Source: New Zealand Police
Police are now in a position to release the name of the man who was found deceased after a house fire in Waitara on Friday 6 June.
He was 45-year-old, Jamie Elliott.
His dog was found alongside him.
Police extends our condolences to his family and friends during this difficult time.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
ENDS
Source: New Zealand Police
Attributable to Detective Sergeant Ben Norman.
Waikato Police have arrested and charged a 22-year-old following a serious, violent incident in Tahuna.
At around 7.20pm, Police were alerted to a group of people fighting on Tahuna-Ohinewai Road after a person who confronted three men in a vehicle doing burnouts was assaulted and other members of the public attempted to intervene.
After noticing the incident unfolding, an occupant of a nearby property has attempted to intervene. However, they were also assaulted by the alleged offenders.
Six people received injuries in total in relation to the incident. Two people received serious injuries, and one other received minor injuries, they were transported to hospital. Three others received minor injuries.
The offenders have then taken two vehicles from the Tahuna-Ohinewai address and moved them onto the street.
Upon Police arrival, the offenders have fled the scene, two fled on foot, while another left in a vehicle taken from the address.
A short time later, one of the offenders was located nearby and was taken into custody by Police.
An investigation into the serious assault and aggravated robbery has commenced, with Police working to establish what exactly has occurred.
Police are following multiple lines of enquiry to identify and locate the remaining two offenders and encourage them to do the right thing and hand themselves in.
As our enquiries are ongoing, members of the community may see an increased Police presence in the area.
While Police would like to thank those who tried to intervene and assist other members of the public, Police urge the public not to take matters into their own hands or confront individuals themselves as situations can escalate quickly.
Instead, stay in a safe location, gather as much information as you safely can, and contact Police on 111.
A 22-year-old man is due to appear in Hamilton District Court today, charged with aggravated robbery and injures with intent to injure.
If you have any information that may assist in Police’s investigation, please contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.
Please use the reference number 250619/2309.
You can also provide information through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in the Waikato are benefitting from over $414,000 in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.
“Cyclone Gabrielle had a significant impact on parts of the Waikato, causing destruction to property, blocked roads, and requiring coordinated relief efforts Now, one year after grant applications closed, 18 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.
Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024. Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.
“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events”.
Waikato projects that received funding include:
$29,500 to the Sunset Beach Surf Lifesaving Trust in Port Waikato for a new power generator to provide power supply to the community civil defence hub
$30,000 to the Oparau Hall Society Incorporated for repairs to the hall and equipment
$29,875 to the Port Project to restore and improve community walkways damaged by the cyclone
Sunset Beach Surf Lifesaving Trust had its first use of the generator in May 2025 when the Port had a major power outage. Malcolm Beattie, president of the Sunset Beach Lifesaving Trust, says “it kicked in and the community had access to the Community Hub for full power immediately. Having this service immediately available for our community free of any charges was amazing.”
The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards better preparing impacted communities for future events.” says Ms van Velden.
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal. The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in Hawke’s Bay are benefitting from $4.77 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.
“Cyclone Gabrielle had a devasting impact on Hawke’s Bay, causing widespread destruction to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, one year after grant applications closed, 178 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.
Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024. Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.
“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events”.
Hawke’s Bay projects that received funding include:
“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards better preparing impacted communities for future events.”
The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal. The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in Northland are benefitting from $3.59 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief, two years later.
“Cyclone Gabrielle had a devasting impact on Northland, causing widespread destruction to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now one year after grant applications closed, more than 161 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.
Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024. Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.
“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events”.
Northland projects that received funding include:
$6,000 to Surf Life Saving Baylys Beach Incorporated to purchase a generator to supply power for future adverse weather events
$20,000 to the Waimamaku Community Civil Defence Group for equipment and supplies to set up the community hall as an emergency assembly point
$19,800 to Oakura Beach Reserve Board in Ōakura for a shipping container to store seven generators to be used in emergencies
“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards better preparing impacted communities for future events.”
The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal. The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities across Auckland are benefitting from $1.8 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.
“Cyclone Gabreille had a devasting impact on parts of Auckland, causing widespread damage to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, two years on, 71 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.
Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which were then distributed to the community in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.
“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events.”
Auckland projects that received funding include:
$20,000 to the Titirangi Volunteer Coastguard Incorporated to replace equipment damaged in the cyclone
$21,921 to Karekare Surf Life Saving Club for essential search and rescue equipment to support lifeguard operations during extreme weather events
$30,000 to South Kaipara Good Food for water tanks, generators, irrigation systems and other equipment to support food resilience
$24,733 to Bethells Beach Emergency Resilience Group for equipment and resources for emergency support
“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards relief for Aucklanders doing it tough in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.”
The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal.
The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in the Gisborne region are benefitting from $3.55 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.
“Cyclone Gabrielle had a devasting impact on the East Coast, causing widespread destruction to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, one year after grant applications closed, 121 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.
Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024. Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.
“As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events”.
Gisborne projects that received funding include:
$49,916 to St John Gisborne Area to protect the ambulance station from flooding
$29,839 to the Pehiri Emergency Management Group for communications systems, emergency supplies, and equipment
$30,000 to the Ruatoria Volunteer Fire Brigade (Fire and Emergency New Zealand) to purchase and install additional water storage tanks to increase brigade water capacity and resilience for fire emergency response
$25,000 to the Tahunga Residents Association Incorporated for amenities and upgrades to the community hall so it can be used as an emergency hub
“Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards better preparing impacted communities for future events.”
The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.
The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal. The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government has expanded the criteria for medallic recognition for Defence personnel who have served in operations supporting the UN’s sanctions against North Korea, Defence Minister Judith Collins announced today.
“This medal – the New Zealand General Service Medal (NZGSM) 2002 (Korea) – has already been awarded to 180 personnel and the move to widen eligibility means a further 350 personnel will be recognised,” Ms Collins says.
“Personnel who have served as part of Operation Whio – which monitors the United Nations Security Council’s sanctions against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea – since 2018 are now eligible for this medal.
“Over the past seven years, there have been 19 rotations of Operation Whio – including seven deployments of P-3K2 Orion and P-8A Poseidon aircraft, aircrew and support personnel, and the deployment of HMNZS Aotearoa in 2024.
The aircraft and ship conducted and supported maritime patrols to detect and deter evasions of United Nations Security Council resolutions imposing sanctions against North Korea. The other rotations were of small numbers of staff officers in headquarters roles.
“This is another example of how we are contributing to upholding the international rules-based order.
“Previously this specific medal, the NZGSM 2002 (Korea), was only awarded to United Nations Command activities relating to preserving the Korean Armistice Agreement,” Ms Collins says.
“The men and women of our Defence Force rightly deserve this acknowledgement of their service.
“Our people do what we ask of them, when we ask it, often in trying conditions, and medallic recognition such as this is one way we recognise this.”
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
The winter school holidays mean it’s time to wear a few more layers to the beach.
But school’s out also means maintenance is in for the Pekatahi Bridge.
The bridge, which is located north of Tāneatua on State Highway 2 (SH2) will close for 6 days for essential deck repairs from Monday 30 June.
This is part of much needed quarterly maintenance of Pekatahi Bridge for NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).
The bridge will close daily from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday 30 June to Friday 4 July for structural work, included bridge surface plank replacement. It will close again from 8.30am to 4.30pm on Saturday 5 July for sealing work. If the weather is wet on Saturday, the contingency day is Monday 7 July. Sealing requires dry weather, so if Monday is also unsuitable, sealing may have to be undertaken under stop/stop at a later date.
“The bridge is narrow, and due to nature of the work, full daytime closures are required,” says Sandra King, NZTA’s System Manager for the Bay of Plenty.
“We understand this is an important route and the closure is disruptive, but closing the bridge allows contractors to carry out repairs safely.
“This essential maintenance work has been programmed for the school holidays when traffic volumes are lower, and no school buses will be on the road.
“Contractors will be using the closure to its full potential by repairing and replacing broken and loose decking planks and carrying out other general maintenance such as checking surfacing screws and resurfacing,” Ms King says.
A detour will be in place for all traffic; northbound using Tāneatua Road, Arawa Road, Hinemoa Street and onto SH30 towards Awakeri and southbound traffic will use the same route in reverse. This detour is expected to add up to 20 minutes to journey times and is suitable for all vehicles, including High Productivity Motor Vehicles (HPMV).
NZTA thanks Whakatāne District Council for allowing the detour route on their local roads and road users for their co-operation.
Detour information below:
Source: New Zealand Police
Two vehicles have collided on SH 60 near Mapua Drive, Tasman District.
One occupant has serious injuries and another occupant has minor injuries.
The road will be closed for some time while emergency services are at the scene.
Diversions are in place at the intersection of SH60 and Moutere Highway (Pea Vine Corner).
Traffic will need to use the inland route (not The Coastal Highway) and rejoin SH60 at Gardner Valley Road.
END
Issued by Police Media Centre
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