Auckland mayor Wayne Brown opted not to meet the man hired to be the new chief executive of the council’s transport agency, despite “informal suggestions” he do so – the man has since quit the role. Donnelly in a statement explained the loss of the new appointee as: “With the arrival of the new Auckland Council, and the changes to the AT Board, the environment has changed”. “The preferred candidate has now informed the Board that they will not be taking up the role of CEO. ”He was a high calibre chief executive, up for transforming Auckland Transport,” said Darby. AT’s previous chief executive, Shane Ellison, signalled in December 2021 his departure, and left in June 2022, shortly before his intended successor was hired.

A police raid on the the Head Hunters' gang pad in Christchurch. (Video published in February 2016)The Christchurch Head Hunters’ gang pad has been taken off it – and police are going after the Auckland East chapter’s Ellerslie headquarters next. READ MORE:* 'Bugger off': Mayor's message to Head Hunters as it sets up new gang pad* Former Head Hunters figure tells court he left the gang after latest offences* Men appear in court after Head Hunters gang raid in ChristchurchGeorge Heard/Stuff Police raiding the Christchurch Head Hunters Motorcycle Gang’s HQ in 2016. The Head Hunters took over the Vickerys Rd property from the now defunct Epitaph Riders bikie gang in October 2015. The Head Hunters formed in 1967 as a street gang in Glen Innes, Auckland.

Carterton glider pilot Michael O'Donnell was seriously injured in a crash at Papawai airfield in Greytown on Saturday. A Wairarapa glider pilot whose aircraft fell more than 30 metres onto a runway on Saturday is lucky to be alive. The experienced Carterton pilot’s glider crashed on take off from Papawai runway in Greytown seriously injuring him. CALEB HARRIS/STUFF.CO.NZ Wairarapa glider pilot David Hirst points out, from the air, the attractions of the Wellington Gliding Club's new Greytown homeCasey is the president of Wellington Wairarapa Gliding Club which is based at the Papawai Airfield. O’Donnell is an experienced pilot who has flown from the airfield many times before, Casey said.

On Friday, a group of young men from Palmerston North will premiere the second season of their own re-imagining of the franchise. The idea came from 19-year-old writer and director Arlo Macmillan; a Massey University media production student and a science fiction fan. READ MORE:* Young Palmerston North film-maker releases second series of The Tripods* The best sci-fi streaming on Netflix, Lightbox, TVNZ and Neon* Palmerston North teen's Tripods prequel web series finds favour with original cast and crewOriginally starting off on old Doctor Who, he found a DVD copy of the Tripods series in his local library and was hooked. Stuff From left; Will Thompson, 19, Arlo Macmillan, 19, Mikaera Bassett, 20, and Charlie Higgison, 18, will debut their film on Friday night. Stuff Arlo Macmillan, 19, right, says he has plenty of ideas for future projects.

Owner Sid Sahrawat outside Sid at the French Cafe, which has scored 94 convoluted points on La Liste. One of the world's more complicated restaurant ranking systems has served up its top 1000 restaurants in the world for 2023, with seven Kiwi establishments on the list. Created by French businessman Philippe Faure in 2015 as a response to the British-based World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, La Liste says it operates according to the principles of transparency, integrity and universality. With all this methodological work done, the 2023 list has given Auckland’s Sid at the French Cafe 94 points, making it the top-placed New Zealand restaurant. No Kiwi restaurant has ever made the World’s Top 50, though several – including Pasture and Cocoro but not Sid at the French Cafe – were featured on the extended 50 Best Discovery List for 2023.

Rugby Australia chief executive Andy Marinos and New Zealand Rugby chief executive Mark Robinson shake hands during the Super Rugby announcement in Sydney on Friday. Super Rugby Pacific has been locked in until 2030 and a new nine-person board will oversee the competition and explore the creation of a trans-Tasman women’s competition, New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia have announced. This arrangement will run until the end of 2025, when the current broadcast deals for NZ Rugby and Rugby Australia expire. Hannah Peters/Getty Images Beauden Barrett makes a break against the Brumbies during the Super Rugby Pacific semifinal at Eden Park in June. The nine-person board will include an independent chair, four independent directors, and one representative each from NZ Rugby, RA, the New Zealand Rugby Players Association (NZRPA) and the Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA).

For more on festival etiquette, check out How to not be a dickhead at a live show. In amongst all the fun, there’s a not-so-sunny side to these festivals too: camping, portaloos, over-indulgence, lack of etiquette – you get the idea. Email us lifestyle@stuff.co.nzRuby: portaloo nightmare“I went to a portaloo, and it was pitch black. Matt Cardy/Getty Images Nothing good ever happens in a festival portaloo. “I ended up with a UTI afterwards.”Sam: pre-drinking disaster“At Laneway one year I saw a girl slumped over on the side of a footpath.

There’s a gulf emerging between what some workers want and what bosses are willing to pay. The gap is widening between the proportion of professional workers expecting inflation-beating pay rises and the proportion of employers intending to offer that, says Robert Walters. A gulf is growing between the pay rises that white-collar workers expect over the year ahead and the increases that employers are willing to pay, according to one of the country’s largest recruiters. Recruiter Robert Walters said its annual survey of more than 1000 professionals and employers showed a growing disconnect, and signs of a “looming salary stand-off”. supplied Robert Walters Australia and NZ managing director Shay Peters says the talent coming in to NZ next year may not match the talent going out.

A rusty storage tank that once housed a garden centre’s cafe and shop is on the heritage list in Wellington’s new district plan, but its film industry owners don’t agree. Long before that, when it was built in 1926, it was a petrol storage tank for British Imperial Oil – and is one of the few remaining storage tanks of this kind. The history of the petrol storage tank1926: The tank is one of eight constructed by British Imperial Oil (a Shell subsidiary). 1971: It was purchased by Keith Lowe for the business which became the California Garden Centre. 2017: Sir Peter Jackson and Dame Fran Walsh purchased the California Garden Centre including the tank.

The future of Super Rugby Pacific has been locked in after a long and complex negotiation between New Zealand Rugby and Rugby Australia, but its significance also lies in what it means for the long-discussed world club competition. An official announcement on Super Rugby Pacific is imminent, providing much-needed relief to the 12 Super Rugby clubs who could only watch on as the negotiations dragged on over broadcast revenue splits and format. The significant dollop of icing on the cake for the five New Zealand Super Rugby clubs is this: the world club competition could not be confirmed until the Super Rugby Pacific deal was done. READ MORE:* Steve Hansen's big 2019 World Cup regret* Why New Zealand Rugby seems to want Scott Robertson to coach England* 'Excited' Highlanders confirm plans for World Club Cup in 2024* Money-spinning rugby world club championship could kick off next season – report* Club World Cup 'advances' as European rugby bosses find accord* World club championship on the table as rugby eyes fresh startThe format for the world club competition is relatively straightforward – and arguably favours Super Rugby Pacific. But, now agreement on Super Rugby Pacific has been secured, another piece on the puzzle in place and the world club competition is a step closer.

CNN published this video item, entitled “See moment Jacinda Ardern fired back at reporter’s question about gender” – below is their description. New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern and Finland’s Sanna Marin quickly shot down a reporter who asked if their similar age and gender was the reason for their official meeting. #CNN #News CNN YouTube ChannelGot a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.

Police have arrested a man who allegedly robbed a dairy in Caversham in Dunedin. (File photo)A man who allegedly pocketed bags of coins from a dairy’s open safe in a brazen burglary before fleeing scene, has been arrested. Police were called to the Night ‘n Day store in Caversham, Dunedin shortly before 11pm on Thursday, Senior Sergeant Anthony Bond said. While staff were occupied, he walked behind the counter and into an office, but was told by staff to leave. READ MORE:* Man admits robbing Christchurch stores with hammer, crowbar* McDonald's customer allegedly threatens to shoot drive-through workerHe complied at first before going behind the counter a second time and allegedly grabbing three bags of coins from a safe.

Hundreds of Aucklanders have been hit with an unusually high water bill after a staffing issue at the company contracted to read water meters. Gulf Harbour resident Derek Marshall​ was surprised to receive a $254 water bill in November, accompanied by a letter to say his family was using too much water. A graph on his bill suggested his average daily usage was over 1800 litres, compared to about 400 litres in the two months prior. Alden Williams/Stuff Derek Marshall could not figure out why his November water bill put his water usage at an average of about 1800 litres per day, compared to 400 litres in the previous two months. “If a customer is concerned about their ability to pay the bill, we encourage them to reach out to us.

nzherald.co.nz published this video item, entitled “Christchurch’s Gun City ram raided, ammo strewn across the store | nzherald.co.nz” – below is their description. Christchurch’s Gun City was ram raided overnight with the offenders making off with an air rifle and a paintball gun. Full story: https://bit.ly/3Vn26L1 Subscribe and be notified of breaking news: https://goo.gl/LP45jX Check out our playlists: https://goo.gl/Swd249 Like NZ Herald on Facebook: https://goo.gl/tUC4oq Follow NZ Herald on Instagram: https://goo.gl/oLicXe Follow NZ Herald on Twitter: https://goo.gl/Wi6mbv nzherald.co.nz YouTube ChannelGot a comment? Leave your thoughts in the comments section, below. Please note comments are moderated before publication.

Westpac has just released their building consent numbers, and they've dropped down lower than predicted. Dwelling consent numbers are down by 11 percent, which is larger than the 5 percent drop that Westpac had forecasted. This drop goes deeper than the normal month-to-month volatility, and tougher financial conditions play a role in these figures. Liam Dann, NZ Herald business editor says that the numbers appear to be over a peak and the downside indicators for the construction sector are a key factor in these figures. LISTEN ABOVE