Emergency Services
Attacks on cell towers leave community worried for safety and angry
A spate of arson attacks on cell towers in Wānaka and the wider Otago region has left people angry and worried about communication outages, as police urge locals to report any suspicious behaviour. Audio
Union wants independent inquiry into asbestos scare at station
The New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union says the central Auckland building needs a full remediation.
Auckland fire station cleared to re-open after asbestos scare
Fire and Emergency says precautionary testing found no airborne particles at the Pitt Street site.
One dead after single-car crash in Whangārei
A person has died after a car crash in Whangārei on Saturday night.
One dead in Canterbury house fire
One person is dead after a house fire overnight in Rakaia, Canterbury.
Police report death after motorcycle crash in Otago
One person has died after a motorcycle crash near Palmerston.
E-scooter rider critically injured in central Auckland crash
The collision between the scooter and a car happened at the intersection of Mount St and Symonds St on Saturday afternoon.
FENZ awaits urgent asbestos test results after station closes
Fire and Emergency has closed Auckland's central Pitt Street station and ordered urgent tests after asbestos dust was found, with results due on Monday.
Auckland fire station closes due to asbestos contamination
Fire and Emergency says the asbestos, which was revealed by dust sampling, has come as a disappointing surprise.
'Substantial flock of birds': Large dent visible on nose of plane after take-off drama
The Fiji Airways flight encountered the birds as it left Christchurch and spent two hours circling above the airport.
Mountain-biker rescued in Northland after taking wrong turn in bush
The operation took most of Saturday night, with the man suffering hypothermia and struggling to walk.
Midday Report Essentials for Thursday 9 October 2025
Hundreds of teenagers with a health condition or disability could lose their jobseeker benefit under changes announced by the government; The latest bargaining meeting between Fire and Emergency New… Audio
Turning up the heat for mental health
We're talking about firefighters now, but less about them fighting fires, and more about them promoting mental health. Bevin James is with me, he's a former firefighter now turned flower farmer, but… Audio
Union banners banned from firetrucks at airports
Firefighters had to be reminded of the ban, when they turned up to an emergency callout at Christchurch Airport over the weekend.
Firetruck breaks down en route to Auckland fire
The truck from the Grey Lynn station would have the first to a fire, but the accelerator snapped.
Crashed truck blocks road near Arthur's Pass
A truck that crashed into a guard rail on a winding corner near Arthur's Pass is blocking traffic.
Trapped person rescued, in hospital
Emergency services have helped extricate a person from an Auckland property and taken them to hospital in a serious condition.
'Quite a bit of damage': Tornado hits several Bay of Plenty homes
Roofs have been lifted after an isolated thunderstorm likely caused a small tornado in Awakeri.
Petone train station closed, as police respond to incident
Hutt Valley Line services may be affected for several hours, and commuters should check the Metlink app or website for updates.