Poll: Do you think New Zealand police should be routinely armed?
Neighbours are worried after a spate of drive by shootings in South Auckland.
An Otara resident says he slept on the floor with his children after a house he lived near was shot at in the most recent drive-by shootings as gang tensions boiled over onto the streets of a south Auckland community.
Gary Cooper said they were home on Saturday evening when they heard two loud bangs, shortly after 10pm.
Armed police teams were scrapped earlier this year and will not return after strong public opposition.
Police Commissioner Andrew Coster in June said the controversial armed response teams would not become permanent in New Zealand after a six-month trial.
The decision not to roll-out ARTs had been made based on preliminary findings from the trial evaluation, feedback received from the public, and consultation with community forum groups.
Coster in June told Stuff it was clear from the feedback, including 4000 letters in the last week, that there was not support for ARTs as something that aligned with the style of policing people wanted for New Zealand.
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71.3% Yes
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19.2% No
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9.6% Undecided. It's too complex.
Rubbish bins:
Recycle collection tomorrow so put your bins out in the morning, It is windy out there and your rubbish is blowing everywhere? Are you human with a brain or just ST- - -D?
Poll: Do you set New Year’s resolutions?
🎉 2026 is almost here!
We’re curious ... how do you welcome it?
Do you set resolutions, follow special traditions, or just go with the flow?
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9% Yes! New Year, New Me
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21.7% Yes - but I rarely stick to them
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69.3% Nah - not for me
By-election for Otara-Papatoetoe area
Just to let everyone know that we have another by-election happening, and here is the reason why. Below are details and dates, so keep an eye on your letter boxes.
The Manukau Court’s Ruling
The Manukau District Court determined that the Papatoetoe subdivision result of the Ōtara–Papatoetoe Local Board election was invalid, ruling that the outcome had been “materially affected” by voting irregularities. Judge Richard McIlraith found that the scale and nature of the irregularities met the legal threshold required to void an election under New Zealand’s local electoral laws.
In his decision, Judge McIlraith stated that the evidence presented — including reports of stolen voting papers, fraudulent use of ballots, and other procedural irregularities — was sufficient to conclude that the integrity of the election had been compromised. The court noted that at least 79 voting papers were identified as having been cast without the rightful voter’s knowledge during a judicially supervised examination of ballot boxes.
While the judge acknowledged that the election had been administered “properly and in accordance with all requirements” by Independent Election Services and the electoral officer, he concluded that the fraudulent activity originated outside the official process and nonetheless impacted the final result to a degree that required the election to be voided.
As a result of the ruling, the court ordered that a new election must be held, with Auckland Council confirming that the fresh poll must be completed by 9 April 2026
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