Press Release – New Zealand Nurses OrganisationNew Zealand Nurses Organisation Tptanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) is extremely disappointed by Health New Zealand Te Whatu Oras decision not to match graduates into their nursing workforce. As part of its ongoing “cost-containment” cuts, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora is freezing the employment of graduate nurses into the hospital system. “Te Whatu Ora previously committed to the permanent employment of new graduates through the Safe Staffing Care Capacity Management Accord. “This move by Te Whatu Ora will reduce our current and future workforce and risks us losing these nurses to other countries. “We call upon the Government and Te Whatu Ora to reverse this short-sighted decision.

Despite the stress it caused those in the air and on the ground, bird strikes are not uncommon for pilots. "Bird encounters at altitude are rare, although, the highest ever recorded bird strike occurred over the West African coast when a jet collided with a bearded vulture at 37,000 feet!" The CAA said turbine-engine aeroplanes are more vulnerable to bird strikes than piston-engine aeroplanes because of the speed and lower noise level. Despite it being a scary experience for passengers, pilots are trained to handle bird strikes, wherever they collide. David Morgan, Air New Zealand's chief operational integrity and safety officer, said in a statement in 2023 that ''bird strikes are not uncommon''.

After 15 years of flying, a flight attendant is bound to pick up a few tips to pass on to passengers and those aspiring to follow in their footsteps. READ MORE: The scientific reason airplane food tastes so 'bad'Sofie Ayres is a jetstar flight attendant based in New Zealand. (Supplied)"I started as a flight attendant, and I quite quickly figured out I wanted to be running the cabin. Ayres, who was based out of Christchurch, was always sure to pack a spare pair of clothes in her carry-on bag. I take all my PPE that's required for work and snacks just in case you get a little bit peckish.

The Reserve Bank (RBNZ) is denying that New Zealand is experiencing 'stagflation' and expects domestic inflation to continue falling as "increasing spare capacity" occurs in the economy this year. Lower inflation expectations and a lower propensity for firms to make relatively large price increases will help lower inflation persistence," Conway said. "Second, we expect households and firms to increasingly build lower inflation expectations into their wage- and price-setting decisions. Because inflation expectations can become self-fulfilling, lower inflation expectations will help reduce inflation persistence." Conway said the RBNZ research had found that above-target inflation over recent years prompted people to pay more attention to recent inflation and to update their inflation expectations more frequently.

From Elvis Presley-inspired pens to alien-shaped pens — there's something for everyone in Margaret Lemm's vast collection. The 86-year-old woman from Gore told Breakfast she had spent more than 30 years collecting pens from New Zealand and overseas. She said the collection of around 38,000 was displayed in her garage, in alphabetical order and said many were unused. She said she had been "swapping and collecting pens" from Dunedin, Timaru, Oamaru all the way to Blenhiem and could not pick a favourite. I've also got television pens and Lotto pens."

Hayden Paddon (Credit: Tayler Burke)A full 20 years since the roads of Southland, New Zealand, hosted top-tier competition, this weekend’s 21-22 June Transport World Southern Lights Rally will be headed by defending European Rally Champion and seven-time New Zealand Rally Champion Hayden Paddon. Paddon is fresh from contesting the latest round of the European Rally Championship, finishing third overall at last weekend’s Royal Rally of Scandinavia (Sweden). Returning to Southland has special significance for Paddon, who, in 2003, started his first-ever New Zealand Rally Championship event at the age of 16. Since then, he has amassed a Production World Rally Championship title, the FIA Asia Pacific Rally Championship, and the FIA European Rally Championship crowns, plus a total of seven New Zealand Rally Championship wins. The now 37-year-old is currently the only Kiwi to win a round of the World Rally Championship.

Photo: Supplied / GNS Science / Benjamin KearA 246-million-year-old fossil discovered in Canterbury upends long-standing theories about Earth's natural history, researchers say. Photo: Supplied / GNS Science / Johan_EgerkransGNS Science held onto the fossil after palaeontologist Dr Hamish Campbell discovered it in 1978, but it was not properly studied until this year. Photo: Supplied / GNS Science / Benjamin Kear"We [now] know the age of this fossil, and it's a lot older than the oldest known similar fossil from the Southern Hemisphere," Dr Campbell said. Photo: Supplied / GNS Science / Stavros_KundromichalisNothosaurs were predecessors to plesiosaurs, massive swimming lizards with long necks and flippers. "It's a sauropterygian, so to translate that it means 'lizard flipper,' a marine reptile," Dr Campbell said.

A sports star accused of dishonestly taking a vehicle and intentional damage in an incident after Christchurch’s annual Cup Day last year has pleaded guilty to a single lesser charge of wilful damage. An interim suppression order prevents the Herald from reporting his name and any other details that may identify him. However, last week he entered a guilty plea to one charge of wilful damage. According to the police summary of facts, on Wednesday, November 15, last year – the day after Cup Day in Christchurch – the man was at a suburban address. “The defendant crashed the vehicle into the victim’s garage, causing substantial damage to the garage and the vehicle,” police said.

Sir Ian McKellen has been taken to hospital after falling during a theatre production. Photo / APSir Ian McKellen has been taken to hospital after falling during a theatre production. Photo / APSir Ian McKellen is in hospital after falling off the stage during a theatre performance in London. McKellen reportedly “cried out in pain” and theatre staff hurried to help him. McKellen was playing Falstaff in the production and thus wearing a fatsuit costume, which may have cushioned his fall.

Through most of the last 40 years, the dairy sector has been seen as the way to get rich, in stark contrast to the increasingly threatened red meat industry. The dairy industry was regarded as more fortunate than meat because during the 90s and the first part of the 21st century global demand for New Zealand’s dairy production grew strongly compared with our grassfed lamb and beef. Farmer-owned cooperatives were one structure favoured as an effective way of preventing overseas ownership of production facilities, although British companies Vesteys and Borthwicks controlled a substantial part of the North Island meat industry. This suggests the dairy industry’s latest rationalisation has started about 30 years later than the meat industry. The rest of the dairy industry concentrates on a narrow range of added value products, mainly directed towards food service, nutritional and consumer end uses.

After 20 years working for global agencies, Kiwi Gareth O’Connor has created Something Different, a new venture which aims to make business strategies simple and easy to implement. O’Connor‘s work experience most recently includes running Harvey Cameron, with previous roles at Mindshare, Starcom, Whybin\TBWA, and PHD. O’Connor says in most industries, there’s a sea of sameness, where companies offer similar products and services, present and package them, and communicate about them in similar ways. “This makes it challenging for businesses to stand out, differentiate themselves and gain an edge over the competition, hindering potential customers’ ability to recognise and choose them. Something Different exists to help guide businesses to find their something different.”He emphasises that it’s not merely about being different for the sake of it: “I called my company Something Different because, with over 20 years of experience, I know the power and impact of creating distinctive and different brands with products, services, communications, and advertising to match.

Over 150 people across the Auckland advertising industry came together last week to duck, dive and dodge for good at the second annual UnLtd: Dodgeball tournament. Scott Aitchison, Senior Account Director – Agency Radio at MediaWorks said: “The MediaWorks team was stoked to join yet another exciting UnLtd event. The winners were Publicis Groupe with their cleverly designed Publicis Dodgeball superhero logos. Ste Buck, Agency Account Director at Lumo said: “We love supporting UnLtd: Dodgeball and what a day it was – I can guarantee some sore bodies in the industry the day after! “Congratulations to MediaWorks for their victory in a dodgeball final Patches O’Houlihan would be proud of.

GNS Science held onto the fossil after palaeontologist Dr Hamish Campbell discovered it in 1978, but it was not properly studied until this year. "I was blissfully unaware that this fossil had come to the attention of the right people: vertebrate palaeontologists who know their stuff. "We [now] know the age of this fossil, and it's a lot older than the oldest known similar fossil from the Southern Hemisphere," Dr Campbell said. "It's a sauropterygian, so to translate that it means 'lizard flipper,' a marine reptile," Dr Campbell said. ADVERTISEMENT"There's potential to find more fossils in New Zealand because we have lots of rocks of this age," Dr Campbell said.

To get ready for the new season of TV show House of the Dragon all must choose a side in the looming civil war – especially New Zealand’s 25 million sheep. As a dragon’s favourite snack, the sheep are in a precarious position, but DDB Aotearoa have come to the rescue, creating Baattlewear to keep them safe. Each suit of armour pays homage to both the characteristics of the factions in House of the Dragon, and the two breeds. Animal safety experts and handlers were engaged alongside two well trained sheep – a Romneycalled Kerry and a Merino named Sugar. “Kerry and Sugar in Westerosi-styled armour are recognisably Kiwi, while also being true to the style of House of the Dragon.

The housing market appears likely to remain firmly in buyers' favour this winter, with more people wanting to sell properties than there are people who are willing and able to buy them. The huge overhang of unsold properties on the market that has built up over the last nine months is at least as big an influence on the housing market at the moment as the prevailing high interest rates. First home buyers will also likely be cheering recent comments by Housing Minister Chris Bishop, who said he regarded house prices as being too high. •You can have articles like this delivered directly to your inbox via our free Property Newsletter. To start receiving them, register here (it's free) and when approved you can select any of our free email newsletters.