Source: New Zealand Police
State Highway 73, Sheffield is closed at the intersection with Deans Road following a crash.
The two-vehicle crash was reported at around 2:50pm.
Initial indications are that there are serious injuries.
Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.
Detours are in place.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Government
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Minister for Rail Winston Peters will travel to Viet Nam, Thailand and China next week.
“Southeast Asia has been a strong focus for New Zealand’s foreign policy over the past two years, as the Coalition Government has worked hard to ensure that our key relationships in the region reach their potential,” Mr Peters says.
“Southeast Asia contributes significantly to New Zealanders’ prosperity and security, and we are doing all we can to maximise our mutually beneficial connections. We are pleased to be returning to Ha Noi and Bangkok next week.”
Mr Peters will meet with senior political leaders in both Southeast Asian capitals to exchange views on major regional challenges and explore opportunities to advance cooperation that benefits both New Zealand and its partners.
Mr Peters will also travel to Guangzhou, China, to attend an event marking New Zealand’s procurement of two new interisland ferries from Guangzhou Shipyard International.
This is Mr Peters’ seventh official visit to China and the eighth New Zealand Ministerial visit to China in 2025.
“The Coalition Government is committed to maintaining and building our strong, mature and mutually respectful relationship with China,” Mr Peters says.
“We have been pleased with the number and quality of high-level visits between China and New Zealand over the past two years, in which both sides have been able to share perspectives on important issues and underline the importance of mutually beneficial cooperation.
“This procurement of interisland ferries from Guangzhou Shipyard International builds upon our long-standing trade and economic relationship with China, which is one of New Zealand’s most important and valuable,” Mr Peters says.
Mr Peters departs New Zealand on Tuesday 25 November and returns on Saturday 29 November.
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government has saved the taxpayer billions with two new Interislander ferries from Guangzhou Shipyard International and no-nonsense infrastructure in Picton and Wellington, Rail Minister Winston Peters announced today.
“Two new ferries serving road and rail will enter Cook Strait service in 2029, thanks to a $596 million fixed price contract between Ferry Holdings and experienced shipbuilder Guangzhou Shipyard International,” Mr Peters says.
“The total programme will cost less than $2 billion, with the taxpayer contribution coming in under the $1.7 billion allocated at the start of this year.
“Spending less than $1.7 billion means the taxpayer has saved $2.3 billion while still getting the ferries and infrastructure they want, because we have done away with the expensive consultants who hijacked the project by adding more and more infrastructure until Treasury warned the project would cost $4 billion.
“Funding spent on infrastructure will be recovered over the life of the new Interislander ferries and infrastructure through port fees paid from Interislander revenue, and Interislander will be expected to build sufficient reserves to buy new ferries again in 30 years – or put simply, structured like a normal business.
“We extend our thanks to the Ferry Holdings board and management team and the pragmatists at CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail who heard the clarion call for fiscal discipline to secure the Strait.
“Ferry Holdings will be in the driving seat for the infrastructure, ably and contractually backed by CentrePort, Port Marlborough and KiwiRail, and accommodations will be made to minimise disruption to Interislander and Bluebridge.
“Next week we will travel to Guangzhou with the Ferry Holdings Chair and Ships Programme Director to acknowledge the significant agreement, not just between the shipyard and Ferry Holdings but also as a contribution to economic relations with China,” Mr Peters says.
Source: New Zealand Police
Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Kylee Cusin:
Police searching for 61-year-old Anita Hart, who was reported missing from the Upper Hutt area on 13 November, have sadly located her deceased.
Police, along with multiple Search and Rescue teams, have been extensively searching the area working to locate her, and while this is not the outcome we hoped for, we hope it will help provide some closure for her family and loved ones.
Police would like to thank the public and everyone who helped in the search.
The death has been referred to the Coroner.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: Maritime New Zealand
Maritime NZ’s Pacific Maritime Safety Programme (PMSP) supported the maritime administration of the Cook Islands last month as it participated in its five-yearly International Maritime Organization Member State Audit Scheme (IMSAS) assessment.
As an IMO member, the Cook Islands is obliged to participate in IMSAS. This scheme provides member states with a comprehensive assessment of how effectively it administers and implements IMO conventions – for example, the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea and International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
The audit was conducted by three assessors over five days – the culmination of an intense preparation and work plan process spanning the past 18 months.
The PMSP has played a key role in supporting and coordinating these preparations, bringing Cook Islands government agencies and non-government organisations together to identify the gaps in its maritime system and, where possible, helping address these ahead of the IMO visit.
Preliminary indications from the audit align with the team’s expectations. There were no surprises, but the findings offer helpful direction on areas to focus on over the next five years.
Auditees approached the interviews with an open mind and provided honest and transparent responses. The audit preparation has enabled collaborative teamwork between Cook Islands Ministry of Transport, Maritime Cook Islands, and partner agencies, and this was applauded by the auditors.
The auditors will provide the Cook Islands with a final report and the next step will be to develop a corrective action plan to address the findings – the PMSP will continue to support the administration as they work through this process.
The assessment highlighted the strong maritime partnership we share through the PMSP and the opportunity that partnership provides us to build resilience through collaboration across the Pacific.
The PMSP is a New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade programme, funded through the International Development Cooperation programme and delivered by Maritime NZ.
Source: New Zealand Transport Agency
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) apologises for significant delays experienced on State Highway 30A (SH30A) in Rotorua on Monday 17 November.
Traffic was heavily congested due to a combination of high traffic volumes and traffic management requirements for a road rebuild.
“We have now made the decision to postpone the SH30A work until 2026,” says Sandra King, NZTA System Manager Bay of Plenty.
“While the full closure meant this work would be completed much faster (within 15 days – day and night works), we need time to reconsider our construction and traffic management approach.
“This, along with the wet long-range weather forecast for the remainder of November, means there isn’t enough time to complete the work ahead the Christmas shutdown period.
“Once a confirmed start date is available, NZTA will share details with the Rotorua community,” says Ms King.
SH30A is a complex urban site where the pavement has been patched for many years. It requires a full asphalt rebuild.
“A full road closure was originally chosen as the quickest and safest way to complete this rebuilding work, given the large volumes of machinery and equipment required.”
Following Monday’s disruption, all work was stopped before the afternoon peak, and as at 6am on Tuesday morning, all four lanes of SH30A were open under traffic management.
Crews will return to site tomorrow night, Thursday 20 November, between 8pm and 5am (with Sunday night as a backup) to restore the road surface to its original level. This work will have minimal impact on traffic.
“This repair work remains a priority for next year to ensure we don’t have pavement failures next winter. In the meantime we are looking at how we can do the work differently to allow traffic to keep moving through the site while the work is completed, rather than a full closure.
“Using a different construction methodology will mean the overall timeframe will take longer but will minimise overall delays to people’s daily travel,” says Ms King.
NZTA thanks motorists in advance for their patience ahead of these nightworks.
Source: New Zealand Police
Attribute to Western Waikato Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Mary van Dongen:
Police arrested two people, impounded a dirtbike and located firearms during a search warrant yesterday at an address in Te Kauwhata, after the alleged driver fled from Police on Monday.
At around 7:40pm Monday 17 November, Police witnessed a man riding a dirtbike with no helmet on Main Road. Officers signalled the driver to stop, however they failed to do so – due to the nature of driving Police did not pursue, and instead noted down the details of the bike for follow up.
Yesterday, Police made enquiries at a Te Kauwhata address where they located and impounded the dirtbike.
While at the address, Police sighted a farm vehicle, that had been reported stolen from a nearby address at an earlier date, and utensils for drug use which has subsequently authorised a warrantless search and seizure.
Police have then located an assortment of firearms and ammunition. As a result, two people were taken into custody.
A 26-year-old man is due in Huntly District Court on 25 November, charged with receiving stolen property, driving while disqualified, failing to stop for police when signalled, unlawfully possessing ammunition, and unlawfully possessing firearms.
A 24-year-old man appeared in Huntly District Court today, charged with breaching bail.
Police would like to remind dirtbike riders to do so lawfully and safely – adhere to the road rules, make sure you are always wearing protective wear and the dirtbike needs to be roadworthy with a current warrant and registration.
If you witness any anti-social road user behaviour, we urge you to report it immediately by calling 111 or to make a report via 105 if it is after the fact.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
Source: New Zealand Government
The Government has officially ended the use of Contracted Emergency Housing (CEH) motels in Rotorua, taking the number of households in CEH from its peak of over 240 households across 13 motels under the previous Government down to zero today, Associate Housing Minister Tama Potaka says.
Source: New Zealand Ministry of Health
This compliance guide is advisory only and has been written to provide some information for managing entities, dental practitioners, manufacturers/suppliers & service engineers on the activities associated with radiological equipment used for intra-oral, panoramic and cephalometric dental procedures (traditional dental X-ray units) and cone beam computed tomography dental procedures (CBCT dental X-ray units).
It gives some practical guidance on some of the more common compliance issues arising for dental facilities with meeting the requirements of radiation protection legislation, ie, the Code of Practice for Dental Radiology, ORS C4 (for traditional dental X-ray units) and the Code of Practice for Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, ORS C1 (for CBCT dental X-ray units).
Source: NZ Department of Conservation
Date: 19 November 2025
Trail cam photos have revealed the special story of a black-fronted tern/tarapirohe pair battling severe unseasonal weather to bring their chicks into the world.
Department of Conservation staff in Twizel downloaded photos from trail cameras focused on the colony nesting on an island in the middle of the Upper Ōhau River.
They looked at the photos in trepidation as a week before there was an unseasonal heavy snow fall. Staff were worried the tarapirohe had abandoned their nests, as many had done during a similar weather event at the same time last year.
Ranger Emily Hewison said when she saw the photos of one pair of adult terns in the snow, she knew she was seeing something very special.
“A parent tern was sitting on the nest and within a couple of hours was completely buried. It didn’t abandon the nest which is what many birds would do. The pictures show her mate peering at her through a small hole in the snow over a period of 24 hours, until the snow melts.
“You then see them have a wee cuddle on the nest, before photos show two eggs. Then amazingly three days later we see both chicks hatched. I was just so thrilled. I’m in awe of these birds, they really fight for survival,” Emily says.
Last year a snowfall came at the same time, during Labour Weekend, and wiped out the nests. Rangers were worried they would have no fledglings for the season.
The nationally endangered birds have a unique colony in the Upper Ōhau river system where around 700 nest each season. This colony is the largest in the country.
DOC Biodiversity Ranger Sam Turner says trying to protect the terns is an emotional roller coaster.
“Last season was a bit of a disaster. Many of the birds abandoned their nests and then the black-billed gulls, another threatened species, moved in and preyed on some of the eggs. The impact from the snow was devastating. We did get some fledglings fly off for the winter, but it was a stressful season.
“This year we can see around 260 active nests so that’s super exciting. The terns are such good parents; they share the incubation and mate for life. What’s so amazing about these two on the trail cam photos, is the lengths they went to protect their nest. Their lives were at risk all the time.
“These little birds are so vulnerable but also quite feisty. If people are out naturing near the riverbeds, you will see them defending their nests dive bombing and fighting off anything that comes near their nests. They are battling for survival.”
Sam wants the public to know how special the tarapirohe are and what they’re up against.
“They’re only found in our braided rivers in New Zealand that’s the reason we work so hard as rangers, because if we lose them, they’re gone for good. Looking at these photos, hopefully people will appreciate how amazing these little birds are. This season looks a lot more promising for chicks than last year, so that’s fantastic news.”
Nature isn’t scenery. Nature is a society that we rely on for everything, every day. It’s behind our identity and our way of life.
For media enquiries contact:
Email: media@doc.govt.nz