Category: AM-NC

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Burglary bust ends in cuffs

Source: New Zealand Police

A group of alleged burglars on the hunt for booze instead ended up in custody in Clarks Beach on Monday morning.

Senior Sergeant Jeremy Steedman, Counties Manukau South Response Manager, says at about 1.30am Police received a report of an attempted break in at a liquor store on Seaway Road.

“A group of four males tried to enter the store by kicking the front door and hitting the glass with a hammer,” he says.

“However they were unsuccessful in gaining entry and fled the area after drawing attention from neighbouring properties with all the noise.”

The group left in a vehicle and headed onto the motorway, passing a Police unit on the way.

“Due to the manner of driving Police did not follow the vehicle as it sped north towards Takanini,” Senior Sergeant Steedman says.

“Eagle was quickly in the air and was able to monitor from a distance.”

The vehicle exited at Takanini and one alleged offender got out, before the car sped off again back onto the motorway.

“The vehicle continued on to East Tāmaki where it was dumped at a bus stop in the Ōtara town centre,” Senior Sergeant Steedman says.

“Three occupants ran into the township where they were quickly located by the dog unit, Delta and taken into custody.”

Senior Sergeant Steedman says subsequent enquiries discovered the vehicle had been stolen from Flat Bush the night before.

“We are pleased we have apprehended these alleged offenders and that they will answer for their actions,” he says.

“Police have zero tolerance for this type of offending.”

Four males aged between 15 and 17 have been referred to Youth Aid.

ENDS.

Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/burglary-bust-ends-in-cuffs/

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KiwiRail director Scott O’Donnell quits board two years early after only months in role

Source: Radio New Zealand

Scott O’Donnell (file photo). Otago Daily Times / Laura Smith

KiwiRail director Scott O’Donnell will step down from the KiwiRail board of directors on 24 March, cutting short an appointment more than two years ahead of schedule.

Board chair Suzanne Tindal said a new venture will require him to spend more time in Australia.

O’Donnell was appointed to the board in July 2025 on a three year term. He is one of the four directors of Dynes Transport Tapanui, which donated $20,000 to NZ First in July 2024.

When Minister for Rail Winston Peters announced O’Donnell’s appointment he noted that a conflict of interest management plan was in place related to O’Donnell’s business interests.

Peters told RNZ the donation from Dyne’s Transport played no part in O’Donnell’s appointment to the board and that he was aware of the extent of the conflicts of interest.

At the time, Peters said O’Donnell would be effective in his role.

“As Mr O’Donnell has direct experience in the freight sector among other things, a conflict-of-interest management plan has been developed and will be followed while he is a director of KiwiRail,” he said.

Peters said Treasury did not advise against the appointment of O’Donnell.

During Parliament’s ‘scrutiny week’ in December last year, where MPs publicly examine public agency performance, Tindal said O’Donnell’s conflicts of interest affected the board’s capability and efficiency.

She said “more importantly” that directors needed to consider whether they could discharge their duties as required in accordance with the Companies Act.

Documents released under the Official Information Act (OIA) to RNZ show Tindal expressed unease about O’Donnell’s business interests before his appointment and recommended he be removed from a process to make his role official while the conflicts were analysed.

Tindal said Scott’s interest in HW Richardson (HWR), which owns 46 companies, could prove a test of loyalties for him.

The OIA documents showed Tindal checked publicly available information in the Companies Office register and hand-drew what she described as an “interests diagram”, which included 11 companies. This was later redrawn by Treasury staff.

Some of the 10 companies he is involved with supply services to KiwiRail, and the conflicts required Treasury to put a management plan in place.

O’Donnell’s appointment went ahead, but with a slew of measures in place to manage any conflicts between his new role and the 10 companies he is involved in – many of them in transport.

The conflict of interest mitigation plan contained seven measures to manage conflicts, including recusing himself from board meeting discussions where there was a conflict of interest.

O’Donnell attended at least three KiwiRail board meetings and RNZ knows of at least one item O’Donnell had to step aside for in December. He also missed two agenda items at the end of the December meeting as he needed to leave early.

“Mr O’Donnell will be thanked for his service at our Board meeting on 24 March, which will be his last day as a KiwiRail director,” Tindal said in a statement. He leaves after having served fewer than seven months of an appointment that was due to finish on 31 August 2028.

A statement from the HW Richardson Group said O’Donnell brought a strong commercial focus to KiwiRail’s non-freight operation during his time on the board.

The conflict of interest management plan is outlined below.

The mitigations for these companies outlined in the plan include:

  • Where appropriate, limiting or eliminating access to sensitive, confidential or restricted information on issues or work relating to KiwiRail, including rail network options or Cook Strait ferries
  • Additional scrutiny of board agenda and papers prior to sending to Scott O’Donnell.
  • At the beginning of every Board meeting, or prior as necessary, Scott O’Donnell would be required to declare if any item on the agenda could create a conflict for which he feels recusal is necessary. Such instances would need to be documented.
  • Where appropriate recusal from any meeting or part meeting/agenda item with the Board or Ministers on these issues where confidential information giving rise to the conflicts discussed, (noting that this may impact on quorum arrangements)
  • At the Board’s discretion Scott O’Donnell would be recused or refrain from participating in, any discussions and decisions, where a personal interest is determined.
  • The Board reserves the right to invite Scott O’Donnell to recuse himself if the Board feels it is inappropriate to include him in discussions and decisions.
  • Advising KiwiRail, the Minister for SOEs of these actions

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/kiwirail-director-scott-odonnell-quits-board-two-years-early-after-only-months-in-role/

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Two hurt in crash near Taihape

Source: Radio New Zealand

File image. Pretoria Gordon / RNZ

Emergency services are at the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash on State Highway 1 north of Taihape.

Two people are reported to have serious injuries. There is also an oil spill on the highway, near Spooners Hill Road.

Police said there may be disruption to traffic and a diversion was in place through Spooners Hill Road.

Police asked motorists to please avoid the area or expect delays.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/two-hurt-in-crash-near-taihape/

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Update: Search and Rescue operation, Greymouth

Source: New Zealand Police

Attributable to Senior Sergeant Mark Kirkwood, West Coast Search and Rescue:

Police’s search in Greymouth continues after a report of a person who had been swept out to sea this weekend.

At around 6pm Saturday, Police were notified the person had been swept to sea.

The search resumed this morning where Police, with the assistance of Precision Helicopters, conducted aerial searches of the shoreline between Ross and Charleston.

At this stage, the person has not yet been located, with rough sea conditions and white caps making the search difficult.

Police continue to make enquiries to identify the person swept out to sea, and if the kayak is linked to the person.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/update-search-and-rescue-operation-greymouth/

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Zero Waste – No support for disestablishing the Ministry for the Environment

Source:  Zero Waste Aotearoa (ZWA)

Zero Waste Aotearoa (ZWA) does not support disestablishing the Ministry for the Environment and bundling its environmental protection functions into the proposed MCERT Mega Ministry.

“This takes us back to an old 1970’s approach by embedding a fundamental conflict of interest into the new mega-Ministry. Environmental protection will be viewed as an internal obstacle to be managed, rather than a statutory goal to be upheld,” says Sue Coutts of Zero Waste Aotearoa.

“Clean and green is part of our national identity.  It underpins our trade and tourism industries. If we don’t have a strong champion to protect our environment we are putting our health, our economy and our future at risk.”

“Almost all of our major environmental indicators show we’re in serious trouble. Our lands, air and water are polluted, biodiversity is under extreme strain and climate goals have been abandoned.”

“Solving New Zealand’s waste, recycling, plastic and chemical pollution problems is already low on the government’s priority list, dismantling the Ministry for the Environment will cross these critical issues off the to-do list altogether.”

“Dismantling the Ministry for the Environment (MfE) is nothing less than vandalism of the public interest by a government that has shown it cares very little for the ecological systems that sustain us.”

“Climate, nature, environmental quality and health impacts need a dedicated, independent statutory voice. This helps to ensure any trade offs being made between development and production  and environmental quality and protection are rigorously analysed.”

“Decision making will be less open and transparent, because the new mega-Ministry Chief Executive will carry the responsibility for making trade offs between environmental and development objectives. This will happen at the management level, rather than these being debated and agreed in the public and political realm. There will be fewer opportunities for scrutiny of decision making with a public interest lens or by watchdogs like the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment.”

“MfE also plays an important role in managing the Crown’s relationship with iwi regarding natural resources. The current expertise and relationships could be buried or lost in the shift to the MCERT mega ministry.”

“As importantly, resource management law is undergoing a massive overhaul. There is a lot of work to be done setting up the national standards, environmental limits and policy direction that will shape decision making in the future.”

“It makes more sense to leave MfE as it is and properly resource it to do the background work outlined in the new Planning and Environment bills. Restructuring and merging MfE into MCERT will disrupt the team and waste time, energy and resources that could be put into this critical work.”

“As the submission period closes, ZWA encourages the public to understand the negative impacts on environmental protection this will have. ZWA recommends to the select committee that the Ministry for the Environment is not included in this amalgamation, and instead is empowered to actually do the work of caring for our environment.”

Notes

Submissions are open until 4:30 pm on March 11, 2026, for the Environment (Disestablishment of Ministry for the Environment) Amendment Bill.

The Government introduced legislation to establish a Ministry for Cities, Environment, Regions and Transport (MCERT)

MCERT would formally disestablish the Ministry for the Environment. The new ministry will be established on 1 April 2026 and become operational from 1 July 2026

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/zero-waste-no-support-for-disestablishing-the-ministry-for-the-environment/

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Universities – Building more sustainably in the wake of cyclones – UoA

Source: University of Auckland – UoA

A new University of Auckland project aims to turn about 1200 Auckland houses destroyed by cyclones into a resource for a more sustainable future.

Associate Professor of Architecture Mike Davis has launched a research project identifying reusable materials in houses that have been deemed unsafe, after being hit by Cyclone Gabrielle and floods in 2023.

The aim is to turn cyclone-damaged houses into an “urban mine” that reuses as much as possible, saving the planet from the pressures of endlessly providing brand new materials, says Davis.

“The tragedy of these houses being lost would be deepened if all the reusable materials in them were dumped in landfills.

“We need to look after the land, which is not about putting stuff in landfills, it’s about reusing materials and putting them into a circular economy,” says Davis, who works in the University’s Māori and Pacific Housing Research Centre, MĀPIHI, and Future Cities Research Centre.

Davis is mapping what materials have come out of the red-stickered houses and where these materials have gone.

“Then we can start to predict what might come out of houses that have been red-stickered or that are damaged in storms in the future,” he says.

Hand-held devices and drones are making 3D scans of various types of houses, such as Keith Hay and Universal homes, villas and bungalows, and state houses. This helps identify the quantities of various building materials typically found in each type of house.

“Building a knowledge bank of the reusable materials available from red-stickered houses will help the construction industry know what materials are likely to be available for reuse,” Davis says.

The project also aims to highlight environmentally harmful materials coming out of cyclone-devastated houses.

This information will be used to develop more sustainable building practices for the future, he says.

“One example is polystyrene, which doesn’t go away, so when a house comes down after 50 years, it’s a massive problem.

“We want to look for alternatives and ask what we can learn about building better in the future.”

Davis says older houses tend to be richer repositories of valuable materials, such as kauri, matai and rimu timber.

“More than 50 percent of timbers can often be reused from earlier buildings.

“Once you get into houses from the 2000s, lots of materials are glued together and it’s much harder to reuse something that’s been glued.”

The research could have real-world impacts in expanding the quantities of building materials available at recycling centres and demolition yards, Davis says.              

About 600 red-stickered houses have already been relocated or deconstructed, but another 600 have yet to be removed from properties.                                                                                  

“The aim is to normalise the idea of buying second-hand materials and seeing that as a positive thing.

“We’re moving away from the idea that everything has to be new, new, new, because that’s resource intensive and not sustainable.”

He aims to develop design principles that will help to future-proof housing, so it is more adaptable, more readily disassembled, and easier to repair.

“We will look at what can we do with relocated houses to make them more affordable and fit for purpose.”

Davis, who has Samoan ancestry, says a fondness for recycling and a hatred of waste is in his DNA.

His great-grandfather built churches and other buildings in the Pacific Islands, where resources are limited and valued.

“New Zealand is also two islands and when you live on an island, what you’ve got is what you’ve got, so you make it last.

“But that’s not going on in the building industry in New Zealand at the moment – there’s a rip, strip and bury mentality,” he says.

Over the past 15 years, his own creative projects have focused on recycled materials.

“We need to see those awesome old timbers as having cultural heritage as well as economic value, because there’s not much kauri coming out of our forests these days,” he says.

Results from the research are expected later this year.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/universities-building-more-sustainably-in-the-wake-of-cyclones-uoa/

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Drivers flock to pumps as oil passes US$100 a barrel

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cars in a queue for petrol at Tasman Fuels in Epsom, on Sunday 8 March 2026. RNZ / Luka Forman

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as tensions in the Middle East push the global oil prices higher.

The benchmark Brent Crude rose 18 percent or by US$18 to US$110 a barrel shortly after trading resumed this morning at 11am NZT.

Over the weekend, RNZ spoke to drivers queuing at a petrol station to get in before the price goes up.

“The later I leave it, the more the petrol prices are going up. This is more expensive than yesterday,” one woman said.

“Probably the price will go up again tomorrow, I think, so even I’m only half full, it’s good to get some petrol in there,” a man said.

Waitomo Group chief executive Simon Parham told Morning Report the demand at the company’s petrol stations went up 15 to 20 percent over the past week as people tried to get in before prices increased.

“Over the last week, we’ve seen the Singapore Platts price go up by about $60 a barrel.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and that’s probably one of the biggest spikes I’ve seen.”

Marika Khabazi

Parham said prices would move more in the next week and fuel supply was being managed carefully.

There was 20 days stock in the country and cargo was arriving by ship every other day, he said.

“I think we’re in a reasonably good place. It’s a good reminder that over 80 percent of the supply doesn’t go through the Strait of Hormuz.

“There’s other actions out there globally, such as the US, softening the sanction on India to enable them to buy Russian crude. That will help the market and help supply free up a little bit.”

Parham said his advice to customers was to not panic buy, but to look out for a good deal.

“There’s always a good deal on any given day. Don’t get distracted by someone offering a 10 cent per litre discount.

“It’s the net price, which is the true test of competitiveness. So go out there, look around, use Gaspy, there’s tools out there, so look for the best deal.”

Earlier, Mike Newton from Gaspy told First Up the queuing at petrol stations over the weekend was similar to when a fuel brand ran a big discount day.

He said the higher cost was mostly done to companies pricing in future oil increases that they were expecting.

“They won’t be buying their oil at these high prices just yet, but they know that if they put the prices up once they start buying it at those higher prices then it’s going to be a massive shock to the consumer,” he said.

“They try and just briefly increase it and make it a bit more palatable to the consumer.”

He said the prices were standard across the board, but they did notice that diesel was going up faster than the other grades of petrol.

AA Transport policy advisor Terry Collins told Morning Report companies were also raising the prices to manage the risk.

“Hopefully, when the prices drop, they’ll likely come down as fast.

“We don’t want to have what is known as the rocket and feather effect when, due to these geopolitical events, the price rocket up and then when it subsides and the price of oil comes down, we don’t want to see the prices come down like a feather.

“We want to see them equally come down as fast as they went up.”

Collins said he wasn’t worried about shortages at this stage.

He said that was dependent on how long the conflict lasted, and how long the Strait was closed for.

His advice to motorists was to fill up a full tank because he expected an upwards trajectory in prices for the rest of the March.

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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/2026/03/09/drivers-flock-to-pumps-as-oil-passes-us100-a-barrel/

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Serious crash, SH1 north of Taihape

Source: New Zealand Police

Emergency services are at the scene of a serious two-vehicle crash on SH1 near Spooners Hill Road, north of Taihape. 

Two people are reported to have serious injuries. 

The road is currently obstructed due to the crash and an oil spill, and there may be disruption to traffic. 

A diversion is in place through Spooners Hill Road.

Please avoid the area or expect delays.

ENDS 

Issued by Police Media Centre

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/serious-crash-sh1-north-of-taihape/

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How strong is support for Christopher Luxon? We’re about to find out

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Analysis – The Prime Minister has doubled down in the wake of a horror poll on Friday, saying he is “absolutely not” considering stepping aside from the top job.

Christopher Luxon did a last-minute interview on Newstalk ZB on Friday night after a day of speculation and mounting pressure over whether he could convincingly stay on as prime minister after a new poll showed National had hit 28 percent.

He told ZB, “if there was a problem, I would be doing something about it, but we are a long way away from what we’ve seen published in a TPU poll today”.

The Taxpayers’ Union-Curia poll showed the centre-Left bloc narrowly able to govern with 61 seats to the coalition government bloc’s 59 seats.

It had Labour up slightly on 34, while the Greens, ACT, and Te Pāti Māori were all up on 10.5, 7.5 and 3 respectively.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

On Monday, Luxon told RNZ’s Morning Report he wasn’t going anywhere, however, he also said he didn’t ask any of his MPs over the weekend if he had their support because, “they tell me regularly and it’s just not a question that needs to be asked”.

It’s a bold prime minister who assumes the support of his entire caucus after one of his worst weeks in the job, that was bookended by his inability to articulate the government’s position on the Iran conflict last Monday and a poll showing National below the red line of 30 on Friday.

How strong that support is will be made clear when his MPs gather at Parliament on Tuesday morning for their caucus meeting.

The National Party isn’t afraid to tell a few home-truths in their caucus meetings, and Luxon may well be on the receiving end of that this week.

Beyond his caucus’ reckons, the prime minister will also need to manage the concerns of his staff.

On Friday, there were murmurings that some senior staff were increasingly frustrated by their advice being ignored by Luxon and some of the government messaging no longer being convincing.

A poll putting National in the high 20s – the second public poll saying so since October last year – isn’t by any means the end of the prime minister’s career.

It will take a few more polls saying the same thing and a clear trend developing before the pressure will really mount.

At that point it’s those in his caucus who will be turfed out of Parliament first by a worsening National result who will start agitating.

Christopher Luxon and Transport Minister Chris Bishop. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A potential result in the 20s in November will not only impact senior ministers relying on the success of the party list, such as Nicola Willis, Paul Goldsmith, and Gerry Brownlee, but will also be damaging to swing seats like Hutt South, currently held by Chris Bishop.

At the moment, all of the polling shows the party blocs in a position to govern are still neck-and-neck.

That keeps National very much still in the game.

Probably more concerning for Luxon were the favourability results from Friday’s poll showing his net favourability has fallen three points to -19, well behind Labour leader Chris Hipkins on -5.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Even New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is polling better on that score than Luxon with a score of -8, while closer to home Bishop received -14 and Erica Stanford scored -16.

MPs and ministers arriving at Parliament on Monday morning were all publicly backing Luxon, noting the poll wasn’t positive but the prime minister remained the best person to lead.

That will douse some of the speculation fire for today at least.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/how-strong-is-support-for-christopher-luxon-were-about-to-find-out/

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Cricket: Black Caps lost World Cup final in the powerplays – Santner

Source: Radio New Zealand

Black Cap Finn Allen during the T20 World Cup grand final. www.photosport.nz

The Black Caps are rueing poor performances in both powerplays in their Twenty20 World Cup loss to India – prolonging their wait for a maiden white-ball World Cup title.

Defending champions India thumped New Zealand by 96 runs in Monday morning’s (NZT) final in Ahmedabad.

Batting first, the co-hosts posted a big total of 255/5. Indian batter Sanju Samson top scored with 89 runs, with fellow opener Abhishek Sharma and No.3 Ishan Kishan both scoring half-centuries.

Despite a half-century from opener Tim Seifert, New Zealand couldn’t keep up with the required run rate. Captain Mitchell Santner scored 43 runs at the back of the innings, but it was never going to be enough, and the visitors were eventually all-out for 159.

Jasprit Bumrah took four wickets for India, which became the first team in history to win back-to-back men’s T20 World Cup titles. It’s also India’s biggest win in a T20 World Cup match.

“They showed their class again tonight with that batting performance,” Black Caps captain Mitch Santner told reporters.

“That was the tale of the day – the two powerplays. I think we were three for 40-odd and they were 90-odd for none.”

Samson and Sharma provided an explosive push and rattled up 92 runs in the six powerplay overs. In contrast, New Zealand’s top-order slipped to 52-3 inside six overs, and the chase never quite took off.

Santner said the run chase was always likely to ride on surviving the first six overs and keeping wickets for a surge later, which did not happen.

“You’re not going to win a chase in the powerplay, but you can lose one. If we pick up a couple early and squeeze the middle, maybe 220 is on. At 250, you need a lot to go your way.”

Hardik Pandya of India celebrates after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Grand Final. www.photosport.nz

New Zealand bowler Jimmy Neesham picked up three wickets in the 16th over, but the damage was done early on.

“Whether it was to be braver with yorkers or bouncers, we tried a lot of cutters into the wicket that weren’t offering much,” Santner said.

“We all know we weren’t at our best tonight, and if you’re not at your best against a very good team in a final, you get exposed.”

The Black Caps have a long history of reaching deep into tournaments but have lost multiple finals. They were one day international runners-up in 2015 and 2019, and have now become bridesmaids in two T20 World Cups.

More than 86,000 predominantly Indian supporters packed into Narendra Modi Stadium – the world’s largest cricket ground – and Santner praised the hosts’ execution.

“There was definitely a lot of pressure on India in front of so many people, and they did it outstandingly well.”

Santner told Sky Sport he was proud of his team.

“To make it this far, obviously we had some challenges throughout the tournament but at each stage we kind of got through and put on a good show, obviously tonight we were outplayed by a very good team in front of a great crowd.”

Santner said the Black Caps did a lot right to reach the final, including a very good win over South Africa in the semi-final.

“Different guys stepped up at different times throughout every stage. I think we were confronted with challenges throughout every stage and it was nice to get through, and super eights and then the semi-final, we put on a pretty good show – but I guess tonight we were outplayed, but the boys should be very proud of their work.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/cricket-black-caps-lost-world-cup-final-in-the-powerplays-santner/

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Fonterra’s $4.22 billion sale of its Mainland Group to Lactalis unconditional

Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf / Supplied images

Dairy co-operative Fonterra says the $4.22 billion sale of its Mainland Group to Lactalis is unconditional, with the sale expected to be completed by the end of the month.

Fonterra said all required regulatory approvals and sale conditions had been satisfied in order to separate from Mainland Group and its global consumer and associated businesses from the co-op.

“Fonterra and Lactalis will now proceed to complete the transaction,” Fonterra said in a market statement.

In February, Fonterra shareholders voted to approve a capital return of $2.00 per share to shareholders and unit-holders following completion of the transaction.

The capital return to shareholders was expected to be 9 April, with a payment date of 14 April, based on the completion of the transaction by the end of the month.

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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/2026/03/09/fonterras-4-22-billion-sale-of-its-mainland-group-to-lactalis-unconditional/

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SH1 closes as truck and car crash near Milton

Source: Radio New Zealand

St John said an ambulance and a helicopter had been sent to the crash site RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

A helicopter has been sent to a the scene of a collision between a truck and car blocking State Highway 1 near Milton.

The crash happened shortly before 9am near the intersection of Adams Flat Road and Milton Highway.

Police said it appeared people had been injured.

St John said an ambulance and a helicopter had been sent.

NZTA said SH1 near Milton was closed near the intersection with Adams Flat Road.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area where possible and expect delays.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/sh1-closes-as-truck-and-car-crash-near-milton/

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Defiant Christopher Luxon says no discussions needed on his leadership

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christopher Luxon. RNZ / Calvin Samuel

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says he did not ask any of his ministers over the weekend if he had their support, because he did not need to.

There has been speculation in recent days that Luxon is under pressure after a terrible poll result last week that showed his and National’s support slipping.

The latest Taxpayers’ Union Curia poll had National on 28.4 percent – down nearly three points in a month.

Labour was up slightly on 34.4 percent, while the Greens, ACT, and Te Pāti Maori were all up on 10.5, 7.5, and 3.2 respectively. The centre-left bloc would have 61 seats on these results, enough to govern.

On Monday morning, the NZ Herald reported additional figures suggesting voters viewed Luxon less favourably than some of his senior MPs, including Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford. His personal ratings were also below that of Labour leader Chris Hipkins and NZ First leader Winston Peters.

Christopher Luxon with two of his Cabinet colleagues who are seen less unfavourably by voters – Chris Bishop and Erica Stanford. RNZ / Nick Monro

Asked on Morning Report on Monday if any of his MPs thought they could do a better job than him, Luxon said that “isn’t the case”.

“We are very focused as a team on making sure we deliver for New Zealanders. We know the major challenges of the economy – that’s what this election is going to be all about and that’s what we’re focused on.”

Asked if he had checked in with ministers that he had their support, Luxon said “I haven’t needed to because I have their support.”

Asked how he knew if he had not asked them, he said they had told him – some after the poll result.

“They tell me regularly and it’s just not a question that needs to be asked.”

Earlier that morning in his first media appearance of the week, Luxon told TVNZ’s Breakfast he had a “big job to do” and still had no plans to resign.

“I don’t need polls to tell me what’s on New Zealanders’ minds,” he said.

“I talk to them every day, and it’s really obvious they need us to fix the economy so they can lower the cost of living. It’s as simple as that. And that’s what this election is going to be all about, so, that’s what my team and we are focused on doing.”

Christopher Luxon during his last – and only – appearance on Q+A as prime minister, in December 2024. TVNZ

Asked if he had spoken to senior ministers over the weekend, Luxon said he spoke to them “regularly and over time and continue to do so”.

His predecessor as National leader, Judith Collins, in 2018 said she would resign if the party polled below 35 percent. She did not, and led National to one of its worst-ever electoral defeats.

Asked if there was a number that would prompt him to step down, Luxon said no – there was “only one poll” that mattered, the election in November.

“The New Zealand public don’t want me focusing on polls. What they want me doing is focusing on them and making sure that every minute I’ve got… is actually focused on making sure we’re getting things better for them.”

When it was suggested to him many MPs would be worried about losing their jobs on National’s current polling, Luxon said the poll numbers would not be seen on election day.

Luxon and Peters in the House. VNP / Phil Smith

“New Zealanders I talk to every day are telling me, look, this cost of living is really hard, inflation was baked in for a number of years at very high levels… and we have to grow the economy so we can lower the cost of living for people.”

Luxon said he had “total confidence” he would not get rolled.

In a separate interview on Newstalk ZB on Monday morning, Luxon said “hand on heart” he would not quit before the election.

Not avoiding media

Luxon also defended his apparent unwillingness to appear on TVNZ’s weekly political affairs show, Q+A.

Q+A host Jack Tame at the weekend called out Luxon’s absence.

“Despite doing more than 80 broadcasts since Christopher Luxon became prime minister, he hasn’t appeared on the programme for more than 15 months,” a post on the show’s website said, noting he had only appeared on the show once since taking on the top job.

“I make myself very available to the media throughout the course of any given week,” Luxon told Morning Report on Monday, after also speaking to Breakfast and Newstalk ZB.

Asked about Q+A specifically, Luxon said that decision was made by his media team.

“As to which outlets we talk to, as to based on who they talk to and how they reach and what their ratings look like,” he said.

“But I think when you look at any leader around the world and the accessibility you have to me as media, it’s pretty high.”

Asked directly if Q+A‘s ratings were the issue, Luxon said they were not.

“No, I’m just saying there’ll be reasons for why we choose who we engage with and when we do that… I’m sure I’ll do it again, but it’s just a question of – we get lots of media requests.”

National’s polling ‘not my concern’ – Peters

Peters said coalition partner National’s polling woes were “not my concern”.

“It’s not happening to my party,” he told Morning Report. NZ First polled at 9.7 percent, down from 10.5 (inside the margin of error).

“There’s an election coming, and some of the things that are being put out by way of speculation at the moment is absolutely astonishing. The great thing about politics, it’s a learning curve, and some have to get on it still, even though they’ve been in it for a long time.”

Peters’ party had been in coalition with National before when it changed leaders – notably in the late 1990s when Dame Jenny Shipley rolled Jim Bolger, fracturing the coalition and contributing to its defeat in the 1999 election.

“Look, I’d like to pride myself on not getting involved in these matters, but sitting on the outside with a blank piece of paper, you look at every possible permutation and make sure that you’ve got it covered,” he said.

“This country of ours called New Zealand demands a thing called stability, and my job is to provide it to the best of my ability.”

‘Too messy’ for a coup

RNZ political editor Jo Moir said it was not likely the prime minister would be rolled anytime soon.

She told Morning Report Christopher Luxon would have had to do an interview with Newstalk ZB, in which he denied coup speculation, on Friday to calm things down.

“There was no way he could have gone into the weekend with the country thinking he was considering his future.”

Luxon would have had lots of conversations over the weekend about how to reclaim the narrative, Moir says.

With a big morning media round, and the post Cabinet media conference on Monday afternoon – both of which he finds a little difficult – it would have been a big weekend of trying to work out the specific language, Moir says.

“I don’t think we’re in the territory of a coup or him being rolled,” she said.

With a three-way coalition, any thought of instability and the possibility of having to renegotiate an agreement with a new leader was “incredibly messy”.

If National polled consistently in the 20s, then it would start to get more difficult, but it would be for the party’s caucus to do the convincing and not Luxon suddenly deciding it was time to go, Moir said.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/defiant-christopher-luxon-says-no-discussions-needed-on-his-leadership/

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Interislander sailing cancelled after technical fault found

Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. Supplied / Regan Ingley

A single return sailing had to be cancelled on the Interislander’s Kaiārahi ferry after an intermittent technical fault was discovered just hours before a scheduled maintenance layby.

Interislander operations general manager Taru Sawhney said Kaiārahi was berthing in Wellington around 2.30am on Saturday morning when the fault was discovered. It did berth safely.

The ferry was on a scheduled maintenance layby between Saturday afternoon and Monday afternoon.

Sawhney said Kaiārahi’s scheduled 3.30am Saturday sailing and return from Picton had to be cancelled while the fault was investigated.

“We did a lot of work carrying out further investigations, repairs and testing over the weekend layby.”

Sawhney said the ferry had to undergo final sea trials and approvals on Monday before it could resume service.

As this was a process that took time and as a precaution, Interislander cancelled Kaiārahi’s next scheduled service from Wellington at 3.30pm on Monday and 9.30pm return from Picton.

“We apologise for this disruption but safety has to be the priority. All freight and passenger bookings on the sailings will be cancelled. Passengers will be moved to alternative sailings where possible or offered a full refund.

“We expect Kaiārahi will return to service, leaving Wellington at 3.30am on Tuesday.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/interislander-sailing-cancelled-after-technical-fault-found/

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NZ skier Alice Robinson in two-way battle for super-G title

Source: Radio New Zealand

Alice Robinson competes in the Women’s Super G event. FABRICE COFFRINI / AFP

New Zealand skier Alice Robinson has to finish at least second in the final race of the season to have any chance of claiming the overall super-G title, after placing fourth in the penultimate round in Val di Fassa.

Robinson closed the gap on series leader Sofia Goggia but it will be a big ask to usurp the Italian at the finals in Norway on the 22nd March.

Goggia, who finished ninth in Italy on Monday morning, leads Robinson by 63 points in the race to the World Cup super-G title.

Robinson, now the only other woman who can win the super-G title, was joint fourth. Italian Elena Curtoni won her home event.

German skier Emma Aicher failed to score, leaving her 145 points behind Goggia and out of super-G title contention.

Robinson, who finished eighth at last month’s Milano Cortina Olympics, said she will throw everything at the final event.

“It was not as hard as I was expecting [today], so I could have maybe pushed a little bit harder. We’ve got one more race so I am happy to give that everything but it’s a little bit frustrating,” Robinson said.

Meanwhile, US Alpine ski great Mikaela Shiffrin boosted her overall World Cup lead with a rare super-G appearance as closest rival Aicher did not finish.

Shiffrin, who is hoping to end the season with a sixth overall Crystal Globe, finished 23rd but the eight points stretched her lead over Aicher to 125 with six races remaining across all disciplines.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/nz-skier-alice-robinson-in-two-way-battle-for-super-g-title/

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Road blocked, Milton Highway/SH1, Milton

Source: New Zealand Police

Milton Highway/State Highway 1, Milton, is blocked following a crash, involving a truck and car, this morning.

Police were called to the crash just before 9am, near the intersection of Adams Flat Road and Milton Highway.

Initial indicators are that there are injuries.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible and expect delays.

ENDS

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/road-blocked-milton-highway-sh1-milton/

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Drivers flock to pumps as concern grows over fuel prices

Source: Radio New Zealand

Marika Khabazi

Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as tensions in the Middle East push the global oil prices higher.

Over the weekend, RNZ spoke to drivers queuing at a petrol station to get in before the price goes up.

“The later I leave it, the more the petrol prices are going up. This is more expensive than yesterday,” one woman said.

“Probably the price will go up again tomorrow, I think, so even I’m only half full, it’s good to get some petrol in there,” a man said.

Waitomo Group chief executive Simon Parham told Morning Report the demand at the company’s petrol stations went up 15 to 20 percent over the past week as people tried to get in before prices increased.

“Over the last week, we’ve seen the Singapore Platts price go up by about $60 a barrel.

“I’ve been doing this for 25 years and that’s probably one of the biggest spikes I’ve seen.”

Parham said prices will move more in the next week.

On supply, there was 20 days stock in the country and cargo was arriving by ship every other day, he said.

“I think we’re in a reasonably good place. It’s a good reminder that over 80 percent of the supply doesn’t go through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/drivers-flock-to-pumps-as-concern-grows-over-fuel-prices/

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Retired school teacher leaves a legacy for nature

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

29 years of planting leaves a legacy for Buller High School and retired school teacher Janet Pottinger. 

Late in 2025, DOC staff in the Buller Kawatiri office headed out to Tauranga Bay to take part in a planting day which both marked the retirement of a local schoolteacher, Janet Pottinger, who spearheaded work to restore native vegetation in the Bay and the adjoining Cape Foulwind with the mahi of the Buller High School Year 9 environmental programme since 1997. 

Janet Pottinger at the final planting in November 2025

Four times a year since 1997, these students have planted native shrubs and trees along a walkway, sea front and car parks. Originally, the walkway was through windswept open paddocks that have since been transformed into a dramatic environment of native vegetation.  

The main plant chosen for the project has been harakeke, which grows quickly, is very hardy in a coastal environment and creates a great habitat and a food source for native birds and other animals. Other native plants can grow in the shelter of the harakeke.  

Planting in 2004 and another picture taken in 2015 (left), this area is now totally covered in flax and vegetation (right).

Birds, attracted to its summer flowering bring seeds with them to speed this process. The revegetated areas support sooty shearwaters, blue penguins, fairy prions, weka, seals and many other native birds, lizards and invertebrates.  The aesthetic values of the area have been greatly enhanced.  

A roadside area pre-planting in 2010 (left), and just six years later in 2016 (right).

At the final planting, Janet remarked that the timing of the final planting had worked out pretty well, as she was retiring and there was nowhere left to plant! If you are naturing at Tauranga Bay and Cape Foulwind, it’s hard to believe that 29 years ago, the place was bare pasture and grassland. 

Ex DOC Ranger John Green, who attended the final planting says that when the area came into DOC management in 1987, they were finding dead penguins from dog attacks “all the time”, and cattle were collapsing shearwater burrows. The view at the Bay is now picturesque, with flaxes and native vegetation framing the bay and headland, where thousands of visitors go to visit seals and walk one of DOC’s most popular tracks in the area: Cape Foulwind Walkway

Before and after on the track – this change came quickly, the first photo was taken in 2004 (left), the second in 2008 (right).

John says the plantings haven’t just made the place look good, they’ve helped all the species that live there, who benefit from the shelter and enriched habitat the plantings provide. 

On the statistics side of things, Janet says 12,425 plants have gone in the ground, approximately 2800 students have been involved and over the 29 years there have been 108 planting trips.   

Buller High Students in a previously grassed area which has been planted by successive Year 9 environmental class students.

“Over the years I have found that the students were always very enthusiastic about the trees they planted and many of them were proud to show their whanau years later how much their plants had grown. 

“The school should be really proud, it’s been an amazing partnership with DOC, and we’ve even had a second generation of students planting, following on from their parents before them.” 

The work of Buller High students over 29 years shows the value of doing a little, often. Just four plantings a year have transformed windswept grasses into a rich native habitat. 

Through the years the project has been awarded a West Coast Tai Poutini Conservation Award, a Trustpower West Coast Supreme Award, and a Plant Conservation Network Award. Well done Janet and Buller High School and thankyou for bringing back nature to this place.  

Janet is happy to help or give advice to any other schools or groups who want to do something similar, so if you are in that category, get in touch via info@doc.govt.nz, referencing this blog. 

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/retired-school-teacher-leaves-a-legacy-for-nature/

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New team to strengthen consumer voice

Source: PHARMAC

Introducing our Consumer Relations team – responsible for ensuring Pharmac works meaningfully with consumers. 

“Good engagement really matters because it helps Pharmac make decisions that genuinely reflect people’s needs,” says External Engagement team Manager, Ryan Perica. 

“When we engage openly, people can see that their views matter and really do help shape what we do.” 

The need for improved consumer relations was highlighted by feedback from consumer workshops held in 2024. Establishing the team was an action in Pharmac’s Reset Programme, focused on delivering meaningful change for consumers and patients. 

“We have been working hard to stand up this new team, and I’m really excited to see this work come to fruition,” says Perica. “We’ve got some very skilled people on board to support stronger engagement across the organisation.”  

The newly established team is made up of the Manager, External Engagement, three Principal Advisors, Consumer Relations, and an engagement coordinator who collectively bring decades of experience specialising in engagement both in New Zealand (across both the public and private sectors) and internationally. 

The team will make it easier for consumer and patient representatives to work with Pharmac – ensuring interactions are transparent, empathetic and responsive. 

They will facilitate day‑to‑day engagement with consumer representatives, strengthen key relationships, and ensure diverse lived‑experience informs Pharmac’s decisions. 

We want consumers and staff to see us as an essential part of how Pharmac works,” says Perica. “Building strong relationships takes time – and that investment is always worth it.” 

More on the Consumer Relations team 

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/09/new-team-to-strengthen-consumer-voice/

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Obesity experts advise on new treatments

Source: PHARMAC

With high obesity rates in New Zealand and new medicines entering the market, public interest in weight‑loss treatments is understandably strong. 

In June 2025 Medsafe approved semaglutide (Wegovy) for use in New Zealand for weight loss. Medsafe approves medicines for use in New Zealand. They check that these products meet our standards for safety and quality, and that they work as well as we expect them to.  

Pharmac has received three applications to fund semaglutide(external link) for the following conditions: 

  • weight management for people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more with at least one weight-related health condition
  • insufficiently controlled type 2 diabetes  
  • cardiovascular disease with a body mass index (BMI) of 27 kg/m2 or more.

 To help us assess these medicines, a new Obesity Treatments Advisory Group (OTAG) was established and met for the first time in December last year. The group includes a range of clinical expertise and provides objective advice on new obesity treatments and future opportunities. 

 Pharmac’s Manager Expert Advisory, Caroline De Luca, says this is the first step in gathering advice to inform this complicated decision that could affect many New Zealanders lives.

 “When we make funding decisions, we need input from clinical experts in New Zealand so we can understand how the evidence relates in a local context.”

 The current members of the group are:

  • Dr Liza Lack – Clinical Director, National Hauora Coalition – Waikato (Chair – PTAC Member)
  • Dr Bruce King (Chair) – Specialist Internal Medicine and Nephrology (PTAC Member)
  • Dr Wing Cheuk Chan – Public Health Physician
  • Dr Jo McClintock – Clinical Psychologist
  • Dr Rawiri McKree Jansen – General Practitioner
  • Prof Rinki Murphy – Specialist Diabetes Physician
  • Dr James Shand – Endocrinologist
  • Dr Samuel Whittaker – General Practitioner 

 OTAG reviewed the application to fund semaglutide for weight loss in December 2025. The group’s provisional recommendation [PDF](external link) is that Pharmac fund it for chronic weight management in people with a high body mass index (BMI) and associated comorbidities, with a high priority. The full record of the meeting is expected to be available by March.

A recommendation from OTAG is not a guarantee that Pharmac will fund a medicine. It is a vital step in the process for considering this application, but it is not the only consideration.

The OTAG advice will contribute to Pharmac’s assessment of the role of these medicines in New Zealand and consider the impact on individuals, whānau, caregivers, and the wider health system. We will continue to seek input from the clinical and patient communities.

More about our advisory groups

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/09/obesity-experts-advise-on-new-treatments/