Experts and emergency staff around the country are increasingly concerned about the numbers of drunks continuing to arrive at Accident and Emergency departments – not only drunk, but hyper on caffeine and sometimes angry. Paul Quigley of Wellington hospital is very concerned about the problem. We see patients presenting, pumped up, not realising how intoxicated they [...]

Auckland ratepayers may face years of rates rises to pay for Auckland’s liability for leaky homes. Six Auckland councils have agreed to participate in the Government’s leaky homes package, with councils and the Government each paying 25 percent of repair costs and homeowners the rest. The councils will merge on Monday when the super city [...]

Frustrated motorists may see it as a contradiction in terms, but a new organisation is hitting the country’s roads this summer to promote the concept of responsible cycling. Its mission is to make roads safer for everyone by building a more friendly and respectful relationship between cyclists and motorists. Auckland triathlete Rowan Larsen says he [...]

Does a leaky homes that has been re mediated return back to 100% of its value once work has been completed? The short answer is”No”. A recent Property Institute Of New Zealand conference indicated that reductions in value ranged between 5% and 15%, with free standing homes reclad in weatherboard tending to be at the [...]

A new programme is making a dramatic impact in saving young lives on the roads. Killer drink drivers and boy racers are stopping themselves in their own tracks by a new theinitiative, “Right Track Programme”, hitting Waitakere and Rodney. Administered by Waitakere youth workers John and Helen Finch, the programme is having an 80% success [...]

Spare a thought for the commercial owner of a residential building who may inhabit it, or may acquire or use it partly or solely for commercial reasons – and in the eyes of the law –  therefore have no redress because of a council or builder’s negligence. This year, or some time this century, the Supreme [...]

Cameron Slater alias Whale Oil will soon be back in court to defend charges of breaching name suppression on his blog site. The Judge decided that there is a case to answer at deposition today. David Tilson takes a look at the issues;

One of New Zealand’s richest men is fighting a legal battle for his rights around demolition and rebuilding in heritage zones. John Spencer, patriarch of a Rich List family with an estimated $675 million, owns 16 sections near Devonport facing Ngataringa Bay opposite the Bayswater peninsula, the Herald reports. He is in a legal stoush [...]

Actually we just loved thses photos sent in …check it out. But Auckland Zoo is open everyday from 9.30am to 5.30pm (except Christmas Day), with last admissions into the Zoo at 4.15pm. This Ranger is assigned to prevent poaching around the wildlife refuge area of Lanseria , South Africa . The way these animals interact [...]

The Ministry of Justice is recommending that the laws surrounding self defence not be changed. Justice Minister Simon Power asked for the laws to be reviewed after an Auckland liquor store owner had his charges for using a hockey stick during a violent robbery thrown out of court. Charges against Virender Singh of injuring with [...]