Govt fuel relief ‘should have gone to business’ – struggling region

The war in Iran has seen fuel prices spike, with rural areas reliant on supply lines particularly badly hit. Gill Higgins finds out how it’s hitting businesses in the East Coast/Tairāwhiti region.

Callum Bircher said he nearly fell off his chair as he listened to the announcement by Finance Minister Nicola Willis promising tax credit relief to 140,000 families with children.

His phone ran hot with calls from other frustrated business owners, angry at what they see as an “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff” approach.

They argue relief should have gone to the supply chain instead, as it did during the Covid-19 pandemic. That would not only help businesses stay afloat but also stop rising costs being passed down to consumers, they say – not just to the 140,000 families targeted.

Callum Bircher. (Source: 1News)

Bircher owns Dash Transport in Gisborne, delivering rocks and aggregate to roading projects in Tairāwhitii that are critically needed. His trucks cover about 500kms a day. Over the past two years, he’s had to cut his fleet from seven trucks to four. He says further cuts would be the end.

Most haulage companies he says, run only small fleets, yet all are grappling with diesel costs that have doubled since February.

Pressure showing

A worrying development is they’re now seeing a spike in fuel theft. One company he works with had three trucks targeted in one night. Farmers are complaining the same is happening to their harvesters.

He now makes sure his trucks are parked overnight only where there is security — either in his own yard or at a mate’s place further away. Leaving them in remote locations is no longer worth the risk.

His biggest fear is that projects will be delayed and work will dry up — especially with the quieter winter months approaching.

A pie company at risk

Ruatoria Pies, a local institution. (Source: 1News)

Up the road in Ruatoria, Bobbi Morice is another small business owner who feels “deflated”. She was genuinely taken aback that the Government is leaving small businesses to cope, especially in areas like the East Coast which have already been hit hard by repeated extreme weather events.

She lost four significant customers recently and worries that more may cancel their orders. “Mince has gone up, power’s gone up and now fuel.” She says they have to increase prices to cover the rising costs and worries her usual customers, like truck drivers, will start to see her pies as an occasional treat rather than a daily snack.

“They’re not going to be buying them like they used to.”

‘Back flips’ to get bank help

Morice said Willis seems unaware of how hard it is to get a bank to listen – a suggestion the minister made yesterday at a press briefing as a solution to small businesses doing it tough.

She explains that “being isolated up the coast and going through all the events that we’ve been through in the last four or five years doesn’t make you a Top of the Pops pick for a bank. They see us as high risk.

“I’m actually wondering what we what we’re going to do.”

Bobbi Morice of Ruatoria Pies. (Source: 1News)

Her deliveries require 650kms of driving each week on roads she says are among the most poorly maintained in the country.

Staff layoffs may be unavoidable

If fuel prices stay high for months, laying off staff will be necessary. It’s the last thing Morice wants to do.

She values her staff and knows it would mean the jobs all fall to her and her husband.

“Because it’s your own business, you’re passionate – you do crazy stuff.”

At times, she and her husband have worked for nothing so they can keep on top of paying all the bills. They’ve also called on family, which may have to happen again.

Hard to hand out lollies

Richard Burke understands the Government’s predicament.

“I think they’re in a really difficult position because it’s not their making, and it’s pretty hard to hand out lollies,” he says.

Burke was chief executive of horticulture business LeaderBrand for 14 years and now works as a consultant to agri-businesses across the East Coast/Tairāwhiti region.

Richard Burke. (Source: 1News)

He describes the fuel crisis as a kind of detonator, forcing growers to rethink the viability of their crops.

“The gun’s always loaded, and you’re just looking for the thing that pulls the trigger and starts the whole thing off. There’s going to be a lot of hurt from growers, particularly in the fresh produce world.”

He says there’s a huge dependence on fuel in the region and expects the fertiliser costs to really bite too. He worries there’s already a lack of confidence to invest in Tairāwhiti due to the poor condition of the roads, and rising fuel costs will only make that harder. There’s a real concern among the business community that the region won’t survive.

However, Burke doesn’t think a wider financial handout from the Government, as seen during Covid, is the answer. Instead, he’d like to see more moves to reduce the costs for businesses.

“We’ve got to be really proactive on being business friendly. If business is going well, particularly the primary sector, then the regions have got an opportunity because people are prepared to work pretty hard as long as they get a good reward.”

“},{“_id”:”YUSWMBYHYVHCRLPRDLPQW6J3DE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Both Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters have today taken credit for the removal of the clause.

“},{“_id”:”LKKCGVCSSBFXPBPFP62HFAPFRI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

In a post on X, Peters said he spoke to Shane Jones, the minister in charge, in response to feedback from recreational fishers concerned about the proposed changes "and how that would affect a large number of ordinary Kiwis".

“},{“_id”:”BPLO6IQIYFBF7NZPZKULMGYDWE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"We decided to review this part of the legislation and use the select committee to remove this clause," Peters said.

“},{“_id”:”QCIAIPNHRRB7PL6722UP5LXRFE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"We believe in democracy, and the most important part of democracy is listening to the people. We are doing that."

“},{“subtype”:”twitter”,”referent”:{“referent_properties”:{“additional_properties”:{}},”provider”:”https://publish.twitter.com/oembed?url=”,”service”:”oembed”,”id”:”https://x.com/winstonpeters/status/2036599896556577259″,”type”:”twitter”},”_id”:”N6N632TTW5DE5N6NJIA62JQMHE”,”raw_oembed”:{“author_name”:”Winston Peters”,”cache_age”:”3153600000″,”provider_url”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”twitter”,”version”:”1.0″,”url”:”https://twitter.com/winstonpeters/status/2036599896556577259″,”author_url”:”https://twitter.com/winstonpeters”,”width”:550,”html”:”

New Zealand First has received a lot of feedback from recreational fishers about the current legislation going through parliament – in particular about the proposed catch size limit changes for commercial companies and how that would affect a large number of ordinary kiwis.
I…

— Winston Peters (@winstonpeters) March 25, 2026\n\n\n”,”_id”:”https://x.com/winstonpeters/status/2036599896556577259″,”additional_properties”:{},”provider_name”:”Twitter”,”height”:null},”type”:”oembed_response”},{“_id”:”XNZOBI6FGFA2LJR2NDGULLTE2M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Peters' post was followed nine minutes later by Luxon, who said his National Party had heard recreational fishers' concerns.

“},{“_id”:”KNIUWCWBZRCN3LH7567R6XKLGM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"That’s why this morning I spoke to New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones and he agreed to take out the sections of the Fisheries Amendment Bill that removes the minimum size limits," the Prime Minister said on X.

“},{“_id”:”BRYB4KDJRJCWREMEEUR4IXLNBE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"As a recreational fisher, I share Kiwis' concerns on the impacts to juvenile fish stocks. We want to ensure our kids and grandkids have abundant fisheries for the decades to come.

“},{“_id”:”MMANM4P2EVBXXOHQSMX7QCUX6Y”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I know Kiwis still have some concerns, which is why we want the fishing community to submit to the Select Committee process on this Bill."

“},{“subtype”:”twitter”,”referent”:{“referent_properties”:{“additional_properties”:{}},”provider”:”https://publish.twitter.com/oembed?url=”,”service”:”oembed”,”id”:”https://x.com/chrisluxonmp/status/2036602027296608259″,”type”:”twitter”},”_id”:”MAKX2YG23ZDZFH7OIOBWSMHWC4″,”raw_oembed”:{“author_name”:”Christopher Luxon”,”cache_age”:”3153600000″,”provider_url”:”https://twitter.com”,”type”:”twitter”,”version”:”1.0″,”url”:”https://twitter.com/chrisluxonmp/status/2036602027296608259″,”author_url”:”https://twitter.com/chrisluxonmp”,”width”:550,”html”:”

National back recreational fishers and we’ve heard your concerns over the past couple of days.
That’s why this morning I spoke to New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones and he agreed to take out the sections of the Fisheries Amendment Bill that removes the minimum size limits.…

— Christopher Luxon (@chrisluxonmp) March 25, 2026\n\n\n”,”_id”:”https://x.com/chrisluxonmp/status/2036602027296608259″,”additional_properties”:{},”provider_name”:”Twitter”,”height”:null},”type”:”oembed_response”},{“_id”:”EVQNXD7STNAFHFB4G6EFN2GSNY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

1News understood the Prime Minister's X post was issued in response to the one from Peters.

“},{“_id”:”V7GWVZERH5BEJD7E7NNOL4MG74″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Peters claimed he decided with Jones last night at a dinner to drop the proposed minimum size catchments. He also said he spoke to Jones again this morning about his concerns – before the call with the Prime Minister.

“},{“_id”:”4E3JH36DAZGPNJQCUTPGEL6H2E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

However, it's understood the Prime Minister directly raised the matter with Jones on the call and informed him that National would not support it.

“},{“_id”:”667A5D7F25COBIWLI3UU4UZA5U”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”Matt Watson: 'War is far from over'”},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”YQDSQJ6BEFASLH6ZJ5WVH5PPJY”,”additional_properties”:{“duration”:163925},”embed”:{“id”:”2782635″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391607135112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782635″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782635″},”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”E7CLQSJCCVDUDC6WBF3JX4WQ6I”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

TV personality Matt Watson, a vocal critic of the changes, is glad to see common sense has prevailed. He says he’s exhausted after several days of fighting the proposal. Over the weekend, he says he had several MPs call to say they were getting numerous complaints from their electorates.

“},{“_id”:”HHJD3H6BWRF4FMPMXYRAVWU7QY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Watson told 1News, “the battle is won, the war is far from over”. He said the Fisheries Amendment Bill needed to be scrapped in its entirety to allow for all stakeholders, including recreational fishers and iwi, to agree what was best for New Zealand’s fish populations.

“},{“_id”:”4MON4G5GBJECVKA7LMNMGJZD5Y”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He added he’ was not fazed by any comments from the Fisheries Minister about his advocacy and just wanted all parties to keep the Fisheries Amendment Bill top of mind.

“}],”description”:{“basic”:”The proposal would have allowed commercial fishers to catch and sell undersized fish, such as snapper and tarakihi, to avoid waste.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Animals”,”text”:”Animals”,”slug”:”animals”},{“description”:”Politics”,”text”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”}]},”related_content”:{“redirect”:[],”basic”:[{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”KCQXRUIVWFH7FFMNAQG56VSXPA”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”KCQXRUIVWFH7FFMNAQG56VSXPA”,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”AKTC4X3IFJG4JIJMSHAUIQVEFE”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”AKTC4X3IFJG4JIJMSHAUIQVEFE”,”type”:”reference”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”Royalty free”,”address”:{“locality”:”NA”,”region”:”NA”},”auth”:{“1″:”3f59ae2fc6d692806afd41cf9514ae1b94f938fa92fc6bce2fb837146c23c7ab”},”caption”:”Snapper fish (file image).”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:2050,”y”:857},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Snapper fish (file image).”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”A Shoal of Snappers, Ras Mohammed”,”width”:4081,”_id”:”FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI.jpg?auth=3f59ae2fc6d692806afd41cf9514ae1b94f938fa92fc6bce2fb837146c23c7ab”,”iptc_source”:”Moment RF”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI.jpg?auth=3f59ae2fc6d692806afd41cf9514ae1b94f938fa92fc6bce2fb837146c23c7ab”,”takenOn”:”2011-06-12T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI.jpg?auth=3f59ae2fc6d692806afd41cf9514ae1b94f938fa92fc6bce2fb837146c23c7ab”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FR2WCPY3KVFMBHR7TKFPJBD7AI.jpg?auth=3f59ae2fc6d692806afd41cf9514ae1b94f938fa92fc6bce2fb837146c23c7ab&width=300″,”version”:6,”originalName”:”snapper.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2022-11-29T17:54:47.736Z”,”iptc_title”:”Contributor”},”created_date”:”2022-11-29T17:54:48Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2022-11-29T17:54:47.736Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:26:55Z”,”slug”:”520649075″,”height”:2296}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/hooked-govt-u-turn-on-changes-to-commercial-fishing-size-limits/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T02:48:36.257Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”Gill Higgins”}]},”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Hooked: Govt U-turn on changes to commercial fishing size limits”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/hooked-govt-u-turn-on-changes-to-commercial-fishing-size-limits/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T05:26:58.667Z”,”_id”:”UUHVHMJCDJEHBPSB44EHYK3MJI”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″},”caption”:”Julian Batchelor in court”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Julian Batchelor in court”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Julian Batchelor in court”,”width”:1920,”_id”:”H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″,”originalName”:”batchelor_walkin_ft_eod_a1812_frame_9588.jpeg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-12-17T22:02:18.995Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1&width=300″,”version”:5},”created_date”:”2025-12-17T22:02:19Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-12-17T22:02:18.995Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T19:12:24Z”,”height”:1080},{“_id”:”XTP4HXHWT5EUHB5XLVDDULSG3A”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Anti-co-governance campaigner Julian Batchelor has lost his defamation case against TVNZ and a researcher.

“},{“_id”:”CJ5Z72Q3Q5CCDMCVGFSONKKP6Y”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

District Court Judge David Clark dismissed Batchelor's claim in a reserved judgment released this afternoon, finding all three defences raised by the defendants — truth, honest opinion, and responsible communication — had been proven.

“},{“_id”:”NAO5AO4MDVGUJOEVQAFGN4YIDY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Mr Batchelor’s claim has been wholly unsuccessful. It follows he should pay costs."

“},{“_id”:”GZX5NURGEBBDBHMONQCCD2OAWA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A hearing on the case took place last December.

“},{“_id”:”53R2IGOISJDJDGNHFEOSO33GZU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Batchelor sued TVNZ and Disinformation Project researcher Sanjana Hattotuwa over a 1News story published in August 2023, headlined "Julian Batchelor under investigation over anti-co-governance pamphlets". He sought damages and an apology to be aired.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”5c41c84478eb00903a23ff6360839a200f254e75cca3e0229cf09222de875c95″},”caption”:”TVNZ building in Auckland (file image).”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:2312,”y”:772},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM.png”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”TVNZ building in Auckland (file image).”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”TVNZ building in Auckland (file image).”,”width”:3840,”_id”:”T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM.png?auth=5c41c84478eb00903a23ff6360839a200f254e75cca3e0229cf09222de875c95″,”originalName”:”tvnz_ext_dpl_frame_1270.png”,”mime_type”:”image/png”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM.png?auth=5c41c84478eb00903a23ff6360839a200f254e75cca3e0229cf09222de875c95″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM.png”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM.png?auth=5c41c84478eb00903a23ff6360839a200f254e75cca3e0229cf09222de875c95″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2024-03-06T07:32:29.838Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/T352R23JWBHTXHDMAQBZ24GTLM.png?auth=5c41c84478eb00903a23ff6360839a200f254e75cca3e0229cf09222de875c95&width=300″,”version”:5},”created_date”:”2024-03-06T07:32:30Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2024-03-06T07:32:29.838Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T19:12:25Z”,”height”:2160},{“_id”:”ILHNLZ5SRJDWHBV4JNTE7TESNQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The article quoted Hattotuwa describing Batchelor's rhetoric as "dangerous speech" that "incites hate, and it instigates harm offline", and calling it "racist rhetoric".

“},{“_id”:”ISK4RFB6ARA5DDSZZ6RAAQR3VQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The court found those comments were defamatory at face value but were true, honestly held opinions, and responsibly communicated.

“},{“_id”:”Q3V5B6SMHNADRKVRT7MHPCZZD4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"On any measure, the answer must be yes," Judge Clark wrote of if Batchelor used racist language, calling the comments "sustained, made over a significant period of time, deliberately targeting Māori" and "in many instances highly pejorative and offensive".

“},{“_id”:”G2BSCFKFHZF63FRAKMNR4E5Z4U”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

In its defence, TVNZ's counsel relied on honest opinion, responsible publication of a matter in the public interest and, mitigation of damages.

“},{“_id”:”F25ZMBSG4BE6JEBTG2OR3FWVT4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The judge found Batchelor's evidence on most issues throughout the hearing to be "imprecise and more of a narrative of events which suit his theory of what happened or should have happened rather than an accurate depiction of what did happen".

“},{“_id”:”PXRNUDU4IRC5BEOREUAWLBVVIA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A key dispute centred on whether 1News Māori Affairs Correspondent Te Aniwa Hurihanganui had interviewed Batchelor through a call before the story was published.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”66d65a5bd41ef69201b39ec429da1dcd6e016e2e3baffa88e34fb1b0b1bb035b”},”caption”:”Sanjana Hattotuwa”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Breakfast”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”14339c42-d25b-4c1a-8b49-e74a55017b0b”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA.png”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Sanjana Hattotuwa”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Breakfast”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Researcher: Council nominee shortages open way for disinformation actors”,”width”:1920,”_id”:”MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA.png?auth=66d65a5bd41ef69201b39ec429da1dcd6e016e2e3baffa88e34fb1b0b1bb035b”,”originalName”:”Thumb_1_ELECTION_1N_DIG_1208″,”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA.png?auth=66d65a5bd41ef69201b39ec429da1dcd6e016e2e3baffa88e34fb1b0b1bb035b”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA.png”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA.png?auth=66d65a5bd41ef69201b39ec429da1dcd6e016e2e3baffa88e34fb1b0b1bb035b”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2022-08-11T19:36:37.609Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/MBESXBCYCZD5VH2WCHQFUFCBAA.png?auth=66d65a5bd41ef69201b39ec429da1dcd6e016e2e3baffa88e34fb1b0b1bb035b&width=300″,”version”:4},”created_date”:”2022-08-11T19:36:38Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2022-08-11T19:36:37.609Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T19:12:24Z”,”height”:1080},{“_id”:”B5XXKSQYUBA2TJTR3QJU4B3BHE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Batchelor denied the call took place, at one point saying it was "absolutely impossible" he would have forgotten it, before later appearing to pivot.

“},{“_id”:”SQTPVJY6J5CUXBQ6V54WBERYHU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Judge Clark preferred Hurihanganui's evidence and found the interview did take place, noting telephone logs and text messages supported her account.

“},{“_id”:”3W4RR7QX2ZFBLOIKXWOTLPZ6FE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I have carefully assessed the credibility of the evidence of both Mr Batchelor and Ms Hurihanganui and as noted, prefer Ms Hurihanganui’s," he wrote.

“},{“_id”:”MUEFICZLGRH4PD6SSEWRQP32GA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Her evidence presented as precise and coherent, and she was prepared where required to concede on areas in which her recall of events was not clear."

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”5a24cf06bfa1cf66dff3ee88f968eebc96517365548cb076d12d31ad240b8439″},”caption”:”TVNZ newsroom, image taken in 2017 (file image).”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”TVNZ newsroom, image taken in 2017 (file image).”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”TVNZ newsroom, image taken in 2017.”,”width”:3840,”_id”:”C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA.jpg?auth=5a24cf06bfa1cf66dff3ee88f968eebc96517365548cb076d12d31ad240b8439″,”originalName”:”SF009042 sf_tvnz_a17_frame_4697.jpeg TVNZ newsroom, image taken in 2017.”,”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA.jpg?auth=5a24cf06bfa1cf66dff3ee88f968eebc96517365548cb076d12d31ad240b8439″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA.jpg?auth=5a24cf06bfa1cf66dff3ee88f968eebc96517365548cb076d12d31ad240b8439″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2024-03-06T07:42:24.826Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C35Q7JLY55ELBNAZHSZPMF3NHA.jpg?auth=5a24cf06bfa1cf66dff3ee88f968eebc96517365548cb076d12d31ad240b8439&width=300″,”version”:4},”created_date”:”2024-03-06T07:42:25Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2024-03-06T07:42:24.826Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T19:12:25Z”,”height”:2160},{“_id”:”USOUYVCV7ZAAXPTJUP5DLBOABM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The 2023 1News story also included Batchelor's position that he denied he was racist, incited hate, or spread misinformation.

“},{“_id”:”3AU5KTPPUJA3DOBMKKOP7EL5YU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The judge assessed not just Batchelor's pamphlet but his wider body of work, including blog posts, speeches, interviews, social media commentary and extracts from an unpublished book called "The Māori Agenda for New Zealand".

“},{“_id”:”2TU7NWTOK5HYVFSKG6IZMLKXMU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Batchelor, who led the "Stop Co-governance" movement, held 82 public meetings across New Zealand in 2023 and distributed hundreds of thousands of pamphlets.

“},{“_id”:”LIY5B2WZN5C6TGHGEFHMZIOAAM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

During the hearing it emerged a third party Jim Grenon — who is also a director of media company NZME — had been helping to fund Batchelor's legal costs.

“},{“_id”:”FFRJ7FGZINCPTEIJPBUBZ4Q4U4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A case management conference on costs has been scheduled for April 3.

“},{“_id”:”DFNZWZ4WCNDGTDTPYU5K733F4M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"At the conference, timetabling for cost submissions will be discussed as well as whether Mr Grenon wishes to be heard and, if so, how," the judge wrote.

“}],”description”:{“basic”:”Judge David Clark found all three affirmative defences raised by the defendants — truth, honest opinion, and responsible communication — were proven.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Media”,”text”:”Media”,”slug”:”media”},{“description”:”Business”,”text”:”Business”,”slug”:”business”},{“description”:”Politics”,”text”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″},”caption”:”Julian Batchelor in court”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Julian Batchelor in court”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Julian Batchelor in court”,”width”:1920,”_id”:”H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″,”originalName”:”batchelor_walkin_ft_eod_a1812_frame_9588.jpeg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-12-17T22:02:18.995Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/H3FGUYHQERD75DKJPBAX7REWKU.jpg?auth=5dfe0f993845d93b44aaf4b893b9e46850fdbc9eaca463b367936f88b30581d1&width=300″,”version”:5},”created_date”:”2025-12-17T22:02:19Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-12-17T22:02:18.995Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T19:12:24Z”,”height”:1080}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/julian-batchelor-loses-defamation-case-against-tvnz-researcher/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-24T06:56:30.047Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”Justin Hu”}]},”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”‘Wholly unsuccessful’: Julian Batchelor loses defamation case against TVNZ”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/julian-batchelor-loses-defamation-case-against-tvnz-researcher/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-24T19:12:27.98Z”,”_id”:”HKHDSEFVTJC3FBSBC3JPFMOV2M”},{“content_elements”:[{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”BDXJWR4ESBGCVF4CV5KW7GVMSE”,”additional_properties”:{“duration”:270528},”embed”:{“id”:”2782511″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391505417112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782511″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/40d3f300-2738-11f1-bfe0-e7d82bc1d69a”},”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”XQ3X25OEYRDNXGSELWQMN47ILY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Commentators are split on whether the fuel support package announced by the Government on Tuesday is generous – or leaving out some of the most needy New Zealanders.”},{“_id”:”AKT2I33CC5E55F7HB5HCHMDXG4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”By Susan Edmunds of RNZ“},{“_id”:”KCJXXAJWK5AS5DG2UDIAEDLQSM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The Government announced it would give $50 a week to families who qualify for the in-work tax credit.”},{“_id”:”JQQ7Z2SE5BBA7MRSVULEURSUEA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”This means they must be a parent or caregiver working at least 30 hours a week combined as a couple or 20 hours as a single parent, not receiving a main benefit.”},{“_id”:”BGYU47VU6VCFREKPRL3BZUCF6Q”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Finance Minister reveals fuel crisis support package for Kiwis – Watch on TVNZ+“},{“_id”:”4ZD7FUYJRJDWDELSH7W4JX6LGI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”In the current tax year, the income cut-off for receiving the tax credit was around $89,000 of annual household income for a family with one child, $112,000 for a family with two children and $135,000 for a family with three children.”},{“_id”:”OYJMPBO5RJEEJKMK6UDOMN5BDM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The payment would continue until the price of 91 petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks, or a year, whichever comes first.”},{“_id”:”25FAOLOJOZG7BCGNLSMPL3VN7Y”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”About 143,000 households would receive the $50 in full, from April 7. Another 14,000 would receive payment at a lower rate.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”A72BBN76YRDSBCO362YMLBBNEQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”‘Pretty outrageous'”},{“_id”:”LB2Z4OYNFNHIPD5JXUFTXSMMNQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Isaac Gunson, spokesperson for the Child Poverty Action Group, said it would help working for families but there was nothing for people relying on benefits.”},{“_id”:”XUKETBPRRVGOFGMLLBWGGADIJY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”Close to a quarter of a million children live in households receiving a core benefit and the idea that there’s no additional support for them that will be made available is pretty outrageous.\””},{“_id”:”Z3SOWDS3PNGDPAQRGZ3HWCP22A”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”While Finance Minister Nicola Willis said they were potentially less affected because they did not have to travel to work, Gunson said they would still need to travel for groceries or job interviews.”},{“_id”:”MHU5QNOOERD7DCJT3J22KRWI6M”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”He said the 3.1% increase in benefits from April 1 would not be enough.”},{“_id”:”BGJWVY2G4JCSVFBZNRCJYPMSOA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”The idea that benefit dependent households won’t face as big a downturn in their finances because they don’t have the same obligations to go to work… that just doesn’t stand up.\””},{“level”:2,”_id”:”IMO3ABPKBRAC7KAKY3KAYMFLVQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Getting targeted support ‘out the door'”},{“_id”:”Q2BCXLM3NRGNDPS2LJPLDXZGUU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”But Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said the policy was surprisingly generous, because the average amount that households spent on fuel each week before prices started to rise was $65.”},{“_id”:”UJUO37JTCJH63MRFLYTJLFCFX4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”The immediate sticking point is going to be people who need to travel to work … this at least takes away one of those critical concerns that people might have had.\””},{“_id”:”2MQHGEEJ6VC4NKKRP3U2FM3VHA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The support package would cost up to $373 million and be paid from the Budget 2026 operating allowance.”},{“_id”:”DH4UGELM4ZDZ5C4X2MCNWENBQM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Eaqub said the Government might earn an extra $180 million in GST revenue as a result of higher petrol prices.”},{“_id”:”7NNVYPDCY5FNTLHIYB5ME3XVNM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”But Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said it was likely that would be diverted spending from other things, if the petrol price was higher.”},{“_id”:”VHCBMSE7UVHSXEJR57INCRRLKM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”If you have to spend a whole bunch more on fuel that will attract more GST but unless your income has magically increased by the same amount, which it clearly hasn’t, you’re spending less on other things in the economy.\””},{“_id”:”KCVJZLUUOJE5FLP7WNKKHABRBE”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”He said the support plan made sense because the Government wanted it to be timely and targeted.”},{“_id”:”QSYBETNUBZBTZOXTRFO2ARIWXA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”The fact that it can come in so quickly, and probably most importantly for the Government politically, is that you see direct money in your account rather than having to wait for a cashback or not noticing that it’s come off your headline tax figure or something. That’s useful. And I think also the Government has been quite clear that it was going to be limited.”},{“_id”:”OUWS2KLQCFBR3LMT4Y6ZG6CFLU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”It highlights that, for the Government, they can’t control what’s happening across the world.”},{“_id”:”JPMJ2PVYJ5AGHLGCQ4TF3M5PSQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”And emitting a whole bunch of tax money they don’t have anyway, and therefore having to borrow for it to fund much wider support, would be a fairly reckless economic decision. This one coming from within the current operating allowance has kicked something else that the Government might have done at budget time out and put this in instead. That seems to be a reasonable swap.”},{“_id”:”SI4NP5UHYFHWZLEUB3AMLG7QBM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”The fact that it is targeted towards those who are already getting something like the in-work tax credit, does seem to be a pretty reasonable way to try and tightly target as much as possible the support and just get it out the door.\””},{“_id”:”EV5LPY5JZ5FXFORUJ6G4HL6Q7I”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Gunson said the winter energy payment should be increased.”},{“_id”:”WLO3NPQBJNDNXH7A4WVECZW2S4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”At the moment it’s about $20 a week for single parents and $31 a week for couples and people with children. That needs to go up irrespective of the current crisis that’s going on.”},{“_id”:”7BKHJFBHIBB2PHV6QBABU22HF4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”We’d like to see the Government lift it by at least 30% to make up for inflation as well as the current crisis to really help low-income families receiving a core benefit out.\””},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”ZHC4HGHCO5ER7JATQ4XTZ6JMOI”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“id”:”2782515″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391506846112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782515″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/4e20c870-2734-11f1-90ec-dd6bf8564a7d”},”type”:”custom_embed”}],”description”:{“basic”:”The Government today announced it would give $50 a week to families who qualify for the in-work tax credit.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Social Issues”,”text”:”Social Issues”,”slug”:”social-issues”},{“description”:”Cost of Living”,”text”:”Cost of Living”,”slug”:”cost-of-living”},{“description”:”Politics”,”text”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”}]},”related_content”:{“redirect”:[],”basic”:[{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”QN6CO44APBFR3LHDAZADHUAZUI”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”QN6CO44APBFR3LHDAZADHUAZUI”,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”UETMSASEXFA2ZLJX7OZ6HSE5LM”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”UETMSASEXFA2ZLJX7OZ6HSE5LM”,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”ACSWJMEKRNAFBPAEBUNEWWMVBI”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”ACSWJMEKRNAFBPAEBUNEWWMVBI”,”type”:”reference”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”a39e9867dd8957f43337ed24664ab948adbef819ee1e23edb0af6e5bb86c210d”},”caption”:”PM says the relief is targeted at the genuinely squeezed middle lower income working New Zealanders. “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:0,”y”:0},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM.png”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”PM says the relief is targeted at the genuinely squeezed middle lower income working New Zealanders. “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Government responds to fuel cost hikes due to Middle East conflict “,”width”:1280,”_id”:”SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM.png?auth=a39e9867dd8957f43337ed24664ab948adbef819ee1e23edb0af6e5bb86c210d”,”originalName”:”FUEL_TUE_EXPLAINER_1N_DIG_2403″,”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM.png?auth=a39e9867dd8957f43337ed24664ab948adbef819ee1e23edb0af6e5bb86c210d”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM.png”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM.png?auth=a39e9867dd8957f43337ed24664ab948adbef819ee1e23edb0af6e5bb86c210d”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/SWBZHOHFR5HAZFD73FSQEWNBUM.png?auth=a39e9867dd8957f43337ed24664ab948adbef819ee1e23edb0af6e5bb86c210d&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-24T06:01:52Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T06:01:52Z”,”height”:720}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/is-the-fuel-support-package-generous-or-not-enough/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”rnz.co.nz”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”rnz”,”reference_id”:”e1b95f2d-4b70-4554-abb5-e24c115cc2bd”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-24T06:01:45.517Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Is the fuel support package ‘generous’ or not enough?”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/is-the-fuel-support-package-generous-or-not-enough/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-24T06:03:49.559Z”,”_id”:”6E3EFLNK75EVJKKSWXP7SH3XSM”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″},”caption”:”Brooke Van Velden makes the announcement at Parliament.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Brooke Van Velden makes the announcement at Parliament.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″,”originalName”:”act_presser_cutaways_lulf_a2403_frame_27920.jpeg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T22:44:26.96Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8&width=300″,”version”:4},”created_date”:”2026-03-23T22:44:27Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T22:44:26.96Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T05:30:43Z”,”height”:1080},{“_id”:”WK4P55JQ75FVFFZFFZBADLMYWM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

ACT Party deputy leader and Tāmaki MP Brooke van Velden says she will not seek re-election at the election, announcing plans to leave Parliament and "explore opportunities in the private sector".

“},{“_id”:”3E2BMHIR4JG2NPN2ESUWZGTCBM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Van Velden, who serves as internal affairs and workplace relations minister, said she had never wanted to be a career politician.

“},{“_id”:”AUSYJEHB3RARRAIHX2Z3N7JPRM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The ACT MP stepping down at the next election – Watch on TVNZ+

“},{“_id”:”RCCC5EEHENENNMMM4IFAZPWSZY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Her party made the announcement at a sudden media conference on Tuesday morning, with Parliamentary caucus members in attendance.

“},{“_id”:”5A72HZWEMNDUTD2Y3PTRSQN7YQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Van Velden told media she had first raised the matter with ACT leader David Seymour and the party's general secretary before Christmas. She told caucus members earlier this morning – roughly an hour and a half before the public announcement.

“},{“_id”:”XHDHP267FJDA5JEXNTG4VZPBHQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The news comes ahead of November's general election.

“},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”ETWT24KZ5FBGVEHYWIC5TFXDGI”,”additional_properties”:{“duration”:153856},”embed”:{“id”:”2782517″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391506972112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782517″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782517″},”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”CAT5NPHDEFCNXFBMWAPU6HOMDQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“I have never wanted to be a career politician, and while I believe there are so many more years I could serve my community, I wish to explore the private sector too. At some point in the future, I would like to return to public service," she said.

“},{“_id”:”IFU73F4S7NGTVJNRPQRRDVH6WU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

By the time of the November election, she will have spent six years as ACT deputy leader and MP – the last three as a minister.

“},{“_id”:”Y26J3JJHLBG7RI3VAPSDNSJXGQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Before that, she worked with David Seymour on the End of Life Choice Act.

“},{“_id”:”X3FSA4LKARG5NNA23UF7CBDWLM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Van Velden said she would continue to serve out the remainder of her term as Tāmaki MP and in her ministerial roles. Additionally, Seymour said her work on the Holidays Act reform could be "her greatest gift to small business".

“},{“_id”:”H77C6J7WFBCMZF3AYXRPCBTVLE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

She said: "It has been an absolute privilege to serve our country in Government and represent the people of Tāmaki and ACT, but I feel now is the right time for change."

“},{“_id”:”DKWPE3KGJJGSLIGX5ZHUCAYN2U”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Seymour described the announcement as "bittersweet" and praised van Velden's track record. "Brooke's career is as close to perfect as a political career could ever be.

“},{“_id”:”B64RUQZMVJH3LJP6TNWEP6OMLE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"By 34 she's spent nine years on the Parliamentary precinct racking up win after win."

“},{“_id”:”UXPEOXDFQ5AZJMSADIEYHHVU4A”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Seymour acknowledged he had made multiple attempts to convince van Velden to stay.

“},{“_id”:”VPMYTO7ESVEDVKD2QBOTXDQW4Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"David has had many phone calls with me trying to convince me to continue on, but ultimately, I've made up my mind," van Velden said.

“},{“_id”:”6SSBQO3BGJFYZKGBNSWK5T5L7Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Seymour said van Velden had been central to building ACT from a party with one MP and 0.5% support into "a driving force at the centre of Government".

“},{“_id”:”EQE3PP2COJDHTNKCQFPLDFF4OA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

ACT list MP and associate justice minister Nicole McKee said the announcement had been "a shock" but said the caucus was "incredibly proud" of van Velden.

“},{“_id”:”75HVH7P3RNGSNC6XRKTSRSWUXI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"She's still very young. She's already expressed her desire to come back to politics at some stage, and I think she will be incredibly, even more valuable than she is now, when she returns in a couple of decades," McKee said.

“},{“_id”:”OHVBXTL6RNGTTCVZZMPLVJATGM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Asked whether she had ambitions to lead the ACT Party, van Velden said she did not, saying she had been "very loyal to David" as his deputy for nearly six years.

“},{“_id”:”TLDJH2L3YVE7PF6NXQPSX6TWR4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The party said it would select a new Tāmaki candidate at a meeting in late April, with expressions of interest currently open.

“},{“_id”:”C72WX7AVIZDNTF4WJDWFAN3VAY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Van Velden will remain as deputy leader until the party's annual general meeting on Sunday, June 21, where she will hand over to a successor who will form ACT's new leadership team alongside Seymour heading into the general election campaign.

“},{“_id”:”XPSZNGJWBZABREVGRTAMCM2I4M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

In the coming months, the caucus will make a recommendation to the party's board on the appointment. Seymour said he expected the new deputy to be selected from among current caucus members, describing the process as "very collegial".

“},{“_id”:”URONFZ3Z2FARBHE65REC2HZRII”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Van Velden said she planned to remain active in the general election campaign, supporting the new Tāmaki candidate and the party vote effort.

“},{“_id”:”K4RUY6UPKJHPDM76FMAVCTTVLU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:””},{“_id”:”CQ7PDW462JDX3HP2JWCBIJ5QFM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:””}],”description”:{“basic”:”Brooke Van Velden’s party called a press conference at short notice on Tuesday morning to make the announcement. “},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Politics”,”text”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”},{“description”:”Act Party”,”text”:”Act Party”,”slug”:”act-party”},{“description”:”David Seymour”,”text”:”David Seymour”,”slug”:”david-seymour”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″},”caption”:”Brooke Van Velden makes the announcement at Parliament.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Brooke Van Velden makes the announcement at Parliament.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″,”originalName”:”act_presser_cutaways_lulf_a2403_frame_27920.jpeg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T22:44:26.96Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C22MR4WTPNDHFHNALDNQ5NDQSI.jpg?auth=3bd753f3a57037e540a2afedd4e61a791cbdc6b8abc0d6b9d7e25059985f5de8&width=300″,”version”:4},”created_date”:”2026-03-23T22:44:27Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T22:44:26.96Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T05:30:43Z”,”height”:1080}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/act-deputy-leader-announces-shell-stand-down-at-election/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-23T22:42:13.979Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”Justin Hu”}]},”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”ACT deputy leader announces she’ll stand down at election”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/act-deputy-leader-announces-shell-stand-down-at-election/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-24T05:30:45.973Z”,”_id”:”4YPWFOWKVZHOHPRCTUZWS2XKAU”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″},”caption”:”District court judge Ema Aitken was accused of disrupting a NZ First party fundraiser at the club on November 22, 2024″,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”District court judge Ema Aitken was accused of disrupting a NZ First party fundraiser at the club on November 22, 2024″,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″,”originalName”:”JUDGE OTS winston peters ema aitken with the northern club CC 110226.png”,”mime_type”:”image/png”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T03:47:49.537Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414&width=300″,”version”:3},”created_date”:”2026-03-23T03:47:50Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T03:47:49.537Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T03:14:28Z”,”height”:1080},{“_id”:”WOEOJWTO6JGQ5NPCJFG3MOTEMQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Three people involved in a high-profile incident between a district court judge and Winston Peters at Auckland’s Northern Club will not be returning to the venue, the club’s president has told members.”},{“_id”:”CQNV2WFZVVATHE4HJSYUTNXCLU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”In a Saturday newsletter, president Dr Arthur Morris told members the club had recently been \”in the media\” over \”the incident in November 2024\”. “},{“_id”:”AD4HB5TGSJBBPI3OMVMBBQA56U”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”District court judge Ema Aitken was accused of disrupting a NZ First party fundraiser at the club on November 22, 2024, allegedly saying then-deputy PM Peters was \”lying\” while he was giving a speech. “},{“_id”:”FIHOPDPQFBDKTLUVIZJYOFICNY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”It has been the subject of extensive media coverage and an unprecedented Judicial Conduct Panel hearing.”},{“_id”:”Q25BES7JPBEFJL4QV5ML6KMPPI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Morris said in the newsletter last weekend that a committee \”executed a thorough investigation into what had happened that evening\” and confirmed those involved had not been members.”},{“_id”:”RU3RJROLNJHFNN66QSPWCRVPXA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”Those people involved in this incident were not members of the club. Steps were taken by the committee at the time to ensure that they do not enter the club again. This type of behaviour is unacceptable within our clubhouse, especially towards our staff.\””},{“_id”:”UL65MX5L5RCQ5K7JBMVANG4KDM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”He also asked members to present a united front if approached by journalists.”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”c038af63666353f85f5264cedd0762522c37c71a78d0bddc384b3deda9dfac90″},”caption”:”Northern Club”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Northern Club”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Northern Club”,”width”:988,”_id”:”FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU.jpg?auth=c038af63666353f85f5264cedd0762522c37c71a78d0bddc384b3deda9dfac90″,”originalName”:”msedge_wl6ct5oBD9.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU.jpg?auth=c038af63666353f85f5264cedd0762522c37c71a78d0bddc384b3deda9dfac90″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU.jpg?auth=c038af63666353f85f5264cedd0762522c37c71a78d0bddc384b3deda9dfac90″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T03:43:37.483Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FF54O6BMUZGHHES37OKGSLHQEU.jpg?auth=c038af63666353f85f5264cedd0762522c37c71a78d0bddc384b3deda9dfac90&width=300″,”version”:3},”created_date”:”2026-03-23T03:43:37Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T03:43:37.483Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T03:14:29Z”,”height”:535},{“_id”:”GQOGBZKIWNF2TP5434RQQ25JIA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”As a reminder, if you are approached by the media to comment on the club it helps us significantly if members simply reply, ‘no comment’ and refer them to the general manager,\” the correspondence from Morris read.”},{“_id”:”KQCS6E7QQFDNDNFMP2S7TUQ3YI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The March 21 email, obtained by 1News, was sent to members of the Northern Club. “},{“_id”:”SRDSRUFOU5CDZKHJJSMIWZDABU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”A spokesperson said \”the club does not comment on club business\”.”},{“_id”:”URGRQXJMZBDHTKOX4XASAJ7GYM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Aitken has denied shouting at Peters and disputed characterisations of how she acted on the evening, but had apologised for \”rude\” behaviour.”},{“_id”:”SOPUAKVXBRG57DFC3P73V4B76E”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Her husband, intensive care specialist Dr David Galler, and barrister Michael Reed KC’s behaviour on the evening were also examined in the judicial panel hearing.”},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”HSLGFWZQ5ZCLVJQPI2CVXNUVFE”,”additional_properties”:{“duration”:151381},”embed”:{“id”:”2780333″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6389110553112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2780333″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/5f5e8670-0afd-11f1-92a2-ad384d208acc”},”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”2I6J5V4535DVZBMTJ4PENKERR4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The panel was expected to deliver a recommendation to acting attorney-general Paul Goldsmith by April. He will decide whether Aitken should be removed from the bench. “},{“_id”:”Q7PVWAY4JVGHDAN6622U72E36A”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”No judge has previously been removed from the bench through the process.”},{“_id”:”EXBXS4UO4VG55HNPIHHPWJDMEI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Aitken was approached for comment about the club’s newsletter through her lawyer David Jones KC who said he had no comment to make.”}],”description”:{“basic”:”The club’s president also urged members not to speak to the media about the November 2024 incident.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Politics”,”text”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”},{“description”:”Auckland”,”text”:”Auckland”,”slug”:”auckland”},{“description”:”New Zealand First”,”text”:”New Zealand First”,”slug”:”new-zealand-first”},{“description”:”Winston Peters”,”text”:”Winston Peters”,”slug”:”winston-peters”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″},”caption”:”District court judge Ema Aitken was accused of disrupting a NZ First party fundraiser at the club on November 22, 2024″,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”District court judge Ema Aitken was accused of disrupting a NZ First party fundraiser at the club on November 22, 2024″,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″,”originalName”:”JUDGE OTS winston peters ema aitken with the northern club CC 110226.png”,”mime_type”:”image/png”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T03:47:49.537Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LZ62L6V3KBHGTAMGHLAQQ7NJIA.png?auth=697d68e1fba25910df4eb219bb613e7c9ea4ab07f86b6a8ca6ddfaa94ac33414&width=300″,”version”:3},”created_date”:”2026-03-23T03:47:50Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-23T03:47:49.537Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T03:14:28Z”,”height”:1080}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/northern-club-says-judge-and-others-in-peters-incident-wont-be-back/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-23T21:10:03.39Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”1News Reporters”}]},”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“tablet”:””,”print”:””,”meta_title”:””,”native”:””,”web”:””,”mobile”:””,”basic”:”Northern Club says judge and others in Peters incident won’t be back”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/northern-club-says-judge-and-others-in-peters-incident-wont-be-back/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-24T03:39:15.465Z”,”_id”:”N67BONM34VDRLOU5GSDAZWEXGM”}],”_id”:”6f5b955003d6ea6b3eb2e0ff145b81f360e6db327a12adf825035345df8663ff”},”expires”:1774421997056,”lastModified”:1774421696695}},”latest-stories-api”:{“{\”arc-site\”:\”1-news\”,\”feedSize\”:6,\”sponsoredAfter\”:5}”:{“data”:{“content_elements”:[{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”},”caption”:”A man accused of overseeing Chris Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder was arrested by police in Sydney. (Source: NSW Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:2450,”y”:778},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”A man accused of overseeing Chris Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder was arrested by police in Sydney. (Source: NSW Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:5963,”_id”:”GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4″,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”,”originalName”:”SF CHABOT#11.JPG”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T06:27:44.878Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb&width=300″,”version”:2},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:27:45Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T06:27:44.878Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:39:31Z”,”height”:3354},{“_id”:”XRKCCWR3FBD7FPTF5RI22XMF5E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A man accused of overseeing a grandfather's mistaken identity kidnap and murder has been arrested in an early morning raid as police vow to hunt down more suspects.

“},{“_id”:”HXZ57NNNFZAQPBDFQQDM5IMNYI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The 23-year-old was arrested in his underwear at his residence in Seven Hills, in western Sydney, on Wednesday, almost six weeks after Chris Baghsarian's death.

“},{“_id”:”XX3MEVROTBA53IVX2AO5BTPL6Y”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The 85-year-old widower died after being abducted from his Sydney home before dawn on February 13 in a case of mistaken identity.

“},{“_id”:”KPCVXAEFHZBJLPGD6NPA3E2D3I”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The arrested man was charged with aggravated kidnapping and murder.

“},{“_id”:”IX6PRUKIRNEOZJGX2WC4WUMZTA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"We'll allege he facilitated and recruited others to help in the kidnapping and detention of Mr Baghsarian," Detective Acting Superintendent Andrew Marks told reporters.

“},{“_id”:”FFXA5IJMHJHXBJMPAP2RYBQIME”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"We'll also allege he arranged people to dispose of Mr Baghsarian's body."

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”0f7ea29ef51fdd5f3182008a42fdfbea118f1162ac0005451493ba83168be1ed”},”caption”:”Chris Baghsarian”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chris Baghsarian”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Chris Baghsarian”,”width”:800,”_id”:”BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I.jpg?auth=0f7ea29ef51fdd5f3182008a42fdfbea118f1162ac0005451493ba83168be1ed”,”originalName”:”https___prod.static9.net.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I.jpg?auth=0f7ea29ef51fdd5f3182008a42fdfbea118f1162ac0005451493ba83168be1ed”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I.jpg?auth=0f7ea29ef51fdd5f3182008a42fdfbea118f1162ac0005451493ba83168be1ed”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-02-15T21:15:41.875Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BPWDSJYDIJABJI4H36Z3XAO73I.jpg?auth=0f7ea29ef51fdd5f3182008a42fdfbea118f1162ac0005451493ba83168be1ed&width=300″,”version”:2},”created_date”:”2026-02-15T21:15:42Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-02-15T21:15:41.875Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:39:31Z”,”height”:451},{“_id”:”POZZZ6527VAG3NMH4YR63DWIKM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A search of the home allegedly uncovered a pistol, a dedicated encrypted communication device and a substantial amount of illicit drugs.

“},{“_id”:”ZQCNTPPFOBGNRDCJNY46QXM4CE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A woman, also 23, was arrested alongside the Seven Hills man but was not believed to be connected to Baghsarian's death.

“},{“_id”:”R6AXHLYHQBFMZBEX3JCU2OH5CY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

She was charged with breaching an apprehended violence order.

“},{“_id”:”FQW5ZQEPEVECFNCEOUT65EH75U”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The arrests come nearly a month after two other men – Gerard Anthony Andrews, 29, and Daniel Stevens, 24 – were charged over their role in the incident.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”85129af3f3ddfbfa6cc618635e63cc5e5dcaf66aad6986ee1b6831553297f309″},”caption”:”Two men arrested in relation to the kidnapping of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian. (Source: NSW Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Other”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”dc3164c3-059d-420a-87c9-9ba57753b890″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1352,”y”:354},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Two men arrested in relation to the kidnapping of Sydney grandfather Chris Baghsarian. (Source: NSW Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ.jpg?auth=85129af3f3ddfbfa6cc618635e63cc5e5dcaf66aad6986ee1b6831553297f309″,”originalName”:”grandpa.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ.jpg?auth=85129af3f3ddfbfa6cc618635e63cc5e5dcaf66aad6986ee1b6831553297f309″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ.jpg?auth=85129af3f3ddfbfa6cc618635e63cc5e5dcaf66aad6986ee1b6831553297f309″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-02-25T05:47:18.912Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QGJQENOVQJALZJKRP524IV7XPQ.jpg?auth=85129af3f3ddfbfa6cc618635e63cc5e5dcaf66aad6986ee1b6831553297f309&width=300″,”version”:2},”created_date”:”2026-02-25T05:47:19Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-02-25T05:47:18.912Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:39:31Z”,”height”:1080},{“_id”:”2NTHEQJEBNCBBCBOREHW3YAYZA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Investigators believe Baghsarian was killed at a makeshift stronghold in Dural, in Sydney's outer north, before his body was dumped on the night of February 14 near a golf club in Pitt Town, a 30-minute drive away.

“},{“_id”:”JHZCGYVBKNGZNIMRHWTNNP64V4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

His remains were found 10 days later.

“},{“_id”:”XGZ6KJHJQ5DQHBWVEZELQCZTII”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Authorities believe the intended target for the abduction was a relative of Sydney businessman Dimitri Stepanyan, who lived on the same street as Baghsarian.

“},{“_id”:”O3LL44LTSFBLLLEEVGEKAAEHOA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Police suspected the businessman's relative was to be kidnapped in hope of a ransom being paid, with the kidnappers initially demanding AU$50 million (NZ$60 million).

“},{“_id”:”H4TETMERYZDDDN5YSDBODGWZHY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The 23-year-old man is alleged to be visible in two sets of CCTV vision released by police, and is alleged to be seen with the torch on his phone lit in one clip.

“},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”EX5VYLX3YFETVGO5ONBX2TUAFU”,”additional_properties”:{“duration”:39573},”embed”:{“id”:”2782052″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391102251112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782052″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/8574f0a0-2269-11f1-8707-6b60a0d3c99c”},”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”MOT47GKMLVBA7KZ7DZWUDTLR4I”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Neither Andrews nor Stevens was believed to be shown in either piece of footage, and Marks said half a dozen people could still be at large.

“},{“_id”:”BWALGBJ2P5G63M4GW6T5DR2TF4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"We believe up to nine people were involved in this … we will continue the investigation to identify [them]," he said.

“},{“_id”:”ZZK7P2CVOFCEBEIA3YLYSYJMLI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The man arrested on Wednesday was not believed to be the very top of the hierarchy, but arranged multiple elements of the kidnapping, Marks said.

“},{“_id”:”YYKAF5ROXNAWNFJB6YKJOU5K7Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Police allege he was present during the kidnapping and the transportation of Baghsarian to the Dural stronghold and directed others to dispose of his body.

“},{“_id”:”YQ72TMSP7ZG4PEEAPRXF3WYL2E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

It is alleged the man is well-known to both police and one of the men arrested last month.

“},{“_id”:”6YGF3HUHWRGQLAHYKGKNFS7HXI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He is due to face court on Thursday morning.

“},{“_id”:”GPUEL5ENWZEO5H6XXLQTLBSY4M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Marks urged people to contact police if they could help investigators identify any of the other people visible on CCTV.

“},{“_id”:”R2MX2MTLGRBXDBBLB5YGQJ22WY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Baghsarian's family described the harrowing ordeal of the kidnapping as a nightmare, remembering him as a devoted father, brother, uncle and grandfather.

“}],”description”:{“basic”:”Chris Baghsarian, an 85-year-old widower, died after being abducted from his Sydney home on February 13 in a case of mistaken identity.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”World”,”_id”:”/world”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Australia”,”text”:”Australia”,”slug”:”australia”},{“description”:”Crime and Justice”,”text”:”Crime and Justice”,”slug”:”crime-and-justice”}]},”related_content”:{“redirect”:[],”basic”:[{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”4FTV7JSYA5A4RBMI6KUYPMNNXA”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”4FTV7JSYA5A4RBMI6KUYPMNNXA”,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”W4XGA7PM25BGZFTNHMQRZXMEPQ”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”W4XGA7PM25BGZFTNHMQRZXMEPQ”,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”F7VJE5S2XBADHJFYF3OWE3XC3U”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”F7VJE5S2XBADHJFYF3OWE3XC3U”,”type”:”reference”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”},”caption”:”A man accused of overseeing Chris Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder was arrested by police in Sydney. (Source: NSW Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:2450,”y”:778},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”A man accused of overseeing Chris Baghsarian’s kidnapping and murder was arrested by police in Sydney. (Source: NSW Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:5963,”_id”:”GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4″,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”,”originalName”:”SF CHABOT#11.JPG”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T06:27:44.878Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GNUOWMW2EBCURORNOONO4Y7TS4.jpg?auth=66978aa0b061529cbac74b13c72745b78814ac99b7ef5ed556dfcd887d9cebcb&width=300″,”version”:2},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:27:45Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T06:27:44.878Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:39:31Z”,”height”:3354}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/accused-orchestrator-arrested-over-sydney-grandads-fatal-kidnap/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”AAP”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”aap”,”reference_id”:”2f8be219-c8f1-4fca-b88c-315492223a89″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T06:33:19.855Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Accused orchestrator arrested over Sydney grandad’s fatal kidnap”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/accused-orchestrator-arrested-over-sydney-grandads-fatal-kidnap/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/world”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”World”,”description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”_id”:”/world”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”world, world news, breaking, international news, 1 News, tvnz”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”site_title”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/world”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”World”,”_id”:”/world”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1003,”site”:1004,”mobile-app”:1004,”web”:1004,”categories”:1011,”hamburger-menu”:1003,”circulate”:1002}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./world”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T06:39:33.833Z”,”_id”:”OC2ZRMN7SBH7VE4CQEB7EOZXWI”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”885fff04b3b1172134eb214c1599104b03f3d58cd8200c4de0f6c8e180d968e2″},”caption”:”People sought by police in relation to a bar fight in Hastings. (Source: NZ Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:539,”y”:144},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”People sought by police in relation to a bar fight in Hastings. (Source: NZ Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE.jpg?auth=885fff04b3b1172134eb214c1599104b03f3d58cd8200c4de0f6c8e180d968e2″,”originalName”:”bar3.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE.jpg?auth=885fff04b3b1172134eb214c1599104b03f3d58cd8200c4de0f6c8e180d968e2″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE.jpg?auth=885fff04b3b1172134eb214c1599104b03f3d58cd8200c4de0f6c8e180d968e2″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T05:58:41.078Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IIKQEXH7XJHCZKG3P62UXKWHVE.jpg?auth=885fff04b3b1172134eb214c1599104b03f3d58cd8200c4de0f6c8e180d968e2&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”height”:404},{“_id”:”RPWWTP673NECBCVZJ5UWB4UM7M”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Three women and two men are being sought by police as a person was today charged for his alleged involvement in an \”aggressive and careless\” bar fight in Hastings earlier this month.”},{“_id”:”ZL242TEHB5AW5JR5IZEXGCTTSI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Police were called to a brawl at the Common Room bar around 1.45am on March 8.”},{“_id”:”HU7MTPANPZG7DO7QEGH6E5U6LA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Several people were seriously injured in the fracas and one person required hospital treatment. “},{“_id”:”JHOGRJRWJZCZDB75KZQODXLR4I”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”\”Police are disappointed at the aggressive and careless behaviour on display at the Common Room that night and will be holding any offenders to account,\” Detective Sergeant Heath Jones said at the time.”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”67f627e44f68ebea39352b373dee1789dbc1c42a8b670c4f7f12a721964c781c”},”caption”:”A man sought by police following a bar fight in Hastings. (Source: NZ Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:293,”y”:92},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”A man sought by police following a bar fight in Hastings. (Source: NZ Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E.jpg?auth=67f627e44f68ebea39352b373dee1789dbc1c42a8b670c4f7f12a721964c781c”,”originalName”:”bar1.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E.jpg?auth=67f627e44f68ebea39352b373dee1789dbc1c42a8b670c4f7f12a721964c781c”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E.jpg?auth=67f627e44f68ebea39352b373dee1789dbc1c42a8b670c4f7f12a721964c781c”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T05:58:41.088Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3NLYUA5EQRHCJH5A6V27HVHS3E.jpg?auth=67f627e44f68ebea39352b373dee1789dbc1c42a8b670c4f7f12a721964c781c&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”height”:404},{“_id”:”JRIVFBITDJF2BKEA5FJNBQMYTA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Jones today said a 32-year-old man was arrested in relation to the incident.”},{“_id”:”XBF4E4SXAFG6TEHCPMDT2TL6SQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”He was due to appear in the Hastings District Court tomorrow charged with five counts of assault with intent to injure, three counts of injuring with intent to injure, injuring with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, and assault.”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″},”caption”:”Two women sought by police in relation to a Hastings bar fight. (Source: NZ Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:555,”y”:127},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Two women sought by police in relation to a Hastings bar fight. (Source: NZ Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″,”originalName”:”bar2.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T05:58:41.075Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”height”:404},{“_id”:”WAHTDEPKF5B5TE624PFKBUUXKA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Further arrests could not be ruled out.”},{“_id”:”CRM3GIF63RGADIBOZC436V2YSQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Three women and two men are now being sought by police \”as we believe they may be able to assist in our inquiries\”, Jones said.”},{“_id”:”7WBCAXDZV5DFVJCQMK2SH6TL5Y”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Anyone with information was asked to call police on 105 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.”}],”description”:{“basic”:”A man was charged today for his alleged involvement in the brawl at the Common Room bar.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Crime and Justice”,”text”:”Crime and Justice”,”slug”:”crime-and-justice”},{“description”:”Hawke’s Bay”,”text”:”Hawke’s Bay”,”slug”:”hawke-s-bay”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″},”caption”:”Two women sought by police in relation to a Hastings bar fight. (Source: NZ Police)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:555,”y”:127},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Two women sought by police in relation to a Hastings bar fight. (Source: NZ Police)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″,”originalName”:”bar2.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T05:58:41.075Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/N2RHIGZZDJB3ZKNVSZ7Z56IGGY.jpg?auth=de9cfe0fd4c81c1a4dbf34f2ebeee898e6a3744c54ba703f61748167204d9fb2&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:35Z”,”height”:404}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/five-sought-over-aggressive-and-careless-hastings-bar-fight/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T06:07:30.525Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”1News Reporters”}]},”subtype”:”normal-story”,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Five sought over ‘aggressive and careless’ Hastings bar fight”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/five-sought-over-aggressive-and-careless-hastings-bar-fight/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T06:08:20.628Z”,”_id”:”ZUYITD6WYVDRBNNQ3FCRDF3WPY”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”},”caption”:”The Auckland District Custody Unit.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:848,”y”:317},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”The Auckland District Custody Unit.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1280,”_id”:”ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”,”originalName”:”police generic “,”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2021-11-13T19:08:07.101Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T05:36:48Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:36:48Z”,”height”:720},{“_id”:”4LMBTPT54RH43GF2ZCKVUTAB74″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A man has died, hours after being taken into police custody in Auckland, prompting a "critical incident investigation".

“},{“_id”:”OTJID42JN5FW5BESFR5T4IYM7E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Police said in a statement this evening that officers responded to several reports relating to a disorder occurring in the Mt Roskill area at around 9.40am.

“},{“_id”:”LWO5EA7PDBFPLO7Q53UY4UOQCQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Acting Auckland City District Commander, Inspector Grant Tetzlaff, said: "A unit responded to Morrie Laing Ave and located a man, arresting him without incident.

“},{“_id”:”LP35KLG2KJDBPC2YFI67VEURG4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"He was then transported to the Auckland District Custody Unit.

“},{“_id”:”VMT2IJPOEJESHCN2ZX7NCCU5IM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"While at the unit, the man has collapsed and an ambulance has been requested."

“},{“_id”:”XQXJCIVKMRFCFKKJH3TDGE7QJI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Tetzlaf said first aid was provided. "But, sadly, the man was confirmed deceased after ambulance staff arrived on scene.

“},{“_id”:”FXT4X4AOGVGGBHEYBAF5ORXQ7M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He said several investigations would look into the incident, including a critical incident investigation, which would examine the course of events this morning.

“},{“_id”:”PGC6PTE66ZB3NAC7V44JCYP2SI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"As part of this process, police have notified the Independent Police Conduct Authority," Tetzlaf said.

“},{“_id”:”7TG4XDH4VZBSTCKUUA4AFOKPYY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Police have now notified the man’s next of kin.

“},{“_id”:”3X3M4X3V4JBFLAEIIA6L76M6PY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Support is being put in place for the family, as well as our staff who have been involved this morning.

“},{“_id”:”PEG3XHEU7VE3RELIAHRQEDRTGY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"While investigations are underway, we will be limited in further comment at this time."

“}],”description”:{“basic”:”Independent Police Conduct Authority notified after ambulance officers were called to the Auckland District Custody Unit to find a man deceased.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Auckland”,”text”:”Auckland”,”slug”:”auckland”},{“description”:”Crime and Justice”,”text”:”Crime and Justice”,”slug”:”crime-and-justice”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”},”caption”:”The Auckland District Custody Unit.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”1News”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:848,”y”:317},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”The Auckland District Custody Unit.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1280,”_id”:”ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”,”originalName”:”police generic “,”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2021-11-13T19:08:07.101Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZBRIMZUREZBRNC5QXL3EMOBXWI.jpg?auth=13fa69465662371eb0ac300e601f0b4962fde1cf5ac5ecab68f4b9911363056e&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T05:36:48Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:36:48Z”,”height”:720}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/multiple-inquiries-underway-after-man-dies-in-police-custody/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T05:36:44.363Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”1News Reporters”}]},”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Multiple inquiries underway after man dies in police custody”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/multiple-inquiries-underway-after-man-dies-in-police-custody/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T05:36:51.303Z”,”_id”:”G6XIYKDT6JAYZGZFM33I3YNZVI”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″},”caption”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:315,”y”:160},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”originalName”:”driver.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436&width=300″,”version”:2},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:55:50Z”,”height”:404},{“_id”:”F3Z2P2BG6NGCZIUCZNYJZ2MAN4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A suspended driver has been jailed for nine years after driving dangerously at double the speed limit before a horror crash that killed two siblings.

“},{“_id”:”LIPQ7TK7TFDCJBS7QQ2OBVR674″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Johnson Kokozian, 23, was taking his friends on a joyride in his brand new SUV when he tried to overtake a car at Heckenberg, in southwest Sydney in 2023.

“},{“_id”:”5ICD657LSBAGRDWF5FQEWF2RJI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The suspended driver had crossed the Mercedes-Benz AMG onto the wrong side of the road at double the 50km/h speed limit when he crashed head-on into a car containing two siblings.

“},{“_id”:”HLYLSUYHRJHZLEICIHQCLIBTBQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He failed to stop and help Alina Kauffman, 24, and Ernesto Salazar, 15, who were pronounced dead at the scene.

“},{“_id”:”YAMDGSF375A4HPLLLSBYG65BRM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Instead, Kokozian fled the scene and focused on his destruction of the uninsured luxury car, proclaiming flipping the car meant AU$300,000 (NZ$359,730) was gone.

“},{“_id”:”F6Q5DSTHHZBJPBHXO7SZS3HXCA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I'm getting locked up for long," he wrote.

“},{“_id”:”VFXV2QSXFNEGPGDGEUMJIX5K7Y”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Kokozian's conduct during and after the September 1 crash amounted to "an abandonment of moral responsibility", NSW District Court Judge David Arnott said on Wednesday.

“},{“_id”:”K7O46HG2UFEYPLADFIDYBNHMRA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He had been more worried about the money he lost by crashing his brand new car than the wellbeing of the occupants of the other car, which he walked past as he left the scene.

“},{“_id”:”Y3WLCJ6YTRB75LYQZL2BSFODGQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"His failure to stop and assist can only be described as serious and callous," Judge Arnott said.

“},{“_id”:”7E2ZTIO2PNBGBBAKCXMSP7NROM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"There is no doubt that self-preservation and self-interest were key factors in his decision to flee the scene."

“},{“_id”:”AWLTDN74DRBWXI7YNIERLTSTBQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

While Kokozian had shown no remorse in the aftermath of the crash, the judge found he now experienced "overwhelming guilt".

“},{“_id”:”Z32HUIJZNZBZTKN2QU6NPPESIU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Initially charged with manslaughter, he eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death and two counts of failing to assist after a fatal impact.

“},{“_id”:”M5VXYWIRXFCNRBTUOOKUOTXEVI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He was jailed for nine years, with a minimum of six years and six months.

“},{“_id”:”FDLIICX33JEB7NXD5WYBCYE33Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The victim's mother looked upset as the decision was handed down.

“},{“_id”:”SQBS4TVA5JEYHG7T7STCOWR6AM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Angelina Kauffman has continuously advocated for justice for her two children in the lengthy legal process.

“},{“_id”:”V6NU55SQ5VFRHCLYRNY263CNQQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

She was overcome with emotion when she exited the courthouse, wearing a jumper bearing a photo of her children.

“},{“_id”:”DOUAFR5GG5DEXEWVXB36722BHE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"There is no justice," she said through sobs.

“},{“_id”:”2CG2A4GZG5HDZEFN4IZ6PGEKBM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"My kids' lives mean nothing to the court."

“},{“_id”:”4JJ4LL3BJNCHVETLYUSCCUPQKQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Kauffman, who wore a jumper emblazoned with a photo of her children, has continuously advocated for justice for her two children during the lengthy legal process.

“},{“_id”:”F3WQPYQGXVHHPNB4NQLIOUWAKE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

She said the fact Kokozian could be released on parole in three years was unjust.

“},{“_id”:”5QZU6Z7WEFAWRCP6R4ECHGZVOA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"This man gets to go out and live his life," Kauffman said.

“},{“_id”:”WFPQGI37ANE45AF5ADFOPDYNLI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"My kids are in the ground."

“},{“_id”:”F6S4GYNBZFDSXBCFW65BCQEQUQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Despite feeling as if her soul had been ripped out for a second time, the grieving mother said she would continue to push for change in her children's names.

“},{“_id”:”STC7NFP6NRHX7FPB4GCBOLZKH4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I'll never give up," she vowed.

“},{“_id”:”4425JGMPZZH7XHCE3ZBNZU7MTU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

She gathered more than 20,000 signatures on a petition requesting the NSW parliament consider increasing the maximum penalties for serious road crimes.

“},{“_id”:”6RLMIF266VHWZIFMASNB3KD3FU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A subsequent Law Reform Commission review handed down in February 2025 found penalties for serious road crimes were appropriate and higher maximum penalties were unlikely to do more to deter offending.

“},{“_id”:”TFTUWPKQ6VEFLAKXKF4EBHMIQA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A new vehicular manslaughter offence should not be introduced because it was unnecessary and could cause confusion, the review determined.

“},{“_id”:”3LOLXUFQBJGVPFHU5V4NVLQRRY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Kokozian's sentencing marks the culmination of an investigation that ensnared his girlfriend, friends, and family.

“},{“_id”:”QT3WRUZHCNE2XK2QJ4GWE4U6JE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

His father Kagadour Hanna Kokozian, 63, pleaded guilty in 2025 to trying to conceal the deadly crash and hindering a police investigation.

“},{“_id”:”456LEFYPRZGJPD2IEP7RCY4FMU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

After his son told him he had been driving, the elder Kokozian called police to report his son's car as stolen.

“},{“_id”:”Z4PRWHOJGBBVDNW3Q6BOTDIP7U”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He will be sentenced at a later date.

“},{“_id”:”7FZSWC4PR5EL5EYCOSMCQ5K3WI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Kokozian's passenger in the Mercedes, Cruz Pamoana Davis-Tuka, received a 15-month intensive corrections order in 2025 for his role in concealing the crash and hindering police.

“},{“_id”:”YTQYG5WRWVHVFL6EHKGQS6RJXU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

But Kokozian's girlfriend Tiana Savignano, 24, will contest the same charges in the NSW District Court this year after pleading not guilty.

“},{“_id”:”5EYK2ZXJMBEZFMPL6W7HECIZ6M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Kauffman said she had high hopes for a strong penalty after the proceedings were dragged out for so long but she had been shocked by the driver's sentence.

“},{“_id”:”BNHRV6JJQ5C6DFAYECVHWM22TM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"This is a joke," she said.

“}],”display_date”:”2026-03-25T05:10:12.193Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Mourning mum sobs as ‘callous’ driver jailed for Sydney crash”},”description”:{“basic”:”Johnson Kokozian, 23, was more concerned about his uninsured luxury car, proclaiming flipping the car meant $359,730 was gone. “},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/mourning-mum-sobs-as-callous-driver-jailed-for-sydney-crash/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/world”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”World”,”description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”_id”:”/world”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”world, world news, breaking, international news, 1 News, tvnz”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”site_title”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/world”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”World”,”_id”:”/world”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1003,”site”:1004,”mobile-app”:1004,”web”:1004,”categories”:1011,”hamburger-menu”:1003,”circulate”:1002}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./world”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”World”,”_id”:”/world”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Crime and Justice”,”text”:”Crime and Justice”,”slug”:”crime-and-justice”},{“description”:”Australia”,”text”:”Australia”,”slug”:”australia”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″},”caption”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:315,”y”:160},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”originalName”:”driver.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436&width=300″,”version”:2},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:55:50Z”,”height”:404}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/mourning-mum-sobs-as-callous-driver-jailed-for-sydney-crash/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”AAP”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”aap”,”reference_id”:”2f8be219-c8f1-4fca-b88c-315492223a89″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T06:55:54.974Z”,”_id”:”HU7FAHTONBFKTC4BGTEWEYP7HU”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”NRL Photos”,”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″},”caption”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Photosport”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e37859c1-a86e-43a1-ab33-b2283a9301b1″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1710,”y”:622},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Photosport”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”,”width”:3600,”_id”:”KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″,”takenOn”:”2021-04-04T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”TUIVASA-SHECK,Roger 210404 1GP_2720_202144162557.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2023-04-20T21:11:31.549Z”},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:52Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:52Z”,”height”:2025},{“_id”:”4YYQHYL54NBABB4YHBI23JZQSY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster hasn't completely given up hope of retaining superstar Roger Tuivasa-Sheck beyond this season.

“},{“_id”:”KY45YAOHE5A6FHIHVY7WLJFSD4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

By Grant Chapman for RNZ

“},{“_id”:”4DGSGWGJKNGGNIFTZWANAQGN2M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The veteran wing's future at the club has been up in the air since last year, when he was linked to the breakaway R360 union competition, which has been delayed until 2028.

“},{“_id”:”Z5TE7TYELFAU7ALORLTKMPEASE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

NRL players have been threatened with a 10-year ban if they sign with the Saudi-backed rebel outfit, so very few have declared their intentions.

“},{“_id”:”BX6G2XTUJJAYXNARZV3APV7U74″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Former All Black Tuivasa-Sheck's current contract with the Warriors ends this season, so he has been the subject of intense interest over his immediate prospects.

“},{“_id”:”TNWHC457IVD67DSIYOTX6XQKGM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Two weeks ago, he was reportedly exploring options with Sydney NRL clubs. Latest rumours have him heading to the English Super League with Wakefield Trinity.

“},{“_id”:”KDODTNALABBUDAILFYWL2ME5CA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Webster was loathe to fuel the speculation, but hinted Tuivasa-Sheck's departure was not quite a done deal.

“},{“_id”:”ZGQW6IFBUZH4RKDQ43SESZNQZY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I've had plenty of conversations," he acknowledged. "Whichever way it goes, whether he stays or wherever he ends up, if he plays union or plays league… if he leaves, he goes with our blessing and if there's an opportunity for him at the end of the season to stay, we'd celebrate that too.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Gold Coast”},”auth”:{“1″:”90cdeb76fa74d41d1be493e77fab979b111bb737e05cd087035a4ab1f4aeefb8″},”caption”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors in action”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Photosport”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e37859c1-a86e-43a1-ab33-b2283a9301b1″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors in action”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Photosport”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck of the Warriors in action”,”width”:4313,”_id”:”2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ.jpg?auth=90cdeb76fa74d41d1be493e77fab979b111bb737e05cd087035a4ab1f4aeefb8″,”iptc_source”:”www.photosport.nz”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”053A1571.JPG”,”keywords”:[“2025″,”gold coast”,”nrl”,”premiership”,”rugby league”,”telstra”,”titans”,”wahs”,”warriors”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ.jpg?auth=90cdeb76fa74d41d1be493e77fab979b111bb737e05cd087035a4ab1f4aeefb8″,”takenOn”:”2025-08-23T09:04:55Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ.jpg?auth=90cdeb76fa74d41d1be493e77fab979b111bb737e05cd087035a4ab1f4aeefb8″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/2ZBX4ZEUUFCS3D776YFBEVN6EQ.jpg?auth=90cdeb76fa74d41d1be493e77fab979b111bb737e05cd087035a4ab1f4aeefb8&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”_258023TitansWarriors_ 2061.JPG”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-08-23T18:28:52.413Z”},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:53Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:53Z”,”height”:2689},{“_id”:”FFSQLD5LZFGRPDO6ORBZPD2QTU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"It will all become clearer, but we've had really good conversation and we're on the same page, which is always a good feeling between a player and a coach."

“},{“_id”:”YOJWAPWBGZA3HIRCZRU7XIINOE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Webster had previously said he hoped Tuivasa-Sheck never left the club.

“},{“_id”:”5KP5M2SUURAFBLPDNRG2ZU24MQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Last month, Tuivasa-Sheck, 32, played questions about his future with a straight bat.

“},{“_id”:”MBHZZJDGOZFAFPWE6UQ6LYQEY4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"My head is still down in the trenches for the pre-season," he said during the Warriors pre-season. "Just trying to turn up each day, each week for the grind, because everyone is so fast and I have to keep up.

“},{“_id”:”FZJG7QWPARFMJCUTFJB33JZYUQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Future stuff I will get to at some stage, but I'm always putting my actions on the field and do my talking from there."

“},{“_id”:”I5ZV5PR365FKVIGT3TFNJDXWAY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Conjecture ramped up this month, when Aussie media reported the Warriors were close to signing former All Blacks Sevens star and Melbourne Storm wing Will Warbrick.

“},{“_id”:”7LW4LZEDUJBX5OTQ4BVB43JL2E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

At the time, Webster warned against believing everything heard on the rumour mill.

“},{“_id”:”G5DIMEEUWBGC3BYG7Q6LEFCUSE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"A lot of the time, we're linked to players that we're not even close to signing or I get a text message from someone saying, 'I heard so-and-so is starting tonight', but no, they're not.

“},{“_id”:”C2WBG2XKIVFSJNDK22OV4GANOM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I don't know where it comes from, but sometimes where there's smoke, there's fire and sometimes they're just miles off. Sometimes they're just trying to pump up the price."

“},{“_id”:”6XQGFIP7ENCNNKUFWV5IDHZ4J4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

On Wednesday, he had no update on that situation.

“},{“_id”:”MMKDU2AJQNCHHFZFLUYKQYZG6Y”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Tuivasa-Sheck is still the only Warrior to win the Dally M Medal as the NRL's Player of the Year in 2018 and won his fourth Simon Mannering Medal as the club's Most Valuable Player last year.

“},{“_id”:”DP2WFP3EU5CT5KYD5TK4CTJXCE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The Warriors have several other players off contract beyond 2026, including Origin star Kurt Capewell and veteran second-rower Marata Niukore, who has been linked to Newcastle Knights in recent weeks.

“},{“_id”:”4AE6VCQX45BIFAOMWGZECONUQA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"I haven't read too much into it, to be honest," Niukore grinned. "It's pretty clichéd, but that stuff will sort itself and, over time, I'm pretty sure we'll knock it on the head and hopefully that's it."

“},{“_id”:”TVGICBXXQ5EATIZIDSRL2WNOPQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He had "no idea" when an official announcement might be forthcoming.

“}],”display_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:46.538Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”NRL: NZ Warriors still hope to retain Roger Tuivasa-Sheck”},”description”:{“basic”:”Latest rumours have the veteran wing heading to the English Super League with Wakefield Trinity.”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/nrl-nz-warriors-still-hope-to-retain-roger-tuivasa-sheck/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/sport/league”,”parent”:{“default”:”/sport”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”/sport”,”name”:”League”,”description”:”Rugby League News & results | NRL, Warriors & more | 1News”,”_id”:”/sport/league”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”/sport”,”site”:”/sport”,”mobile-app”:”/sport”,”web”:”/sport”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”/sport”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”rugby, league, warriors, nrl, results, league players, 1News, tvnz”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Rugby League News & results | NRL, Warriors & more | 1News”,”site_title”:”Rugby League News & results | NRL, Warriors & more | 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/sport/league”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”League”,”_id”:”/sport/league”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“/sport”,”https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[“/sport”,”https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”mobile-app”:[“/sport”,”https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“/sport”,”https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[“/sport”]},”order”:{“default”:2003,”site”:2002,”mobile-app”:2002,”web”:2002,”circulate”:2002}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./sport/league”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”League”,”_id”:”/sport/league”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”NRL”,”text”:”NRL”,”slug”:”nrl”},{“description”:”Australia”,”text”:”Australia”,”slug”:”australia”},{“description”:”UK and Europe”,”text”:”UK and Europe”,”slug”:”uk-europe”},{“description”:”Warriors”,”text”:”Warriors”,”slug”:”warriors”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”NRL Photos”,”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″},”caption”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Photosport”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e37859c1-a86e-43a1-ab33-b2283a9301b1″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1710,”y”:622},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Photosport”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.”,”width”:3600,”_id”:”KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″,”takenOn”:”2021-04-04T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KTV6UHKNDVDONNS4L3OY3OQIGM.jpg?auth=d9b788ddeeba726ee8d5f97af9b100e4dbf436cc4b9cf7fba4e8835553b3fa45&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”TUIVASA-SHECK,Roger 210404 1GP_2720_202144162557.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2023-04-20T21:11:31.549Z”},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:52Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:52Z”,”height”:2025}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/nrl-nz-warriors-still-hope-to-retain-roger-tuivasa-sheck/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”rnz.co.nz”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”rnz”,”reference_id”:”e1b95f2d-4b70-4554-abb5-e24c115cc2bd”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T05:05:55.985Z”,”_id”:”UGYAZGFFFBD7FCZJO3AV5DAK7E”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″},”caption”:”The Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association says the full cost of Whanganui District Council’s new logo and rebrand is still unknown.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:353,”y”:147},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”The Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association says the full cost of Whanganui District Council’s new logo and rebrand is still unknown.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″,”originalName”:”council1.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T02:05:47.261Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:30:21Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T04:30:21Z”,”height”:404},{“_id”:”3RHHFV3AIFHL7EKU5YLD2LV7TM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Questions are being raised about Whanganui District Council’s $62,000 logo redesign, with ratepayer advocates saying the full cost of the rebrand remains unknown and key details around the process are missing.

“},{“_id”:”IVTNBXLGUFDT7PIMXTG3IKRSAM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

By Moana Ellis of Local Democracy Reporting

“},{“_id”:”RTEQZTJDNFD5HPWI7EQSQGCCZA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association chairwoman Rachael Woodhead said the more the group looked into the project, the more gaps appeared.

“},{“_id”:”Q7VT7HTPDJHLRKS5FBGNVP7Q2U”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The council unveiled the new design in January, after research found most residents could not recall the council’s existing crest logo.

“},{“_id”:”Y7RSFEJYDVDQHFE6QYEYJHLHDU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A total of $61,800 (excluding GST) had been spent on design alone, she Woodhead, but there was no estimate of the total lifecycle cost of rolling the new brand out across council assets.

“},{“_id”:”ZXXDHTQVOZH7LAY42Z5BTDX2NU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

No specific budget had been set aside to update council assets, she said.

“},{“_id”:”X6ITPB2O7JDGLJTUMPUUMKL544″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"So at this point, the full cost to ratepayers is still unknown. That in itself should give people pause."

“},{“_id”:”AGHK6V5XC5EPDH3DOGAY6QHCKI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The council had said costs to update council branding would be managed by the relevant work area through existing budgets, Woodhead said.

“},{“_id”:”K37EB4TDRFAIXK5P7KITNQDQH4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The ratepayers' association was responding to the council’s reply to a request made under the Local Government Official Information and Meetings Act.

“},{“_id”:”Y7EPG47NJRG4TCT6GRRUNAJKTE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Woodhead challenged a reference to savings linked to the project, the council saying it expected to save a further $120,000 from the communications and marketing budget over the next three years by continuing to find efficiencies "in everything we do".

“},{“_id”:”VL2GM2Z2YRC2HMIGCXGZGTI6FQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Woodhead said that figure was not directly tied to the rebrand itself, leaving the overall financial impact on ratepayers unclear.

“},{“_id”:”QVUIAPJXHVAOXP5EBHT7OWU6PM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The association has also raised concerns about the process behind the redesign, including procurement and consultation.

“},{“_id”:”MEBJM4WAIJCTRMVYXWAUQV24LA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The brand strategy and design were delivered by Auckland-based agency Extended Whānau, chosen for its local government experience and previous work on Whanganui’s UNESCO City of Design tohu and the redeveloped Te Whare o Rehua Sarjeant Gallery. Extended Whānau was paid $61,800.

“},{“_id”:”2IU4A4264NG73AVPOK2XCTASZA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The ratepayers' group is seeking further information from the council, including the full estimated rollout cost, detailed survey results from Whanganui ratepayers and residents, and more clarity on how the procurement process was managed.

“},{“_id”:”K4WZWKMLRBDIFKLWH6GVYNDFYA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"This isn’t really about a logo. It’s about process, priorities and transparency around how ratepayer money is being used.

“},{“_id”:”PHCZGOAFOZAVTOFEUO4AQWLJGA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Ratepayers should be able to see clearly how decisions like this are made and what they will ultimately cost."

“},{“_id”:”34A7TEBRRRARZNMVZNOEAWIZUA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Whanganui District Council has been approached for comment.

“},{“_id”:”PIZBHZNARBHJXJC2HLLWPMPDN4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The new tohu features a stylised design referencing movement and energy, the Whanganui awa and the connections that shape the district, while also forming a distinctive "W".

“},{“_id”:”MXDIE2JMW5CW7J2XHQJPL3P3WM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

In January, the council said it had spent more than $60,000 on the rebrand after research showed many residents could not recall its existing logo or clearly identify its role.

“},{“_id”:”TFO5ZVXEDZFR5A4TTM2ZWFDCMQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

A total of $41,800 was spent on brand strategy, design and guidelines, and a further $20,000 on templates for stationery, advertising and presentations.

“},{“_id”:”OEHST2JDL5BQPE3KPIQD2BPIYM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The council said at the time the costs were covered by existing budgets and the new branding would be rolled out gradually over two to five years.

“},{“_id”:”ALYQFMFDKVHNFIQN6POSTSARGE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Interim chief executive Barbara McKerrow said at the time the new design was intended to address longstanding confusion about the council’s role.

“},{“_id”:”7J3MXLWP4BBLPDMFELF6Z2UGP4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Research conducted in early 2025 found residents generally viewed the council as approachable, but many were unclear about its services and responsibilities.

“},{“_id”:”MLFXXMNTKNB5JLHEL4U4NWRHXQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Sixty per cent of respondents could not recall the council’s logo, while only 20% viewed the long-standing crest positively.

“},{“_id”:”CTEYZ43BYVFQTGEGJYQ3M7WIHE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The council said its previous branding, centred on the historic Whanganui City Council crest granted in 1955, had become difficult to apply consistently across a wide range of services.

“},{“_id”:”6YEDINLIMZGCVN7DHHHMB57COY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Communications and marketing manager Sarah Pomeroy said in January that physical updates such as signage and uniforms would only be made as items needed replacing, to minimise costs.

“},{“_id”:”HBZFU6OXQJFQHEJY2I77I73SRU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

– LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air

“}],”display_date”:”2026-03-25T04:30:15.787Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Whanganui council faces criticism after $62k logo spend”},”description”:{“basic”:”The council unveiled the new design in January after research found most residents could not recall the council’s existing crest logo.”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/whanganui-council-faces-criticism-after-62k-logo-spend/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[]},”order”:{“default”:1001,”site”:1003,”mobile-app”:1003,”web”:1003,”categories”:1012,”hamburger-menu”:1001,”circulate”:1001}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”New Zealand”,”_id”:”/new-zealand”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Politics”,”text”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”},{“description”:”Manawatu-Wanganui”,”text”:”Manawatu-Wanganui”,”slug”:”manawatu-wanganui”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″},”caption”:”The Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association says the full cost of Whanganui District Council’s new logo and rebrand is still unknown.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Supplied”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:353,”y”:147},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”The Whanganui Residents and Ratepayers Association says the full cost of Whanganui District Council’s new logo and rebrand is still unknown.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:720,”_id”:”IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″,”originalName”:”council1.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T02:05:47.261Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IQE3C3N4JJGX3MIU2JRRL53NVA.jpg?auth=46af53de9c06b3e0f950b062a8a2c14efe958ddf64f13a0a3a8b832935e10dd6&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:30:21Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T04:30:21Z”,”height”:404}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/whanganui-council-faces-criticism-after-62k-logo-spend/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Local Democracy Reporting”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”local-democracy-reporting”,”reference_id”:”da8af882-3a9e-44f1-87f2-76191edb37e0″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T04:30:24.755Z”,”_id”:”VODWXC5CZBCCHKHM6AGCY33U6Y”}],”_id”:”e17899dd5e84673a959f868063017cbef41745dc0a5318a6fc90f994d085dcad”},”expires”:1774421931061,”lastModified”:1774421810059}},”popular-stories”:{“{\”arc-site\”:\”1-news\”,\”feedSize\”:6}”:{“data”:{“content_elements”:[{“canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/iranian-military-mocks-trumps-claim-of-us-iran-negotiations/”,”content_elements”:[{“_id”:”GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”AP26083279913700.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755&width=300″,”version”:5,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:11:57.599Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Smoke billows following an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel.”,”auth”:{“1″:”4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″},”caption”:”Smoke billows following an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel.”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:11:58Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1498,”y”:1160},”height”:1728,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:28:29Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Smoke billows following an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel.”,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:3072,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:11:57.599Z”},{“_id”:”KYHGWH5XJFFWTFNQNYJBQN7USM”,”content”:”

An Iranian military spokesperson mocked US attempts at a ceasefire deal Wednesday, raising questions about whether a 15-point plan proposed by Washington has a chance to succeed.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5O2VEBMX3ND7ZEDPW2OKTP4AZ4″,”content”:”

The comments from Lieutenant Colonel Ebrahim Zolfaghari, a spokesperson for the Iranian military’s Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, which jointly commands Iran’s regular military and paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, came after the plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”IERCXP2S7JAIBBIVK6EXG7PNFA”,”content”:”

US President Donald Trump has said that American officials are negotiating with Iran on the plan, but Zolfaghari, in a recorded video statement that aired on state television, suggested there were no talks.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”A3ZHRJXP45DK3CBJVTYEBLHQLQ”,”content”:”

"Have your internal conflicts reached the point where you are negotiating with yourselves?" he said.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”36ETDVSHJ5DWLJBHIWUMYKZ7WY”,”content”:”

"Our first and last word has been the same from day one, and it will stay that way: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you," Zolfaghari said. "Not now, not ever."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”SEEZ3N2KRBGFLMYY2KFRUGRS5M”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6391608776112″,”id”:”2782636″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2782636″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782636″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”AT6WNW4P7REDTGN23EGPG45C4M”,”content”:”

The 15-point plan was submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan, who have offered to host renewed negotiations between Washington and Tehran, according to the person, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”3UJL754ZQNGPTEYR3MMNBVICH4″,”content”:”

The New York Times was the first to report that the plan had been delivered to Iranian officials.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”6OVF544NVJESHKYJJHZOAF6V7U”,”content”:”

The Pentagon is also in the process of deploying two Marine units that will add about 5000 Marines and thousands of sailors to the region. The moves are being framed as Trump manoeuvring to give himself "max flexibility" on what he will do next, the person added.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”WZDHPL7OGBEQ3ORLC45MVG45SQ”,”content”:”

Israeli officials, who have been advocating for Trump to continue the war against Iran, were surprised by the submission of a ceasefire plan, the person said.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”U4LKAAXNDVF3FKLT5B3GJNOEGA”,”content”:”

The White House did not respond to requests for comment.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”C3MUK4PHN5DW3OF4GS7X5IZ2OY”,”content”:”

Meanwhile, airstrikes battered the Islamic Republic while Iranian missiles and drones targeted Israel and sites across the region.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”UWLFI65HUJBI3ORD4PLWUQ5B7E”,”content”:”

With oil prices rising and consumers feeling the pain at the pump, Trump has been under increasing pressure at home to bring the war to an end.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”FIPMIDCVCFEVPEZJGNDO3XWOWY”,”content”:”

Tehran’s chokehold on the crucial Strait of Hormuz has snarled international shipping, sent fuel prices skyrocketing and threatened the world economy.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”I5EISWY6GNGLFMGXPRODXSP4P4″,”content”:”

"The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure," said Zolfaghari, the Iranian military spokesman. "The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could. Don’t dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end."

“,”type”:”text”}],”description”:{“basic”:”A 15-point plan proposed by Washington was reportedly submitted to Iran by intermediaries from Pakistan.”},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T04:12:59.753Z”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”ap”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”headlines”:{“basic”:”Iranian military mocks Trump’s claim of US-Iran negotiations”},”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“_id”:”GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”AP26083279913700.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg?auth=4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755&width=300″,”version”:5,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:11:57.599Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Smoke billows following an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel.”,”auth”:{“1″:”4bbf526de4aa36a2eda874a1b0089c7fa4450b9636bb17996e86f956264a7755″},”caption”:”Smoke billows following an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel.”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:11:58Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1498,”y”:1160},”height”:1728,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T05:28:29Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Smoke billows following an Iranian missile strike in Tel Aviv, Israel.”,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GW7WBRPGMREAPOYV3KUWBQITCQ.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:3072,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:11:57.599Z”}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T05:28:31.806Z”,”related_content”:{“basic”:[{“_id”:”RBWFV6H32NC4NLWBJYXD5Q43ME”,”referent”:{“id”:”RBWFV6H32NC4NLWBJYXD5Q43ME”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”},{“_id”:”M53EIQ56RBAA7NKFYN4IBA27KY”,”referent”:{“id”:”M53EIQ56RBAA7NKFYN4IBA27KY”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”},{“_id”:”EWNHZCHWHVDHLJFEGCKVFX3AGY”,”referent”:{“id”:”EWNHZCHWHVDHLJFEGCKVFX3AGY”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”}],”redirect”:[]},”subtype”:””,”taxonomy”:{“tags”:[{“description”:”Middle East”,”slug”:”middle-east”,”text”:”Middle East”},{“description”:”North America”,”slug”:”north-america”,”text”:”North America”},{“description”:”Donald Trump”,”slug”:”donald-trump”,”text”:”Donald Trump”}]},”type”:”story”,”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_section”:{“_id”:”/world”,”_website”:”1-news”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″,”name”:”World”,”description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”path”:”/world”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“_id”:”/world”,”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“site_tagline”:null,”site_title”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_keywords”:”world, world news, breaking, international news, 1 News, tvnz”,”site_url”:null},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”instagram”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/world”]},”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”World”,”order”:{“hamburger-menu”:1003,”default”:1003,”mobile-app”:1004,”site”:1004,”web”:1004,”circulate”:1002,”categories”:1011},”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./world”},”website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/iranian-military-mocks-trumps-claim-of-us-iran-negotiations/”}},”_id”:”EPE74E6T4JC7TE2UV6YMIRA5N4″,”additional_properties”:{“requestedUrl”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/iranian-military-mocks-trumps-claim-of-us-iran-negotiations/”}},{“canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/fuel-relief-package-who-is-eligible-and-how-does-it-work/”,”content_elements”:[{“_id”:”BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”BUDGET Money generic.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e&width=300″,”version”:4,”firstPublishedDate”:”2023-05-17T22:04:20.778Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”New Zealand money illustration.”,”auth”:{“1″:”81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”},”caption”:”New Zealand money illustration.”,”created_date”:”2023-05-17T22:04:21Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:1054,”y”:573},”height”:1080,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T05:16:40Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”1News”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Budget 2023 graphic money”,”taxonomy”:{},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1920,”firstPublishedDate”:”2023-05-17T22:04:20.778Z”},{“_id”:”RTK7AYBNUJAYVBGFC6W5BT223Q”,”content”:”

The Government has announced a support package to ease the impact of increasing fuel prices – but how does it work and who is eligible?

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”NJMNDO2HBVH4JNINEIOFPH2QVY”,”content”:”

From April 7, about 143,000 working families with children will get an extra $50 per week through a boost to the in-work tax credit.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”72KBCYIZPREJNP7WS33YYKHE2M”,”content”:”

A further 14,000 families will become newly eligible, but will receive an amount less than $50 per week as a result of payments abating with income.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”BH5LFO7S3JBYJKQR4AGNZ67MUQ”,”content”:”

Live updates: Extra $50 a week for 143k working families as fuel prices skyrocket

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”CGBQ55OK2RHIZGBRGOQXRF4KG4″,”content”:”

The Government said the move is designed to support those under significant cost of living pressure due to the conflict in the Middle East – which has driven up fuel prices and added pressure to household budgets.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”PK4Z7I23JNFR7IRLFNGMAJCJIA”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6391505417112″,”id”:”2782511″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2782511″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782511″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”6OGU5OOMGVBIVLLOZT5M6UTR6U”,”content”:”What is the in-work tax credit?”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KFMA5YFCX5CYLGNBC7PWODMI3Q”,”content”:”

The in-work tax credit is a payment to low-to-middle income families with dependent children – where at least one parent is in paid employment.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”E2D547DRLZFNXOYHRGQQOTOMGA”,”content”:”

Neither parent must be receiving a main benefit from Work and Income.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”GOPVYP4PIVF7NGWU7K24S63ZGU”,”content”:”

Recipients can be employees receiving wages or a salary – or be self-employed.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”I74GMPENEFGUPHOZNG5ZGSRXSU”,”content”:”

Currently, the in-work tax credit is $97.50 per week – but can be paid out fortnightly or annually in a lump sum. Families with four or more children get an extra $15 a week for each child after the third.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”I6WYQOWIVZGEJFMUBKWTBJXF4I”,”content”:”Who is eligible?”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”QNKLFU6FZFEZTEK4D5IFWD6HN4″,”content”:”

Anyone who is eligible for the in-work tax credit is eligible for the boost.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”7ZGZ35A4AFA5TCXA5BUVTHZ36E”,”content”:”

The cut-off for receiving the in-work tax credit is a combined income of $89,000 for a family with one child, $112,000 for a family with two children, and $135,000 for a family with three children.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”LS7W4VCDDFDVRMMM4NDU7Y45LQ”,”content”:”

The income cut-off is based on the combined income of both parents, if there are two of them. This could be from part-time or full-time work, or based on one parent’s income if the other is not in paid employment and not receiving a benefit.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”2B3NYZKOXZG7BNLZY5JDJD3SSA”,”content”:”How much is the boost?”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”YWCEEDEGFFEB3KY3O7T3UATVHI”,”content”:”

The Government’s boost to the in-work tax credit is an increase of $50 to the base rate per week – which would take the base rate to $147.50 per week.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”OQMOQXLQMZGC5OOEQMYA6ZQO2A”,”content”:”

This is aimed at supporting the families eligible who are under pressure due to the recent fuel price increases.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”4ZPRDVVQ3VGC5I2NGSWTJSZEQE”,”content”:”How can I get it, and when?”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”6MTBEVVDTNGLVDVQTLOCIMBZ4A”,”content”:”

From April 1, the increase will be enacted – those entitled to the payment do not need to do anything – but will not receive their first payment until at least a week later.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”4QBIF4C2SJAQLMVD5JNGW5U7UQ”,”content”:”

Instead, those who are eligible will automatically receive the payment directly to their bank accounts starting on April 7 if they are paid weekly, and April 14 if they are paid fortnightly.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KI34J4RLWRB5XC6JW24UMHQSIM”,”content”:”

Those who believe they meet the criteria for the in-work tax credit but have not received it should contact Inland Revenue.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”IKHGWVGZZ5E6RA7QRA3V2XGJL4″,”content”:”How long will it last?”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”YQJLHQCYLFEYTELCBS6BCC5IAM”,”content”:”

The boost will apply for one year until April 1, 2027 – or until the price of 91 octane fuel drops below $3 for four consecutive weeks – whichever comes first.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”JTTXEYPI65FP5HJCTSKE3L6RJA”,”content”:”How much will it cost?”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”IPAKBOOKYBGYVMNWRQZYWXHXSU”,”content”:”

Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the policy is estimated to cost a one-off $373 million to the Government, if it runs for the full year.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”Y2ZNC7N5MVHMBJDQ3B4PB45JVI”,”content”:”

It would also be counted as part of the Government’s operating allowance for the 2026 Budget – and has been already factored into Treasury’s fiscal forecast.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”XFNIM6HGQVB4DGYWCKKC2FBK2E”,”content”:”

The Government said this approach focuses support on working families with limited choices, while avoiding large, untargeted measures which could be inflationary.

“,”type”:”text”}],”description”:{“basic”:”The Government has announced a support package to ease the impact of increasing fuel prices – but how does it work and who is eligible?”},”display_date”:”2026-03-24T00:31:32.676Z”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”headlines”:{“basic”:”Fuel relief package: Who is eligible and how does it work?”},”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“_id”:”BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”BUDGET Money generic.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg?auth=81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e&width=300″,”version”:4,”firstPublishedDate”:”2023-05-17T22:04:20.778Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”New Zealand money illustration.”,”auth”:{“1″:”81af7b07f42f3333f2f57e0357ed101f16830c9f93fb88f2af91284c4692ff4e”},”caption”:”New Zealand money illustration.”,”created_date”:”2023-05-17T22:04:21Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:1054,”y”:573},”height”:1080,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T05:16:40Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”1News”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Budget 2023 graphic money”,”taxonomy”:{},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BYG6UYHYNJAXTOS3A6FXDAP26E.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1920,”firstPublishedDate”:”2023-05-17T22:04:20.778Z”}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-24T05:16:43.708Z”,”related_content”:{“basic”:[{“_id”:”ACSWJMEKRNAFBPAEBUNEWWMVBI”,”referent”:{“id”:”ACSWJMEKRNAFBPAEBUNEWWMVBI”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”},{“_id”:”KP3XVE2MGJAGFAGWFCTWBPYXPM”,”referent”:{“id”:”KP3XVE2MGJAGFAGWFCTWBPYXPM”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”}],”redirect”:[]},”subtype”:””,”taxonomy”:{“tags”:[{“description”:”Business”,”slug”:”business”,”text”:”Business”},{“description”:”Economy”,”slug”:”economy”,”text”:”Economy”},{“description”:”Personal Finance”,”slug”:”personal-finance”,”text”:”Personal Finance”},{“description”:”Politics”,”slug”:”politics”,”text”:”Politics”}]},”type”:”story”,”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_section”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”_website”:”1-news”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“site_tagline”:null,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_url”:null},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”instagram”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”order”:{“hamburger-menu”:1001,”default”:1001,”mobile-app”:1003,”site”:1003,”web”:1003,”circulate”:1001,”categories”:1012},”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”},”website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/fuel-relief-package-who-is-eligible-and-how-does-it-work/”}},”_id”:”QN6CO44APBFR3LHDAZADHUAZUI”,”additional_properties”:{“requestedUrl”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/fuel-relief-package-who-is-eligible-and-how-does-it-work/”}},{“canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/mourning-mum-sobs-as-callous-driver-jailed-for-sydney-crash/”,”content_elements”:[{“_id”:”CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”driver.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436&width=300″,”version”:2,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”auth”:{“1″:”575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″},”caption”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:315,”y”:160},”height”:404,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:55:50Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:720,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”},{“_id”:”F3Z2P2BG6NGCZIUCZNYJZ2MAN4″,”content”:”

A suspended driver has been jailed for nine years after driving dangerously at double the speed limit before a horror crash that killed two siblings.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”LIPQ7TK7TFDCJBS7QQ2OBVR674″,”content”:”

Johnson Kokozian, 23, was taking his friends on a joyride in his brand new SUV when he tried to overtake a car at Heckenberg, in southwest Sydney in 2023.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5ICD657LSBAGRDWF5FQEWF2RJI”,”content”:”

The suspended driver had crossed the Mercedes-Benz AMG onto the wrong side of the road at double the 50km/h speed limit when he crashed head-on into a car containing two siblings.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”HLYLSUYHRJHZLEICIHQCLIBTBQ”,”content”:”

He failed to stop and help Alina Kauffman, 24, and Ernesto Salazar, 15, who were pronounced dead at the scene.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”YAMDGSF375A4HPLLLSBYG65BRM”,”content”:”

Instead, Kokozian fled the scene and focused on his destruction of the uninsured luxury car, proclaiming flipping the car meant AU$300,000 (NZ$359,730) was gone.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”F6Q5DSTHHZBJPBHXO7SZS3HXCA”,”content”:”

"I'm getting locked up for long," he wrote.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”VFXV2QSXFNEGPGDGEUMJIX5K7Y”,”content”:”

Kokozian's conduct during and after the September 1 crash amounted to "an abandonment of moral responsibility", NSW District Court Judge David Arnott said on Wednesday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”K7O46HG2UFEYPLADFIDYBNHMRA”,”content”:”

He had been more worried about the money he lost by crashing his brand new car than the wellbeing of the occupants of the other car, which he walked past as he left the scene.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”Y3WLCJ6YTRB75LYQZL2BSFODGQ”,”content”:”

"His failure to stop and assist can only be described as serious and callous," Judge Arnott said.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”7E2ZTIO2PNBGBBAKCXMSP7NROM”,”content”:”

"There is no doubt that self-preservation and self-interest were key factors in his decision to flee the scene."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”AWLTDN74DRBWXI7YNIERLTSTBQ”,”content”:”

While Kokozian had shown no remorse in the aftermath of the crash, the judge found he now experienced "overwhelming guilt".

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”Z32HUIJZNZBZTKN2QU6NPPESIU”,”content”:”

Initially charged with manslaughter, he eventually pleaded guilty to two counts of aggravated dangerous driving occasioning death and two counts of failing to assist after a fatal impact.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”M5VXYWIRXFCNRBTUOOKUOTXEVI”,”content”:”

He was jailed for nine years, with a minimum of six years and six months.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”FDLIICX33JEB7NXD5WYBCYE33Q”,”content”:”

The victim's mother looked upset as the decision was handed down.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”SQBS4TVA5JEYHG7T7STCOWR6AM”,”content”:”

Angelina Kauffman has continuously advocated for justice for her two children in the lengthy legal process.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”V6NU55SQ5VFRHCLYRNY263CNQQ”,”content”:”

She was overcome with emotion when she exited the courthouse, wearing a jumper bearing a photo of her children.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”DOUAFR5GG5DEXEWVXB36722BHE”,”content”:”

"There is no justice," she said through sobs.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”2CG2A4GZG5HDZEFN4IZ6PGEKBM”,”content”:”

"My kids' lives mean nothing to the court."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”4JJ4LL3BJNCHVETLYUSCCUPQKQ”,”content”:”

Kauffman, who wore a jumper emblazoned with a photo of her children, has continuously advocated for justice for her two children during the lengthy legal process.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”F3WQPYQGXVHHPNB4NQLIOUWAKE”,”content”:”

She said the fact Kokozian could be released on parole in three years was unjust.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5QZU6Z7WEFAWRCP6R4ECHGZVOA”,”content”:”

"This man gets to go out and live his life," Kauffman said.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”WFPQGI37ANE45AF5ADFOPDYNLI”,”content”:”

"My kids are in the ground."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”F6S4GYNBZFDSXBCFW65BCQEQUQ”,”content”:”

Despite feeling as if her soul had been ripped out for a second time, the grieving mother said she would continue to push for change in her children's names.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”STC7NFP6NRHX7FPB4GCBOLZKH4″,”content”:”

"I'll never give up," she vowed.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”4425JGMPZZH7XHCE3ZBNZU7MTU”,”content”:”

She gathered more than 20,000 signatures on a petition requesting the NSW parliament consider increasing the maximum penalties for serious road crimes.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”6RLMIF266VHWZIFMASNB3KD3FU”,”content”:”

A subsequent Law Reform Commission review handed down in February 2025 found penalties for serious road crimes were appropriate and higher maximum penalties were unlikely to do more to deter offending.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”TFTUWPKQ6VEFLAKXKF4EBHMIQA”,”content”:”

A new vehicular manslaughter offence should not be introduced because it was unnecessary and could cause confusion, the review determined.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”3LOLXUFQBJGVPFHU5V4NVLQRRY”,”content”:”

Kokozian's sentencing marks the culmination of an investigation that ensnared his girlfriend, friends, and family.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”QT3WRUZHCNE2XK2QJ4GWE4U6JE”,”content”:”

His father Kagadour Hanna Kokozian, 63, pleaded guilty in 2025 to trying to conceal the deadly crash and hindering a police investigation.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”456LEFYPRZGJPD2IEP7RCY4FMU”,”content”:”

After his son told him he had been driving, the elder Kokozian called police to report his son's car as stolen.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”Z4PRWHOJGBBVDNW3Q6BOTDIP7U”,”content”:”

He will be sentenced at a later date.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”7FZSWC4PR5EL5EYCOSMCQ5K3WI”,”content”:”

Kokozian's passenger in the Mercedes, Cruz Pamoana Davis-Tuka, received a 15-month intensive corrections order in 2025 for his role in concealing the crash and hindering police.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”YTQYG5WRWVHVFL6EHKGQS6RJXU”,”content”:”

But Kokozian's girlfriend Tiana Savignano, 24, will contest the same charges in the NSW District Court this year after pleading not guilty.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5EYK2ZXJMBEZFMPL6W7HECIZ6M”,”content”:”

Kauffman said she had high hopes for a strong penalty after the proceedings were dragged out for so long but she had been shocked by the driver's sentence.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”BNHRV6JJQ5C6DFAYECVHWM22TM”,”content”:”

"This is a joke," she said.

“,”type”:”text”}],”description”:{“basic”:”Johnson Kokozian, 23, was more concerned about his uninsured luxury car, proclaiming flipping the car meant $359,730 was gone. “},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T05:10:12.193Z”,”distributor”:{“name”:”AAP”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”aap”,”reference_id”:”2f8be219-c8f1-4fca-b88c-315492223a89″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”headlines”:{“basic”:”Mourning mum sobs as ‘callous’ driver jailed for Sydney crash”},”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“_id”:”CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”driver.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg?auth=575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436&width=300″,”version”:2,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”auth”:{“1″:”575e5b77e4b2df796a990230b0788c89185e5c6e1d54faba69bab31f25d90436″},”caption”:”Johnson Kokozian. (Source: Facebook)”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Supplied”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:315,”y”:160},”height”:404,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:55:50Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CMLUBHEIGBDIPIRIUKXJBHVEVE.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:720,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T04:54:26.237Z”}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T06:55:54.974Z”,”subtype”:””,”taxonomy”:{“tags”:[{“description”:”Crime and Justice”,”slug”:”crime-and-justice”,”text”:”Crime and Justice”},{“description”:”Australia”,”slug”:”australia”,”text”:”Australia”}]},”type”:”story”,”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_section”:{“_id”:”/world”,”_website”:”1-news”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″,”name”:”World”,”description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”path”:”/world”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“_id”:”/world”,”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“site_tagline”:null,”site_title”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_description”:”World News | Daily and Breaking International News from 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_keywords”:”world, world news, breaking, international news, 1 News, tvnz”,”site_url”:null},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”instagram”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/world”]},”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”World”,”order”:{“hamburger-menu”:1003,”default”:1003,”mobile-app”:1004,”site”:1004,”web”:1004,”circulate”:1002,”categories”:1011},”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./world”},”website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/mourning-mum-sobs-as-callous-driver-jailed-for-sydney-crash/”}},”_id”:”HU7FAHTONBFKTC4BGTEWEYP7HU”,”additional_properties”:{“requestedUrl”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/mourning-mum-sobs-as-callous-driver-jailed-for-sydney-crash/”}},{“canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/cause-of-massive-tongariro-national-park-fires-revealed/”,”content_elements”:[{“_id”:”RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”580069327_1161399789514748_2316513645861810527_n.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746&width=300″,”version”:1,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-11-12T21:38:41.633Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Scorched earth and tracks pictured after a wildfire in Tongariro National Park.”,”auth”:{“1″:”c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″},”caption”:”Scorched earth and tracks pictured after a wildfire in Tongariro National Park.”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:15:47Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Department of Conservation”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”height”:864,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T04:15:47Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Scorched earth and tracks pictured after a wildfire in Tongariro National Park.”,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1536},{“_id”:”YA6KVYQ6DNFOPNATYK3QPKIQ6I”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”A vehicle losing its rear wheel and dragging its undercarriage along the road sparked ae fire which swept through 3000 hectares of Tongariro National Park in November.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”N3EMPDEGHRCIXA5HPZ2UY2DLP4″,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”By Robin Martin of RNZ“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”SD5H22XTTVG3JHL6CPUWO2IITU”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”A fire investigation report released under the Official Information Act describes witnesses seeing a vehicle with no left rear-wheel being pushed on State Highway 47 by three people.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”BCKGDIS6KZEUHG53ECI7S3SAKE”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”About 50m away a fire was quickly growing which a member of the public called in just after 3pm, November 8 last year.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”QBU2U5XAVVBQVG3KG7UKUY2UQQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”The fire size was noted at around the size of two cars and quickly grew to as big as a house, with flames up to 2.5m tall, then very rapidly, by three-to-five minutes, it was the size of a large farm implement shed,\” specialist wildfire fire investigator Grant Detheridge-Davies said in his report.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5RXISCCIUFH5HHTCYGEPLB2DOA”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”After the 111 call was terminated, it was estimated the fire to be almost a football field in size.\””,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”OEVK6UYFIJB4DCWJPL5PG2WVQI”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”The vehicle in question was discovered parked in a layby on the opposite side of the road, hidden from sight, about 400m from the specific fire origin area.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”ZTWO4ZKZTFDKBJTFIVY3JLWL4E”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”When found the vehicle did have four wheels fitted however the left-hand rear wheel was not fitted correctly and there was significant damage to the underside of the vehicle.\””,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”IBYFFGWYIBCZZFZTTSKB2MJXJI”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6384977348112″,”id”:”2776571″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2776571″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/8fe852b0-bf7d-11f0-bb3e-addcaa754ea9″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”KDL6BS5YXFENVDU3BFDWLVD45Y”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Detheridge-Davies said inspection of the road showed marks consistent with an item being dragged across the surface from about 60m before the specific fire origin area and then on for approximately 320m.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5QMPLJ4CMRBNXHSPDE4ZACHOUU”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”The use of a magnet and metal detector confirmed the presence of metal filings and steel pieces in and around these drag marks, most showing they had been subjected to high temperature.\””,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”WETE77X4Y5CHHAZVJ2SJDQLCNE”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Based on physical evidence gathered at the scene, witness statements and photographs, Detheridge-Davies concluded the probable cause of the blaze was the \”wheel, contacting the road surface creating hot metal sparks setting roadside vegetation on fire\”.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”66DCFH6WYFEPZME6SXLWM3QPLE”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”The specific ignition area of the fire was narrowed down to the edge of a drain on the side of SH47 where \”dry tussock vegetation and rubbish had built up\”.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”I2WCINRAGRHBHBK6GRBHYBXXHI”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Detheridge-Davies said once the grass was ignited the fire spread quickly to other dry fuels.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”GC3BM3SCNZFH5CYYEPMGYYQQGQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”On the day of the fire, scrub fuels had an extreme fire rating. This along with a 15km/h wind recorded at National Park enabled the fire to increase in intensity and rate of spread, becoming a high intensity and fast-moving fire.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KQOPKDAY3JC2LO3HRH2OFHEUXQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”A witness described the fire as the size of a car, but quickly spread to the size of two rugby fields by the time the brigade arrived.\””,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”XEB3ONLMPJF6PEUFVQPG5RDVCI”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Detheridge-Davies concluded the fire was accidental.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”IVTWPNCK45G4BJIYGXLSFYJ67E”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Second fire sparked by caravan breaking axle”,”level”:2,”type”:”header”},{“_id”:”RDOKCOGSHZFIVPXGWPHNNUUG2Q”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6386180465112″,”id”:”2777538″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2777538″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/04c91b00-d3e7-11f0-9106-930493c92453″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”RGFJJJINZZHGZP2NYDSP264YMA”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Remarkably, documents show a second fire was sparked in the same area in similar circumstances just 30 days later.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”VVT4PWVQHVF23NYHAVJKMJMTHI”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”A second fire investigation report released under the Official Information Act describes how a caravan breaking an axle sparked a 300ha fire on December 8.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KFH3VOEV75D43GSZ6THS5NFOL4″,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Also penned by Detheridge-Davies it said FENZ received a 111 call to several vegetation fires on Volcanic Loop Highway SH47 at 1.10pm.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”TAUB6MH2U5A7LGMHKVAYUWB53A”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”An overflying helicopter reported the fire as over an 1/2-hectare in size and growing. Due to fire conditions a 3rd alarm [was raised] and a request for three helicopters was transmitted.\””,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”PKNSXCFUXVETZJC6SGVK4MSUKY”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Motorists travelling north on SH47, between State Highway 48 and Mangapopo reported seeing a camper van towing a trailer travelling South towards Waimarino, \”the towed trailer was emitting large number of sparks onto the side road from what appeared to be a major mechanical fault\”.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”ZB2RPSB5ZZG3DMYE7ABZLK35XU”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6386176261112″,”id”:”2777536″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2777536″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/04cb16d0-d3e7-11f0-9106-930493c92453″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”YQLBAOGHAFBLDGJ3L3BDXOV5PU”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”A motorist who saw smoke and came across a number of fires on the roadside called 111.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”ZVYKXDWHERCLZEAJDMPD2TN5WU”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”The first arriving Fire and Emergency appliance and passing police officers confirmed at least four fires started on the roadside over about 850m.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”E3BJIYB5YRHLTFOLJOMFKIZFFU”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Once tussock on the side of the road was ignited the fires grew quickly and merged.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”NDJLNSGSYRCPNLBONA7QLBGCHI”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”Detheridge-Davies concluded the fire was sparked accidentally.”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”MJQHFEWQTVCQDCBAFR2KX2GIYU”,”additional_properties”:{},”content”:”\”The probable cause of the fire was a trailer being towed by a camper van having a flat tyre then breaking an axle, resulting in the underside of the trailer contacting the road surface creating hot metal sparks setting roadside vegetation on fire.\””,”type”:”text”}],”description”:{“basic”:”Two blazes were sparked in the same area under similar circumstances, according to documents released under the Official Information Act.”},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T04:15:42.546Z”,”distributor”:{“name”:”rnz.co.nz”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”rnz”,”reference_id”:”e1b95f2d-4b70-4554-abb5-e24c115cc2bd”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”headlines”:{“basic”:”Cause of massive Tongariro National Park fires revealed”},”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“_id”:”RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”580069327_1161399789514748_2316513645861810527_n.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg?auth=c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746&width=300″,”version”:1,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-11-12T21:38:41.633Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Scorched earth and tracks pictured after a wildfire in Tongariro National Park.”,”auth”:{“1″:”c1034af75634b0b099f314d336161723102c0ba1870f82e54f44096d6ac86746″},”caption”:”Scorched earth and tracks pictured after a wildfire in Tongariro National Park.”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T04:15:47Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Department of Conservation”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”height”:864,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T04:15:47Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Scorched earth and tracks pictured after a wildfire in Tongariro National Park.”,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RT7HPRQVZRFRZGTPDH3Y33IDQI.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1536}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T04:53:15.013Z”,”related_content”:{“basic”:[{“_id”:”PL5YOPAWCNDBJG6YE45S7WKQNY”,”referent”:{“id”:”PL5YOPAWCNDBJG6YE45S7WKQNY”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”},{“_id”:”LIBBHKK2KFEY3KCW2ABUBMXX2E”,”referent”:{“id”:”LIBBHKK2KFEY3KCW2ABUBMXX2E”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”}],”redirect”:[]},”subtype”:””,”taxonomy”:{“tags”:[{“description”:”Wildfires”,”slug”:”wildfires”,”text”:”Wildfires”}]},”type”:”story”,”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_section”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”_website”:”1-news”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“site_tagline”:null,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_url”:null},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”instagram”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”order”:{“hamburger-menu”:1001,”default”:1001,”mobile-app”:1003,”site”:1003,”web”:1003,”circulate”:1001,”categories”:1012},”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”},”website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/cause-of-massive-tongariro-national-park-fires-revealed/”}},”_id”:”F4G7ZXKD3BGF7POOV4ZXNAI5I4″,”additional_properties”:{“requestedUrl”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/cause-of-massive-tongariro-national-park-fires-revealed/”}},{“canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/mobile-speed-cameras-rules-on-where-they-can-park-up-revealed/”,”content_elements”:[{“_id”:”37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”image004 (1).jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df&width=300″,”version”:3,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-09-15T23:39:05.494Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”A camera equipped trailer.”,”auth”:{“1″:”15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”},”caption”:”A camera equipped trailer.”,”created_date”:”2025-09-15T23:39:05Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: NZTA”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:563,”y”:223},”height”:608,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-23T19:35:32Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1083,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-09-15T23:39:05.494Z”},{“_id”:”NKZIZBDFBFEPVJZLHRWNCQK5HE”,”content”:”

Mobile speed camera operators must follow a strict rulebook that bans them from dozens of common roadside locations, newly released documents show.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”UXH54W3ZTBEFRJWKQVEERYNKQ4″,”content”:”

The material, released by the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) under the Official Information Act, details the criteria operators must meet before deploying a camera SUV or trailer.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”DXCNI7GLQFCRDOARWLTZ4O6TVE”,”content”:”

NZTA took over the operation of mobile safety cameras from police in 2025, with SUVs deployed in May and trailer units in September.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”ANRMAGL4ANCS7D3QMMSA7H4PXA”,”content”:”

Operators cannot simply pull over anywhere. Before a location is approved, it must pass a series of safety and visibility checks — including reconnaissance via Google Street View.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”Q5Q2P2N2WJBYTMI2XB4JNL6PJE”,”content”:”

The camera vehicle or trailer must be legally parked, clearly visible from the road, and positioned so the operator could safely set up and leave the vehicle without stepping into live traffic.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”3SV2GLA2ORE7DBLZ7N3BQGVATI”,”content”:”

Driveways, footpaths, cycle lanes, and live traffic lanes must all remain unobstructed.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”AFWQUIRLLJHPJOFTTSC6VCX77E”,”content”:”

There are also exclusion zones to consider. Cameras cannot be deployed within 250 metres of the end of a passing lane, or where the speed limit decreases. Road shoulders and time-limited parking areas require prior clearance from the relevant road controlling authority.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5XO4W4F5QZGLDKEFCYX4KKHURA”,”content”:”

When trailers are used, the rules go a step further — surrounding vehicles must be prevented from parking behind the trailer for at least 13 metres on-road, and even further in off-road settings.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”2RPLELSHIVH2LL4MKTPTJJST4E”,”content”:”On private property”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”4PFRIQRRDFCCDLWJNQV42K6QXM”,”content”:”

Mobile cameras can operate on private property, such as car parks or driveways, but only with the landowner's explicit permission — and that consent must be formally recorded as part of the site approval process.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M.jpg?auth=80d1e59a369f5e1f8a78e1577e03e0853e1fda53da781807c5327eb176e598eb”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”originalName”:”SUV”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M.jpg?auth=80d1e59a369f5e1f8a78e1577e03e0853e1fda53da781807c5327eb176e598eb”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M.jpg?auth=80d1e59a369f5e1f8a78e1577e03e0853e1fda53da781807c5327eb176e598eb”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M.jpg?auth=80d1e59a369f5e1f8a78e1577e03e0853e1fda53da781807c5327eb176e598eb&width=300″,”version”:3,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-05-14T02:06:07.153Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”One of the speed camera equipped SUVs. “,”auth”:{“1″:”80d1e59a369f5e1f8a78e1577e03e0853e1fda53da781807c5327eb176e598eb”},”caption”:”One of the speed camera equipped SUVs. “,”created_date”:”2025-05-14T02:06:07Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: NZTA”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”dc3164c3-059d-420a-87c9-9ba57753b890″},”focal_point”:{“x”:495,”y”:265},”height”:673,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-23T19:35:32Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Other”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”One of the speed camera equipped SUVs. “,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/R7QN3L7CORFYZJ3HQS4OFV2X4M.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1028,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-05-14T02:06:07.153Z”},{“_id”:”VBXGDJ3B2ZDJTLNVPMSVONAFNA”,”content”:”

NZTA head of driving regulation Chris Rodley said mobile safety cameras reduce deaths and serious injuries because they discourage speeding everywhere.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”ADGUKIZAEVEMNLNUDMS4SPYFV4″,”content”:”

"We call this ‘general deterrence’ and that’s why we deploy them nationwide ‘anytime, anywhere'," he said.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”7NJ53FXFRNAELMBMSVYMMP4R3Q”,”content”:”

Deployment locations are drawn from two sources: data identifying high-risk sites, and nominations from communities and road safety partners.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5SBIPTZ6LNG6DI2C7S7WNP5A7I”,”content”:”

Rodley said this combination gives the programme the flexibility to respond to emerging risks that might not yet show up in crash data.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”HYXDQLY53JHFFJGDILOG6MROB4″,”content”:”

"For example, where speeding is more or less of an issue at certain times of the day or year, or where there is an emerging risk, not yet appearing in historical data."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”WP6F74WQH5GALLZCDMELZZO52M”,”content”:”

NZTA does not receive any incentives or funds from tickets issued, with safety camera infringement fees going into the Government Consolidated Fund, the government's main bank account.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”ZINXMZS2PBFW5MIP4H22IM2HFE”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6391472354112″,”id”:”2782495″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2782495″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/a3cb9990-26ed-11f1-bb65-b967142b5001″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”}],”description”:{“basic”:”Documents reveal the strict checklist operators must follow before deploying a camera vehicle or trailer – and the locations where they’re banned.”},”display_date”:”2026-03-23T17:00:23.859Z”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”headlines”:{“basic”:”Mobile speed cameras: Rules on where they can park up revealed”},”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“_id”:”37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”image004 (1).jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg?auth=15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df&width=300″,”version”:3,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-09-15T23:39:05.494Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”A camera equipped trailer.”,”auth”:{“1″:”15094c20c3ef388e6a68880a648a205e7af83b810aabaa9fabdaa6b5bef419df”},”caption”:”A camera equipped trailer.”,”created_date”:”2025-09-15T23:39:05Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: NZTA”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:563,”y”:223},”height”:608,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-23T19:35:32Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/37OWG5SIKZD5ZNBMIR6BZLR5RM.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1083,”firstPublishedDate”:”2025-09-15T23:39:05.494Z”}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-23T19:35:34.695Z”,”subtype”:””,”taxonomy”:{“tags”:[{“description”:”Transport”,”slug”:”transport”,”text”:”Transport”},{“description”:”Crime and Justice”,”slug”:”crime-and-justice”,”text”:”Crime and Justice”},{“description”:”1News Recommends”,”slug”:”1news-recommends”,”text”:”1News Recommends”}]},”type”:”story”,”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_section”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”_website”:”1-news”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“site_tagline”:null,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_url”:null},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”instagram”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”order”:{“hamburger-menu”:1001,”default”:1001,”mobile-app”:1003,”site”:1003,”web”:1003,”circulate”:1001,”categories”:1012},”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”},”website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/mobile-speed-cameras-rules-on-where-they-can-park-up-revealed/”}},”_id”:”YPICUYEBXZE37MKSEA74MDWBJA”,”additional_properties”:{“requestedUrl”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/24/mobile-speed-cameras-rules-on-where-they-can-park-up-revealed/”}},{“canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/threat-to-life-heavy-rain-in-north-make-sure-you-have-a-plan/”,”content_elements”:[{“_id”:”X573J7UEIZDXFKUHEGWQ6HIMLA”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6391607007112″,”id”:”2782631″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2782631″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782631″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”C2SDKW5QUJCPPHKLC5XD3MWLBA”,”content”:”

A red heavy rain warning has been issued for parts of Northland from this afternoon, with up to 320mm of rain forecast to lash the region.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”MGUAGIVN6VAXJKIS577CPSNUT4″,”content”:”

The escalation to a red warning comes as a deep area of low pressure from the sub-tropics approaches the country. In addition to the heavy rain, MetService said this was likely to be a multi-hazard event spanning several days with heavy rain, strong winds and large waves expected. 

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI.jpg?auth=0305f87fff1468e0c426a317ccbf435aa6a5d955cc18009fcd27f95ca9f284ce”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”updated_redwarnings.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI.jpg?auth=0305f87fff1468e0c426a317ccbf435aa6a5d955cc18009fcd27f95ca9f284ce”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI.jpg?auth=0305f87fff1468e0c426a317ccbf435aa6a5d955cc18009fcd27f95ca9f284ce”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI.jpg?auth=0305f87fff1468e0c426a317ccbf435aa6a5d955cc18009fcd27f95ca9f284ce&width=300″,”version”:20,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T21:27:10.4Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”MetService urges everyone to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and severe weather information.”,”auth”:{“1″:”0305f87fff1468e0c426a317ccbf435aa6a5d955cc18009fcd27f95ca9f284ce”},”caption”:”MetService urges everyone to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and severe weather information.”,”created_date”:”2026-03-24T21:27:10Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: MetService”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”771982d5-5219-4e2a-ae8c-98de5acc01cd”},”focal_point”:{“x”:1037,”y”:150},”height”:1080,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:31:22Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Supplied”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”MetService urges everyone to stay up to date with the latest forecasts and severe weather information.”,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/CVHK5OUDU5C35BIRBCHNNCCNLI.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1920,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T21:27:10.4Z”},{“_id”:”JDPN67DFYBCIVIBZ27WJ7JETFU”,”content”:”

Shortly after 10am, the forecaster issued a red heavy rain warning – the highest level alert – for Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei from 4pm today into Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KRPKK35ZNFGYDJQEKO4BAYAJ7M”,”content”:”

"Expect 270 to 320 mm of rain. Peaks rates initially 15 to 25 mm/h, but increasing to 25 to 40 mm/h and possibly greater from Thursday afternoon through to early Friday morning.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”LGXYRDQQTNCYPNO4LROKVLX6LA”,”content”:”

Thunderstorms were also possible from Thursday afternoon.

“,”type”:”text”},{“type”:”oembed_response”,”subtype”:”twitter”,”_id”:”3724ONB6LJAUFMKXFZRL7LNAQM”,”raw_oembed”:{“url”:”https://twitter.com/MetService/status/2036518271198044456″,”author_name”:”MetService NZ”,”author_url”:”https://twitter.com/MetService”,”html”:”

🌧️ Rain has started to fall, with much more to come 🌧️
⚠️ Northland has a high risk of being upgraded to a Red Rain Warning. We will post any updates to watches and warnings here or you can visit https://t.co/HZ2TSD5rV7 pic.twitter.com/uCmbGySfCU

— MetService NZ (@MetService) March 24, 2026\n\n\n”,”width”:550,”height”:null,”type”:”twitter”,”cache_age”:”3153600000″,”provider_name”:”Twitter”,”provider_url”:”https://twitter.com”,”version”:”1.0″,”_id”:”https://x.com/MetService/status/2036518271198044456″,”additional_properties”:{}},”referent”:{“id”:”https://x.com/MetService/status/2036518271198044456″,”provider”:”https://publish.twitter.com/oembed?url=”,”referent_properties”:{“additional_properties”:{}},”service”:”oembed”,”type”:”twitter”}},{“_id”:”AASMRHFNUZGUVIJ7TS3FSUHQCA”,”content”:”

Red warnings were reserved for the most extreme weather events, where significant impacts and disruption were expected.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”GUS6PQNSTVBTPHAJCVTPGTW7D4″,”content”:”

This alert level signified that people "need to act now as immediate action is required to protect people, animals and property from the impact of the weather," said MetService meteorologist John Law.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”EUZTQEGD4NANPFHR343D5HWLZA”,”content”:”

"People should also be prepared to follow the advice of official authorities and emergency services."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”44RFKZ6TGZET7BETQMO5C3F75U”,”content”:””,”type”:”raw_html”},{“_id”:”OJZ4POPI4RCC3HOIDXKROVFMSI”,”content”:”

Shortly after 7pm on Wednesday, electricity provider Top Energy was reporting power was out for hundreds of households in the upper Far North. The outages affected large swathes of areas from Ngataki to Cape Reinga.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE.jpg?auth=33c341ba550723e205b7b45db0f2ddae359eb5b95f568e2c21d791ef344e9cb8″,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”originalName”:”Top_Energy_2503.jpg”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE.jpg?auth=33c341ba550723e205b7b45db0f2ddae359eb5b95f568e2c21d791ef344e9cb8″,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE.jpg?auth=33c341ba550723e205b7b45db0f2ddae359eb5b95f568e2c21d791ef344e9cb8″,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE.jpg?auth=33c341ba550723e205b7b45db0f2ddae359eb5b95f568e2c21d791ef344e9cb8&width=300″,”version”:1,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T06:30:29.864Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Top Energy outages in the Far North.”,”auth”:{“1″:”33c341ba550723e205b7b45db0f2ddae359eb5b95f568e2c21d791ef344e9cb8″},”caption”:”Top Energy outages in the Far North.”,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:31:23Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Top Energy”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”dc3164c3-059d-420a-87c9-9ba57753b890″},”height”:612,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:31:23Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”Other”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Top Energy outages in the Far North.”,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/6FMHJMQLCFFDZFQBSLULQP6SVE.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1088},{“_id”:”LN4LHXV6FZAZFAVVFJ2TVT3ZEA”,”content”:”

This is the third red warning that MetService had issued this year, and it marks the 22nd red weather event since the highest alert level was introduced back in May 2019.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”D4OXJU2BD5DRDDA7CDOAXHCYL4″,”content”:”

Severe weather was also expected across the country, with various watches and warnings in place for the remainder of Northland, Coromandel, Waikato, western Bay of Plenty, the top of the South Island and through to parts of North Otago and South Canterbury.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”6E3DJEO3LVGP3HVV7CS6MZL4IY”,”content”:”

In addition, MetService said the combination of heavy rain, powerful onshore winds, and moderate to heavy swell means that coastal areas in eastern Northland will be one to keep a close eye on Wednesday and Thursday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”UVH334DZCBFRJNGQTMYJFYA5GY”,”content”:”Residents warned to leave if feeling unsafe”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”AOMJP3RTIRCRLHJ7R4H4EQ7HXE”,”content”:”

Residents in Oakura and Whangaruru were told to leave today if they felt unsafe as an access road would be closing.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”XOFWX3RLWBECNFWSJKMOYLXQ4U”,”content”:”

The Whangārei District Council said in a statement: "People whose homes were impacted by flooding and land slips in the January weather event, who don’t feel safe, are advised to leave today to a safe location either with family and friends or to a local marae.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”VM3QYDAGLNC5BJOGZZO5UGZ2OM”,”content”:”

"We are advising people to leave today, ideally during daylight hours."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”TMNM5IZW5ZADXLRCWEZOGKSO7Q”,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6391608253112″,”id”:”2782632″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2782632″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782632″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”},{“_id”:”NCWOO3FPHVA67BVTMRPOL3ZLE4″,”content”:”

Pilot convoy services had been operating on Kaiikanui Rd since the weather event in January, but the council said this may not be available when the worst of the new weather event was expected.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”IMPRMHGZ3RGGVPQRYHEI5BMBWY”,”content”:”

"There is a possibility that there will be no pilot service on Kaiikanui Rd on Friday 27 March, depending on warning levels and weather impacts. We will update your community as the weather system moves through our district.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”HQ34ABZCIVG7ZPM7LS6B5TJMLM”,”content”:”

"If you must travel on Kaiikanui Rd during this weather event, take extreme care, travel during daylight hours if possible and keep your speed below 30km. If you can, take the alternative route out via Opua."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”2RNI33LTXRCNNIVXV6ZTF7F77U”,”content”:”'Make sure you have a plan'”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”SB54JWDXLBETPGB32GUSQYID6E”,”content”:”

On Wednesday evening, Northland Civil Defence group controller Damien Rio notified residents that marae were being opened up to take residents who were feeling unsafe in their homes.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”OQPU7BQGGBBZRPIHXSH7H7JUUQ”,”content”:”

"If you live in a flood-prone area, or in an area recently affected by landslides, make sure you have a plan for where you’ll go if you needed to evacuate – friends or whānau are the best first option," he said.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”QKZYHCUZXNGYBM67TL6LIO7TCQ”,”content”:”

"We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely and keep you updated. Stay safe, look out for each other."

“,”type”:”text”},{“type”:”oembed_response”,”subtype”:”facebook”,”_id”:”A3LWAWB3H5GL5PB7OB46H4NL4Q”,”raw_oembed”:{“provider_url”:”https://www.facebook.com”,”provider_name”:”Facebook”,”html”:”\n”,”type”:”facebook”,”version”:”1.0″,”width”:552,”_id”:”https://www.facebook.com/reel/1951072792163109″,”additional_properties”:{}},”referent”:{“id”:”https://www.facebook.com/reel/1951072792163109″,”provider”:”https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post/oembed.json/?url=”,”referent_properties”:{“additional_properties”:{}},”service”:”oembed”,”type”:”facebook”}},{“_id”:”JEUHPQCL3FDFJN2W2COW5JGQ2U”,”content”:”Strong winds for Northland, Auckland and Great Barrier”,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”YT7RSSX2F5BKDDUUGLF4PAKMJY”,”content”:”

Strong to gale-force winds would also be generated as the weather system moves closer to New Zealand, with gusts of 120km/h possible in the most exposed regions.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI.jpg?auth=2ce3c7e38b09f7ee48cdd0c79f7a313e7d1dc72e959f3bd5d9ece2778aa0901c”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”originalName”:”harbour_bridge_wind_fileimage_ero”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI.jpg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI.jpg?auth=2ce3c7e38b09f7ee48cdd0c79f7a313e7d1dc72e959f3bd5d9ece2778aa0901c”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI.jpg?auth=2ce3c7e38b09f7ee48cdd0c79f7a313e7d1dc72e959f3bd5d9ece2778aa0901c”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI.jpg?auth=2ce3c7e38b09f7ee48cdd0c79f7a313e7d1dc72e959f3bd5d9ece2778aa0901c&width=300″,”version”:16,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T00:02:31.288Z”},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”Auckland Harbour bridge pictured on a windy day. (File image). “,”auth”:{“1″:”2ce3c7e38b09f7ee48cdd0c79f7a313e7d1dc72e959f3bd5d9ece2778aa0901c”},”caption”:”Auckland Harbour bridge pictured on a windy day. (File image). “,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T00:02:31Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 1News”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”height”:632,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:31:22Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”1News”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Auckland Harbour bridge pictured on a windy day. (File image). “,”taxonomy”:{},”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/VKX5URVKRBEGDI7HIGXQ7AP4AI.jpg”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1024,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-25T00:02:31.288Z”},{“_id”:”QP7WUKCLTBH3PNNPX7WSD3U2AE”,”content”:”

In Auckland, New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said road users should expect the weather to impact travel across the Auckland Harbour Bridge.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”CAPOEUEL6FF7VJRHYHOMZ5CZFI”,”content”:”

The strongest gusts were expected to hit from Thursday into Friday, which "may force lane closures and additional short periods of full closure to ensure safety". NZTA said the strongest wind was expected to hit from 8am tomorrow, Thursday, March 26, through to 1am on Friday, March 27, with some gusts reaching up to 120km/h.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”QVTKSXR6GRA6DKK4Q6VFABJRAI”,”content”:”

Drivers of high-sided vehicles and motorcyclists were advised to avoid the bridge and use the western ring route on State Highways 16 and 18.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”QBOS4VYC6RCVFOVFJZX44RML2U”,”content”:”

"All drivers are reminded to drive to the conditions and pay attention to electronic message boards on the motorway, which will advise of any lane closures and speed limit reductions."

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”YHC3GGKY3VH57FFB4MHT2DJVKY”,”content”:”Full list of watches and warnings “,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”PRIJBEOZABFWBBI5NVOY5WSMUU”,”content”:”

Heavy Rain Warning – Red

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”73WYEUXNGFB75L7KRVSHVXAIMQ”,”content”:”

Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei– 36 hours from 4pm today to 4am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”3ZK5YL3PDVFIRCFDKW5SFGKTO4″,”content”:”

Heavy Rain Warning – Orange

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”AXBLQTSQTVD4DNFUSGLSQSEQYM”,”content”:”

Remainder of Northland not under a red warning – 36 hours from 4pm today to 4am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”WQFCV6J3S5BHFNNLPXGTRNZDXI”,”content”:”

Great Barrier Island – 30 hours from 3am Thursday to 9am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”T2YCP4OKSVBWHFVB4V4QD24W4U”,”content”:”

Auckland from Whangaparāoa northwards – 30 hours from 3am Thursday to 9am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KKICFNPQGNBXFLRXEHQ64VZFSM”,”content”:”

Coromandel Peninsula – 36 hours from 6am Thursday to 6pm Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”KLM7FG6XN5AR5BMU3ZDHOL7RCU”,”content”:”

Bay of Plenty west of Whakatāne –42 hours from 9am Thursday to 3am Saturday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”I2IWABJA5FETTBQE2EDJ6272X4″,”content”:”

Tasman west of Motueka – 26 hours from 10am Thursday to noon Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”W4UEM2C5CZHF3OKML7U5PMRV74″,”content”:”

Richmond and Bryant Ranges – 18 hours from 6pm Thursday to noon Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”OGMMOCVF4ZGGJPZUTZJAJ2JFBU”,”content”:”

Strong Wind Warning – Orange

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”5SS37FQG4BFPLHZ36HMTCIA2BU”,”content”:”

Northland – 26 hours from 9pm today to 11pm Thursday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”HJNL5QLXNFHGVMZJCIJLUURL6U”,”content”:”

Auckland and Great Barrier Island – 17 hours from 8am Thursday to 1am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”UGIYBJQIMZFH7J6II5JGGMKAI4″,”content”:”

Heavy Rain Watch

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”6FMSOABVLNCEFE4O2XFL3UBVEA”,”content”:”

Auckland south of Whangaparaoa – 33 hours from 3am Thursday to noon Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”2ZTE2DANQVC6ZNKVSYVNMWCD7M”,”content”:”

Taranaki Maunga – 27 hours from 9am Thursday to noon Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”LJBXGXSNLBCK5NQ5KW6BK4QLMM”,”content”:”

Areas of the Tasman District south of Nelson City and north of Saint Arnaud not under a warning – 24 hours from noon Thursday to noon Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”NRR5I7FTY5B5RJZXI23GMRJBE4″,”content”:”

The inland ranges of Marlborough west of the Seaward Kaikoura Range and south of Picton – 21 hours from 6pm Thursday to 3pm Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”H5QUD35PMVDAFL3PJCB3E76O3Y”,”content”:”

Ranges of the Westland District – 36 hours from 3pm Thursday to 3am Saturday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”UISPYINBPNDSZE6W7OSRJ6QJOE”,”content”:”

North Otago, also Canterbury south of Timaru and east of Twizel – 12 hours from 6pm Thursday to 6am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”OAFOJ644B5DVXAH5UBN5VWIZO4″,”content”:”

Strong Wind Watch

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”EA7F23ZCDZCRXMRGFBMNM7AKGU”,”content”:”

Banks Peninsula – 24 hours from 7pm Thursday to 7pm Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”W3CWFR2XN5D5VP37NIT65F33S4″,”content”:”

Coromandel Peninsula and Waikato – 23 hours from 9am Thursday to 8am Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”OT7ESQKFPVAMRNZPE45ZNAP7DM”,”content”:”

Taupō, Taumarunui, Taihape, Whanganui, South Taranaki – 24 hours from noon Thursday to noon Friday.

“,”type”:”text”},{“_id”:”GN7DVHJHIRASTA4MDB6BMW6BU4″,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“config”:{“brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″,”brightcoveVideoId”:”6391557765112″,”id”:”2782532″,”videoType”:”vod”},”id”:”2782532″,”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/2782532″},”subtype”:”video”,”type”:”custom_embed”}],”description”:{“basic”:”The forecaster issued a red heavy rain warning for Northland east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei from 4pm today. “},”display_date”:”2026-03-25T00:06:18.539Z”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”headlines”:{“basic”:”‘Threat to life’: Heavy rain in north ‘make sure you have a plan'”},”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“_id”:”33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU.png?auth=295657e579ce78eb63ba313ab8967cc5254f7bd34e52d291ccc6d0b058a9b73d”,”galleries”:[],”mime_type”:”application/octet-stream”,”originalName”:”WX_WED_1N_DIG_2503″,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU.png”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU.png?auth=295657e579ce78eb63ba313ab8967cc5254f7bd34e52d291ccc6d0b058a9b73d”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU.png?auth=295657e579ce78eb63ba313ab8967cc5254f7bd34e52d291ccc6d0b058a9b73d”,”restricted”:false,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU.png?auth=295657e579ce78eb63ba313ab8967cc5254f7bd34e52d291ccc6d0b058a9b73d&width=300″,”version”:1},”address”:{},”alt_text”:”MetService has issued a threat to life, red heavy rain warning, east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei. “,”auth”:{“1″:”295657e579ce78eb63ba313ab8967cc5254f7bd34e52d291ccc6d0b058a9b73d”},”caption”:”MetService has issued a threat to life, red heavy rain warning, east of Kaikohe from Doubtless Bay to Whangārei. “,”created_date”:”2026-03-25T06:12:11Z”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: 39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”},”focal_point”:{“x”:0,”y”:0},”height”:720,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-25T06:12:11Z”,”licensable”:false,”owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”source”:{“name”:”1News”,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”},”edit_url”:””,”system”:”photo center”},”subtitle”:”Northlanders warned to be ready to evacuate as weather bears down “,”type”:”image”,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/33UWJ7F65FEIREZMT4FLRCUXQU.png”,”version”:”0.10.9″,”width”:1280}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-25T06:31:28.115Z”,”related_content”:{“basic”:[{“_id”:”A4AKTN4E3NEK5KFTKKL24CMESU”,”referent”:{“id”:”A4AKTN4E3NEK5KFTKKL24CMESU”,”provider”:””,”type”:”story”},”type”:”reference”}],”redirect”:[]},”subtype”:””,”taxonomy”:{“tags”:[{“description”:”Weather News”,”slug”:”weather-news”,”text”:”Weather News”},{“description”:”Northland”,”slug”:”northland”,”text”:”Northland”}]},”type”:”story”,”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_section”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”_website”:”1-news”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″,”name”:”New Zealand”,”description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”path”:”/new-zealand”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“_id”:”/new-zealand”,”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“site_tagline”:null,”site_title”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_description”:”NZ News | Breaking New Zealand News from 1News”,”site_about”:null,”site_keywords”:”new-zealand, nz news, national, latest news, 1News”,”site_url”:null},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”instagram”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/new-zealand”]},”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”New Zealand”,”order”:{“hamburger-menu”:1001,”default”:1001,”mobile-app”:1003,”site”:1003,”web”:1003,”circulate”:1001,”categories”:1012},”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”footer”:null,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”footer”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”circulate”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./new-zealand”},”website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/threat-to-life-heavy-rain-in-north-make-sure-you-have-a-plan/”}},”_id”:”23EVEM2APNAA5E5LCH7RIIIJIA”,”additional_properties”:{“requestedUrl”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/threat-to-life-heavy-rain-in-north-make-sure-you-have-a-plan/”}}],”_id”:”236ae9548301d010ddec9be8c5662109c708c67e7c2e385e9a44f9fdd54a1df8″},”expires”:1774422137900,”lastModified”:1774421836956}},”section-module-stories”:{“{\”excludeUrlsString\”:\”\”,\”sectionId\”:\”/entertainment\”,\”size\”:6}”:{“data”:{“content_elements”:[{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″},”caption”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:2484,”y”:519},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”width”:5297,”_id”:”3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″,”originalName”:”AP26083072943935.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T20:51:47.366Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”height”:2980},{“_id”:”LTIYZ6QCU5C3FOC5PBDEUNH7MI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Sporting that Hannah Montana blonde hair and bangs, Miley Cyrus went back to her roots — celebrating 20 years of the TV show that launched the career of a real-life pop star.

“},{“_id”:”5EPA3LUXVVHX5IFGUK2MIXRYNI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Cyrus reunited with cast members of Hannah Montana in Los Angeles for the premiere of the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.

“},{“_id”:”YZKK724AGJFCJPDVDNPCNC56VA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Cyrus told The Associated Press that the milestone has given her a chance to see the character and series from "a new perspective". Cyrus, who began the Disney Channel show at age 13, played Miley Stewart, a tween and middle-schooler hiding her secret life as a famous pop singer.

“},{“_id”:”4FIM3OE7DRATVOWWDPIV6OO3BA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Getting to be on the outside now, getting to be grown and be a part of it in a way that I couldn’t when I was in the middle of it before, and all the chaos and the schedule and the performing of it all," Cyrus said, "now it just gets to be a celebration. So it is a new perspective. I love that".

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”7bf007a75d3787667aeb6124800fc4e121dc933f5a3d7afcec2e915776b5d863″},”caption”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”width”:4302,”_id”:”ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI.jpg?auth=7bf007a75d3787667aeb6124800fc4e121dc933f5a3d7afcec2e915776b5d863″,”originalName”:”AP26083070110958.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI.jpg?auth=7bf007a75d3787667aeb6124800fc4e121dc933f5a3d7afcec2e915776b5d863″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI.jpg?auth=7bf007a75d3787667aeb6124800fc4e121dc933f5a3d7afcec2e915776b5d863″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T20:51:47.430Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/ZPF7JNB5V5D6JB3JU2OESN72GI.jpg?auth=7bf007a75d3787667aeb6124800fc4e121dc933f5a3d7afcec2e915776b5d863&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”height”:2420},{“_id”:”BN6Q5EWIZNH6TEK4ST7HJBOJQY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The anniversary special, which started streaming on Disney+ and Hulu, celebrates 20 years since the show’s premiere. Filmed in front of a live audience, it features archival footage and is centred on an interview with Cyrus — now 33 and a genuine pop star — conducted by podcast host Alex Cooper.

“},{“_id”:”KPPN7LDWPFC65HJVLMSW5SQDOI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

It includes several musical numbers, starting with the series anthem The Best of Both Worlds and ending with a new song dedicated to Cyrus' younger self. It also includes appearances by friends and family members, including father Billy Ray Cyrus, with whom Miley Cyrus tries to recreate their handshake from the series. Selena Gomez, who played a rival, makes an appearance, as does singer-songwriter Chappell Roan, who speaks to Miley Cyrus' influence on her career.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”37438f0f10ff60867202d29892bb6e563b2fd3aa8a677edcfce5414684c57c70″},”caption”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”width”:5640,”_id”:”33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA.jpg?auth=37438f0f10ff60867202d29892bb6e563b2fd3aa8a677edcfce5414684c57c70″,”originalName”:”AP26083073078906.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA.jpg?auth=37438f0f10ff60867202d29892bb6e563b2fd3aa8a677edcfce5414684c57c70″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA.jpg?auth=37438f0f10ff60867202d29892bb6e563b2fd3aa8a677edcfce5414684c57c70″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T20:51:47.367Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/33CXSJD54ZBEFDZD4G57SCDFKA.jpg?auth=37438f0f10ff60867202d29892bb6e563b2fd3aa8a677edcfce5414684c57c70&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”height”:3173},{“_id”:”FPZN2RVUGZHSXGW45UMSMVPQDU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Addressing the audience at the premiere, Miley Cyrus paid tribute both to fellow cast members and fans. "Without you all, this show would have never been what it is, and I love saying what it is, not what it was," she said.

“},{“_id”:”NQPBQ57W7REWHDEM4GKONQDXAI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Tonight isn’t about looking back into the past, but it’s about what it means to us still tonight," she said.

“},{“_id”:”LYJ2TAUBB5HXVADB2M3QPCB4J4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Jason Earles, who played Miley’s brother Jackson, told the AP that watching the show now highlights how much time has passed.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”8cbb58789316cdc3607de49afcf072658270edeba835b0649024dbde368beef5″},”caption”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”width”:5836,”_id”:”FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I.jpg?auth=8cbb58789316cdc3607de49afcf072658270edeba835b0649024dbde368beef5″,”originalName”:”AP26083075695934.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I.jpg?auth=8cbb58789316cdc3607de49afcf072658270edeba835b0649024dbde368beef5″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I.jpg?auth=8cbb58789316cdc3607de49afcf072658270edeba835b0649024dbde368beef5″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T20:51:47.358Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FPBBEGCK5JDTLC7UQENUV6JM4I.jpg?auth=8cbb58789316cdc3607de49afcf072658270edeba835b0649024dbde368beef5&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”height”:3283},{“_id”:”SE6MQKY4E5EIVPW57WRX2NF4B4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“I think if you go back and you watch the episodes, there’s enough dated references like old flip phones and stuff that you go, 'Oh no, no, this show was a little while ago'," he said.

“},{“_id”:”QOZETGCF45H3LFRAOZWK2RNYH4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Cody Linley, who played Miley's on-and-off boyfriend Jake Ryan, reflected on the impact of portraying a teen heartthrob.

“},{“_id”:”NEQ34X6TSZCJDFR4EK4EFF6LSE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"It's hard to believe that there were girls that had pictures of me with my shirt off in their locker and they would have me sign it," Linley said. "And it's hard not to let it go to your head, because you have to remember that it’s an image that they are seeing. It’s not you."

“},{“_id”:”UXDUY42FUFDDVI5UR5L45ECRVQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Also attending the premiere was country singer Lainey Wilson, who recalled working as a Hannah Montana impersonator early in her career.

“},{“_id”:”CPSPKCXSVREGXJBOHT36TQ5H5Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"From 8th grade to 12th grade, five years of my life, I would open up the show as Lainey Wilson, I would run behind a tree and put on my Hannah Montana get-up," the singer said. "I did birthday parties, fairs, festivals… I was hitting the roads."

“},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”QRC5FZXM3ZAXZLFKMYGKUCPZ74″,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“id”:”2782532″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391557765112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782532″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/66937660-27b5-11f1-9c46-93175d3d1c4c”},”type”:”custom_embed”}],”description”:{“basic”:”Cyrus reunited with cast members of Hannah Montana in Los Angeles evening for the premiere of the Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Movies”,”text”:”Movies”,”slug”:”movies”},{“description”:”Television”,”text”:”Television”,”slug”:”television”},{“description”:”North America”,”text”:”North America”,”slug”:”north-america”}]},”related_content”:{“redirect”:[],”basic”:[{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”7GNTAH34HRCW5BKGBTWRZGTOL4″,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”7GNTAH34HRCW5BKGBTWRZGTOL4″,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”VLYQUEDFBBHMJAZVIMLXRBEBCE”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”VLYQUEDFBBHMJAZVIMLXRBEBCE”,”type”:”reference”},{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”POVAHT7I2NBKVKDOTFND456KNU”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”POVAHT7I2NBKVKDOTFND456KNU”,”type”:”reference”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″},”caption”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:2484,”y”:519},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Stars including Miley Cyrus at the premiere of Hannah Montana 20th Anniversary Special on Monday, March 23, 2026, at El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles. “,”width”:5297,”_id”:”3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″,”originalName”:”AP26083072943935.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-24T20:51:47.366Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/3UKYFB6335HKBLCCBSBQBZMWUQ.jpg?auth=ac144884bb1f8c23fde0e74b8d7ff5089224469764472644ac782894d8099679&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:44Z”,”height”:2980}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/hannah-montana-reunion-draws-stars-for-20th-anniversary-special/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”ap”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:37.871Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Hannah Montana reunion draws stars for 20th anniversary special “},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/25/hannah-montana-reunion-draws-stars-for-20th-anniversary-special/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/entertainment”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”Entertainment, celebrities, famous”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_title”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/entertainment”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”order”:{“default”:1010,”site”:1007,”mobile-app”:1011,”web”:1011,”categories”:1010,”hamburger-menu”:1002,”circulate”:1005}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./entertainment”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-24T22:33:47.233Z”,”_id”:”AINX7U5ZZZBIFDC5NM3LBXTXEA”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”},”caption”:”Chappell Roan arrives at the 68th annual Grammy Awards”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:3863,”y”:1628},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chappell Roan arrives at the 68th annual Grammy Awards”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”68th Annual Grammy Awards – Arrivals”,”width”:5708,”_id”:”IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4″,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”CARA879″,”keywords”:[“grammys”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”,”takenOn”:”2026-02-02T00:05:54Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26033005917016.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-02-10T21:45:51.036Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:10Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:10Z”,”slug”:”68th Annual Grammy Awards – Arrivals”,”height”:3805},{“_id”:”GUYZJWP33JGN7PX52A7DAJVY5M”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Grammy-winning singer Chappell Roan responded to accusations made by Brazilian-Italian football star Jorginho that a security guard mistreated his 11-year-old stepdaughter after she recognised the singer.

“},{“_id”:”GDBPDPQ6SREYBJQHSG36ATAAPQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Jorginho Frello, a player for Flamengo widely known as Jorginho, said that his wife and the child were staying at the same hotel in Sao Paulo as the singer, who is in the country for the Lollapalooza Brazil music festival, when the controversy occurred.

“},{“_id”:”WOXSMSEJUZEG3JMU2V6LP434U4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“During breakfast, the artist walked past their table. My daughter, like any child, recognised her, got excited and just wanted to make sure it was really her,” Jorginho said, in a lengthy text posted on Instagram in Portuguese and English on Saturday. The girl is the daughter of Catherine Harding, Jorginho's wife, and British actor Jude Law.

“},{“_id”:”CIQ3YP57EBCZDF5FWEPYZ7YJ3Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“She didn’t say anything, didn’t ask for anything,” Jorginho said, adding that a security guard then came over to his family’s table and spoke “in an extremely aggressive manner to both my wife and my daughter".

“},{“_id”:”M577U4KRUVBIFKJXMFUJDREN3E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Jorginho said that Roan did not deserve her fans' affection.

“},{“_id”:”QJPVIBAVABEYFHNEIJKRJRHXKY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Roan addressed the incident, also on Instagram. The singer said that the security guard was not her personal security and that she didn’t see a woman and a child.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”a48787d5d5c9d5d4b06d201a0090d203f2dafbe1e8ca341e782005dc39adb528″},”caption”:”Jorginho of Flamengo celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Brasileirao 2025 match “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Jorginho of Flamengo celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Brasileirao 2025 match “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Jorginho of Flamengo celebrates after scoring the team’s second goal during the Brasileirao 2025 match “,”width”:1024,”_id”:”LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY.jpg?auth=a48787d5d5c9d5d4b06d201a0090d203f2dafbe1e8ca341e782005dc39adb528″,”originalName”:”GettyImages-2247441754.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY.jpg?auth=a48787d5d5c9d5d4b06d201a0090d203f2dafbe1e8ca341e782005dc39adb528″,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY.jpg?auth=a48787d5d5c9d5d4b06d201a0090d203f2dafbe1e8ca341e782005dc39adb528″,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-22T20:58:55.804Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/LEU6I4QDGRHHRIRWFOXQRK62PY.jpg?auth=a48787d5d5c9d5d4b06d201a0090d203f2dafbe1e8ca341e782005dc39adb528&width=300″,”version”:1},”created_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:10Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:10Z”,”height”:576},{“_id”:”PXH42OMD4RFYFB2IYQWKH2TQVE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“It’s unfair for security to just assume someone doesn’t have good intentions,” Roan said. “I do not hate people who are fans of my music. I do no hate children.”

“},{“_id”:”5L3YWETIORFPNDMN46GDLKPABM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Rio’s new mayor Eduardo Cavaliere weighed in on the controversy, saying that while he was mayor Roan would never perform on Copacabana Beach as Madonna and Lady Gaga have, and as Shakira will do in May.

“},{“_id”:”KPAEX7BHLZBD5DB2PQ6K5WLCSU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“I doubt that Shakira would do that!” he said, adding that Jorginho’s daughter would be a guest of honor at the Colombian superstar’s upcoming free concert on Rio's sprawling sands. Cavaliere replaced former Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes on Friday.

“},{“_id”:”JM6MIWLH6VHDDGW3DJJCSHLV4A”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Roan, who is openly queer and taps into drag culture, was the sassy toast of the pop world in 2024 with tracks that include Good Luck, Babe! Red Wine Supernova and Hot To Go! from her 2023 album The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.

“},{“_id”:”R6QE3VGEZRD4ZHEHVJQJ54GBVA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Roan headlined Auckland's Laneway Festival earlier this year. She nudged aside Sabrina Carpenter to win the Grammy for best new artist last February.

“},{“_id”:”6BHL46DO5BABNF4JB4VPXASTCI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

After the lengthy texts, Jorginho posted a story of his daughter's excited reaction upon arriving at Carpenter's show at Lollapalooza. “Everything is well with the girls, and thanks for the messages,” he said.

“},{“subtype”:”video”,”_id”:”OCSJGUQLYNB3ZFAZBRATXZJC54″,”additional_properties”:{},”embed”:{“id”:”2782368″,”config”:{“brightcoveVideoId”:”6391405276112″,”videoType”:”vod”,”id”:”2782368″,”brightcoveAccount”:”963482464001″},”url”:”https://apis-public-prod.tech.tvnz.co.nz/hummingbird-arc/v1/assets/vod/92eecb30-2623-11f1-9f02-318b8a49a521″},”type”:”custom_embed”}],”display_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:04.42Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Chappell Roan hits back after footballer alleges daughter was mistreated”},”description”:{“basic”:”Brazilian-Italian soccer star Jorginho said his wife and the child were staying at the same hotel as Roan when a security guard came over to them and spoke “in an extremely aggressive manner\”. “},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/23/chappell-roan-hits-back-after-footballer-alleges-daughter-was-mistreated/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/entertainment”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”Entertainment, celebrities, famous”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_title”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/entertainment”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”order”:{“default”:1010,”site”:1007,”mobile-app”:1011,”web”:1011,”categories”:1010,”hamburger-menu”:1002,”circulate”:1005}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./entertainment”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Music”,”text”:”Music”,”slug”:”music”},{“description”:”Central and South America”,”text”:”Central and South America”,”slug”:”central-south-america”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”},”caption”:”Chappell Roan arrives at the 68th annual Grammy Awards”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:3863,”y”:1628},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chappell Roan arrives at the 68th annual Grammy Awards”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”68th Annual Grammy Awards – Arrivals”,”width”:5708,”_id”:”IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4″,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”CARA879″,”keywords”:[“grammys”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”,”takenOn”:”2026-02-02T00:05:54Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/IGTCYPQCVJGLFFVP2LVKZ5SZY4.jpg?auth=053a51ce9e7e6aca1212d37922375f072d72a8611f298f04b07671fa32e84a7e&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26033005917016.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-02-10T21:45:51.036Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:10Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:10Z”,”slug”:”68th Annual Grammy Awards – Arrivals”,”height”:3805}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/23/chappell-roan-hits-back-after-footballer-alleges-daughter-was-mistreated/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”ap”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”publish_date”:”2026-03-22T21:19:13.363Z”,”_id”:”MKTHAEJHAVG3FN5RT5ZNPJK2G4″},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”},”caption”:”Nicholas Brandon starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:897,”y”:550},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Nicholas Brandon starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”,”originalName”:”xander1.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-21T04:29:39.569Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e&width=300″,”version”:3},”created_date”:”2026-03-21T04:29:40Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-21T04:29:39.569Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-21T05:15:43Z”,”height”:1080},{“_id”:”GZ5QZBWLY5ESPFTBE4ZC26EQSM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon has died, aged 54.

“},{“_id”:”JIWB67SUWRAPPMB7DL2MKAKTLE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The actor, who starred as Buffy Summers' best friend Xander Harris on all seven seasons of the supernatural drama, died today.

“},{“_id”:”4F6T4G5ZUVEBBOANFY2EEASE3E”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

In a statement, his family said they were "heartbroken to share the passing of our brother and son, Nicholas Brendon".

“},{“_id”:”5DKSUHRNQBCG5BSQ5MGFFZBSVA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Brendon died in his sleep of natural causes.

“},{“_id”:”J2QPLM6XV5GBFAJOPVPTC3TNPU”,”type”:”raw_html”,”content”:””},{“_id”:”6CZZNF5HCJD7ZISNT4W3YZM2OQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

While best known for his work as an actor, Brendon had "found his passion in painting and art" in recent years, his family said.

“},{“_id”:”C52GMUXCUVAFJBPG6CRH7Y2FQE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Nicky loved to share his enthusiastic talent with his family, friends and fans.

“},{“_id”:”U2R4YEFCFRB7DOXCI2JY45XHPA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"He was passionate, sensitive, and endlessly driven to create. Those who truly knew him understood that his art was one of the purest reflections of who he was."

“},{“_id”:”EHUS673DLFB2TF4F4KRXEBUWAQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

His loved ones asked for privacy while they "grieve his loss and celebrate the life of a man who lived with intensity, imagination, and heart".

“},{“_id”:”PM4RNEY3SVEOHIPPUUN3PUFPGI”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"Thank you to everyone who has shown love and support."

“},{“_id”:”PCMLDQOJKBDIJCFAXS6ZAO66A4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Buffy co-star Alyson Hannigan, who played Willow Rosenberg, took to social media to pay tribute to Brendon.

“},{“_id”:”K2QWWWMHCBFDZLQSKWEG3VNKME”,”type”:”raw_html”,”content”:” View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Alyson Hannigan Denisof (@alysonhannigan)

“},{“_id”:”HRYWRYZP3ZHCVP27WWLDDFJOHY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

"My Sweet Nicky, thank you for years of laughter, love and Dodgers. I will think of you every time I see a rocking chair. I love you. RIP."

“}],”description”:{“basic”:”The actor starred as Buffy Summers and Willow Rosenberg’s best friend Xander Harris on all seven seasons of the supernatural drama.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Television”,”text”:”Television”,”slug”:”television”},{“description”:”North America”,”text”:”North America”,”slug”:”north-america”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”},”caption”:”Nicholas Brandon starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:897,”y”:550},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Nicholas Brandon starred in Buffy the Vampire Slayer.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”width”:1920,”_id”:”RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”,”originalName”:”xander1.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-21T04:29:39.569Z”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/RV6VTNFNYVDM5F3VFCPIF432SM.jpg?auth=b66441477599564439a587276739591ce6a0aff3bc34a80a84c284943502b66e&width=300″,”version”:3},”created_date”:”2026-03-21T04:29:40Z”,”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-21T04:29:39.569Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-21T05:15:43Z”,”height”:1080}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/21/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-nicholas-brendon-dies-at-54/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”1News”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”one-news”,”reference_id”:”39cdf4f6-3a61-4c92-b582-cb2fbce4260a”,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-21T05:15:37.446Z”,”credits”:{“by”:[{“name”:”1News Reporters”}]},”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Buffy the Vampire Slayer star Nicholas Brendon dies at 54″},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/21/buffy-the-vampire-slayer-star-nicholas-brendon-dies-at-54/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/entertainment”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”Entertainment, celebrities, famous”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_title”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/entertainment”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”order”:{“default”:1010,”site”:1007,”mobile-app”:1011,”web”:1011,”categories”:1010,”hamburger-menu”:1002,”circulate”:1005}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./entertainment”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-21T05:15:47.404Z”,”_id”:”B7JRTGI5ZVGXHEOR2GEPGSKCWU”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”nik wheeler”,”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”},”caption”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:2840,”y”:1018},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”width”:4500,”_id”:”4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44″,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”,”iptc_source”:”Corbis Historical”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”775448309″,”keywords”:[“chuck norris”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”,”takenOn”:”1978-01-01T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”GettyImages-1188558882.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:41:19.058Z”,”iptc_title”:”Contributor”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T20:51:28Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T20:51:28Z”,”slug”:”1188558882″,”height”:3000},{“_id”:”OYQOOAEUJRDA3JDNOIXQWWZEEY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The death of Chuck Norris has triggered an outpouring of memorials from fellow Hollywood tough guys and fans. “},{“_id”:”TZXIVADJTBEXXCHJUZCDOCMCSY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The martial arts grandmaster and action star of Walker, Texas Ranger, died Thursday (local time), in what his family described as a “sudden passing”.”},{“_id”:”6F3PWSC6FFAKZAFWIXYJIW4VI4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren were some contemporaries of Norris who took to social media to pay their respects.”},{“_id”:”D7PILPJJCBDUHKGPUVEYIIOW3A”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Here’s what some are saying, in their own words:”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”ZTAMRT6MGNHKDFMSAPZKY267UM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Jean-Claude Van Damme”},{“_id”:”WFQ7UQXB7FBBJPGUGAVBHU3NSA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“Deepest condolences on the passing of my friend, Chuck Norris. We knew each other from my early days, and I always respected the man he was. My heart and prayers are with his family. He will never be forgotten,” the actor, via Instagram.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”JUSVLQ7FT5BABAJSBY277VZYIY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Dolph Lundgren”},{“_id”:”WAWWGQ6ZONET7EEORONQ3HFSPU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“Chuck Norris is the champ. Ever since I was a young martial artist and later getting into movies, I always looked up to him as a role model. Someone who had the respect, humility and strength it takes to be a man. We will miss you, my friend,” the actor, on Instagram.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”YL7T77KWCVAKRHV3MAI7PSWXOM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Sylvester Stallone”},{“_id”:”HHRRK6RCYJF2RMDPVEB3A2T26I”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“I had a great time working with Chuck. He was All American in every way. Great man and my condolences to his wonderful family,” his Expendables 2 co-star, via Instagram.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”FI3IX5EBIRFNRHM5YKUIB43GEQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Arnold Schwarzenegger”},{“_id”:”4AP3U4W5SFDC5CLOT5GP6UXZSY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“Chuck was an icon. I am grateful that I was able to work with him in multiple ways over the years, from promoting fitness to sharing the screen together. He was a badass, in real life and in Hollywood. His legend will be with us forever. My thoughts are with his family,” the actor via X.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”UBEUV2QRXJAZPETJ4KFVMT2EIM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Lorenzo Lamas”},{“_id”:”AIKNN4IF4RFKRJJLDN3Y34FFO4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“Watch out evil world, there is an angel of consequence at the gates. Chuck Norris doesn’t just get wings, he gets even,” the actor, via X.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”X7VQJDDRVZDWRE3TIBOCCS6W4I”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Lee Majors”},{“_id”:”FBNAZLMWKRGJBKP4KPGXZB765Y”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“I know the millions of fans across the world are feeling this loss too, but for me, it’s deeply personal. I had the honor of working alongside him, sharing moments I’ll never forget. He wasn’t just a legend on screen he was a kind, strong, and genuine soul off of it. I’m really going to miss you, my friend. Hey Chuck… maybe you can teach the good Lord a few karate moves — I know He’ll get a kick out of them,” the actor on Instagram.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”4V5UICX2CVEMBLU2LZTXAPR3AQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Joe Piscopo”},{“_id”:”OULOGHLISFFQ7NTAT4LWNZYEGY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“Just heard that the Legend — The Man — Mr. Chuck Norris has passed away. I was honored to work with Chuck. It was a life changing and treasured experience that I will hold dearly in my heart forever,\” the actor, via X.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”M3QVMRCJ7VACVH5PRRZTDZEW7A”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Mike Huckabee”},{“_id”:”BK2B6D6IIBFO7JW6MQXN36R56E”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“He was humble & kind. I’ll never forget a visit we made to a Veterans Home in New Hampshire. Chuck & Gena graciously visited with every veteran, listening & caring. Most of these veterans idolized Chuck Norris. He & Gena were patient, warm, & compassionate. When we got in the vehicle after the visit, I looked over at them & they were both weeping having been touched by these aging US veterans & their stories,” the US ambassador to Israel, via X.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”S3Z5RN6EYRCTVPLRLDKI2IYNDA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Priscilla Presley”},{“_id”:”HXL6QDK74ZGJZF7ZMZ45LXKHUQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“I’m so sad to hear that my Karate instructor and friend Chuck Norris has passed away. He will be forever missed,” the actor wrote on Instagram.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”NAE4TPDRLJGRDALKC7DC67BNZ4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Morgan Fairchild”},{“_id”:”KYAFMDSMSFA4LFPTGSURD66LVY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“I’m so sorry to hear of our loss of Chuck, who I considered a friend for many years. We were in Taiwan in ’87 (I think) to accept Golden Horse Awards, and we bonded there. It didn’t hurt that I loved martial arts! He was always a real gentleman every time I ran into him. My condolences to his family & friends,” the actor on X.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”SFM7Y5VP7JGYJJ3E5GFLSX5CHM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Geraldo Rivera”},{“_id”:”GE3LTBG4PFALLE3UWFVQB7O6AE”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”“They used to say Chuck Norris is so tough he makes onions cry. Rest in peace, my friend, thank you for all you did in TV, movies and life. You were a gentleman, faithful and patriotic, and I was honored to meet you,\” the TV personality via X.”}],”description”:{“basic”:”Sylvester Stallone, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren were some contemporaries of Norris who took to social media to pay their respects.”},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Television”,”text”:”Television”,”slug”:”television”},{“description”:”Movies”,”text”:”Movies”,”slug”:”movies”},{“description”:”North America”,”text”:”North America”,”slug”:”north-america”}]},”related_content”:{“redirect”:[],”basic”:[{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”456GVTBWMNAKTLKWYP5WNLTBTU”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”456GVTBWMNAKTLKWYP5WNLTBTU”,”type”:”reference”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”nik wheeler”,”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”},”caption”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:2840,”y”:1018},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”width”:4500,”_id”:”4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44″,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”,”iptc_source”:”Corbis Historical”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”775448309″,”keywords”:[“chuck norris”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”,”takenOn”:”1978-01-01T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/4R2CUBG4PVC7FCOKNWKHRKOJ44.jpg?auth=cc4457a165c807b4f1a88e3e8686bf4541138227226edf316aabee1ce25560ef&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”GettyImages-1188558882.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:41:19.058Z”,”iptc_title”:”Contributor”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T20:51:28Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T20:51:28Z”,”slug”:”1188558882″,”height”:3000}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/21/hollywoods-tough-guys-fans-pay-tribute-to-chuck-norris/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”ap”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-20T20:51:21.527Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“tablet”:””,”print”:””,”meta_title”:””,”native”:””,”web”:””,”mobile”:””,”basic”:”Hollywood’s tough guys, fans pay tribute to Chuck Norris “},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/21/hollywoods-tough-guys-fans-pay-tribute-to-chuck-norris/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/entertainment”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”Entertainment, celebrities, famous”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_title”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/entertainment”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”order”:{“default”:1010,”site”:1007,”mobile-app”:1011,”web”:1011,”categories”:1010,”hamburger-menu”:1002,”circulate”:1005}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./entertainment”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-20T20:53:31.196Z”,”_id”:”R43KDULXTRGSVML7VFHD7BHNYM”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”nik wheeler”,”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”08a9f8813d5d31b63c8ebe380aaced3ad244755795b6a0fe4cea990e44fe0bcf”},”caption”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Chuck Norris practices kung fu style moves with a trainer in back yard of his house in Palos Verdes circa 1978.”,”width”:4500,”_id”:”FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ.jpg?auth=08a9f8813d5d31b63c8ebe380aaced3ad244755795b6a0fe4cea990e44fe0bcf”,”iptc_source”:”Corbis Historical”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”775448309″,”keywords”:[“chuck norris”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ.jpg?auth=08a9f8813d5d31b63c8ebe380aaced3ad244755795b6a0fe4cea990e44fe0bcf”,”takenOn”:”1978-01-01T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ.jpg?auth=08a9f8813d5d31b63c8ebe380aaced3ad244755795b6a0fe4cea990e44fe0bcf”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/FQDOM3KCFRFRRD6DLLGWGNBMNQ.jpg?auth=08a9f8813d5d31b63c8ebe380aaced3ad244755795b6a0fe4cea990e44fe0bcf&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”GettyImages-1188558882.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:41:19.058Z”,”iptc_title”:”Contributor”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:05Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:05Z”,”slug”:”1188558882″,”height”:3000},{“_id”:”4KSCYVGWPBAG7PF533OCLTQOS4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Chuck Norris, the martial arts grandmaster and action star whose roles in Walker, Texas Ranger and other television shows and movies made him an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents — has died at 86.

“},{“_id”:”KWSWG6F3ZZEL5DLATKR4PZX5NE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris died Thursday (local time), in what his family described as a “sudden passing”.

“},{“_id”:”KKHHXXTLBFBRNNQ2ILWHL5547I”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“While we would like to keep the circumstances private, please know that he was surrounded by his family and was at peace,” the family said in a statement posted to social media.

“},{“_id”:”ZZQDQ3DG7RBUBNLAY2PQSKYAUE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Before he would become a star in movies and on TV, Norris was wildly successful in competitive martial arts. He was a six-time undefeated World Professional Middleweight Karate champion. He also founded his own Korean-based American hard style of karate, known sometimes as Chun Kuk Do, and the United Fighting Arts Federation, which has awarded more than 3300 Chuck Norris System black belts worldwide. Black Belt magazine ultimately credited Norris in its hall of fame with holding a 10th-degree black belt, the highest possible honour.

“},{“_id”:”XGEEHOTYDZE2RK5IHYKNEAO3AM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Born Carlos Ray Norris in Ryan, Oklahoma, on March 10, 1940, he grew up poor. At age 12, he moved with his family to Torrance, California, and joined the US Air Force after high school, in 1958. It was during a deployment to Korea that he started training in martial arts, including judo and Tang Soo Do.

“},{“_id”:”ARVUQYAQ7BA4RKSW6HOWBZEAGE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“I went out for gymnastics and football at North Torrance high,” he told The Associated Press in 1982. “I played some football, but I also spent a lot of time on the bench. I was never really athletic until I was in the service in Korea.”

“},{“_id”:”6Y6KOGD5SJCG3G4WUQJ6Q3FUKQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

After he was honourably discharged in 1962, he worked as a file clerk for Northrop Aircraft and applied to be a police officer, but was put on a waitlist. Meanwhile, he opened a martial arts studio, which expanded to a chain, with students including such stars as Bob Barker, Priscilla Presley, Donny and Marie Osmond, and Steve McQueen, whom he later credited with encouraging him to get into acting.

“},{“_id”:”ZNRAANYMJNBLPEE5ADFEPNRAGU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”From one studio to another”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″},”caption”:”Chuck Norris with Bruce Lee on the set of his movie Meng Long Guo Jiang (The Way of the Dragon). “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:4270,”y”:1336},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chuck Norris with Bruce Lee on the set of his movie Meng Long Guo Jiang (The Way of the Dragon). “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”On the set of ‘Meng Long Guo Jiang'”,”width”:5537,”_id”:”QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″,”iptc_source”:”Corbis Historical”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”776476262″,”keywords”:[“1970s:cb2″,”30-34 years:cb2″,”actor:cb2″,”aggression:cb2″,”asian and indian ethnicities:cb2″,”bruce lee:cb2″,”caucasian ethnicity:cb2″,”celebrities:cb2″,”chuck norris:cb2″,”fighting:cb2″,”film industry:cb2″,”film still:cb2″,”martial arts:cb2″,”mid-adult man:cb2″,”rome:cb2″,”skill:cb2″,”strength:cb2″,”the way of the dragon:cb2″,”two people:cb2″],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″,”takenOn”:”1972-01-01T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”GettyImages-607431516 (1).jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:43:54.708Z”,”iptc_title”:”Contributor”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:07Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:07Z”,”slug”:”607431516″,”height”:3739},{“_id”:”UGUBU42K2JDHZJISTKKJJ2FUJM”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris made his film debut as an uncredited bodyguard in the 1968 movie The Wrecking Crew, which included a fight with Dean Martin. He had also crossed paths with Bruce Lee in martial arts circles. Their friendship — sometimes, as sparring partners — led to an iconic faceoff in the 1972 movie Return of the Dragon, in which Lee fights and kills Norris' character in Rome's Colosseum.

“},{“_id”:”VSLWF72UFJFZPJTPJZ74YQ3D3Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

He went on to act in more than 20 movies, such as Missing in Action, The Delta Force and Sidekicks.

“},{“_id”:”IAGT444QAZE2RNQY3LHELKPXVY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“I wanted to project a certain image on the screen of a hero. I had seen a lot of anti-hero movies in which the lead was neither good nor bad. There was no one to root for,” Norris said in 1982.

“},{“_id”:”EKBQ4QW4EZFDZAIBHEDTEMIVTU”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

In 1993, he took on his most famed role, as a crime-fighting lawman in TV's Walker, Texas Ranger. The show ran for nine seasons, and in 2010, then-Governor Rick Perry awarded him the title of honorary Texas Ranger. The Texas Senate later named him an honorary Texan.

“},{“_id”:”O66AQ6M4ERCH7MBMUY3SSNKQFY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“It’s not violence for violence’s sake, with no moral structure,” Norris told the AP in 1996, speaking about the show. “You try to portray the proper meaning of what it’s about — fighting injustice with justice, good vs. bad. … It’s entertaining for the whole family.”

“},{“_id”:”CMPYJYMBQ5BPRAT7OY53MSWERA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris also made a surprise comedic appearance as a decisive judge in the final match of the 2004 movie Dodgeball. He only on occasion had taken acting roles in recent years, including 2012's The Expendables 2 and the 2024 sci-fi action movie Agent Recon. He's due to appear in Zombie Plane, an upcoming film starring Vanilla Ice.

“},{“_id”:”MM4PFO4JRVBD5LWXFX72EX2IAY”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”Chuck Norris: the man, the meme, the legend”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”c0cdc3f4a69c4e9b26f8921dd069b0f4793a75b885a59d6d76e93ad95b0cf3b2″},”caption”:”Chuck Norris in 2012.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chuck Norris in 2012.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Chuck Norris in 2012.”,”width”:3000,”_id”:”BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI.jpg?auth=c0cdc3f4a69c4e9b26f8921dd069b0f4793a75b885a59d6d76e93ad95b0cf3b2″,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”NYET400″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI.jpg?auth=c0cdc3f4a69c4e9b26f8921dd069b0f4793a75b885a59d6d76e93ad95b0cf3b2″,”takenOn”:”2026-03-19T19:48:08Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI.jpg?auth=c0cdc3f4a69c4e9b26f8921dd069b0f4793a75b885a59d6d76e93ad95b0cf3b2″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/BBLIXPDZ2BA6DL2Q5DLE2ES6PI.jpg?auth=c0cdc3f4a69c4e9b26f8921dd069b0f4793a75b885a59d6d76e93ad95b0cf3b2&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26078712897924.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:46:47.635Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:06Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:06Z”,”slug”:”Obit – Chuck Norris”,”height”:2000},{“_id”:”5UIDME23IJBADELR3FB3JE4K64″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

It was around the time of Dodgeball that his toughman image became the stuff of legend, literally: “Chuck Norris Facts” went viral online with such wildly hyperbolic statements as, “Chuck Norris had a staring contest with the sun — and won,” and, “They wanted to put Chuck Norris on Mt Rushmore, but the granite wasn’t tough enough for his beard.”

“},{“_id”:”NJOR6BTBIJDN5FBJUUQYQRX6QA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris ultimately embraced the absurdity of the meme craze, putting together The Official Chuck Norris Fact Book, which combined his favourites with supposedly true stories and the codes he aimed to live by. He would also write books on martial arts instruction, a memoir, political takes, Civil War-era historical fiction and more.

“},{“_id”:”MNK4XHBQTJAVBB67MFDJ6RATHA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“To some who know little of my martial arts or film careers but perhaps grew up with Walker, Texas Ranger, it seems that I have become a somewhat mythical superhero icon,” Norris wrote in the forward to the Fact Book. “I am flattered and humbled.”

“},{“_id”:”I6NLX4FXMVCRRL6Z2KQ5ZCJQUQ”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

That book raised money for a nonprofit he founded with President George HW Bush that promoted martial arts instruction for kids.

“},{“_id”:”GUG5DXMQKJCMRINZTWDMQTC6I4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

The intentionally outlandish statements featured in the 2008 Republican presidential primary, when Norris endorsed Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee and shot an ad playing on the Chuck Norris facts.

“},{“_id”:”GFUT7RWUHNAGFECWN6QXS542I4″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“Chuck Norris doesn’t endorse. He tells America how it’s going to be,” Huckabee said in the campaign ad.

“},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”2008 AP”,”address”:{“locality”:”Navasota”,”region”:”TX”},”auth”:{“1″:”2e601bb0c01727fc41069149a9964b351fc58205bc1fa71e5a1185337575937e”},”caption”:”Republican presidential hopeful, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, right, appears with actor Chuck Norris on January 20, 2008 in Navasota, Texas.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Republican presidential hopeful, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, right, appears with actor Chuck Norris on January 20, 2008 in Navasota, Texas.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Republican presidential hopeful, former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee, right, appears with actor Chuck Norris on January 20, 2008 in Navasota, Texas.”,”width”:3040,”_id”:”C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U.jpg?auth=2e601bb0c01727fc41069149a9964b351fc58205bc1fa71e5a1185337575937e”,”iptc_source”:”AP”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”NYET533″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U.jpg?auth=2e601bb0c01727fc41069149a9964b351fc58205bc1fa71e5a1185337575937e”,”takenOn”:”2008-01-20T12:20:18Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U.jpg?auth=2e601bb0c01727fc41069149a9964b351fc58205bc1fa71e5a1185337575937e”,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/C5LKDFAGMVGXDGMJNXQE3KZH5U.jpg?auth=2e601bb0c01727fc41069149a9964b351fc58205bc1fa71e5a1185337575937e&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26078712847261.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:49:13.869Z”,”iptc_title”:”STF”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:05Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:05Z”,”slug”:”Obit Chuck Norris”,”height”:2027},{“_id”:”U3NFNGTZHZAQLE54ZC7HSB6D4Q”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

President Donald Trump's supporters later promoted "Trump Facts” in the same vein, and political pundits tried it as well, describing the commander-in-chief's decision to seize Venezuela's sitting president, Nicolas Maduro, as a “Chuck Norris Moment”, and its initial effect on oil prices a “Chuck Norris Premium”.

“},{“_id”:”BJLUUYXILVA6PIQSKEC33PUUUA”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris was outspoken about his Christian beliefs and his support for gun rights, and backed political candidates for years — he even went skydiving with Bush for the former president's 80th birthday. As for Trump, Norris endorsed him in the 2016 general election and wrote guest columns praising him without explicitly endorsing him in the days before the 2020 and 2024 elections.

“},{“_id”:”M4LPDJWKBZDU5PGCMP7CVM7664″,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris is survived by five children: stunt performers Mike and Eric with his late ex-wife Dianne Holechek, twins Dakota and Danilee with his wife Gena Norris, and Dina, the result of an early 1960s “one-night stand” revealed in his autobiography.

“},{“_id”:”C4YDX2F2BJFKPOMXVB2WCWA7NE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

Norris celebrated his birthday just over a week before his death, posting a sparring video on Instagram.

“},{“_id”:”F7T4SV3NN5D3FN3IBTVCVXIKKE”,”type”:”text”,”content”:”

“I don't age. I level up,” he wrote.

“}],”display_date”:”2026-03-20T17:50:58.3Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Martial arts master and actor Chuck Norris dies at 86″},”description”:{“basic”:”The martial arts grandmaster and action star was seen as an iconic tough guy — sparking internet parodies and adoration from presidents. “},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/21/martial-arts-master-and-actor-chuck-norris-dies-at-86/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/entertainment”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”Entertainment, celebrities, famous”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_title”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/entertainment”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”order”:{“default”:1010,”site”:1007,”mobile-app”:1011,”web”:1011,”categories”:1010,”hamburger-menu”:1002,”circulate”:1005}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./entertainment”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”North America”,”text”:”North America”,”slug”:”north-america”},{“description”:”Movies”,”text”:”Movies”,”slug”:”movies”},{“description”:”Television”,”text”:”Television”,”slug”:”television”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{},”auth”:{“1″:”046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″},”caption”:”Chuck Norris with Bruce Lee on the set of his movie Meng Long Guo Jiang (The Way of the Dragon). “,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Getty”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”e041eba5-77fc-429c-bb75-98962a8d6c62″},”focal_point”:{“x”:4270,”y”:1336},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chuck Norris with Bruce Lee on the set of his movie Meng Long Guo Jiang (The Way of the Dragon). “,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Getty”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”On the set of ‘Meng Long Guo Jiang'”,”width”:5537,”_id”:”QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″,”iptc_source”:”Corbis Historical”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”776476262″,”keywords”:[“1970s:cb2″,”30-34 years:cb2″,”actor:cb2″,”aggression:cb2″,”asian and indian ethnicities:cb2″,”bruce lee:cb2″,”caucasian ethnicity:cb2″,”celebrities:cb2″,”chuck norris:cb2″,”fighting:cb2″,”film industry:cb2″,”film still:cb2″,”martial arts:cb2″,”mid-adult man:cb2″,”rome:cb2″,”skill:cb2″,”strength:cb2″,”the way of the dragon:cb2″,”two people:cb2″],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″,”takenOn”:”1972-01-01T00:00:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QCYBBXBZ5REA5AQG5R7T7JTYFE.jpg?auth=046cdcdf5735c85ec9c0c101cfdbef5c0c8eef45f5b2347cccad1d3d6ad4c5e2&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”GettyImages-607431516 (1).jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T17:43:54.708Z”,”iptc_title”:”Contributor”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:07Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:07Z”,”slug”:”607431516″,”height”:3739}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/21/martial-arts-master-and-actor-chuck-norris-dies-at-86/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”ap”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”publish_date”:”2026-03-20T17:51:10.372Z”,”_id”:”456GVTBWMNAKTLKWYP5WNLTBTU”},{“content_elements”:[{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″},”caption”:”Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1038,”y”:403},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.”,”width”:2027,”_id”:”GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”NYET410″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″,”takenOn”:”2026-03-15T21:54:39Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26078725188369.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T00:43:09.030Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:45Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:45Z”,”slug”:”People – Taylor Frankie Paul”,”height”:1351},{“_id”:”EIAGU7VLXZBDJO5MABZCOCT264″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”ABC’s decision to cancel a completed season of The Bachelorette marks the latest controversy in a franchise that has repeatedly faced scrutiny over casting, cultural awareness and the behaviour of some of its most prominent figures.”},{“_id”:”T3E55OC2NZDRNIBFR5LNYMSAPQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The network pulled the upcoming season starring Taylor Frankie Paul after a 2023 video of an altercation with her former partner surfaced. In it, she appears to punch, kick and throw chairs at him as her young daughter watched and cried. The cancellation stands out for the series as it has previously navigated issues in real time rather than shelving an entire season.”},{“_id”:”22NAELA5WJC47CLEZ2PY2ZRV74″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Here’s a look at other notable controversies from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette over the years:”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”DEZWHOIOWNEVXBGZ4T6ZRBNRCU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”How diversity debates changed the franchise’s face”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Beverly Hills”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”b83ca89cac0149c4b9555af666f8ef707f4555d0573d790f6cc2b37db9489934″},”caption”:”Rachel Lindsay arrives at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2023″,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1160,”y”:587},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Rachel Lindsay arrives at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2023″,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Rachel Lindsay arrives at the 80th annual Golden Globe Awards at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in 2023″,”width”:3000,”_id”:”KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q.jpg?auth=b83ca89cac0149c4b9555af666f8ef707f4555d0573d790f6cc2b37db9489934″,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”CAMH409″,”keywords”:[“hfpa”,”hollywood foreign press association”],”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q.jpg?auth=b83ca89cac0149c4b9555af666f8ef707f4555d0573d790f6cc2b37db9489934″,”takenOn”:”2023-01-10T22:31:00Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q.jpg?auth=b83ca89cac0149c4b9555af666f8ef707f4555d0573d790f6cc2b37db9489934″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/KGJ3R4Q2GFENBLH4JLWGIMV65Q.jpg?auth=b83ca89cac0149c4b9555af666f8ef707f4555d0573d790f6cc2b37db9489934&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26079056737154.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T02:21:54.512Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:46Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:46Z”,”slug”:”TV The Bachelorette Controversies”,”height”:2012},{“_id”:”IQPAE4Z43NAGXCOTXU7Z33R6UY”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”For much of its run, the franchise faced sustained criticism over its lack of diversity, particularly in its leading roles.”},{“_id”:”GCDURXFSWFEUZPHZKYOPLL3KM4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”A 2012 lawsuit alleged that the show excluded contestants of colour from becoming the lead, though the case was dismissed. The criticism persisted for years as the franchise continued to feature mostly white bachelors and bachelorettes.”},{“_id”:”3WSEBLTM7BAJTJSJ4VIHRODNSU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Rachel Lindsay became the first Black lead in 2017, a milestone that came after years of public pressure. She later emerged as one of the show’s most prominent critics, pushing for deeper structural change in how the franchise approached diversity on-screen and behind the scenes.”},{“_id”:”HV3FLPJBYVDEHH7FCZGIGI7CLM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”ABC later cast Matt James as its first Black Bachelor in 2020, a move which was widely viewed as long overdue.”},{“_id”:”2MVV2XJBLRCURGLBRCI7PDJFSA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”More recently, Jenn Tran became the franchise’s first Asian American lead in 2024. “},{“_id”:”KEEPOITBTVB37MJOA4QEAWNIKI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The Vietnamese American star called the role deeply personal in an interview with The Associated Press, while her season also sparked debate after early criticism that it featured few suitors of Asian descent.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”3A5FQVVFZ5EADKCOFNRFB75TRU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”Backlash follows more diverse casting”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved”,”address”:{“locality”:”Boston”,”region”:”MA”},”auth”:{“1″:”e42b3fd92b3ccb9027d4de899f03d4e1e08cbcf028c6d1e42b028c60b7039f95″},”caption”:”Jenn Tran waves before throwing the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1345,”y”:339},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Jenn Tran waves before throwing the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Jenn Tran waves before throwing the ceremonial first pitch prior to a baseball game between the Boston Red Sox and the Chicago White Sox”,”width”:2510,”_id”:”QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q.jpg?auth=e42b3fd92b3ccb9027d4de899f03d4e1e08cbcf028c6d1e42b028c60b7039f95″,”iptc_source”:”AP”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”CAMH407″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q.jpg?auth=e42b3fd92b3ccb9027d4de899f03d4e1e08cbcf028c6d1e42b028c60b7039f95″,”takenOn”:”2024-09-07T19:15:20Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q.jpg?auth=e42b3fd92b3ccb9027d4de899f03d4e1e08cbcf028c6d1e42b028c60b7039f95″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/QJ3DIJBM25DVZEG2BQJM52IU2Q.jpg?auth=e42b3fd92b3ccb9027d4de899f03d4e1e08cbcf028c6d1e42b028c60b7039f95&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26079049035962.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T02:24:29.291Z”,”iptc_title”:”STF”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:47Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:47Z”,”slug”:”TV The Bachelorette Controversies”,”height”:1673},{“_id”:”X5OBJX4OHJBKVBQHY6HSUHDAEM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Even as the franchise expanded its casting, contestants and leads of colour have often faced backlash from segments of the show’s audience.”},{“_id”:”XGDKVRUV65F2DEDIII4EEIJ6XI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Non-white participants — including Lindsay and James — encountered heightened scrutiny and racist commentary online. Tran’s season also sparked discussion around how contestants of colour have historically received fewer roses and more criticism from viewers.”},{“_id”:”JTKO7VX2MNDNXFRDYM5PPNBJCI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The response fueled ongoing questions about whether parts of the audience have evolved at the same pace as the franchise’s casting decisions.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”3S4UCU3CWFC7DMYWNSKDYTMZAM”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”What’s behind the host controversy and cultural sensitivity”},{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”copyright”:”Invision”,”address”:{“locality”:”Pasadena”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”80b20517c9b4f36d784320af77e99c486f78f822d9334107cfa5c5072c2d5069″},”caption”:”Chris Harrison arrives at the 49th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 24, 2022″,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1445,”y”:791},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Chris Harrison arrives at the 49th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 24, 2022″,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Chris Harrison arrives at the 49th annual Daytime Emmy Awards on June 24, 2022″,”width”:3000,”_id”:”THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q.jpg?auth=80b20517c9b4f36d784320af77e99c486f78f822d9334107cfa5c5072c2d5069″,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”CAMH408″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q.jpg?auth=80b20517c9b4f36d784320af77e99c486f78f822d9334107cfa5c5072c2d5069″,”takenOn”:”2022-06-24T23:47:10Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q.jpg?auth=80b20517c9b4f36d784320af77e99c486f78f822d9334107cfa5c5072c2d5069″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/THDNY5IXMFDT5AUXVGSRR2LC7Q.jpg?auth=80b20517c9b4f36d784320af77e99c486f78f822d9334107cfa5c5072c2d5069&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26079050203151.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T02:26:44.190Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:46Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:46Z”,”slug”:”TV The Bachelorette Controversies”,”height”:2075},{“_id”:”NYE3NXJNB5DWVLEFYOGWZYZFHU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”One of the franchise’s most high-profile controversies came in 2021 involving longtime host Chris Harrison.”},{“_id”:”QSEGMHWEKNAAJBPUBJSM5VGIQQ”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Harrison stepped down from his role mid-season after defending contestant Rachael Kirkconnell in an interview as criticism grew over photos showing her at an antebellum plantation-themed event and dressed in a Native American costume.”},{“_id”:”LOKLRSD6J5CQPKA7GL33NIPMHI”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Harrison later apologised, saying, “By excusing historical racism, I defended it.””},{“_id”:”HHYIDIVELNERXDHHEZOWCZIEB4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Former contestants Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe hosted the remainder of that season of The Bachelor — which Kirkconnell went on to win — and the 2021 season of The Bachelorette until Jesse Palmer was named the franchise’s new permanent host later that year.”},{“_id”:”JXSD2WYDFBA5XLG633ETLHAP5A”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”ABC said at the time it was committed to improving representation among its production teams.”},{“_id”:”DQ3MEAJXYRBWRPGFB5GPEQKRDA”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Moments within the show itself have also drawn criticism. A 2019 episode set in Singapore faced backlash after contestants mocked local cuisine, with critics saying the segment reflected a lack of cultural awareness.”},{“level”:2,”_id”:”ZLA2LZDZLZBOTN6WZBF2XM7GE4″,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”header”,”content”:”How a history of controversy continued to evolve”},{“_id”:”VKW7KJSADFFTNK4MO6BTKLECUE”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”Earlier controversies included comments from former Bachelor Juan Pablo Galavis.”},{“_id”:”Q2UAFOI5JNGOVARVUO7U3GVJSU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”In 2014, Galavis said he did not believe a gay or bisexual man should lead the show and described gay people as “more pervert, in a sense” in an interview. The remarks drew widespread criticism and prompted an apology, with Galavis later citing a language barrier.”},{“_id”:”R4XW6CVNEVAMNPKOPALX52ZPRU”,”additional_properties”:{},”type”:”text”,”content”:”The episode remains one of the franchise’s most talked-about early scandals involving a lead. It highlighted long-standing questions about inclusion within the series.”}],”description”:{“basic”:”Here’s a look at other notable controversies from The Bachelor and The Bachelorette over the years. “},”taxonomy”:{“sections”:[{“name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”}],”tags”:[{“description”:”Television”,”text”:”Television”,”slug”:”television”},{“description”:”North America”,”text”:”North America”,”slug”:”north-america”}]},”related_content”:{“redirect”:[],”basic”:[{“referent”:{“provider”:””,”id”:”JEQMWFSHVFFW7C5T2JQ3KWMJHY”,”type”:”story”},”_id”:”JEQMWFSHVFFW7C5T2JQ3KWMJHY”,”type”:”reference”}]},”type”:”story”,”promo_items”:{“basic”:{“owner”:{“id”:”tvnz”},”address”:{“locality”:”Los Angeles”,”region”:”CA”},”auth”:{“1″:”d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″},”caption”:”Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.”,”source”:{“system”:”photo center”,”name”:”Associated Press”,”edit_url”:””,”source_type”:”other”,”additional_properties”:{“editor”:”photo center”}},”taxonomy”:{“associated_tasks”:[]},”type”:”image”,”distributor”:{“mode”:”reference”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″},”focal_point”:{“x”:1038,”y”:403},”version”:”0.10.9″,”url”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg”,”licensable”:false,”alt_text”:”Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.”,”credits”:{“affiliation”:[{“name”:”Source: Associated Press”,”type”:”author”}],”by”:[]},”subtitle”:”Taylor Frankie Paul appears at the Oscars in Los Angeles on March 15, 2026.”,”width”:2027,”_id”:”GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA”,”additional_properties”:{“fullSizeResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″,”iptc_source”:”Invision”,”iptc_job_identifier”:”NYET410″,”proxyUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″,”takenOn”:”2026-03-15T21:54:39Z”,”originalUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg”,”published”:true,”resizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11″,”thumbnailResizeUrl”:”/resizer/v2/GF5C7KN7CFFBNGEM6Q5LAQGLHA.jpg?auth=d948d431b97157bf99377700e2a8f4779b2673cdfcd14b0dcf88ee1af264ef11&width=300″,”version”:1,”originalName”:”AP26078725188369.jpg”,”mime_type”:”image/jpeg”,”restricted”:false,”galleries”:[],”firstPublishedDate”:”2026-03-20T00:43:09.030Z”,”iptc_title”:”INVL”},”created_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:45Z”,”last_updated_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:45Z”,”slug”:”People – Taylor Frankie Paul”,”height”:1351}},”canonical_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/20/bachelorette-cancelled-a-franchises-history-of-controversy/”,”distributor”:{“name”:”Associated Press”,”category”:”other”,”subcategory”:”ap”,”reference_id”:”a3631aab-a389-4d43-9f1d-3163eac4fb27″,”mode”:”reference_denormalized”},”display_date”:”2026-03-20T05:30:40.039Z”,”subtype”:””,”headlines”:{“basic”:”Bachelorette cancelled – a franchise’s history of controversy”},”websites”:{“1-news”:{“website_url”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/2026/03/20/bachelorette-cancelled-a-franchises-history-of-controversy/”,”website_section”:{“path”:”/entertainment”,”parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”_website”:”1-news”,”parent_id”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”additional_properties”:{“original”:{“parent”:{“default”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”site”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”mobile-app”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”web”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulation”:null,”categories”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”hamburger-menu”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”,”circulate”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/”},”social”:{“twitter”:null,”rss”:null,”facebook”:null,”instagram”:null},”site_topper”:{“site_logo_image”:null},”site”:{“pagebuilder_path_for_native_apps”:null,”site_url”:null,”site_keywords”:”Entertainment, celebrities, famous”,”site_about”:null,”site_description”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_title”:”Entertainment News from 1News”,”site_tagline”:null},”navigation”:{“nav_title”:null},”_admin”:{“alias_ids”:[“/entertainment”]},”inactive”:false,”node_type”:”section”,”_website”:”1-news”,”name”:”Entertainment”,”_id”:”/entertainment”,”ancestors”:{“default”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”site”:[],”mobile-app”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”web”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulation”:[],”categories”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”hamburger-menu”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”],”circulate”:[“https://www.1news.co.nz/”]},”order”:{“default”:1010,”site”:1007,”mobile-app”:1011,”web”:1011,”categories”:1010,”hamburger-menu”:1002,”circulate”:1005}}},”_website_section_id”:”1-news./entertainment”,”type”:”section”,”version”:”0.6.0″}}},”publish_date”:”2026-03-20T05:54:45.651Z”,”_id”:”7JK46BTTENFWRJAM7HG3PMX36M”}],”_id”:”c0dde67f57c4285bdca69410e23320a72664699aeb0aa0284386428cf7d56263″},”expires”:1774421957939,”lastModified”:1774421837134}}};Fusion.layout=”articleV5″;Fusion.metas={“page-type”:{“value”:”news-story”,”html”:true},”title”:{“value”:”{{content.headlines.basic}}”,”html”:true},”description”:{“value”:”{{content.description.basic}}”,”html”:true},”keywords”:{“value”:”{{content.keywords}}”,”html”:true}};Fusion.outputType=”default”;Fusion.template=”template/t1xAOD0sPyImKx0xt”;Fusion.tree={“collection”:”layouts”,”type”:”articleV5″,”props”:{“collection”:”layouts”,”type”:”articleV5″,”id”:”articleV5″,”childProps”:[{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:0},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:1},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:2},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:3},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:4},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:5},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:6},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:7},{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:8}]},”children”:[{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:0},”children”:[{“collection”:”chains”,”type”:”NavV2″,”props”:{“collection”:”chains”,”type”:”NavV2″,”id”:”c0fjF8XPFVRbuW”,”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{}},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleSuggestStories”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleSuggestStories”,”id”:”f0fOwVbyFVRbIl”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“listContentConfig”:{“contentService”:”section-module-stories”,”contentConfigValues”:{“size”:3,”sectionId”:”/life”,”_id”:”KWVPLDY44RDETBM2RVC4ZWFWZQ”,”canonical_url”:”/2026/03/25/govt-fuel-relief-should-have-gone-to-business-struggling-region/”,”category”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/tags/politics”}},”header”:”suggestedStories”,”segmentName”:”suggestedStories”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:1},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/BreakingNewsBanner”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/BreakingNewsBanner”,”id”:”f0fSbGA2GVRblQ”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Common/ArcAd”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Common/ArcAd”,”id”:”f0fczBN6GVRb85″,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“adType”:”billboardAd”,”display”:”all”,”displayAdvertisementLabel”:true},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:2},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleTopper”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleTopper”,”id”:”f0f79EcbGVRbsh”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:3},”children”:[{“collection”:”chains”,”type”:”ArticleBodyV3″,”props”:{“collection”:”chains”,”type”:”ArticleBodyV3″,”id”:”c0fIY0pkGVRbbU”,”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{}},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleBodyList”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleBodyList”,”id”:”f0fLsNqfGVRb3o”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“maxStories”:3,”title”:”More on this topic”,”segmentName”:”more on this topic”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/TagsV2″,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/TagsV2″,”id”:”f0fdwJJwGVRb56″,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/LiveBlogStructuredData”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/LiveBlogStructuredData”,”id”:”f0fINm2FGVRb8n”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:4},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/SocialV2″,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/SocialV2″,”id”:”f0fFqwhKGVRbfM”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“horizontal”:false},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:5},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleBottomListV3″,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleBottomListV3″,”id”:”f0f97OmOGVRbqh”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“listContentConfig”:{“contentService”:”tag-related-stories-api”,”contentConfigValues”:{“size”:6,”_id”:”KWVPLDY44RDETBM2RVC4ZWFWZQ”,”canonical_url”:”/2026/03/25/govt-fuel-relief-should-have-gone-to-business-struggling-region/”,”category”:”https://www.1news.co.nz/tags/politics”}},”header”:”More Stories”,”showViewMore”:true,”segmentName”:”tagRelatedStories”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/NewsLetterV2″,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/NewsLetterV2″,”id”:”f0f6GOMzRxXJov”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“iterableApi”:”https://apis.1news.co.nz/iterable/api/lists/subscribe”,”label”:”The weekend’s sport unpacked. Every Monday morning.”,”desktopImageUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/U2HCOPZMPVHYTCP435VXYTDZBQ.png”,”mobileImageUrl”:”https://cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/tvnz/7WX2NPAEJVE7JHY5SCKCGIT6GU.png”,”iterableId”:2851764,”buttonColour”:”#222222″,”buttonTextColour”:”#F1F631″,”showForSection”:”/sport”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:6},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Common/ArcAd”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Common/ArcAd”,”id”:”f0f6xK2SGVRbLo”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“adType”:”300×250|300×600″,”display”:”all”,”displayAdvertisementLabel”:true},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”chains”,”type”:”ArticleRightRailListV2″,”props”:{“collection”:”chains”,”type”:”ArticleRightRailListV2″,”id”:”c0f6oQwZGVRbFq”,”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{}},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleRightRailLatestStories”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleRightRailLatestStories”,”id”:”f0ffbSVWGVRbiV”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“listContentConfig”:{“contentService”:”latest-stories-api”,”contentConfigValues”:{“feedSize”:6,”sponsoredAfter”:5}},”segmentName”:”articlePanel1″,”header”:”Latest”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleRightRailPopularStories”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/ArticleRightRailPopularStories”,”id”:”f0fgONerIogPfP”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“listContentConfig”:{“contentService”:”popular-stories”,”contentConfigValues”:{“feedSize”:6}},”header”:”Popular”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Common/ArcAd”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Common/ArcAd”,”id”:”f0fMNk13HVRbiN”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“adType”:”300×250|300×600″,”display”:”all”,”displayAdvertisementLabel”:true},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:7},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/Taboola”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/Taboola”,”id”:”f0fK4T3bHVRb97″,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“placement”:”Below Article Thumbnails”,”mobileMode”:”thumbnails-mobile-a”,”desktopMode”:”thumbnails-desktop-a”,”container”:”taboola-below-article-thumbnails”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/SectionLayout2″,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/SectionLayout2″,”id”:”f0fUTgj7HVRba0″,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“listContentConfig”:{“contentService”:”section-module-stories”,”contentConfigValues”:{“size”:6,”sectionId”:”/entertainment”}},”nativeAdPosition”:5,”segmentName”:”articleSubSection1″,”header”:”More from Entertainment”,”footer”:”View more entertainment stories”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}},{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/CategoryListWrapper”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/CategoryListWrapper”,”id”:”f0fqBq4FHVRba2″,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{“listContentConfig”:{“contentService”:”latest-stories-api”,”contentConfigValues”:{“feedSize”:10}},”header”:”latest stories”,”alwaysShowTitle”:true,”segmentName”:”LatestEndless”},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]},{“collection”:”sections”,”props”:{“collection”:”sections”,”id”:8},”children”:[{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/Footer”,”props”:{“collection”:”features”,”type”:”Custom/Footer”,”id”:”f0faxmPKHVRbDu”,”contentConfig”:{“contentService”:””,”contentConfigValues”:{},”inherit”:true},”customFields”:{},”displayProperties”:{},”localEdits”:{},”variants”:{}}}]}]};Fusion.spa=false;Fusion.spaEnabled=false;