The Press

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...

Avon flood defence to cost city $380m

Flood protection work along the Ōtakaro Avon River Corridor is expected to protect 2200 homes and buildings during a onein-200-year storm, but will cost ratepayers $380 million. However, Christchurch City Council says the cost of not doing the work...

FROM 8-hour results TO 3-hour patches

STEP 1: Cleanse with precision Great skin starts with a clean slate. The Effaclar Foaming Gel Cleanser is a gentle yet highly effective face wash formulated specifically for sensitive, oily and acne-prone skin. Instead of stripping your skin of its...

Record-breaking crowd cheer on victorious Matatū

Flags were flying, faces painted and chants shouted as thousands of people helped women’s rugby team Matatū break a record at the weekend. Some 11,793 people poured into Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium on Saturday to watch Matatū demolish...

Super Rugby Pacific

What Crusaders curse? How about their biggest loss of all-time. The Chiefs’ red and black ghosts of seasons past were vanquished, in the most stunning of styles, on a freaky Friday night in Hamilton. A Super Rugby Pacific semifinal that had...

Airborne once more

Lynda Harrap doesn’t remember saving four lives. She just did it. Five years ago today, the Canterbury pilot was at the controls of a helicopter carrying a newlywed couple and a wedding photographer when the engine failed and the aircraft crashed at...

Boss’ $800k of missing tax

Inland Revenue has charged the boss of a Canterbury painting company with helping his business spend almost $800,000 of tax deductions elsewhere for more than two years. Phil Clarke & Son was placed into voluntary liquidation owing more than $2...

Beyond the quokka selfie

Most people, when they come to Rottnest Island, have one thing on their mind: find the quokkas. The second activity on the itinerary is probably hiring a bike and riding to all the beautiful swimming spots, where you really can’t believe how blue the...

Your Weekend magazine

Weather analysis Why predicting snow is so hard

It’s been so warm this past week, you’d be forgiven for forgetting it’s now winter. It’s also been incredibly wet in some places in recent days. Earlier this week, some places in the Tasman district reported 400mm to 500mm of rain across about 60...

Waimakariri first to test council merger options

Waimakariri residents are the first in Canterbury to be asked directly for their feedback on three council amalgamation options. The North Canterbury council has presented the public with three options for the district’s future: ❚ Remain a standalone...

Grudge match delivers

For a brief patch, Christchurch Boys’ High might have been eyeing a record scoreline in the annual interschool. Christchurch Boys’ made it five straight wins against Christ’s College in the traditional interschool at Straven Road yesterday, triumphing...

Illegal parking on the rise

Frustrations over inconsiderate parking have prompted sometimes violent responses as new Christchurch City Council data shows vehicle towing incidents have climbed in recent years. Recent parking wars in the city have seen neighbours fighting over...

A career of hearing others

There is something disarming about being welcomed into Sir Peter Boshier’s home, with its colourful wallpaper and two friendly dogs, before sitting down to discuss fairness, transparency and one of the country’s highest honours. The newly appointed...

Student sickness

Schools are bringing back Covid-era cleaning processes and giving fatigued students a day off as the icy grip of winter illnesses begins to take hold. One Selwyn school has already seen a surge in sickness among pupils, though not as much among staff,...

Fiscal goals v coalition reality

Business and Politics Editor All Budgets are balancing acts. This one was no different. What was different was that it is an election year and yet there were no blatant sweeteners for the median voter. Instead, this was a document designed to confer...

From 1938 to now

Today’s Budget comes with decades of political theatre and expectation attached – but all indications are that Nicola Willis is unlikely to match some of the eradefining efforts of finance ministers past. Henry Cooke looks back at the Budgets that...

A taste of Spain

PAELLA-STYLE RICE with marinated pork ribs & artichokes The word paella originates from the name of the pan used to cook rice dishes in the Valencia region. Traditional Spanish cuisine includes endless rice dishes cooked in paella pans, with new...

Tributes to a Topp Kiwi

A cultural institution, a consummate entertainer, a tireless political activist and a powerful ambassador of goodness. Dame Julie (Jules) Bethridge Topp, who died on Saturday, was all of these things and a lot more besides, say those who worked with...

Sites’ owners paint a different picture

Owners of properties on New Brighton’s “dirty half-dozen” list of problem sites say bigger issues than boarded-up sites are holding the area back. Last week Christchurch City Council issued a name-and shame list of six eyesore properties it said are...

Chch institution celebrates 50 years

As a young child in 1950s Dunedin, David Cameron would visit the children’s public library, where he “took out all sorts of books” after walking alone from his Roslyn home, aged “6 or 7”. By age 11, the avid reader was immersing himself in the likes...

Tough choices for schools

Schools have lost nearly 12% in funding in the past eight years as annual Budget adjustments have failed to keep up with inflation since 2021, a report by a peak education union has found. Analysis by the Post Primary Teachers’ Association (PPTA)...

Future-proofing

South Island’s most dangerous crossing

For the past decade, Christchurch business owner Fiona Paskell has listened to the screeching of brakes, the swearing, the collisions, and watched the ambulances come and go from the intersection in front of her shop. “You feel that they close their...

Tears as Tasker found guilty

The children and husband of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming fought to hold back their tears as they stood together outside Christchurch High Court after her killer was found guilty of murder. Hayden Tasker deliberately rammed Fleming and her colleague,...

Oh what a night

Once in a Lifetime One New Zealand Stadium Saturday, May 15 Reviewed by Tina Law Dubbed as a Once in a Lifetime night to remember, the first ever concert at Christchurch’s One New Zealand Stadium was certainly that and for all the right reasons. A...