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Locals in the Coromandel are overjoyed by the reopening of State Highway 25A.
A 124 metre bridge, reconnecting a section of the road which collapsed in January, opened to traffic on Wednesday - three months early and under budget.
Locals in Tairua have been partying in the streets as cars flow through the town centre.
Paradise Gym owner Gabrielle Deane says they’re excited to have holidaygoers back.
Finance Minister Nicola Willis has laid the blame for the deteriorating fiscal position squarely in the lap of the previous Government.
But Willis says yesterday’s mini-Budget was just the first step of her Government’s plan to refocus spending priorities.
Willis has so far found $7.5 billion worth of reprioritisation but says that figure will rise, as she goes through the Government books with a fine tooth comb.
She was highly critical of Grant Robertson yesterday, holding him accountable for the significantly slimmed-down surplus projections.
The ability to buy disposable vapes has gone up in smoke as new regulations come into force today.
Disposable vapes can’t be sold, unless they have removable batteries, maximum nicotine limits, child safety features and follow new labelling requirements.
All vapes will have to meet those specifications by March when they’ll also be limited to generic flavours, and banned from using images of toys or cartoons.
The new regulations are designed to discourage young people from taking up vaping.
The days leading up to Christmas will be gripped by warm, humid conditions for many across the country.
An area of warm, humid air is being dragged across New Zealand from the warm waters to our north.
Daily highs in the City of Sails are set to remain around 26C with sleepless hot and sticky nights to linger past Christmas.
How a resilient Kiwi village hopes to bounce back from a big drop in visitors.