A careful deconstruction plan for a much loved Marlborough church is ensuring some parts of the building are salvaged during the process. St Joseph’s Catholic Church in Picton had been deemed an earthquake risk after getting a new building standard (NBS) rating of 10 percent. In May, plans to deconstruct it were mooted. The task Read more
Collaborative work between Hastings District Council and Hastings Church’s Connect Community Trust wins the SuperCollab award and the Supreme Award for the Kuhu Mai initiative at the Local Government New Zealand annual conference in Christchurch. Respect, trust and care for some of Hastings’ most vulnerable adults is the kaupapa behind the award-winning Kuhu Mai – Read more
Musician Zosia Herlihy-O’Brien has been awarded the Maxwell Fernie Dame Malvina Major Foundation Award, worth $10,000 over two years, to further her organ education in Europe. The 21-year-old will take up a place in September in the prestigious Master of Music programme at the Royal Academy of Music in London, specialising in organ, violin and Read more
Darryl Smith says having the Royal Commission interim report “Stolen Lives, Marked Souls” on Marylands out in public is a good thing. Smith is a former student at Marylands School and a survivor. The Royal Commission acknowledges his quest for justice. He is pleased that finally the children’s cries for help that were ignored by Read more
“Abhorrent and should never have happened” is how Archbishop Paul Martin describes the sexual abuse at Marylands School. Martin is responding in a media release to the Royal Commission’s interim report Stolen Lives, Marked Souls. The report into the St John of God brothers’ Marylands School in Christchurch was released on Wednesday. Martin suggests it Read more
Following allegations of unauthorised exorcisms, Bishop Michael Gielen has suspended all exorcisms in the Christchurch diocese and ordered a comprehensive review of the practice. Gielen is currently in Portugal at World Youth Day. The announcement arrives in the wake of a report by TV3 journalist Michael Morrah that exposed alleged unapproved exorcisms conducted by the Read more
The number of complaints about migrant exploitation have increased more than sixfold in the last five years. It comes as pressure mounts on the Government to remove the immigration rule that binds workers to one specific employer. A migrant worker Newshub spoke to was sold the Kiwi dream to be a chef. “He treat like Read more
The United Nations Committee against Torture has published its findings on New Zealand, highlighting its concerns about the disproportionate representation of Māori in the entire justice system. While the committee acknowledged the efforts by the government to improve prison conditions and mental health services for those in detention, it also raised a number of persistent Read more
Some New Zealand landlords are so neglectful, the properties they let contravene basic human rights. They’re damp, squalid, cold, neglected and expensive. Yet in many, rents keep going up. While rent hikes can reflect the costs landlords face, there are standards that must be maintained, according to Wellington Property Investors Association president Peter Ambrose. Passing Read more
Focusing on his own spiritual journey, Hemi Ropata SM says that despite the sexual abuse crisis, people are generally supportive of his exploring a priestly vocation. Addressing a gathering of Auckland Catholic Young Adults, Ropata shared that there is always a question that ‘kind of hangs in the air’, why do you want to join Read more