CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand The Housing, Building and Associate Finance Ministers have marked the start of new rules allowing easier building of small dwellings. Chris Bishop, Chris Penk and Shane Jones visited a granny flat in Auckland’s Riverhead on Thursday. They were there to talk up the changes as well as shifts in national direction ... <a title="Watch: Ministers mark start of new granny flats rules" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/watch-ministers-mark-start-of-new-granny-flats-rules/" aria-label="Read more about Watch: Ministers mark start of new granny flats rules">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand The scene of the shooting on Wednesday. RNZ/Mark Papalii The sister of a man who died after a shooting in Waitārere Beach in Horowhenua says her brother is more than just his criminal history. Rach O’Grady and Benjamin Harry Timmins in photos taken in 1986 and 2025. Facebook/ Rach O’Grady A ... <a title="‘He lost his spark for life’: Benjamin Timmins’ sister speaks out after Waitārere shooting" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/he-lost-his-spark-for-life-benjamin-timmins-sister-speaks-out-after-waitarere-shooting/" aria-label="Read more about ‘He lost his spark for life’: Benjamin Timmins’ sister speaks out after Waitārere shooting">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand It’s only the third week of January, but David Byrne’s dazzling performance at Auckland’s Spark Arena Wednesday night will go down as one of the concert highlights of the year. The legendary frontman for Talking Heads made a triumphant return to Tāmaki Makaurau with his Who Is The Sky? tour, filling ... <a title="David Byrne has already given us one of the year’s best shows" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/david-byrne-has-already-given-us-one-of-the-years-best-shows/" aria-label="Read more about David Byrne has already given us one of the year’s best shows">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Fitzroy Beach is New Plymouth’s most popular swimming beach. RNZ / Robin Martin New Plymouth has been crowned the sunniest spot in New Zealand. With 2743 sunshine hours in 2025, Earth Sciences NZ found the Taranaki region basked in sunshine for 2743 hours in 2025, putting it ahead of Nelson (2672 ... <a title="New Plymouth: The sunniest spot in New Zealand?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/new-plymouth-the-sunniest-spot-in-new-zealand/" aria-label="Read more about New Plymouth: The sunniest spot in New Zealand?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand File photo. 123rf.com A 32-year-old man has been arrested after a bus driver was allegedly sprayed with a fire extinguisher in Auckland earlier this week. Police said a passenger travelling on the 27H bus along MT Eden Road became verbally aggressive with the driver about 6pm on Tuesday. They claim he ... <a title="Man arrested after allegedly spraying bus driver with fire extinguisher in Auckland" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/man-arrested-after-allegedly-spraying-bus-driver-with-fire-extinguisher-in-auckland/" aria-label="Read more about Man arrested after allegedly spraying bus driver with fire extinguisher in Auckland">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand The Housing, Building and Associate Finance Ministers are speaking to media ahead of the government’s rules allowing small dwellings taking effect. The new rules allow a small dwelling with a simple design of up to 70 square metres to be built without a resource consent, and are in effect from today. ... <a title="Watch Live: Ministers mark start of new granny flats rules" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/watch-live-ministers-mark-start-of-new-granny-flats-rules/" aria-label="Read more about Watch Live: Ministers mark start of new granny flats rules">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand File pic RNZ / Krystal Gibbens Wellington rail commuters can expect delays on Thursday morning after one service collided with a large rock. A KiwiRail spokesperson says the collision was reported about 6.30am. It involved a passenger train travelling north from Wellington on the Kāpiti Line. The spokesperson said there were ... <a title="Train hits large rock disrupting Wellington’s peak-time services" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/train-hits-large-rock-disrupting-wellingtons-peak-time-services/" aria-label="Read more about Train hits large rock disrupting Wellington’s peak-time services">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand Police are not looking for anyone else in relation to the shooting. RNZ/Mark Papalii Police seized a dismantled a gun, parts and ammo from a Waitārere Beach property a few hours before returning to find a man dead and three others with gunshot wounds. The survivors – a 46-year-old woman and ... <a title="Police seized gun from family’s home hours before fatal Waitārere Beach shooting" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/police-seized-gun-from-familys-home-hours-before-fatal-waitarere-beach-shooting/" aria-label="Read more about Police seized gun from family’s home hours before fatal Waitārere Beach shooting">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand The children Yuna Jo (left) and Minu Jo (right). Supplied A failure by the Ministry of Education to report the extended absence of two children from school meant their disappearances went unnoticed for years and only ended when their bodies were found in suitcases. Ministry documents released to RNZ under the ... <a title="Education ministry failure meant murdered children’s disappearance went unnoticed for years" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/education-ministry-failure-meant-murdered-childrens-disappearance-went-unnoticed-for-years/" aria-label="Read more about Education ministry failure meant murdered children’s disappearance went unnoticed for years">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand You can imagine – or recall – the boasting in the school playground. “How many Weet-Bix can you eat?” one teenage boy asks his mates. “I ate six in one go yesterday.” “I ate eight the other day.” “Well, I ate 11 after rugby training.” “Yeah, right.” Actually, 11 Weet-Bix isn’t ... <a title="How much do teenage boys really need to eat?" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/how-much-do-teenage-boys-really-need-to-eat/" aria-label="Read more about How much do teenage boys really need to eat?">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand MATTEO DELLA TORRE As vehicle dashboards rely more heavily on touchscreens, concerns are growing about driver distraction. The body that oversees safety of vehicles in Australia and New Zealand said it will now reward higher safety ratings to cars that reintroduce physical buttons for basic functions. ANCAP hoped it would encourage ... <a title="ANCAP push for buttons over touchscreens in cars over safety concerns" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/ancap-push-for-buttons-over-touchscreens-in-cars-over-safety-concerns/" aria-label="Read more about ANCAP push for buttons over touchscreens in cars over safety concerns">Read more</a>
CoveragePost
January 15, 2026
Source: Radio New Zealand A US military transport aircraft is pictured on the tarmac at the Al-Udeid air base southwest of Doha on 21 March 2024. AFP/GIUSEPPE CACACE Some personnel have been told to leave Qatar’s major US military base over “regional tensions”, Doha said, while Saudi Arabia’s US mission urged caution as Washington and ... <a title="Qatar says some personnel departing US base over ‘regional tensions’" class="read-more" href="https://eveningreport.nz/2026/01/15/qatar-says-some-personnel-departing-us-base-over-regional-tensions/" aria-label="Read more about Qatar says some personnel departing US base over ‘regional tensions’">Read more</a>
