In Brief: Man killed in Taupō crash named
Wednesday, 3 June 2026
Taupō crash
The man killed in a central Taupō crash was an Aucklander in his 60s.
Police have named him as John Preston, 65, of Manukau.
The Te Heuheu St crash happened just before 6.30pm on Friday. It also left two other people critically injured, police said at the time.
Multiple bystanders rushed to help those involved.
A witness described one car ending up on the roundabout, hitting a tree, and later seeing emergency services put a tarpaulin over the vehicle.
Police continue to investigate the circumstances of the crash.
Te Huia fare increase
Te Huia passengers will pay 25 per cent more from July after Waikato regional councillors voted 12-2 to increase fares in a bid to reduce pressure on ratepayers.
An adult one-way trip from Frankton to Auckland’s Strand Station using a Bee Card will rise from $24.06 to $32.50.
Councillors considered no increase, a 10% rise and a 25% rise, while also rejecting a proposal for a 60% increase.
Council chair Warren Maher said boosting passenger revenue was the only realistic option because other funding sources were fixed for the remainder of the rail service trial, which ends in June 2027. Patronage in March and April was up 52% on the same period last year.
Whangamatā crash
After a serious crash in Whangamatā, police want to hear about sightings of a Toyota, or ‘concerning driving’ by another vehicle.
The crash happened on Tairua Rd about 3.50pm Sunday, when a vehicle hit a tree, a statement from Sergeant Scott Tyrrell said.
Two people were taken to hospital after the single-vehicle crash, one of them with serious injuries. The road was closed for hours while the Serious Crash Unit did a scene examination.
Police want anyone who saw the crash to contact them as they continue their investigation into how it happened.
“We would also like to hear from anyone who may have witnessed the manner of driving of a black Toyota Aurion, or any concerning driving behaviour of another vehicle, in the Tairua Road area between 3pm and 3.50pm on Sunday 31 May,” Tyrrell said.
Anyone with information, or dashcam footage of either vehicle, please contact 105, either online or over the phone, and reference file number: 260602/7611.
Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.
Regional rate rise set
Waikato ratepayers will see a smaller rates rise than expected next year after regional councillors approved a 0.9% increase for 2026/27.
The increase is lower than the 1.4% signalled in February and well below the 4.2% rise forecast in the council’s long-term plan.
Council said the lower increase was made possible by using money left over from previous years and making changes to the budget.
The council will collect $156.341 million in rates from current ratepayers.
The amount each household pays will vary depending on where they live and the services they receive.
Chair Warren Maher said the council had kept costs down while continuing its key work.