Latest news with #Akaroa
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Too far? Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac shocks co-host Natalie Barr in a VERY awkward exchange
Sunrise weatherman Sam Mac dialled up the cringe factor in a very awkward exchange with host Natalie Barr this week. The gaffe occurred when Natalie and co-host Matt Shirvington were interviewing Sydney Swans AFL star Isaac Heeney. As the interview was wrapping up, Isaac bizarrely referred to Matt as 'daddy Shirvo.' The odd nickname piqued Natalie's interest, who asked her co-star: 'Did he just call you daddy Shirvo?' Looking sheepish, Matt refused to reveal the story behind the unique nickname, offering an evasive: 'It might be.' From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Nat then asked if the name was uttered for a dare, and Matt's response only raised more questions than it answered. 'I am not going to quote Donald Trump,' he replied with a grin. Keeping the joke going, Nat then threw to the affable weatherman with: 'Let's go to daddy Sam.' Sam, who was reporting from Akaroa, New Zealand, took things a little too far with a response that even he realised was beyond the pale. 'Thank you, mummy Nat,' he said, before almost instantly regretting his choice of words. 'Oh, that felt awful, sorry,' he said. 'I feel sick in my mouth saying it. I was just trying to run with it – doesn't quite work though, does it?' quite work though, does it?' Natalie wholeheartedly agreed with Sam's assessment, offering an emphatic: 'That did not work,' before Sam apologised to his co-star. The awkward exchange comes after Sam donned his investigative reporter hat to expose a sparkling water scam. He took to Instagram on Tuesday to share a clip that showed him dining alone at a restaurant with a one-litre bottle of San Pellegrino mineral water on the table. The clip showed Sam looking crestfallen as he attempted to polish off the bottle solo. Captioning the video, Sam claimed that the large bottle of water was forced upon him, despite smaller bottles being available. 'Waiter asked if I wanted still or sparkling. I said sparkling and suddenly I was the next victim of the #sparklingscam,' Sam wrote. As the video showed Sam laboriously attempting to finish the bottle, he admitted that he was doing so as a matter of principle. 'Not today, bro,' he added. 'I will drink that one-litre bottle of sparkling water whether my bladder likes it or not. It's the principle. Fight the power. They are fully aware it's available in 250ml bottles.' The camera then panned to Sam's receipt which showed a $12 price tag for the Italian water before he repeated his hashtag #sparklingscam.' 'This might be a little niche… but is anyone else onto the #SparklingScam?' Sam captioned the clip. Sam's intrepid reporting certainly struck a chord, with many followers commenting that they, too, had fallen victim to the 'scam'. 'Every time,' one fan wrote. 'It happened to me in France too, and I took the bottle with me and the waiter chased me down the street and demanded it back.' Another offered: 'And then when they have it on tap, put it in a bottle and still charge you $12.' A third added that they were behind Sam's call with: 'Omg this is my pet peeve!!! 'Especially restaurants that keep filling up your glass to run the bottle asap, then replace it without asking you!!! Such a rort.'
Otago Daily Times
02-07-2025
- Business
- Otago Daily Times
Tariffs, rising costs take toll on confidence levels
Canterbury business owners are no longer oozing with confidence as shoppers and other consumers resist the buying urge. Business sectors appear to be in different camps about trading prospects for the year ahead with some upbeat and others less hopeful because of delays to an expected lift in demand. Hospitality and retail businesses are among those less optimistic with cash tills more muted through tough winter months and they are looking forward to the opening of new major city sporting facilities. Lower interest rates should have given them reason for hope, but many businesses remain on fixed rates locked in over the last two years and shoppers in the same position are sticking to household necessities. Some manufacturers are struggling to reach sales targets, while others in software, electronics and high-value food markets are investing in new machinery on the back of increased demand. Exporters continue to be uneasy about the way United States President Donald Trump's tariffs will play out and concerned about the threat of overseas conflicts on trading. Canterbury Business said confidence had not continued its upward trajectory this year as many had hoped, despite reaching a high point last December. In its survey of 400 small and large businesses for the quarter year 53% expected the Canterbury economy to be stronger over the next year and 51% expected a stronger financial performance. The survey revealed 82% were confident in their ability to deal with disruption. Chief executive Leeann Watson said business trading was still heading in the right direction, but less quickly than owners would like. "The levels of confidence that we saw in December are still heading up, but slowly. What's not necessarily being in line with that is consumer demand. That's much slower, but again still heading in the right direction." Food and grocery retailers were in a business-as-usual position, while those selling clothing, sporting goods or other items such as cars and boats were tending to feel the pinch because of cautious spending on non-essentials. Ms Watson said the business environment was in an overall holding pattern, but was expected to pick up at the tail end of the year. Restructuring and redundancies had stabilised and businesses were investing in marketing for a growth phase, she said. Business sectors varied in their confidence with some doing well and others cautiously optimistic about the future or conservatively holding back from investing in their businesses until interest rates kicked in. Those in recovery mode were often not yet ready to expand or struggling with challenging decisions about the future, she said. Hospitality NZ Canterbury branch president Jeremy Stevens said owner operators were positive after a seasonally slow June following a strong May. April trading was challenging as customers optimised their leave because Easter and Anzac Day holidays were so close together and venues such as Akaroa and Hanmer Springs did better than central city outlets, he said. Mr Stevens said operators expected a "quite special" period over the next year. "Having the metro sports centre open will bring a lot of people travelling around from New Zealand and also Australia in sports teams ... conferences being held at Te Pai and the stadium opening next year with the metro sports centre that's really going to help boost accommodation and central city trade." He said discretionary spending was also expected to increase when lower interest rates flowed though. "I think the biggest challenge for the industry is the continual increased cost of goods." Hospitality closures were at normal levels and should not shadow success stories, he said. Manufacturers coming off long term contracts are also facing significant increases in overheads including rising energy prices. Ms Watson said a slower rebound than expected in consumer confidence and demand was taking its toll and continued geopolitical instability was creating challenges for business facing the other complications. The survey tracked 59% of businesses expecting to hire staff within the next year and 60% planning to invest in property, plant and equipment — up marginally on 57% the previous quarter. The big challenges continue to be consumer confidence and demand, productivity and growth, inflation and interest rates, cashflow and compliance costs.
RNZ News
02-07-2025
- General
- RNZ News
Cost blowout renews call to scrap council's Akaroa wastewater plans
The current wastewater treatment plant at Akaroa. Photo: Supplied/Christchurch City Council A Banks Peninsula residents' group has renewed calls to scrap council plans for a wastewater plant in the Akaroa township, following a cost blowout of more than $70 million. Under the Christchurch City Council proposal , the existing sewage plant would be relocated and treated wastewater discharged onto farmland and native plants at Hammond Point and Robinson's Bay, instead of into the harbour. For more than 60 years, Akaroa's sewage has been treated and discharged into the sea at the bottom of the culturally significant Takapūneke Reserve. The new scheme was initially budgeted at $94 million, but that figure has ballooned to $167.3 million. The council was also exploring an alternative discharge option of sending treated wastewater directly into the ocean, instead of first irrigating it through land, but this would still cost $148.7 million. Friends of Banks Peninsula deputy chair Suky Thompson said the council's plan was flawed and she was not surprised the cost had blown out. "Our geotechnical engineer at the [resource consent] hearings recommended that much more geotechnical assessment was needed prior to putting this whole proposal up for a consent," she said. "Twenty million dollars of that blowout is to carry out more geotechnical work on the site proposed for the treatment plant, but we think it will still blow out further because much of the steep land which the council proposes to irrigate to saturation hasn't had any geotechnical assessment." Thompson said the proposal did not address Akaroa's leaky pipes. "Our concern is that the amount of wastewater going through the system is largely determined by the poor quality of these sewer pipes in Akaroa, so it's infiltrated by an enormous amount of stormwater. "That means that at times when it's the most wet, when the land is soggy, that's when there's also the most water running through the system so then it has to be stored in enormous storage tanks and the council is planning to irrigate right through winter keeping the land at saturated level which is not suitable for the steep, slip-prone slopes of Banks Peninsula. "In our view it's time for the council to start being more realistic about what it can afford for such a small place as Akaroa -there's less than 1000 sewer connections going into the system." Thompson said the money would be better used overhauling the town's sewerage network. She believed the alternative option of discharging treated wastewater into the ocean would be met with more approval in Akaroa. "It would be much less intrusive to develop, it would be much more resilient going forward, so it's about the detail it's about the treatment standard that would be put in." Photo: SUPPLIED The council said the ocean discharging option would see a 15-16km wastewater pipeline running on the Akaroa Harbour floor, and wastewater discharged one to two kilometres beyond the harbour heads. "The staff update showed operational costs of the ocean outfall would be approximately $380,000 per year, compared to $625,000 per year for land irrigation. Operational and construction risks were outlined, including challenges in identifying leaks and the limited options available for repairs. Staff also repeated their understanding that this option is repugnant to mana whenua. Council head of three waters Gavin Hutchison said even though work was underway on investigating alternatives, no recommendations on a preferred future option would be made until the government's law changes around mandatory wastewater standards for discharge to water, land and overflows were implemented and the views of mana whenua sought. "Having this information will help further inform potential future steps for the current application process. However, regardless of what the new standards permit, we still have a duty to consult under the Local Government Act and consider cultural and community impacts of any preferred option. "Once we have an understanding of the impacts of the new wastewater standards, and have done further work, we expect to be able to brief the elected council on a preferred option for the future scheme in early 2026." Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu declined RNZ's interview request. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
19-05-2025
- RNZ News
Canterbury priest may have been financial abuse victim
Father Geoff Gray was ordained in June 1972 at Timaru's Sacred Heart Basilica. Photo: CC 3.0 / Ulanwp Warning: This story discusses suicide. A Canterbury Catholic priest took his own life after 50 years in the clergy as his mental health deteriorated and financial pressure mounted. Father Geoff Gray was found by a concerned neighbour on the grounds of the Akaroa parish on 29 November last year. In findings released today, Coroner Ian Telford said there were indications Father Geoff was the victim of financial abuse. "Towards the end of his life, Father Geoff's mental health deteriorated markedly - a situation directly exacerbated by mounting financial pressures and other uncertainties," the coroner said. "The evidence indicates that this largely arose due to the exploitation of his generous and trusting nature. Unfortunately, my jurisdiction does not extend to the further investigation and determination of this situation. Nevertheless, it is a matter of some concern, and begs the attention of all New Zealanders. "Several people close to Father Geoff were becoming increasingly concerned that some indicators of financial abuse were present in his life. His bank had even taken the step of freezing his accounts, fearing he was being scammed. At the same time, those around Father Geoff were alert to the issues and doing everything they could to caution and support him. Nothing in these findings is intended as criticism and these situations are invariably challenging, particularly when supporting capable adults. In short, it is often difficult to know what to do for the best. "However, Father Geoff's case serves to illustrate the potentially devastating consequences that can flow in these circumstances. To that end, I urge anyone concerned that an older person may be experiencing any form of abuse to seek help." Father Geoff was ordained in June 1972 at Timaru's Sacred Heart Basilica. He served at many parishes throughout New Zealand and overseas, including as a priest in the Society of St James Apostle in Bolivia between 1982 to 1992 and again from 1997 to 2001. "Father Geoff developed and maintained a strong connection to the area and established family-like relationships with local people," Telford said. "Several witnesses to my inquiry refer to Father Geoff's 'adoption' of a young adult from Bolivia, with whom he maintained contact and provided financial support. While the precise details of this relationship remain unclear, it was most likely an informal and supportive arrangement, rather than a legal adoption. "It is evident that Father Geoff sent money to various people, including the young adult in Bolivia described above - to assist with education and other expenses. Around the time of his death, the requests for money became increasingly regular, and this caused Father Geoff significant stress." Police inquiries following Father Geoff's death uncovered a brief case with a large amount of documentation recording overseas financial transactions to several people in Bolivia and the United States. A handwritten note with numerous transactions recorded a total of $40,350 from 2023 to 2024, the coroner said. "An email message was photographed which has been loosely translated by counsel assisting my inquiry. In very broad summary, this is an email from Father Geoff promising to pay the debt of two overseas individuals," Telford said. "As part of my inquiry, I directed the filing of Father Geoff's bank records, which showed that he was sending considerable sums of money to various people overseas. Although it is difficult to decipher exactly who the recipients of this money were, at least $40,000 was transferred overseas between March 2024 and Father Geoff's death." Father Geoff had been intending to retire to Christchurch. He had a history of mental health issues dating back to 2008 and was managing anxiety and sleep problems through medication. He saw his GP, Dr Kris Sargent, on 2 September 2024 and reported he was "stressed and suffering from increased panic and low mood". "He told Dr Sargent that he had been sending a lot of money to his people in Bolivia, including his 'adoptive son' who was 'asking for more and more money from Father Geoff, ostensibly related to educational expenses and then later regarding a car needing to be repaired'. This was causing Father Geoff significant financial and personal stress and Dr Sargent told him that this all sounded suspicious," the coroner said. "Around the end of October 2024, a member of Father Geoff's family contacted his diocesan bishop, Bishop [Michael] Gielen, with concerns that Father Geoff was 'not himself'. Bishop Gielen promptly met with Father Geoff on 31 October 2024. Father Geoff said he wanted to bring his retirement forward to January 2025. Bishop Gielen encouraged him to retire immediately - a suggestion Father Geoff strongly rejected. "Father Geoff also said he was involved in a 'complicated financial situation with a friend in Bolivia' who needed money for a car. Bishop Gielen asked Father Geoff whether he was being taken advantage of, to which Father Geoff firmly responded he was not, and that he was fully aware of whom he was giving the money to. Bishop Gielen offered to assist him with this financial stress, but Father Geoff said he would manage it himself. Father Geoff also said he wanted to retire in Christchurch as this was close to his family. Bishop Gielen confirmed there was a place available for him and arrangements were made so that he could start moving. "Father Geoff last saw Dr Sargent on 21 November 2024. Father Geoff said his financial difficulties were going to be resolved, and he was expecting a return of a substantial sum of money when the car in Bolivia was sold. They both felt his anxiety would improve when his financial situation resolved. Father Geoff also reported that he was lonely in Akaroa and was looking forward to moving to Christchurch." He attended a clergy retreat on 24 November and appeared agitated. Bishop Gielen and several other priests enquired about his well-being, but Father Geoff did not want to talk. On 27 November, he left the retreat abruptly, telling another priest he was "overwhelmed and had forgotten his medication". "He also said that his bank had called him during the retreat, and he needed to go and sort out an issue before going home." While leaving the car park, he collided with a parked car and the building. Later that evening he had difficulty making payment at a supermarket. "Sometime after 6pm Father Geoff's neighbour brought him dinner to his house," Telford said. "He asked her to help him pay an online bill as it was not working for him. His neighbour reported that it appeared he had been locked out of his bank account. He told his neighbour that his bank thought he was being scammed and they had frozen his accounts. He showed her a long handwritten list recording payments he had made to people in Bolivia. He explained why he thought these requests for money were legitimate and he said it was largely to do with a car. He said he could not access any money out of his accounts. "At about 6.30pm, Father Geoff returned to the supermarket, and he used a staff member's phone to contact his bank. It appears he was able to pay for his items with his card." The following day, he went to his usual hairdresser for a hair cut. "His hairdresser said it was unusual for Father Geoff to walk in without an appointment. She added that he did not appear himself and seemed anxious. "He asked her to cut his hair shorter than normal, so he looked tidy. She asked about his health as he had told her at his previous appointment that he was not well. Father Geoff said that his mental health was not good, but he did not go into any more detail. When paying, Father Geoff was shaking to the extent that she had to help him hold his bank card." The following day he was found dead after taking his own life sometime on 28 or 29 November. If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.
RNZ News
12-05-2025
- Climate
- RNZ News
Local State of Emergency on Banks Peninsula lifts
The community of Little River was hard hit by flooding. Photo: Christchurch City Council The local State of Emergency on Banks Peninsula has been lifted after no further significant land movement was detected. It was put in place after heavy rain caused widespread flooding and slips. Mayor Phil Mauger said monitoring equipment on Lighthouse Road provided several days of detailed information to inform the decision. "With that information, we're now in a position to make a decision on the evacuation zone, begin work on the slip remediation options and lift the State of Emergency," he said. "The team has been working closely with property owners and businesses in Akaroa and will continue to do so." Cracks in Lighthouse Road, Akaroa which led to some houses being evacuated due to landslip fears. Photo: Christchurch City Council The ground in Banks Peninsula was still saturated, the mayor said, and Christchurch City Council will monitor the area. "A designation has been made under the Building Act on the area, so we can react if needed. "Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are now both in a recovery period and the focus will be on repairing damaged infrastructure around the district."
