NZ Engine

Monty Knight was a well-known wine-maker, entrepreneur and local politician in Kaitāia, inducted into the Northland Business Hall of Fame in 2010. RNZ/Carol Stiles

The man killed at his home near Kaitāia on Sunday was one of the Far North’s best-known businessmen as well as a former district councillor and mayoral candidate.

Police say they were called to a home on Okahu Road, west of Kaitāia, about 12.35pm following a report of an assault.

A man found in a critical condition at the scene could not be saved despite the efforts of emergency services.

Court documents reveal the victim was Monty Knight, a high-profile entrepreneur, wine-maker and local politician.

He turned 80 earlier this year.

Acting Detective Inspector Tania Jellyman, of the Northland CIB, said a woman was arrested a short time later at another Far North address.

Police were not looking for anyone else.

The property had been cordoned off and a scene examination was due to take place today.

A post mortem examination would be carried out in the coming days.

Court documents show a 57-year-old Far North woman is due in the Kaitāia District Court this afternoon facing a charge of murder by stabbing/cutting.

Former Far North mayor John Carter said he was shocked by Knight’s death.

“I knew him very well, as did most people in Kaitāia,” he said.

“He’s a very community-minded person who’s done a tremendous amount for the community. A very successful businessman of course, which has enabled him to do so. But he’s been very generous with his time and support.”

Knight was one of the Far North’s best-known entrepreneurs and personalities.

Born in 1945, he started his working life in signwriting and music promotion.

His first foray into retail was a small record shop, Monty’s Disc Inn, on Kaitāia’s Commerce Street.

That expanded into electronics, appliances and beds with Knight selling the business, by then a major store known as 100% Monty Knight, in 2012.

He also established a winery, Okahu Estate, which won medals in New Zealand and overseas.

He was best known, however, for Knights the Jewellers, which has outlets in Kaitāia and Kerikeri.

The Companies Office shows he was the sole shareholder and director of the Kaitāia store.

Knight was inducted into the Northland Business Hall of Fame in 2010.

He was elected to the Far North District Council in 2010 and to the Northland Regional Council in a by-election in 2015.

He also contested the Far North mayoralty a number of times.

Knight stood unsuccessfully in the Te Hiku Ward in last month’s Far North District Council elections.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

November 17, 2025

Woman charged with murder following death of man in Northland’s Kaitaia

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A 57-year-old woman has been charged with murder following the death of a man in Kaitaia.

Emergency services were called to an Okahu Road address shortly after midday on Sunday following a report of assault.

The man was found critically injured but despite efforts by emergency services, he died at the scene.

Acting Detective Inspector Tania Jellyman said police arrested the woman at a different address on Sunday afternoon and later charged her with murder.

“Police are not seeking anyone else in relation to this matter,” Jellyman said in a statement.

“A scene examination is continuing and a post mortem examination will be carried out in the coming days.

“Police will look to release more details about the man after these processes have been completed.”

The woman was expected to appear in Kaitaia District Court later today.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

November 17, 2025

Fit and proper person – include your Ministry of Justice record check

Source: Maritime New Zealand

Maritime NZ now requires Ministry of Justice (MoJ) criminal record checks for fit and proper person (FPP) assessments for all seafarers’ and maritime operators’ certificates. We no longer use Police vetting.

You request your MoJ record check yourself before applying to Maritime NZ for your certificate, and submit this with your application. This means we can process your application faster – we won’t have to put it on hold while we ask for Police vetting.

It’s free to request a copy of your own MoJ record, which is available from the MoJ website. Click on “Criminal record check” at the top of the homepage.

Employers can also register with MoJ, via the same webpage, so you can have checks done for your staff’s maritime documents.

It’s important to know that the Policing Act 2008 is being amended and when those changes are made Police vetting will no longer be available for routine FPP checks.

How to get help

If you have questions about the new application process:

November 17, 2025

Engagement about to open for major Wellington transport project

Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

Those wanting to know more about one of Wellington’s largest proposed infrastructure projects are about to get their chance.

Starting this weekend, and continuing to mid-December, NZTA/Waka Kotahi will hold public information days so that people can find out more about the proposed Road of National Significance (RoNS) State Highway 1 Wellington Improvements Project.

Mount Victoria Tunnel visualisation

Kesh Keshaboina, Regional Manager System Design says six information days will be held from 23 November until 6 December.

“These events will give the public the chance to look at our early design work and imagery of the proposed project. Our transport experts will also be available to answer questions and take public feedback.”

Mr Keshaboina says for those who cannot attend, updated project information will be published on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website from Monday 17 November, and an online survey will be available for people to provide their feedback.

“These are significant proposals, and they have the potential to have a major impact on Wellington’s transport infrastructure.”

“The engagement we are planning is a great chance for people to have a good look at what is being proposed, and to have their say before plans and designs are further developed,” Mr Keshaboina says.

The project includes a second Terrace Tunnel, a second Mount Victoria Tunnel and roading upgrades at the Basin Reserve as well as improvements on the remaining state highway corridor through central Wellington, Hataitai, and Kilbirnie.

The public information days are just a part of ongoing engagement NZTA/Waka Kotahi has underway. Extensive engagement continues with Councils, iwi, landowners, and other key stakeholders.

The online survey will be available to the public from 17 November and will close on December 14. Feedback will be taken into consideration during the next design phase of the project.

Information days schedule

Sunday, 23 November (8 am – 12 pm) – Harbourside Markets, Wellington.
Wednesday, 26 November (3 pm – 7pm) – St Joseph’s Church Hall, Mt Victoria.
Saturday, 29 November (9 am – 1 pm) – Toitū Pōneke, Kilbirnie.
Monday, 1 December, (1 pm – 5 pm) – Thistle Hall, Te Aro.
Wednesday, 3 December (3 pm – 7 pm) – All Saints Church Hall, Hataitai.
Saturday, 6 December (2 pm – 5 pm) – Mt Cook School Gym, Mt Cook.

More information

Full project information as well as details about the information days and feedback survey can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website:

November 17, 2025

‘Loss beyond measure’: Three children killed in Sanson house fire identified

Source: Radio New Zealand

August, Hugo, and Goldie died in a house fire in Sanson on Saturday. GIVEALITTLE / SUPPLIED

The three children killed in a Sanson house fire have been identified on a page set up by the loved ones of their mother.

The children have been named as August, Hugo and Goldie, aged 7, 5 and 1.

The Givealittle page has since raised more than $136,000 for their mother as she dealt with the “unimaginable loss”.

“They were the light and love of her life, and her entire world has been shattered,” the Givealittle page said.

“In the midst of this unimaginable grief, she also lost her home and everything she owned. She is facing the hardest journey possible, stripped of her physical security, while navigating the deepest emotional pain.”

The search for the body of one of the children is still ongoing, police said.

The bodies of two children were recovered on Sunday night and were blessed by the family with karakia.

The body of the adult was removed earlier. Manawatu Area Commander Inspector Ross Grantham confirmed to Morning Report it was the children’s father, which RNZ understood was Dean Field.

Outside the scene of a fatal house fire in Sanson, November 2025. Mark Papalii / RNZ

Police had put up emergency tape roping off the entrance to the property. Down the driveway was a police car, and a police branded truck was visible. A couple of flowers look to have been placed near the front of the driveway.

Police said their focus now would be on finding the third child’s body.

“It’s unimaginable, the tragedy for the families going through this,” Grantham told Morning Report. “We are working very carefully through the scene to establish how it started, and that’s still going to take us some time.”

He said it was too early to tell yet if the fire was deliberately started.

“It’s pretty risky with the part of the structure still there and the the dust that’s generated from the fire, so it will take us some time just to go through and establish what’s happened.”

Grantham said police were not seeking information from the public at this stage, but if anyone knew anything, they could “reach out”.

He said it was “unusual” for a house fire to begin in the afternoon.

Outside the scene of a fatal house fire in Sanson, November 2025. Mark Papalii / RNZ

Neighbour describes seeing the fire as it happened

A neighbour told RNZ he was working at his home on Saturday, when someone noticed smoke from the nearby property.

“We all came out to have a look and we saw a horrific amount of smoke coming from about 300 metres away, where the neighbour’s house is – pretty thick black billowing smoke.

“It was a very, very windy day and we knew it wasn’t any kind of controlled fire. We knew it was some sort of what we considered to be a house fire at that stage.”

He said, over an hour, many firefighters turned up, attempting to put the blaze out.

An hour after it started, the blaze and billowing smoke was still visible. He believed it took two hours for firefighters to put the fire out.

“They were still dousing it down and there was just very slight wisps of smoke coming from the property two hours after it started.”

He said State Highway One near the property did not open until 8pm Saturday.

The neighbour said that, during the fire, he was “pretty shocked” at what was happening before his eyes.

“Nothing we could do about it and just a feeling of kind of despair, I guess just watching what was going on.

“Knowing that a young family was potentially losing everything they owned and knowing that is going to be a very, very hard place to come back from.

“Just the thought of not knowing whether everybody was alright or not, and subsequent to that we found out, that isn’t the case, which has made things 10 times worse.”

Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the fire.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

November 17, 2025

Two antibiotic-resistant superbugs found at Christchurch Hospital

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christchurch Hospital. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Health NZ has confirmed two separate outbreaks of superbugs at Christchurch Hospital.

Two different strains of antibiotic antibiotic-resistant enterococci have been identified on one ward.

Health NZ Canterbury and West Coast nursing director Dr Sarah Berger said there were “fewer than 10 patients” with the infection, which was more difficult to treat because it did not respond to many medicines and was resistant to vancomycin.

Vancomycin was an antibiotic used for potentially life-threatening infections which could not be treated with another effective, less toxic antimicrobial drug, including severe staphylococcus infections.

“Most” of the patients were carriers rather than having active infections, Berger said.

Deep ward cleans, use of personal protective equipment and other infection prevention measures were in place.

“Anti-microbial resistance (AMR) is a global problem, sometimes called the ‘silent pandemic’, and unfortunately has reached New Zealand’s shores.

“AMR occurs when bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites change over time and no longer respond to many medicines, making infections harder to treat. As a result of drug resistance, antibiotics and other antimicrobial medicines become less effective and infections become increasingly difficult to treat.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

November 17, 2025

Spring finally here for housing market, REINZ says

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Spring came late for the housing market but it arrived last month, the Real Estate Institute says.

It has released its latest data that show the number of sales across the country was up 6.4 percent year-on-year in the month, at 7505.

Gisborne had 70 percent more sales, at 63, the West Coast was up almost 52 percent, to 44 and Taranaki up 26 percent to 184.

The national median Days to Sell decreased by one day to 41 days.

For New Zealand, excluding Auckland, it decreased by two days to 41 days.

The largest reduction in median Days to Sell was observed in Southland, down 13 days from 44 to 31. The greatest year-on-year increase in median Days to Sell was on the West Coast, rising 23 days from 24 to 47 days.

Institute chief executive Lizzy Ryley said even when the figures were seasonally adjusted, activity had picked up more than normal.

“I think at the moment what we are seeing is good weather suddenly appearing made it feel like it was spring.

“The weather just suddenly went form being winter because October was so much better than September.

“Seasonally we were expecting to see something in September which we’ve seen in October. Talking around the country to everybody it feels like it just switched overnight … if the market doesn’t move in October and November when will it move? And it’s moving.”

New Zealand’s median price decreased by 1.1 percent year-on-year, to $786,000. Excluding Auckland, the median price increased by 0.6 percent year-on-year to $710,000. The house price index, which smooths out variation in the median sale price caused by the types of properties selling was up 0.3 percent year-on-year.

Auckland’s median price lifted over $1 million for the first time since March. West Coast and Queenstown Lakes also hit new records.

“It really shows that demand isn’t just holding up, but actually lifting, especially in premium and regional areas,” Ryley said.

Shed said Auckland seemed to be showing more confidence.

“You’ve got people starting to lose that fear of paying too much. They’re starting to go ‘ok it’s safe for me to do something’. There’s also probably a sense of house prices have dropped quite significantly over the last few years…. Now they are stabilising, just moving gently up a bit and people go ‘ok, it’s a good time’.

“I suspect people do feel like it’s likely they’ll stay flattish or level but there is always that feeling that with the OCR impact they could move up … there’s going to be potentially an opportunity.”

New listings continue to rise around the country, up 5.5 percent year-on-year to 12,209. New Zealand, excluding Auckland, also recorded an increase, up 4.2 percent year-on-year to 7783. Inventory levels have returned to over 33,000, up 3.9 percent nationally year-on-year to 33,588.

“First-home buyers continue to be a dominant group across the country, taking advantage of lower interest rates and a stabilised market in terms of price, closely followed by owner-occupiers,” Ryley said.

“Salespeople are telling us that the warmer weather, lower interest rates, and easing lending criteria have brought more people back into the market and boosted activity in many regions, which we can see from the data.”

She said people were optimistic without being too excited. “The cost of living is so high still.”

ANZ economists said prices seemed likely to finish the year at about their forecast for 0.5 percent to 1 percent year-on-year growth.

“However, sales volumes were stronger, rising 4.2 percent month-on-month to be above their historical average, indicating some resilience in demand. Days to sell were steady around their past year’s average. Overall, there hasn’t been any decisive charge in the direction of the market this month, though higher sales volumes provide some tentative evidence of stronger demand.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

November 17, 2025

Woman charged with muder following death of man in Northland’s Kaitaia