The Press

Herb your enthusiasm

Braydon Hepworth case

Haines said Hepworth was offered support, but would not comment further for privacy reasons. has spoken to several former mission employees and insiders who said there had been a “huge staff exodus” at the mission across different teams in the past...

Mood of the Mainland

So much of the election campaign is focused on Auckland, but what about your views here in the south? The general election is just weeks away, and The Press wants to know what the mood of the mainland is. We’re hitting the road for the next two weeks...

The rise of NZ’s luxury private walks

The scenery is gorgeous, the comforts are many, and the wine can flow freely. Welcome to New Zealand’s private walks. They are not like Department of Conservation huts. Private rooms are available at a price, hot showers are common, snoring less...

This means war

Flower power

One morning recently, I spotted one single vivid-purple petunia flower peeking out from the high wooden boundary fence between my place and the neighbour’s. It looked so cute that I suddenly burst into song. “I’m a lonely little petunia ...” When I...

Canty rocket launch spot poised to become gateway

Canterbury’s rocket launch facility on Kaitōrete Spit could become a space port for Europe’s space industry following research by a French company. The Tāwhaki National Aerospace Centre at Kaitōrete and French company say a joint study has confirmed...

Christopher versus Chris

Fiscal integrity and leadership credibility will be top of the agenda when the current prime minister and his predecessor – and would-be successor – face off tonight in the first of three election debates, on state broadcaster TVNZ. The debate at 7pm...

Community of doubters

Researchers have uncovered deep-seated climate science scepticism within one Canterbury high-country farming community. Now they say rebuilding trust between government and farmers will be key to achieving effective climate policy moving forward. In...

Digger

We’re a few years – or maybe 30 – into the future. Earth looks more or less as it does today, unless you start to really notice the details, or try to open a window. In a mansion, somewhere in the American heartland, a man who the world knows as...

Small parties, big issues

They are called the minor parties, but with the main parties neck-and-neck, they will likely wield some major power after the November 7 general election. The Press Kingmaker’s debate in front of a studio audience saw David Seymour (ACT), Winston...

Microclimate collection

Not only do Daryl and Linda Rowan love growing plants, but they also spend their holidays hunting out specimens in remote locations off the usual tourist routes. Last year, the couple visited Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, and in 2024 they spent seven...

Lack of iwi history irks

Ngāi Tahu education providers have ‘grave concerns’ about diminished local Māori content being included in the Government’s upcoming curriculum changes, with fears they could ‘undo 40 years of progress’.

Pledge to reverse pay equity changes

Labour leader Chris Hipkins has pledged to quickly reverse changes to the Pay Equity Act if elected, as he concluded a charm offensive in the Garden City with a public meeting. Hipkins spent the day in Christchurch yesterday, meeting students,...

From prison to streets

Wearing the same grey fleece outfit he wore in prison stamped with the code of his unit, a now-free man is dropped off near a bank in Riccarton. It’s late afternoon. He might only have an hour to find Christchurch’s night shelter and hope there is a...

Underutilised

The kids are not all right. They are unoccupied, directionless. Youth unemployment hit 17.3% in March, before slipping to 17.2% in June. Those are the highest rates since the post-global financial crisis days of 2011. Narrow the youth category down...

Merger plans in limbo

Council leaders are questioning what happens next after the Government put merger plans on ice, with some warning the work and millions of dollars already spent could be wasted. The Government announced yesterday it would make no decisions on...

'Like winning Lotto

The $60m trust of a late Christchurch couple has created a new source of funding for 14 organisations, including a model train club, for the foreseeable future. Other recipients include a city high school and Christian radio operator Rhema.

School left to fix old buildings

Christchurch’s largest high school says a promised post-quake rebuild has been abandoned by the Ministry of Education, with 1960s concrete teaching blocks set for demolition now being assessed for refurbishment instead. Burnside High School had been...

Why city’s long-awaited bridge is gold and red

Christchurch’s hard-to-miss new Brougham St bridge is just over a month away from opening – and the “distinctive” red and gold colours are here to stay. The 36-metre pedestrian and cyclist bridge – the first stage of the $150 million SH76 Brougham St...

'Kept in the dark'

Well known and respected following a long career in leadership and governance, former Christchurch City Council senior executive Lynn McClelland now finds herself tackling a personal medical challenge that is testing all of her resilience. Diagnosed...

Arts Centre expanding

It’s a day of big things for Christchurch’s Arts Centre, which is opening the doors to an expansion that includes huge new shop space, artist areas and a French bakery. This comes as the city council proposes giving the Arts Centre and Orana Park a...

From swamp to harvest

Briar Monro moved back to the north from Wellington and bought a sloping horse paddock covered in kikuyu. Its selling point: the view over Whangārei Harbour. In just four years, Monro’s vision and hard work have turned that 0.2-hectare site into an...

Fast-track changes hailed

Changes allowing councils to claw back more infrastructure costs from fast-track developments have been called a “winwin-win” for councils, developers and housing growth, but developers are warning extra charges will boost house prices. The Government...

New concerns for museum

A leaked confidential letter reveals that Canterbury Museum is warning of “severe unintended consequences” tied to the city council’s multimillion-dollar funding package that could delay the project by another 12 months and cost $7.2 million more. The...

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...