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Multiplying cells: A tale of two prisons

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A prison expansion is on such a fast track that it prompted officials to ask if compromises were being made.

Corrections is rushing to build two new high security units to cope with an unexpectedly rapid rise in the prison population nationwide since last year.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison was chosen as it had available land, official reports showed. The project was using a stripped-back design of no roofs between cell blocks, which was “untested” for operational, maintenance and amenity impacts.

This was to speed up to finish by next January.

“Speed of delivery will be the biggest driver,” Corrections told ministers.

A prison architecture expert called it a “band-aid” solution that could force inmates to be locked up for longer in bad weather.

Christine McCarthy of Victoria University had been reading the plans.

“They’re very clear; they are not intending to use this design again,” she said. “It’s kind of like, we have to do something, we don’t have any options.”

‘Less amenities’

Papers released under the Official Information Act showed officials last year suggested that ministers asked Corrections: “Have compromises been made in the shortened project development/design that create delivery risks or that impact on operational efficiency, adaptability, future costs, future investment requirements or create prisoner management risks?”

The government said it had been advised there would be no compromises on the highest standards of security and safety.

Corrections’ own business case said the new design was “seen to represent a compromise in amenity compared to the X-wing design” for Waikeria Prison’s much bigger, longer expansion.

The cells would be regular ones, but the shared spaces were changed. It might necessitate additional security measures.

“It has less amenities for prisoners… and is untested in terms of its ‘no roof’ design and the operational and maintenance impacts that may result from that.”

On the flip side of the Hawke’s Bay rush, Christchurch Men’s Prison’s expansion – again, much bigger and longer-term – had been going so slowly by last July that Treasury officials held it up as a case study in “significant lag between funding and action”.

‘Rapid unexpected’ growth exacerbates risks

Prisoner numbers topped a record 11,000 in January and were forecast to reach more than 14,000 in a decade. Over 40 percent of inmates were on remand awaiting a court hearing or sentencing.

Risky prisoners were having to be held in lower security, “increasing operating costs and risks”.

Just months after the government’s 2024 long-term prison plan was completed, it was already outdated, while not even factoring in more muster rises from the government’s new tough-on-crime policies and law changes.

“Rapid unexpected actual and projected growth means capacity limits may be exceeded by 2027, exacerbating operational and security risks,” said a report last July to Chris Bishop’s new Infrastructure and Investment Ministers Group, released to RNZ.

The prison population is now projected by next June to be 1853 higher than the 2024 projections. In response, the government hatched the Accelerated Capacity Programme or ACP mid-year.

“Our work to restore law and order is paying off,” said Mitchell in November, announcing ACP’s cornerstone, the expansion by 316 beds at Hawke’s Bay.

Corrections told RNZ it had accelerated the project “while still retaining checks and safeguards”.

‘Complete commitment to a compromised building’

McCarthy said the department was just reacting to the fact that double-bunking everywhere and reopening old facilities could not cope with a bed shortfall forecast to peak in 2027-29.

“This is a smart way in the situation that has been created, but it’s not going to be the last time this happens.

“This is really quite a fundamental question … can we build our way out of this? So that’s what’s interesting here: there’s a complete commitment to a compromised building.”

The UK, by contrast, said no, it cost too much to keep expanding prisons, and was looking for alternatives, she said.

Reports showed the UK was adding cells https://www.gov.uk/government/news/prison-building-boom-to-make-streets-safer but was also looking at the likes of early release for good behaviour amid “a broader overhaul of sentencing policies aimed at cutting the number of inmates before cells run out”, according to the New York Times.

Labour said National talked tough but could not deliver, with prison projects “stalled in Christchurch and rushed planning in Hawke’s Bay”.

‘Without any compromises to … safety and security’

Corrections told RNZ changes to the Hawke’s Bay design were “to allow for faster delivery without any compromises to the safety and security of the facility”.

The papers released under the Official Information Act revealed how the department planned to speed things up:

  • to place the tender on 1 July, weeks before Cabinet approval
  • finalise the business case weeks after the tender
  • leave out the usual “Gateway” review before seeking Cabinet approval
  • Cabinet sign-off was on 18 August.

The speed of this prompted officials to suggest in July 2025 that Bishop’s ministerial group ask, “Why was the RFP [tender] released prior to Cabinet approval? How will the resulting risks with the market be managed?”

And: “What plans does Corrections have to manage the risks of not undertaking independent assurance of the project at an early stage, and how will any adverse findings of the proposed Gateway review in early October be managed?”

Corrections Minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ the Gateway review “commended the department for active efforts to manage all risks”.

He supported the approach, he said in a statement.

“My expectation is that the new units … will meet the highest standards in safety and security, and I have been advised there will be no compromises on that.”

Corrections said it was saving four to six months on an otherwise 22-month build.

The fast track had built-in “off-ramps” if an affordable solution could not be found.

Corrections said it got independent assurance and review, including the cost estimates and a risk estimate, from industry experts.

Builder Naylor Love won the job on 31 October. The expansion is being funded from the department’s baseline. The cost was blanked out of reports.

Double bunking: ‘They’re going to get angry’

Corrections told RNZ the design had less internal communal space but an open-air courtyard instead. It had less admin space for staff, but there was space for that in other parts of the prison.

It was more efficient and better for keeping tabs on prisoners than a courtyard design.

The 160 new cells will nearly all have double-bunking. Squeezing inmates in that way was regularly widely criticised, and New Zealand is a signatory to a convention against it.

Cosmo Jeffrey. Supplied

Howard League prison reformer Cosmo Jeffrey said the crowding would cost lives.

“So you can’t even walk around each other without banging into each other,” said Jeffrey.

“It’s like, what do they think is going to happen… locking people up like that? Obviously, they’re going to get angry.”

There were three double-bunk deaths at Mt Eden prison last year. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/581339/three-double-bunk-deaths-at-mt-eden-prison-in-a-year

‘Significant lags’

At Christchurch Men’s Prison, earthworks had begun.

The privately operated prison expansion is a $1.5-billion-plus four-phase project that aims to open its first new beds in 2029, and others from 2032.

Jeffrey said some inmates had already been moved out to make way for the expansion.

“This guy’s waited four years to get on the rehabilitation programme, and with 24 hours’ notice, he gets shunted down to Dunedin.

“To put it mildly, he’s heartbroken.”

Another inmate he knew had just started a prison job at Christchurch, then been shifted south.

Corrections said the project should sign up a builder in July. Three groups were shortlisted last year – one had a private US prison operator, Honeywell, on board, and another was multinational Serco that already ran Auckland South prison.

Treasury told ministers last year that the 15 months or so it was taking between Budget 2025 funding and signing the contract had put Christchurch Men’s into a group of two major projects – another was a mental health build – for a time lag of over a year.

It suggested the ministers shared “lessons” from the lag.

“Billions in new Crown funding are being committed each year, but we are seeing significant lags between Budget decisions, signing contracts, and commencing delivery and construction activity,” the report for the June 2025 quarter said, looking ahead to Budget 2026 bids.

Mitchell told RNZ he had been assured Christchurch Men’s was on schedule. It was very different from Hawke’s Bay and should not be compared, he said.

Hawke’s Bay’s existing high-security units overheated in summer, sparking a fix-it project last year.

Corrections said when it planned prisons, it took into account basing prisoners close to family where it could, the security level of prisoners, as well as the services they required.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/multiplying-cells-a-tale-of-two-prisons/

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In pictures: Heavy rain and wind hits Wellington region bringing down trees, flooding roads

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Heavy rain and wind is hitting the capital, flooding streets in Lower Hutt, closing multiple schools, cutting off power, and bringing trees and debris down in the city.

Meanwhile, the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is under a state of emergency, where some evacuations have taken place in Manawatū and on the coast of the Tararua district.

Waipā and Ōtorohanga in South Waikato remain under a states of emergency after significant flooding over the weekend.

In Wellington, regional and metro trains have stopped, while ferries and flights have been cancelled.

Streets in Epuni and Naenae appear flooded, with reports on social media of some cars getting stuck in Lower Hutt.

On Monday morning, Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network had lost connections, and in the Wellington region about 10,000 had had their connections cut.

The storm has left a big mess for the owner of a Polish restaurant at Plimmerton, north of Wellington, to clean up after an exterior wall blew in.

High winds blew an exterior wall in at Topor Bistro, a Polish restaurant in Plimmerton. Supplied

Owner of Topor Bistro, Steve Askew said luckily another local business alerted them as otherwise they might not have been back in till Wednesday.

“I’m sure we’re going to be closed a couple of weeks,” he said.

“All of the ceiling on the inside has gone. All the studs and stuff they’re quite wet, I don’t know if they need to be replaced or if they can just be dried out. The hole in the wall needs to be fixed.”

Askew said the kitchen and main appliances are on the other side and escaped.

He said up till this the bistro had not been doing too badly recently.

A growing list of schools in the Wellington region are also closed due to the terrible weather.

Those include Wellington High School, Wellington East Girls’ College, and St Orans College in the Hutt Valley.

Wind damaged trees at Rongotai College in the Wellington suburb of Kilbirnie. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Rongotai College in Wellington has closed for the day with tree debris littering its grounds.

Principal Kevin Carter said he was at the boys’ school in Kilbirnie at 5pm on Sunday and everything was fine, but on Monday morning it was a different story.

“The grounds are covered with branches from trees that have come down … It’s pretty wild and unsafe here on the south coast,” he said.

Some gutters were down but otherwise buildings were not damaged by the look of it. He had had a quick walkaround and would do a closer check later in the hopes they could clean up and the wind would drop.

Carter said they would decide later whether to reopen tomorrow. All families had been advised by email or text the school was closed, he said.

High waves at Houghton Bay on Wellington’s south coast on Monday morning. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer Alex Marren told Nine to Noon nearly 100 flights have been cancelled in and out of Wellington on Sunday and Monday morning.

All flights in the capital, Palmerston North and Napier have been paused until at least 11am, at which point the airline will reassess the weather conditions, Marren said.

She said there had been some “infrastructure impacts” and the airline was working closely with Wellington Airport on that.

Air New Zealand cancelled flights in and out of Wellington because of high winds. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

In Wairarapa, evacuations are underway in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.

Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down were the biggest risk.

He said there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Trees blown down in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Flooding in Epuni in Lower Hutt. RNZ / Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Trees fallen in the Wellington suburb of Tawa. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Fire and Emergency staff at a Newlands property. RNZ/Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in Plunket Street in Wellington. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/in-pictures-heavy-rain-and-wind-hits-wellington-region-bringing-down-trees-flooding-roads/

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Northland News – Hapū-led biosecurity response framework sets new standard for community action

Source: Northland Regional Council

After tonnes of the invasive seaweed exotic caulerpa washed up on Bay of Islands beaches last year, one call on the ‘kumara vine’ was all it took for Te Taitokerau hapū to spring into action, with hundreds mobilising to help with the clean-up and prevent further spread.
That rapid response saw the birth of Te Tira Taiao o Te Taitokerau – a first-of-its-kind, hapū-led biosecurity response framework – marking a significant shift in how biosecurity risks are identified, communicated and responded to at a community level.
Te Ruarangi co-chair and Te Tira Taiao o Te Taitokerau lead Nyze Manuel says the framework draws on long-established hapū relationships, tikanga and local knowledge, first tested during Covid through the Te Taitokerau Border Control.
Manuel says Te Tira Taiao o Te Taitokerau is an extension of that mahi, bringing together hapū, Northland Regional Council (NRC) and the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI) to respond quickly and effectively to emerging biosecurity threats.
“This network isn’t something new – it’s whakapapa, it’s whanaungatanga and it’s been stood up because of the condition of our taiao,” Manuel says.
“It’s a model based on hapū concern. We’ve been working in what people might call ‘underground’, but really we were just doing what our tūpuna have always done ki mai rānō (forever) – noticing changes in our taiao and discussing our concerns collectively.
“What’s different now is that this way of working is being formally recognised and supported by councils and other agencies.”
Education as the first line of defence
A key focus of the framework, Manuel says, is normalising conversations about biosecurity risks so people know what to look for, why it matters and what to do if they find something.
Te Tira Taiao o Te Taitokerau is also unique in its approach as it prioritises prevention, education and mobilisation, led by people who know their environment and communities best.
When the exotic caulerpa response pilot launched last year, Manuel says many people didn’t know what it was, what signs to look for, or how to report it.
In response, the group has rolled out locally tailored signage (funded by MPI), hapū-led engagement and clear reporting pathways across high-use areas in Northland, including boat ramps, marinas and coastal access points.
“That was the gap – people just didn’t know what it was,” Manuel says.
“Now our hapū are out there on the ground as kaitiaki, we’re normalising conversations around biosecurity, using caulerpa as our springboard.
“Each sign includes a local contact person, which then feeds into a centralised MPI database.
“People can’t report what they don’t understand, so education is our most powerful tool.”
Working alongside NRC and MPI
While leadership sits with hapū, the framework works in partnership with regional and central government agencies, including NRC and MPI, to ensure information flows quickly and appropriate action can be taken.
NRC Deputy Chair Jack Craw, who chairs the council’s Biosecurity and Biodiversity Working Party, says the framework significantly strengthens early detection by increasing the number of trusted ‘eyes on the water’, particularly in remote coastal areas.
“It reflects the reality that locals are often the first to notice change,” he says.
“People who’ve dived, fished or gathered kai in the same places their whole lives will notice something different straight away. That local knowledge has already been critical in identifying exotic caulerpa early in places like Aotea and the Bay of Islands.”
The framework also recognises that biosecurity threats are not just environmental or economic, but impact cultural practices, identity, wellbeing and intergenerational relationships with the whenua and moana.
For hapū and iwi, protecting coastal environments is about safeguarding whakapapa and ensuring future generations can continue practices such as gathering kai, fishing and caring for wāhi tapū.
Looking ahead
Manuel says while the framework offers lessons for other regions, it is not a one-size-fits-all model, with success dependent on long-term relationships, shared accountability and deep community connection.
Instead, it demonstrates what is possible when hapū leadership is resourced, respected and partnered with.
“People have tried to replicate the model and failed because they don’t have the relationships or trust of those leading the kaupapa,” Manuel says.
“This kaupapa holds the tikanga of old, whereby back in the day, each hapū or whānau held different portfolios- whether on the moana, whakapapa or elsewhere.
“We do the same today because there’s no ‘I’ in this mahi. We can’t do everything on our own and will always need each other.”
With biosecurity risks expected to increase, the framework provides a strong foundation for responses to both current and emerging threats.
By centring hapū leadership, collective action and preventative education, it positions communities as active protectors of their environments, working alongside councils and agencies.
The framework is supported through MPI funding, with NRC focused on enabling and resourcing community-led action. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/northland-news-hapu-led-biosecurity-response-framework-sets-new-standard-for-community-action/

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Wind gusts measuring up to 240km/h recorded on lower North Island’s east coast

Source: Radio New Zealand

A tree blown onto a car in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

Wind gusts measuring up to 240km/h have been recorded on the east coast of the lower North Island with gusts of up to 190km/h hitting high parts of Wellington.

MetService said the strong winds and heavy rain were set to linger over the lower North Island before gradually heading southwards later on Monday and on Tuesday.

Gusts measuring up to 240km/h have been recorded at Cape Turnagain on the east coast of the lower North Island.

While in Wellington, winds have reached up to 190km/h in high parts – and about 130km/h in the city.

MetService meteorologist John Law said a low pressure system sitting to the east of the North Island was expected to track slowly southwards.

He said heavy rain and severe gales were expected to continue over central and southern parts of the North Island as well as reaching eastern parts of the South Island and Chatham Islands.

“The good news is – as we head through the day today – we should start to see those winds easing off – so we’ve probably seen the peak of those winds. But even by Wellington standards it’s a very windy start to the week,” Law said.

A flooded Waiwhetu stream in Lower Hutt. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Law said “intense bursts of rain” had seen up to 200mm of rain fall over parts of Wairarapa overnight Monday.

“With that low pressure out to the east of the North Island it’s been pushing the rain in particularly across those lower parts. Cape Palliser has seen some of the highest rainfall. Intense bursts of rain through there and just prolonged rain through the night-time. As we saw In parts of the Hutt Valley that combination of strong winds and heavy rain are bringing all sorts of impacts,” Law said.

He said hard hit parts of southern Waikato, such as Otorohanga, should see clearing conditions over the oncoming days.

“The good news – as we head through today – this rain is clearing away down towards the south. Still a few showers possible but nowhere near the level we’ve seen in recent days. While a few showers are still possible for today things are getting better,” he said.

Law said that more weather warnings could be on the way as the low pressure system slowly headed southwards.

“This weather system is sticking with us. A big area of high pressure out to the east is blocking the movement of this low so it stays close by. It will sink southwards which will push that rain in towards parts of the South Island. So places like the Kaikōura Coast, parts of Canterbury particularly – places like Banks Peninsula – already have some severe weather watches and warnings. We may well find more issued for parts of those eastern areas of the South Island,” Law said.

Law said rain over the eastern side of the South Island was less likely to be as intense as the system migrated southwards over coming days and south westerly flows were expected to help clear the system during Tuesday and early Wednesday.

“That’s when we finally say good-bye to this weather system,” Law said.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/wind-gusts-measuring-up-to-240km-h-recorded-on-lower-north-islands-east-coast/

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Weather: Ashhurst residents evacuated as river threatened to breach its banks

Source: Radio New Zealand

Grace Guo and daughters Kerry and Claire had a sleepless night ahead of being evacuated from their Ashhurst home. RNZ / Robin Martin

About a dozen Ashhurst residents were evacuated in darkness in the early hours of the morning as the Pohangina River threatened to breach its banks.

Severe weather hammering the lower North Island has downed trees, left tens of thousands of households without power, closed roads, and forced flight and ferry cancellations.

Emergency services went door-to-door on Saddle and River roads in Ashhurst, waking locals from their slumber and moving them to the safety of the hall at the Ashhurst Village Centre.

Grace Guo and teenage daughters Kerry and Claire decided to stay in their home when neighbours first warned them they may have to evacuate at about 9pm Sunday.

She said conditions didn’t appear as bad as during ex-Cyclone Gabrielle, but the trio still had an anxious night fearing floodwaters would come through their home as happened in 2023.

“I was just a bit panicked actually. We couldn’t sleep. We were awake the whole night.

“About 3 o’clock or something in the morning we got a call from them again ‘saying hey you guys have to evacuate’, so we came here.”

Guo said unlike ex-Cyclone Gabrielle she was prepared for the evacuation when it came and even the family’s two dogs came with them to the Ashurst Village Centre hall.

She was full of praise for the emergency services.

Wendy and Digger Morley gave breakfast at the Ashhurst Village Centre hall their seal of approval. RNZ / Robin Martin

Wendy Morley, who lives on Saddle Road near the Pohangina River, said they had received warnings during evening of a possible evacuation, and her family received a call at 3am.

“We couldn’t see much in the dark, so had left it at that and next minute – boom.

“We were expecting it, so we had to wake up and get the kids ready and get the cars out and get going.”

Wendy Morley’s son, 10-year-old Digger, was shaken up at first.

“It was scary because I never did this before.”

He hadn’t slept but breakfast got his seal of approval.

“It was good. I had Coco Pops and hot chocolate and lollies.”

Happy with ‘cautious’ approach

Cherie O’Leary and her family had been evacuated from River Road.

“It was just a bit rainy that was it. No flooding. You couldn’t even see the river from our place not like 2023 for Cyclone Gabriel.”

But she was still happy Civil Defence had taken a precautionary approach.

“Yeah, definitely. You’ve got to be cautious and be safe for everyone, so I’m happy with that.”

The O’Learys had spend the night drinking coffee and catching up with neighbours.

“We’ve been having a few laughs and they cooked us a really yummy breakfast, so that was great.

“We had bacon and eggs and cereals, all sorts, fruit. I must say Civil Defence are really cool.”

Cherie’s dad George Pilcher was taking it all in his stride.

“I got up at about 1.30am to see what was happening and it all looked good, so I went back to bed, and then Craig my son-in-law came and tapped on the door and said ‘we’ve got to evacuate, we’ve been told we have to get out’.

“We’ve been sitting here since 3am and we’re ready to go home again by the sound of it.”

He too was happy to be safe rather than sorry.

Emergency Management Officer Zarra Houpapa said with the weather system overnight and the amount of water coming down the river the decision to evacuate had be made.

“The main concern was the raising river levels particularly around Saddle Road, so we’d been monitoring it all yesterday afternoon and last night and in the early hours of this morning the decision was made to evacuate.”

Zarra Houpapa said at the halls the residents were given somewhere they could get some sleep and know that they were safe.

At about 10am Monday they got the news they could go home.

“So, just know we’ve let them go back home because the river levels have fallen to a point where we are comfortable that they will be safe to go home and get some sleep.”

Grace Guo was overjoyed.

“Oh, I’m really pleased. We are really happy, finally we can go home my two dogs as well. They were very unsettled.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/weather-ashhurst-residents-evacuated-as-river-threatened-to-breach-its-banks/

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Storm News – Multi-day Severe Weather Event Continues – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Monday 16th – Tuesday 17th of February

  • Heavy Rain Warnings and Strong Wind Warnings continue for the central and southern North Island and eastern South Island 
  • Heavy Swell Warnings in force for the southeastern coasts of the North Island.

A deluge of rain and relentless winds continue to impact a vast area across the central and eastern North Island and northeastern South Island today (Monday), with large waves affecting the southern and eastern coasts of the North Island. Eyes gradually turn towards the South Island through the day as the moisture-rich low tracks southwards. Heavy Rain is expected to continue through into Tuesday for the eastern South Island.  

What happened overnight Sunday (15th of Feb) into Monday (16th of Feb)?

The tables below show some rainfall accumulations and gust speeds from last night.

– Gisborne, Taupō, Waiouru, Wellington, Whanganui and Kaikōura have already exceeded the amount of rainfall they would typically expect to receive in February.  
– Baring Head Wave Buoy in Wellington Harbour recorded a Significant Wave Height of 7.54 metres at 11:06 pm (Sun). Note, Significant Wave Height is the average height of the highest one-third of waves.
– Mt Kaukau and Wellington Airport measured their strongest winds since June 2013 when they reached 202 km/h and 143 km/h respectively.
– The Kelburn weather station recorded its strongest winds from a southerly direction since June 2013 when a southerly wind of 141 km/h was measured.

What is expected over the next 24 hours?

Heavy Rain and Strong Winds are expected to ease in the central North Island through this (Monday) afternoon and the lower North Island and northeastern South Island this evening. The focus of Heavy Rain moves southwards and is forecast to continue to affect the Canterbury Plains and Banks Peninsula, as well as Dunedin into Tuesday and Warnings and Watches are place.  

MetService meteorologist Alanna Burrows says, ‘Please stay alert and keep up to date with the latest warnings in your area at metservice.com/warnings as well as advice from the Civil Defence and other local agencies.’

For media enquiries or to arrange an interview with one of our meteorologists please call 04 4700 848 or email metcomms@metservice.com

Understanding MetService Severe Weather Warning System

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (Localised Red Warning) – take cover now:

This warning is a red warning for a localised area.
When extremely severe weather is occurring or will do within the hour.
Severe thunderstorms have the ability to have significant impacts for an area indicated in the warning.
In the event of a Severe Thunderstorm Red Warning: Act now!

Red Warnings are about taking immediate action:

When extremely severe weather is imminent or is occurring
Issued when an event is expected to be among the worst that we get – it will have significant impact and it is possible that a lot of people will be affected
In the event of a Red Warning: Act now!

Orange Warnings are about taking action:

When severe weather is imminent or is occurring
Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather
In the event of an Orange Warning: Take action.

Thunderstorm Watch means thunderstorms are possible, be alert and consider action

Show the area that thunderstorms are most likely to occur during the validity period.
Although thunderstorms are often localised, the whole area is on watch as it is difficult to know exactly where the severe thunderstorm will occur within the mapped area.
During a thunderstorm Watch: Stay alert and take action if necessary.

Watches are about being alert:

When severe weather is possible, but not sufficiently imminent or certain for a warning to be issued
Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather.
During a Watch: Stay alert

Outlooks are about looking ahead:

To provide advanced information on possible future Watches and/or Warnings
Issued routinely once or twice a day
Recommendation: Plan.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/storm-news-multi-day-severe-weather-event-continues-metservice/

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Storm News – ASB activates support for customers affected by severe weather

Source: ASB


With severe weather affecting regions across North Island, ASB is offering support options for customers who are impacted by the weather and worried about finances.

 

Targeted support for personal, farming and business customers affected by the extreme weather will be offered on a case-by-case basis, with options including:

  • Deferring loan repayments for up to three months or interest only for three months.
  • Immediate consideration of requests for emergency credit card limit increases.
  • Tailored solutions for eligible ASB business and rural customers including access to working capital of up to $100,000.

 

ASB Executive General Manager for Personal Banking Adam Boyd says ASB wants to hear from any affected customers needing financial assistance or extra support.

 

“We recognise this will be a challenging time for some communities. Any personal, business or farming customers who are worried about their finances following the severe weather are encouraged to get in touch. Our teams have practical options available and are here to help.”

 

ASB’s branches in Masterton and North City are closed today. Lambton Quay is open with reduced staff. All other ASB branches remain open, and customers are advised to check ASB’s branch locator tool for their nearest branch and opening hours.

 

To discuss support options, personal customers should call ASB’s contact centre on 0800 803 804. Alternatively, customers can email hardship@asb.co.nz.  Affected ASB business and rural customers should speak to their relationship manager or call 0800 272 287.

 

Further detail on ASB’s extreme weather support is available here: https://www.asb.co.nz/page/extreme-weather-support.html

More information and full terms, fees and charges can be found on ASB’s website.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/storm-news-asb-activates-support-for-customers-affected-by-severe-weather/

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Mother’s struggles with immunocompromised daughter amid Christchurch’s boil water notice

Source: Radio New Zealand

The boil water notice will not be lifted until there are at least three days of good results, the council says. RNZ/Rebekah Parsons-King

Friends are delivering bottled water to a Christchurch mother whose immunocompromised daughter relies on sterile medical equipment for feeding, with 14,000 households in the city’s east still under a boil water notice.

Kalah Blair’s 11-year-old daughter Maia has a number of medical issues and disabilities, including severe autism and the rare genetic disorder Sotos syndrome.

A public health alert was issued on Saturday afternoon for thousands of people in New Brighton, Burwood, Wainoni, Aranui and Southshore after routine testing discovered total coliforms in the Rawhiti water zone.

The alert said all water, including filtered water, must be continuously boiled for at least one minute, prompting a run on bottled water at supermarkets.

Blair said Maia was tube-fed so relied on clean water to protect her health.

“She’s on her medical pump for five hours per day and we have to do 200-mill flushes with every feed, so that’s nearly two litres of water per day, just for her feeding. Then I’ve got to make up some of her medication with water, then I have to sterilise all of her syringes and other medical equipment,” she told Morning Report.

“It’s a very full-on thing to do, but when you’re having to use bottled water and then boil that to sterilise things, it makes life so much harder.”

Blair was first alerted to the problem on Saturday when she received the emergency mobile alert.

“It was like, ‘oh my god I need to get bottled water’ and go through and tip out all of her drink bottles,” she said.

While Blair could boil water, she did not want to take any risks with Maia.

“A cold isn’t just a cold, it can literally put her in hospital for days. We just have to be super careful with her,” she said.

A friend sent bottles of water via Uber on Saturday, while another friend and Christchurch East Labour MP Reuben Davidson brought water on Sunday.

On Monday morning, Blair had not heard directly from any council staff and was calling for a register of vulnerable people who could be contacted by the council in a health crisis.

“If something like this happens again, the council can contact us and say, ‘hey look, this is the situation, this is how long we think it’s going to last, is there any support we can give you? Or point us in the direction of help and support. It’s not just Maia, there are other people in this community who are medically fragile or disabled as well,” she said.

On Sunday, the council said the boil water notice would not be lifted until there were at least three days of good results.

“Results from sampling in the wider Rawhiti zone are looking good. However, as we have had a further positive result in the same location, the boil water notice is still in place,” the council said.

“The notice will then be lifted once we can provide confidence to Tauamata Arowai that the water is safe to drink. Part of this assessment will be ensuring we also have at least three days of good results.”

A community drinking water station was open in Keyes Road in New Brighton for people to fill containers with safe drinking water while staff and contractors continued to investigate the source of the contamination.

Total coliforms are a broad category of bacteria that can be found in faeces, but also live in the environment, including in soil and plants.

They do not generally pose a direct health risk, but the presence of total coliforms indicated bacteria were present and that treatment has not been effective or that treated water was vulnerable to contamination, according to water regulator Taumata Arowai.

The council said the Ministry of Education had been in touch with early childhood centres and schools to ensure they remained open.

“They have a good plan in place to manage the situation and the council will provide support to the ministry where we can. If parents have questions, they are encouraged to contact their respective schools and centres directly,” the council said.

People in the affected suburbs were already struggling with intensifying odour from the city’s fire-damaged wastewater treatment plant in Bromley in recent weeks.

Christchurch City Council and Health New Zealand have been contacted for comment.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/mothers-struggles-with-immunocompromised-daughter-amid-christchurchs-boil-water-notice/

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Bic Runga’s Red Sunset is a thrilling mix of familiarity and forward-thinking

Source: Radio New Zealand

Partly written and recorded in Paris, Red Sunset may have found its thematic heart in that location. Runga’s new album sounds French and seemingly draws inspiration from thatcountry’s pop music of the ’60s and ’70s.

Or perhaps the acoustic strums, dampened drums and vintage synths here just coalesced into these particular forms. Certainly, they’re familiar elements for Runga and her co-writer Kody Nielson.

But with the advent of each circuitous melody and elaborate chord progression, the comparison feels more apt.

Runga spent three years in Paris during her mid-twenties, and told The Post she wanted to “bookend the parenthood years” by heading back and seeing it through her children’s eyes.

The trip unlocked something creatively, and she wrote and recorded parts of Red Sunset on a grand piano at an Airbnb where she and her family stayed. 

Runga (Ngāti Kahungunu, Rongomaiwahine) was still in her teens when she released her debut single ‘Drive’, and it’s worth noting that on the three albums which followed – Drive (1997) Beautiful Collision (2002), and Birds (2005) – she wasn’t just the sole credited songwriter, but producer too.

That changed on 2011’s Belle, and its mostly-cover-songs follow-up Close Your Eyes, which both featured production from Runga’s partner Neilson (as does Red Sunset).

The former-Mint Chick member’s maximalist impulses were always an interesting pairing with her mellower inclinations, and here their collaboration feels effortless.

It’s the second half of Red Sunset that really evokes the era of Françoise Hardy and Serge Gainsbourg; the first flirts with more modern sounds, like the drum machine thump on ‘Paris in the Rain’ and synth adornments of the title track.

Crisp acoustic lead and pan pipe sounds on ‘Ghost in My Bed’ are the most specific nod back, but the track also contains a roaming synth bass connecting it to the present day.

These three were all singles and form a statement: Runga is trying new, unexpected things. It’s a thrilling start to the album, not to mention a brave move from an established artist.

On the Podcast Listen Carefully she said Red Sunset’s final two tracks ‘Hey Little One’ and ‘Home Run’ have existed in unfinished forms for many years. They’re both stunners, building to choruses which move in unexpected yet welcome directions, and feature spine-tingling vocal work. 

There’s a hint of The Beatles on the nursery rhyme-esque ‘You’re Never Really Here (Are You Baby)’, and even more on the album’s most upbeat tune, ‘Won’t You Come Home’ and its dazzling web of harmonies.

What has emerged is fascinating; part tribute to a place she used to call home, part merging of older, familiar material with a new, more challenging direction. It’s an exciting release from someone who could have rested on her laurels but would prefer to keep moving forward.

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/bic-rungas-red-sunset-is-a-thrilling-mix-of-familiarity-and-forward-thinking/

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A2 Milk posts net profit of over $112 million for six months to December

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

Infant formula maker A2 Milk showed a solid lift in first half profit on the back of double digit growth in sales allowing an increase in dividend.

Key numbers for the six months ended December compared with a year ago:

  • Net profit $112.1m vs $102.5m
  • Revenue $993.5m vs $836.5m
  • Operating earnings $155m vs $130.9m
  • Net cash $896.9m vs $1.01b
  • Interim dividend 11.5 cents per share vs 8.5 cps
  • Forecast mid-teens revenue growth, increased full year profit

Sales of infant milk formula (IMF) to China led an overall near 19 percent rise in revenue, boosted by its acquisition of a manufacturing plant at Pokeno, and further improvement in the fledgling US market.

“We continue to execute our growth strategy with a focus on maximising opportunities in China infant milk formula, adjacent categories and new markets,” chief executive David Bortolussi said.

“Infant milk formula remains central to our growth strategy and continues to outperform the China market, delivering 13.6 percent year-on-year revenue growth.”

Bortolussi said English label IMF sales were significantly stronger through on-line retail platforms, while there had been a stabilisation of the once important daigou channels – sales by third parties of A2 IMF.

Fresh milk sales improved in Australia and the United States, while the company looked to diversify with new nutritional products.

“Recently launched kids and seniors nutrition products have accelerated our growth in other nutritionals, strengthening our position in these growing and exciting categories.”

Bortolussi said the US operation was close to break even after posting initial big losses and the company hoped to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration to sell infant formula in the US.

He said the Pokeno manufacturing plant acquired last year was securing and diversifying its supply chain last year, and the company was shifting more production to the plant from Synlait Milk’s Canterbury plant.

Bigger sales and profits

Looking forward A2 expected double digit revenue growth, with a full year profit ahead of last year’s $202.9m.

“Our upgraded outlook means we are now on track to achieve our $2 billion medium term sales ambition in FY26, a full year ahead of plan,” Bortolussi said.

The company increased its interim dividend and reaffirmed plans for a $300m special dividend from its $897m cash holdings.

Forsyth Barr senior analyst Matt Montgomerie said the result was strong and better than analysts had been expecting, and noted the company had a track record of exceeding it forecasts.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/a2-milk-posts-net-profit-of-over-112-million-for-six-months-to-december/

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Power outages: What to do – and what not to do – when the electricity goes out

Source: Radio New Zealand

Oroua River runs high at the rail overbridge on the outskirts of Feilding on 16 February 2025. RNZ/Robin Martin

Severe weather hammering the lower North Island has left tens of thousands of households without power.

Powerco says about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections, and in the Wellington region about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Here’s how to stay safe, keep warm and protect your home and belongings when the power goes out.

Call your lines company

It’s quite common for power cuts to last only a few minutes, so you may want to wait a while before making the call.

However, if you’re concerned about the length of the outage, give your lines company a ring.

You can also check the supplier’s website and social media to see if the outage was planned, or if there’s an update on when power will be restored.

Your wifi and cordless landline phone will likely be affected in a power cut, so it’s best to use your mobile phone for this.

If a power outage is putting your health at risk, call 111 or go to a hospital.

Turn on the torch

In a power outage, the best torch is the one you have to hand.

For many, this will mean your phone torch – but try not to use this long-term, as it will drain your battery, meaning you may not be able to call for help if you need it.

It’s a good idea to have an emergency kit to hand, containing a torch and spare batteries, among other items.

Torches and battery-powered lanterns are safer to use in a power cut than candles.

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington on 16 February 2026. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Break out the supplies

Vector advises that water pumps in rural areas may not work in a power cut – so you should make sure you have emergency water supplies for drinking and washing.

A spare battery or mobile power pack for your phone, a camp stove or barbecue, and cooking fuel (such as gas) are also helpful items to have in the event of an extended power cut.

Clear your home of hazards

Have a quick look around your house and move any items that could be easily tripped on, such as children’s toys, from corridors, doorways and high-traffic areas.

This will lessen the chances of you injuring yourself in the dark.

Powershop recommends placing a camping lamp at the edge of the room by the wall to light your path, and says it’s especially important that access to the bathroom and the emergency cupboard are clear.

Turn electronics off at the wall

Power can surge when it’s restored, possibly damaging sensitive electronics.

Turn your TV, computer and stereo off at the wall or make sure you have surge protectors installed.

Vector recommends turning off your stove elements and heaters, too – this will ensure they don’t come back on without you noticing the electricity has been restored.

The Electricity Authority recommends leaving an overhead light on so you can see when the power is back on.

Food should stay cool in the fridge for several hours, but only if it’s left unopened. 123rf

Keep the fridge closed

Opening the fridge or freezer will let warmer air in – and without electricity, it won’t be able to cool down again.

If left shut, the fridge will keep food cool for up to six hours, while a freezer will usually keep food frozen for up to 24 hours.

If there’s food inside that you know you’ll need in the short-term, consider removing it at the start of the power cut and storing it in a chilly bin or ice box. That way your snacking won’t spoil the rest of your supplies.

The Ministry for Primary Industries recommends eating food that will expire quickly, such as bread and meat, first, and eating canned food last.

If any food is spoiled or rotting, throw it away so it doesn’t spoil other food.

Stay warm

If it’s a cold day or night, you can keep warm by closing your doors and windows and pulling the curtains.

Water can be boiled on a camp stove to fill hot water bottles. Remember never to operate a camp stove inside.

Gel warming packs are also good items to have in your emergency kit, as they can keep chilled fingers and toes toasty.

An emergency kit should contain food, water and medical supplies for three days, as well as a torch and radio. (RNZ)

Check on your neighbours

If it’s safe to go outside, check on your neighbours. This is especially important if you have older or vulnerable people living around you.

If it’s not safe to go out, give them a call or a text.

Listen to the radio

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) advises that in times of crisis or civil defence emergency, a battery-powered radio or a car radio remain essential lifelines if power is out and other forms of communication are unavailable.

RNZ is New Zealand’s statutory civil defence lifeline radio broadcaster, providing vital information and updates as they come to hand. All frequencies can be found here.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/power-outages-what-to-do-and-what-not-to-do-when-the-electricity-goes-out/

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Heavy rain and wind hits Wellington region bringing down trees, flooding roads

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Heavy rain and wind is hitting the capital, flooding streets in Lower Hutt, closing multiple schools, cutting off power, and bringing trees and debris down in the city.

Meanwhile, the entire Manawatū-Whanganui region is under a state of emergency, where some evacuations have taken place in Manawatū and on the coast of the Tararua district.

Waipā and Ōtorohanga in South Waikato remain under a states of emergency after significant flooding over the weekend.

In Wellington, regional and metro trains have stopped, while ferries and flights have been cancelled.

Streets in Epuni and Naenae appear flooded, with reports on social media of some cars getting stuck in Lower Hutt.

On Monday morning, Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network had lost connections, and in the Wellington region about 10,000 had had their connections cut.

The storm has left a big mess for the owner of a Polish restaurant at Plimmerton, north of Wellington, to clean up after an exterior wall blew in.

High winds blew an exterior wall in at Topor Bistro, a Polish restaurant in Plimmerton. Supplied

Owner of Topor Bistro, Steve Askew said luckily another local business alerted them as otherwise they might not have been back in till Wednesday.

“I’m sure we’re going to be closed a couple of weeks,” he said.

“All of the ceiling on the inside has gone. All the studs and stuff they’re quite wet, I don’t know if they need to be replaced or if they can just be dried out. The hole in the wall needs to be fixed.”

Askew said the kitchen and main appliances are on the other side and escaped.

He said up till this the bistro had not been doing too badly recently.

A growing list of schools in the Wellington region are also closed due to the terrible weather.

Those include Wellington High School, Wellington East Girls’ College, and St Orans College in the Hutt Valley.

Wind damaged trees at Rongotai College in the Wellington suburb of Kilbirnie. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Rongotai College in Wellington has closed for the day with tree debris littering its grounds.

Principal Kevin Carter said he was at the boys’ school in Kilbirnie at 5pm on Sunday and everything was fine, but on Monday morning it was a different story.

“The grounds are covered with branches from trees that have come down … It’s pretty wild and unsafe here on the south coast,” he said.

Some gutters were down but otherwise buildings were not damaged by the look of it. He had had a quick walkaround and would do a closer check later in the hopes they could clean up and the wind would drop.

Carter said they would decide later whether to reopen tomorrow. All families had been advised by email or text the school was closed, he said.

High waves at Houghton Bay on Wellington’s south coast on Monday morning. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Air New Zealand’s chief operating officer Alex Marren told Nine to Noon nearly 100 flights have been cancelled in and out of Wellington on Sunday and Monday morning.

All flights in the capital, Palmerston North and Napier have been paused until at least 11am, at which point the airline will reassess the weather conditions, Marren said.

She said there had been some “infrastructure impacts” and the airline was working closely with Wellington Airport on that.

Air New Zealand cancelled flights in and out of Wellington because of high winds. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

In Wairarapa, evacuations are underway in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.

Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down were the biggest risk.

He said there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.

There have been no reports of injuries.

Trees blown down in the Wellington suburb of Brooklyn. RNZ / Pokere Paewai

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Flooding in Epuni in Lower Hutt. RNZ / Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in the Wellington suburb of Newlands after high winds. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Trees fallen in the Wellington suburb of Tawa. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Emergency vehicles making their way through flooded roads in Wellington. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Fire and Emergency staff at a Newlands property. RNZ/Mark Papalii

A fallen tree in Plunket Street in Wellington. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/heavy-rain-and-wind-hits-wellington-region-bringing-down-trees-flooding-roads/

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Contact Energy net profit up 44 percent to $205 million in six months to December

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Contact Energy’s half-year profit is up 44 percent, despite a 5 percent dip in revenue.

The company has made a first half net profit $205 million in the six months ended December, with underlying profit up 24 percent to half a billion dollars ($500m).

Contact was also in a trading halt until Tuesday, as it looked to raise $525m to advance investment into new battery, solar and geothermal developments.

Key numbers for the six months ended December 2025 compared with a year earlier:

  • Net profit $205.0 vs $142.4m
  • Revenue $1.62b vs $1.71b
  • Underlying profit $500m vs $404m
  • Interim dividend 16 cents a share vs 16 cps

Contact said the improved underlying profit result was driven by a significant lift in renewable generation, with an output of 97 percent renewable energy in the first half (1H26).

“1H26 was transformational, with the completion of the Manawa acquisition and the welcoming of its people and assets to Contact,” Fuge said, referring to last year’s near $2b takeover of the generation company.

“The strong performance of the combined entity set us up well for the year ahead as we take significant steps to execute the Contact31+ strategy.”

As part of that strategy, the company’s planned to raise $525m* with potential to increase its renewable energy generation.

This included funding for development of a Tauhara 2 steamfield, the Glenbrook battery 2.0 and its investment in the Glorit solar farm.

The proceeds were also expected to accelerate development pipeline opportunities.

“We already we have plans for another $2.4b of renewable energy projects, and we will continue to invest in building this country.”

Fuge said the company was expanding to meet future demand.

“Contact is taking significant steps to ensure its readiness to support New Zealand’s growing electricity demand, with 3-5TWh (terawatt hours) of new grid demand expected in the next five years,” Fuge said.

“We’re investing in the infrastructure required to support a more renewable, resilient and affordable energy future for New Zealand.

“I think New Zealand can be incredibly proud of where they’ve got to on the renewable energy transition,” Fuge said.

“And I think for the country, the most important thing is that we continue to build the infrastructure that keeps this country resilient, and as well as that, we look to decarbonise those areas of the economy which are nowhere near 50 percent renewable yet.

“And I think that’s where we now have to turn our focus – really focus on the big things that kind of make a real difference, rather than the last 2 or 3 percent.”

Offers to buy the rest of King Country Energy

Contact also separately announced it had made an offer to purchase the remaining 25 percent of King Country Energy from King Country Trust for $47m, which would give it full ownership if the the regional generator. The payment would be made by way of a new issue of Contact shares to the Trust.

Contact expected to make a full year underlying profit of $965m, with a full year dividend of 40 cents per share.

*Capital raise details

Contact planned to raise $450m with an issue of about 51.4m of new ordinary shares, representing about 5.2 percent of current issued capital, at a placement price of $8.75 per new share, which represented a discount of 7.2 percent of the last traded price, excluding the dividend.

Retail Offer

Contact intended to raise $75m through a non-underwritten retail offer of new shares to eligible existing shareholders in New Zealand and Australia, with the ability to scale applications, or accept over subscriptions at Contact’s.

The new shares to be issued at the lower of the placement price or a 2.5 percent discount to the five-day volume Weighted Average Price over the five-trading day period ending on the 6 March closing date of the offer.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/contact-energy-net-profit-up-44-percent-to-205-million-in-six-months-to-december/

Posted on

Live: Labour leader Chris Hipkins takes questions in Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour leader Chris Hipkins is in Auckland and taking questions on the news of the day including the severe weather and the Prime Minister’s announcement of a State of Origin game at Eden Park.

More to come…

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File photo. Labour leader Chris Hipkins Samuel Rillstone

– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/live-labour-leader-chris-hipkins-takes-questions-in-auckland/

Posted on

Hutt Valley, flooding

Source: New Zealand Police

Motorists across the greater Wellington area, and particularly through the Hutt Valley, are advised to stay off the roads where possible due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

There is flooding across a number of areas.

If you must travel, please slow down and be prepared for surface flooding or obstructions on the road.

Anyone travelling should check NZTA’s Journey Planner website for the latest road conditions before heading out.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/hutt-valley-flooding/

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First kākāpō chick in four years hatches on Valentine’s Day

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

Date:  16 February 2026

Kākāpō Yasmine hatched an egg fostered from kākāpō Tīwhiri on Valentine’s Day, bringing the total number of kākāpō to 237 – though it won’t be officially added to the population until it fledges.

DOC Operations Manager for kākāpō/takahē Deidre Vercoe says the first chick of the breeding season is an exciting moment on the long road to recovery for this critically endangered species.

“These exceptionally rare taonga only breed every 2–4 years, so it’s a long time between chicks. We have more breeding-age birds than ever before this season, so we’re anticipating many more chicks to come.”

Deidre says fostering eggs and chicks between different kākāpō mums is one way to improve nest success rates.

“Kākāpō mums typically have the best outcomes when raising a maximum of two chicks. Biological mum Tīwhiri has four fertile eggs this season already, while Yasmine, an experienced foster mum, had no fertile eggs.”

Kākāpō face a range of challenges with low hatching success being a key obstacle. So far this season there are 187 eggs, and 74 of them are fertile. Of those, not all will hatch, and not all chicks will survive through to fledging.

“The kākāpō population was once down to just 51 birds which created a genetic bottleneck we are still managing today,” says Deidre.

“Kākāpō are one of the most intensively managed species in the world and while numbers are still so low, the breeding season requires a lot of intervention.

“Priority goes to the eggs and chicks that are less well-represented across the gene pool, and we have a more hands-off approach with those that are well represented. This approach helps us answer questions around what a natural breeding season might look like one day.”

Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu representative on the Kākāpō Recovery Group Tāne Davis says the hatching of the first kākāpō chick of the season on Pukenui Anchor Island is a welcome milestone of special significance to Ngāi Tahu.

“Pukenui Anchor Island serves an important purpose in accommodating the growing numbers of not only kākāpō but other critically endangered taonga species.

“While it is wonderful to see the manu thriving on this island due to its predator free status, we need to continue our collective efforts to create other safe havens for the chicks of the future.

“One of our future aspirations through Predator Free Rakiura is to return the kākāpō back to its original home,” Tāne says.

Until that happens, the best way for people to see a kākāpō is Kākāpō Cam, a live camera streaming from the nest of a female named Rakiura, on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island.

The camera was first trialled in 2022, and Deidre Vercoe says the team is thrilled to have it up again for breeding season.

“Kākāpō cam is a great way for people to see conservation in real time and do their own little bit of naturing from their home, office or wherever in the world they might be,” she says.

Rakiura is currently sitting on two eggs, and all going well, her first egg is due to hatch in about a week, which could mark a world first opportunity for viewers to watch a chick from one of New Zealand’s most elusive species hatch, live in its nest.

The Kākāpō Recovery Programme has been supported since 2016 by National Partner Meridian Energy.

Meridian Energy CEO Mike Roan says it’s a privilege to stand alongside the Department of Conservation during this remarkable period of growth.

“We’re absolutely thrilled to welcome the first kākāpō chick, beginning what we hope will be a bumper breeding season. Every chick is a milestone for the species, and we’re excited to play a part in helping these incredible birds thrive for generations to come.”

Background information

Since 1995, DOC’s Kākāpō Recovery Programme and Ngāi Tahu have worked together to rebuild the population from just 51 manu (31 males, 20 females) and we’ve supported the species through 12 breeding seasons, reaching a population high in 2022 of 252. 

This breeding season is the 13th season in 30 years of the programme. This is because kākāpō only breed once every two to four years. The only known breeding trigger for kākāpō is the mast (mass fruiting) of the rimu tree, which last occurred in 2022.

There are 236 adult kākāpō alive today and each wears a small backpack radio transmitter to help track their location and monitor their activity levels.

There are three breeding populations, on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island near Rakiura, and Fiordland’s Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.

Contact

For media enquiries contact:

Email: media@doc.govt.nz

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/first-kakapo-chick-in-four-years-hatches-on-valentines-day/

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Storm News – Firefighters respond to over 800 calls for assistance

Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Firefighters are continuing to respond to calls for assistance from people affected by the storm moving across the country.
Between 6pm last night and 8am today, Fire and Emergency New Zealand received 852 emergency 111 calls in the North Island. Most of them (804) related to storm damage, including fallen trees and powerlines, lifting roofs and property damage.
Assistant National Commander Ken Cooper said more than half of the calls came from people in the Wellington Region as the storm moved south, but every part of the North Island except Northland reported storm damage or flooding. A summary of the calls is included below.
“We had a very busy night, and our firefighters are continuing to respond to calls. We appreciate the work they are doing to support their communities and we urge people to follow the advice from civil defence to prepare and keep themselves safe, wherever they may be.”
When life or safety is at threatened, people should call 111 immediately. Staying off the roads, avoiding floodwater and watching for flying debris are simple actions people should take to keep themselves safe.
If people are without power and relying on alternative means of cooking, heating and lighting, they should be mindful of fire safety:
– Switch off all appliances including stoves and heaters that were in use when the power went off.
– Torches are preferable to candles. If candles are your only alternative, put them upright in a secure holder, like a jar, well away from curtains or anything flammable
– Do not use outdoor heaters or cooking equipment indoors
Note to editors – 111 calls relating to the weather received between 6pm Sunday and 8am Monday:
Urgent Response (threat to life or serious damage) – total 97
Auckland/Waitemata/ Counties-Manukau – 2
Waikato – 5
Bay of Plenty – 2
Tairawhiti / Hawkes Bay – 3
Taranaki / Manawatu-Whanganui – 10
Wellington – 75
Less Series property damage – total 300
Auckland/Waitemata/ Counties-Manukau – 8
Waikato – 13
Bay of Plenty – 7
Tairawhiti / Hawkes Bay – 9
Taranaki / Manawatu-Whanganui – 49
Wellington – 214
Minor Impacts – total 407
Auckland/Waitemata/ Counties-Manukau – 6
Waikato – 16
Bay of Plenty – 17
Tairawhiti / Hawkes Bay – 12
Taranaki / Manawatu-Whanganui – 90
Wellington – 266.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/15/storm-news-firefighters-respond-to-over-800-calls-for-assistance/

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The ultimate super-mum: Ruahine the kōkako defies age in the Hūnua Ranges

Source: Auckland Council

In human years she wouldn’t quite qualify for a Gold Card but in kōkako years, Ruahine is a living legend.

At around 21 years of age, Ruahine is believed to be the oldest known active breeding female kōkako in New Zealand and this season she’s once again doing what she’s done best for decades: raising chicks in the Hūnua Ranges. Two fledglings currently trail closely behind her and her long-term mate, a quiet but powerful symbol of how far kōkako conservation has come.

Ruahine was translocated to Hūnua in 2006 as an adult bird of unknown age from Māpara, making her at least 21 today, although she could be older; a remarkable achievement for a species that was once perilously close to disappearing from the ranges altogether.

Principal Ranger and lead of the Hūnua Kōkako Restoration Project Miranda Bennett says that when Ruahine arrived, Hūnua would have looked very different through kōkako eyes.

“There were just 23 adult kōkako in the entire ranges, all descended from a single remaining matriarch. Ruahine is part of the generation that helped turn that around.”

She was one of 14 Māpara kōkako brought in to boost both numbers and genetic diversity. Settling in the area known as Flat Bush – not flat, but flatter than most of Hūnua – Ruahine first paired with a Māpara male, Taranga. After his disappearance around 2010, she partnered with a local male and has held the same territory ever since. Whether it’s been the same male all these years remains one of Hūnua’s quieter mysteries.

Ruahine’s contribution goes well beyond longevity. More than ten of her chicks, banded as nestlings, have gone on to join the breeding population. In 2012, she also played a starring role in a conservation first, becoming the only kōkako to successfully foster eggs transferred between sites, from Tiritiri Matangi to Hūnua.

“That egg transfer was incredibly delicate work,” says Bennett.

“Ruahine sat patiently on plasticine eggs for a full day while her own eggs were relocated, before the Tiritiri eggs were flown in and placed under her. It worked and it’s still the only successful kōkako egg swap of its kind.”

Today, Ruahine and her mate are surrounded by more than 250 kōkako pairs across the ranges, a powerful indicator of sustained pest control, habitat protection and long-term commitment.

Councillor Richard Hills says success belongs to many hands.

“Auckland Council has proudly supported this mahi for decades, working alongside mana whenua, community groups and ecologists to restore the mauri of the Hūnua Ranges.

“Ruahine’s story shows what’s possible when we invest in nature for the long term.”

For mana whenua, kōkako are taonga; their return restoring not just biodiversity, but whakapapa connections to the ngahere.

And Ruahine?

She’s still out there, still singing, still raising the next generation. Not bad for an ‘old bird’ who’s nowhere near done yet.

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/16/the-ultimate-super-mum-ruahine-the-kkako-defies-age-in-the-hnua-ranges/

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Universities – Yili-Lincoln University research collaboration informs global health policy

Source: Yili

Riddet Institute Fellow Laureate Paul Moughan has led a research collaboration with Yili’s Innovation Centre in New Zealand which will help shape World Health Organisation policy on infant nutrition.

Distinguished Professor Moughan, who chaired the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations’ expert consultation which published guidelines on protein quality for humans in 2013, has been working closely with global experts in a joint research effort co-ordinated by the Yili Innovation Centre Oceania (YICO) at Lincoln University.

In a series of papers published in the Journal of Nutrition (2023), Frontiers in Nutrition (2024) and the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry (2025), the work of Professor Moughan and his team has led to breakthrough research that provides a better understanding and far more accurate way of assessing how well babies can absorb and utilise the essential building blocks of protein from breastmilk.

Professor Moughan’s original work in 2013 provided the gold standard for evaluating protein quality in infant formula: the Digestible Indispensable Amino Acid Score (DIAAS).

His latest research with YICO, the Yili Global Maternal and Infant Nutrition Institute and Professor Yin Yulong, a Fellow of the Chinese Academy of Engineering at the Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, has produced new data which deepens this understanding further and has already led to new approaches to infant nutrition production within Yili.

“This has been a hugely productive international research alliance and will no doubt lead to further advances in FAO policy,’’ Professor Moughan said.

“Professor Yin is a digestive physiologist of significant international standing and his thoroughness, attention to detail and scientific leadership was crucial to the success of the collaboration.

“The alliance’s work will also lead to global impacts on the production of infant formula leading to improvements in the long-term health of babies and children.

“It has also been very enjoyable working with the scientific team within Yili. I have been very impressed by the technical capabilities of the team and working with them has actually been quite delightful.’’

Head of YICO, Dr Philip Wescombe, said the Yili Innovation Centre Oceania principal aim was to act as a hub for research collaboration across Oceania.

“After 10 years, we are now well-established in driving innovation by strengthening ties with startups, expanding business opportunities, and fostering greater interaction between researchers, industry, and consumers,’’ Dr Wescombe said.

Resident Director of Yili Group Oceania Region, Zhiqiang Li, said Yili was proud of the work of YICO and of Yili’s teams across Oceania and in Inner Mongolia.

“We are honoured to learn of the warm and respectful relationships the company’s internal technical staff have developed with leading global researchers in China and New Zealand, the support we can provide as Asia’s largest dairy producer, and the fifth largest dairy company in the world,’’ Mr Li said.

References

Hodgkinson, S. M., Xiong, X., Yan, Y., Wu, Y., Szeto, I. M.-Y., Li, R., Wescombe, P., Duan, S., Liu, H., Yin, Y., Lim, W. X. J., & Moughan, P. J. (2023). An accurate estimate of the amino acid content of human milk collected from Chinese women adjusted for differences in amino acid digestibility. The Journal of Nutrition, 153, 3439–3447. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tjnut.2023.10.009

Moughan, P. J., Deglaire, A., Yan, Y., Wescombe, P., Lim, W. X. J., Stroebinger, N., Duan, S., Szeto, I. M.-Y., & Hodgkinson, S. (2024). Amino acid requirements of the infant: The amino acid composition of human breast milk. Frontiers in Nutrition, 11, 1446565. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2024.1446565

Wu, Y., Yan, Y., Xiong, X., Li, R., Duan, S., Tang, M., Szeto, I. M.-Y., Liu, H., Hodgkinson, S. M., Moughan, P. J., Wescombe, P., Wang, J., & Yin, Y. (2025). Effect of different ratios of αlactalbumin to βcasein in infant formula on true ileal digestibility and intestinal morphology of suckling piglets. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 73, 6144–6150. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jafc.4c10520

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/universities-yili-lincoln-university-research-collaboration-informs-global-health-policy/

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Environment – Mine e-waste for gold, not beautiful landscapes – Zero Waste

Source:  Zero Waste Aotearoa

As a fast-track consent is sought for a major gold mine in Central Otago and another has already been granted in Coromandel, Zero Waste Aotearoa is calling upon the government to mine electronic waste, not beautiful landscapes, for gold and other precious metals.

E-waste contains a significant concentration of gold, with one metric tonne of electronic waste containing up to 800 times more gold than a tonne of mined ore. While precious metals (including gold, silver, copper) make up approximately 60% of the composition of some e-waste, gold specifically is highly concentrated, with a single tonne of circuit boards containing roughly 39 grams of gold.

New Zealand currently generates 99,000 tonnes of e-waste every single year. Approximately 98 percent ends up in landfill or is disposed of illegally, according to the Ministry for the Environment.

“At present the voluntary product stewardship scheme means that we have one of the lowest rates of e-waste recovery in the world. We are literally throwing gold away into landfills while proposing to dig it up elsewhere in some of the country’s most beautiful landscapes. It is the height of madness,” says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa.

“Like many people across the country, we are gravely concerned about the environmental impact of gold mining. We think that there are much better ways to get these valuable resources – and ensure that they stay in circulation forever, not dumped in landfills.”

“The World Gold Council says that only 7% of gold is used in tech but 27% of worldwide gold production is already from recycling. This is more than 4 times what we need for tech – there is no valid reason to dig up any more of our precious ecosystems.”

“Product stewardship would create a pathway for a new industry: one built on resource recovery of valuable materials and a circular economy.”

NZ company MINT Innovation relocated to Sydney because they could tap into flows of e-waste from extended producer responsibility schemes that collect electronic waste in Australia.

They chose not to invest in NZ because there is no regulated e-waste scheme here. That’s $60m in turnover that will be dropping into the Australian economy every year instead of ours.

E-waste was declared a priority product in June 2020 requiring the establishment of a regulated product stewardship scheme under the Waste Minimisation Act. Yet six years on, a mandatory scheme is not in place and no further work is being done.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/environment-mine-e-waste-for-gold-not-beautiful-landscapes-zero-waste/