Category: DJF

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KiwiSaver balances wobble: Is this time different?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Markets have been volatile this week as they digest the impact of the war in the Middle East. RNZ

Worried KiwiSaver members are asking: is this time different?

Markets have been volatile this week as they digest the impact of the war in the Middle East.

But some investors have been concerned the warnings of economic disruption could mean more pain to come for their KiwiSaver balances.

One woman who wrote to RNZ said she was 64 and worrying about her KiwiSaver balance falling.

“I am out of work due to illness and have no other income or support from the government … I am really counting on this money. I’m worried not much will be left.”

KiwiSaver managers say – as ever – the volatility is the price that investors pay for the returns they get on the other side, and for most people, sticking with their investment strategy is the best plan of action.

ASB chief investment officer Frank Jasper said the bank was fielding some inquiries.

“People obviously seeing headlines, especially [Monday] seeing some pretty dramatic market moves and asking questions around what’s going on.”

Jasper said, while riding it out was usually the best course of action, a downturn in markets could sometimes highlight a personality mismatch for investors.

“We do all of this risk profiling when we go into KiwiSaver and we get asked about our attitude to risk.

“And then we live through these experiences and they are visceral experiences, that really test your genuine attitude towards risk.

ASB chief investment officer Frank Jasper. Supplied / LinkedIn

“I think for some people, it’s a learning opportunity … And they realise ‘when I actually experience it, I realise that it does affect me a bit more than I thought’ … every time there’s a dramatic market move, despite the fact the long-term evidence suggests the world gets through it and we do recover, there’s a scenario you can paint where things get worse.

“Sometimes people will lean heavily on that ‘things will get worse’ scenario. Sometimes they will be right, but most of the time the world returns to normal and things are okay.”

He said, since 2009, the S&P500 had fallen more than 5 percent 32 times and continued to record all-time highs through that period. “It’s just a feature of the market.”

He said it typically took 47 days for the market to recover from a shock.

‘And then within 12 months, about 68 percent of the time, the market is higher than it was 12 months ago.”

He said persistently negative markets would usually come only when a shock become a macroeconomic crisis.

But Jasper said it was a good opportunity for people to think about whether their fund was a match for their emotional ability to cope with risk, not just their investment time horizon.

“It’s very easy to think you are relaxed if there are drawdowns or relaxed if there are shocks in the markets. It’s only living through these experiences you get to actually genuinely test what your attitude to risk is. For some people, they will experience this and go ‘you know what? I don’t sleep well at night and I’m genuinely uncomfortable about this’.

“For those people, it may be very rational to think about a different risk profile over time. But for others they’ll go ‘I’ve got 20 years left, I know these things happen. I’m okay with it’.

“If you think about any other thing in our life, if the big screen TV was on special we’d be really happy about it. Or if you could dine at your favourite restaurant bit cheaper than normal, you’d be really happy about it. The minute shares go on sale, they fall a bit, we get the chance to buy more shares in good companies that we can own for the next 120 years, we kind of get nervous about it. It’s strange behaviour in the financial markets we don’t see in any other parts of our lives.”

ANZ, the country’s biggest KiwiSaver provider, said it had been contacted by a small number of people who wanted to switch to a more conservative fund.

“In April 2025, during another recent period of market volatility, we also noticed an increase in customers contacting us to switch into more conservative funds. However, the numbers were again low – a couple of hundred – and a fraction of what we saw in March 2020.

“We think this is a reflection of how ANZ Investments, alongside other KiwiSaver providers and industry participants, have made conscious efforts to remind KiwiSaver members to stay the course.”

Milford head of KiwiSaver Murray Harris. Supplied / Milford

At Milford, head of KiwiSaver Murray Harris said it had not received many calls or questions but was telling members that markets moved up and down and this was no different.

He said investors who stuck to their goals would do better than those who tried to time the markets and switch funds to avoid a downturn, because they would often turn out to have moved at the wrong time. That could mean locking in losses and missing out on the recovery.

Morningstar NZ spokesperson Greg Bunkall said the impact on funds would depend on the performance of equity markets from now.

“To date, the KiwiSaver balanced and growth indexes Morningstar uses to track KiwiSaver funds are flat, and that doesn’t include the bounce back [Tuesday] morning.”

So what can you do if you’re worried?

You should be in a KiwiSaver fund that matches your risk profile.

If you have a long time until you need your money, you can afford to take some more risk and should get through this disruption – and others – by not paying too much attention to your KiwiSaver balance.

If you need the money soon, you should already be in a conservative fund that hopefully isn’t moving around too much.

If you’ve realised you’ve got your settings wildly wrong, and you need money now, you’ll probably need to move your investments, even if it means locking in losses.

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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/2026/03/11/kiwisaver-balances-wobble-is-this-time-different/

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Christchurch Hospital staffing ‘like moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic’, worker says

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Christchurch Hospital is working on ways to manage an expected influx of patients sick with winter illnesses like Covid-19 and the flu, as the nurses’ union warns the emergency department is already bursting at the seams and understaffed.

The Nurses Organisation said the hospital hit 108 percent capacity on Monday morning, with ED a pinch point.

Union delegate and Christchurch Hospital healthcare assistant Al Dietschin said the ED was seeing more than 400 patients per day, some of whom had to wait in corridors.

“It’s been chronic for some time the busyness. We haven’t seen numbers drop over summer it’s been kind of relentless. That just puts so much pressure on the workforce and obviously affects patient care,” he said.

“It’s horrendous but unfortunately it seems to be the new normal.

“On the ground what it looks like in ED is an overwhelmed department where patients are waiting in corridors. We get a situation when the wards are all so full you can have a bed lock occur.”

Otago University Professor Michael Baker said New Zealand was in its ninth Covid-19 wave, with hospitalisations and deaths climbing.

Otago University Professor Michael Baker. supplied / Otago University Wellington

Wastewater analysis from PHF Science showed the number of cases was at its highest rate for more than six months and the latest Health New Zealand figures showed there had been 50 hospitalisations and 19 deaths with the virus in the past week.

Covid-19 was filling up hospitals, and everyone needed to “act to reduce impact”, Baker said.

Dietschin there were too few staff at Christchurch Hospital for the number of patients and the situation would only get worse over winter.

“It’s quite scary because staff get sick as well and that just increases the short staffing. It just causes sort of a rationing of care which then contributes to the moral injury and burnout of staff,” he said.

He said staff were being regularly redeployed from one area of the hospital to another to meet the shortage.

“It’s kind of a bit like moving the deck chairs around on the Titanic,” he said.

“We’re short of RNs [registered nurses], we’re short of healthcare assistants, we’re short of doctors, we’re short of midwives and Te Whatu Ora and this government don’t seem to be addressing it. We need a massive increase in funding in public healthcare.”

The union had been in bargaining with health authorities over safe staffing levels for 18 months, Dietschin said.

“The increase in presentations within the ED department, that’s partly a result of primary healthcare that’s failing, where people aren’t being caught early so they become more acutely unwell and present in ED,” he said.

Health New Zealand said Christchurch’s ED was busier than usual at the end of the weekend, but put that down to acute trauma demand rather than staffing shortages. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Health New Zealand Canterbury operations group director Hamish Brown said Christchurch’s ED was busier than usual at the end of the weekend.

“Our team saw an average 423 patients over the weekend (394 on Saturday and 451 on Sunday), which is 22 patients more compared with the previous weekend and 35 more compared to the same time last March,” he said.

“This pressure was primarily related to acute trauma demand affecting the emergency department and wards rather than staffing shortages.

“We had, and continue to have, staff to cover to meet demand, and our teams actively managed the situation to minimise any impact on care. At very busy times there may be some waits for a bed space to become available, however patients are only discharged when they are well enough.”

Brown said anyone who needed urgent or emergency care should come to ED without delay or call 111.

“We encourage those with non-urgent concerns to consider other options for access to acute care, including the free Healthline (0800 611 116) to speak to a registered nurse, or local GPs, healthcare providers and community pharmacies,” he said.

Initiatives had been put in place or were being worked on at the hospital to help manage the anticipated high winter demand for illnesses like Covid-19, flu, and other respiratory conditions, Brown said.

Kidney patients in Christchurch were also being warned dialysis treatment may have to be rationed because of staffing shortages and a lack of space at the hospital.

In a letter to patients and seen by RNZ, the hospital’s kidney department said some patients might be asked to change treatment days, times or locations to manage the pressure.

Dr Curtis Walker from the Board of Kidney Health New Zealand told Morning Report it was a difficult situation.

“It’s incredibly disruptive for patients. I’ve got patients on dialysis who are trying to run a business, who are trying to get kids to school, trying to look after elderly parents and the last thing they need is even more uncertainty in what’s already a pretty challenging treatment,” he said.

“Most patients need three dialysis sessions a week and if they don’t they start to feel unwell or even worse they can get fluid build up or potassium build up and that can have fatal consequences.”

Dr Curtis Walker from the Board of Kidney Health New Zealand. RNZ / Karen Brown

Walker says dialysis demand was placing stress across the country and was projected to get worse.

“There are 12 main dialysis units in New Zealand and all of them are under stress and strain,” he said.

“All of them say they can’t dialyse all their patients according to the patient’s preference, all of them report a lack of physical capacity and funding and over half have said we’ve had to reduce hours or delay dialysis when patients start dialysis.”

Brown said Health New Zealand was considering options for addressing the problems at the Christchurch unit.

“In 2024, an existing inpatient room was repurposed to add four further dialysis chairs. Longer term options include building a new unit, or re-purposing an existing larger space as well as exploring chairs in more remote sites such as Ashburton, so dialysis care can be provided closer to home for those patients,” he said.

“Advertising for a senior medical officer and approximately six FTE nurses is already underway to meet the immediate need for extra sessions for dialysis in Canterbury.”

Heath New Zealand acknowledged kidney disease was a growing challenge nationally and said it was working to strengthen renal care, increase capacity and improve early detection.

Over the past year it had increased dialysis shifts in several high-demand regions and invested in new and upgraded dialysis units, including the new $40 million Waikato Renal Centre.

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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/2026/03/11/christchurch-hospital-staffing-like-moving-the-deck-chairs-around-on-the-titanic-worker-says/

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Cyclists frustrated by drivers illegally parking on Auckland’s cycle lanes

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two vehicles parked on the cycle lane on Orly Avenue near Māngere town centre. RNZ / Luka Forman

A South Auckland man who was hit by a car while cycling believes drivers illegally parking on cycle lanes is a safety issue in the area.

He said during busy periods some cycle lanes were clogged up with cars, forcing cyclists onto the road or footpath.

A cycling advocacy group said it was an issue right across Auckland.

Māngere man Selwyn Lilley knows the danger cars pose to cyclists – he was hit by one while coming around a roundabout near Māngere town centre on his bike.

“This car came up from Bader Drive and collected me. So I was lucky… got out of it with just with a couple of cracked ribs and a chipped pelvis. But I spent three weeks on crutches.”

Lilley no longer cycled for fear of being hit again.

There were now several cycleways covering the area around Māngere town centre, but Lilley said drivers parking over the lanes were causing problems for cyclists.

Some days it might be one or two cars, he said, but on busy weekends or when there was an event on nearby, whole streets could be clogged up.

“If you have car after car after car where the road is pretty busy. They don’t take any notification. Then they honk at you and say ‘use the cycle lane that’s what it’s been built for’.

“Most people would turn around and say ‘hey, we’ll use the cycle lane but you cars are in the way’.”

Manukau councillor Alf Filipaina. RNZ / Felix Walton

Manukau councillor Alf Filipaina said part of the problem was that there were not enough carparks for families living in new apartments in the area.

“You’ll see a lot of the cars parking on the verge, because they don’t have sufficient car parks … especially when you’ve got multiple families in there.”

“Hopefully we’ll have an alternative – I know they want to get people out of their cars but when you’ve got the car that’s for all the family members, there’s no option.”

Filipaina wanted a community campaign to encourage people to make use of the cycle lanes in the area.

“Let’s use some of our community people to sort of let them know the benefits. But also realise that sometimes we just can’t get the bikes for the kids for them to use the cycle lanes.”

Co-chair of Bike Auckland Karen Hormann said people parking on bike lanes was a problem right across the city.

“It’s forcing people riding bikes, expecting the protection of a cycleway, to be forced out into the traffic. It’s actually really unsafe.”

Co-chair of Bike Auckland Karen Hormann. Supplied

It was important to keep on top of the issue because getting people onto different modes of transport was the only way to improve congestion in Auckland, she said.

“Auckland is very congested. And drivers are getting frustrated. They’re also parking on footpaths and berms and blocking people’s access. We really need to allow for all of these different mobility modes.”

Auckland Transport (AT) head of transport and parking compliance, Rick Bidgood, said enforcement with consequences was the only real way to deal with the problem. The fine for parking on a cycle lane was $70.

As cycling was relatively new to Auckland compared to European cities, it would take time for people to recognise it as a real form of transport, Bidgood said.

AT head of active modes Tania Loveridge said when the new stretches of cycleway were being built in Mangere, it ran a targeted communications campaign edcuating people about changes to parking.

There had been an average five percent growth per year in cycling across Auckland over the past three years, Loveridge said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/cyclists-frustrated-by-drivers-illegally-parking-on-aucklands-cycle-lanes/

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‘I’ve had some dark moments’: Former Black Cap Luke Woodcock opens up on cancer diagnosis

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Black Cap Luke Woodcock knew something was seriously wrong late last year when he had trouble catching a cricket ball.

The cricketer-turned-coach started experiencing symptoms in October. It started with chronic fatigue, then came the random vomiting and loss of appetite.

By December his balance and co-ordination went awry, his vision became blurry, and he had a couple of bad falls.

And while doing some coaching at a college cricket tournament he had trouble simply throwing and catching a ball.

“You’d think that I had never played cricket before,” Woodcock said.

After another trip to the GP, the 43-year-old was referred to a neurologist. Three MRIs later he received the news on 21 January that he had a large cancerous brain tumour.

Three weeks later, the father of two underwent urgent surgery to try to remove the tumour. The associated risks with the surgery were significant, including the prospect of having to learn to walk again but Woodcock came out of it well.

However, surgeons were only able to get 80 percent of the tumour out.

“The last 20 percent, I think it’s on the right side of my spine where the stem cells are leading back up to the brain, just where it was unfortunately they couldn’t operate on that and that was a risk of potentially being paralysed through the face, my talking, stuff around my throat.”

Luke Woodcock played seven white ball games for the Black Caps between 2010 and 2011 and enjoyed a first-class career for Wellington that spanned 17 years. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Despite feeling well post-surgery and exceeding doctors expectations with his rate of recovery, he was later told that the remaining 20 percent was an aggressive grade four tumour.

“Unfortunately it’s terminal and getting told you’ve got 14 to 18 months to live was a bit of a shock… that was obviously pretty tough,” said Woodcock.

“I’ve had some dark moments post then, I’ve been working through that, really enjoy the day time but night time and sleeping was really difficult post hearing that.”

The next phase for Woodcock will be undergoing radiation and chemotherapy, which will not stop the tumour completely but can keep it at bay.

Woodcock and his partner Jacqui Incledon have been trying to navigate the New Zealand health system and explore all the treatment options available, including non-funded drugs. They are also investigating what treatment options might be available overseas, which are extremely expensive.

Incledon said it has taken a lot of time, energy and research.

“It really started in mid October last year – we had a total of 10 different doctors that we saw up until Christmas and four ED [emergency department] visits before we even got to an MRI, which was frustrating,” Incledon said.

“Having to spend a lot of energy with unknowns as to what could possibly be the cause of Luke’s sickness, we’ve had everything from stomach ulcers, to gall stones, to long-Covid, never did we imagine cancer.

“We’re just putting everything at it, making sure that all our energy can go into prolonging things for Luke.”

Facing a three month wait in the public system, the family elected to go private for Woodcock’s surgery.

Luke Woodcock’s partner, Jacqui Incledon, says navigating the public health system has been challenging. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Day to day life now for Woodcock is about making the most of this period when he is feeling good before his next phase of treatment.

“I get up early, I’ve got some rehab exercises, do a bit of meditation and some breathing that I do.

“Jacqui and I just get out for walks… we find a local cafe and try and do some things with my kids and stuff that I enjoy because for basically three or four months I couldn’t do that, I was stuck at home. I couldn’t play my golf, couldn’t play my tennis or just hang out.”

Next week, Woodcock is looking forward to returning to some part-time work at Wellington College.

Woodcock’s brother Leigh recently set up a Givealittle page to help raise funds for his treatment and ease the everyday financial pressures on the family.

Woodcock, who describes himself as a fairly private person, said the support he had received when news of his illness spread had been overwhelming.

“That influx, the Givealittle page… a lot of people have reached out, people I haven’t spoken to for a while. It’s been incredible, I can’t thank everyone enough and just every little bit, some fund-raising things that are happening, it means a lot.”

From Firebirds stalwart to influential coach

Woodcock played seven white ball games for the Black Caps between 2010 and 2011 and enjoyed a first-class career for Wellington that spanned 17 years.

The Wellington Firebirds record holder retired at the end of the 2018-2019 season before going full time into coaching.

Woody, as he is affectionately known, was part of the Wellington Blaze coaching team for several years until joining the sports department at Wellington College in the middle of last year.

Luke Woodcock and Amelia Kerr celebrate the Wellington Blaze’s Super Smash T20 title win at Eden Park in 2024. Kerr says Woodcock played a big role in her development.. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

Through coaching the Wellington Blaze, Woodcock played a big part in the development of White Ferns players such as current captain Melie Kerr, who was shocked to hear the news.

Kerr, a right-arm leg-spin bowler and top-order batter, said she enjoyed talking tactics with Woodcock, who bowled left-arm spin during his career.

“In the women’s game you’ve seen spin dominate the game, left arm spin dominate the game, so I loved to use and abuse his shoulder and practice facing a lot of left-arm spin in the nets against him,” Kerr said.

Kerr said winning the T20 Super Smash title in her first full year as captain of the Blaze in 2024, was one of her favourite cricket memories.

“It was such a special title to win with that group and captaining it also meant a whole lot more – working closely with the coaches and just trying to help the team as well. There’s a photo that’s been shared of Woody and I with the trophy hugging, and it’s a really special photo to me and you can kind of see from that picture as well how much it meant to him to win that title as well.

“As a coach who I think worked in the men’s game before coming into the women’s game, to offer that passion and see how much he enjoyed seeing the success of others when we won that title, it was a pretty cool moment to have it captured as well.”

White Fern Maddy Green was also coached by Woodcock at the Blaze.

“He was really influential for me, I would often bat with him a lot through the winter and he’d throw me lots of balls and was always really generous with his time – you can just see he lives and breathes cricket.”

Blaze and White Fern veteran Jess Kerr described Woodcock as a bit of a “teddy bear” whose reputation as a hard worker around Cricket Wellington and New Zealand Cricket is “exceptional.”

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

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Court ruling ‘brought justice to Te Tai Tokerau voters’, Te Pāti Māori MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mariameno Kapa-Kingi. Anneke Smith / RNZ

MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi says Justice Radich “brought justice to Te Tai Tokerau voters” when he ruled her expulsion from Te Pāti Māori “unlawful”.

It comes as a political commentator says the party might be looking to distance itself from the drama of last year, and focus on the election ahead.

The formally reinstated MP took to social media on Tuesday night to celebrate the verdict, saying her intention in bringing the case was not to incite division, but “seek clarity and ensure the processes we hold ourselves to – particularly those grounded in tikanga, are honoured”.

“Finally, today, the truth has risen,” Kapa-Kingi said following the release of the verdict on Tuesday afternoon, which ruled her suspension and subsequent expulsion as “unlawful”.

Radich said the tikanga principles that were infused into the kawa document “were not mentioned or applied” in relation to her suspension.

“Perhaps most fundamentally, the relevant tikanga principles – which must inform the way in which a decision-maker considers the kawa’s rules – were not applied in any way,” Radich said.

“This decision on its own will not heal all the mamae, but it is an important first step,” Kapa-Kingi said online.

Kapa-Kingi also mentioned she looked forward to meeting with those from Te Tai Tokerau to discuss their future strategy for the election in coming weeks.

She finished by acknowledging this week belonged to “my darling nephew Peeni Henare”, whose many years of service “deserve recognition and respect”.

Mike Colson KC – Kapa-Kingi’s lawyer – told RNZ it was nice to see an “unjust situation rectified”.

Mike Colson KC. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

He was particularly interested in the judge’s assessment of the party breaching its own tikanga, acknowledging tikanga was a “fairly hot topic” amongst the legal profession at the moment.

“Many judges are slightly nervous dealing with it, or – one might expect very respectful of it.

“Here we had such a clear explanation of what the tikanga was of the party, and I thought it was quite brave and right of the judge to find that kawa and tikanga had been breached.”

He also acknowledged it might be considered “unusual” for a judge to “direct a party to take an action within Parliament”.

But Colson said the situation was so clear, and there was a lack of clarity last time as to whether that extra step was necessary.

“The judge thought it was proper to do so and to direct them to give a notice to the speaker.”

He said it was an unusual set of circumstances, and did not think it would set a major precedent.

The defendants had argued the case was a contractual matter, and should be dealt with privately, but Colson said the judge was quick to point out the “public character of the proceeding”, and that it was not just Kapa-Kingi’s case, but her electorate who voted her in.

“They, of course, also had a role to play and a voice to be heard, and that really pushed into very much the public arena.”

What will happen now?

On Tuesday Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi told reporters he had attempted to make contact with Kapa-Kingi, but it was not clear what the process was for her reinstatement or how the apparent rift would be addressed.

Associate professor in politics at Victoria University, Lara Greaves, told RNZ she had expected this ruling from the case.

She explained Te Pāti Māori’s constitution “wasn’t particularly clear”, and it was “very hard” to figure out if the party had followed the rules in terms of her expulsion.

Greaves thinks the decision to go to court was Kapa-Kingi’s attempt at staying with the party, “to change it from the inside,”, and this was “politics pushing up against the law”.

“Legally, there’s a judgment, here that Kapa-Kingi is still part of the party, but it’s not clear what will happen next.”

Political scientist & Victoria University of Wellington Associate Professor Dr Lara Greaves RNZ

She said the co-leaders had not spoken about the ruling much, and they had expressed a desire to limit any further drama, so “for a lot of us, it’s just going to be a case of waiting and seeing what happens”.

“Being within a political party where you’ve been expelled is probably not a comfortable place,” Greaves said.

She pointed to potential scenarios of further attempts at expulsion or further issues raised, “there’s still a lot of things that could happen here and happen here”.

Greaves said a lot of people, including herself, had made the assessment there was a “bit too much commentary” taking place last year from the party and others involved.

“So, just being a bit quieter might be a good solution there.

“Te Pāti Māori may have listened to a lot of their critics, listened to a lot of their whānau and communities, and thought – we need to keep this out of the media and keep a bit quiet on it going forward.”

Greaves also pointed to the Māori seats, and Labour and the Greens running strong candidates this election, “there are quite a few potential threats to their electoral success, so it’s kind of important that [Te Pāti Māori] sort it out now and figure out what they’re doing in order to get success in the election”.

“Te Pāti Māori may have made a decision in a way to hope that voters think that these issues are behind them and to move forward constructively.”

She said there would be a lot of scrutiny on the dynamics between Kapa-Kingi and the party leadership in the coming months, as well as a focus on MPs Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke and Oriini Kaipara and how they were fitting into the party.

It was possible, she said, that there would be enough time between the “drama” last year to the election this year that people did forgive and forget, “that would actually be a pretty good comeback”.

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Black Caps World Cup octet in, eight more out for South Africa series

Source: Radio New Zealand

South Africa’s captain Aiden Markram (L) and David Miller (R) with New Zealand’s Lockie Ferguson at the T20 World Cup. AFP

After nearly three months in the subcontinent, the Black Caps are finally headed home, albeit without the trophy they wanted, and staring down one last challenge before they part ways.

A five-match T20 series against South Africa, starting on Sunday, will cap off the home summer.

The series comes less than a week after the T20 World Cup final loss against India in India. And two months after their first ever one-day series win in India.

The cricket calendar can be relentless and Black Caps coach Rob Walter had that in mind when the team for the South Africa series, which begins in Mt Maunganui, was selected.

Eight players from the World Cup squad – captain Mitch Santner, Devon Conway, Lockie Ferguson, Kyle Jamieson, Cole McConchie, Jimmy Neesham, Ben Sears and Ish Sodhi – will play at least some part in the series.

“Primarily, we want to find a nice balance now between giving guys off, it was a pretty intense nine weeks to be fair in India and Sri Lanka, and obviously stepping straight into a five-match series in a couple of days’ time,” Walter said.

“So, sort of managing the guys who are going to PSL (Pakistan Super League), going to IPL (Indian Premier League), with guys who didn’t have much game time in the actual World Cup itself and working hard to get that balance right.

“That’s the nature of the beast right now in international cricket and understanding we also have to take care of our players

“Those guys left everything out there from a World Cup point of view.”

Walter said he was in “constant communication” with the playing group to gauge their readiness to continue into another series.

“You still need to be in a mental space to put your best foot forward for your country when you’re competing.

“But we have a fairly decent showing of our World Cup squad in the series, which is great, and there’s a lot of keenness from the players’ point of view to actually play, which is awesome, given that it’s been a pretty hectic little while.”

Ishan Kishan of India celebrates his fifty runs ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Grand Final. www.photosport.nz

Selector Gavin Larsen said they had to be “pragmatic” in selecting the squad.

“We’re lucky to have strong depth across the different skill sets, which has afforded us the opportunity to rest a few players and introduce some others,” Larsen said.

“That provides an excellent opportunity for many to stake their claim for regular inclusion in the T20 team moving forward as we begin a new World Cup cycle.

“It’s been a busy couple of months for those on the road and with the South Africa series ahead, a tour to Bangladesh in April-May during the IPL and PSL windows, alongside a New Zealand A tour to Sri Lanka and followed by winter tours to England and West Indies – keeping our players fit and fresh in the short and the long term is our top priority.”

Those who would be taking a break after the World Cup to manage workloads or family life were: Finn Allen, Mark Chapman, Jacob Duffy, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Tim Seifert and Matt Henry.

Top order batters Katene Clarke and Nick Kelly are in line to make their T20 debuts during the series, as is Central Districts spinner Jayden Lennox.

Clarke’s maiden Black Caps call-up follows a break-out Super Smash season where the 26-year-old topped the competition run-scoring charts with 431 runs, including an unbeaten century, as his Northern Brave side claimed the T20 domestic title.

Katene Clarke of the Northern Brave. Photosport

“Katene is someone we’ve been keeping an eye on for a while now and so it was great to see him shoot the lights out in the Super Smash and force his way into his first Black Caps squad,” Larsen said.

“He’s an explosive player who possesses plenty of power and a variety of shots. He’s shown destructive ability inside the power play, but also crucially the ability to bat deep in an innings too.”

Lennox’s first inclusion in a Black Caps T20 squad follows his successful ODI debut series against India in January where he claimed 3-84 from his 20 overs against the formidable home batting line-up.

Kelly’s been a consistent performer for the Wellington Firebirds across the formats in recent years and earns his maiden T20 call-up off the back of his ODI debut series against Pakistan at home last April.

Josh Clarkson, Zak Foulkes, Bevon Jacobs and Tim Robinson get their chance to impress after being selected for the full five-game series, with Clarkson back in the side for the first time since playing eight T20Is in 2024.

Tom Latham, who was the top run-scorer for the Canterbury Kings in the Super Smash, makes his return to the national T20 set-up as a wicket-keeper-batsman and will also take over the captaincy reigns from Santner for the final two matches.

With Conway departing after three matches, Central Stags gloveman Dane Cleaver will join the squad for the end of the series, having last played for New Zealand in 2023.

South Africa arrived in New Zealand with three players from their World Cup squad that was knocked out of the tournament by the Black Caps.

None of their players with IPL contracts will travel to Aotearoa.

Walter, a former South Africa coach, knows the Proteas team that does come will still provide a challenge.

“The depth in South Africa has always been strong. Obviously, the SA20 competition has developed a lot of younger players in South Africa, so from that point of view, they have a pretty good team,” Walter said.

“Most of them have played international cricket, or have done very well domestically so it’ll be a good challenge.”

Black Caps T20 squad v South Africa

  • Mitchell Santner (c) (matches 1-3)
  • Katene Clarke* (4-5)
  • Josh Clarkson
  • Dane Cleaver (wk) (4-5)
  • Devon Conway (wk) (1-3)
  • Lockie Ferguson (2-3)
  • Zak Foulkes
  • Bevon Jacobs
  • Kyle Jamieson
  • Nick Kelly*
  • Tom Latham (wk) (c – 4-5)
  • Jayden Lennox* (4-5)
  • Cole McConchie
  • Jimmy Neesham
  • Tim Robinson
  • Ben Sears
  • Nathan Smith
  • Ish Sodhi

*Potential T20I debut

Michael Bracewell (calf), Adam Milne (ankle), Will O’Rourke (back) and Blair Tickner (ankle) were not considered for the series due to injury.

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Urgent Waitangi Tribunal inquiry into government’s removal of schools’ Treaty obligations

Source: Radio New Zealand

The tino rangatiratanga haki (flag) outside Parliament on the day of the Treaty Principles Bill introduction. RNZ / Emma Andrews

The Waitangi Tribunal has granted urgency to an inquiry into the government’s decision to scrap school boards’ legal duty to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and reset Te Mātaiaho, the New Zealand Curriculum.

Northland iwi Ngāti Hine and hapū Te Kapotai, alongside the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), filed the claim in November last year, arguing the changes undermined Māori rangatiratanga, partnership and equity in education.

The claimants say the removal of Treaty obligations from school boards risks causing significant and irreversible harm to Māori learners and their whānau.

In the Waitangi Tribunal’s decision, it said the changes had constitutional significance and met the threshold for urgency.

“Any legislative change altering the nature and manner of the Crown’s Treaty obligations has a constitutional significance. That is especially so in a case where Māori have not been consulted.”

While the Tribunal noted the Crown had acknowledged there was no engagement with Māori on the decision to amend the law, it said removing the statutory obligation for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti had “immediate consequences for the status of the Treaty and for tamariki Māori within the education system”.

The Tribunal also rejected the Crown’s argument that other inquiries or future policy reviews could address the issue, saying those pathways would not provide “timely or targeted scrutiny”.

The Treaty of Waitangi. RNZ / Quin Tauetau

The requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti was introduced in 2020 as part of reforms to the Education and Training Act.

The government later removed the provision in 2025, with Education Minister Erica Stanford saying at the time of the anouncement that Treaty obligations sit with the Crown, not schools.

“School boards should have direction and we are giving very clear direction. You need to ensure equitable outcomes for Māori students, you need to be offering te reo Māori and you need to be culturally competent,” she said at the time.

Since the change, more than 1800 kura – around 70 percent of schools across Aotearoa – had publicly reaffirmed they would continue giving effect to Te Tiriti.

The Tribunal acknowledged the number of schools that had pledged to continue honouring Te Tiriti in its decision. However, it said the absence of a statutory framework could make those commitments inconsistent across the edcation system.

NZEI President Ripeka Lessels, the head of the country’s largest education sector union. NZEI supplied

NZEI Te Riu Roa president and claimant Ripeka Lessels welcomed the Tribunal’s decision, saying it sent a strong signal about the seriousness of the issue.

“I’m absolutely elated that they have granted urgency. It isn’t something that is done lightly for the Waitangi Tribunal,” she told RNZ.

Lessels said the decision to grant urgency reflected growing public and sector support for Te Tiriti.

“There was a time in our history where we didn’t have it, we didn’t have to give effect to it at all. And so nobody did. Nobody taught it. Nobody made references to it. Schools certainly didn’t see the importance of it until the Education and Training Act put in section 127. So that’s why it’s really, really important that we challenge what this government has unilaterally decided around moving the Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

She said removing the Treaty obligation signalled where the government’s priorities lay.

“By removing section 127 of the Education and Training Act, they are clearly deprioritising Māori and Te Tiriti o Waitangi, te reo Māori, tikanga and mātauranga Māori from legislation.”

Lessels said the Tribunal inquiry was an opportunity to challenge the government’s decision.

“We have to challenge this removal. We don’t want future generations looking back and thinking this happened and nobody stood up against it.”

Ngāti Hine leader Waihoroi “Wassi” Shortland speaks at Ruapekapeka Pā. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Speaking to RNZ, Ngāti Hine kaumātua and claimant Te Waihoroi Shortland said removing the obligation felt politically motivated.

“When you have it dismissed out of hand, for no other reason than people feel like they are losing something or they’re giving up something to Māori when they recognise the articles of Te Tiriti in any way, shape or form … it plays out to a largely Pākehā constituent that has no time to consider these things,” he said.

“People forget that two nations made this deal (Te Tiriti o Waitangi). One of them was Māori and one of them was the Crown of England … then one nation turns around and swallows the other one up and says, everything we decide is for your good.

“It’s been that way for 186 years. These kind of actions remind us that we haven’t moved very far in all of that time.”

Asked why Ngāti Hine felt it was important to file a claim, Shortland said his people were following the guidance of their tūpuna, Te Ruku Kawiti.

“In his ōhaki to Ngāti Hine – his last legacy statement to Ngāti Hine – he challenged all Ngāti Hine descendants to hold fast to our faith and to protect the commitments of our tūpuna … at any time that the words of the document that they signed up to are challenged, then Ngāti Hine must stand and oppose,” he told RNZ.

“We often can’t rely on the system of government to do that for us. Even with two sides of the Parliament, it doesn’t matter which one is in. It usually is a case that they both begin in their own interests first, and Māori are way, way in the distance second.”

In a statement to RNZ, Education Minister Erica Stanford said she was unable to comment.

“As the matter is currently before the Tribunal it would not be appropriate for me to comment.”

A date was yet to be set for the hearings.

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Strong winds, heavy rain loom as tropical low nears New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rain forecast for 4pm Wednesday. MetService

A weather alert has been issued as a tropical storm nears the north of the country.

A tropical low is expected to lie north of New Zealand on Wednesday afternoon, bringing southeast gales and heavy rain to the north.

MetService has issued a strong wind watch for the Far North District from 1pm to 11pm on Wednesday. There was a moderate chance the watch could be upgraded to a warning.

Civil Defence Northland is advising people to take extra care on the roads and check they are prepared for any potential power outages caused by strong winds

From Thursday, the forecasting agency said the system is expected to move and reach Auckland.

Meanwhile, another front moves onto Fiordland, bringing strong northwesterlies and heavy rain.

MetService said there is low confidence that warning amounts of rain will accumulate in Northland, northern Auckland and Coromandel Peninsula, but moderate confidence that warning amounts of rain will accumulate in Fiordland.

Come Friday, the remnants of the low and the associated front are expected to move across the northern half of the North Island, while the front over Fiordland moves northeast over the remainder of the South Island.

“There is low confidence that warning amounts of rain will accumulate from Northland through to Taupō, also northern Gisborne/Tairawhiti, and from northwest Tasman to Westland, but moderate confidence that warning amounts of rain will accumulate in Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty and Fiordland,” MetService said.

The rain is expected to ease by Saturday morning.

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The world is eating our lunch: How our apples, seafood and avocados make millions

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Five years after Who’s Eating NZ, this series revisits where our food goes – but this time through the lens of Kiwi breakfast, lunch and dinner staples. We track how much of what we produce is eaten here, and who has a seat at our global table during meal times. Today, it’s lunch time.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon memorably advised parents unhappy with supplied school lunches to “make a Marmite sandwich and put an apple in a bag”.

New Zealand certainly does enjoy an abundance of apples.

We grow so many that almost nine out of 10 are sold overseas, fresh and processed.

The bumper crop is no accident. There has been a concerted push to grow the apple export industry with the development and marketing of new varieties. Royal gala and Braeburn apples have been joined by Jazz, Envy and Rockit.

Back in 2012, the industry set a goal of reaching $1 billion in exports by 2022. At that time, exports were sitting at $340 million. The target was missed in 2022, but exceeded in 2025 when exports of $1.26b were achieved.

New challenges come with that success though. Horticulture company T&G won a court order in China, forcing orchards in China to rip out illegally grown knock-offs of its Envy variety.

China clearly has developed a taste for our apples – it was our biggest apple buyer in 2025, followed by Taiwan, Vietnam and India.

For local apple buyers, prices fluctuate through the year, with the highest prices occurring in January. In 2007, 1kg of apples cost $3.89. In January 2025 a kilogram of apples cost $6.15.

The humble avocado might be one of the most controversial foods around. Along with being blamed for creating a generation of renters, its notoriously slippery stone has meant millions in ACC payouts for ‘avocado hand’ injuries, and telling someone they “have the avocados” can spark a language debate.

As well as being keen consumers, New Zealand makes a solid contribution to the global supply of avocados. More than 4700 hectares of the country is planted in avocados, with most concentrated in the Far North and Bay of Plenty.

About 50 percent of what was grown locally last year remained in the country, the rest heading offshore.

Australia is the biggest buyer, purchasing about a third of our exports in 2025, down from a peak of 90 percent in 2020. Far smaller quantities are bought by South Korea, Thailand, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

Export earnings have fallen from a 2020 high of $177m to $102m, as New Zealand competes with other global growers, such as Peru, which had a bumper crop in 2025.

New Zealand Avocado chief executive Brad Siebert said countries such as Mexico, Peru, Columbia and South Africa are producing more avocados, which leads to volatile prices. Demand globally is increasing, but at a slow, sometimes uneven pace.

Domestic prices rise and fall annually, often peaking in May. The highest price per kg of $28.67 was in May 2019.

Seafood might be hard to miss in an office lunchroom, but in the data it disappears. It is incredibly hard to put a figure on how much commercially caught seafood ends up in our lunchboxes compared to what’s exported.

The industry body Seafood NZ said there’s been no need to collect domestic information and this position hasn’t changed since RNZ examined seafood exports in 2020.

It is possible to take some stabs at the number. Previously published figures include 90 percent, 77 percent, and numbers previously on Seafood New Zealand’s website say approximately 450,000 tonnes of seafood is caught each year, with 276,901 tonnes exported.

This comes out at about 63 percent – but working on caught weight versus exported weight is not accurate. Fish is gutted and often filleted before export, so it is impossible to match the caught weight up with export data. Sanford’s 2025 annual report says about 82 percent of its sale value is from exports.

Where our seafood goes has shifted over time. In the 1990s, Japan, Australia and the United States were the biggest buyers of our seafood, but by 2011 China emerged as the top buyer. Its spending peaked in 2022 at $709m but by 2025 dropped to $594m.

Seafood exports earned $2b in 2024 and 2025. The biggest single export earner was live rock lobster – China bought $290m worth of them.

Crayfish might not be on everyone’s lunch menu, but rock lobster has been New Zealand seafood’s biggest export earner since 2017 with around 2500 tonnes exported each year, earning between $266m and $392m. Export volumes hit a record 2700 tonnes in 2025.

The demand has put pressure on crayfish populations. In December it was announced that commercial and recreational fishing for rock lobster will be banned from April 2026 off Northland’s east coast in an effort to halt the species rapid decline in the area.

Despite high-profile controversy about global beverage giants bottling our water, exported New Zealand water actually represents a small proportion compared to what’s sold locally.

An exact figure for local sales is hard to come by, but 2018 information published on the Ministry for the Environment’s website suggests only 17 percent is exported.

Bottling companies pay resource consent fees, but do not pay for the water itself. This can mean they pay less for water than residential rate payers.

In 2020 China was the biggest buyer, but since 2022 the US has taken top position.

Despite abundant water here, Kiwis still pay for water from other countries. In 2025 more than 3 million litres was imported, including 1m litres from Italy and nearly 300,000 litres from Fiji.

Stay tuned for Friday’s story, where we take a look at who we’re sharing our dinner with and dive into beef, sheep, onion and wine exports.

Where the data came from

Apples: New Zealand Apple and Pears and StatsNZ trade data items with a harmonised system description containing “Fruit, edible; apples”.

Avocados: New Zealand Avocado and StatsNZ trade data items with a harmonised system description containing “Fruit, edible; avocados, fresh”.

Seafood: Various sources and StatsNZ trade data for items with a harmonised system code between 301910000 to 308909000.

Water: Ministry for the Environment and StatsNZ trade data items with the following harmonised system descriptions: “Waters; mineral and aerated, including natural or artificial, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), other than in metal containers”, Waters; other than mineral and aerated, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), ice and snow, other than in metal containers” , “Waters; mineral and aerated, including natural or artificial, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), in metal containers”, “Waters; other than mineral and aerated, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), ice and snow, in metal aerosol containers, not containing chlorofluorocarbons” , “Waters; other than mineral and aerated, (not containing added sugar or other sweetening matter nor flavoured), ice and snow, in metal containers, not aerosol”

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Counsellors facing growing demand,shrinking workforce, funding pressures – industry body

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Association of Counsellors says there is growing demand for counselling – alongside a shrinking workforce and funding pressures. MICROGEN IMAGES/SCIENCE PHOTO LI

Counsellors say long wait lists and not enough publicly funded services are preventing people seeking the help they need.

The Association of Counsellors said its Counselling Workforce Report 2025 found growing demand for counselling – alongside a shrinking workforce and funding pressures.

President Huhana Pene said the lack of public funding for sessions was putting the handbrake on help.

“New Zealand has a qualified counselling workforce that wants to help,” Pene said, “But system barriers mean many people who need counselling are waiting too long or missing out altogether.”

Pene said there were also concerns about the workforce – with more than half working part-time with low or insecure incomes.

Many planned to reduce their practice, retire or leave the profession within two years.

“Without changes to funding and employment conditions, we risk losing experienced counsellors at a time when demand for support continues to grow,” Pene said.

Schools were under particular pressure, with counsellors reporting a steady flow of students seeking support and increasingly complex needs.

Many said they were forced to prioritise students in crisis, leaving limited time for preventative support.

Pene said practical solutions were available – improving funding stability for non-government organisations, increasing the ratio of counsellors to students in schools to 1:400, and strengthening recognition of the profession would all improve access to counselling.

“Counselling is a vital part of New Zealand’s mental health support, and if we address some of these barriers, counsellors would be better able to help many more people when they need it.”

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‘A little short of a disaster’: Little Penguins mauled by dogs at Piha

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Council says dog owners must be aware of the rules and read the signs at West Coast beaches to keep Kororā safe. RNZ/Jessica Hopkins

Lying on the rocks and left to die, with puncture wounds, exposed bones, and sometimes missing limbs.

According to conservationists, that is the state Little Penguins/Kororā are being found in on coastlines around the country, and irresponsible dog owners are to blame.

Auckland’s West Coast beaches were a particularly egregious hotspot for dog attacks on penguins.

Peter Hosking from Pest Free Piha said that earlier this year, five Piha penguins were killed by a dog in just one night.

“It was a shock. We only have a handful of birds nesting here. And to lose five in one night was a little short of a disaster,” Hosking said.

“It’s hard to say exactly how many [Kororā] there are at Piha, but it’s fewer than 15, so to lose five in one night is a big loss to the penguin community here.”

From late summer to autumn, penguins shed their old feathers to grow new ones, and they cannot return to sea during that time. It was then that most dog attacks happened.

Hosking said 13 adult Kororā had died at Piha this moulting season, nine of which were confirmed to have been attacked by dogs after post-mortem examination.

At North Piha, dogs were allowed to be off-leash. But Hosking said owners were letting their dogs run free in areas where they should not be, close to penguin habitats.

Auckland Council appointed a dog control ranger just for Auckland’s West Coast four years ago to enforce the rules.

But Hosking said it did not matter that people were compliant during the day if others allowed their dogs out at night, when penguins went wandering.

“Some of the attacks here have occurred at night, which is an indication that people are not keeping their dogs under control at that time. And of course, at night, it is less likely there will be dog patrols or people around to do anything about a dog that’s out of control,” he said.

“It’s pretty clear that it is dog owners, probably in North Piha, who allow their dogs to be out outdoors and off-leash at night, so we’re trying to educate all dog owners, but especially those people that they need to have their dogs under control at all times and at night in a kennel or inside their properties.”

Auckland Council says dog owners must be aware of the rules and read the signs at West Coast beaches to keep Kororā safe. RNZ/Jessica Hopkins

Dr Rashi Parker, from BirdCare Aotearoa, which treats sick or injured native birds, said two of the Kororā brought to them this moulting season were confirmed to have been attacked by dogs.

She said one was recently attacked at Anawhata, a West Coast beach where dogs are prohibited.

“There’s a continued concern from community groups involved with conservation initiatives along the West Coast that there are off-leash dog incidents often involving locals themselves. It’s not visitors coming into the area, it’s locals doing this.”

BirdCare had cared for five penguins confirmed to have been attacked by dogs in the past five years.

But BirdCare rehabilitation assistant Catriona Robersto suspected that 18 of the injured penguins brought to them this moulting season could also have been injured by dogs.

She warned that even small dogs could cause significant and often fatal injuries.

“Most people with a puppy at home will love to play tug of war with them, and it’s really cute in the setting of the home. But out in the world, they’re inherently going to pick up something that is, let’s face it, shaped like a cuddly toy, grab it and shake it. And we often see the sort of ragdoll injury in penguins that come into us,” Robersto said.

“Recently, we had a penguin that ended up with really bad neck torsion to the point where it couldn’t move normally at all because its neck was so stunted from having been shaken around. We had another case come through where that shaking behaviour had actually ended up causing huge lacerations.

“I’ve worked in a professional capacity with these birds for a while now, and I haven’t seen anything damage a bird that way, shy of a moving vehicle.”

She said it was heartbreaking to see Kororā that would have otherwise been healthy, had a dog not got to them.

“It’s poor dog ownership. Because it’s as simple as keeping them on a leash in an area that’s known to have penguins or suspected to have them,” Robersto said.

“All of us here at Bird Care feel like we’re screaming into the void because it is such a simple fix and those breeding adults are so vital to the survival of these species.”

Auckland Council Animal Management West team lead Clarke Trethowen said the West Coast Beach Patrol officer had issued seven infringements, three formal warnings, and a high volume of verbal warnings this moulting season.

He said they had received multiple reports of dead penguins, mainly on Piha beach, which appeared to have been attacked by an animal.

“Unfortunately, no evidence has been obtained to identify the dog responsible and allow for a prosecution.”

“The West Coast beaches have a diverse environment where many animals live, breed and visit. It is important that all dog owners are aware of the rules and read the signs before entering the beach to avoid enforcement action and to ensure our beaches can be shared safely by everyone.”

Melissa Mcluskie, from the New Zealand Penguin Initiative, said dog owners nationwide needed to be vigilant.

She said Auckland was not the only place where they were seeing a large number of attacks. They were also happening in Wellington, Kaikoura, Northland, and the Bay of Plenty.

“Penguins are very smelly and attractive to dogs and so they’re easy for dogs to locate. When dogs are off-leash, uncontrolled, or unsupervised, they could be going into penguins’ habitats, killing a bird and then walking away and the owners have no awareness whatsoever what happened.”

She said not all Kororā killed would be found or sent to a rehabilitation centre like BirdCare.

“The ones that are lucky enough to be rescued and go through the rehabilitation process are documented. But not all of those will be examined or sent off for a necropsy. Due to penguins’ dense feather plumage that covers their bodies, it’s not always obvious that they have been attacked or killed by a dog, so they do need to have a proper necropsy examination. And there are a lot of birds that have likely been attacked by dogs that we are unaware of,” Mcluskie said.

“Another issue is sometimes a bird that’s actually still alive may be put in the dunes or under some vegetation. That actually puts it at risk of being attacked by a dog that may go and walk through the dunes.”

As well as reporting attacked penguin sightings, she urged people to be alert for any penguins wandering on the beach during the daytime

.

“Healthy birds will be coming ashore at night time or they will be tucked away safely away in their burrows or nest boxes. So if you’re seeing a bird that’s out on the beach during the day, it’s not normal. It’s likely sick, injured or starving and it needs help.

“There is a number of community groups around the country that monitor their local colonies, and most of them are willing to rescue a bird and get it the right help that it needs.”

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Government backtracks on live animal export plans

Source: Radio New Zealand

Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The Green Party is welcoming news that the government has backtracked on plans to reinstate live animal exports.

Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard told 1 News he could not get Cabinet agreement on overturning the ban, which formed part of coalition agreements with both ACT and NZ First.

Green Party spokesperson Steve Abel said the news was a win for animals, the public and the groups campaigning against the move.

He said there had been backlash to the proposal right from the start.

“From the outset, there was overwhelming outrage from veterinary experts who expressed there was no way to maintain animal welfare standards and herd cattle onto ships where they spend weeks at sea wallowing in their own waste. It’s fundamentally cruel and there’s no way to uphold the barest animal standards while exporting at sea,” Abel said.

“They couldn’t get it across the line because New Zealanders didn’t want to see animals suffering in that way.”

A 57,000-strong petition calling for the ban to stay in place was presented to parliament in 2024.

At the time, Hoggard said he wanted the ban overturned by 2025.

In April 2025, Hoggard told RNZ he expected the legislation to go to Cabinet within months, but that a backlog had slowed the work of the Parliamentary Counsel Office in drafting the amendment.

Last month, Livestock Exports NZ chief executive Glen Neal said uncertainty around the bill was unhelpful, but the industry remained hopeful the ban would be overturned.

Parliamentary questions revealed the minister had not received any advice on the plan since mid-2025, despite telling scrutiny week committees the amendment had gone before cabinet in December last year, Abel said.

If the coalition intended to make it an election issue, it needed to tell the public immediately, but Abel believed “the handbrake had been pulled” at the Cabinet level because of the unpopularity of the move.

Green MP Steve Abel. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Ministry for Primary Industries initiated an independent review of live exports in 2020, after the sinking of Gulf Livestock 1, which resulted in the deaths of 41 crew and nearly 6000 cattle.

The vessel, registered to Panama and owned by a UAE shipping company, left Napier in August 2020 bound for China, but sank off the coast of Japan in a typhoon.

In 2022, the previous government passed a bill banning live exports, beginning in April 2023.

At the time, National’s animal welfare spokesperson Nicola Grigg said the ban was disproportionate and ideological, and would hurt farmers and consumers.

The National Party had campaigned on overturning the ban, with a proposal it said would require greater regulation to protect animal welfare and safety, such as purpose-built ships and a certification regime for importers.

Hoggard, who is a former president of Federated Farmers, had previously said reintroducing the trade was one of his top priorities in the portfolio and he wanted to “progress with some haste”.

A 2024, an RNZ investigation revealed industry group Livestock Export New Zealand planned to spend $1 million to ensure the ban was dismantled, including on political lobbying, a “social media counter offensive”, a “trust and understanding” campaign, media training and creating the “gold standard” for animal welfare.

RNZ has approached Minister Hoggard for comment.

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Immigration officials chase Indian cultural performers after visas expire

Source: Radio New Zealand

Supplied

Immigration New Zealand says it is trying to contact nearly a dozen cultural performers from India who are believed to have remained in the country after their visas expired.

The performers travelled to New Zealand last month as part of a group accompanying Bollywood singer Shibani Kashyap for Holi celebrations around the country.

Jeannie Melville, deputy chief operating officer at Immigration New Zealand, said the agency assessed visa applications for a group of 27 Indian nationals travelling under the banner “Community Holi Celebration with Shibani Kashyap”.

“The Indian Consulate in Auckland was the point of contact for the group,” Melville said.

“INZ verified that the event was genuine, including consultation with the Indian Consul General in Auckland who confirmed they were supporting the event,” she said.

“A robust and fair assessment process was applied to the individuals making up this group, including collaboration with our Risk and Verification teams in India.”

Eighteen people from the group arrived in New Zealand. Of those, three have since left the country and 15 remained in the country, according to Immigration New Zealand.

“Four hold valid visitor visas,” Melville said.

Melville said seven applications were initially approved while four were declined due to concerns, including suspected fraudulent documents.

Immigration New Zealand later approved 13 short-term limited visas for the specific purpose of attending the event.

The agency said it had been in contact with the Indian High Commission about the situation and was prioritising efforts to contact those who may now be in the country unlawfully on a case-by-case basis.

The group travelled from India to perform at Holi events around the country, including one held in Pukekohe in February.

Kashyap also visited New Zealand last year and performed at Independence Day events organised by Delhi-based CD Foundation.

Melville said Immigration New Zealand was not aware of similar past cases involving cultural performers from India overstaying their visas, though she noted the agency’s reporting did not record that level of detail.

RNZ has approached the Indian High Commission and the Indian Consulate for comment.

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

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Fuel supplies in NZ: ‘Unless things change there’ll be big challenges’

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson

The government has warned the country’s oil deliveries are in doubt if the conflict in the Middle East rages on.

The closure of the Straits of Hormuz and damage to infrastructure has triggered volatility, fuelling record oil prices.

Prices hikes have stretched beyond the petrol pump, with Air New Zealand raising fares, suspending its earning guidance and warning it may have to cut flights if oil prices continued to increase.

Air Chathams said the rising cost of oil was costing the small airline about $140,000 extra a month in fuel, and could see it cut flights.

Associate Energy Minister and Regional Development Minister Shane Jones told Checkpoint the government was not considering rationing, despite the Australian government looking at contingency plans that included fuel rationing.

He said the government had been assured the physical arrival of the fuel was not under threat in coming months.

“But get to May we’re told by the industry unless things change there’ll be big challenges.”

A newly created ministerial oversight group, announced by PM Luxon late yesterday, will meet for the first time on Wednesday, Jones said.

The group is led by Finance Minister Nicola Willis and included Jones, Minister of Agriculture and Trade Todd McLay, Minister of Energy Simon Watts and Minister of Commerce Scott Simpson.

Key inputs for New Zealand’s fertiliser industry such as urea come out of the Middle East, including from Iran, and the government also wanted to keep an eye on any price gouging, Jones said.

The group would discuss options for relief from spiking energy costs.

The minister would not outline what measures were being considering, and warned such actions always had consequences.

The government was already supporting regional airlines through loans from the Regional Infrastructure Fund, Jones said.

The minister said it was a “great worry” a number of countries with refineries were significantly reducing supply.

Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) data showed the country had 27 days of petrol in the country, and 22 days worth shipped but yet to arrive, 24 days of diesel, with 29 days on the water, and 28 days worth of jet fuel, with 22 days shipped.

Some oil companies had already declared force majeure – a clause that freed companies from contractual obligations due to extraordinary circumstances, such as natural disasters or wars.

Wise Response Society chair Nathan Surendran said levels of damage across multiple countries meant delays could last weeks or months even if the conflict ended quickly, but the threat went beyond delays.

“The force majeure declarations cascading across Gulf and Asian suppliers did not just mean delays to oil supplies, they void contracts, and could see fuel currently headed to New Zealand diverted to nations willing to pay more,” Surendran said.

There were signs this was already happening, with reports of cargoes being diverted from Europe and Africa to Asia.

The government should take a precautionary approach, signalling possible rationing now, before shortages forced it, Surendran said.

“Australian fuel wholesalers were already rationing supplies to retailers despite Australia holding 36 days of reserves and two domestic refineries – New Zealand has neither,” he said.

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Posted on

Chatham Islands braces for energy shock

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Chatham Islands. RNZ/ Matthew Theunissen

The diesel-reliant Chatham Islands are bracing for an energy shock as petrol hits $4.50 per litre and may continue to rise.

The Chatham’s relies heavily on diesel to power the island. Although the Point Durham wind farm that opened in November is now carrying a chunk of that load.

Petrol was also shipped to the island, about 800km from the mainland.

The price of Brent crude was fluctuating off the back of war in the Middle East, at one point hitting almost US$120 a barrel.

The approximately 650 residents on the Chathams are bracing for pain at the pump.

Chatham Islands Enterprise Trust chief executive and council interim CEO Bob Penter said residents are a bit nervous.

“We are watching closely at what’s happening in the Middle East… We are certainly starting to see the effects come through to the Chathams,” he told RNZ’s Checkpoint.

Fuel arrives at the Chatham Islands by ship from New Zealand, around 120,000 litres at a time.

Penter said the island’s latest weekly fuel price has jumped about 73 cents, or 57 percent, when compared to the last three weeks.

It puts diesel at $2.29 per litre and petrol at $4.50 per litre, he said.

“We have got a bit of resilience because we’ve got a tank farm that allows us to store approximately 400,000 litres on the island… But not a lot of breathing space and eventually, if the Middle East events continue, we are going to be forced to revisit our pricing.”

Penter hopes petrol doesn’t crack $5 per litre.

“The island depends on fuel for pretty much everything we do here. It’s our flights, it’s our shipping, it’s electricity [and] it’s how we get our food here. If we are looking at price increases, it’s really going to dramatically impact the cost of living for Chatham Islanders, which is going to be a major concern.”

On Monday, the chief executive of Air Chathams said the rising cost of oil is costing the small airlinesome $140,000 extra a month in fuel.

Air Chathams chief executive Duane Emeny told Checkpoint the airline may have to cut the number of flights should the price of jet fuel remain so high.

“If you can’t afford to put aeroplanes in the air, then you’ve got to look at that and say ‘do I cut back my schedule, do I provide less connectivity because of this cost and then wait until it comes right and eases?’.”

Penter said the island hopes the conflict in the Middle East settles down sooner rather than later.

“Chatham Islanders are probably more resilient than the global fuel supply at the moment,” he said.

“They’re pretty stoic in terms of events like this, but really, the fuel, we are essentially a diesel economy.”

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Flight prices on the rise – and could take off again

Source: Radio New Zealand

The price of jet fuel has been fluctuating wildly since the conflict in the Middle East broke out. File photo. 123rf.com

The price of flying has already gone up – and could take off again if the conflict in the Middle East continues.

Air New Zealand raised its fares this morning, and said it could be forced to raise them again and review routes.

It is all connected to the price of aviation fuel and the critical Hormuz Strait, a shipping route for up to 20 percent of the world oil which is essentially closed due to the conflict in the area.

The price of jet fuel has been fluctuating wildly since the conflict broke out, and has at times gone up more than 120 percent.

Regional carrier Chathams Air said the war in the Middle East could add more than $1.6 million to its annual fuel bill if it continues.

It said the airline could also be forced to look at prices and schedule cuts.

Travel agent Vincent George told Checkpoint the price increase was not only to do with fuel costs, but also supply and demand.

“With the demise of some of the airlines travelling through the Middle East, which were some of the hugest carriers out of New Zealand, Qatar and Emirates, then we’re looking at people travelling on other routes.

“As these routes get taken up and the capacity gets lower not only is the airfare going to increase a little because of aviation fuel, but also because of supply and demand.”

George said travellers hoping to visit the Northern Hemisphere should book their flights as soon as possible to avoid any further price increases.

While many of Emirates flights were now travelling through the Middle East, he said flights stopping over in China and other Asian countries had seen increased demand.

The other option for travellers leaving New Zealand and heading to the Northern Hemisphere is stopping over the US.

“I think that people are maybe looking at going, those who want to travel, those who need to travel, will be looking at different options for a while yet.”

Various airlines have raised their prices due the rising cost of fuel.

Singapore Airlines raised fares to Europe by $140 for a return ticket this morning.

George said while booking with a client today, he noticed a flight to the Cook Islands from New Zealand had also risen by $200.

“Things are certainly looking as though they may be creeping up… $200 on a South Pacific airfare is significant.”

But George said a key concern was how domestic flights would be impacted by the fallout of rising costs.

“I’m worried about connectivity from the smaller outlying destinations.

“I can see that domestic travel is going to be really pricing itself out of the market for the leisure traveller.”

He said the best way to guarantee an affordable domestic flight was to book as far in advance as possible.

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NZ Warriors name unchanged line-up against Canberra Raiders

Source: Radio New Zealand

Second-rower Marata Niukore is the only addition to the Warriors squad against Canberra. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport

NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster has named a largely unchanged line-up to meet Canberra Raiders at Go Media Stadium on Friday.

The same 19 that dressed for last week’s 42-18 win over Sydney Roosters will front again, with the only tweak being second-rower Marata Niukore replacing specialist half Luke Hanson on the extended bench.

Niukore missed the entire pre-season and the season-opener with a calf niggle, but apparently has passed fit for the second round.

As expected, co-captain Mitch Barnett has not recovered sufficiently from the knee injury that ended his 2025 campaign prematurely, but is expected to return any week now.

“We’re getting closer, so no dramas there, but the last month to six weeks, you get down to the nitty gritty,” Webster said. “Everyone thinks it’s nine months, but sometimes it’s eight-and-a-half months and sometimes it’s 10 months.

“They’re not injuries you want to mess around with. The whole medical industry has advanced so far on how quickly they can get players back, but the ACL is one of those ones that takes so long.”

Jackson Ford, who led the team in both tackles and running metres against the Roosters, will again start in Barnett’s place, with Jacob Laban in the second row, and Leka Halasima coming off the interchange.

Wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck will bring up his 150th game for the club.

Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, 6. Chanel Harris-Tavita, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. James Fisher-Harris, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Kurt Capewell, 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Demitric Vaimauga, 16. Leka Halasima, 17. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 18. Taine Tuaupiki, 20. Morgan Gannon

Reserves: 21. Alofiana Khan-Pereira, 22. Marata Niukore, 23. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

Meanwhile, Raiders coach Ricky Stuart has lose the services of veteran front-rower Josh Papalii with concussion, replaced by Englishman Morgan Smithies in the starting line-up.

Kiwis centre Matt Timoko joins the bench, after a foot injury kept him in reserve grade last week.

The Raiders beat the Warriors twice last year, including the season-opener in Las Vegas, en route to their minor premiership.

Raiders: 1. Kaeo Weekes, 2. Savelio Tamale, 3. Simi Sasagi, 4. Seb Kris, 5. Xavier Savage, 6. Ethan Strange, 7. Ethan Sanders, 8. Morgan Smithies, 9. Tom Starling, 10. Joseph Tapine, 11. Hudson Young, 12. Noah Martin, 13. Corey Horsburgh

Interchange: 14. Jayden Brailey, 15. Zac Hosking, 16. Ata Mariota, 17. Matt Timoko, 18. Daine Laurie, 19 Joe Roddy

Reserves: 20. Owen Pattie, 21. Jed Stuart, 22. Chevy Stewart

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Lessons from the Covid-19 response inquiry

Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern and former Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins heading to a post-Cabinet conference. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the pandemic on Tuesday afternoon released its second report, sparked by public disquiet that its first report did not dig deep enough.

The 500-plus-page report looks at what it calls some of the “most difficult and divisive responses around vaccines and mandates”.

“The adequacy of the processes used to assess and monitor the safety of vaccines” was one of those.

It eked out a pass mark, but with a very big but for the previous government’s efforts to shift the “team of five million” from an early, pretty effective elimination strategy to suppression and minimisation in 2021 and 2022.

“Many of the people we heard from expressed pain and anger about the impacts of the pandemic and response. Some of these impacts on people’s lives continue to this day,” the report said.

“It is clear, however, that ministers and officials were facing a series of complex, high-stakes decisions in a rapidly changing environment and were doing the best they could at the time. Evidence shows New Zealand had among one of the best pandemic responses in the world.”

Former Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern and former Covid-19 Response Minister Chris Hipkins. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

‘Very bumpy ride’

It was, however, “far from smooth”.

A “very bumpy ride” was how Labour itself summed it up earlier in the day. Though its former top two, Dame Jacinda Ardern and Grant Robertson, also defended it: “We got a lot right. More than most.”

National immediately used the phase two report to pound Labour.

Asked if his predecessors were just being cautious – it was an unprecedented global crisis, as Labour pointed out – Health Minister Simeon Brown told reporters:

“I think they were putting options to Cabinet, which were not backed up by advice,” Brown said.

“And the reality is Chris Hipkins stood up every single day and he said to New Zealanders that he was making decisions based on advice by health officials… The reality is, in a number of these instances, he was not.”

Health Minister Simeon Brown. RNZ / Mark Papalii

They did not heed warnings from Treasury about inflation-stoking Covid-19 spending that half the time went on non-Covid things, Brown added.

“We are feeling those consequences today,” Brown said.

In a half-hour stand-up, Brown said “ultimately” 13 times.

“Ultimately, some of those decisions, you will have to put those questions to the ministers who made those decisions at the time as to why they made them,” he said.

Hipkins put their approach at the time entirely opposite: “considered, appropriate and guided by the best evidence available at the time”.

The decisions saved lives, though the responses caused hardship, he said.

NZ has so far reported 4500 deaths due to Covid-19 to the World Health Organisation. That is slightly fewer per capita than Australia, well below Canada’s and about four times less than the US and UK.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who was the Covid Response Minister at the time of the pandemic. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

What are the lessons for Next Time?

While everyone disagreed on what 20/20 hindsight has shown from the inquiry, everyone agrees on the need to do better now to prepare for next time.

So what are the lessons from phase two for Covid 2.0?

Two words: Be prepared.

“The stakes were immense. Each choice carried the weight and quality of lives in the balance. Yet policy-makers could not delay some hard choices,” the report said.

But the “lack of planning for alternative future strategies” that applied to PCR testing was a common shortcoming elsewhere, too.

Going in next time armed already with better research on pandemics and impacts, better strategies for getting the best advice, and some basic pandemic legislation are among the 24 recommendations.

Two more words: Be smarter.

“Decision-makers told us they learned the importance of giving people an end date, or some indication of ‘light at the end of the tunnel’,” the report said.

Without that, people resisted more and more.

Now we know for next time. But the country had to get a better grip on social impacts ahead of next time, by finding ways to build trust and social cohesion, and ways to demonstrate to people the hard science behind “hard choices”, the report said.

In addition to the main report, an extra 300 pages laid out what people who submitted to the inquiry said.

“People frequently told us that the vaccine mandates caused division in society that lingers to this day,” said this last report.

Things got out of balance. “Wobbles” was how it was put after the first phase report.

Cutting the ‘wobbles’

It needn’t have got that bad is one conclusion that can be drawn from the second phase report.

Lockdown decisions, for one, required weighing up health versus bank balances, from Gore to Papakura.

Decision-makers had to weigh up many more factors than public health goals and social disruption, and think about tomorrow, not just today and impacts on this group, versus that group, and eroding.

“Based on the evidence we have heard, that is exactly what they tried to do,” said the main report.

Trying came up short, though, when painful and untested initiatives created pressures, or helped birth mis-and-disinformation, that upset forecasts and analyses or exploited gaps in them, among a public increasingly prone to doubting the experts.

The officials doing the trying lacked enough analysis of lockdown’s impacts on education, for instance (page 270).

They lacked enough evidence fullstop.

“Ideally, though, decision-makers would have been better supported with clearer, more specific evidence about the effects of public health measures.”

That cut down the options to choose from.

“More comprehensive and robust response strategies should have been in preparation much earlier.”

Being smart required being prepared.

The first phase report ran to 716 pages; some of its lessons were discussed two years ago at the Science Media Centre.

There will not be a part three. The commission received more than 31,000 submissions from individuals and organisations, and obtained 8000 documents from government agencies.

“We are satisfied that we were thoroughly well-informed.”

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More than 1600 fines issued to Queenstown freedom campers since new rules

Source: Radio New Zealand

Queenstown Lakes District Council introduced new freedom camping rules in December, restricting campers to designated sites. Supplied

Freedom campers are falling foul of new Queenstown Lakes District Council rules, with about 18 people per day stung with $400 fines.

Campers in self-contained vehicles were restricted to 141 designated spaces across 15 sites in the district over summer, plus a handful of rural roadside spots and a free campground in Luggate

Between 1 December and 2 March, Queenstown Lakes District Council (QLDC) issued 1514 Freedom Camping Act infringements, largely for people parking in the wrong spot or overstaying time limits, and 108 Reserves Act infringements for parking on reserve land.

Freedom Camping Act infringements carried $400 fines, while Reserves Act breaches carried $800 fines, the council said.

QLDC responsible camping programme manager Amy Galloway said it was the highest number of infringements the council had issued since about 2019, but it had also been a bumper summer for freedom camping.

She said more than 7000 freedom campers used a new check-in feature on the QLDC website throughout summer, although the true number of campers was likely much higher.

“Observationally, we see those 15 restricted sites plus the Luggate Red Bridge pretty much full every single day. Campers are using our sites extensively,” she said.

She said the system was working well overall and people were pleased to have a regulated freedom camping system again.

“Generally speaking, campers are going to where we want them to go. Amongst that, there is some behaviour we need to correct, but like everything we’re constantly reviewing and trying to improve operations,” she said.

German traveller Fynn Stolz says he was stung with a $400 fine after parking outside a designated freedom camping site in Queenstown. RNZ/Katie Todd

Campers say demand outstrips supply

Camper Fynn Stolz from Germany said there were not enough spaces to cater to the number of freedom campers visiting the district.

He said he had struggled to find a park for his van each night.

“We go from one to another and see if any of the spots are free. Usually, at 4pm all the spots are taken, so you have to be really fast, one of the first. It’s kind of a race,” he said.

He was fined $400 this week after arriving at the Queenstown Events Centre late at night, when he missed out on one of the nine designated spaces and instead stayed overnight in a regular carpark several metres away.

“It wasn’t a good idea,” he said.

Another camper, Svenja Steger from Switzerland, said Queenstown’s rules were much “more difficult” than other places in New Zealand.

“It’s not as easy as other places to find a park,” she said.

When asked if the QLDC would consider adding more spaces to meet the demand, Galloway said the council encouraged campers to look at other options.

“I think if we provided more spaces, they would be full, but we would also like campers to consider using one of our great commercial campsites that we have in the district and also the many Department of Conservation campsites across the district as well. There are a variety of options for campers, ranging from free up to your more luxurious campsites,” she said.

She said freedom campers had flooded parking areas across the district last summer after the council’s previous bylaw was quashed by the High Court.

“I think sometimes when campers turn up, and they see a site is full, and they think, ‘oh well, I can just park here’. If everybody did that, then the carpark would soon become full, which is what we saw last summer as well – just the insatiable demand for free camping,” she said.

Fines in the Freedom Camping Act 2011 rose from $200 to $400 in 2023.

“I think word is spreading amongst campers that these are the rules and we take them seriously and they will be enforced,” she said.

‘Shitting in the bushes’

In Wānaka, the council temporarily closed a freedom-camping site at Allenby Place because of traffic-related safety concerns.

A group called Save Clean New Zealand has also been petitioning for the removal of three freedom camping spaces at Beacon Point.

Spokesperson Andrea Beryl said it was a pristine stretch of shoreline not fit for freedom camping, or at least the type of behaviour she had seen and photographed.

Freedom campers at the site were “clearly not using their onboard facilities,” she said.

“They’re shitting in the bushes. They’re meant to be self-contained and they’re not. It’s just being abused,” she said.

“We want responsible campers to go to responsible places where there are toilets and places to clean up.”

Data from the QLDC showed that of the 1514 Freedom Camping Act infringements this summer, 71 people were fined for being in a vehicle that was not self-contained.

One person was fined for depositing waste.

Beryl said damage was often done by the time the council issued an infringement notice.

“I don’t know how we change their attitude or how we educate the campers better, but it’s just not working. Then the council fine people after the fact that these problems have already occurred. It’s not preventative,” she said.

In a statement, a QLDC spokesperson said the council was watching to see whether the bylaw needed refinements and valued community feedback.

“Council fully acknowledges ongoing concerns within our community relating to freedom camping, including at Beacon Point,” the spokesperson said.

“It’s important to emphasise that the Freedom Camping Act applies nationally and permits this activity by default on most council land. Local bylaws are limited in both what they can address and the specific area to which they can apply. By balancing community concerns with what the Act requires us to do, the new bylaw is designed to ensure visitors continue to enjoy the experience of freedom camping here while addressing the concerns of residents,” they said.

“Councils, especially those with high volumes of visitors and low resident populations like QLDC, do not have sufficient tools to regulate freedom camping or fund visitor-related infrastructure to support this increasingly popular activity.”

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MetService to keep public informed during times of tsunami risk

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Robert Smith

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) says MetService will step beyond weather services to keep the public informed during times of Tsunami risk.

MetService would now include NEMA tsunami warning banners on its website.

NEMA director Civil Defence Emergency Management, John Price said the move would help to ensure New Zealanders got the emergency information they needed.

“Tsunami warnings only work if people see them and act on them, and we’re pleased to be working with MetService to keep people safe.

“This will bring together NEMA and MetService’s large audiences, so New Zealanders are more likely to get the information they need, when they need it,” Price said.

A NEMA spokesperson said the banners would link to the Civil Defence website for advice and information on how to keep safe.

They said the banners would not appear on the MetService app or push service notifications.

They spokesperson said NEMA was also exploring how automated tsunami messaging could be shared to other government websites to quickly get important information to as many people as possible.

The spokesperson encouraged people – in times of tsunami danger – to listen to their radio for updates and advice on what to do.

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