Auckland's Britomart station evacuated, services suspended
File photo.
Photo:
RNZ / Ziming Li
Auckland's Britomart train station has been evacuated this morning.
A travel alert on Auckland Transport's journey planner says a fire alarm has caused the station to be closed and train services suspended.
Police said they are not attending the scene.
Fire and Emergency and Auckland Transport have been approached for comment.
More to come...
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Otago Daily Times
35 minutes ago
- Otago Daily Times
Blackmail complaint made to police: Taxi driver left stressed by supposed' prank'
Gurpreet Singh. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON A Dunedin Taxis driver says he was left shivering and in tears after believing he was being "blackmailed" for $10,000 by two fellow drivers. The driver said former Dunedin Taxis director Gurpreet Singh and driver Vishal Vala demanded the payment be made to an Indian bank account in March to alter log books. He claims he was told if he did not make the payment he would be fired. When he complained to Dunedin Taxis chairman Paul Oliver and the police, he was told the incident was just a prank — an explanation which he doubted. The driver, who provided texts and emails to the Otago Daily Times, said he felt forced to withdraw the complaints, but said the ordeal left him scared of Mr Singh, who is still a driver for the company. "I still can't make any sense of this whole incident, that's why was I intimidated," he said in communication supplied to the ODT. "[I felt] threatened, emotionally blackmailed and financially blackmailed. "Tears are rolling down my eyes — I am stressed, I feel betrayed, I am shivering, and I couldn't sleep for the whole night." When approached by the ODT, Mr Singh and Mr Vala stood by their explanation the incident was a prank they regretted. Mr Vala said the prank took place while the pair were drunk. The driver said the incident happened after Mr Singh and Mr Vala befriended him when he first joined Dunedin Taxis, and claims the pair introduced him to their system of getting preference for big-ticket rides. They told him they had an arrangement with a staff member at the Dunedin Taxis call centre to allocate them the more expensive trips that came through the system — which was against the constitution of the company. The driver said he took a few of those rides after believing Mr Singh had set them up for him. On March 14, the driver claims Mr Singh told him that Dunedin Taxis had a record of those rides and they needed to be deleted from the company's system or else he would lose his job. The driver alleges Mr Singh had told him to make a $10,000 deposit into an Auckland-based staff member's Indian account to wipe logbook records. At this point, the driver was scared and refused to take part in the arrangement. The driver complained to Dunedin Taxis chairman Mr Oliver and to the police on the evening of March 14. The following day the driver received an apology from both Mr Singh and Mr Vala. Mr Singh wrote: "I'm really sorry for the prank — I misjudged it and I regret that it didn't come across as harmless fun. Mr Vala wrote: "I never imagined it would affect you that way, especially since we used to be good friends". The driver responded to a separate apology Mr Singh made on WhatsApp by saying he had "lost all respect" for the pair. He highlighted he was "shocked and shivering" after their threats. Mr Singh responded to him by saying "GOOD THOUGHTS FROM CHAT GPT" and "U can f... off". The driver said he ended up in the emergency department at the hospital with high blood pressure The driver said the incident left him feeling unsafe working for Dunedin Taxis, and he was not happy with the response from the company to his complaint. When questioned by the ODT, Mr Singh reiterated the incident was a prank and denied allegations of blackmail and any involvement in a scheme to give drivers preferential treatment for big ticket rides. He said the matter was amicably resolved with the help of two fellow drivers, and the police complaint was withdrawn. Mr Vala also denied the allegations. He said he had been drinking with Mr Singh when they decided to prank call the driver. "We did not know he would take it so seriously." Mr Vala thought the matter had been resolved within the company and said he was told no further action would be taken. Mr Oliver said he told the driver he could not do anything about the complaints against Mr Singh and Mr Vala because the driver had already taken the issue to police. "That was the end of it for me. "Whether there was $10,000 or whatever it was, it's just no longer my problem or concern ... it had nothing to do with taxi operations." He said after the complaint was withdrawn from police he thought the driver and Mr Singh and Mr Vala were friends again, and he did not have to take any further action. He said it was impossible to wipe any logbook records. "Unless they go up to Auckland and break into the place and do a Watergate, that's impossible." He said there were constant complaints some drivers were getting better rides than others, but the system could not be worked improperly.
Scoop
11 hours ago
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Greenpeace Activists Rebrand NZ Bottom Trawler "Ocean Killer" At Sea
Greenpeace Aotearoa activists have confronted a bottom trawler on the Chatham Rise, rebranding it "ocean killer", after bearing witness to it hauling in a net straining with marine life. Launching from the Greenpeace vessel Rainbow Warrior, activists came alongside the New Zealand-flagged ship, Talley's Amaltal Atlantis, on the Chatham Rise on Friday afternoon, and painted the message on its hull with non-toxic paint. Speaking from onboard the Rainbow Warrior, Greenpeace Aotearoa spokesperson Juan Parada says: "Appalled by the most recent evidence of destruction, people defending the oceans rebranded this Talley's vessel today to expose the bottom trawling industry for what they are: ocean killers. When Talley's bottom trawlers drag their heavy trawl nets across the seafloor and over seamounts, they bulldoze everything in their path, including killing precious marine life from coral to fur seals, dolphins and seabirds."We've all seen the shocking footage of bottom trawling in David Attenborough's film Ocean, and it's happening right here, right now." "Faced with a fishing industry that profits from trashing the ocean, and a government that condones bottom trawling, we're proud of the peaceful action taken today to call out this destruction and demand that bottom trawling stop. "The Amaltal Atlantis trawls in the waters of Aotearoa, and has previously received permits to trawl in the High Seas of the South Pacific. Their trail of destruction is wide and long-lasting," says Parada. Talley's vessels have a long history of carrying out bottom trawling destruction. In 2018, the Amaltal Apollo trawled in a protected area on the Lord Howe Rise, in the international waters of the Tasman Sea. The Amaltal Mariner was also convicted of trawling in a marine reserve off Kaikōura in 2019. The company also has a documented history of health and safety issues, with multiple injuries and even a fatality reported to WorkSafe. In 2022, Greenpeace activists blocked the Amatal Atlantis from leaving Port Nelson for nearly 10 hours. The at-sea action comes just weeks after it was revealed a New Zealand vessel dragged up six tonnes of coral in a single trawl on the Chatham Rise, known for being a hotspot for coral life. In March, Greenpeace Aotearoa documented swathes of destroyed coral in areas of the Tasman Sea intensively trawled by New Zealand bottom trawlers. The Tasman Sea has been earmarked for one of the first high seas ocean sanctuaries, using the Global Ocean Treaty. New Zealand is the only country still bottom trawling in the High Seas of the Tasman. Parada says, "As the rest of the world moves towards more comprehensive ocean protection for international waters, New Zealand is standing in the way of progress by continuing to advocate for the bottom trawling industry."It's time Talley's, the trawling industry, and the government listened to the tens of thousands of New Zealanders who want ocean health valued over industry profits. "From depleted fish numbers to smashed coral, dead sharks and seabirds, the cost of bottom trawling is too high. To protect the ocean for the future and safeguard the ocean we all love, bottom trawling must stop." In response to the activist's painting activity, Talley's responded saying they would seek legal action which "may include the arrest of the Rainbow Warrior."
Scoop
14 hours ago
- Scoop
Sky Tower To Shine A Light On Family Violence
Auckland's Sky Tower will be lit up bright orange on July 1st to help draw attention to the high rates of family violence in New Zealand as part of Shine's annual Light It Orange fundraising appeal. Shine is an Auckland-based specialist family violence provider that delivers a range of services that support people experiencing family violence. It is part of Presbyterian Support Northern's (PSN) group of social services. GM Fundraising & Social Enterprise Lisa Rudolphe says Sky Tower's support will be a big boost for the Light It Orange fundraising appeal, which runs for the month of July. 'The colour orange is used to symbolise hope and Shine provides hope for people experiencing family violence. 'As the Sky Tower can be seen from many parts of Auckland, we are thrilled that on July 1 it will be lit up orange – it will be a beacon of hope for women living with family violence as we call upon the community to help Shine support them and their children,' says Lisa Rudolphe. The theme for this year's Light It Orange campaign is Let's light the way out of family violence and is aimed at highlighting the specialist services that Shine needs support for. These include support for family violence advocates who work with those at risk; KIDshine which supports children traumatised by family violence; emergency short-term accommodation; and programmes to hold people who use violence accountable and support them to change their behaviour. 'This year, we're encouraging the community to join the campaign and be a light in the lives of women and children needing to escape family violence,' says Lisa Rudolphe 'Every year, women and children are killed as a result of family violence. At this moment, women and children are living with abusive family members in our communities – we need support right now to help.' Lisa Rudolphe encourages workplaces, communities, teams and schools to get behind Shine's campaign throughout July. 'Whether your team loves to be social, prefers to support behind the scenes, or you're a mixed bunch, you can turn your collective creativity into real-world impact. Every single dollar counts!' Visit the Light It Orange website to create anindividual or team fundraising page to get started. You'll also find tips and ideas, plus resources to help. About Shine Shine works to make New Zealand homes violence-free. We provide a range of effective, practical, and innovative services to achieve our mission to stop family violence in New Zealand. Key services include: support for family violence advocates who work with those at risk; KIDshine which supports children traumatised by family violence; emergency short-term accommodation; and programmes for people who use family violence to motivate and support them to change their behaviour. We also indirectly help thousands more through our Shine Education & Training professional programmes in workplaces, and our justice and health sector partnerships.
