Thursday 3 September 2026
27 stories first reported this day, covered by two or more outlets
Coalition members disagree over select committee recommendations for move-on orders
A select committee has recommended weakening a bill regarding move-on orders, including removing teenagers under 17 from the scope. While the committee reached a consensus, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith expressed disappointment, and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters opposed the recommendation to exclude teenagers.
4 outlets · Ministry of Education cancels Gloriavale Christian School registration
The Ministry of Education has cancelled the registration of Gloriavale Christian School on the West Coast following a special Education Review Office report. The school was found to be physically and emotionally unsafe for its more than 80 students. The Ministry has applied to the High Court to lift orders to allow the school to close.
+26 outlets · Christopher Luxon defends use of second plane for Pacific mission
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has defended the deployment of two RNZAF Boeing 757s for the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau. While one aircraft is travelling to the meeting, a second is being held in Cairns as a backup. Luxon stated the deployment was a Defence Force decision.
+26 outlets · Two people rescued from water at Waikuku Beach
Emergency services and surf lifeguards located two people in the water at Waikuku Beach on Thursday evening. The individuals were reported missing around 6.30pm and were successfully recovered and checked by medics.
3 outlets · Body found at Rotorua lake during Pahīatua homicide investigation
Police recovered a body from Lake Rotokākahi near Rotorua on Thursday morning. The discovery was made during enquiries into the October 2025 death of Karen Gilbert-Palmer in Pahīatua. Officers believe the body may be connected to the investigation involving Jeremy Robertson, the sole suspect in the homicide.
+26 outlets · Police seek teenager after child assaulted at Porirua school playground
Police are searching for a teenage boy following an alleged assault on a child in Whitby. The incident occurred around 5.30pm on Thursday, 27 August, at a school playground near Spinnaker Drive. The child and their family have been left shaken by the event.
3 outlets · Hokitika pedestrian identified following fatal August crash
Police have identified 87-year-old Mary Schimanski as the pedestrian who died after being struck by a car in Hokitika. The collision occurred on the morning of 14 August at the intersection of Fitzherbert and Park streets. Inquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
3 outlets · Police find gun and drug ingredients behind fake wall in Beach Haven
Two people were arrested during a police raid at a Beach Haven home on Wednesday. Officers discovered a loaded firearm and thousands of pseudoephedrine tablets hidden behind a fake magnetic wall inside a wardrobe. Cash was also found concealed in an ottoman during the investigation into suspected methamphetamine production.
3 outlets · Three players win $333,333 each in Lotto First Division draw
Three players have each won $333,333 after sharing the Lotto First Division prize. Winning tickets were sold at a Te Awamutu supermarket and via MyLotto to players in Rotorua and Wellington. The Powerball jackpot has rolled over to $28 million for Saturday's draw.
3 outlets · Parking infringements drop on Onehunga Mall following pilot initiative
Parking tickets on Onehunga Mall have decreased by more than half following a pilot programme that extended time limits. The street was Auckland's second-highest ticketed area last year, recording 8,782 infringements. Weekly tickets have reportedly fallen from 186 to 87.
4 outlets · Tauranga ratepayers to cover $1.2m legal bill after Mt Maunganui landslide
Tauranga City Council has paid approximately $1.18 million to law firm Meredith Connell. The legal costs follow a landslide in Mt Maunganui that resulted in six deaths. The firm was appointed by the council in January this year, shortly after the incident occurred.
2 outlets · False bird flu hoax claims spread online in New Zealand
Social media users are sharing false narratives claiming bird flu is a hoax following three detections of the virus. While biosecurity groups work to protect wildlife, the Ministry for Primary Industries is urging the public to report sightings of three or more sick or dead wild birds.
2 outlets · Northland man jailed for manslaughter following fatal Whangārei fire
August Lemon has been sentenced to five years in prison for manslaughter. Lemon started a fire at a vehicle or carport in Whangārei after failing to find drugs, which spread to a home and killed 61-year-old Hoani Reuben-Tuoro.
2 outlets · Police investigate fatal collision on Te Puke Highway
A man walking on Te Puke Highway near Manoeka Rd was killed by several vehicles on Tuesday night. Emergency services attended the scene around 8.30pm, where the man died from his injuries. Police are now appealing for public assistance and seeking footage of the incident.
2 outlets · Whooping cough cases identified at Auckland secondary schools
Whooping cough has been reported at both Ōrewa College and Whangaparāoa College. Health NZ has advised students and staff at these schools to monitor for symptoms if they have been near the infectious individuals. While the risk of transmission is considered low, families have been urged to remain vigilant.
2 outlets · Two men appear in court on separate charges
An 83-year-old Hamilton man faces 10 charges involving historical offences against children. Separately, a 53-year-old teacher appeared in Tauranga District Court facing 22 charges of making intimate visual recordings at a Mount Maunganui early childhood centre.
3 outlets · FMA chief executive Samantha Barrass resigns immediately
Samantha Barrass has departed as chief executive of the Financial Markets Authority following a suspension. Her departure comes as allegations against her are being incorporated into a government-commissioned investigation.
2 outlets · Whanganui Treaty settlement passes final reading in Parliament
Settlement legislation for Ngā Hapū o Te Iwi o Whanganui passed its final reading on Thursday. This concludes nine years of negotiations with the Crown regarding historical injustices. The Crown has acknowledged the profound impact these issues had on generations of Whanganui Māori.
2 outlets · Wellington City Council by-election scheduled for December 11
A by-election for the Takapū/Northern General Ward will be held on 11 December following the death of councillor Tony Randle in August. Voting will be conducted by post, with ballot packs being mailed from 9 November. The winner will serve the rest of the 2025–2028 council term.
2 outlets · Cartier opens first New Zealand boutique on Auckland's Queen Street
French luxury brand Cartier has officially opened its first New Zealand boutique at 66 Queen Street in Auckland. The store began trading quietly on July 31 and marks the brand's eighth location in Oceania.
2 outlets · New Zealanders narrowly escaped flash floods in Nepal
More than half a dozen New Zealanders avoided last week's deadly flash floods on the Nepal-China border. The group crossed the border a day early after their Auckland-based tour operator changed the schedule. The floods, potentially caused by a glacial collapse, swept through a Himalayan valley last Wednesday.
3 outlets · Restaurant business and owner fined for underpaying five workers
SSM Investments Limited and its owner, Shazneen Shariza Khan, have been ordered to pay $130,000 in penalties. An investigation found the Auckland and Cromwell-based business underpaid five employees by more than $147,000 through unlawful deductions and denied entitlements.
2 outlets · Two men charged after methamphetamine-soaked clothes found at Auckland Airport
Two 31-year-old New Zealand men have appeared in court following separate attempts to smuggle methamphetamine. The men arrived on different flights from Malaysia carrying clothing saturated with the drug in their luggage. Customs officials discovered the items at Auckland International Airport.
2 outlets · Methanex to idle New Zealand methanol production facilities in 2027
Methanex plans to indefinitely idle its New Zealand methanol production facilities during the first quarter of 2027 due to declining domestic gas availability. The company intends to sell most of its contracted gas entitlements. Energy Minister Simeon Brown stated that the closure makes a liquefied natural gas import terminal critically important.
2 outlets · Former Bachelorette NZ star to run for NZ First in Northcote
Daryl Habraken, a voice actor and former reality TV personality, has been announced as the New Zealand First candidate for the Northcote electorate in Auckland. Habraken previously appeared on the 2020 season of The Bachelorette New Zealand.
2 outlets · Casey Costello appointed as New Zealand's Minister of Organised Crime
Casey Costello has been appointed as the first minister solely responsible for tackling organised crime. The government is establishing a new multi-agency board to create a more coordinated response to transnational and serious crime groups targeting New Zealand and the Pacific region.
2 outlets · Warm temperatures and strong winds forecast across New Zealand
Mild overnight temperatures have been recorded nationwide following warm northwesterly flows. Christchurch recorded the country's warmest morning at 16C, with temperatures expected to reach 22C. A new weather front moving from the south is forecast to bring strong northwest winds to central and northern regions on Friday.
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