Unemployment rate hits 10-year high; Beach closures after sewage flood cripples Wellington wastewater plant; Wanted man armed with firearm shot by police in Hamilton.
Unemployment rate rises to 5.4% - highest since September 2015
The unemployment rate has risen to 5.4%, the highest since September 2015.
It was a slight increase from the previous figure of 5.3% in the September 2025 quarter, which was a nine-year high.
Sewage flood cripples Wellington wastewater plant, forces beach closures
Sewage back-up has flooded multiple floors of the Wellington's Moa Point Wastewater Treatment Plant and caused an ongoing raw discharge that has closed beaches off the capital's south coast.
Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty said heavy rain caused wastewater to back up into a maintenance area and flood the facility, tripping power fuses, damaging control equipment and forcing a shutdown.
Wanted man armed with firearm shot by police in Hamilton
A wanted man who was armed with a shotgun is in Waikato Hospital after being shot by police in Hamilton this morning.
Officers responded to reports of a stolen vehicle driving erratically on Cambridge Rd in Te Awamutu just before 9am, Inspector Will Loughrin said.
Watch: The regions that can make the most of the BBQ and beach
1News meteorologist Dan Corbett says the forecast is looking good for the long weekend but there will be a few passing showers.
ONE ONLINE GOLD RUSH
Trade Me says buyers are hunting for a gold and silver bargain – but there's a warning that jewellery may not be the best way to get an investment slice of the precious metals action.
Trade Me spokesperson Millie Silvester said from about mid-January, the site had started to receive significantly more searches for gold and silver.
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