The 19th edition of the Super Smash is set to get underway on December 19, 2023, and run till January 28, 2024. The Canterbury Kings enter this season as strong contenders, having clinched the title in the inaugural 2005-06 Super Smash season. Heading into the upcoming season, McConchie continues to lead the team. Unfortunately, Matt Henry, who was recovering from a hamstring injury sustained during the World Cup, is expected to miss some games for the Canterbury Kings. With a blend of experienced players and promising talent, the Canterbury Kings are poised to make a strong statement in the Super Smash.

Labour sprayed money around but achieved little. As Finance Minister in 2017, I clearly recall being advised that rail-enabled ferries would be a big, expensive mistake in this day and age. With most freight now in containers, getting it from shore to ship and ship to shore is simple and easy. One thing that united the new coalition partners was a nostalgic love for all things heavy rail. They swiftly sent the message to KiwiRail that they wanted rail-enabled ferries, and would pay for them.

Konei has recently opened a flagship shop in Manukau, selling Māori and Pacifica made beauty products, jewellery and gift friendly items like Kāri. They design and create contemporary Māori jewellery, art, and homewares, all of which are beautiful, and none expensive. Iti, based in Rotorua, has a stronger focus on traditional Māori crafts and design, with taonga carved from bone, and harakeke products. If you know someone who loves colourful and intricate patterns, then these gorgeous A3 prints of works by Karere Brown, a Māori artist of Ngāti Porou and Rongowhakaata descent might be a perfect gift. The just launched Z the Great is a Māori owned clothing business for tamariki up to 6 years old.

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The Coalition Government has finished its first proper week in charge of Parliament and has wasted no time pulling apart the legislative legacy of the previous Labour government. These were three signature policies from the 2020 Labour government and the 2017 Labour-led coalition government, and there’s still more to come. Happy losersYou might think the Labour Party, watching all this unfold from the opposition benches, would be distraught. One interpretation may be that the party feels like the Coalition Government is moving too fast and will be overwhelmed by public backlash. Finally, there is the Act Party.

Why are so many of the best places in the country to swim, especially in urban areas, so polluted? And how do we solve the problem? Shanti Mathias investigates. T here’s a place Marnie Prickett returns to often, in her head if not her body. The river is cool and glassy, ...

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The residential real estate industry could be coming back from holiday to a buyer's market in the New Year. On top of that, agents are reporting that there are high numbers of potential vendors ready to put their houses on the market when the market opens up again in the New Year. On the price front, the price gap between average asking prices and median selling prices almost doubled in the second half of this year, rising from $68,000 in July to $131,000 in November. We send it out 3-5 times a week with all of our property-related news, including auction results, interest rate movements and market commentary and analysis. To start receiving them, register here (it's free) and when approved you can select any of our free email newsletters.

Here's our summary of key economic events overnight that affect New Zealand, with news global interest rates are on the move. And American benchmark mortgage interest rates have fallen below 7% for the first time since August. But the Swiss National Bank held its rates unchanged, as did the Bank of England which also conveyed a tough line against price pressures. Although the Aussie jobless rate rose to 3.9% in November, the number of new jobs rose more than expected and most of them were full-time positions. Global container shipping freight rates rose another +4% last week as the world adjusts to the two big canal pressures, mainly on routes out of China.

An ex-cop has been revealed as the contractor who was caught on CCTV not putting insulation into the walls of a Dunedin home. Video / SuppliedA Dunedin man is shocked after a former senior police officer charged him $4700 to insulate his walls, but left half of them empty. Bracegirdle was contracted to retrofit wall insulation, which involves drilling a hole and pumping the product into the cavity, into all walls of the home. CCTV footage supplied by the homeowner shows Bracegirdle drilling into a wall, then filling the holes with putty without installing insulation material. After more insulation was injected during the visits, the homeowner accepted the walls were as good as they could be.

Why are so many of the best places in the country to swim, especially in urban areas, so polluted? And how do we solve the problem? Shanti Mathias investigates. T here’s a place Marnie Prickett returns to often, in her head if not her body. The river is cool and glassy, ...

Getting Started Junior Member194 postsJoined: Mar 2018The airline says it aims to be back as soon as possible as Auckland and New Zealand are key destinations for it. AirAsia X said in November it would re-route its Auckland service to Kuala Lumpur via Sydney to a stop in the Gold Coast. But now it has ditched New Zealand altogether and is offering refunds for affected passengers. AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail said: “We truly regret having to make this tough decision to temporarily suspend our services to and from Auckland from early February next year. “However, Auckland remains one of our guests’ favourite bucket list destinations and we aim to return again in the future, once market conditions are more favourable and once more aircraft resume operations.’'He said that like other airlines, it was working hard to reactivate more aircraft as soon as possible and will certainly reconsider Auckland services again in the future.

Ben's social worker reported his home life was 'grim' - the house was a mess and there was no running water. In early November Ben’s mother left his father again and went to stay with a friend, saying she “was not feeling safe”. When the social worker returned to the mother’s address to hand over her property she found a shocking scene. “It was obvious to everyone in the household were used to witnessing [Ben’s mother] in this manner. The social worker explained it would be “ideal” if Ben’s parents would consent to him going to stay with Alice.

But after the Herald began asking INZ questions, the agency confirmed it had granted a student visa to Rafael and 71 other dependent children of MEPV holders. According to figures released to the Herald, 690 migrant workers who originally came holding Accredited Employer Work Visas (AEWV) have been granted MEWV. “An additional five dependants are currently having dependant student visas processed,” Parsons said. She confirmed that Rafael Arriaza Diaz had been granted a student visa as a dependant of a worker, which was valid until February 2026. “Many made their decision based on the fact that their work visas would allow their children to attend school here as domestic students,” she said.