Latest news with #BiosecurityNewZealand
Daily Mail
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Gold Logie winner Hamish Blake fined $400 in shock airport incident
Two-time Gold Logie winner Hamish Blake recently found himself in an unexpected predicament during a trip to New Zealand, where a routine airport inspection turned into a costly affair. The Lego Masters Australia host, 43, revealed on the Hamish and Andy podcast that he was halted at customs when a suspicious item was detected in his backpack. Hamish recounted the perplexing moment his bag was singled out by an officer. 'My backpack has a lot of compartments – it's actually the world's best backpack,' Hamish joked. 'I'm like, "Listen, you might not be familiar with this particular backpack, where is it? How can I help you? Can I find this thing for you?" He goes, "no, I'll need to do it".' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. To his bemusement, the officer retrieved a small red apple hidden under an emergency rain jacket in the front pouch of his bag. 'Is this yours?' the officer asked, to which Hamish said he humorously responded, 'I've never seen that apple before in my life.' Despite the innocent nature of the mishap, he was slapped with a hefty $400 fine by Biosecurity New Zealand. The comedian speculated the apple may have inadvertently found its way into his bag during a previous trip to South Africa. Reflecting on the incident, he shared his disbelief at the consequences of what he dubbed an 'accidental apple mishap.' Despite the fine and the incident now on his record, Hamish maintained his trademark humour, joking about the apple's international journey and its unintended role as a gift to the people of NZ. Hamish has been nominated for a Gold Logie this year for his presenting work on Lego Masters Australia. It comes after a surprise frontrunner emerged in the race to take out the coveted Gold Logie at this year's TV WEEK Logie Awards. Beloved Home and Away star Lynne McGranger, 72, is now the clear favourite to win Australian television's top prize, after a wave of public support and sentimental backing for her 33-year run as Irene Roberts on the long-running soap. According to betting giant Sportsbet, McGranger has stormed into the lead with odds of just $1.37 – far ahead of her nearest rivals. She's now well ahead of A Current Affair's Ally Langdon ($5.00), LEGO Masters host Hamish Blake ($8.50), ABC presenter Lisa Millar ($10.00), and comedian Julia Morris ($11.00). Meanwhile, MasterChef Australia star Poh Ling Yeow sits at $13.00, while 2023 Gold Logie winner Sonia Kruger has blown out to $17.00. The veteran actress, who earlier this year announced her departure from Home and Away, is being widely tipped to take home the Gold as a touching send-off from viewers. At the ceremony, beloved rocker Jimmy Barnes is set to take the stage at The Star Sydney on August 3, bringing four decades of fan-favourite hits to Aussie ears. Meanwhile, comedian Sam Pang will host the event for the third time. Sam's cheeky and irreverent comedy as host last year and in 2023 proved to be a big hit with audiences and TV's A-list, as well as a major ratings winner for Seven. The ceremony will be available to watch from 7:00pm on Sunday, August 3 on Seven and 7Plus. 65th TV WEEK LOGIE AWARDS NOMINATIONS TV WEEK GOLD LOGIE – Most Popular Personality on Australian Television Ally Langdon - A Current Affair, The Olympic Games Paris 2024, 9Network Hamish Blake - LEGO Masters Australia, 9Network Julia Morris - I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10 Lisa Millar - Back Roads, ABC News Breakfast, Muster Dogs: Where Are They Now, Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies, ABC Lynne McGranger - Home and Away, Seven Network Poh Ling Yeow - MasterChef Australia, Network 10 Sonia Kruger - The Voice, Dancing With The Stars, Logies Red Carpet Show, Seven Network Bert Newton Award for Most Popular Presenter Hamish Blake - LEGO Masters Australia, 9Network Julia Morris - I'm A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!, Network 10 Ricki-Lee - Australian Idol, Seven Network Sonia Kruger - The Voice, Dancing With The Stars, Logies Red Carpet Show, Seven Network Todd Woodbridge - Tipping Point Australia, Australian Open, The Olympic Games Paris 2024, Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, 9Network Zan Rowe - Take 5 With Zan Rowe, ABC New Year's Eve, ABC Graham Kennedy Award for Most Popular New Talent Guy Montgomery - Guy Montgomery's Guy Mont Spelling Bee, ABC Hailey Pinto - Home and Away, Seven Network Jenny Tian - Taskmaster Australia, Network 10 Kate Miller-Heidke - The Voice, Seven Network Kylah Day - Territory, Netflix Sofia Levin - MasterChef Australia, Network 10 Ray Martin Award for Most Popular News or Public Affairs Presenter Ally Langdon - A Current Affair, 9Network David Speers - Insiders, ABC Michael Usher - 7NEWS, 7NEWS Spotlight, Seven Network Peter Overton - 9News, 9Network Sarah Ferguson - 7.30, ABC Tara Brown - 60 Minutes, Dangerous Lies: Unmasking Belle Gibson, 9Network TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actor in a Drama Lloyd Griffith - Return To Paradise, ABC Michael Dorman - Territory, Netflix Robert Taylor - Territory, Netflix Sam Corlett - Territory, Netflix Sam Neill - The Twelve, BINGE / FOXTEL Tai Hara - Return To Paradise, ABC TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actress in a Drama Alycia Debnam-Carey - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Anna Samson - Return To Paradise, ABC Anna Torv - Territory, Netflix Ayesha Madon - Heartbreak High, Netflix Kaitlyn Dever - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Lynne McGranger - Home and Away, Seven Network TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actor in a Comedy Aaron Chen - Fisk, ABC Ben Miller - Austin, ABC Clancy Brown - Good Cop/Bad Cop, Stan Luke Cook - Good Cop/Bad Cop, Stan Michael Theo - Austin, ABC Patrick Brammall - Colin From Accounts, BINGE / FOXTEL TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Lead Actress in a Comedy Harriet Dyer - Colin From Accounts, BINGE / FOXTEL Jenna Owen - Nugget is Dead: A Christmas Story, Stan Kitty Flanagan - Fisk, ABC Leighton Meester - Good Cop/Bad Cop, Stan Sally Phillips, Austin - ABC Vic Zerbst - Nugget is Dead: A Christmas Story, Stan TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Supporting Actor Ashley Zukerman - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Darren Gilshenan - Colin From Accounts, BINGE / FOXTEL Glenn Butcher - Fisk, ABC Mark Coles Smith - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Matt Nable - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Sam Delich - Territory, Netflix TV WEEK SILVER LOGIE – Best Supporting Actress Aisha Dee - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Chloé Hayden - Heartbreak High, Netflix Julia Zemiro - Fisk, ABC Marg Downey - The Newsreader, ABC Michelle Lim Davidson - The Newsreader, ABC Tilda Cobham-Hervey - Apple Cider Vinegar, Netflix Best Drama Program Bump - Stan Heartbreak High - Netflix Return To Paradise - ABC Territory - Netflix The Newsreader - ABC The Twelve - BINGE / FOXTEL Best Miniseries or Telemovie Apple Cider Vinegar - Netflix Critical Incident - Stan Fake - Paramount+ How To Make Gravy - BINGE / FOXTEL Human Error - 9Network Plum - ABC Best Entertainment Program ABC New Year's Eve - ABC Australian Idol - Seven Network Countdown 50 Years On - ABC Dancing With The Stars - Seven Network The Voice - Seven Network Vision Australia's Carols by Candlelight - 9Network Best Current Affairs Program 60 Minutes - 9Network 7.30 - ABC 7NEWS Spotlight - Seven Network A Current Affair - 9Network Australian Story - ABC Four Corners - ABC Best Scripted Comedy Program Austin - ABC Colin From Accounts - BINGE / FOXTEL Fisk - ABC Good Cop/Bad Cop - Stan Melbourne International Comedy Festival - ABC Optics - ABC Best Comedy Entertainment Program Gruen - ABC Hard Quiz - ABC Have You Been Paying Attention? - Network 10 Sam Pang Tonight - Network 10 Thank God You're Here - Network 10 The Weekly with Charlie Pickering - ABC Best Competition Reality Program Alone Australia - SBS Australian Survivor: Brains V Brawn II - Network 10 LEGO Masters Australia - 9Network MasterChef Australia - Network 10 My Kitchen Rules - Seven Network The Block - 9Network Best Structured Reality Program Farmer Wants A Wife - Seven Network Gogglebox Australia - Network 10 Married At First Sight - 9Network Muster Dogs: Collies & Kelpies - ABC Shark Tank Australia - Network 10 The Real Housewives of Sydney - BINGE / FOXTEL Best Lifestyle Program Better Homes and Gardens - Seven Network Do You Want To Live Forever? - 9Network Gardening Australia - ABC Grand Designs Australia - ABC Restoration Australia - ABC Travel Guides - 9Network Best News Coverage or Public Affairs Report Betrayal of Trust, Four Corners - ABC Building Bad, 60 Minutes - 9Network Courage & Science, A Current Affair - 9Network Cyclone Alfred, 7NEWS - Seven Network Melbourne Protests, Sunrise - Seven Network Trump Assassination Attempt, 7NEWS - Seven Network Best Factual or Documentary Program Big Miracles - 9Network Ego: The Michael Gudinski Story - Seven Network Miriam Margolyes Impossibly Australian - ABC The Assembly - ABC Tsunami: 20 Years On - 9Network Unbreakable: The Jelena Dokic Story - 9Network Best Sports Coverage 2024 AFL Finals Series - Seven Network 2024 State of Origin - 9Network 2025 Australian Open Finals - 9Network Australia v India: Border – Gavaskar Trophy - Kayo Sports / FOXTEL CommBank Matildas V China PR - Network 10 The Olympic Games Paris 2024 - 9Network / Stan Sport Best Children's Program Bluey - ABC Ginger and the Vegesaurs - ABC Hard Quiz Kids - ABC Little J & Big Cuz - NITV / ABC Play School - ABC Rock Island Mysteries - Network 10
Otago Daily Times
16-07-2025
- Science
- Otago Daily Times
Marine pest found in harbour
Pest species Mediterranean fanworm has been spotted in Bluff Harbour. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Environment Southland is investigating the discovery of a possible single Mediterranean fanworm () in Bluff Harbour during routine surveillance earlier this month. The worm, which was 59cm long, was found under the town wharf at a depth of 5m. The specimen was collected and sent for formal identification. Environment Southland integrated catchment management acting general manager David Adamson said while no further specimens were detected during follow-up dives, the wharf's extensive structure meant further surveillance was required to determine the extent of the spread. "We're unclear if the marine pest is more widespread in Bluff waters, so we're planning further surveys to confirm its spread as a part of response planning." Divers experienced in identifying Mediterranean fanworm will be brought in from outside the region. Environment Southland is receiving support from Biosecurity New Zealand. The Mediterranean fanworm is a segmented marine worm that forms dense colonies, displacing native species and threatening fisheries. It attaches to solid structures such as wharf pilings and aquaculture equipment, potentially increasing harvesting and fuel costs. It competes with mussels and oysters for food, affecting their growth and viability. The worm has a long, leathery tube that is pale brown with a muddy appearance and extends a spiral fan of yellow-orange filaments to collect food such as plankton. Environment Southland was asking the public and marine industry to keep an eye out and report any suspected sightings. — APL
New Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Umie Aida fined over RM1k by New Zealand authorities for undeclared apple
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian actress Datin Seri Umie Aida, 51, whose full name is Umi Khalsum Rahmad Ali, was recently fined NZD400 (approximately RM1,024) by Biosecurity New Zealand after an undeclared apple was discovered in her handbag upon her arrival at Auckland Airport. The incident, which Umie Aida shared on Instagram Threads, occurred when a scanner at immigration detected the fruit. The actress admitted that the oversight was due to her own carelessness and viewed it as a valuable lesson. "I did not bring food to New Zealand because I wanted to avoid problems like this," she explained in a recent video posted to her social media. "But, while I was at MAS Golden Lounge at KLIA, I took the apple intending to eat it on board the flight." She further elaborated, "However, I fell asleep and forgot about the apple. When I arrived in New Zealand, and when the officers found it, I was immediately imposed a fine." Umie Aida emphasised the importance for all travellers to be mindful of the immigration regulations of the countries they visit. Umie Aida has been in New Zealand since July 1 to film a new drama series, where she stars alongside Nora Danish, Datuk Remy Ishak, and Fattah Amin.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Boats barred from mooring at Little Barrier Island after caulerpa discovery
Caulerpa covers rocks in Okipu Bay, on Great Barrier Island. Photo: Luka Forman All anchoring around Auckland's Little Barrier Island in the Hauraki Gulf has been stopped immediately after an invasive seaweed was discovered. Caulerpa has spread across northern New Zealand since it was first discovered four years ago. Biosecurity New Zealand's director of pest management John Walsh said the discovery of patches of the weed on the north and east coasts of the island was disappointing. The ban, known as a Controlled Area Notice or CAN, is to stop its spread further. He said the weed could be inadvertently moved when small pieces were caught on anchors, anchor chains, and fishing/dive equipment. Ngāti Manuhiri is placing a rāhui over the area. Meanwhile, Local Democracy Reporting reported the government was throwing more than $6 million at developing world-first industrial-scale technology to fight caulerpa as it was confirmed in the Bay of Islands for the first time earlier this year. It was found at six sites, Northland Regional Council confirmed in March. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Otago Daily Times
28-05-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘Bat' photo not worth batting an eye over
Bat, leaves, rubbish bag or black undies? PHOTO: SUPPLIED A grainy photo taken in a Dunedin park which sent social media batty was probably just a clump of leaves. Biosecurity New Zealand and the Department of Conservation (Doc) said they were investigating a possible sighting of a native Australian bat in a Dunedin park after a grainy photograph, first published on social media platform Reddit, got a lot of attention online. However, yesterday Biosecurity New Zealand animal health incursion investigations team manager Kelly Buckle said the investigation had concluded and no evidence of exotic bats was found. Staff conducted a search of the park where the suspected bats were observed, Ms Buckle said. No non-native bats were found, neither was any evidence of the presence of exotic bats. Further, the ''poor resolution of the image'' supplied to Biosecurity New Zealand meant bat experts could not identify any visible physical characteristics typical of bats. ''There isn't an obvious pathway for flying foxes to accidentally arrive and survive in Dunedin. ''On balance and given the distance from which the suspected bats were observed, it is possible that the bat-like objects were in fact leaf clusters that resemble the shape of flying foxes.'' When the Otago Daily Times reported yesterday that Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) and Doc were investigating the possible sighting, readers also questioned whether the image was indeed a bat. ''Someone has a good imagination,'' one reader said. ''Wonderful artistic use of a black plastic rubbish bag,'' another said. ''Dried-up leaf - it is autumn,'' yet another said. ''Or a pair of black undies, everyone's gone batty.'' Previously, MPI said there had only ever been two exotic bat finds within New Zealand's borders, both were little red flying foxes. One was found dead in 1926 southeast of Hamilton and another in Marlborough in 2024. — APL
