Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Built World

Responded to the opening-day fire

For the first time in Auckland's history, trains run beneath the city centre. The NZ$5.5 billion City Rail Link carried its first fare-paying passengers on September 13, 2026, capping a project that survived a century of false starts and a decade of construction.

Updated Sep 13

Force in Play

Leading search and rescue operations

Nine people died during storms that struck New Zealand's North Island from January 16–22, 2026. Three separate incidents account for the deaths: a campground landslide, a home collapse, and a river drowning.

Updated May 22