Phoebe Robertson

New tenancy rules make it harder for landlords to reject pets without explanation, but students wanting a pet may still face added costs, shared liability, and restrictions based on where they live. Since 1 December 2025, tenants have been able to ask their landlord for permission to keep a pet under changes to the Residential Tenancies Act. Landlords cannot unreasonably refuse a request. However, tenants must receive permission before bringing the animal into the property, unless the pet is...

At the tail end of Trimester One, something unusual appeared in the Hub. For the first time in recent memory, a piano was placed in one of Te Herenga Waka’s busiest communal spaces. Out of thin air? Out of Te Kōkī—New Zealand School of Music? Salient investigates. In a statement attributed to Vice-Chancellor Bryony James, the University said the piano was installed “as a way to bring people together through music and create a stronger sense of community across the University.” James said the...

For the past couple of months, I have been on a personal crusade. No, not to get the window fixed in the Salient office (but it was nice that that happened). No, not to victimise VUWSA with overly researched and pedantic hit pieces (but that scratched an itch in my brain I haven’t felt since my last Salient survey). No, my crusade has arguably benefitted students much less: to bring back Bacon Buttys at the Hunter Lounge. Picture this: two thick, crispy slabs of sourdough bread, a bed of...