Traffic is expected to occur along this section of State Highway 1 today when the tourists return home. Photo / Martin Sykes
Traffic was blazing fast towards Auckland with traffic turning nearly 12 km along the state’s main thoroughfare this afternoon.
A car driver said traffic north of Spinuru in South Waikato is bumper to bumper to Tirau. He said it took an hour to get to Pairere and traffic was still crawling to Cambridge.
Further south, a serious accident temporarily closed the main highway through Levin.
As expected, there was heavy traffic in the north and south #Akl when motorists come home from their vacation. Expect delays # SH1 between Bombay & Drury. Heavy patches go in #N northernMwy off Oteha Valley Rd and again to the busy north # SH1 at Warkworth & Wellsford. ^ MF pic.twitter.com/DPnJ4Z3faO
– NZTA Auckland & Northland One Ship (@UnitAkNth) October 26, 2020
It’s bumper-to-bumper on parts of the SH1 between Topuni and Wellsford, via the Warkworth jam and the North Highway to Auckland.
FINAL UPDATE 14:15 It’s a serious accident on SH1 #Flash has been CLEANED and the way is OPEN. ^ EHhttps://t.co/1kXuja3uMc
– NZTA Central North Island One Boat (@WakaKotahiCNI) October 26, 2020
The longest lines affect the stretch of road between Topuni and Wellsford, with riders facing a slow and congested race of at least 12 km.
Travelers returning from a long weekend getaway are warned to wait in line all afternoon when they return home.
Traffic is building up in all the usual places when road users return to it #Auckland today. Remember to drive carefully and be patient if you are going home after a long weekend. Drive safe everyone! #LabourWeekendTraffic. ^ MF pic.twitter.com/CZUtv7epX0
– NZTA Auckland & Northland One Ship (@UnitAkNth) October 26, 2020
As expected, there was heavy traffic in the north and south #Akl when motorists come home from their vacation. Expect delays # SH1 between Bombay & Drury. Heavy patches go in #N northernMwy off Oteha Valley Rd and again to the busy north # SH1 at Warkworth & Wellsford. ^ MF pic.twitter.com/DPnJ4Z3faO
– NZTA Auckland & Northland One Ship (@UnitAkNth) October 26, 2020
Earlier, the New Zealand Transport Agency reminded motorists to allow extra time on their way back to major hubs today on both ends of the North Island.
A serious accident on SH1 near Avenue North Rd closed off the highway before 2pm. Drivers passing through the area are asked to follow emergency service instructions and are warned of delays.
Traffic is expected to be heavy throughout the day on State Highway 1 at Kakakawa in the Bay of Islands leading south and through Kāpiti which runs between Peka Peka and Ōtaki.
EXPECTED RETURNS OF TRAFFIC: Give extra time if you head home TODAY (Mon Oct 26), after a long weekend. Heavy traffic is estimated at # SH1 in Kawakawa between 10am and 6pm. Plan ahead of time #LabourWeekendTraffic. ^ MF pic.twitter.com/2sps6bWOB0
– NZTA Auckland & Northland One Ship (@UnitAkNth) 25 October 2020
The heaviest traffic in the north is expected to be between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m., and it is busy between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. today.
At the other end of the island, traffic is expected to be heavy between 11am and 7pm.
THE END OF THE WORKING WEEK – PREPARE FOR YOUR TRIP Coming back to Wellington after a long week? We expect active traffic # SH1 via Kapiti to head south between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. today, Mon Oct 26. To help avoid delays, visit https://t.co/lUdIy6bdgr#LabourWeekendpic.twitter.com/qa4xBGJFzL
– NZTA Wellington One Ship (@WakaKotahiWgtn) 25 October 2020
The holiday highway toll is currently at six, five higher than last year and the worst since 2017.
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A road worker who paints a white line over a dead possum in a New Zealand the road has been criticized for being “disrespectful” to animals.
The image taken on Monday shows a white line above a dead cuscus halfway in Pukekohe. Auckland.
It was shared on Facebook with the comment: “Great new paint job on Cape Hill today – you’ve got one.”
Kiki, who shared her photo on social media, told the Evening Standard that her friend took the photo and apart from being surprised, they also saw the funny side.
“What is clear is that cuscus is roadkill (dead, cuscus is a pest in New Zealand),” said Kiki.
“Cape Hill Road is a busy road but also a country road.”
Auckland Transport says line will be repainted (Kiki Kiki)
An Auckland Transport spokeswoman told New Zealand Herald that the contractor had made a mistake painting the animal.
“Oops, sorry, we missed it on a dark country road,” he said in the statement. “We have asked our contractors to remove the possums and repaint the lines.”
Some social media users were annoyed by the road workers’ mistakes.
Many commented on the post saying it was “disgusting” and “disrespectful” because the pests had not been removed.
“Geez, sad they should have moved the poor little kid,” said one person commenting on Facebook.
Others find mistakes funny.
“I’m sick of myself because I laugh,” said one person on Facebook.
Another said: “To be fair he has one job and he does it perfectly. Too bad he doesn’t have a second job to get rid of roadkill first.”
Valve Corporation CEO Gabe Newell has confirmed to 1 NEWS that he is applying for a residency in New Zealand – but said reports of him moving developers for his video game company to New Zealand are baseless.
Gabe Newell, CEO of Valve Corporation. Source: 1 NEWS
Various gaming media outlets reported yesterday that Newell had indicated he wanted to move developers to New Zealand as the game company faced the Covid-19 challenge.
According to the report, he is arranging a meeting with Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to discuss the prospects of bringing developers to New Zealand.
However, he told 1 NEWS that the reports were inaccurate.
“I didn’t have a meeting in line with the PM,” he said.
“Valve currently has no plans to open an office in New Zealand, which doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea. It’s not something we’re working on.”
Newell has visited New Zealand since before the Covid-19 pandemic, and decided to hang on and take refuge with a group of friends.
Speaking to 1 NEWS today, he did not say which visa he was applying for.
If he were to become a resident, he would be one of the richest men in New Zealand, with a net worth according to Forbes of around NZ $ 6 billion.
Newell is also in the process of reorganizing the concert to thank New Zealand for hosting him during the Covid-19 period, after the final event had to be postponed due to a second revival in the community.
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Mr Newell appeared at Breakfast with Alex Riberas and Teagan Klein to talk about the August 15 show. Source: Breakfast
1 NEWS understands the We Love Aotearoa concert may take place before the end of the year, but the date has not been confirmed.
He also asked Kiwi drift champions to compete in endurance motorsport in New Zealand as part of the Heart of Racing team, which raises money for children’s hospitals including the Starship.
Newell founded Valve Corporation in 1996, and the company’s online game distribution service Steam is estimated to have 90 million active users – Steam’s annual revenue is estimated to be in the billions.
Valve has made very popular games including Counter-Strike, Half-Life, DOTA, and Portal.
Baggage guards for Air New Zealand have been charged with helping drug smugglers smuggle 20kg of methamphetamine through border security checks. Photo / Brett Phibbs
EXCLUSIVE: The red flag was raised when the 25-year-old rapper from Auckland flew to the United States shortly after New Zealand emerged from level 4 lockdown and returned just five days later. Customs officer found 20 kg of crystal methamphetamine in a suitcase allegedly belonging to him. However, investigations into how the drugs managed to get past border controls revealed what Customs alleged was a corrupt Air NZ baggage handling crew. Jared Savage Report.
An Air New Zealand baggage handler has been arrested for allegedly helping someone circumvent border security checks and smuggling drugs into the country during the Covid lockdown.
Four men who work at Auckland International Airport are jointly accused with local rap musicians of importing $ 8 million worth of methamphetamine in May.
If convicted, the offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
In what is believed to be the country’s first known prosecution, a Customs investigation will accuse Air New Zealand staff of engaging in a drug-smuggling tactic that has been described overseas as a “rip on, rip off”.
For this method to work, the importer of drugs needs a man or woman “in” on either end of the flight.
To avoid X-ray machines and other security measures, baggage attendants must secretly load the medicine bag on board among other checked baggage.
Or unsuspecting travelers get an extra bag tagged with their baggage allowance. After all, this is a “rip on”.
Once the plane lands at its destination, other baggage staff on the runway remove the drug-laden baggage before it can be checked. This is a “rip off”.
In the case currently being tried in Manukau District Court, four Air New Zealand baggage handlers were arrested after $ 8 million worth of methamphetamine was found at Auckland International Airport.
The red flag was raised when a 25-year-old man traveled to the United States on May 2, 2020 – when New Zealand was under Covid level 3 lockdown restrictions – and returned from Los Angeles five days later.
Suspicious of his travels given the global pandemic, Customs officials searched his black carry-on and found 20 kg of crystal meth.
Romney Fuki Fukofuka, 25, was charged with possessing Class A drugs to supply and import Class A drugs. The Mangere resident registered his job as a musician and rapper under the stage name Konecs.
Court documents reveal that Fukofuka was also charged with conspiracy to import methamphetamine between March and his arrest on May 7.
The alleged breach specifically relates to five packages terminated by the United States Customs Border Protection agency, which hid a total of 15 kg of methamphetamine.
Fukofuka was arrested along with Sese Vimahi, a 44-year-old baggage handler, and charged with importing 20kg of crystal methamphetamine found at the airport on May 7.
Customs continued to investigate and one week later, three Air New Zealand loaders were jointly charged with the same offense: Daniel John Ah Hong, 26, Mark Anthony Castillo, 23, and George Aloha Taukolo, 29.
The fifth man with temporary name suppression was also accused of importing Class A drugs.
All pleaded not guilty to the charges and will appear again at the Manukau District Court next month.
None of the baggage handlers have worked since Air New Zealand became aware of the allegations, said the airline’s head of operational integrity and safety officer, Captain David Morgan.
At the end of October, all but one baggage handler will no longer be employed by Air New Zealand.
The remaining person guarantee terms don’t allow them to contact Air New Zealand, Morgan said.
“Air New Zealand has a strict Code of Conduct. We take these kinds of allegations very seriously and have zero tolerance for any behavior that is found to violate our Code of Conduct.”
Morgan said Air New Zealand employees are encouraged to call a confidential “Speak Up” line, which operates 24/7, to report any behavior that is suspected of being inappropriate, unethical or illegal.
Customs investigations manager Bruce Berry said organized crime targets people and processes to smuggle drugs across the border. Photo / Tania Whyte
Because the matter is in court, Customs investigations manager Bruce Berry is unable to discuss the specifics of the investigation or arrest.
But speaking broadly of the “insider threat”, Berry said organized crime relies on subverting people and processes to smuggle illegal goods across borders.
“Whether it’s passenger or cargo, organized crime is very agile and is always looking for ways to exploit gaps in the armor,” Berry said.
“Internationally, the insider threat has existed during the trading post. But because New Zealand is such an attractive market now, we are starting to see sophisticated criminal techniques being applied here.”
In a scene reminiscent of the popular television crime series The Wire, containers are loaded into the back of a truck at the port at 1 a.m., as soon as they are marked for inspection by Customs.
Security camera image of a container being moved from Auckland Harbor in July 2019 behind a truck. Photo / Provided
The container is said to have contained 24 air compressors from Thailand and Customs wanted to take a closer look at the contents, as the company that imported the goods was founded by members of a Mongol motorcycle gang who had recently been deported from Australia.
Police and Customs believe large quantities of drugs are hidden inside and detectives from the National Organized Crime Group are still investigating the “suspicious circumstances” in which the containers were taken.
New Zealand has a reputation for being one of the most corrupt countries in the world.
But according to Berry, the arrest of a port supervisor and the recent prosecution of a police officer for leaking sensitive information to a gang suggests law enforcement and the industry cannot be complacent about the threat posed by organized crime.
“This type of corruption is unheard of internationally, but New Zealand has been isolated from it for a long time.”
Tuesday, September 29 2020, 5:53 PM Pers conference: Transdev
The proposals embodied in the Green Party’s new transport policy have merit, and deserve further investigation, according to local representatives of global public transport provider Transdev.
Transdev New Zealand also praised all the major political parties for the focus they put on public transport during this year’s election campaign, and in particular on realizing the enormous potential of public transport in creating more livable cities.
One of the proposals included in today’s Greens announcement was the relaunch of the sleeper train between Auckland and Wellington.
“Such services can provide New Zealand business travelers and tourists on holiday with very attractive and low emission inter-city travel options,” said Transdev New Zealand Chief Officer and Managing Director, Greg Pollock.
“Such services are proving very popular in Europe, where Transdev operates trains in several countries, and where business travelers and holiday makers are increasingly looking for low-emission mobility options.
“Green Party policy recognizes that rail technology is rapidly developing, which means zero-emission rail travel from Auckland and Wellington is possible in the near future – even if the Main Line is not fully electrified,” said Greg Pollock.
“Transdev will consider bidding to run the overnight service, but regardless of who or how the service is provided, it has the potential to have tangible benefits in terms of connecting communities, supporting regional economies, and supporting national economies – as well as in reducing carbon emissions.
“These ideas would be an excellent way to take advantage of the significant investment that has gone into rail infrastructure over the past three years, and to bring new ideas, services and travel options to New Zealand.”
“While we are all stuck at home in Aotearoa now, Kiwis travel a lot, and know there are opportunities to use our rail network in a much better way, in line with what people living in other countries expect and rely on,” said Greg Pollock. .
Transdev provides 18 types of public mobility services in 22 countries worldwide, including passenger trains, buses and ferries. The company facilitates an average of 11 million trips per day. In New Zealand, Transdev operates train and passenger bus services for Auckland Transport and for Metlink in Wellington.
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