Kiwi translocation, cancelled projects and balloons: The big stories of March 2024

Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari Kiwi Translocation 2024: Pilot Charles Davis, of Wellington, loads his feathered passengers on board. Photo / Danielle Zollickhofer

As the year draws to a close, Waikato Herald is taking stock of 2024. What moved readers most? As part of a 12-day series, Waikato Herald reporter Danielle Zollickhofer looks at the top stories each month. Welcome to day 3: March.

Nationally, March 2024 was a very busy month with numerous big stories happening.

NZME bought SunMedia and the Gisborne Herald, while TVNZ proposed axing several programmes including Fair Go, Sunday and 1News’ midday and late-night news segments due to financial difficulties.

Chlöe Swarbrick was elected co-leader of the Green Party, following the resignation of James Shaw. Meanwhile, former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman pleaded guilty to shoplifting.

A Latam Airlines Flight 800 experienced an inflight upset while landing at Auckland International Airport, injuring 50 passengers and crew.

The Government gave Ruapehu Alpine Lifts a $7 million bailout while NZ Post revealed plans to lay off 750 workers over the next five years due to declining mail volume.

Two people are killed and three injured in Gisborne, following a street brawl involving 100 people.

And Deputy Prime Minister and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters was at the centre of another controversy after a state of the nation address where he likened co-governance to the race-based theory of Nazi-Germany during the 1930s.

Meanwhile, in the Waikato, Auckland developer Templeton Group revealed plans for a $120 million high-end development, including a hotel, office space, residential apartments and food and entertainment precinct on the ground level.

The annual Balloons over Waikato festival took flight again with the iconic Hamilton event celebrating its 25-year anniversary, but hot air balloons were not alone in the skies above Waikato as New Zealand’s largest Kiwi translocation got under way at Sanctuary Mountain Maungatautari.

Balloon pilot Eliot Jessep lighting up Paula's burner just before take off. Photo / Maryana Garcia

The North Island Brown Kiwi moved out of the Waikato to boost existing populations at Capital Kiwi in Wellington, Tongariro National Park and Taranaki Maunga, with the group of birds moving to Wellington having been New Zealand’s only flying kiwi - they were transported by plane.

Antarctica expert University of Waikato professor Craig Cary died unexpectedly on campus in Hamilton, leaving behind a legacy of 40 years of unravelling the mysteries of microbial life in some of the world’s toughest environments.

University of Waikato microbial biologist, Professor Craig Cary passed away unexpectedly on campus in March.

Hamilton City Council voted to remove 10 projects from its 2023-24 transport programme, including four projects intended to improve safety at crossings near schools.

And delays on the expressway had even Transport Minister Simeon Brown upset: Traffic management around roadworks on State Highway 1 at Taupiri and Rangiriri caused motorists “significant disruption” with some drivers spending hours on the road without reaching their destinations.

In a post on X, Brown said the delays had been “unacceptable” and “unneccessary” and he had made his “expectations clear to NZTA”.

Danielle Zollickhofer is a multimedia journalist based in Hamilton. She joined NZME in 2021 and is writing for the Waikato Herald.

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