Sir Clifford Skeggs, ‘the boy from Bluff', dies aged 94
The 'boy from Bluff' and his family featured in this week's NBR Rich List, with an estimated $220 million net worth.
The former Dunedin mayor, between 1977 and 1989, was knighted in 1987 and inducted into the New
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RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
Wellington train satisfaction falls, record-high bus passengers
Passenger satisfaction for Wellington's rail services has fallen for the third year in a row. Photo: RNZ / Krystal Gibbens Passenger satisfaction for Wellington's rail services has slumped for the third year in a row, while bus patronage is increasing. Metlink's annual passenger satisfaction survey shows 89 percent of all rail passengers surveyed were happy, down from 92 percent last year and 94 percent the year before. Just 58 percent of rail passengers on the Wairarapa line - which runs between Masterton and Wellington - reported being satisfied with services. Greater Wellington Regional Council's Thomas Nash said trains were not as reliable or punctual as they should be, due to significant maintenance and upgrades on the network. That, along with staff shortages on the Wairarapa line had caused train cancellations, and bus replacement services had been offered instead. Nash said it was clear passengers were frustrated. "It's not rocket science, we need to get the reliability up and for rail that means getting the assets in a condition where they will allow for reliable passenger services to be run by us on those tracks." Temporary speed limit restrictions on sections of lines were also causing delays. "They do mean that the timetable isn't as efficient as it could be, isn't as frequent as it could be. That kind of punctuality does matter to people." "I think if we can start clearing out the speed restrictions that are in place because of aging assets in the government's rail network, then we as the public transport authority running the trains will be able to provide a much more reliable and punctual service for people." He expected maintenance work to continue for years, but said the regional council was focused on improving reliability at peak times. "What we need to focus on is really making sure we protect those peak times - those morning and evening peak times - on the rail network and then we can say to people, hand on heart, if you turn up in the morning to get to work, and you're coming home in the evening we will make sure your train is running." Greater Wellington Regional Council's Thomas Nash says trains are not as reliable or punctual as they should be. Photo: Thomas Nash Greater Wellington regional councillor for Wairarapa Adrienne Staples said the council was committed to working with KiwiRail to improve reliability and prepare the line for new hybrid trains, arriving in 2029. "These upgrades are extensive, but they're essential to delivering the kind of service our passengers deserve. "Wairarapa passengers have been incredibly patient, and I want to acknowledge that it's not just closures affecting the line. Vibrations, speed restrictions, and most recently staffing shortages have all contributed to services falling short of expectations." The survey shows 94 percent of bus users are satisfied, an increase from last year. Metlink group manager Samantha Gain said the reliability of bus services had exceeded 99 percent this year. Bus patronage, too, was on the up, with a record-breaking 2.5 million passengers taking the bus in March, she said. She said she was "pleased to see continued high satisfaction across the network, especially with buses and ferries, and that passengers continue to report feeling safe both onboard and while waiting at stops and stations". The independent survey, involving 2711 respondents, showed overall satisfaction with Wellington's public transport network was at 93 percent. Nash said reliability was the key to determining satisfaction in public transport and in improving rail passenger numbers. "With bus we are at record-high reliability, and consequently record-high levels of patronage on the bus network. "Conversely, satisfaction with rail is down, because reliability on rail is down, and fewer people are now using the rail service." Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
6 days ago
- RNZ News
Woman illegally takes dogs into Tongariro National Park, posts about it on Facebook
Signs clearly state no dogs are allowed in Tongariro National Park. Photo: DOC/Supplied A woman who posted images of herself holding a dog in front of a "no dogs" sign in Tongariro National Park has been fined $400. Tongariro National Park has a no dog policy, including no dogs in vehicles. Department of Conservation Tongariro Operations Manager Libby O'Brien said the infringement notice was a "no-brainer". "This person didn't make a mistake, she showed blatant disregard for the law, for nature, for the mana of the dual World Heritage listed Tongariro National Park." Dogs are also not allowed at the three ski fields located in the park. Under the National Parks Act dogs are not allowed in any national park, with the exception of guide dogs and dogs engaged in duties for the purposes of law, search and rescue, or for approved management purposes. O'Brien said for this woman to "celebrate lawbreaking" was an to insult the iwi, the community, the businesses and local DOC rangers. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
04-08-2025
- RNZ News
Greytown skatepark construction well underway
South Wairarapa councillor Martin Bosley, Sid Kempton, Deb Dennes, and councillor Alistair Plimmer at the site of the new Greytown wheels park where construction work is underway. Photo: LDR / EMILY IRELAND When Greytown resident Deb Dennes first picked up the fight to get the town's first skate park built, she had visions of her then 6-month-old being one of the many children to use it. Eighteen years on, and although her kids have grown up, the ground has finally broken, and construction on the wheels park is well underway at the corner of Cotter and Pierce streets. "It's super exciting to see that our kids will finally have what all the kids in Wairarapa have had for decades," Dennes said. After battling for progress and "throwing our hands up in the air", she passed the torch to fellow Greytown resident Sid Kempton, who has been pushing the project along for more than a decade. "I still remember 16 years ago Deb and her husband Mike came to my house and they had a cardboard box of all the work they had done to that point and their parting words were, 'good luck'," Kempton said. As a parent and skateboarder, Kempton was pleased he had been able to keep the momentum for the project going. Despite "ups and plenty of downs", ground has broken on the site and stage one of the Greytown Wheels Park was on track to be completed by the end of October. Approved as part of South Wairarapa District Council's 2021-31 Long Term Plan, the project was part-funded by council to the value of $1 million, with the balance to be raised by the community for further stages. The council funds were from developer contributions and could only be used for the development of reserves and open spaces. Councillor Alistair Plimmer said it was this project that was one of the driving reasons he stood for council in 2019. At the time, he said council's support of the wheels park was "deadlocked" and "going nowhere". He and fellow Greytown ward councillors had helped push the project along over the past two trienniums. First-term Greytown councillor Martin Bosley said being able to see tangible progress on the park was a good thing. "It makes you feel good about being on council." The wheels park was being built by Convic Creative Community, which had carved a name for developing more than 800 community spaces around the world, including parks in Avalon and Auckland, as well as Australia and Dubai. An agreement was previously signed with another contractor in August 2023, with construction set to begin at the start of this year, but the contractor withdrew from the project. Stage one, which would be completed in a few months, would deliver the core elements of the wheels park suitable for kids to use. The staged construction meant additions to the park would happen as community funding became available, and the park would be usable at the end of each phase. - Local Democracy Reporting is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air
