Emergency Services
'Headlong into the bus': Witness says car crossed line before deadly crash
"The front was entirely caved in," says a driver who narrowly avoided the crash between a car and a school bus that killed a person and hurt 31. Audio
Fireworks blamed as fire tears through paddock
The owner of a paddock where a blaze broke out on Friday out believed fireworks were the cause.
Midday Report Essentials for Friday 7 November 2025
The final evaluation for the government's military style boot camps found it was too small to provide any meaningful data, and its implementation was rushed; The teams of Tonga, Samoa and New Zealand… Audio
FENZ brushes off rumours as 'scaremongering'
Fire and Emergency says it will continue to respond to severe weather events, despite "scaremongering" suggesting otherwise.
Firefighter training facility shut down over safety fears
The live-fire steel cells in Rotorua are meant to simulate a burning building, but trainers say they're at risk of structural failure and are releasing carcinogenic smoke. Audio
State of emergency to be lifted in Southland
Southland's state of emergency will be lifted at 09.30 this morning, more than two weeks after severe weather battered the region. Invercargill City Council senior manager, Rex Capil spoke to Ingrid… Audio
Beehive bunker practices solar storm emergency
In the depths of the Beehive's bunker, the National Emergency Management Agency has run its first exercise simulating an emergency response to a solar storm. Reporter Kate Green went down to take a… Audio
FENZ closes live fire training facility over safety concerns
Safety concerns have forced Fire and Emergency to shut down its only live fire training facility for new recruits. NZ Professional Firefighting Union national president Joe Stanley spoke to Ingrid… Audio
Bus involved in serious crash in Rotorua
Thirty-one people have been involved in a crash between a bus and a car in the Rotorua suburb of Owhata last night. Lauren Crimp reports. Audio
Auckland firefighter says their old equipment has 'continual failings'
Firefighters say they no longer have confidence in their ageing vehicle fleet, and fear it could let them down in life or death situations. Audio
Community centre badly damaged by fire a big loss for locals
FENZ could not yet say whether fireworks sparked the blaze at Transition Towns Community Centre in the early hours of Thursday morning.
Firefighters call off next one-hour strike, reworking pay claim
Their union is warning the strike cancellation will only be a short respite if they can't find a way to a wage settlement.
Calls for strengthened telecommunications following wild winds
The Otago Regional Council fears lessons haven't been learned almost three years after Cyclone Gabrielle highlighted significant weaknesses in critical infrastructure. Tess Brunton reports. Audio
One dead after two-vehicle crash in Gordonton
Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash in the Waikato region at around 1pm.
The Panel with Ali Jones and Simon Pound, Part 1
Tonight, on The Panel, Wallace Chapman is joined by panellists Ali Jones and Simon Pound. First up, school boards will no longer be required to give effect to Te Tiriti of Waitangi. Acting deputy… Audio
Midday Report Essentials for Wednesday 5 November 2025
Unemployment edged up to a near nine-year high as businesses halted hiring, but slack in the jobs market increased, and wage growth slowed further; New research shows vaping is the likely reason for… Audio
Rotorua tourist spot Mitai Maori Village damaged by fire
A popular Rotorua tourist spot is thought to have been significantly damaged after a blaze on Tuesday night. Wetini Mitai-Ngati, Chief Executive of Mitai Maori Village spoke to Charlotte Cook. Audio
Whakamātūtū on brink of closing down
Wellington's Depression Recovery Centre is on the brink of closing down, because of a lack of funding. Ali Lewis is a client at Whakamātūtū and spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Audio
Fire damages popular Rotorua tourist spot
Tankers were brought in and State Highway 5 closed down for a time after the blaze broke out just after 10pm.
Large fire spreads through Hawke's Bay farmland
The fire began just 30 minutes before a restricted fire season came into force.
