Wastewater poured into the Mahurangi River in October.Supplied
Watercare has announced its final tranche of compensation payment for oyster farmers North of Auckland, after an estimated 1200 cubic metres of sewage flowed into the Mahurangi River last October.
Watercare said a power surge at its Lucy Moore Memorial Park pump station tripped the pumps, and was compounded by an alarm and monitoring system that wasn’t operating as it should be – leading to delays in the response.
Wastewater poured into the Mahurangi River between the afternoon of 29 October, and the next morning.
Watercare’s final payment brings the total payout to $2.75 million for the nine oyster farms.
Previously, a payment of $1 million was made in the immediate weeks following the spill and another $1 million at the end of last year.
Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne said the payment decision followed independent assessments of the financial impact resulting from the October event.
“We sincerely apologise to the oyster farmers affected by this incident and recognise the impact it had on their livelihoods and on the wider Mahurangi Harbour aquaculture industry,
“We commissioned an independent loss assessment to understand the financial impact of the October event on oyster farmers, resulting in the farms being shut down by MPI during a critical part of their harvesting season. This process has informed Watercare’s approach to resolving the claims.”
Watercare said independent reviews into the cause of the overflow has now been completed.
It said the reviews found that the incident resulted from “a unique chain of events involving technical and operational factors” at the newly commissioned station at Lucy Moore Memorial Park.
“We have taken the findings of the reviews seriously and have already implemented improvements to strengthen our systems and processes,” said Bourne.
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Queenstown Lakes District Council has voted to seek long-term approval to pump treated wastewater into the Kawarau River.
Councillors agreed on Thursday to lodge a 35-year resource consent application for discharge from the Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant, while staff keep looking for alternative solutions to the region’s wastewater woes.
The decision comes one year after the council first diverted wastewater to the Shotover River under emergency powers, following persistent performance issues at a disposal field on the Shotover Delta.
The temporary plan prompted community backlash, with some locals saying the river was at risk and the council had not been transparent.
QLDC retrospectively applied for consent in May, then sought for the case to be handled by the Environment Court.
Under the $77.5 million plan supported by most councillors on Thursday, the council would install advanced filters at the treatment plant, and build a 1.4km pipeline to carry the treated wastewater to a rock outfall structure on the Kawarau River.
It was the option recommended by council staff as the most technically feasible and cost-effective pathway, designed to handle the district’s projected growth through to 2060.
However, the plan was strongly opposed by Ngāi Tahu.
RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Iwi representatives stated that the direct discharge of human waste to natural water was “abhorrent” and contrary to tikanga, because water classified as waikino (polluted water) should not be mixed with other categories of water, council documents showed.
Assessments showed the Kawarau River’s high energy and flow would provide rapid dilution, meaning the environmental effects were “no more than minor”.
The volume of wastewater requiring disposal from the Shotover plant was projected to more than double by 2060 to to 26 million litres per day, council documents showed.
On Thursday, councillors debated asking the Environment Court for an extension to the consent deadline – a move council staff had warned could be risky and costly.
Ultimately, an alternative option put forward by councillor Gavin Bartlett – to apply for the consent, but also direct the chief executive to undertake further investigations into long-term disposal options – was approved.
Councillor Jon Mitchell described it as a pragmatic but inclusive option.
“This will expedite getting us out of the current situation we’re in, into something marginally more acceptable. With an open mind to pursuing what other options might be available,” he said.
Councillor Nicola King said it was a difficult decision, but it would be costly and without “real reason” to delay the decision.
“We just have to make sure it’s not our long-term solution,” she said.
Mayor John Glover abstained from voting, and councillor Niki Gladding voted against it.
Once the council selected the most cost-effective option, it would be difficult to justify looking at anything else, she said.
“If you’re a developer and you’ve paid development contributions towards it, you’re not going to be wanting to pay twice for a second solution,” she said.
“Once we’ve done this, we’ve done it… we’ll have lost the opportunity to set the direction that we don’t want our wastewater just pouring into the Kawarau.”
RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Community urges caution
Earlier in the meeting, during a public delegation, Queenstown Lakes Community Action founder Nikki Macfarlane urged the council to pause – in part because there had not been a “full environmental assessment clearly setting out the risks of each option” nor “meaningful engagement with the community”, she said.
“Once that pathway is set, it’s difficult to reverse,” she said.
“We’re asking you to request an extension from ORC and the Environment Court so you have the time and the necessary information to make a decision that you can stand behind with confidence.”
Andrew Davis, a Queenstown resident of 20 years, said the council should look at options to improve the quality of the wastewater.
“We are privileged to live in an environment with pristine water bodies, whereas many of the comparative plants are discharging into highly degraded environments,” he said.
Other options on the table
In the lead-up to Thursday’s vote, council staff also looked at adding a wetland to the Shotover Delta, hybrid schemes trialling partial disposal via deep boreholes, or shallow soakholes at Frankton Flats, or a high-cost land-only irrigation scheme on the Crown Terrace.
The council held a series of drop-in sessions in December and January for community members to learn about the options, but skipped full public consultation to meet the May deadline.
Councillors agreed to direct the chief executive to keep looking at “reasonably practicable wastewater options, including land-based and hybrid land-water options that may minimise the extent of the discharge of treated effluent to water”, and report back by March 2027.
The council also agreed to seek further hui with Kā Rūnaka leaders, and undertake further community engagement.
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Wastewater poured into the Mahurangi River in October.Supplied
Watercare has announced its final tranche of compensation payment for oyster farmers North of Auckland, after an estimated 1200 cubic metres of sewage flowed into the Mahurangi River last October.
Watercare said a power surge at its Lucy Moore Memorial Park pump station tripped the pumps, and was compounded by an alarm and monitoring system that wasn’t operating as it should be – leading to delays in the response.
Wastewater poured into the Mahurangi River between the afternoon of 29 October, and the next morning.
Watercare’s final payment brings the total payout to $2.75 million for the nine oyster farms.
Previously, a payment of $1 million was made in the immediate weeks following the spill and another $1 million at the end of last year.
Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne said the payment decision followed independent assessments of the financial impact resulting from the October event.
“We sincerely apologise to the oyster farmers affected by this incident and recognise the impact it had on their livelihoods and on the wider Mahurangi Harbour aquaculture industry,
“We commissioned an independent loss assessment to understand the financial impact of the October event on oyster farmers, resulting in the farms being shut down by MPI during a critical part of their harvesting season. This process has informed Watercare’s approach to resolving the claims.”
Watercare said independent reviews into the cause of the overflow has now been completed.
It said the reviews found that the incident resulted from “a unique chain of events involving technical and operational factors” at the newly commissioned station at Lucy Moore Memorial Park.
“We have taken the findings of the reviews seriously and have already implemented improvements to strengthen our systems and processes,” said Bourne.
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HPV self-tests increase screening rates, with a new study finding 10 percent more coverage at clinics which offer it.
Self-testing for human papillomavirus was rolled out nationally in September 2023.
The study period for this newly-published research took place before that change – between February 2022 and September 2023 – but it compared screening rates at clinics which offered self-testing, to those which didn’t.
It found screening coverage was 10.8 percent higher at practices offering self-testing, and higher for all groups, including Māori – a historically undeserved group.
Published on Thursday in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Women’s Health journal, it included 22,511 people enrolled in 14 GPs in Te Tai Tokerau Northland.
Half the practices offered HPV self-testing and half offered a vaginal speculum exam by a doctor or nurse, the standard screening method before self-testing was introduced.
Professor Bev Lawton, lead author of the study and director of the University’s Te Tātai Hauora o Hine-National Centre for Women’s Health Research Aotearoa, said the study proved self-testing was a game changer.
“We know from our previous research the HPV self-test is acceptable and accessible for under- and never-screened wāhine Māori,” she said.
HPV causes 95 percent of cervical cancers. According to Health NZ, since HPV self-testing was introduced in 2023, 81 percent of those being screened have opted to self-test – in the two years to July 2025, screening coverage rose by 7.4 percent.
It was important to understand how changes to the kinds of test on offer would affect the overall coverage, or number of people being reached by the programme, Lawton said.
“If you’re going to change it and offer a self-test, you don’t want to lose your coverage,” she said. “Because the more people that the programme screens, the more likely that you’re going to save lives.”
Speaking from Austria, where she and her colleagues were discussing the study findings at the international conference EUROGIN, an international congress on HPV infections and associated cancers, she said the study could have worldwide ramifications – millions of people around the world could be spared an invasive vaginal speculum exam.
“We believe all national cervical screening programmes should urgently consider a universal offer of HPV self-testing through primary care,” she said.
“If you have an organised screening programme, as you do in high income countries… it really means that millions of women do not need to have a speculum.”
The research was funded by the Health Research Council, the Ministry of Health, and Mahitahi Hauora.
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HCMC, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 March 2026 – Southern Vietnam consistently stands out as one of the country’s most dynamic gateways for international travelers. Anchored by Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s economic and financial nucleus, this region benefits from year-round tropical weather and a richly diverse marine ecosystem, positioning it as a natural tourism hub.
In 2025, Ho Chi Minh City recorded the highest visitor volume nationwide, welcoming over 53.5 million arrivals, including approximately 8.5 million international tourists. Yet, a persistent paradox remains. Despite its status as the country’s primary entry point, the city largely functions as a transit node rather than a destination where visitors choose to linger. Many travelers stay only briefly before continuing to established coastal destinations such as Vung Tau, Phu Quoc, or Phan Thiet.
Ho Chi Minh City has yet to fully evolve into a tourism ecosystem capable of sustaining extended stays. The limitation is not solely due to the absence of large-scale, destination-defining developments, but also stems from a more fundamental constraint, connectivity infrastructure. For years, the southern region’s interprovincial transport network has developed unevenly, resulting in prolonged travel times and overreliance on a limited number of arterial routes.
That landscape, however, is entering a period of inflection.
A new wave of infrastructure investment – arguably the most extensive in the region’s history – is being deployed, with Can Gio at its epicenter. The convergence of strategic transport corridors is not only reducing travel friction between economic and tourism centers, but also unlocking the long-overlooked potential of Can Gio, gradually reshaping the broader economic and tourism geography of southern Vietnam.
The city’s long-term vision positions Can Gio as a new growth pole, with projected capacity to attract approximately 40 million visitors annually. This ambition contributes to Vietnam’s national target of welcoming 30-35 million international tourists and 160-180 million domestic travelers by 2030.
A 40-Million-Visitor Hub and the Transformation of Southern Tourism
Historically, Can Gio has been recognized as the “green lung” of Ho Chi Minh City, home to a vast mangrove ecosystem and a UNESCO-recognized biosphere reserve spanning approximately 75,000 hectares. Under a new development vision, the district is gradually repositioning itself as “Saigon’s seaside”, a large-scale coastal tourism center located just beyond a metropolitan population of over 10 million.
A series of major infrastructure projects is now converging to redefine Can Gio’s accessibility. For the first time, the area will benefit from a multi-layered transport network, effectively dismantling the geographic isolation that has persisted for decades.
On the aviation axis, Can Gio will connect directly to Long Thanh International Airport, designed to handle up to 100 million passengers annually, via Rung Sac Road and the Ben Luc – Long Thanh Expressway.
On the urban rail axis, the Ben Thanh – Can Gio metro line, expected to commence operations in Q3 2028, will reduce travel time from the city center to the coast to just 13 minutes, shorter than a typical coffee break, effectively integrating Can Gio into the daily living, working, and leisure radius of both residents and visitors.
On the road network, the Can Gio Bridge, scheduled for completion in 2029, will replace the existing Binh Khanh ferry and establish seamless connectivity with regional expressways, embedding Can Gio into both domestic and international logistics networks.
Meanwhile, the Can Gio – Vung Tau sea-crossing route, targeted for completion in early 2029, will open a new coastal tourism corridor, enabling Can Gio to capture a share of the more than 18 million annual visitors currently traveling to Vung Tau.
Complementing this infrastructure backbone, the emergence of Vinhomes Green Paradise is widely viewed as a catalytic force, one capable of activating a new “southern economic and tourism super-map.”
Conceived as an ESG mega-urban development, the project is designed not only to deliver integrated hospitality, entertainment, and lifestyle offerings, but also to function as a central gateway and distribution hub for regional tourist flows.
A True ‘Must-play’ Destination
Commenting on the Vinhomes Green Paradise project in Can Gio, Mike Gorman, Senior Project Architect at RTJ II Golf Course Architects, remarked: “This is going to be completely unique to Vietnam. It will become something people from around the world travel to experience,a true ‘must-play’ destination.”
Its large-scale, experience-driven ecosystem includes: VinWonders Can Gio, envisioned as one of the region’s leading entertainment complexes; two international-standard 18-hole golf courses; a network of 5–6 star hotels and boutique properties totaling nearly 7,000 rooms; the 7-hectare Song Xanh Theater; a five-star Vinmec hospital in collaboration with Cleveland Clinic (USA); and Vin New Horizon, a senior living urban model. This diversified offering enables year-round operations, catering to a wide spectrum of visitor demographics and preferences.
Vinhomes Green Paradise has been conceptualized to align with evolving tourism trends, urban utility integration, and experiential demand, while leveraging Can Gio’s ecological assets to create distinctive, place-based experiences for both visitors and residents. Among hundreds of global participant, Vinhomes Green Paradise has been selected as the first official participant in the “7 Wonders of Future Cities” campaign organized by New7Wonders. Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of New7Wonders and President of the campaign, described the project as a compelling model for the concept of a future city, where progress is measured by quality of living across generations.
From an investment perspective, the formation of this “southern economic and tourism super-map” signals not only expanded headroom for the tourism sector, but also the influx of capital and the prospect of sustained real estate value appreciation.
For context, Singapore welcomed approximately 16.5 million international visitors in 2025, generating around SGD 29 billion (equivalent to USD 22.6 billion) in tourism revenue. Against this benchmark, Can Gio’s target of 40 million annual visitors serves as a foundation for long-term asset value growth, as the area evolves into a leading coastal economic and tourism urban center in Vietnam and the wider region.
Hashtag: #Vinhomes
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Agreement with the Singapore digital media platform reinforces Media OutReach Newswire’s role as the leading global newswire for Asia Pacific
HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 19 March 2026 – Media OutReach Newswire, Asia Pacific’s first and only global newswire, has entered into a strategic content partnership with AsiaOne, one of Singapore’s most prominent digital media platforms.
This partnership means that Media OutReach Newswire will be the first newswire to provide guaranteed online news posting on the AsiaOne website. The collaboration further solidifies Media OutReach Newswire’s status as the only global newswire offering guaranteed online news posting on two leading digital media platforms, AsiaOne and CNA, for all Singapore press release distributions.
The partnership follows recent high-profile collaborations with the Asia News Network (ANN), the consortium of leading Asia Pacific news media, and CNA – marking a period of rapid strategic growth. Once again, a leading media outlet has chosen to launch their partnership with Media OutReach before any other newswire, which demonstrates the deep trust it has earned within the global media ecosystem.
With this addition, Media OutReach Newswire’s Singapore distribution now guarantees online news posting on trusted news platforms AsiaOne, CNA, MoneyFM89.3 and Vulcan Post, as well as influential lifestyle media like Alvinology, Asia Journeys and SuperAdrianMe. This is alongside Asia News Network (ANN), a grouping of 20 leading news sites across Asia Pacific.
Ms Jennifer Kok, Founder and CEO of Media OutReach Newswire, said: “We are pleased to announce this partnership with AsiaOne, a digital news pioneer that has been a trusted voice in Singapore for 30 years. As the first global newswire they have chosen to partner with, this collaboration reflects the high level of credibility we have built. Together with our existing partnerships with CNA and ANN, this reaffirms Media OutReach Newswire’s role as the definitive global newswire for Singapore, Southeast Asia, and the wider Asia Pacific region.”
Media OutReach Newswire remains the only global newswire that guarantees online news posting exclusively on trusted, authentic media sites. This guaranteed presence on authoritative news sites like AsiaOne, with its high domain trust and over 5.5 million* monthly visits, provides brands with a significant boost in AI discoverability in SEO and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO). This ensures that client news is not only seen by human readers but is also accurately surfaced and cited by AI-generated answers from leading Large Language Models (LLMs).
As the leading global newswire for Asia Pacific, Media OutReach Newswire is trusted by Asian corporations, SMEs, and government agencies to distribute their news globally. In addition to offering the most extensive distribution network and guaranteed news visibility, the newswire owns a proprietary international journalist database. This provides a robust global news reach spanning the Asia Pacific, USA, Canada, UK, and Europe, as well as Latin America, the Middle East, and Africa.
Its total communications solutions empower strategic communicators and PR professionals to demonstrate tangible success through targeted news distribution and direct journalist access, as well as ready-to-use reporting and campaign intelligence with ROI designed for C-suite presentations.
*Source: Similarweb
Hashtag: #MediaOutReachNewswire
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as petrol prices rises amid fears of rapidly jumping prices and potential shortages.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis have been addressing the latest on the fuel crisis, warning that NZ is now preparing for a possible ‘prolonged’ Iran conflict.
“Hope is not a plan,” Luxon said.
It comes in the wake of a global rise in oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran’s response has included the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transportation channel for Middle Eastern energy exports.
Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as petrol prices rises amid fears of rapidly jumping prices and potential shortages.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis have been addressing the latest on the fuel crisis, warning that NZ is now preparing for a possible ‘prolonged’ Iran conflict.
“Hope is not a plan,” Luxon said.
It comes in the wake of a global rise in oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran’s response has included the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transportation channel for Middle Eastern energy exports.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis face questions on the fuel crisis.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
There have been reports of service stations running out of fuel as motorists rush to fill up.
New Zealand has several weeks’ supply in storage or on the way, the government has said.
Luxon and Willis will be speaking to the media at Parliament from 1.30pm. Watch it live at the top of this page. RNZ will also be blogging the developments as they happen.
Kate Taylor is back for the Football Ferns.Shane Wenzlick / Phototek.nz
The Football Ferns squad has been named for the Oceania Qualifiers finals in Aotearoa next month, where the side will aim to book a ticket to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in Brazil.
The squad sees Ferns’ regulars Ally Green, Jacqui Hand, Gabi Rennie, and Kate Taylor, added to the group, who won all three Oceania Qualifiers games in the Solomon Islands earlier this month without conceding a goal.
The Football Ferns will first face Fiji in the semi-finals on Sunday, 12 April at FMG Stadium Waikato in Hamilton.
The winner of that game will then take on the winner of Papua New Guinea v American Samoa on Wednesday, 15 April at North Harbour Stadium in Auckland, with the victorious side securing qualification to the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027.
Football Ferns head coach Michael Mayne said because the games come so quickly after the group stage, the decision was made to retain the vast majority of that squad.
“So we have real consistency and can hit the ground running once the players are back home,” Mayne said.
“The tournament in the Solomon Islands was a great start to the year, and while the scores reflected the difference in quality we have over those OFC nations, what was pleasing was the way in which we stayed connected to what we wanted to get from the fixtures in the way we played and approached those matches very professionally as a group.”
“The reality is, we have not played in New Zealand in over a year, so being back in Aotearoa is a real privilege and the prospect of qualifying for the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2027 in front of our home fans and families is very special and not something we get to do very often.”
Full squad
Liz Anton
Hannah Blake
Kelli Brown
Claudia Bunge
Milly Clegg
Victoria Esson
Michaela Foster
Ally Green
Maya Hahn
Jacqui Hand
Deven Jackson
Grace Jale
Katie Kitching
Charlotte Lancaster
Meikayla Moore
Emma Pijnenburg
Gabi Rennie
Indiah-Paige Riley
Alina Santos
Rebekah Stott
Kate Taylor
Pia Vlok
Grace Wisnewski
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A scathing Auditor General report said former council chief executive Paul Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable and misleading.RNZ / Te Aniwa Hurihanganui
The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable and misleading, after costs blew out by more than $250,000.
A spokesperson for the office said it was assessing the report to determine whether there are sufficient grounds to open an enquiry or criminal investigation into the issues raised.
“At this stage, no further information can be given, including whether the SFO will open an enquiry or investigation.”
The council has referred concerns raised in a scathing Auditor General’s report to the Serious Fraud Office.
In a post on its Facebook page this week, the council said it had formally received the report and had unanimously resolved to refer it to the appropriate authority for consideration.
“We are committed to responding responsibly, transparently, and in the best interests of our community,” Mayor Greg Horler said.
The Auditor General’s report, released last week, said former council chief executive Paul Eagle’s actions over a project to upgrade his own accommodation were unacceptable, after costs blew out by $250,000.
Eagle’s handling of documents was misleading and showed exceptionally poor judgement, the report said.
The original budget was set at $200,000 and blew out to $460,001.65. Another $37,739.19 was also spent on rent to house Eagle and his family as the work went ahead.
“We saw little sign of any consideration of containing costs during the project. We also consider that the chief executive made spending choices that were not moderate and conservative,” the report said.
“Purchasing expensive appliances for the kitchen and carrying out extensive electrical work that suppliers working on the project widely considered to be excessive were particularly questionable.”
The report also uncovered “serious integrity questions” for the council to contend with, including its policies relating to procurement, conflicts of interest, staff expenses and fiscal reporting.
It said Eagle had sole oversight over the project, and because the cost of the upgrade could be perceived as benefiting Eagle, his family should have instigated approval by the council, mayor or deputy mayor, in line with council policy.
The report was tabled in Parliament last Thursday.
“We have not reached a view on the legality of the chief executive’s actions. In this case, we consider it sufficient to draw the council, Parliament, and the public’s attention to the matter.”
In a letter included in the report findings, Eagle, who resigned last month, apologised and said his actions did not meet the standards expected of himself and his role.
“I started as chief executive of the council in late 2023, three months earlier than planned and, because of the illness of the outgoing chief executive, did not receive a formal, structured induction process covering the policies, processes, systems and documentation expected of the role.
“I wholeheartedly accept now that I should have sought clarity and support for this process.”
Interim council chief executive Bob Penter declined to be interviewed.
Paul Eagle has been contacted for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Petrol stations across the country are seeing a surge of drivers filling up as petrol prices rises amid fears of rapidly jumping prices and potential shortages.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis are set to talk about the latest on the fuel crisis.
It comes in the wake of a global rise in oil prices following the US-Israel war on Iran. Iran’s response has included the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transportation channel for Middle Eastern energy exports.
There have been reports of service stations running out of fuel as motorists rush to fill up.
New Zealand has several weeks’ supply in storage or on the way, the government has said.
Luxon and Willis will be speaking to the media at Parliament from 1.30pm. Watch it live at the top of this page. RNZ will also be blogging the developments as they happen.
Billy Proctor celebrates scoring a try with team mates.MARK EVANS
The Hurricanes top the Super Rugby standings, but the real tests of their title credentials are yet to come.
They face the Highlanders in Dunedin on Friday night in their first New Zealand derby of the season, before games against the Reds, Blues, Chiefs, Brumbies and Crusaders.
All Blacks centre Billy Proctor returns to the Hurricanes lineup after missing last week’s win over the Force in Napier, and he faces a monumental challenge in trying to contain Highlanders midfielder Timoci Tavatavanawai, nicknamed ‘Jim the Difference’.
“It seems like a lot of teams have been struggling with Big Jim,” Proctor said.
“I guess our ability to shut down the space and not give him too much time on the ball and eliminate his threat at the breakdown is going to be big this week and will go a long way for us trying to get the win.”
This time last year the Hurricanes were languishing near the bottom of the ladder. All Blacks halfback Cam Roigard said they are pleased with how they’ve started in 2026, with three wins from four games.
“Yeah it’s been good, we’ve done a bit of reflecting and I think this time last year were dead last, so it’s quite the contrast.
“It’s been a unique start with the bye round one and we haven’t played a New Zealand team yet. We know that it’s going to be a massive challenge this week.”
Hurricanes half back Cam Roigard kicks ahead during the Super Rugby Pacific game against the Western Force.Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
So far the Hurricanes have played Moana Pasifika, the Fijian Drua, the Waratahs and the Force.
Roigard knows they’ll have to lift their performances if they want to keep winning, and he’s wary of a Highlanders side coming off a loss to the Crusaders.
“It’s our first New Zealand derby, whereas the Highlanders have had three or four already. So they’re going to be battle-hardened and they’re going to be ready for this game.
“It was [an] unfortunate result for them, losing to the Crusaders. But they’re back at home and there’ll be plenty of passion and they’ll be wanting to get one back over a New Zealand team.”
The Highlanders are seventh in the standings with just two wins from five games. However, they’ve played the Chiefs and Crusaders (twice) already this season and Proctor believes the hosts will be tough to beat in Dunedin on Friday night.
“They have a dangerous back three – there’s a lot of X-factor there. We touched on Big Jim before, someone that probably leads the comp in defenders beaten and he’s up there in the Jackal [winning turnovers] list too.
“There’s a few threats right there as well as their big ball-carrying forwards to go along with it. So plenty to handle out there, but we’re excited and looking forward to it.”
Billy Proctor of the Hurricanes celebrates scoring a try.MARK EVANS
Proctor himself has been in strong form, scoring five tries in the three games he has played to be third-equal with Blues wing Caleb Clarke on the list of the season’s top tryscorers.
The Brumbies’ Charlie Cale leads the way with seven tries, while Max Jorgensen of the Waratahs has six.
“It’s guys like Cam making all the breaks and me being on the end of it,” Proctor said. “I’ve been benefiting from a lot of good play from everyone, so I’ve been enjoying it.”
Roigard will play inside Ruben Love for the first time this season, with the latter named to start at first-five against the Highlanders after returning from injury via the bench in last week’s victory over the Force.
“I think my first start for the Hurricanes was with him at 10 back in 2021. So it would be cool to wind the clock back,” Roigard said.
“I think he’ll bring a lot of control. He’s got a real dominant voice and I think that control in the right areas of the field is an element I’m looking forward to having and obviously his X-factor, the ability to break the game open and as it goes on, hopefully he’ll be able to pick on some tired bodies.”
A multi-agency Search and Rescue training exercise is scheduled this weekend, police said, in the Tekapo region.
Lake Tekapo will host Operation Oasis between Friday and Sunday, “a complex, multi-phase scenario designed to test search techniques, field skills, and fatigue management in realistic conditions”.
It will involve more than 200 specialists from across Canterbury, including members of Police, Coastguard, Surf Life Saving New Zealand, Land Search and Rescue, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications, Alpine Rescue Canterbury, Hato Hone St John, and the Defence Force.
“Members of the public will see increased activity in the area, with use of helicopters, boats, and Search and Rescue personnel and equipment,” police said.
“This is a planned, routine training exercise and the public should not be alarmed.”
The Ministry of Transport currently factors elements such as road closures, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost into the total cost of a road fatality.RNZ
A transport consultancy firm says analysis of traffic data reveals the total cost of a crash is up to 70 percent higher that previously calculated.
The Ministry of Transport currently calculates the social cost of a road fatality at more than $15 million, which includes elements such as the road closure, emergency service response, and the social costs for the life lost.
But Abley Principal Transportation Planner Chris Blackmore told Nine to Noon data analysis shows that the impact of a crash on the overall road network is not factored into that calculation.
“There’s a lot of big immediate costs that we see when you look at the impacts of road trauma – be that FENZ, hospital admission, recovery costs.
“We do occasionally take into account any easily visible impacts of closing a road … but at the moment that’s only really included at a high level, and it ignores a lot of the secondary and following impacts.”
Councils and the Transport Agency had traditionally relied on physical equipment such as pneumatic road tubes to measure traffic data.
“That’s really what has prevented, up until now, having a more holistic view of the impacts of what we call network disruption.”
But a system called TomTom Area Speed enabled the analysis of more information, and more sophisticated data about the wider impacts crashes had, Blackmore said.
TomTom takes information from sources such as Apple, data from the cars themselves, and other apps motorists might be using to show exactly how widespread the congestion is, for how long, and what activities might be affected.
Blackmore provided the example of a crash between a bus and a car on Auckland’s Tamaki Drive, which closed the significant connection between the eastern bays and the city centre for more than 24 hours.
“What we could see with TomTom was that as that link closed, people had to find their way around.
“Say five O’clock, six O’clock in the morning, that’s all right … but what happens when you get into the peak hour … we see all of the other connections from the eastern bays massively overloaded.
The TomTom data showed exactly how people reacted to road closures, he said.
“Some people do u-turns, some people turn of earlier and try and get through some back roads, some people try to tough it out in the queue.”
When the data was added up, it revealed the overall impact the crash had on travel times, and the total disruption to the road network.
Crashes on rural roads also could carry a heavy unseen cost, Blackmore said, using the example of a crash on State Highway 6 near Kington in Otago.
“What we saw there was that travel time increases weren’t as significant because there’s not a heap of congestion. People could figure out that there’s a crash before they started driving down State Highway 6 and make their choices.
“But we did see hundreds of thousands of extra kilometres that people had to travel, and that has impacts on people’s lives and their routines as well.”
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Privacy Commissioner Michael Webster spoke on Tuesday 17 March at Takina in Wellington
It’s great to be here today to:
share some observations, from my perspective as Privacy Commissioner, about the place of cyber security in the minds of decision-makers, organisations, and the everyday person in the street, and
talk about the linkages between privacy, stewardship of personal information, and cyber security.
But, before I get into that – a pop quiz …
Who said, less than a month ago, “It’s a reason why I have been advocating very strongly that we need to strengthen our cyber security laws here in NZ and also make sure that we are not laid back … I think in 2026 sometimes our New Zealand business environment has been way too laid back, and not taking the risks and the threats seriously enough.”
Yes, that was Prime Minister Chris Luxon.
And who said, again less than a month ago, “digital threats are growing and New Zealand must strengthen its defences … Every New Zealander who provides data to a government agency, or to a company contracted by one, is entitled to the same standard of care. When that data is breached, it is a violation of trust … We could improve incentives for entities holding New Zealanders’ data. We could increase penalties for hackers and scammers. We should also question whether it is even reasonable to demand New Zealanders provide sensitive information or digital identification for everyday activities.”
Yes, that was Deputy Prime Minister, David Seymour.
Now, like a lot of organisations, at my work we subscribe to a media alerts service, for media and other stories about privacy and related matters – including cyber. I arrived at work a week ago, the morning email from the service had just popped into my in-box … no privacy breach stories this time … but every story was a cyber one … every story!
It seems that the public policy and media spotlights have swung their beams of light on to you.
You have to wonder, given this sort of political, public, and media interest, if we are on the cusp of cyber security leaving the wings, and coming to centre stage.
The question is, are we ready – and if we are, what are we going to do next?
Surveys and attitudes to cyber security
It’s always instructive to take ourselves out of our busy day to day context, and see how other organisations, and even other countries, are seeing cyber-security, and cyber threats.
Each year the Institute of Directors conducts a Directors’ Sentiment Survey and publishes the results with some commentary.
In the 2025 report, the IoD noted, and I quote, that:
“Technology epitomises this shift from curiosity to commitment. Six in ten boards are now working with management on how AI and automation can lift productivity – the second-highest result since records began. Digital oversight has re-entered the mainstream, no longer the preserve of tech committees or early adopters. But the enthusiasm is tempered by uneven assurance: cyber vigilance has plateaued, with the proportion of boards discussing risk or receiving breach reporting barely moving in three years. In effect, boards are accelerating innovation without upgrading the brakes.”
While 57.2% of directors said their board discusses cyber risks, this figure has softened slightly from 2024, which was 62.2%.
Likewise, 55.2% of boards report receiving comprehensive data breach or cyber-risk reporting, largely unchanged for three years after a sharp rise in 2023.
Privacy and data protection show similar stagnation; 57.2% of directors said their board regularly reviews privacy risks, a figure largely unchanged from 2024.
Internet NZ’s recent survey results show New Zealanders continue to have concerns in the data space.
65% of those surveyed were extremely concerned or very concerned about the security of personal data.
Kordia have just released their 2026 NZ Business Cyber Security Report.
Some key take outs from that:
44% of large businesses were subjected to a cyber attack or incident in the past 12 months
17% of cyber incidents resulted in personal information being accessed or stolen
61% of businesses impacted by a cyber incident suffered a serious business disruption
30% of businesses surveyed said they lacked confidence that they could recover from a major cyber-attack.
25% said they had no cyber security awareness or training programme for their employees, and
Around half had not practiced their incident response plans.
That’s not a brilliant picture.
Hence, the International Telecommunication Union’s global cybersecurity index last year ranked New Zealand in the third of five tiers, as an ‘establishing’ nation along side the likes of Kiribati and Myanmar.
The heightened cyber security risk environment has seen countries like Australia and Singapore among others, implement new cyber security legislation.
New regulatory frameworks are also increasingly being backed up with tools and manuals to support businesses to aim for and stay on the right side of the regulatory line.
And that is something the New Zealand Office of the Privacy Commissioner is also focused on.
Privacy and cyber security
It’s clear that there are many linkages between privacy and cyber security – and I want to begin by acknowledging that while my focus is on the stewardship of personal information, those working in cyber security are concerned about keeping all information – personal, financial, commercial, legal, marketing, the list goes on – safe and secure from harm.
Some of you here today will of course be working in or managing the IT/IS/cyber teams in organisations, ensuring systems are hardened against cyber-attack, and that your work colleagues engage in cyber smart practices.
Some of you will be advisors, providing organisations with advice on the latest developments in cyber threats and defences.
Some of you will be involved in research and development, seeking to get ahead of the cyber criminals and threat actors in the never-ending cyber war we all seem to be engaged in these days.
And some – like my Office – are focused on the risks to personal information.
My focus is making privacy a core focus for your agencies – in order to protect New Zealanders from harm, to enable organisations to achieve their own objectives, and to safeguard our free and democratic society.
And when things go wrong – when there’s a serious privacy breach which might see personal information exfiltrated, or deliberately corrupted – we ask questions about what happened and why, and – if it’s needed – we can hold agencies to account.
Security of information and IT infrastructure is a critical component of a robust privacy programme.
Both security and privacy staff must work together to identify external and internal risks, and to ensure that security is prioritised and resourced accordingly.
The Privacy Act 2020 is built around 13 privacy principles that govern how agencies (organisations and businesses) can collect, store, use and share personal information.
The Privacy Act makes sure that:
you know when your information is being collected
your information is used and shared appropriately
your information is kept safe and secure
you can get access to your information.
As many of you will know, Principle 5 is concerned with storage and security of information.
It states that organisations must ensure there are safeguards in place, that are reasonable in the circumstances, to prevent loss, misuse or disclosure of personal information.
There are a number of different aspects to consider, including physical security, electronic security, operational security, security during transmission and during destruction.
What steps are appropriate will depend entirely on the circumstances, including:
How sensitive is the personal information involved?
What are you using the personal information for?
What security measures are available, and how will using these measures impact on your agency’s functions?
What might the consequences be for the individual if the information is not kept secure?
I thought you might be interested to get a sense of the state of play with privacy breaches in New Zealand.
So, this morning, I have the latest breaking stats and news for you.
In the most recent quarter, 61% of serious privacy breaches were due to intentional or malicious activity, and 36% were due to human error … the days of most breaches being due to an email whoopsie seem to be long gone.
For the reporting year to date, 21% were unauthorised access breaches (including ransomware), and 28% were unauthorised sharing or employee browsing.
Employee browsing
Can I take the opportunity to touch on an increasingly serious privacy risk: that is, employee browsing.
The greatest threat to your workplace information security could be sitting in the office next to you at work.
Employee browsing or the unauthorised access and misuse of personal information is becoming one of the most common privacy breaches.
NZ is a small place, and there’s a good chance a familiar name will crop up in a database or on a file at work, and it can prove very tempting for some to have a look.
In some circumstances employees look up information and then pass it on for the explicit purpose of causing harm of some sort.
If your business or organisation holds sensitive personal information that your customers or clients would really, really not want to be revealed to someone else, like a violent former partner, or revealed to the public if someone happens to be a bit of a celebrity – then your organisation’s employees will, one day, come under pressure from others to access and hand over that information.
Attempts will be made to coerce, bribe, blackmail or threaten employees to access and misuse the personal information the organisation holds.
So, my question for you is, has your organisation invested in the systems, regular database audit checks, employee induction processes, and so on, to deter and, if it happens, identify unauthorised access and misuse of personal information?
Of course, my Office doesn’t always want to occupy the space of the privacy “ambulance at the bottom of the cliff”; increasingly, our focus is on working with people like you to “build the fence at the top”.
As I think I mentioned at last year’s conference, Poupou Matatapu is guidance on our website to help New Zealand agencies do privacy well – you can find it at privacy.org.nz.
It sets our expectations about what good privacy practice looks like and then helps organisations toward achieving that.
One of the components of this guidance focuses on security and internal access controls.
The obligation to keep information safe and secure applies to information that is held by the organisation (for example, in on-premises servers) and information that is held on the organisation’s behalf by a service provider (for example, a cloud-based data storage provider).
Remember, organisations are liable under the Privacy Act for the personal information stored and processed on their behalf.
The most effective strategy is having a well-thought-out security plan for all personal information you hold.
At a high level, this component of Poupou Matatapu describes key security controls across three areas – physical, technical, and organisational.
These controls are not exhaustive and are continually evolving.
Organisations need to ensure that they update their knowledge on security risks, including seeking advice from external experts where necessary, and implement all reasonable security safeguards in a timely way.
I don’t need to tell this audience that there’s a world of cyber security guidance and standards out there.
Providing security and IT advice is not a core function of my Office, so, in our guidance, we have provided links to advice and resources from other authoritative sources, such as NCSC, and others.
But, of course, like you, I have seen commentary around how to assess whether an organisation had reasonable security safeguards in place at the time of a security or privacy incident.
Reasonable security safeguards are those that are proportionate to an organisation’s role, scale, and risk exposure.
They reflect recognised national expectations at the time the safeguards were implemented and operating prior to the breach.
This approach does not require best-in-class or exhaustive controls, instead focusing on intent, decision-making, and proportionality.
It anchors reasonableness in nationally recognised frameworks, uses well-understood national standards like the NCSC Minimum Cyber Security Standards as a defensible baseline, and applies sectoral-specific standards – such as those applying to the health sector – as contextual overlays.
This approach provides a clear basis for determining whether reasonable security safeguards were in place at a given point in time.
The other day I was reminded of a comment from Misti Landtroop, the NZ country manager for cybersecurity company Palo Alto Networks.
She said that many cyber breaches were preventable, with things like security culture, level of knowledge, and willingness to invest, all factors that left organisations vulnerable to cyber-attack. Organisations also make mistakes because they either don’t understand the value of privacy, or don’t care.
Sometimes privacy is as easy as just ensuring your IT systems are up to scratch and making sure you’ve thought about access, have got the permissions set correctly, and have tested them.
For example, a while back the UK Information Commissioner issued a 4.4million pound fine to a company which, in the Commissioner’s view, failed to follow up on the original alert about some suspicious activity, used outdated software systems and protocols, and had a lack of adequate staff training and insufficient risk assessments – all of which ultimately left them vulnerable to a cyber-attack.
The Commissioner commented at the time: “The biggest cyber risk businesses face is not from hackers outside of their company, but from complacency within their company. If your business doesn’t regularly monitor for suspicious activity in its systems, and fails to act on warnings, or doesn’t update software, and fails to provide training to staff, you can expect a similar fine from my Office.”
From my perspective, and reflecting on all this commentary, since taking up my role I have made it clear that agencies need to keep front of mind that, in the case of a cyber security incident resulting in a data privacy breach, one of the first questions I will ask is “has the agency undertaken all reasonable security safeguards” to protect the personal information under their care.
Health sector
Turning to the cyber elephant in the room, recent events in NZ would suggest that one sector which is well and truly facing some cyber security challenges, is the health sector.
Just a reminder: on 22 February, MediMap — a private portal used by aged-care homes, hospices, disability services and community health providers to coordinate prescriptions and record medication histories — was taken offline after it was discovered that some patient records had been tampered with by an unauthorized actor.
MediMap’s early investigations identified changes to fields including names, birthdates, assigned prescriber, and location of care and resident status, with some living patients incorrectly marked as “deceased.”
This event was unsettling not only because of the direct impact on individuals and clinical operations, but also because it followed another high-profile breach —the Manage My Health breach in late 2025, which involved the exfiltration of hundreds of thousands of medical documents.
One of New Zealand’s leading privacy commentators, Daimhin Warner, commented at the time:
“Taken together, these events suggest a broader pattern of cyber risk in health tech that goes beyond isolated vendor errors.”
“Several key themes are starting to emerge. First is the need for clarity of expectations. What baseline technical and organizational safeguards should be required for systems handling highly sensitive health information? Mandatory controls — for example, multifactor authentication, encryption at rest and in transit, regular independent security audits and incident response obligations — could help raise the floor of protection.”
“Second is making sure the health sector understands who is really accountable for ensuring these baseline safeguards are in place. It is alarmingly clear from these recent breaches that many organizations in the health sector do not fully understand their accountabilities and responsibilities.”
Daimhin Warner notes that the recent publication of the National Cyber Security Strategy has occurred at a time when some of the government agencies tasked with cyber security are making it clear that New Zealand has a long way to go before we can say our standards and approach meet international good practice.
And by the same token, then, we have a long way to go before we can assure New Zealanders, whoever they are … customers, clients, citizens … that their privacy is being protected and respected.
GCSB Director-General Andrew Clark said recently that “unfortunately, there are … pockets, including in our critical infrastructure, where cybersecurity is barely meeting that foundational level that we would expect.”
AI
And of course, AI is only making the challenge facing the cyber security industry even harder.
Reports show increasingly that AI agents are supercharging cyber-attacks by industrialising the scale of them.
In the Internet NZ survey I referred to earlier, 59% of those surveyed were very or extremely concerned about the use of AI to violate privacy.
And the Kordia survey found that a quarter of medium to large businesses now rank staff misuse of AI among their biggest cyber challenges, and that attacks involving AI-related vulnerabilities have more than doubled year on year.
Director-General Clark also noted that while smaller organisations might not meet the critical infrastructure description, many still hold a lot of sensitive personal information that needs protection.
So, no matter the sector, and no matter the size, there are questions we all need to be asking, and expectations that need to be met, in today’s increasingly super-charged threat environment:
From where I sit, those expectations include:
Security controls are specific to the type and sensitivity of information held across the organisation, rather than a ‘one size fits all’ approach. Regular auditing of systems is undertaken to ensure appropriate access.
An organisation follows industry guidelines and security standards relevant to its business context.
There is a remediation plan for managing and/or replacing legacy systems (where necessary).
Identified risks are proactively managed – for example, by incorporating them into the organisation’s risk and assurance reporting processes to ensure visibility, and Organisational controls – policies, procedures, and decisions – are regularly reviewed and fit for purpose.
Conclusion
People of cyber … at this time in New Zealand’s history you face your greatest challenge, and your greatest opportunity.
Originair has serviced Westport with an 18-seater Jetstream aircraft.Supplied
Buller’s mayor says it’s “devastating” Westport could lose its only air direct service.
Originair said the Wellington to Westport route is not commercially viable, asking central government to step in.
Buller District Council Mayor Chris Russell told Morning Report the service was a “lifeline connection” for isolated communities.
“The reality is that the route is just not economical which is quite devastating for us here in the Buller District.”
He said air travel could be the only way to evacuate if roads were cut off after a major earthquake or flooding.
“Losing the link, puts Buller and Northern Buller at risk of losing that connection in the event that something goes wrong, and we’ve got a business opportunities here too, particularly in Reefton, also mining in the Buller area too.”
Russell said it was a critical route, and in a major event coastal shipping is too slow, and an airport is vital.
“We’ll have to talk to government about that too, because keeping an airport open is not cheap either, and we are a small ratepayer base – so if we are not getting revenue to come in to help cover that, we have to ask the question of whether we go with it.”
Russell said the former mayor and staff had worked hard to bring Originair in after Sounds Air pulled out in 2024. He said he would be meeting with ministers late next week to discuss whether government support was possible.
Westport Airport.Nomad Audio and Video
Associate Transport Minister James Meager said in a statement that concessionary loans for regional airlines were available, but Originair had withdrawn its expression of interest for those loans.
He said the airline had expressed an interest in an alternate form of operational funding, which would require Cabinet to reconsider funding decisions.
Originair managing director Robert Inglis told Morning Report the route wasn’t economically viable, and concessionary loans for managing debt would not help in this case.
“They’re certainly not designed to support loss-making routes, and we’ve made that very clear to associate transport minister Meager, that we see absolutely no point in borrowing money to run a loss-making route.”
Inglis said it had been challenging operating the route with Buller district’s small population, and the company has had to reduce flights and increase fares.
He said the company had tried to operate a safe and reliable route for the past 15 months.
“This provides strategic oversight and co-ordinated leadership to agencies to ensure a quick and effective response to any potential disruptions to petrol, diesel, and jet fuel supplies, as well as other key supply chains.”
Moana return to Albany for the first time in 2026 this weekend.Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Moana Pasifika are finally back on the North Shore, entering round six of Super Rugby Pacific without having played a home game at North Harbour Stadium.
Albany became a fortress for the franchise in 2025, with fans turning out in force to witness historic results.
Among them was a first-ever win over the Blues, inspired by one of the greatest individual performances in Super Rugby history from Ardie Savea.
However, with Moana now languishing at the bottom of the Super Rugby ladder, there are concerns that the early-season momentum has stalled.
Head coach Fa’alogo Tana Umaga expressed frustration with the schedule.
“It’s tough, but that’s out of our hands and we can’t do much about that. Hopefully it’ll change next year.”
Moana Pasifika captain Ardie Savea celebrates his side’s win over the Blues.Brett Phibbs / www.photosport.nz
Albany bore witness to Ardie Savea’s masterclass in 2025.
Under their current licensing agreement, Moana can host only five games in Auckland per season.
Umaga suggested the arrangement was driven by the Blues to avoid oversaturating the Auckland market.
“It is what it is, but we’re here now. We’ve got a few games on the trot at home, so we’ve just got to make sure that we don’t just talk about it. We’re actually living what we talk about, and we’re excited about being home. It really does excite us.”
Despite the delayed return, Umaga remains hopeful fans will turn out for Saturday night’s clash with defending champions, the Crusaders.
“We’re playing at home and that’s important for us, in front of our people and our family. Everyone loves playing at home. We had a home game in Pukekohe and obviously it’s not like it is here (Albany) for us, but it’s just one of those things, and wherever we go, we’ve just got to be good.”
After opening the season with a road win over the Drua, Moana have since suffered four straight defeats, several by heavy margins.
“We’re in search of playing our game and hopefully we can get it.”
Adding to their woes, Moana have lost former All Blacks halfback Augustine Pulu for three weeks after he received a red card for a high shot on Blues halfback Sam Nock in Sunday’s loss at Eden Park.
“I’m happy that he (Nock) was able to get up straight away. It’s disappointing for us because we’ve had a few injuries in our halfbacks, and for Augie as well, because it’s only his second game back after a long layoff, and he’s worked so hard to get back to where he was.”
With their season at a crossroads, a return to Albany may provide the reset Moana Pasifika desperately need.
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A plane slid off the runway in Christchurch.Supplied / JJ Green
A Jetstar plane swerved off the runway after landing at Christchurch because the pilot accidentally put the thrust lever on to full power causing the plane to accelerate, investigators say.
Passengers aboard the Airbus A320 plane travelling from Auckland reported a bumpy and “frightening” landing on 31 May 2024, although no one was injured.
The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC)’s report out on Thursday put it down to an accident but also noted a lack of proper training from Jetstar.
Chief investigator of accidents Louise Cook said during the flight one of the plane’s three hydraulic systems failed and the plane lost the ability to use its nosewheel to steer.
The crew followed standard operating procedures and continued with the flight to land at Christchurch where they planned to use differential braking to steer off the runway onto the rapid exit taxiway.
The landing went well until the crew lost directional control and the plane veered off the taxiway, hit an aerodrome signboard and continued across the grass until stopping back on the main runway, Cook said.
“The crew did a great job of landing the plane, had they stopped and then been towed off there would’ve been no issues,” she said.
“But they were trying to do the right thing and clear the runway so that other planes could use it, and so used the rapid exit way, and as they went to do that that’s when the pilot thought they were putting it into idle but in fact put the thrust lever forward into climb and full power.”
A Jetstar aircraft slid off the runway at Christchurch Airport on arrival.Supplied / JJ Green
Cook said the pilots were likely so focused on making that exit they missed important cues that the position of the thrust levers was not as intended.
“On the face of it, this option appeared safe and achievable to the pilots because Airbus documentation, repeated in Jetstar’s Flight Crew Techniques Manual, provided no guidance on use of differential braking specifically for steering off the runway via a rapid exit,” she said.
A Jetstar spokesperson said the airline had since changed its guidance to flight crews.
“We’ve worked closely with the regulator and Airbus to fully understand what occurred and have strengthened our procedures to help prevent a recurrence and ensure the ongoing safety and resilience of our operations,” Jetstar said.
TAIC said Airbus had accepted the commission’s recommendation to revise aircraft manuals and instructor guidance to mitigate the risk that other pilots might move the thrust levers while on the ground to an unintended position.
Airbus planed to do this in April and May 2026, it said.
“This accident also highlights the importance of maintenance engineers conducting a detailed inspection of new parts for potential damage before installation. In this case, a titanium hydraulic pipe was just 1mm out of shape – slightly oval, not round. It is very likely the deformity occurred when the pipe’s packaging was damaged in transit between Airbus warehouses in 2015,” the commission said.
“The damage was not detected before or after installation and failed after 18 months of service.”
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Christopher Luxon speaks at Tonga’s police headquarters, announcing further support for the Pacific Detector Dog programme.Giles Dexter / RNZ
Analysis: When stuck in a bind, Christopher Luxon can always rely on talking about law and order.
It’s one of the few things National continues to outpoll Labour on in the Ipsos Issues Monitor, and something he took with him to the Pacific.
Luxon has weathered the storm of some bad polls, and the Pacific is always a perfect location to get away from the grind of Wellington and leave the sticky issues to his ministers.
Though this trip almost got derailed before it had even began, he will be returning from Samoa and Tonga satisfied that the New Zealand government is doing its bit to help its Pacific neighbours with transnational crime and the fight against drug trafficking.
But questions over what specific support New Zealand can offer on fuel resilience remain, as does the pain point on visa access.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
Those calling for New Zealand to allow its Pacific family to have the same rights as people from 60 other countries, and be granted visa waivers at the border, would have felt Luxon’s trip was a perfect opportunity for him to announce a liberalising of immigration laws.
Instead, just ahead of the trip, the government announced a trial of cheaper visas, which Luxon pointed to as New Zealand doing its bit.
The gesture was certainly appreciated by Tonga’s prime minister, Lord Fakafanua, but Samoa’s more bellicose prime minister La’aulialemalietoa Leuatea Polataivao Fosi Schmidt will continue to make the call for New Zealand to go further.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon in Samoa.RNZ / Giles Dexter
On the eve of the trip, La’aulialemalietoa caused a minor diplomatic incident, which threatened to overshadow Luxon’s entire time in Samoa.
The ‘did-he-didn’t-he-no-he-didn’t-stop-asking-about-it’ over Luxon’s matai title Tuisinavemaulumoto’otua is likely to be the subject of ongoing discussion in Samoa even as he leaves Apia behind, as will whether New Zealand should be doing more in compensation for the sinking of the HMNZS Manawanui. On that point, Luxon was clear that the compensation was full and final, but is open to further discussions on the wreck’s future.
There is no doubt Luxon was annoyed by the entire matai title episode, though he would never admit it. He was keen to brush the incident off, and instead talk about where he and La’aulialemalietoa were aligned.
NZ Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is greeted by cabinet minister Dr. Taniela Fusimalohi in a rainy Nuku’alofa, Tonga after arriving with his delegation.RNZ / Giles Dexter
Luxon will take home a feeling that he dodged a bullet somewhat, escaping what was on the verge of turning from a minor diplomatic headache into a full-blown squabble.
It did not help that every time New Zealand made it clear he did not ask for his matai, La’aulialemalietoa would dig in deeper, telling an gala dinner audience in front of Luxon (but speaking in
Samoan so Luxon would not immediately hear) that it took phone calls in the wee small hours of Monday morning to smooth things over.
His rapport with Lord Fakafanua was certainly calmer, with Luxon speaking fondly of the time he had lunch with the prime minister nearly two years ago, when he was still the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.
While it is normal for leaders to recall previous meetings, the warmth and specificity of Luxon’s memories of the occasion look like he has found another strong ally in the Pacific, joining the likes of Dalton Tagelagi and Sitiveni Rabuka as leaders he has genuinely enjoyed strong rapport with.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
The fuel crisis is of growing concern in the Pacific, and Luxon and his Pacific counterparts have vowed to share whatever information they get with each other.
Both Tonga and Samoa are focused on having enough energy-in country, with Tonga’s prime minister less concerned about the prospect of Air New Zealand cutting back its Pacific connections than he is on ensuring he manages his people’s expectations. For now, Lord Fakafanua is reassuring Tongans that the fuel supply is fine.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s bilateral with Tongan counterpart Lord Fatafehi Fakafanua in Nuku’alofa.RNZ / Giles Dexter
Both countries see information-sharing as the main thing they can do for each other, for the moment. Luxon sees the question of whether New Zealand would divert some of its fuel to Samoa or Tonga as a hypothetical, but the longer the conflict goes on, the more New Zealand may have to think about the options. It would be a good gesture to a friend and neighbour, but if New Zealanaders start paying significantly more at the pump, it may be politically unpalatable.
Transnational crime, as well, will rely on New Zealand, Samoa, and Tonga scaling up their information-sharing. Agreements between police and customs, more money for detector dogs, and allowing Samoa and Tonga to subscribe Starboard’s maritime intelligence platform were all welcomed by Luxon’s hosts.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
The presence of the police commissioner, chief executive of customs, and the police minister on the trip were all a sign of how seriously New Zealand takes the matter (although Mark Mitchell’s main responsibility appeared to be as morale booster – raising the flag at a school rugby league game as sports minister, and ably attempting to fill time before a long-delayed joint-Cabinet meeting in Apia by talking rugby league and wondering whether the long wait was because the prime ministers had decided to get a head start on the roast pig.)
It will take a lot more to solve the problem, but these are all good starts, and show the Pacific uniting on a response to a Pacific problem. Luxon will be keen to get updates if he does end up attending the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau later this year.
RNZ / Giles Dexter
Luxon leaves Samoa and Tonga with a renewed satisfaction the countries are on top of the drug crisis, but also returns with some rather special gifts.
In addition his matai title, a fue, and model fale and school buildings, Luxon was also presented with a portrait, painted by students from a local Methodist church.
It was slightly less flattering than the one they painted of La’aulialemalietoa, but Luxon laughed it off. Exactly where it will be displayed is still to be determined, with Luxon saying it would go “straight to the pool room.”
Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters is known to distribute some of the many gifts he receives amongst his staff, so perhaps one lucky Dignitary Protection Service staffer will have something to take home with them.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand