Go behind-the-scenes in Stuff's newsroom
Hi neighbours,
Ever wondered why we cover the stories that we do? Or what our policy is on swear words on Stuff? What about why the homepage greets you with 'Kia ora, Aotearoa!' and not 'Hello, New Zealand!' ?
The Backstory is an occasional email newsletter giving you behind-the-scenes insight into stories and newsroom decisions, from Stuff Editor Patrick Crewdson. It's sent every one to two weeks and it's free!
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Poll: Is the increase in disability parking fines fair?
In October, the fine for parking in a designated mobility car park without a permit has jumped from $150 to $750—a 400% increase!
The goal is to keep these spaces open for those who truly need them. Do you think this big increase in the fine is fair? Share your thoughts below.
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89.2% Yes, it's fair
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10.1% No, it's unreasonable
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0.7% Other - I'll share below
Smoke in Mt Wellington
Smoke has been seen coming from the crater of the Auckland maunga Mt Wellington.
Images of the smoke began appearing on social media on Friday afternoon.
Around 1.45pm, Fire and Emergency (Fenz) shift manager Josh Pennefather told the NZ Herald a crew was fighting a fire of about 60 square metres in size.
”It’s spreading up hill … [but] there’s no property at risk at this stage,” Pennefather said.
Six fire trucks were in attendance working to contain a grass fire that's spreading up the maunga.
A helicopter was on its way to assist firefighting efforts, he added.
At 2pm, Pennefather shared that the fire was contained and they were working to extinguish it, including “keeping an eye on a whole bunch of hot spots“.