de Lux

A proposal to give Christchurch’s Arts Centre $5 million towards the restoration of its beloved former Dux de Lux building was drawn up by city council staff just weeks before a vote left the centre empty-handed. Emails released to The Press under...

ABs unite ages in countdown to test

When Alys Edwards walked into the All Black captain’s run yesterday, she wasn’t just another fan. The 101-year-old Cashmere resident had spent more than eight decades cheering on the national side, and after a lifetime of support, finally got to meet...

Killer flu fears

Temporary closures of conservation land are among the drastic measures being considered if a deadly strain of bird flu reaches our shores, as DOC rolls out vaccines for some of the country’s most vulnerable birds. The H5N1 strain of highly pathogenic...

From Scotland to the Coast

Joe Bennett

‘Ghosting’ stains on walls perplex

A Canterbury woman was mystified after dark “ghosting” stains appeared in her near-new rental home. She was more mystified when her candle-making was blamed for the house frame shadows, and her property manager asked her to contribute to wall-cleaning...

Live art display

An artist’s canvas will be turned towards the audience as she captures Christchurch music star Lee Martin’s live show over the course of two hours. It will blend visual arts and music in a celebration of a deeply personal album that explores Martin’s...

$11,000 bill for luxury hotel among millions in ministers’ travel spend

Ministers on taxpayer-funded overseas trips have stayed at luxury resorts, five-star hotels, and historic landmark properties, an analysis of travel records reveals. It gives a rare glimpse at how some senior politicians travel while representing New...

Minister backs down on conservation reforms

Conservation Minister Tama Potaka is getting rid of the controversial disposal and exchange provisions from the Conservation Amendment Bill. Opposition to the clauses gained traction last week after the lobby group Forest & Bird released maps of...

Ten years on

Brexit fractured the European Union and broke British politics. The United Kingdom is about to get its seventh prime minister since June 23, 2016 – a decade ago – when the country voted 52% to 48% to leave the European Union after more than four...

A sneeze says we're not in control

Isaid there had to be a column in sneeze, cough and yawn. I lied. There are three columns in sneeze, cough and yawn. The Chinese believe that if you sneeze without good reason, it means that someone is talking about you behind your back. Most...

Support for Kiwisaver policy

Voters have delivered a resounding endorsement of compulsory Kiwisaver, with fresh polling showing overwhelming support for requiring all workers to contribute to the retirement savings scheme. The latest The Post/freshwater Strategy poll with...

Wahs stadium march

If you didn’t see them, you definitely would’ve heard them. Thousands of rugby league fans flooded Christchurch yesterday for the Warriors’ first NRL game at sold-out One NZ Stadium, against North Queensland Cowboys. Marching down Cashel St for the...

Five-year ordeal turns to tragedy

When David McDonald died the week before Christmas in 2021, he had $8 to his name. There was no food in his fridge and he was thousands of dollars behind on his bills. His daughter, Penny Hill, found his body in the garage of his home in Gore. Death...

‘Takeover’ bid for port has landed

Christchurch City Holdings (CCHL) has received an “unsolicited” proposal to run Lyttelton Port, after workers reported a Dubai-headquartered multinational logistics giant would be making a takeover and operational lease bid. Unions have come out in...

Is our paint safe?

When you ask Resene technical director Colin Gooch how safe our paint is in New Zealand, he warns that while mainstream manufacturers do an excellent job, there’s “a lot of scope for BS” around this topic. Some companies play on what he calls people’s...