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Jasper Thompson, middle right, shovels debris into a wheelbarrow as residents of Reavers Lane, Queenstown begin clearing up after heavy rains. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver The Queenstown Lakes District Council has filed charges against three companies over a slip in 2023 which forced the evacuation of homes, and left ten homes red-stickered. On 22 September the homes in Reavers Lane were hit by debris during torrential rain. In October the Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) mayor Glyn Lewers said that Skyline Gondola had apologised, and said it believed debris from its worksite contributed to the flooding. Forty-one people had to be evacuated from their homes on the night, and later 10 homes were red-stickered and two yellow-stickered. On Friday the Queenstown Lakes District Council...

Photo: Getty Images Synlait's two biggest shareholders will be able to vote on a $218-million rescue package they are bankrolling at next week's special meeting. Market regulator RegCo dismissed a complaint brought by former chief executive and board member John Penno aiming to prevent the big two shareholders, A2 Milk and Bright Dairy, from voting on the bail-out package. In a statement, Synlait said the support of all shareholders remained essential to safeguard the future of Synlait, and all shareholders were encouraged to exercise their right to vote at the special meeting, schedule for 18 September. Penno brought the action, calling the bail out package a sweetheart deal for Bright Dairy and a2 Milk. The proposed package would give Synlait capital to paid down debt and refinance its...

An apartment in this building on Remuera Road was sold in 2024 for $1 million less than the seller paid for it in 2018. Photo: Supplied / Google Maps An Auckland property that sold for $300,000 less than the owner paid for it two years ago might have made the news this week - but it is far from the biggest loss sustained by a seller this year. The Māngere East property sold at mortgagee sale for $490,000 but last changed hands for $750,000 in March 2022. But Nick Goodall, the head of research at property value firm CoreLogic, said the biggest loss recorded so far this year was for a Remuera apartment, which sold for $1 million less than it had previously been bought for. It was sold for $5.5m on 12 April, after being bought for $6.5m in March 2018. Goodall said it was a higher-end apart...