Author: Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand’s dog control system just got a long‑overdue tune‑up — and according to the SPCA, it’s about time. After years of councils running dog control like a neighbourhood raffle, the Government has finally dropped updated national Dog Control and Enforcement Guidelines. Think of it as a new rulebook for the people who deal with everything from wandering woofers to full‑blown bite incidents. The SPCA is applauding the move, calling the guidelines a “positive step” toward consistency, safety, and better treatment of dogs nationwide. And honestly, fair enough — the old guidelines were last properly updated in 2009,…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com A 49‑year‑old man has been charged with 14 offences after a violent early‑morning rampage through Auckland’s Epsom that left three schoolboys injured, a jogger seriously assaulted, and a woman’s dog killed. Police say the chaos began at 7.05am Wednesday, when a female jogger was violently attacked at the intersection of Manukau Rd and Ranfurly Rd in what appears to have been a random assault. A passer‑by stopped to help — only for the alleged offender to steal the Good Samaritan’s vehicle and flee. What followed was a rolling chain of collisions, attacks, and panic. Driving the stolen car,…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com As Tauranga heads toward mid‑week, the region’s most iconic landmark remains off‑limits — and according to the iwi of Tauranga Moana, that’s exactly how Mauao wants it. After six new slips over the weekend, trustees say the maunga is signalling clearly that he is not ready to welcome visitors back. The slips occurred near the same area hammered by January’s record rainfall, when a deadly torrent of mud and debris tore down the mountain and into the campsite below. Repair crews have been working steadily to restore access, but the latest movement has forced a rethink — and…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com A new study forecasts Islam will be on the brink of overtaking Christianity in 50 years. Christianity will continue to grow, but mostly in Africa, while steadily declining in its traditional hubs. This is according to the latest Status of Global Christianity report. It predicts that on current growth patterns of around 1% per year, the number of Christians on the planet will rise from 2.673 billion in 2026 to 3.675 billion in 2075, with more than one billion new Christians in Africa. With a much faster annual growth rate of 1.57%, the study forecasts the Muslim population will rise…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com India has been added to the latest CIVICUS Monitor Watchlist, following what researchers describe as a rapid deterioration in civic freedoms during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third term. The global watchdog says the country is now experiencing escalating pressure on activists, independent media, civil society organisations, and critics of the government. India is currently rated “Repressed” by the CIVICUS Monitor — the second‑worst category available. Countries in this category face severe restrictions on freedom of expression, peaceful assembly, and association. The latest Watchlist also includes Bahrain, Burkina Faso, Ecuador, and Georgia. Human‑rights groups say Indian authorities have stepped…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com The Government has extended the deadline for the final report into one of New Zealand’s most troubling recent missing‑persons cases — the disappearance of the Phillips children — giving the Inquiry an additional month to clarify an outstanding matter. The Phillips children — Jayda, Maverick, and Ember — became known nationwide after vanishing with their father, Tom Phillips, in December 2021. The family disappeared from Marokopa, sparking extensive searches, public appeals, and years of speculation about their welfare and whereabouts. Their disappearance became one of the most high‑profile cases in modern New Zealand policing, involving repeated search operations,…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com A survivor of clergy sexual abuse who followed Government advice to seek redress directly from the church that abused him was met not with dialogue, but with a lawyer — a response survivor advocates say is becoming increasingly common. The man approached the Society of Mary earlier this year, asking for a review of the redress he received in 2019 so it reflected contemporary standards and the seriousness of the harm he suffered. His request followed guidance from the Crown Response Office after the Royal Commission into Abuse in Care. However, Society of Mary Provincial Rev Mervyn Duffy…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand is on track to record more than 100 drowning deaths in 2026 — a milestone the country hasn’t seen in nearly 25 years. It’s a grim warning on World Drowning Prevention Day, and a reminder that our relationship with the water we love is becoming increasingly risky. So far this year, 57 people have drowned — 18 more than at the same point in 2025. That spike breaks a decade‑long trend of gradual improvement. Last year, New Zealand reached its lowest drowning rate on record: 1.67 deaths per 100,000 people. Now, updated modelling suggests the country…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Two North Island churches have been left shaken after the theft of treasured religious items in separate incidents this week. St Peter’s on Willis in Te Aro, Wellington, discovered on Tuesday that two icons normally displayed on its high altar had disappeared. Clergy say they have no idea how the items were taken, but believe they were removed by a daytime visitor while the church was open. One icon, Mother of Mercy and Compassion, was created by Reverend Jean Malcolm, an iconographer at the church. The second is a copy of the historic Icon of Christ and Abbot…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com A member’s bill aiming to make the reporting of child abuse mandatory has been drawn from Parliament’s biscuit tin, setting up a debate over whether New Zealand is doing enough to protect its most vulnerable children. Port Waikato MP Andrew Bayly says his Crimes (Offence of Failing to Report Child Harm) Amendment Bill is designed to close what he calls a “loophole” in current law — one that allows witnesses to child abuse to stay silent without consequence. Under the Crimes Act, there is currently no legal obligation for a person to report child harm committed by someone…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Despite high fuel prices, being forced to eat school lunches, and a tough winter term, Kiwi students turned up to class in numbers not seen for a decade, according to provisional Ministry of Education data released by Associate Minister of Education David Seymour. Term 2 2026 saw 64.2% of students attending school regularly, up sharply from 58.4% in Term 2 2025. Regular attendance means a student is in class for more than 90% of the term. Seymour says the message is simple: when the Government treats attendance as a priority, families respond. “This data shows attendance rates continue…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Two years after the Abuse in Care Royal Commission delivered its landmark report, survivors say the Government’s slow progress toward preventing further harm is not just disappointing — it’s “bordering on a crime.” Outside Parliament on Wednesday, survivors placed bouquets of flowers into the hands of ministers and MPs. Each bouquet was gathered from institutions where children were abused — a symbolic reminder of the trauma still echoing through Aotearoa’s care system. Survivor Keith Wiffin, who handed a bouquet to Minister Erica Stanford, said he quietly told her the Royal Commission’s legacy would not fade. “It’s not going…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Kiwis are a step closer to carrying their driver licence on their phone, with the Government opening public consultation on a digital version designed around how people actually live and move. Associate Transport Minister James Meager says the focus isn’t the technology — it’s the people who will use it. “Digital driver licences should make everyday life faster and easier. This is about giving New Zealanders a simple, secure way to prove who they are and their right to drive, using something most of us already carry,” he says. Meager says the Government’s goal is to “fix the…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Emergency officials have apologised after the New Zealand Civil Defence website went down at the exact moment thousands of South Islanders were seeking information on a tsunami warning triggered by Thursday night’s earthquake. The magnitude 5.9 quake, centred near Te Anau at 9.14pm, rattled homes from Queenstown to Invercargill and sent a sharp jolt through the lower South Island. Within minutes, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) issued a tsunami warning for the stretch of coastline between Milford Sound and Puysegur Point, advising people in low‑lying areas to move to higher ground. On Facebook, Civil Defence directed the…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand’s assisted‑dying system is facing its most intense scrutiny since the End of Life Choice Act came into force, with new figures showing 486 Kiwis were euthanised or died by assisted suicide in the past year — and political pressure mounting to expand access even further. The Ministry of Health’s latest Registrar Assisted Dying Annual Report reveals that assisted deaths now account for 1.29% of all deaths in New Zealand, a sharp rise that has alarmed palliative care providers and pro‑life advocates. Applications have surged 44% over three years, climbing from 807 in 2022/23 to 1,164 in…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com The Ministry of Health has released the Terms of Reference for a major independent inquiry into the care and rehabilitation of vulnerable care recipients at Ward 10A, the forensic intellectual disability unit at Wakari Hospital in Dunedin. The inquiry, commissioned under section 101 of the Intellectual Disability (Compulsory Care and Rehabilitation) Act 2003, follows serious concerns raised about the treatment and wellbeing of people in compulsory care at the unit. Director-General of Health Audrey Sonerson ordered the inquiry after warnings from the Chief Ombudsman, district inspectors and other oversight bodies. Director of Mental Health Dr John Crawshaw says…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com The Salvation Army has launched its 2026 Winter Appeal, urging New Zealanders to stand together as child homelessness reaches its highest recorded levels. New research shows more than 33,000 children are living in severe housing deprivation — in cars, garages, overcrowded rooms, and spaces never meant to be homes. In total, more than 112,000 people across Aotearoa now face severe housing insecurity. For Captain Andrew Wilson of Wellington South Corps, the crisis is no longer hidden. “Too many families and children are facing the heartbreak of homelessness,” he says. “People are being pushed to the brink; choosing between…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com In a move that strengthens the digital safety net for millions of New Zealanders, Trade Me has officially signed on to the New Zealand Online Scams Code (NZOSC) — a decision that doesn’t just tick a compliance box, but meaningfully boosts protection for everyday buyers, sellers, families and small businesses across New Zealand. The Code, launched in March 2026 by Tech New Zealand, already includes founding signatories Google, Meta and TikTok. Trade Me’s arrival adds something crucial: the country’s largest online marketplace stepping into a united front against scammers who prey on trust, speed and convenience. And that’s…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand will struggle to fix its overcrowded hospitals unless it strengthens primary care, says one of the country’s most influential GPs, Dr Bryan Betty. As he steps down as Chair of General Practice New Zealand and prepares to join the Health New Zealand Board, Dr Betty warns the country is at a “pivotal moment” in how it plans and delivers healthcare . After 35 years as a GP — including two decades serving Cannons Creek, one of the nation’s most deprived communities — Dr Betty says the system still treats hospitals and general practice as separate worlds.…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Fuel relief shortfall is now the defining issue of the government’s temporary support scheme, with new Inland Revenue data showing far fewer families are receiving the weekly payment than originally promised . The numbers raise fresh questions about how the package was communicated, how it is functioning, and whether struggling households are actually getting the help they were told to expect. The fuel relief payment was announced in March as petrol prices surged past $3 a litre, driven by instability in the Middle East. Ministers said 157,000 working families would benefit for up to a year, or until…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Two former hostages who were abducted together into the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7, 2023, were married on Sunday in a ceremony attended by captivity survivors and Israeli President Isaac Herzog. “We prayed for your return, we were moved to tears when you came back home, and this evening we were privileged to rejoice together with you and to bless you under the chuppah [wedding canopy] on your joyous day,” tweeted Herzog, congratulating Sapir Cohen and Alexander (“Sasha”) Troufanov. “May you merit building together a home filled with love, light, and joy!” the president added. The couple was kidnapped by…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Police arrested men who aimed an imitation weapon toward the house of worship from an SUV on Shabbat. Two men have been charged after allegedly pointing an imitation firearm at a synagogue in Sydney’s eastern suburbs. The incident occurred around midday Saturday when the men, ages 22 and 25, allegedly aimed the fake weapon at the building while driving along Kiaora Road in Double Bay. Police intercepted their Toyota SUV shortly after, recovered the imitation pistol, and made the arrests. 🔴 Two men arrested in Sydney, after they allegedly pointed guns (which turned out to be imitations weapons)…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com If you’re heading over the passes after the All Blacks test, taking the kids away for the school holidays, or simply trying to get to work on Monday, here’s the question you need to ask yourself: what happens if the biggest snowfall of the winter hits while you’re on the road? Because that’s exactly what forecasters say is lining up for Canterbury and the alpine highways early next week — a sharp flip from the calm, frosty days we’ve just enjoyed. New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) says snow is expected to arrive from Sunday, with Monday…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand’s national choir for teenagers, the New Zealand Secondary Students Choir (NZSSC), turns 40 this year — and its alumni list reads like a who’s who of global vocal success. Over four decades, the choir has launched the careers of some of the country’s most celebrated singers, including Grammy‑winning tenor Simon O’Neill (ONZM), internationally acclaimed bass‑baritone Professor Jonathan Lemalu (ONZM), and global opera star Pene Pati, who will receive a French knighthood in 2026. Former King’s Singer Christopher Bruerton, sopranos Anna Leese Guidi and Madeline Pierard, baritone Benson Wilson, and renowned composer Igelese Ete also trace their…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Health & Safety Bill Promises Clarity — And Relief — For Small Retailers Retailers across New Zealand will soon have a clearer, more practical health and safety framework, following the passing of the Health and Safety at Work Amendment Bill — a change sector leaders say will finally bring consistency to an area long marked by confusion. Retail NZ Chief Executive Carolyn Young says the update is overdue. “Retailers take the health and safety of their staff and customers seriously. But some employers have found the current Act difficult to understand, and as a result, there’s been…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com ACC’s biggest shake‑up to motorcycle levies in more than a decade has arrived — and for riders across New Zealand, the headline is simple: skill now pays. From 1 July 2026, motorcyclists who complete an approved Ride Forever Gold course can earn a 25% discount on their ACC motorcycle levy. It’s part of the new ACC Rider Reward, a national initiative designed to link proven safety training with real‑world savings. A new levy system — and a new incentive ACC is refining how motorcycle risk groups are set, shifting from two engine‑size bands to three. At the same…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Hokitika is preparing to light up the winter season with a month-long programme of events, experiences and family-friendly activities as Destination Hokitika launches Midwinter Magic throughout July. The centrepiece of this year’s celebrations will be Puanga Matariki – Light Up Hokitika, transforming the heart of town into a vibrant winter spectacle on Saturday 11 July. From 6pm to 9pm, Weld Street will be closed to traffic and illuminated with colourful light installations, creating a magical winter atmosphere. The evening will feature cultural performances at the Regent Theatre, live entertainment on the street, and a celebration of Puanga and Matariki…

A cross‑faith act of unity has injected fresh momentum into the long‑stalled Christ Church Cathedral rebuild. Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Christchurch has received a rare and welcome reminder that unity is still possible in a fractured age. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) has stepped forward with a $250,000 contribution toward the long‑delayed restoration of Christ Church Cathedral — a gesture offered, they say, “in a spirit of goodwill and unity.” The cathedral, still wounded from the February 2011 earthquakes, has stood for years as both a symbol of loss and a question mark over the city’s future. Funding…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Health NZ has confirmed a number of Covid‑19 cases among patients at Porirua’s Kenepuru Hospital. Robert Blaikie, interim deputy group director of operations for Capital, Coast and Hutt Valley, said winter was again driving higher demand across the region’s hospitals, particularly from respiratory illnesses. He said Kenepuru currently had several Covid‑19 positive inpatients, but staff were well‑practised in managing the virus with support from the Infection Prevention Service. “While Covid‑19 remains present in the community, it is now managed as part of our usual winter illness response, alongside other respiratory conditions and common viral infections,” Blaikie said. He…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Forest & Bird has sounded the alarm over what it calls a “hidden” clause in the Government’s Conservation Amendment Bill that could quietly dismantle long-standing protections for the Coromandel Peninsula — opening the door to mining in one of New Zealand’s most treasured landscapes. The environmental group says the Bill would allow conservation land in the Coromandel to be sold, exchanged, or disposed of. Once that happens, the land would no longer qualify as Crown property and would lose its protection under Schedule 4 of the Crown Minerals Act, which currently prohibits mining on conservation land. “This is either a…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New changes are halving the amount of time councils can take to issue Project Information Memorandums (PIMs), allowing building work to get underway more quickly, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk and Local Government Minister Simon Watts say. “Fixing the basics and building for the future for New Zealand means taking a close look at every part of the building system to identify delays, remove bottlenecks, and improve productivity,” Mr Penk says. “Project Information Memorandums, or PIMs, are an important part of the building process. They give homeowners and builders greater certainty about site-specific requirements, like natural hazards…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Katikati is getting ready to celebrate a major new addition to its skatepark, with a community art reveal event planned to unveil a bold, youth-led street artwork at Katikati Skatepark. The reveal is planned for 28 June and will mark the completion of a mural created with local rangatahi alongside artist Kalib Wallace. Bringing together young people, families and the wider community to celebrate a space shaped by the voices of those who use it most. Peri St John-Ives, Arts Coordinator and Gallery Manager for Katikati Open Air Art, says the project is about more than just the…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com In a country often written off as one of Europe’s most secular, something remarkable happened over Pentecost weekend: 63,000 believers gathered in one place to worship Jesus. No political rally, no music festival — just a massive, unapologetic celebration of Christian faith in the heart of the Netherlands. For a nation where church decline is treated as a foregone conclusion, the 54th annual Opwekking Pentecost Conference delivered a reality check. Tens of thousands packed the grounds at Walibi Holland, and hundreds of thousands more joined online, turning the event into one of Europe’s largest Christian gatherings. And the…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New data out last week shows tourism is continuing its positive trajectory, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says. Stats NZ data out today shows 288,500 international visitors came to New Zealand in April 2026 – up 8 per cent on the same period last year, and 94 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. It also reported a record number of visitors from the United States (25,800, up 14 per cent on the same time last year), Australia (138,000, up 4 per cent) and India (8,000, up 17 per cent). Visitor numbers from China also reached 32,500, up 52…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Two Bay of Plenty students have been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Schools’ Debating Championships in Kenya this July — marking the region’s most successful year in its debating history. Tauranga Boys’ College student Oliver Larsen and Tauranga Girls’ College student Pearl Vahey Bourne were both named to the Aotearoa New Zealand Schools’ Debating Team following standout performances at the national championships in Wellington. The Cooney Lees Morgan Bay of Plenty Schools’ Debating Team — Larsen, Vahey Bourne, and Pāpāmoa College’s Layla Clarke — won six of their seven preliminary debates, topping all regions before…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com The Government has confirmed the regions that will host clinical training for the University of Waikato’s new medical school from 2028, marking what ministers describe as a major step toward rebuilding New Zealand’s regional health workforce. Health Minister Simeon Brown says the decision represents “a significant milestone in building a stronger, more regionally connected health workforce,” with the new training model designed to place students directly into the communities facing the greatest shortages. “We know that where doctors train often influences where they practise,” Brown says. “By embedding students in regional and rural communities, we’re creating a pathway…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand’s illicit tobacco market has surged to its highest level on record, with a major new report warning the country is “rapidly losing control” of the problem. Research by FTI Consulting, commissioned by Imperial Brands NZ, BAT New Zealand and Philip Morris NZ, estimates that one in three cigarettes consumed in 2025 will be illicit. The report found 33.5% of all tobacco consumed this year is illicit, up sharply from 27.2% in 2024 and 23.6% in 2023. While most illegal product entering the country remains contraband cigarettes—primarily Chinese‑market variants—researchers also identified a steep rise in illicit loose‑leaf…

Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com General practitioners say a Government plan to freeze doctors’ fees for 12 months is a political reaction to rising healthcare costs — and one that risks accelerating the shift toward a two‑tier health system. The proposal, floated in recent weeks as part of a new clinic funding formula, comes after months of public concern about the cost of seeing a GP. In some regions, standard appointments have climbed close to $100, driven by inflation, workforce shortages, and rising clinic overheads. With an election approaching, the Government has signalled it wants to stop further increases by imposing a temporary…

By Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com New Zealand’s fast‑tracked overhaul of GMO regulation is drawing sharp warnings from campaigners who say the Government risks repeating the same legal and regulatory failures recently exposed in the United Kingdom’s High Court. The Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Amendment Bill would loosen the evaluation of genetically modified organisms and hazardous substances. Critics say the drafting is vague, the process rushed, and the direction unclear — mirroring the UK’s Precision Breeding Act, which the High Court found had been advanced on “unlawful” advice. GE‑Free NZ president Clare Bleakley says the similarities are alarming. “The HSNO Amendment…

By Sarah McMillan/cvnznews.com Residential construction costs have continued to climb across New Zealand, despite a sharp fall in diesel prices that briefly eased pressure on some parts of the sector. QV CostBuilder’s latest quarterly update — covering more than 11,400 material price movements across Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin — shows diesel prices fell 18.9% between late April and the end of May. The drop provided relief for fuel‑intensive work, but not enough to halt overall cost inflation. The average residential building cost per square metre rose 1.6% in the three months to the end of May…