Salvin albatross are on the critically endangered list with hundreds being killed in fishing nets each year. Image via.
Most of New Zealand's Seabirds Could Be Doomed, Says Report
Ninety percent of New Zealand's seabirds are at risk of being wiped out due to the deterioration of our marine environment, according to a worrying report released by Statistics NZ and the Ministry of the Environment. Our Marine Environment 2016 identifies global warming, ocean acidification and polluted coastlines as the key causes. "By shining a light on the issues through this report we are able to focus on the most pressing and urgent areas to address," said secretary for the environment Vicky Robertson. Environment Minister Nick Smith told Stuff new legislation on marine reserves would be in the house next year that "will bring our marine legislation into the 21st Century".Housing New Zealand may have wrongly evicted tenants. Image via YouTube.Housing NZ Ignores Ministry of Health Advice and Keeps Chucking Out Tenants
In the middle of a housing crisis, Housing New Zealand has evicted hundreds of tenants against Ministry of Health advice, after their homes tested positive for traces of methamphetamine. The health agency says it has repeatedly told the state house provider that the meth testing guidelines they were using to evict people applied only to the clean up of former meth labs."The guidelines are very clear—that they are only for use in houses where methamphetamine has been manufactured. We have pointed out (to Housing New Zealand) and communicated that these guidelines are clearly for use in houses where meth has been manufactured," director of protection, regulation and assurance, Dr Stewart Jessamine told RNZ. Evicted tenants face thousands of dollars in clean-up costs and are blacklistedThis dog learned to drive in New Zealand, but not as many people are getting behind the wheel. Image via YouTube.
Just Like Elsewhere in the World, Fewer Young People Are Getting a Driver's Licence
The number of licensed drivers in New Zealand fell by 100,000 between 2012 and this year, with fewer people under 40 getting their licenses. The cost of owning a car and tougher standards to pass the test are considered contributing factors, but transport blogger Matt Lowrie said the decline is also part of a global trend. Lowrie told RNZ younger people were living their lives much more online than older generations and didn't have the same need to drive as the key relationships. "Now a lot of that is done online—you don't need a car in many cases so it's changing the behaviour, how we communicate and what we value."Top Nominee Helen Kelly Is No Longer Eligible to Be New Zealand of the Year
A petition to reinstate beloved trade unionist Helen Kelly on the short list for New Zealander of the Year has already attracted over 3000 signatures since it was launched in the weekend. Helen Kelly received 108 of the 375 nominations for the annual award but was deemed ineligible after her death from lung cancer two weeks ago. The rules state New Zealander of the Year can't be awarded posthumously. Prime Minister John Key told 1 News it was a "tough decision" but that the rules should stay how they are.Methamphetamine pretending to be tea. Image supplied
Meth Dealers are Importing Their Product Rather than Cooking it Up Here Like They Used To
Seizures of methamphetamine have surged in the last few years. In 2009 just 10kg of the drug was stopped at the border. Up until the end of August, Customs officials had seized 357 kilograms of methamphetamine at the border. Last week a 20-year-old Hong Kong man appeared in Auckland District Court charged with smuggling almost 200kg of meth in disguised as tea bags.And here's some of what's been going on at VICE NZ.Why Does Turning 21 in New Zealand Still Mean Smashing a Yardie?
Bingeing yourself to blackout in front of your nearest and dearest is par for the course when you turn 21.Is Vaping Actually the Secret to Weight Control?
Kiwi researchers are now claiming the lamer cousin of smoking could be a pretty effective way to manage weight.Photos from New Zealand's Biggest Cosplay Event
There was even a female Donald Trump.The Secret, Sexist History Behind a National Hero
How the legacy of Jean Batten, the world's foremost pioneering pilot, was muddied by the fact she was a woman.The Men Who Want to Have Sex With Actual Giants
Macrophilia is a fetish that sees people fantasise about people who are significantly larger than them—as in, big enough to topple a building.