Latest news with #SH1
RNZ News
22-07-2025
- RNZ News
Body found off walkway near Auckland's Southern Motorway
A police cordon is set up in a walkway near SH1 at Highbrook. Photo: RNZ / Bella Craig A man's body has been found off a walkway which runs alongside Auckland's Southern Motorway. Police were alerted at around 11.30am and while carrying out initial investigations at the scene they located a suspicious item near the man's body. The object was first thought to be an improvised explosive device (IED). "The area was immediately cordoned off, including the closure of SH1 between Princes Street and Highbrook Drive," a spokesperson said. The Police Specialist Search Group and the NZDF EOD Team were sent to the area. After a thorough search two objects were found, both of which were safely removed from the scene. "Initial enquiries indicate that these items are not IEDs, and further specialist enquiries will need to be carried out into these two objects." The motorway has since reopened. The spokesperson said police would provide further details in due course. St John were at the scene with two rapid response vehicles in a standby capacity. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
03-07-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Fresh push for four-lane highway from Rolleston to Ashburton
Rachel Gillard-Tew launched a petition this week calling on the government to reconsider four-laning the stretch of SH1 from Rolleston to Ashburton. Photo: LDR / Ashburton Guardian A woman fed up with seeing near-misses is campaigning for State Highway 1 between Rolleston and Ashburton to be increased to four lanes. Rachel Gillard-Tew launched a petition this week calling on the government to reconsider four-laning the 63km stretch of road. "State Highway 1 is the lifeline connecting communities across New Zealand, and the section between Rolleston and Ashburton is crying out for attention. "Despite its importance, it remains a single-lane hazard." Her motivation stems from a personal connection to "a catastrophic accident on SH1" and, as a regular traveller along SH1, witnessing plenty of close calls. With Rolleston and surrounding towns continuing to develop, traffic would only increase, she said. "The potential for devastating accidents increases by the day. "It's time SH1 is also prioritised." With the range of vehicle sizes and speeds, it creates a stressful environment where people lose patience and take risks, she said. "There is no room for error at all with no protection from oncoming traffic. "The lack of safe intersections and an adequate median barrier makes this highway section particularly perilous. "The need for immediate action is clear and compelling." Creating four lanes between Rolleston and Ashburton would save lives and reduce the unnecessary risks faced by commuters and holiday travellers, she said. The major hurdle is, and has always been, the cost. Adding two lanes from Rolleston to Ashburton will require the extension or construction of new two-lane bridges at the Selwyn and Rakaia rivers. Former Selwyn District councillor Mark Alexander said that four-laning between Rolleston and Ashburton is "unaffordable for our region and country". He said a second bridge at Rakaia is needed for resilience and "more maintenance of the existing roadway is needed". "We need more schools and better healthcare, more than a motorway between Ashburton and Rolleston." Alexander sat on the Greater Christchurch Partnership and Regional Transport Committee during his time on the council, between 2010 and 2022, and said the "cost-benefit ratio was not favourable" for four lanes. He was referencing a business case looking at traffic solutions on SH1 between Christchurch and Dunedin, which was ready for the NZTA Board in 2017. Instead, the National-led government announced its roads of national significance policy that included four lanes from Christchurch to Ashburton. National lost the election later that year, and the roads of national significance were scrapped by the incoming Labour-led coalition Government. The business case, released under the Official Information Act, shows the preferred option was not four lanes. It included a second bridge in Ashburton and a series of "2+1" lanes, essentially alternating passing lanes between Christchurch and Ashburton. NZTA hasn't ruled out four-laning in future, but it is not part of the National Land Transport Plan 2024-27. Regional manager for system design Rich Osborne said NZTA is investing in safety measures on SH1 between Lyttelton and Timaru ports. He said NZTA is aware of safety concerns about the busy State Highway 1 corridor, as raised in the petition. Safety improvement works are being planned and undertaken, he said. "Providing for wide centrelines has been a recent focus of safety improvements. "This creates more space between lanes and keeps vehicles further apart, which can reduce serious crashes resulting in death and serious injuries. "Recent work has included widening of the southbound shoulder of SH1 south of Rolleston, between Dunns Crossing Road and Burnham Road, to install a wide centreline." Further improvements over the next few years include building a second Ashburton bridge, the Rolleston access improvements project, and a new roundabout at the Burnham Road/Aylesbury Road intersection. A stretch south of Hinds and 2km at Rolleston have had centre line widening and more is being planned, but not until the next three-year land transport plan. "Pre-implementation work, including detailed design and some property acquisition work, is underway for wide centrelines and some widening works for sections of State Highway 1 from Burnham Road to Selwyn River, south of Selwyn River to north of Rakaia, and south of Rakaia to north of Ashburton. "As part of its long-term forward planning, NZTA is exploring future options for improving the SH1 corridor between Lyttelton and Timaru ports, and this includes looking at replacement of SH1 bridges, the role of rail and the potential introduction of four-laning." National first proposed four-laning the highway ahead of the 2017 election, and the policy was resurrected at the 2020 election. The party had promised to investigate its viability in the lead-up to the 2023 election. When it released its National Land Transport Plan in 2024, National's Roads of National Significance were back, with 15 new four-lane roading projects across the country - including the Woodend Bypass, but not between Ashburton and Rolleston. Rangitata MP, and South Island Minister, James Meager said the idea needed to be reevaluated. "We need to do the work to see how it stacks up - the last time anyone looked at it seriously was in 2017, before Labour came into government. "My main focus is getting construction started on the second Ashburton bridge and making progress on our other major South Island roading projects." LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Straits Times
21-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
S'pore paralympic swimming medallist Theresa Goh makes sporting comeback with shooting
Former national para-swimmer Theresa Goh is back competing in shooting after coming out of retirement. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO SINGAPORE – Lining up at the Changwon International Shooting Range earlier in June, Theresa Goh felt the adrenaline surge, her heart racing and her mind pulling in another direction as she worked to bring it back. She was competing at the Changwon 2025 World Shooting Para Sport World Cup – her first international outing as a shooter – but the rush was anything but unfamiliar. These were sensations Goh had grown accustomed to after two decades of competing in the pool. Born with spina bifida – a condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not form properly – Goh went on to become Singapore's first female Paralympic swimmer at Athens 2004, the country's first swimming world champion in 2006, a world-record holder and a Paralympic bronze medallist at Rio de Janeiro 2016. Since retiring from swimming in 2019, Goh's life has taken on a different rhythm, giving her the time to explore interests like cooking, baking and gaming. While her return to the competitive arena came after a six-year break, it felt like a space she understood. The 38-year-old said: 'I didn't really realise how much I enjoyed the competitive aspect of it until I did my shoot. The adrenaline was there but then also I couldn't let it overrun because then my hand would shake. It's about how do I balance that. 'There's the heart racing and realising my brain is thinking one way and how do I bring it back, all the different things I never really had to place in a sporting context in such a long time.' At her debut, she finished 20th out of 24 with a score of 523 in the women's 10m air pistol SH1 event, clearing the qualifying mark for the Asean Para Games in Thailand in January 2026. She has enjoyed the journey so far, being part of a team again and settling into a structured routine. Though some aspects feel reminiscent of her past, Goh is mindful that this is still new territory, one she did not expect to revisit after hanging up her goggles. Goh, a pathway and performance manager at the Singapore Disability Sports Council, said: 'It was really nice to be retired after swimming... I really enjoyed the freedom and just not having to think about schedules so much or blocking out a certain period of my week for something. 'But at some point, early to mid-last year, I was starting to feel a bit lost, listless in certain aspects of my life.' She then came across a local modern pentathlon event in July 2024 that involved running and laser shooting and signed up for it. Although she was the last to arrive for the shooting leg, she was among the first to leave as she performed creditably, piquing her curiosity whether there was something worth exploring further. By October, she had begun training, though she was still weighing whether this was the path she wanted to take. Theresa Goh began to explore the idea of competing in shooting after taking part in a modern pentathlon event in July 2024. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO The support she received made a big difference. After just a few sessions, her coach Pheong Siew Shya passed her shooting glasses and a pellet box. Daniel Chan, Singapore's first shooter at the Paralympics, also lent Goh the gun that he used at the 2024 Paris Games. She said: 'It's been quite good, fun and I find myself always comparing it to swimming like at this point when I started swimming, how did I feel? It's interesting just being able to play a new game in a different way.' Pheong, a former national shooter, praised Goh's determination and discipline, noting that she has improved her understanding of the shooting process but still needs to work on her fundamentals. Nonetheless, Pheong was impressed by Goh's performance in Changwon, where she exceeded expectations by registering a personal best – 15 points higher than her previous mark. Pheong said: 'Her mental resilience and determination have inspired the team to believe that anything is possible. It gave the team a shot in the arm.' Sport has always held a magnetic pull for Goh, who also took up shot put around the same time as shooting and had dabbled in powerlifting during a break from swimming after the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. On what drives her to pursue different sports, she reflected: 'The act of learning something, being better at something, and then to the point of potentially mastering it, I like the idea of it.' She added: 'For me, it's always been about the environment. I've always mostly enjoyed (swimming) training because of the people around. I see it now in shooting – it's hard to say no because the people are so welcoming, I like their company and the environment's good.' She has also drawn on lessons from her swimming career, but remains cautious about assuming that the same approach will apply. She just wants to make sure that she enjoys the process. Having qualified for the Asean Para Games, Goh admits she is still working out what her goals may be, although making a return to the Paralympics has crossed her mind. ' I bought into the idea that once I was done with my swimming career, that's it. I've achieved what I needed and I can close my career. Many people have that self-placed barrier on themselves like this is as far as I can go. I want to see how far I can go,' she said. 'The main goal, if I can speak it into the world is, I do hope to achieve a similar success to my swimming. To get to the Paralympic Games would be quite nice. If I can, I can. If not, no problem. ' It seemed almost poetic that after this interview, as Goh posed for photographs beside a mural celebrating Singapore's athletes outside the High Performance Sport Institute gym, she found herself positioned next to a picture from her swimming days, a bridge between past and present. With her legacy already woven into the fabric of the nation's sporting history, she is now writing a new chapter in an already storied career. Kimberly Kwek joined The Straits Times in 2019 as a sports journalist and has since covered a wide array of sports, including golf and sailing. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
RNZ News
12-06-2025
- Automotive
- RNZ News
‘Quiet street' to become permanent SH1 through Picton
By Kira Carrington , Local Democracy reporter As the new SH1, Kent St will be upgraded to support greater traffic. Photo: LDR Picton's Kent St is to become the new State Highway 1 , to the surprise of some of its residents. New Zealand Transport Agency / Waka Kotahi has announced that Kent St, which has been a "de facto state highway" during ferry terminal works since 2023, will officially become SH1, with some improvements to suit. The route bypasses the Nelson Square roundabout and central Picton, taking a more direct route towards the ferry terminal. Kent St resident Pam Wharehoka, who has lived on the street since 1982, said it "used to be a quiet street". "Hardly anyone came down [here], kids used to ride their bikes down here. [That] can't happen any more." When the terminal works started and all the trucks started coming down the street, the children welcomed it, she said. "The kids used to stand out there and [wave], and the drivers would give them a toot." Kent St resident Pam Wharehoka says the street used to be quiet before it became the de facto State Highway 1. Photo: LDR The Interislander ferry terminal moved to Lagoon Rd in 2023, as part of wider works for the now-canned iReX ferry project to accommodate new, larger ferries. NZTA regional manager of system design Richard Osborne said that ever since, all traffic accessing the ferry terminals had been going down Kent St. "Kent St has been acting as the de facto state highway. This is one of the key aspects the Picton Road Network Improvements Project wants to address," Osborne said. He said NZTA was obliged to send a Notice of Requirement to the Marlborough District Council to commandeer the council-owned road. The road would be maintained by Marlborough Roads, which was responsible for both council-owned roads and NZTA state highways. The planned changes to the road network in Picton. Photo: Supplied / NZTA Kent St resident Sue Letchford said the announcement was a long time coming. "Well, it's been coming for years, but it's still pretty horrible," Letchford said. She was worried about the safety of students from Picton School, which backed onto Kent St. Trucks started travelling down Kent St after the Interislander ferry terminal moved to Lagoon Rd in 2023. Photo: LDR NZTA said it would work with the Marlborough District Council to install a variable speed limit by the school, with a lower speed limit in place during peak school time. Picton School declined to comment on the changes. Letchford said she was pleased that the roads would be upgraded to support the increase in traffic. "Kent St is all right, but Oxford St gets ripped out ... constantly." Kent St residents had previously complained that the increase in trucks was noisy and "smashing up" the road, which required "major reconstruction". Kent St resident Linda Andrell said the sounds of the trucks were just white noise to her. "I've been here a few years now so I don't even [hear it]. Maybe at about 10 o'clock at night you might notice it." Dean Humphrey said the news was "good and bad". "We're talking about the [street] parking here ... We're going to be up at the library and have a talk to them about it," Humphrey said, referring to drop-in sessions planned for next week. The sessions will be held at Picton Library and Service Centre Waitohi Whare Mātauranga on 17-18 June. Work on the planned upgrades will start mid-next year. LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
Indian Express
02-06-2025
- Health
- Indian Express
Sumedha Pathak beats out ‘inspiration' Rubina Francis for Para World Cup shooting gold
Moments after 28-year-old Sumedha Pathak won her first WSPS World Cup individual gold in the women's P2 10m air pistol SH1 final in Changwon, Korea, she was hugged by Paris Paralympics bronze medallist and compatriot Rubina Francis, who finished seventh in the same category. For Sumedha, who edged out another Indian, Shrishti Arora, to win the gold with a score of 235.2, and many of her peers, Francis is an inspiration. 'Rubina mam has always been an inspiration for me and other shooters and whenever we compete at the shooting range, we see each other as inspiration as well motivating,' Sumedha told The Indian Express from Changwon, Korea. Daughter of pharmaceutical entrepreneur Brijesh Chandra Pathak, a young Sumedha would always be keen in her studies as well as listening about her father's social work in their hometown of Varanasi. In 2013, after complaining of fever and body pains, she was diagnosed with Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis resulting in spinal paralysis. The Pathak family would then spend months in hospitals in Delhi as well Kolkata before the youngster recovered, with her body movement below her chest being completely nil. 'After spending more than a year in recovery at different hospitals, when we returned home, the first thing I told Sumedha was to have belief that we will excel in whatever way we can. We live in a joint family and the entire family ensured that Sumedha always remained focussed on her goals whether it be studies or whatever field she chose,' says father Brijesh Chandra Pathak. Sumedha would top the CBSE 12th exam in commerce stream in specially abled division in India with 91.04 percent in 2016. It was in 2018 that her father, along with consultation with international shooters Asif and Ajit Singh Suryavanshi and coach Santosh Tiwari, got a makeshift shooting range built at their home. While Sumedha would start with pistol shooting, the coaches would face the problem of setting the right posture for the youngster. 'Sumedha's body movement is very restricted and hence we could not make her start in rifle shooting. Initially, when she started pistol shooting, her upper body would fall ahead. So we would start with the dry shooting part, working to increase her upper body and shoulder strength. Once we could achieve the right posture and balance on a wheelchair, we increased shots to 40-60 shots daily and she would train for 2-3 hours,' remembers coach Santosh Tiwari. Father Brijesh too talks about the initial struggles. 'While we had built the shooting range at the parking space of our home, Sumedha used to spend a lot of time for physiotherapy sessions too. During 2020-2021, early Covid-19 times, we got a new range built inside our home. We are lucky that the whole shooting community of Varanasi and UP would support her. (When the new) shooting range (came up) in Varanasi in 2024, it meant that the likes of Sumedha could dream of training at a world class facility one day in Varanasi,' says Pathak. In 2022, Sumedha made the Indian Para shooting team and was part of the Indian pistol team which won the silver medal in the WSPS World Cup in France and Korea respectively. In 2023, Sumedha finished seventh in women's P2 10m air pistol SH1 in the Hangzhou Asian Para Games. 'In shooters like Sumedha, the main challenge for coaches is to strike a balance between the upper body strength suited for their shooting style. While the technique can be tweaked based on the posture, the upper body strength has to be the strongest and she has been able to work on that,' says national para pistol coach Subash Rana. In Khelo India Para Games in March this year, Sumedha had scored a score of 237.5 to win the gold. On Monday, she qualified at the second spot with a score of 565 behind Francis, who shot 566. In the final, Sumedha was placed third after the second series before she made her way to the gold medal elimination round followed by her winning the gold with a score of 235.2. 'The Khelo India gold made Sumedha believe that she can win big in finals too and to edge out Rubina then also helped her confidence. While she has won team medals before, this Individual gold is a new beginning for her,' says Jaiprakash Nautiyal, chief coach Indian Para Shooting team. Nitin Sharma is an Assistant Editor with the sports team of The Indian Express. Based out of Chandigarh, Nitin works with the print sports desk while also breaking news stories for the online sports team. A Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Award recipient for the year 2017 for his story 'Harmans of Moga', Nitin has also been a two-time recipient of the UNFPA-supported Laadli Media Awards for Gender Sensitivity for the years 2022 and 2023 respectively. Nitin mainly covers Olympics sports disciplines with his main interests in shooting, boxing, wrestling, athletics and much more. The last 17 years with The Indian Express has seen him unearthing stories across India from as far as Andaman and Nicobar to the North East. Nitin also covers cricket apart from women's cricket with a keen interest. Nitin has covered events like the 2010 Commonwealth Games, the 2011 ODI World Cup, 2016 T20 World Cup and the 2017 AIBA World Youth Boxing Championships. An alumnus of School of Communication Studies, Panjab University, from where he completed his Masters in Mass Communications degree, Nitin has been an avid quizzer too. A Guru Nanak Dev University Colour holder, Nitin's interest in quizzing began in the town of Talwara Township, a small town near the Punjab-Himachal Pradesh border. When not reporting, Nitin's interests lie in discovering new treks in the mountains or spending time near the river Beas at his hometown. ... Read More
