Further setback for Duncan on comeback
The four-time world champion last month revealed to the Otago Daily Times she did not have a seat in this year’s Women’s Motocross Championship. She was supposed to make her competitive return at the Oceania Women’s Motocross Cup in Australia this weekend. "I was really looking forward to competing at this event — it’s always an honour to represent the fern, especially alongside this team of women,’’ Duncan told the Waikato Herald. "Team events are quite different from my normal racing schedule, and so I was excited and well-prepared for this one. Duncan had hoped the event would serve as a springboard for her to mount a comeback.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 22:27 UTC
One injured in crash
A person has been critically injured in a crash affecting a major highway in Central Otago. Police said they received a report of a single-vehicle crash on State Highway 6, near the Roaring Meg Lookout, in the Kawarau Gorge about 5.20pm yesterday. "One person received critical injuries." A Fire and Emergency New Zealand crew from Cromwell attended and a rescue helicopter was also sent to the scene. A spokesman for the NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said road users "should avoid the area if possible, or be prepared for delays".
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 22:17 UTC
Govt orders complete review of Dog Control Act
Photo: RNZThe government is ordering a complete review of the decades-old Dog Control Act after sustained criticism the current law is not enough. Watts said the government has heard clearly from Local Government NZ and councils that the Dog Control Act is outdated and stopping them doing their jobs. But Watts said dog control issues were best managed locally by councils, which already had enforcement powers under the existing law. Photo: RNZPolice Minister Mark Mitchell said while the review was under way police would support dog control officers when they needed help. "Police have a role to play in dog control when council staff have safety concerns while dealing with dangerous and high-risk dogs.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 22:17 UTC
Middle East conflict live updates: Trump rules out ceasefire in Iran as Israel strikes Syria
Already a subscriber? Sign in hereAccess to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen. Middle East conflict live updates: Trump rules out ceasefire in Iran as Israel strikes Syria
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 21:54 UTC
Fitch puts New Zealand AA+ rating on negative outlook over rising debt
But the AA+ rating reflected New Zealand’s “advanced and wealthy economy, high governance standards, and robust policy framework”. Photo / Mark MitchellFitch’s decision to put New Zealand’s AA+ long-term credit rating on negative outlook was a reminder why fiscal discipline was so important, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said. Global economic volatility made the Government’s programme of fiscal consolidation more important than ever, Willis said in a statement this morning. “Energy market disruption adds real uncertainty, and that is precisely why careless spending is off the table.”New Zealand's debt levels influenced Fitch's latest rating and outlook. One of its key rating drivers for New Zealand was delayed debt decline, Fitch wrote.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 21:38 UTC
Man vital link in drug distribution, court told
PHOTO: ROB KIDDA Dunedin man caught as part of a nationwide police drug sting on the Comancheros gang has been jailed for more than six years. The High Court at Dunedin this week heard 37-year-old Luke James Ruaine Maloney was not a member of the motorcycle gang, but provided a vital link in the distribution of narcotics in the South. The outlaw group has become synonymous with weapons and large-scale drug trafficking, which prompted police’s Operation Avon. As investigations progressed, officers discovered a commercial enterprise centred in Christchurch with tentacles in the South, and Operation Leith was launched. Analysis of Maloney’s phone showed he had been involved in the drug enterprise for the preceding five months.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 21:34 UTC
New aerial photos reveal scale of Helena Bay hill slip damage
Landslide clearance work is expected to be completed by June, when Whangārei District Council will look at what sort of roading repairs may be required. Ōakura community members at the Civil Defence recovery workshop next Thursday will also hear about the Kāiikanui Rd southern detour and their community’s storm-damaged hall. Specialist Whangārei District Council Civil Defence recovery team staff will be at the workshop to update the community on larger-scale issues, including the Helena Bay hill slip, which is expected to take 15,000 truckloads to clear. Ōakura community hall was badly damaged by a slip on Sunday, January 18. Photo / Susan BottingThe workshop focuses solely on Whangārei District Council Civil Defence recovery.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 20:05 UTC
Tauranga boy in Starship Children’s Hospital after suffering seizures and brain bleed
”They told us he had a brain bleed, but we didn’t know until the day after that how major it was,” Marshall said. After a few days in the intensive care unit, they were told the brain bleed still was not under control. Tauranga boy Maverick Marshall, 9, is in Starship Hospital after suffering a seizure at school on March 5. Marshall said she had been told a possible cause of the brain bleed had “something to do with his birth”. Domino's Bureta organised a fundaiser for Tauranga boy Maverick Marshall after he suffered several seizures on March 5 and remains in hospital.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 20:03 UTC
Northland corridor toll proposal: Businesses fear higher freight costs
The northern toll point would charge $1.50, and the southern toll point $3 for light vehicles, totalling $4.50. For heavy vehicles, it would cost $3 for the northern toll point and $6 for the southern, totalling $9. “We are very mindful that tolls mean extra costs for motorists, and we recognise there is already a toll road between Auckland and Whangārei. The other toll between Northland and Auckland is on the Northern Gateway road, which opened in 2009. Light vehicles travelling the 7.5km between Ōrewa and Pūhoi through the Johnstone’s Hill Tunnels pay $2.60 ($5.20 return), and heavy vehicles pay $5.20 ($10.40 return).
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 19:12 UTC
Zuru sues US Government over unlawful Trump tariffs, seeks huge refund
Zuru is one of several thousand large importers to have filed claims after the Supreme Court ruling as uncertainty over the process and extent of refund payments drags on. Importers had challenged the legality of last year’s tariffs and in late February those appeals reached the Supreme Court, where Trump’s use of emergency powers to impose the trade taxes was ruled unlawful. US President Donald Trump after signing an executive order last year imposing tariffs worldwide that the Supreme Court later ruled as unlawful. She said she and the NZUSC “didn’t welcome the imposition of these so-called reciprocal tariffs” and the Supreme Court decision had been met “with some relief”. “I think there may be some learnings for New Zealand companies about preparing for this sort of contingency in the future, and maybe putting that into contracts.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 19:04 UTC
GDP is up, so why does the economy still feel flat? – The Front Page
Talking to the Front Page podcast, Herald Business Editor-at-Large Liam Dann says he would have liked to have seen growth around 0.4%. You’ve got really strong dairy export prices and meat export prices, so that brings money into the country. Dann says the Government’s swift shift in focus from the GDP performance to the economic impact of the war was likely a strategic move, but was unsurprising given the weaker-than-expected GDP result. That’s when a technical recovery starts to feel to households like the economy is going backwards. He continues to hold out hope that the economy will get back on track.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 16:03 UTC
Councillors decide future of airport as small-scale
The future direction of the airport was decided at a Queenstown Lakes District Council meeting this week. Councillors unanimously voted to retain the airport’s focus on general aviation while enabling small scheduled flights to Christchurch and potentially Wellington. Egis’s consultation found a strong preference for a "general aviation airport" supported by limited turboprop services (less than 30-seat aircraft) to nearby cities. Then, in 2025, Sounds Air ended its services to the airport, leaving Wānaka with no scheduled regional services, intensifying community interest in the airport’s future. With that future now decided, the council has directed officers to report back with options for implementing a new airport master plan to deliver the scenario chosen by councillors.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 16:03 UTC
Cheating, collusion hits over 100 cases
Photo: ODT filesAcademic misconduct breaches at the University of Otago topped 100 during the past year, as the institution had to grapple with cheating in a law exam and collusion among first-year health sciences students. "All students involved underwent the university’s formal academic misconduct process and appropriate penalties were applied in line with university statues and the academic integrity policy. This led to a number of cases of academic misconduct involving the use of AI in 2023 and 2024. "However, the two specific incidents which led to an increase in cases this year were not related specifically to AI." A new policy is due to be implemented later this year, and the academic integrity policy will be revised accordingly.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 16:02 UTC
West Coast mine paused, 40 jobs lost
It's the second major blow in a week for the West Coast town, which faces losing its only air service from May. "We know this will have a real impact on individuals, their families and the wider West Coast community, and that weighs heavily on all of us." Two rūnanga and Development West Coast are shareholders in the business, and we have worked hard to build strong relationships across the region," his statement said. Development West Coast paid $3 million in 2024 for a 1.84% share in WMS. We remain committed to the West Coast and to building a long-term, inter-generational minerals business in the region and for New Zealand.
Source:Otago Daily Times
March 20, 2026 15:55 UTC
BB gun fired at Auckland’s Waiake Medical Centre, glass fragment found on patient bed
The hole was noticed just before 8am yesterday when doctors showed up for work, with frosted film credited for preventing the glass from shattering. These are people with real health concerns.”The bullet went into Dr Scarlett Pulham's clinic window, sending a glass fragment flying. Photo / Waiake Medical CentreBecause the clinic’s cameras only had peripheral street view, those responsible were not captured on security footage, the spokesperson said. Waitemata East area prevention manager Aron McKeown said police are unaware slug-gun crime has escalated in Torbay and surrounding suburbs. Carrying a BB gun in public without a lawful reason is considered a serious offence.
Source:New Zealand Herald
March 20, 2026 15:49 UTC