By Mary Argue of RNZ Home owners are sounding the alarm about a construction company which they say took tens of thousands of dollars before its director disappeared. RNZ has spoken to six of Enzed Construction’s former clients who said they were cutting their losses after paying money upfront for work that was done poorly, or not at all. Documents shared with RNZ show payments to Enzed Construction and its director Hemi Arapeta Tiopira – known as James – exceed $60,000. Dealings with the company earlier this year – in Wellington, Lower Hutt and Waipukurau – had led to police reports, Dispute Tribunal claims, and several complaints to an online tradie platform used by Enzed Construction to source work. Tiopira has not responded to RNZ’s multiple requests for comment. Those who spoke to RNZ after contracting Enzed Construction to repile their homes had similar stories, laying out Tiopira’s eagerness to quote the job, professionalism, and the initial flurry of activity after the deposit – about 50% – was paid. They said a request for more money upfront followed, but then after a series of delays and excuses – including Tiopira claiming he had been in car crashes, his mum was sick, he’d had a diabetes diagnosis – they were offered a refund that never materialised. Tiopira has since gone to ground. Before doing so, he told some clients that he had to close the company. ‘It really ruined me’ It had been almost three months, but Warren Fitzgerald said he was only just clawing his way back to normality after buying a house in Wellington, based on Enzed Construction’s quote to repile it. He said in hindsight, the company’s competitive $33,000 price should have been a red flag – but having done some building, thought it could be done for that price. He also knew to be flexible, because construction did not always go to plan. “That’s where the embarrassment sits, just eating up the story and giving people the benefit of the doubt. Which sounds terrible as well, because I don’t ever want to not give that [people the benefit of the doubt].” Fitzgerald paid a 60% deposit, and said Tiopira and his crew started work almost immediately post-settlement on April 7. Within days, Fitzgerald said he was asked to pay the remaining balance to help Tiopira with end of financial year invoices. He paid it, with the promise that it would also cover additional materials and work. But the initial flurry of activity did not last long, and the excuses for why the builders were not on site started coming in. Fitzgerald was told there had been an accident on-site that required hospital treatment, then a first aid course. “I wasn’t expecting them there every day and I wasn’t there to micro-manage them, but I was starting to worry about the timeline, which they said was going to be three weeks.” But by three weeks, he said the work – which was substandard – was nowhere near finished and “from there it went downhill very quickly”. “Effectively, they stopped coming to site, and I was trying to text them for weeks and call them, and no answer.” On May 7, Fitzgerald told Tiopira he would be filing a claim with the Disputes Tribunal. He said Tiopira finally responded, claiming his ute had been ploughed into in Johnsonville and he could no longer do the work. He offered a full refund. In an order issued on July 4, Disputes Tribunal referee C Bridgeman found Enzed Construction had breached the Consumer Guarantees Act and ordered the company to repay Fitzgerald the maximum amount claimable – $30,000 by July 31. Bridgeman found the work that was done was substandard and that Enzed’s failures were “substantial” – including not getting council consent and an engineer’s report. In a separate order, on August 12, Bridgeman found Tiopira had abandoned a second contract for insulation work and ordered he refund Fitzgerald $5600. The orders show Tiopira did not appear for either hearing. A screenshot of CCTV footage of Enzed Construction`s director, James Tiopira.... Read...

The first firefighters to enter the raging Loafers Lodge hostel blaze have described their narrow escape from the building shortly before a deadly flashover happened. Brady Cutting and Noel Wellington have detailed crawling blindly on their stomachs through pitch black smoke towards an “unbearable” heat as they tried to find the fire. They have both given evidence in the Wellington High Court during a trial for the man accused of lighting the fire. The 50-year-old, who has interim name suppression, has denied five counts of murder and two of arson. He is accused of killing Mike Wahrlich, Liam Hockings, Peter O’Sullivan, Melvin Parun and Kenneth Barnard in the fire, which happened shortly after midnight on May 16, 2023. Wellington told the court there was “zero visibility” on the fire floor that night. He explained how he held the thermal imaging camera directly up to his visor to try to see a thermal layout of the room, but even then smoke was obstructing his vision. The defendant has name suppression throughout the trial. Photo / Marty Melville “I started to notice sparks of flashes from within the smoke. This is a clear indication that fire was going to flash or flashover,” he said. Flashover is when a fire reaches such a high temperature that all combustible materials in the area can spontaneously ignite. His colleague, Cutting, had earlier described flashover, saying it meant “everything in the room can burst into flames and if you’re in there when it happens you’ll essentially burn to death in your equipment”. Wellington took several long pauses as he described the moment he started seeing the signs that flashover was “imminent”. “At about the time I noticed the signs of flashover, I was hit by something very heavy that had fallen from above. I was on my knees and it knocked me to the floor. I quickly realised the structure from above us was collapsing down,” he said. He sent a radio message advising of the danger and was instructed to withdraw. A short time after they left the building, the flashover happened. Cutting also spoke of the narrow escape, saying shortly before leaving they had been trying to spray water towards the seat of the fire. “Conditions, including the heat, were changing rapidly,” he said. “The heat was unbearable, we were essentially lying on the floor simply trying to protect ourselves.” After they left the building and took off their breathing apparatus sets, he said he spent some time “gathering myself for a bit and reflecting on what just happened”. Station officer Mark Powell also gave evidence, describing having to make the call to withdraw his crew. Staff advised they were still searching the mezzanine floor and had one room left to check. “I told him to leave it and get out immediately.” Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop said the defendant did not want to live at Loafers Lodge. Photo / Marty Melville Within seconds of exiting, the flashover happened, he said. He believed if anybody was still on the third floor at that time, they had not survived. “I had to make that call to protect the firefighters, as they would have not survived long at all in that flashover event.” The trial began yesterday, with Crown prosecutor Stephanie Bishop suggesting to the jury the defendant lit the fire because he didn’t like living at Loafers Lodge. He had lived at the boarding house for just a week before he started the deadly blaze. Bishop understood he did not dispute he was the one who lit the fire, but would likely claim a defence of insanity. Loafer`s Lodge residents Mike Wahrlich (top left), Liam Hockings, Peter O`Sullivan, Melvin Parun (bottom left) and Kenneth Barnard were killed in the blaze. She explained CCTV footage would be presented to the jury, showing the man first trying to light a fire under a couch about 10.30pm, which was put out by other residents. The footage then shows him returning and lighting another fire in a cupboard shortly after midnight. Bishop said for a verdict of insanit... Read...

Police have suspended an extensive search for a missing vessel reported in distress in Cook Strait. Police were alerted to a mayday call in the strait about 10.10pm last night. Emergency services spent hours combing the water and found no trace of a distressed vessel. The person was calling via VHF channel 14 and indicated they were in distress, three nautical miles (5.5km) south of Karori Rock. Wellington District search and rescue co-ordinator Jonathan Westrupp said the person indicated their boat was taking on water with two people on board. An interislander ferry joined the search for the missing boat on Monday night. “They failed to respond after several further transmissions, and a search was immediately activated and multiple vessels were deployed to the area. “We’ve found no objects of interest in the strait or during searches of the shoreline or boat ramps, and no boaties have been reported missing or overdue.” Westrupp said police were working to determine the mayday call’s source and veracity. “We continue to ask the public to notify police should they notice anything unusual in the Cook Strait area or become aware that someone is overdue.” Wellington police thanked the public, Royal NZ Navy, Royal NZ Air Force, the Rescue Co-ordination Centre, Coastguard Wellington, Wellington Airport Fire Service, Interislander, Bluebridge, Centreport, Seaworks and the media for their support. Read...

A Wellington family are counting the cost of Kitchen Things’ receivership after being left with a stalled kitchen renovation and $16,000 out of pocket in yet-to-be-delivered appliances.  Customer Damion, who didn’t want his last name used, told the Herald they were in the final stages of a full house renovation, which was now in “limbo”.  “It’s the family kitchen we’ve always wanted but never had with smaller houses.  “Unfortunately we’re now in the final stages with some added stress that we didn’t need.”  The family of five, and a dog, have been renting a small two-bedroom unit down the road for the duration of the build.  “We can’t plan a move-in date as we don’t have appliances,” Damion said.  “Any delays will simply add more cost. And we’re not in a position to buy more appliances. That pot is empty for now.”  Damion said he paid the final instalment, about 50%, to Kitchen Things on the Friday before they went into receivership the following week.  “I have $16,000 of appliances that should be on their way to me but clearly are not,” he said.  “The last I heard [from Kitchen Things] on the Friday was ‘we’ll get this organised’ and haven’t heard anything since.”  Kitchen Things in Morrow St, Newmarket, is one of 12 stores currently closed after going into receivership. Photo / Jason Dorday  Damion said the day after Kitchen Things went into receivership, he was emailed by receivers at Grant Thornton after being identified as a potential customer and asked to reply with confirmation and proof of purchase.  He said he replied but has since received no response from the firm.  “I’m just incredibly disappointed at the lack of communication and the stress of not knowing what’s going to happen.  “Unfortunately, they’ve just left everybody absolutely in the dark.”  The Herald has contacted Grant Thornton for comment.  Consumer NZ said anyone who paid by debit or credit card should contact their bank immediately to get a chargeback.  Shattered dreams  Another couple who contacted the Herald said they were doing a kitchen renovation and had spent over $14,000 on appliances from Kitchen Things.  They paid the remaining 50% balance on a Monday, two days before Kitchen Things went into receivership, and received an email confirmation saying their items would be delivered that Friday.  “The goods are in location in their business and we’ve got a kitchen without any appliances,” the couple said.  “Not only that, we have a daughter living with us who had a stroke and needs medication stored in a fridge and [are] relying on a beer fridge for a family of three adults.  “The stress on our family is huge. As a couple in our sixties, we have never had a new kitchen and had borrowed money to make this happen and now find our dreams shattered.”  ‘Loss is considerable’  Ian Burkett told the Herald he and his wife had paid $6898 for two Bosch appliances from Kitchen Things.  The pair, in their 70s and who own a small pet shop, were waiting for their appliances to be delivered two days before Kitchen Things went into receivership, but they never came.  “This is the first time we were going to have a brand new stove and it would be our first-ever dishwasher,” Burkett said.  He said he was “cursing” himself as originally they were to be delivered on August 1, but they had to postpone.  Burkett said now they haven’t got an oven at all and they have a big hole where the dishwasher should be.  “Business is so bad, we’re basically surviving on our pensions. A loss of $6898 is considerable.  “If we don’t get our money back, we’re going to have to go and buy some cheap stove that we can barely find the money for as opposed to something we really wanted.”  Cameron Smith is an Auckland-based business reporter. He joined the Herald in 2015 and has covered business and sports. He reports on topics su... Read...

Police cars blocked a central Wellington street at lunchtime after authorities were alerted to a suspected dangerous item. . A police spokesperson said they responded to reports about 11.45am “of an item of concern” on Pipitea St in Thorndon. Police appeared to be focusing on the area outside the Department of Internal Affairs. It was understood classrooms at Wellington Girls’ College were into lockdown while police investigated. By 12.45pm, six police cars blocked Pipitea St from Murphy St, preventing pedestrians from entering. The NZ Defence Force Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team was called, but stood down. “There were some cordons in place, however, these are about to be stood down, as the item of concern has now been confirmed as safe,” police said. The Department of Internal Affairs directed media queries to police. Wellington Girls’ College has been approached for comment. Read...

The gender pay gap in New Zealand has narrowed to a record low, new data shows. The pay gap between men and women was 5.2% in the June 2025 quarter, Statistics New Zealand said. It is a drop from 8.2% in the corresponding period last year. Dellwyn Stuart, co-founder of campaign group Mind the Gap, said the figure showed a “trend in the right direction”, but more movement was needed. Stuart told the Herald the narrowing gap follows “a few good interventions” in the past five years. “I think it’s on the back of the very successful Mind the Gap campaign, and the work that the public service did under the last Government around mandating pay gap measurement and reporting. “And then for this Government, it followed up by creating a gender pay gap toolkit that’s freely available. So there has been quite a few good interventions in the last five years and I think we’re seeing that impact now. “But we need more information and there is more to go. Any pay gap based on gender or ethnicity is unacceptable.” The gender pay gap is the difference between the average pay of men versus the average pay of women. Stuart said Stats NZ’s new figure is a broad look at the overall gap but Pasifika and Maori women had a much larger pay difference. Mind the Gap co-founder Dellwyn Stuart says the narrower gap follows `a few good interventions` in the past five years. Photo / Michael Bradley “I’d be interested to see if their pay gaps have also shrunk in a way that is significant,” she said. Professor Gail Pacheco, the Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner at the Human Rights Commission, called the data “hugely encouraging”. “Put simply, that means the median woman now earns about 95c for every dollar earned by the median man,” Pacheco said. She agreed with Stuart on the ethnic pay gaps and also noted Stats NZ’s figure did not cover the self-employed or unemployed. Stats NZ’s labour market spokeswoman Abby Johnston said the data showed the lowest pay gap since records began in 1998. “Annually, the gender pay gap declined by three percentage points, the first statistically significant annual decline noted since 2017,” she said. Stats NZ said the gap had narrowed because of women receiving larger increases in median hourly earnings from wages and salaries than men. The new figure comes on the same day five labour unions announced plans for a rally outside the High Court at Wellington on Friday over Government legislation cancelling their members’ pay equity claims. Pay equity, as opposed to equal pay, is the same remuneration for different work that has the same or similar level of skill or responsibility, the Ministry of Women says. Raphael Franks is an Auckland-based reporter who covers business, breaking news and local stories from Tamaki Makaurau. He joined the Herald as a Te Rito cadet in 2022. Read...

Wellington commuters can expect more disruption on the beleaguered Transmission Gully, as work`s done to patch up a stretch of the Lower North Island highway for up to half a year. The Transport Agency is planning to re-surface and rebuild several kilometres of the road north of Porirua, likely meaning lane closures during the day, and full closures at night. The work`s forecast to go from roughly October until March. It comes just three and a half years after the $1.25 billion highway opened after years of delays, and relates to a legal battle with one of the road`s builders over unfinished work and quality issues. The agency settled the matter out of court. NZTA Regional Manager Mark Owen said the work`s not unexpected, but part of the road has deteriorated faster than expected, and concedes it will be frustrating for drivers over virtually the entirety of summer. `At the moment there are some sections that are a little bit rough, and the chipsealing`s not always the most waterproof,` he said. `[The road] was finished acceptable for people to use, but it wasn`t complete.` NZTA is still finalising its plan for the work, and is expected to announce a schedule and cost over the coming week or so. Owen concedes it`s frustrating and asks drivers to be patient, but sees this as the last major hiccup before the highway`s finally completed. `It`s going to take a little bit of time ... we`ve got an intensive programme to fix it so it lasts its life cycle.` A proposal for Transmission Gully`s speed limit to be increased to 110km/hr is also being considered, but would likely have to wait until after this work. Read...

One of Wellington’s most successful breweries, Fortune Favours, is ending operations and closing its brew bar only a day after winning first place at the country’s biggest beer festival.  After nearly a decade brewing in the capital, owners Shannon Thorpe and Dale Cooper announced the business was no longer financially sustainable.  “Unfortunately, the cost of living crisis has proven too difficult for us to navigate. We’re down 20% on last year, which was already 25% down on the year before,” a post on the company’s social media read.  Since starting in 2016, the company has brewed over 500 unique blends, including New Zealand’s strongest beer.  On Tuesday, its Wairarapa IPA was named the top-praised beer at Wellington’s Beervana event.  The inner-city brewpub on Leeds St will close its doors for the final time on August 31.  “We’ve loved our 8 years here [...] without your support Fortune Favours would not be the brand that it is,” the post said.  Fortune Favours craft beer bar featured on a Wellington craft beer tour. Photo / Nicola Edmonds  The brewery started when Thorpe quit his day job to move to the capital with his young family to start brewing craft beer. Award-winning brewer Cooper then joined and the business expanded, winning awards in New Zealand and Australia and being stocked around the country.  The pair also opened a bar in Wellington Airport in 2019.  In 2022, the brewery made a splash with its Hyper Fuel brew, the strongest beer in the country at 31% ABV.  Fortune Favours’ move is just the latest in a string of recent sector closures.  A number of popular hospitality venues have shut up shop in the capital over the past year, citing a range of factors including the public sector cuts, loss of car parks, and general economic conditions.  Craft breweries across the country from Brothers Beer to Deep Creek, Epic Brewing and Boneface Brewing have all faced financial trouble in recent years.  It also comes as new economic figures show 177 Wellington businesses closed down in the year to the end of the June quarter.  Business counts, meaning the number of business units in an area, is down -2.3% in the capital, a greater drop than the country’s average of 0.9%.  Infometrics principal economist Nick Brunsdon said the capital’s struggles “in large part stems from the cuts in the public sector”.  Ethan Manera is a New Zealand Herald journalist based in Wellington. He joined NZME in 2023 as a broadcast journalist with Newstalk ZB and is interested in local issues, politics, and property in the capital. He can be emailed at ethan.manera@nzme.co.nz.  Read...

The young child was found a few hours after she was reported missing. Read...

Stephanie-Anne Spooner, also known as `Missy`, was last seen on Thursday morning. Read...