Category: New Zealand

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Advocacy – Skating the length of New Zealand to support youth mental health

Source: Authority PR

Best friends and skaters, Ben Lewis and Jed Scott-Stafford, are embarking on an extraordinary challenge—skateboarding from Bluff to Cape Reinga to raise awareness and funds for youth mental health.

Having faced their own battles and lost loved ones to mental health struggles, Ben and Jed know first-hand the silent suffering many young Kiwis endure. Through their journey, they hope to break the stigma around vulnerability, encourage open conversations, and provide real support for those in need.

Starting on March 1st, Ben and Jed will hitchhike to Bluff before skating the entire length of the country. At each stop, they’ll visit skateparks, host free BBQs, and connect with local communities, creating spaces where young people feel safe to open up about their struggles.

“So many young people suffer in silence because they feel like they have to be strong, like their pain isn’t valid, like no one will understand. We’ve been there, and we know what it’s like to think you have to face it alone,” says Lewis. “But vulnerability isn’t weakness. It’s the first step to healing. We want to show young Kiwis that they are not alone—that their struggles are real, their pain matters, and that there is help available.”

Mental health advocate and I Am Hope founder Mike King has praised the duo for their courage in taking on this journey to help others.

“Ben and Jed are showing young people that struggling doesn’t make you weak—it makes you human. The biggest killer of our kids isn’t mental illness; it’s the belief that they’re a burden, that their problems aren’t worth talking about,” says King. “What these two are doing is not just inspiring—it’s lifesaving. They’re meeting young Kiwis where they are, in skateparks, in their communities, and letting them know they’re not alone. We’re proud to support them on this journey.”  

The Tour

North Island Route:

The journey will continue from Wellington, heading up the Kāpiti Coast before crossing to the East Coast, stopping in Tauranga and other major skate communities.

South Island Route:

Bluff
Invercargill
Winton
Gore
Dunedin
Queenstown
Wānaka
Fairlie
Ashburton
Christchurch
Rangiora
Kaikōura
Blenheim
Nelson

All funds raised go directly to I Am Hope to provide mental health support for young Kiwis who are stuck on long waiting lists, unable to access the help they desperately need.

Donate here: https://givealittle.co.nz/fundraiser/skateboarding-up-nz-bottom-to-top-grilling-up-at Instagram page: @tgcunz

“Together, we can turn suffering into strength and loneliness into hope—one skatepark at a time.”

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Fatal Crash, Birch Hill Road, Loburn

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

One person has died following a two-vehicle crash involving a motorbike at the intersection of Birch Hill Road and Yaxley’s Road, Loburn, Waimakariri District.

Emergency services responded around 1pm.

One person was located in a critical condition but was unable to be resuscitated, and sadly died at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit has conducted a scene examination and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.

The road remains closed, but should reopen shortly.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre 

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Serious crash near Pōkeno after driver flees police

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

A member of the public has been critically injured after a driver fleeing police crashed head-on into their car near Pōkeno this afternoon. 

The crash occurred on State Highway 2 at 3pm, when the fleeing driver attempted to avoid road spikes that had been laid across the road and swerved directly into the path of the oncoming car.

At around 1.20pm today, the stolen car had been observed on traffic cameras on Dominion Road. As a police car approached the stolen car, the driver began driving at high speed and on the wrong side of the road.

Due to the manner of driving, Police did not pursue the car, but monitored it via Eagle helicopter as it travelled through surrounding suburbs, before heading south on the Southern Motorway, then on to State Highway 2.

Officers deployed road spikes at two locations on State Highway 2 in an attempt to stop the fleeing driver.

The driver successfully avoided the first set of road spikes. He also attempted to avoid the second set of road spikes, swerving into the opposite lane and directly into the path of the oncoming car driven by an innocent member of the public.

The driver of that car suffered critical injuries and has been transported to hospital.  The fleeing driver also suffered critical injuries and has been transported to hospital.

State Highway 2 is closed in both directions between Avon Road and Koheroa Road and diversions are in place.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre. 

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Pacific – On Marshall Islands Remembrance Day, Greenpeace calls for nuclear justice and reparations from the United States

Source: Greenpeace

Majuro, Republic of the Marshall Islands, 1 March 2025 – Seventy-one years since the most powerful nuclear weapons tests ever conducted were unleashed across the Marshall Islands by the United States, Greenpeace is calling for the US government to comply with Marshallese demands for recognition and nuclear justice.
On 1 March 1954, the Castle Bravo nuclear bomb was detonated on Bikini Atoll – the explosion 1,000 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb. On Rongelap Atoll, 150 kilometers away, radioactive fallout rained onto the inhabited island, with children mistaking it as snow.
Today, communities continue to endure the physical, economic, and cultural fallout of the nuclear tests; compensation from the US has fallen far short of expectations for the Marshallese people who are yet to receive an apology; and the accelerating impacts of the climate crisis threaten further displacement of communities.[1]
“The Marshall Islands bears the deepest scars of a dark legacy – nuclear contamination, forced displacement, and premeditated human experimentation at the hands of the U.S. government.
To this day, its people continue to grapple with this injustice, all while standing on the frontlines of the climate crisis – facing yet another wave of displacement and devastation for a catastrophe they did not create,” says Greenpeace spokesperson Shiva Gounden.
“But the Marshallese people and their government are not just survivors-they are warriors for justice, among the most powerful voices demanding bold action, accountability, and reparations on the global stage. Those who have inflicted unimaginable harm on the Marshallese must be held to account and made to pay for the devastation they caused. Greenpeace stands unwaveringly beside Marshallese communities in their fight for justice. Jimwe im Maron”
To mark the Marshall Islands’ Remembrance Day, the Greenpeace ship Rainbow Warrior is flying the Marshall Islands flag at half-mast, in solidarity with those who lost their lives and are suffering ongoing trauma as a result of the US government’s nuclear weapons testing.
The Rainbow Warrior is currently in transit to the Marshall Islands where a mission led by Greenpeace will conduct independent scientific research across the country, the results of which will eventually be given to the National Nuclear Commission to support the Marshallese government’s ongoing legal proceedings with the US and at the UN.[2] The trip also marks 40 years since Greenpeace’s original Rainbow Warrior evacuated the people of Rongelap after toxic nuclear fallout rendered their ancestral lands uninhabitable.
“The immediate effects of the Bravo bomb on 1 March were harrowing. Hours after exposure, many people fell ill – skin peeling off, burning sensation in their eyes, their stomachs were churning in pain. Mothers watched as their children’s hair fell to the ground and blisters devoured their bodies overnight,” says Ariana Tibon Kilma, Chairperson at Marshall Islands National Nuclear Commission.
“Without their consent, the United States government enrolled them as ‘test subjects’ in a top secret medical study on the effects of radiation on human beings – a study that continued for 40 years. Today on Remembrance Day the trauma of Bravo continues for the remaining survivors and their descendents – this is a legacy not only of suffering, loss, and frustration, but also of strength, unity, and unwavering commitment to justice, truth and accountability.”
The new Rainbow Warrior will arrive in the Marshall Islands in early March. Alongside the government of the Marshall Islands, Greenpeace will lead an independent scientific mission into the ongoing impacts of the US weapons testing program. Travelling across the country, Greenpeace will reaffirm its solidarity with the Marshallese people – now facing further harm and displacement from the climate crisis, and the emerging threat of deep sea mining in the Pacific.
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Further appeal for missing man Geoffrey Kelly

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police searching for missing man Geoffrey Kelly in Hikumutu are appealing for CCTV from the area.

Geoffrey’s car was found empty on Friday 21 February on the side of Makomiko Road, and he has not been seen since.

Investigators would like to hear from anyone on Makomiko Road or Hikumutu Road who has CCTV at their property.

We are still also appealing for any sightings of Geoffrey between 21 February and now.

If you can help, please call 105 and quote reference number 250222/1771.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Serious crash, Loburn

Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

Emergency services are currently at the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash at the intersection of Birch Hill Road and Yaxleys Road, Loburn, Waimakariri.

Initial reports suggest one person is injured.

The road is closed, with diversions in place.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area if possible.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Man charged following Takanini incident

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

A man is before the courts following an incident on Kutukutu Street in Takanini last night.

Police responded to the residential address around 7:50pm following an altercation between people known to eachother.

Three people have been transported to hospital with serious injuries consistent with stab wounds, where they remain in a stable condition.

A 34-year-old man was arrested on Takanini School Road with the assistance of the Eagle Helicopter, a short time after they left the scene in a car.

He is due to appear before the Manukau District Court today on three charges of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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Media Advisory: Media stand-up at Round the Bays Auckland

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Police invites media to a stand-up with Commissioner Richard Chambers, Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Associate Police Minister Casey Costello at Round the Bays Auckland on Sunday morning following a recruitment announcement.

Please RSVP to media@police.govt.nz to confirm your attendance and receive further details.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

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First Responders – Waipoua River fire update #7

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

The Waipoua River fire is now 91 hectares. We have been able to more accurately measure the perimeter, which now stands at 5.8 kms.
Incident Controller Phil Larcombe said this morning, “we are hoping to further strengthen the fire containment lines and push back in on the fire area over the course of today.”
96 firefighters, three aircraft and heavy machinery are keeping the fire contained.
“The conditions today are favourable with light easterly winds, and the fire is being driven by fuel and the topography of the area. It is very dry here, and no rain is expected.
“Whānau evacuated from their homes are not yet able to return but we are working hard to get them back as soon as it is safe.”
Parts of Te Tai Tokerau Northland are in a prohibited fire zone from today until further notice. This means no outdoor fires can be lit and all fire permits are revoked. People should go to Checkitsalright.nz to check fire season in their area and for advice and guidance on lighting fires outside.
“The fire at Waipoua River is a good example of how quickly a fire can get out of control, and the impacts it can have on the land and on people.”
Unless there are significant changes during the day, the next update will be around 5 pm.
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Unexplained death, Morningside

Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

Attribute to Detective Senior Sergeant Chris Allan:

An investigation has been launched after the death of a woman at a Morningside address last night.

Police were called to the Don Croot Street property about 9.15pm, after a report of a woman being found unconscious.

CPR was performed, however unfortunately the woman was not able to be revived.

Her death is currently being treated as unexplained, and Police are working to establish the full circumstances of what has occurred.

A scene examination will be carried out at the property today.

Anyone who has any information about this incident encouraged to call Police.

You can do so through our 105 service, quoting reference number 250228/6990.

Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre