Orana Wildlife Park is seeking financial support from the Selwyn District Council to address a $4.1 million funding shortfall as it approaches its 50th year of operation. Park leadership presented the request on Wednesday, stating that the facility faces high costs to maintain its accredited wildlife park status and animal welfare responsibilities. Selwyn Mayor Lydia … Read more
Christchurch’s Little Andromeda theatre, a hub for emerging artists, is set to close by year’s end after its application to Creative New Zealand (CNZ) was denied, marking a significant blow to the South Island’s arts sector. General manager Michael Bell described the loss as “absolutely gutted,” emphasizing the venue’s role as a community cornerstone where … Read more
A 60-year-old Christchurch man faces a manslaughter charge following the death of 21-year-old father Braydon Hepworth, whose body was discovered buried beneath a shed at a Hereford Street property on October 8. The accused appeared via audio-visual link in the Christchurch District Court on Thursday without entering a plea and has been granted interim name … Read more
The Weight of Freedom Rosanna Overcomer spent 27 years in Gloriavale, a West Coast Christian community where every moment was dictated by rules. Now, 13 years after leaving, she admits, “I sometimes wish someone still would.” Seven Sharp reported that Overcomer, her husband Elijah, and their three children settled in Canterbury after escaping the isolated … Read more
A 58-year-old man is set to face two charges of murder, one charge of attempted murder, and one charge of wounding with intent following an overnight double homicide in the Christchurch suburb of Phillipstown. Emergency services rushed to Olliviers Road at approximately 12.50am on Saturday after reports of a critical incident inside a housing complex … Read more
Police in Christchurch announced on Thursday that a body discovered during a morning search warrant at a Hereford Street property is believed to be missing 21-year-old Braydon Hepworth. Hepworth had not been seen since September 3, when security footage captured him at a Z Energy service station in Linwood. Detective Inspector Scott Anderson stated that … Read more
Kellyanne Pattinson died on January 17, 2018, when a northbound Bidfood truck lost traction on a wet bend of State Highway 1 south of Timaru and collided with her car. Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame released findings on the fatal crash, determining that the poor state of the northbound left lane directly contributed to the incident and … Read more
Canterbury bus passengers can now purchase and use a Motu Move card at the Christchurch bus interchange, marking the delayed launch of New Zealand’s new public transport ticketing system nearly two years behind its original schedule. Transport Minister Chris Bishop backed the rollout at the Christchurch launch, calling the system “world-leading” despite acknowledging that the … Read more
New Zealanders heading into the school holidays face a weekend of unsettled weather, with MetService forecasting a cocktail of heavy rain, strong winds, and snow across various regions. While Thursday provided a window of mostly clear skies, a sequence of cold fronts is set to move in starting Friday, peaking with the most severe conditions … Read more
A blast of cold southern air has delivered unseasonable frosts across New Zealand, sending temperatures below freezing in parts of the North Island just hours after the spring equinox, according to MetService. The equinox marked the point in the calendar when day and night are roughly equal in length, but the seasonal shift brought severe … Read more