By RNZ The Government will announce a new “Covid-19 protection framework” on Friday for when the country is at a higher vaccination rate.RNZ understands ministers were due to consider a traffic light-like system New Zealand…
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Woman and two men found after bushland search near Victoria-NSW border
Police have located three people who were reported missing near the border of New South Wales and Victoria.
Police were told the couple set out about midday on Saturday in a small boat along the Murray River.
The couple was reported missing last night after contacting a friend saying they had got lost around the Womboota area, on the NSW side of the border.
LIVE UPDATES: International 'vaccine passports' available soon
During the search, police were told a third person – a 58-year-old man – was also missing with the group.
About 3.25pm today, the woman and two men were found walking on Burrumbarry Road in Wamboota, near the Perricoota State Forrest, by NSW Forestry staff.
They were assessed by NSW Ambulance as a precaution but there were no reported injuries.
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Murupara doesn't want Pfizer vaccine, kaumātua says
Originally published by Māori Television A Murupara kaumātua says he and other local Māori don’t want the Pfizer vaccine and are waiting for other vaccines they think will be more effective. The central North Island…
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Government's alert-level decisions get mixed marks from experts
Covid-19 experts have praised the Government for its decision to keep Auckland in alert level 3 for the next fortnight, while others say today’s announcement is a missed opportunity. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced on Monday…
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: 1000 surgeries cancelled every week
Close to a thousand planned surgeries are being cancelled every week in New Zealand with nearly a quarter of those being at Middlemore Hospital, data shows. The figures, received by National Party’ health spokesman Shane Reti from…
Covid 19 delta outbreak: Police arrest man over North Shore influencer party
Police have arrested a man in relation to the illegal North Shore party that over 50 people attended over the weekend.A police spokesperson confirmed a 28-year-old man was arrested on Monday. He allegedly held a gathering at a Redvale…
Melbourne corrections officer who sold contraband to prisoners avoids jail
A professional bodybuilder who supplied prisoners with contraband when he was working as a corrections officer in Melbourne's west has managed to avoid his own jail sentence.
Wesley Newell, 43, was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order with 300 hours' community work and fined $40,000 before the County Court today.
He had previously pleaded guilty to one charge of misconduct in a public office.
READ MORE: Female prison worker charged over alleged relationship with inmate
Newell was working as a corrections officer at Ravenhall Correctional Centre in January last year, having been in the job since September 2018, when he was caught bringing in contraband.
The court heard CCTV footage of his interactions with prisoners created suspicion around his actions.
He was then interviewed and confessed his crime to police, volunteering much more incriminating information than police knew.
Newell revealed he had brought 26 100g packets of tobacco and papers into the prison, as well as a magnetic bar, two Allen key drill attachments, two bodybuilding magazines and a glass smoking pipe.
The court heard prisoners had approached him and asked him to bring in the items, for which $11,200 had been paid into his bank account via three payments.
Judge Michael Bourke said Newell's crime was "self-evidently a very serious breach of trust".
"It had some sophistication and planning and exploited your position and knowledge of the prison system," Judge Bourke said.
The court heard Newell had been experiencing financial difficulty at the time and was having issues with his managers at the prison.
He had no previous criminal history.
The court heard Newell was a professional competitive bodybuilder with a strong work ethic, who had found other work since being charged and had done significant volunteer work.
It was heard he had spent almost $10,000 paying the rent of users of a domestic violence charity.
Judge Bourke said he was not inclined to sentence Newell to jail, as was the usual punishment for the charge, due to his strong cooperation with authorities and previous good character.
The judge said he had also taken into account that the contraband had not involved illicit substances and that prison would be harder for a former corrections officer.
Fire: Large building blaze near Palmerston North's Square
A major fire has broken out at a large building near Palmerston North’s Square on Main Street. Emergency services were called to the blaze at 4.20pm this afternoon. Fire and Emergency crews confirmed they were in attendance but…
Covid 19 Delta outbreak: Prime Minister calls North Shore party a ' blatant breach of the rules'
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called the illegal North Shore party held over the weekend “a blatant breach of the rules”.And the owner of the property where the boozy event took place says she is saddened and hurt by the partygoers’…
More than two thirds of the children who died in state care since 2017 were Māori
New figures show over two thirds of the children who have died in state care since Oranga Tamariki was established were Māori.Experts say this is due to an over-representation of Māori in state care. Information accessed…