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61 former Gloriavale workers file almost $40m claim for years of unpaid labour

Screengrabs from Christchurch filmmaker Cody Packer's documentary on a reclusive West Coast religious community, Gloriavale, which will be shown at the Chicago International Film Festival in October.
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Forget the UK heatwave: Explosive weather on the cards for New Zealand’s summer

A person walks through Primrose Hill, in north London, as temperatures reach up to 33C in parts of the UK on August 9, 2026.Ben Whitley / PA via AP ANALYSIS: After a baking summer, reports from the ...
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Shock Christchurch Airbnb ruling could impact thousands of short-term rentals

A ruling banning a Christchurch Airbnb unit from offering visitor accommodation is likely to send shockwaves through the short-term rental sector. In a decision that could affect thousands of ...
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Shopping centre – and possibly a KFC – to be built on old supermarket site

An artist's image of a new shopping and restaurant complex to be built on the corner of Lincoln Rd and Lyttelton St in Hillmorton, Christchurch.Supplied A new shopping centre will be built on a former ...
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‘We’re still in winter’: From record warmth to half a metre of snow

As much of the South Island prepares for a winter storm, the temperature dial in Timaru is expected to plummet from a record 22.6C high on Tuesday to an overnight low of 2C on Thursday morning. The ...
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‘Seriously, don’t be rude’ Christchurch protesters told at raucous Luxon meeting

National leader Christopher Luxon’s public meeting in Christchurch was interrupted by half a dozen protesters on Wednesday night, riling up the crowd to the point that some turned on each other. Yet ...
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Teen motorbike rider arrested after allegedly doing wheelie near Lyttelton Tunnel

Police have arrested a 19-year-old man who allegedly rode a motorbike at more than three times the speed limit on Christchurch’s Southern Motorway. Police said the man had repeatedly driven ...
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Cost of Westport’s planned floodwalls blows out from $25m to $70m

Westport residents are facing hundreds of dollars in extra annual rates to fund a flood protection scheme that will offer less protection than originally promised. West Coast Regional councillors ...
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Hospitalised builder says billowing chemical smoke from Sydenham property left him struggling to breathe

Buchan Rd in Sydendham, Christchurch, was closed for a period on Monday due to a chemical incident. A man was taken to hospital after being left struggling to breathe from a chemical incident at a ...
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Government has spent $34m buying properties for on-hold Woodend Bypass

A new bypass around Woodend in North Canterbury to ease traffic congestion and improve safety has been granted fast-track approval.Iain McGregor / The Press The Government has spent more than $34 ...
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Smiths City rebuilding from scratch, new South Island stores could open within a year, owner says

Smiths City aimed to open stores in the South Island within 12 months, new owner says. Smiths City is heading back to brick-and-mortar, with plans to open stores exclusively in the South Island within ...
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Wind causing water, power issues in Southland, 25,000 customers without power

PowerNet reported Transpower NZ have had a significant interruption to their supply, which is affecting tens of thousands of customers in Southland.VANESSA LAURIE / TARANAKI DAILY NEWS About 25,000 ...