Latest news with #FinnBlackwell
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Climate
- RNZ News
Reports of suspected tornado in Hamilton
In Waikato there were reports of a suspected tornado tearing through at least one Hamilton suburb. Reporter Finn Blackwell spoke to Ingrid Hipkiss. Tags: To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Auckland gets full fleet of parking enforcement vehicles
Auckland Region 4:36 pm today Auckland motorists who park without paying may want to think twice about chancing their arm now the city has full fleet of parking enforcement vehicles that can catch you out in a split second. The cars, which have advanced plate recognition cameras, digitally "chalk" the wheels of vehicles and assess whether they're parked illegally or not. Reporter Finn Blackwell went for a ride with an enforcement officer as they digitally marked cars on the most ticketed street in town.
Otago Daily Times
10-05-2025
- Otago Daily Times
Govt to crack down on boy racers, fleeing drivers
By Finn Blackwell of RNZ The government has announced harsher penalties for boy racers and fleeing drivers as it tries to clamp down on anti-social road behaviour. New legislation is proposed to target drivers who don't stop for police, while speeding or driving dangerously, those taking part in unauthorised street racing or doing burnouts, intimidating convoys and unlawful dirt bike gatherings, or those who cause excessive noise by having siren battles. A presumptive sentence of vehicle destruction or forfeiture for street racers, those fleeing police, convoys and vehicle owners who fail to identify offending drivers is expected to be set. Vehicle owners who fail to immediately provide information on a driver who has used their vehicle to flee police will also face a court-ordered fine of up to $10,000. Infringements for making excessive noise from a vehicle will also increase from $50 to $300. The court-ordered fine will increase from $1000 to $3000. New legislation will target street racing and other unlawful gatherings. Photo: Police/Supplied The new penalties give police more ability to manage illegal vehicle gatherings by closing off areas and issuing infringements. Transport Minister Chris Bishop said New Zealanders were sick of seeing "idiot drivers" putting the community at risk. "At present, the penalties for anti-social or intimidating driving behaviour aren't strong enough to deter this appalling behaviour," he said. "Police reporting shows some types of anti-social road events are actually increasing in frequency. We're saying enough is enough." Bishop said the changes would be introduced in new legislation, expected mid-2025. "The legislation will establish a presumptive court-ordered sentence of vehicle forfeiture or destruction," he said. "This means, if someone is convicted of these offences, courts must order that vehicle be destroyed or forfeited to the Crown to be sold." Police Minister Mark Mitchell said anti-social behaviour on the roads and illegal street racing had no place in the country. "People have had enough of boy racers and their dangerous, obnoxious behaviour," he said. "These people drive without regard for the danger and disruption it causes to our communities. "They have no consideration for anyone other than themselves. Our message is clear - if you want drive dangerously, face the consequences."
RNZ News
07-05-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Update on Glen Innes fire
Fire crews were called to a blaze at a Work and Income New Zealand building in Glen Innes on Thursday. Photo: Supplied A fire in Glen Innes has caused thick black smoke to billow over the Auckland suburb this morning. About 50 firefighters have been battling a blaze in a Work and Income building. Crews were called to Mayfair Place at about 7am. RNZ reporter Finn Blackwell speaks to Kathryn from the site.
RNZ News
27-04-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Tenancy Tribunal powerless in family dispute over brother's ‘untidy' cabin on sister's property
By Catherine Hutton, Open Justice reporter of A cabin tipped on its side on Old Waipu Road (file image). Photo: RNZ / Finn Blackwell A sister's act of kindness towards her brother after their parents died has morphed into a family spat that even tenancy officials cannot resolve. In 2019, the man, who had previously lived with their parents, was invited to put a cabin on his sister's property. The sister jointly owns and shares the property with her daughter and son-in-law, and the invitation to her brother was extended until he could find other accommodation. But along with the cabin, the brother also took several unused vehicles, which he parked at the property, and he added a bathroom as an extension, which was not correctly plumbed. The trio became increasingly concerned about the untidy and unhygienic state of the cabin and the old cars. However, their attempts to tell the man to keep the cabin clean and remove the vehicles fell on deaf ears. In early 2024, the trio cleaned the cabin and told him that if he didn't keep it in that condition and remove the vehicles, they'd give him 90 days' notice to leave. They say the cabin returned to an untidy state and the cars were never moved. Fed up, they applied to the Tenancy Tribunal for an order to terminate the man's tenancy. But in a recently released decision on the matter, the tribunal found it did not have jurisdiction to make a ruling on the application. While it can generally rule on all residential tenancies, there are specific exclusions. That included premises on bare land, with or without facilities, on which the tenant has the right, under the tenancy agreement, to put a mobile home, caravan or other means of shelter. "The applicants agreed the respondent could occupy their land and gave him the right to bring a cabin on to the land in which he can live," the tribunal stated. "The respondent does not enter the applicants' dwellings but lives entirely in the cabin. The applicants confirmed they have not had any contact with the respondent for the last month." The decision went on to say that even if the applicants owned the cabin and allowed the man to live there, the Tenancy Act still would not apply because he is a family member. It said the law could only be applied if both parties had agreed to sign a tenancy agreement at the start of the arrangement. The tribunal suppressed the names and identifying details of all parties. -This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald .
