Category: DJF

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Calling rangatahi changemakers: Applications now open for Save the Children’s 2026 Youth Ambassador programme

Source: Save the Children

Save the Children is calling on passionate rangatahi to apply for Generation Hope New Zealand, a youth leadership programme empowering young people aged 14 to 18 to speak up, take action, and champion children’s rights in Aotearoa and beyond.
With young people facing increasing social, climate, and economic challenges, there has never been a more important time to invest in youth leadership. Generation Hope Youth Ambassadors are supported to turn their ideas into action, from leading workshops and speaking at events to advocating for change and engaging directly with decision-makers.
“Generation Hope gives rangatahi the confidence, skills, and support to use their voices in meaningful ways,” says Save the Children New Zealand’s Advocacy and Research Director Jacqui Southey.
“This year’s General Election presents an important opportunity to empower children and young people to speak up on the issues that affect their lives and be part of shaping the future they want to see.”
Through Generation Hope, youth ambassadors take part in leadership and advocacy training and gain real-world experience creating change. In previous years, ambassadors have hosted youth-led events and panel discussions, met with political leaders, and shared children’s messages on issues such as climate action and wellbeing at Parliament. Several alumni have gone on to establish youth councils and lead initiatives in their own communities.
“Generation Hope helped me realise that my voice could create change, especially when working alongside other passionate young people,” says Generation Hope alumna Sonya-Alice. “It gave me the confidence to speak up and take action on the issues I care about.”
Another former ambassador, Kereama, encourages young people to take the leap. “If you’re even thinking about applying, do it. You don’t need to have everything figured out. This programme helps you grow into the leader you already are.”
Applications for the 2026 Generation Hope Youth Ambassador programme are open from today until 27 February 2026.
About Save the Children NZ:
Save the Children works in more than 110 countries across the world. The organisation responds to emergencies and works with children and their communities to ensure they survive, learn and are protected.
Save the Children NZ currently supports international programmes in Fiji, Cambodia, Bangladesh, Laos, Nepal, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. Areas of work include child protection, education and literacy, disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation, and alleviating child poverty.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/calling-rangatahi-changemakers-applications-now-open-for-save-the-childrens-2026-youth-ambassador-programme/

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Transporting New Zealand praises driver licensing changes

Source: Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand

Road freight association Transporting New Zealand is backing the Government’s changes to the driver licensing scheme, saying the changes will help get more New Zealanders travelling safely on the road.
Transporting New Zealand Head of Policy & Advocacy Billy Clemens says that removing the second practical driving test will put New Zealand in line with other comparable countries, and that there was no substantive research establishing that the second test improved safety outcomes.
The changes will be accompanied by additional safety measures, including a longer learner license period for under 25s, an extended restricted license period for drivers who get demerits, expansion of the zero-alcohol rule, and stronger oversight of training providers.
Clemens says that engagement with the driver licensing system has been declining, with serious consequences for the entire country.
“There are over one million eligible New Zealanders currently without a full driver license, a situation that has been worsening since the early 2000s. Not having a full license can be a serious obstacle to employment, and accessing essential services like groceries and healthcare.”
“With the road freight workforce rapidly aging, we are also keen to ensure there is another generation of potential commercial drivers able to help keep New Zealand moving.” 
“Research from NZTA and WSP found that anxiety, cost and access were all key reasons for not gaining a full license. Removing the second practical driving test will remove a barrier to progression, and the $80 reduction in licensing costs will help with affordability.”
“This combination of changes will help ensure that people are progressing through the driver licensing system, rather than idling on a learner or restricted license.”
About Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand 
Ia Ara Aotearoa Transporting New Zealand is the peak national membership association representing the road freight transport industry. Our members operate urban, rural and inter- regional commercial freight transport services throughout the country. Road is the dominant freight mode in New Zealand, transporting 92.8% of the freight task on a tonnage basis, and 75.1% on a tonne-km basis. The road freight transport industry employs over 34,000 people across more than 4700 businesses, with an annual turnover of $6 billion. 

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/transporting-new-zealand-praises-driver-licensing-changes/

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Breakers’ mask maker wants player to keep wearing ‘bad ass’ design

Source: Radio New Zealand

Max Darling of the Breakers Paul Kane

An unfortunate training incident sidelined New Zealand Breakers forward Max Darling for weeks, left him with a metal plate in his face and searching for personalised protective gear to get back on court.

After copping a teammate’s elbow in his eye and fracturing his orbital, the 25-year-old Tall Black needed a mask he could wear for the remainder of the ANBL season.

Finding something fit for purpose – and his face – on short notice was not a straightforward task.

That is where MWDesign came to the rescue.

Founder Mike Williams and his team at the Hamilton and Tauranga-based design company were on their end of year break when the request from Breakers physio Rob Knight came through.

Knight had worked with MWDesign previously and knew that the company had the tools, including a laser scanner and a 3D printer, to create what Darling needed. Even though the company was more accustomed to doing work for a diverse range of projects, from playgrounds to geothermal measuring tools to retail items for mass manufacture that get shipped globally.

Williams called the mask a “fun project” that piqued his interest and he spent three days getting it right.

Before the mask, Williams had done two designs for hands for himself and a colleague who had broken digits.

“I broke my thumb a couple of years ago and the cast that got put on meant that I couldn’t use my mouse and I couldn’t do a lot of things. The doctors will probably hate me for this, but I chopped off the fibreglass cast, scanned my hand and made myself a nice little splint that was still supportive, but I could use the mouse and I could have a shower.

“That was as close as I got to mask building for basketballers.”

An injury-hit Breakers side needed Darling on the floor to help cover the minutes that starter Sam Menennga was playing before he suffered a season-ending wrist injury.

Darling is not the first ANBL player to get back on the court wearing a facial accessory after an orbital fracture.

Keanu Pinder wore a similar mask when playing for the Perth Wildcats in 2024 after a similar injury. In the same year in the NBA, Toronto Raptors swingman Scottie Barnes also wore a ‘Batman’ mask for a orbital fracture that did not require surgery.

NZ Breakers Max Darling, Toronto Raptors Scottie Barnes, Keanu Pinder with the Perth Wildcats. Photosport

Williams had seen examples of NBA masks that he said did not look “overly special” and that Darling’s was different and custom-designed from a glass-reinforced 3D print plastic.

After a description from Knight about the injury and the areas of Darling’s face that needed to be protected, Williams used a laser scanner to scan the player’s face.

“It did a really brilliant job of capturing all that detail on his face.

“It’s actually perfectly his face, I put it on and it was uncomfortable as hell for me because I have a different shaped face, but when he puts it on, it’s like nothing’s there.”

Williams spent time trying different thickness and how it was going to sit on Darling’s face “so it didn’t look silly”.

The harness behind the head was another consideration.

“You can imagine if he’s sprinting up and down the court, you don’t want this thing bobbling around on the face. We’ve got a little sweat headband part on the inside of it too. So, when he starts to sweat under heavy load in the game, it doesn’t run down in his eyes. So, there’s quite a lot of different considerations around the design of it but from the outside I suppose it looks pretty simple.

“It’s one of those complicated things that is really straightforward if you know how.

“I hope he keeps wearing it because he looks bad ass in it, it looks real cool, I like it.”

Williams said the company had not looked into doing much work for sports previously, but were now considering it.

“It’s not a big money spinner but at least to offer the service to get people out in the game and playing again that would be pretty cool.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/breakers-mask-maker-wants-player-to-keep-wearing-bad-ass-design/

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Needle steriliser a ‘third hand’ for farmers

Source: Radio New Zealand

Graduate Jade Luxton with her Sterineedle invention. SUPPLIED

The final touches are being put on a new gadget promising to speed-up vaccinating or giving pain relief to livestock.

Around 20 New Zealand deer farmers were trialling a locally-designed holster for their livestock vaccination gun that sterilised the needles in an attached reservoir between jabs.

Founder Jade Luxton made the original Sterineedle holster with a 3D printer through high school some years back to address an agricultural challenge.

Since then, the Waikato-born graduate in product design said she had created around 100 iterations of her Sterineedle ahead of its commercialisation.

“When I looked further into this problem, I found that needles could actually be sterilized, and that’s kind of how we started with the holster idea,” she said.

“We wanted that ability to give farmers kind of like a third hand to put the vaccination gun in between animals as well.”

Jade Luxton. SUPPLIED

Luxton said it was originally created for farmers during velvetting, because every needle on each stag needs to be sterilised to meet food grade requirements.

She said deer farmers needed a solution for constantly changing needles, but the device could also benefit sheep and beef farmers.

“We currently have 20 models out trialling at the moment. But I’ve also been speaking at NZ Deer Association events, just kind of spreading awareness about the product and getting more farmers keen on the idea and keen to try it as well.”

Luxton hoped the final design would to bring it to market in time for the next velvet season.

“We’re currently testing the final design and looking for manufacturers so we can get a few models out by the start of velvetting season this year.”

She said she was inspired by her grandparents who were involved with farming.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/needle-steriliser-a-third-hand-for-farmers/

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New drone footage shows submerged catamaran close to shore in Akaroa Harbour

Source: Radio New Zealand

New drone footage shows the stranded Black Cat Cruises catamaran submerged close to shore in a small rocky bay in Akaroa Harbour on Canterbury’s Banks Peninsula.

The boat ran aground in the Akaroa Marine Reserve on Saturday, resulting in the rescue of more than 40 passengers and crew and a Transport Accident Investigation Commission investigation.

Christchurch’s Geoff Mackley captured the footage near Nikau Palm Valley at the Akaroa heads.

The Canterbury Regional Council temporarily suspended recovery efforts because of bad weather.

Attempts to move the boat to deeper waters to protect its structural integrity were on Monday because the hull had settled firmly on a large rock.

The regional council’s on-scene commander, Emma Parr, said staff had made every effort to retrieve hazardous and loose material from the wreck, whilst monitoring its stability.

“We continue to work with the salvage team to oversee and guide alternative options for the most effective and timely recovery of Black Cat,” she said.

“Our focus remains on reducing environmental impacts and ensuring the safety of everyone involved.”

The boat was carrying 2240 litres of marine diesel fuel and around 120 litres of other oils in sealed containers and engines combined.

Retired Otago University professor and biologist Liz Slooten said nearby Hector’s dolphins could be exposed to diesel pollution if it was not cleaned up quickly.

“Diesel will get into their eyes, diesel and other oils that come out of the vessel,” she said.

“It will get into their lungs by inhaling the fumes, which tend to accumulate close to the water surface because it’s heavier than normal air. That’s exactly where these dolphins are breathing.

“When they eat contaminated fish, it will get into their digestive system.”

Parr said the council was monitoring any immediate affects on the environment or wildlife and that fuel had rapidly dispersed.

“We have not observed any immediate impacts on the environment or wildlife,” he said.

Research had been done on the effects of oil and diesel spills on dolphins and showed they led to a range of serious health effects, including lung disease and adrenal gland problems, Slooten said.

She called on authorities to be more proactive when responding to emergencies.

“It seems that each time something like this happens, basically everybody stands around going, ‘oh my goodness, what are we going to do now’. We need a plan up front, rather than waiting for a disaster to happen and then trying to figure out what to do about it. That is obviously not effective,” she said.

It is the second diesel spill near Banks Peninsula in just over two years after the Austro Carina fishing boat ran aground at Shell Bay in September 2023.

Slooten said the boat would cause further environmental problems if it broke up.

“Then you’ll get plastic and metal and goodness knows what other pollutants into the environment. The longer it’s left and the more it breaks up, the harder it’s going to be to clean up the mess,” she said.

In a statement posted to social media on Saturday, Black Cat Cruises said while some of the 38 passengers were shaken by the grounding, they commended the crew for their calm, efficient and reassuring manner during evacuation.

“This is first incident to occur in over 40 years of this nature and naturally safety is our number one priority and we are deeply saddened that this has occurred. We are very grateful for the support of local operators and boaties that assisted us during this incident.

“We are commencing an investigation into the incident and working with authorities on the matter.”

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/new-drone-footage-shows-submerged-catamaran-close-to-shore-in-akaroa-harbour/

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Peeni Henare ‘stepping back’, won’t be contesting Tāmaki Makaurau seat at election

Source: Radio New Zealand

Peeni Henare is stepping down after 12 years in Parliament. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Senior Labour MP Peeni Henare is “taking a step back from politics”, saying the time has come to put his energy elsewhere.

Earlier on Tuesday, the former minister confirmed to RNZ he would not be contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau seat this year.

But in an interview with Māori start-up Tuia News, Henare went further, revealing he would step down after 12 years in Parliament, six of them as a minister across multiple portfolios.

He told the outlet there were many other issues within Te Ao Māori he wanted to focus on, including in Te Tai Tokerau and for Ngāpuhi.

Henare noted the energy required to be successful in election year, and the recent resignation of his colleague Adrian Rurawhe. He said he realised he was the only one left.

“Kua tae te wā,” Henare said. The time had come.

Both Henare and the Labour Party confirmed the decision not to seek re-election around 3pm on Tuesday.

“I have thought long and hard about this over the summer and decided not to seek the nomination for Tāmaki Makaurau again or a place on the Labour Party list,” Henare said in a statement.

“Last year was tough after losing the by-election and after careful consideration and kōrero with my whānau over the break, I have decided that it is time for me to take a step back from politics.

“It’s time to focus on my family, my wellbeing and my future”.

It stated Henare would leave Parliament in the coming weeks.

Hipkins won’t be drawn

Speaking to reporters around 2pm, Labour leader Chris Hipkins refused to comment on Henare’s movements.

When asked, Hipkins wouldn’t say whether Henare had his backing for the Māori seat or not.

“I’m not going to start a conversation on this.

“I’m still leaving Peeni the space to make his own decisions and his own announcements.”

He rejected his refusal to answer implied a lack of confidence, “no, it just means I’m leaving him the space.”

Hipkins said he’d been told by Henare in the last week or two that he wouldn’t be putting nominating himself as a candidate for the seat.

The news from Tuia broke as Hipkins was speaking, but despite the confirmation of Henare’s plans, Hipkins declined to answer.

“It’s not fair for me to go out and comment on people’s decisions before they have communicated them.

“You’re not going to have to wait that much longer.”

Hipkins said an announcement would be made at 4pm on Tuesday.

He said he’d comment on the news later on.

A decade in Parliament

Henare entered Parliament in 2014, winning the the Tāmaki Makaurau seat over the Māori party. He held onto the seat for nearly a decade, before being ousted by Te Pāti Māori’s Takutaki Tarsh Kemp in 2023 by a slim margin.

He contested the seat in the Tāmaki Makaurau by-election in 2025, following Kemp’s death, but lost to Oriini Kaipara who received around twice as many votes.

During the by-election he batted away suggestions of a Labour leadership bid, but didn’t rule it out.

At the time Henare said Hipkins, the current leader, had his full support.

During the previous Labour government, he held portfolios such as Defence, Whānau Ora, Civil Defence, Tourism and ACC.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/peeni-henare-stepping-back-wont-be-contesting-tamaki-makaurau-seat-at-election/

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Weather News – A cold and wet Tuesday, but sunshine coming – MetService

Source: MetService

Covering period of Monday 2nd – Thursday 5th February
 
January 2026 saw sweltering heat early in the month with intense rain to follow. Some long-standing records were broken:

Tauranga Airport Wettest Day (9am to 9am) with 274.0mm on 21st Jan.*
Timaru Airport Wettest January with 135.7mm.
Tauranga Airport Wettest January with 408.9mm.
Kerikeri Airport Warmest January Day (9am to 9am) 32.7°C on 11th Jan.
Whitianga Airport Wettest Day (9am to 9am) 247.6mm on 21st Jan.

Records began in 1910 for Tauranga, 1956 for Timaru, 1978 for Kerikeri and 1987 for Whitianga.

Today (Monday), the upper South Island celebrates Nelson Anniversary Day. While cloud and rain move in from the west, many have had a fine morning in the east. The remainder of the day will be dry for Marlborough. It’s a different story for the rest of the country.

MetService Meteorologist Michael Pawley adds “There’s a soupy mess of humid air covering much of the North Island today, and a low-pressure system moving in from the Tasman Sea. Rain is trekking up the South Island today, getting heavier about central New Zealand tomorrow as the low crosses over. There is even the possibility of snow above 1,200 meters about Canterbury from Tuesday afternoon.”

MetService has a Heavy Rain Watch about the Westland ranges south of Fox Glacier until this evening. Tomorrow there is a Heavy Rain Watch for Marlborough south of Seddon, and Canterbury north of the Rangitata River, which has a high chance of being upgraded to an Orange Rain Warning.  In addition, there is a Strong Wind Watch for southeasterlies about Fiordland, Westland and Grey District.

MetService has heat alerts for Napier and Hastings today, which are expected to reach 32°C and 33°C respectively. Much of the North Island has a muggy night ahead. Napier has an overnight minimum temperature of 23°C, and Auckland will only drop to 21°C.

On Tuesday, the maximum temperature for Canterbury will be in the early hours of the morning. Christchurch will drop to a chilly 12°C for most of the day.

* Tauranga experienced a wetter 24-hour period between 17th and 18th May 2005; however, this rainfall was spread across two official reporting days, as daily rainfall is measured from 9am to 9am for climatological records.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/weather-news-a-cold-and-wet-tuesday-but-sunshine-coming-metservice/

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Health – Patients Strongly Prefer Face-to-Face GP Care, New Survey Shows

Source: General Practice Owners Association (GenPro)

A new survey of nearly 1,800 New Zealand patients shows a clear and consistent preference for face-to-face consultations with family doctors, reinforcing the central role of in-person, GP-led care in general practice

The survey, conducted by the General Practice Owners Association (GenPro), gathered feedback from 1,798 patients through GenPro member practices.

The results provide a valuable snapshot of patient sentiment at a time when access targets and digital care models are under active discussion.

Eighty-seven percent of respondents ranked in-clinic, face-to-face consultations as their preferred way to receive care, with telehealth options — including video, email, and patient portals — ranking significantly lower.

“Patients are telling us very clearly that quality care, trust, and reassurance are closely tied to seeing their GP in person,” said Dr Angus Chambers, Chair of the General Practice Owners Association.

“Digital tools absolutely have a place, but they are not a substitute for the clinical judgement, connection, and confidence that come from face-to-face care.”

The survey found that patients particularly value in-person appointments when it matters most. Nearly two in three patients prefer face-to-face care when a physical examination is needed, or if they have new health concerns, the survey says.

“These results highlight that patients see in-person consultations as critical for accurate diagnosis and building trust,” Dr Chambers said. “That’s something a screen cannot replicate.”

While telehealth is useful for convenience, patients don’t see it as a replacement for in-person GP care. Telehealth was most commonly used for:

Repeat prescriptions (60 percent);
Test results (55 percent);
Minor or simple health issues (53 percent).

However, 15 percent of respondents said they did not like telehealth and would not use it at all.

“Telehealth works well for specific, low-complexity tasks,” said Dr Chambers. “But patients are clear — when it comes to real clinical engagement, they want to be in the room with their GP.”
The survey also revealed a strong preference for GP-led care:

96 percent prefer to see a GP when visiting their practice;
48 percent said they always want to see a GP, even when other clinicians are available.

When booking appointments, patients prioritised appointment availability (80 percent) and continuity with the same clinician (66 percent).

Cost and convenience ranked lower, suggesting patients value ongoing relationships and access over speed or price.

“This reinforces what general practice has always known — continuity of care matters,” Dr Chambers said. “Patients want to be known, understood, and cared for by a qualified professional they trust.”

The survey did not collect demographic or regional data and was not intended for formal benchmarking. However, GenPro says the findings highlight the need for patient voices to be front and centre in policy discussions about access targets and models of care.

Dr Chambers said that the Government had lavished subsidies on telehealth providers of telehealth.

“A ‘digital first’ policy might look good on paper and create the impression that the government is taking action. But it will not deliver the outcomes it promises. The money would be far better invested in retaining and recruiting community GPs to deliver the safer, higher-quality care they already provide.”

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/health-patients-strongly-prefer-face-to-face-gp-care-new-survey-shows/

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Universities – New Zealand law lags where dark patterns target the vulnerable – UoA

Source: University of Auckland – UoA

Researchers are exploring how dark patterns exploit vulnerable consumers, and what New Zealand law can do about it.

Several of the world’s most powerful social media giants, including Meta and YouTube, are on trial in the US over claims their apps were designed to be harmful to young people. For University of Auckland law academics Professor Jodi Gardner and Dr Joshua Yuvaraj, the case connects closely with their research into manipulative advertising, vulnerable users and New Zealand law.

In the chapter Manipulative Advertising and Vitiating Factors, which features in a forthcoming book examining how laws in the Asia-Pacific region are transforming in response to the digital world, the researchers look at the role ‘dark patterns’ play in manipulative advertising.

Dark patterns are digital design tactics intended to confuse users, make it difficult to express their true preferences, or manipulate them into taking certain actions.

There are different types of dark patterns that can influence purchases, for example, forced action, obstruction, sneaking an item into a basket, and scarcity or urgency messaging. These practices are objectively unfair to all consumers, and the researchers say they’re relatively straightforward to recognise and regulate.

Their chapter, however, focuses on a more complex dark pattern: identifying people with potential vulnerabilities, such as by tracking their search habits, and then exploiting these through targeted ads or pop-ups.

The researchers call this ‘vulnerability exploitation’.

“The harm in question doesn’t come from the content of the advertisement itself, but from the fact that it purposefully targets people who are vulnerable and may agree to purchases not in their best interests,” they write.

Gardner and Yuvaraj use three case studies to highlight how vulnerable groups can be targeted by manipulative advertising: children urged to buy online game add-ons before a countdown ends, financially illiterate or disadvantaged people encouraged to invest in digital assets, and women anxious about fertility targeted by egg-freezing companies.

The authors argue that the heightened vulnerability of such groups to dark patterns underscores the need for better consumer protections.

Another issue when it comes to manipulation in gaming is the use of ‘loot boxes’, says Yuvaraj. This is where players can open a virtual crate or similar item, without knowing in advance what kind of game feature or ‘loot’ they will receive. One New Zealand gamer described becoming addicted to the thrill of opening loot boxes and spent about $16,000 doing so.

The Department of Internal Affairs has so far rejected calls to include loot boxes in the definition of gambling, and the researchers say their regulation and that of other in-app purchases will likely need to come under the Fair Trading Act.

Yuvaraj and Gardner say protections in the Act to directly address the exploitation of vulnerable consumers should be expanded. They advocate supplementing ‘statutory unconscionability protection’ with broader ‘unfair practices’ provisions, as seen in recent European Union and Singapore reforms.

They say expanding New Zealand’s statutory consumer protection framework to directly cover ‘vulnerability exploitation’ could bear fruit, as shown by a €1.125 million fine ($NZD2.2 million) given to Epic Games in the Netherlands for targeting children with in-app purchases in the popular game Fortnite.

Another avenue to improve the law in this area is to expand court-developed protections so they better fit modern, app-based and standard-form contracts, and Yuvaraj says courts could intervene when a person’s vulnerability or lack of meaningful choice affects their ability to agree to or understand the impact of a contract or transaction. This could include situations where a business should have been more alert to a person’s vulnerability, or where there’s a power imbalance.

“Given how quickly new technologies are developing that can cause harm to people, such as AI deepfakes, it’s critical to ensure New Zealand’s legal framework is set up to protect the most vulnerable members of society,” he says.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/universities-new-zealand-law-lags-where-dark-patterns-target-the-vulnerable-uoa/

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Federated Farmers warns of ‘water tax’ risk

Source: Federated Farmers

Federated Farmers says while it supports the intent of the Government’s resource management overhaul, a deep dive into the draft legislation has revealed some serious concerns.
Most concerning are provisions allowing freshwater rights to be auctioned, tendered, or levied – effectively enabling freshwater to be taxed, says Federated Farmers RMA reform spokesperson Mark Hooper.
“It’s not an exaggeration to say we were alarmed when we read clauses in the Natural Environment Bill that give future Ministers sweeping powers to tax water to manage demand.
“There is no way on earth Federated Farmers can or will support that.
“I’ll be seeking urgent clarification from the Beehive, because any reform that allows water taxes by stealth is completely unacceptable to us.”
Last December the Government released two new bills – the Planning Bill and the Natural Environment Bill – to replace the Resource Management Act.
Hooper says Federated Farmers staff have spent the past eight weeks working through the detail.
“It’s important to state up front that Federated Farmers is completely on board with the aims of the reform.
“The promise of a stronger focus on property rights, a tighter scope, fewer resource consents, more standardisation and less litigation all sound like the reset farmers have been calling for.
“But as we’ve worked through the detail, it’s become clear that there are parts of these bills that do not align with those aims at all.”
Hooper says the risk of water taxes is not the only concern. As currently drafted, the new system may be more permissive where environmental limits are comfortably met, but significantly more restrictive where a catchment is at or near its limit.
“Councils often set limits that aim to maintain current water quality levels, so this could mean many catchments are immediately at or beyond environmental limits from the outset.
“As the Natural Environment Bill becomes more restrictive as catchments approach those limits, that could actually mean more resource consents for farmers as the bills are currently drafted.
“This is on top of requirements for all farmers to also have a Freshwater Farm Plan.
“Federated Farmers supports a shift to a farm plan approach, but only if it replaces, rather than sits alongside, the need for a resource consent.”
Another area of concern is the wording around when councils must compensate landowners for loss of property value.
Hooper says Federated Farmers welcomed the Government’s earlier commitment to compensation when restrictive overlays – such as Outstanding Natural Landscapes and Significant Natural Areas – are imposed on farms.
“But now, when we read the draft legislation, we’re seeing a compensation regime that’s much more uncertain than many expected.
“It relies on proving a ‘significant impact on the reasonable use of land’, which means compensation could be very limited and will ultimately depend on how future court cases interpret that threshold.”
Hooper says another major concern is that Water Conservation Orders remain largely untouched, despite being an outdated planning tool.
“Farmers and growers are pretty baffled that these relics haven’t been ditched, as they’re a very poor way to manage freshwater resources.
“They allow any member of the public to override regional council processes and push for stricter freshwater controls.”
Hooper says much of the most important detail in the Natural Environment Bill – including the meaning of key goals, the scope of regulation, and what regional plans must contain – is deferred to future national direction set by the Minister.
“That creates a ‘trust us and wait’ model and opens the door to wildly different interpretations by future governments.
“Farmers need certainty if they’re going to invest in their land. A system that leaves key details up to future Ministers creates risk, delays decisions, and undermines confidence in the whole reform.”
Federated Farmers is preparing a strong submission aimed at highlighting weaknesses in both bills and supporting the Select Committee process to amend both bills.
“We’ll be doing all we can to ensure the reform delivers what farmers were promised,” Hooper says.  

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/federated-farmers-warns-of-water-tax-risk/

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Universities – Lotto reform: could a new prize-linked bond be a safer bet? – UoA

Source: University of Auckland (UoA)

Researchers look back in time to see how people react when lotteries are restricted and an alternative is offered.

Imagine if the money from every Lotto ticket you bought had instead gone into a ‘lottery bond’. You’d still have a chance to win life-changing cash prizes, but your money would also be saved, earning interest and being paid back over time. If you don’t win, you don’t lose it all either.

In Belgium, where University of Auckland finance lecturer Dr Gertjan Verdickt lived most of his life, Lotto draws, like in New Zealand, are broadcast on national television each week, and this sparked his interest in how people respond when governments try to curb gambling.

The Business School researcher and co-author, Amaury De Vicq (University of Groningen), studied what happened after, in 1905, the Dutch government banned the sale and purchase of traditional lotteries but allowed an alternative: ‘lottery bonds’.

“We wanted to look back in time to investigate what happens when a government tries to shift gambling from something addictive and loss-making (lotteries) to something safer such as lottery bonds. How do different socio-economic groups react?”

These ‘lottery bonds’ were a legal fixed-income product that let people invest in a bond while also going into a prize draw. Buyers were guaranteed their money back, plus interest, with the added chance of winning. Similar prize-linked products operate in several countries today, with different designs.

Verdickt says this kind of government-run bond scheme could be attractive in New Zealand.

“Lotto is often defended because it funds community projects, which is fantastic, but it can disproportionately draw spending from people on lower incomes. Maybe the government could move towards supporting people to put money into something where they get a safe return, and the chance for a big win.

“A premium government-led bond-style product, different to the solely prize-based Bonus Bonds which wound up in New Zealand in 2020, could fund public projects, while allowing New Zealanders to grow their money rather than lose money week after week.”

So how did everyday Dutch people react when regular Lotto was banned?

The researchers drew on Dutch inheritance tax archives to create detailed portfolio holdings for 3,618 people, allowing them to track how different groups adjusted their investments after the policy change.

The researchers found that overall, less wealthy people put more money into lottery bonds, while wealthy individuals decreased their holdings.

“Although we didn’t observe people’s prior lottery purchases, the magnitude of the move towards lottery bonds indicates that these bonds could be considered a substitute for gambling.”

Age and location mattered too. The researchers found younger people were less likely to take up lottery bonds, while older individuals showed a stronger move into them after the policy change.
The lack of interest in lottery bonds among younger individuals could be seen as a success in the Dutch government’s attempt to curb gambling, says Verdickt.

Lotteries and other forms of gambling remained legal in neighbouring Belgium and Germany, and the researchers say poorer people living farther from those borders were more likely to invest in lottery bonds than those closer by, who may have been tempted across the border.

Channelling the urge to gamble

The regulation of gambling has always been a challenge for governments, say the researchers, pitting concerns for financial stability and addictions against consumer demand.

“Our study shows the Dutch government’s lottery bonds were helpful; they channelled people’s urge to gamble into an instrument that also encouraged saving.”

He says governments like New Zealand’s might consider promoting a form of ‘lottery bond’ as a safer alternative to playing Lotto.

“Of course, these days people have so many options online and in-person when it comes to gambling. You can’t ban the urge to gamble, but you can guide people towards safer channels.

“The lottery bond offered by the Dutch government, for example, wasn’t a perfect investment, but it did provide a better option for many people.”

Read the working paper: Financial Regulation and Household Portfolio Reallocation: The Impact of the 1905 Dutch Lottery Ban: https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5261473

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/universities-lotto-reform-could-a-new-prize-linked-bond-be-a-safer-bet-uoa/

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Investigation launched after body located on worksite, Omahu

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have launched an investigation after the discovery of a body at a worksite on Taihape Road, Omahu, earlier today.

Staff were called to the scene about 9.10am after a body was located on the property.

The circumstances of how the person came to be there, and how they died, are unclear, and the death is currently being treated as unexplained.

Police will now work to identify the person and to establish the circumstances surrounding their death.

A scene examination will be carried out, as well as a post mortem examination. Cordons are currently in place at the address.

Anyone with information about this incident or anyone believed to be involved can get in touch through our 105 service, quoting reference number 260203/9739.

You can also share information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS 

Issued by Police Media Centre

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/investigation-launched-after-body-located-on-worksite-omahu/

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Unemployment set to linger as wage growth remains steady

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

  • Unemployment expected to remain steady at 5.3 pct – data due 4 Feb, 10.45 am.
  • Labour market probably at the bottom, but improvement gradual.
  • Prospect of some modest job growth.
  • Wage growth to remain subdued, lagging inflation.
  • Data not likely to change RBNZ rates on hold policy.

Unemployment looks set to linger around a near-decade high, but may show signs that the labour market downturn has ended.

Most major bank economists expect the unemployment rate to stay unchanged at 5.3 percent for the three months ended December, but with tentative signs of employment growth, and wage growth subdued.

ASB senior economist Mark Smith was among the more optimistic with a forecast unemployment rate easing to 5.2 percent, which would be the first decline in four years.

“We expect the data to confirm we have passed the turning point for the labour market.”

Other economists echoed the view that the labour market, the sector that lags recessions and recoveries, has at least touched the bottom.

“We do expect this Wednesday’s suite of … labour market data to show a general halting of deterioration as well as some more signs of improvement in the details,” BNZ senior economist Doug Steel said.

Labour market numbers can be something of a statistical lucky dip.

The unemployment rate can be moved by the size of the workforce, how many are participating, have gone training or stopped looking for work, irrespective of how many jobs may have been created.

ANZ senior economist Miles Workman said more people participating in the search for work, even if the jobs were not there, might still be a positive.

“While it would point to a more disinflationary labour market than the RBNZ anticipates, it would also add to the evidence that conditions are rounding a corner, with labour supply responding to improving job prospects.”

The jobs are coming

Partial labour market indicators in the recent months, such as job advertisement and filled jobs numbers, point to an increase in jobs matching the growth in the working age population.

“Employment is expected to register its strongest growth in around two years, although numbers are still more than 30,000 shy of late 2023 peaks,” ASB’s Smith said.

However, Westpac senior economist Michael Gordon said overall improvement would be gradual with employers being wary of hiring.

“The September quarter saw a strong lift in hours per worker, and indeed that’s where we’d expect to see the initial response to an economic upturn – employers have scope to get more out of their existing workers, before resorting to new hiring.

Slow wage growth to please RBNZ for now

Wage growth is expected to remain subdued and steady around four-year lows of 2 percent.

“Labour cost growth is expected to remain modest, with the balance of power still tilted towards employers,” ASB’s Smith said.

He said emerging signs of skilled labour shortages, a stronger labour market and growing wage demands would eventually weigh on the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate outlook (OCR).

“Reducing labour market slack suggests the need to normalise OCR settings. We expect a 25 basis point hike in December and a 3.0 percent OCR endpoint, but note the risks are pointing to a larger and more frontloaded pace of OCR hikes.”

The RBNZ is expected to hold the cash rate steady at 3.25 percent for most of this year.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/unemployment-set-to-linger-as-wage-growth-remains-steady/

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Auckland mayor Wayne Brown mocks government’s proposal to cap rates

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown with his cap and can of beans. Supplied

Auckland’s mayor says the government’s proposed legislation to cap rates rises is “ridiculous” and “nonsense”.

The government wants councils to limit annual rates increases and is seeking feedback on a rates cap.

At Tuesday’s full Auckland Council meeting, Wayne Brown put on a cap saying ‘RATES’ in a self-described move to mock the proposal.

He said the rates cap plan was a “fascinating piece of nonsense from Wellington”.

“I shall put my rates cap on while we mock this piece of ridiculous legislation,” Brown told the Council meeting.

“And I have a can of baked beans here which represents the amount of saving [over] a month that ratepayers will get, as a result of this fine work.”

Auckland’s mayor says the saving to ratepayers will amount to a can of beans a month. Supplied

The council opposes the cap on the grounds it is not an effective tool to provide affordability and would result in more debt.

“Auckland ratepayers are unlikely to achieve the savings estimated by central government of $2.79 a month for each household, or the cost of a can of baked beans as noted by some commentators,” council’s manager of financial strategy and modelling violet bird said in a report.

“This assessment from the government excluded Auckland Council from its calculations due to the council’s ‘moderate rates forecast’ and size.”

Ratepayers ‘fed up’, Luxon says

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon previously said ratepayers were “fed up”.

“They’re tired of having to prudently manage their own budgets while rates continue to go up, only to see their local council fail to demonstrate the same fiscal discipline.”

He said the government was not considering allowing councils to raise revenue through a levy on tourists, like a bed tax.

“We want councils to be focused on the money that they’ve got and make sure they’re doing a much better job of managing it. Some councils are doing a really good job, some councils are doing a very very poor job.”

Consultation on the changes opened immediately, and was set to close in February 2026 with the legislation expecting to be passed by the end of that year.

In December, the government announced it wanted councils to limit rates rises and more detail was released later that month, leaving councils a short runway to prepare a response.

The rates rise cap would likely start with minimum increases of two percent and a maximum of four percent, with the cap taking effect from 1 January 2027.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/auckland-mayor-wayne-brown-mocks-governments-proposal-to-cap-rates/

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Electricity Authority to launch new power bill comparison website next month

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Electricity Authority is set to launch a new power bill comparison website. 123RF

The electricity market regulator will launch a new power bill comparison website next month, in a bid to ensure the industry better serves consumers.

It is one of many changes being made after a spike in electricity prices last year led to a government review of the market.

In 2024, a spot price shock saw households and businesses face increases of between 10 and 15 percent on their power bills, which was a factor in the shutdown of several industrial businesses across the country.

Electricity Authority chief executive Sarah Gillies said a new power comparison website would be launched next month with the authority also considering rules to simplify bills so that they were easier for consumers to understand.

It also wanted to see more companies offering plans with lower prices during off-peak hours and electricity regulators sharing power use data, so consumers could automate their electricity use if they wanted to.

“Last year we made a decision that we needed to see the large retailers offering time-of-use plans, there was a sense that some were doing it, but not everybody … so that’s a requirement for everybody over a certain size to do that from July this year.”

In January, the government announced the retail electricity sector as the next industry to be considered under the Customer and Product Data Act.

Known as open electricity, it would simplify the ability to compare the electricity needs of a household or small businesses against every power plan on the market.

Last year, the government established a Consumer Data Right – a legal framework to let people access, share, and manage certain data, like transaction history, with trusted third parties through secure digital systems – with the hope of creating greater choice, convenience, and innovation.

Gillies said the authority was working with the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment on a framework that detailed what information should be shared, and how.

“Data is absolutely critical … and the bottom line is it belongs to consumers, it’s about them.”

Previously, power companies had been reluctant to release data, despite it belonging to the consumer.

Gillies said the Power Build comparison website was due to be launched next month, replacing the Power Switch in a bid to help consumers ensure they are getting the best deal. It had been built using two years’ worth of data from 30,000 households and would no longer be funded by power companies being charged a fee every time a consumer switched, she said.

“You can either use your own power bill or you can answer some questions about your household and how you use your power and those two options will give you some choices.”

She said there would be information to help people understand time of use pricing, an electricity tariff structure where rates vary based on the time of consumption, charging higher prices during “peak demand” hours and lower prices during “off-peak” times.

The government is still working through potential legislation as a result of reforms in the industry.

Gillies said 35 rule changes had been made in the last two years, which showed a “constant strengthening” of the rules that govern the system.

“We have this incredible privilege to write the rules of the electricity industry, secondary legislation,” Gillies said.

The maximum penalty for a breach of the rules is currently $2 million, with a proposal to increase it to $10m or three times the commercial gain or 10 percent of a company’s turnover.

“That’s quite important because that’s much more akin to the kinds of penalties that you see with the FMA and the Commerce Commission.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/electricity-authority-to-launch-new-power-bill-comparison-website-next-month/

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More than 40 flights cancelled at Wellington Airport due to fog

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Airport. File picture. RNZ/ Mark Papalii

Fog is causing disruption at Wellington Airport, with more than 40 flights affected on Tuesday.

A spokesperson for the airport said 48 flights had been cancelled.

According to the airport’s website, on Tuesday afternoon flights leaving for Christchurch, Napier and Dunedin were among those cancelled, along with flights arriving from Christchurch, Brisbane and Hamilton.

Passengers are advised to check directly with their airlines for the latest information on their travel plans.

MetService is forecasting rain for Wellington with strong southerlies on Tuesday evening.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/more-than-40-flights-cancelled-at-wellington-airport-due-to-fog-2/

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Public Sector Code to strengthen integrity

Source: New Zealand Government

An updated Code of Conduct will strengthen integrity across the Public Sector, Public Service Minister Judith Collins says.

“New Zealanders expect the people that serve them to act with the highest integrity, accountability and professionalism,” Ms Collins says.

“The new Code of Conduct for the Public Sector resets those expectations and provides clear guidance to public servants.”

The Code is based around the public service values and builds on existing expectations about integrity and conduct. It also introduces new standards to address key findings from the 2025 Public Service Census, including merit-based appointments, workplace culture and respectful behaviour.

“Integrity requires strong leadership, sound judgement, and workplace cultures where people feel safe to speak up and do what is right – especially when no one is watching,” Ms Collins said.

“To support this, the Public Service Commission is introducing required training on the updated Code of Conduct and General Election Guidance – which covers how public servants must act before, during, and after an election.

“We’re fixing the basics so New Zealanders have a system that is not only effective, but exemplary – one that consistently serves the public interest and appropriately uses the powers entrusted to it.” 

The updated Code of Conduct for the Public Sector is now available on the Public Service Commission website. Integrity learning resources will be available on the Leadership Development Centre in March 2026, when the Code takes effect.

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/public-sector-code-to-strengthen-integrity/

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Can you help find Doug the pug?

Source: Radio New Zealand

A therapy pug who has helped children too unwell to attend school has been missing for more than two weeks in Russell, Bay of Islands.

Doug, a six-year-old pug, disappeared while holidaying with his owner, Auckland-based Northern Health School teacher, Monique Burke. He was last seen rummaging through a nearby Russell property before heading in the direction of where they were staying.

“He does frequent the neighbours – so we have since found out – and would pop next door, I’m guessing, and would just wait to see if there were any snacks available and if not, he would just trot on home.”

When Doug had been gone for more than an hour — far longer than usual — Burke knew something was wrong. Searches of the neighbourhood that night were unsuccessful, and the hunt has continued ever since.

Burke told Afternoons she has exhausted all avenues, including a social media campaign, door-knocking neighbours and nearby businesses, and even enlisting a police dog to help track him down — all without success.

Doug has been part of the Northern Health School community since he was a puppy, working alongside Burke to support students who are unable to attend their regular schools due to illness, injury, or mental health challenges.

“He was a special little guy,” Burke says. “[He had an] innate way of sensing when a student needed comfort and would go and sit with them.”

Doug has also helped students overcome a fear of dogs and has worked alongside psychologists and other schools to support student transitions.

“More often than not he was a reason that got many of our students through the door.”

Burke says it’s unlikely Doug wandered far on his own.

“He is a mummy’s boy, he wouldn’t go far and he’s got little legs and a little fat body, and I just can’t imagine him trying to get through some of the terrain that is up there [in the bush].”

She worries someone may have picked him up thinking he was abandoned, because she had just removed his collar.

“I’m hoping that if he has been picked up that he is being well looked after and that potentially they hear the story behind and do the right thing and bring him in.”

Burke is urging anyone with information or sightings to come forward, adding that any leads or social media shares are deeply appreciated.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/can-you-help-find-doug-the-pug/

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Have you seen Kareeve?

Source: New Zealand Police

Police are asking for the public’s help finding Kareeve Witehira, who has been reported missing from the Manurewa area.

The 45-year-old was reported missing on 27 January and is likely in the wider Auckland or Northland areas.

Kareeve is described as about 180cms tall with black hair.

Police and Kareeve’s family have concerns for her welfare and would like to find her as soon as possible.

If you have seen Kareeve, or have any information that could help us find her, please call 111 and reference file number 260129/3742.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/have-you-seen-kareeve/

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Whenua Hou an inspiration for Rakiura wildlife recovery

Source: NZ Department of Conservation

To imagine how healthy and abundant New Zealand forests could be, we don’t have to travel back in time; we can look to the many predator-free islands across the country for inspiration.

In this story, we journey to Whenua Hou/Codfish Island at the bottom of Te Waipounamu/the South Island to find out why it’s one of the most coveted wildlife sanctuaries in the country and how it is inspiring efforts to protect and restore native species nearby on Rakiura/Stewart Island.

Campbell Island teal thriving on Whenua Hou. Photo credit: Leon Everett

There are 110 predator-free islands in New Zealand, and more than 30 of them lie just offshore from Rakiura. This includes Whenua Hou, which is home to the largest population of the critically endangered kākāpō, along with other extremely rare birds including mohua/yellowhead, kuaka/Whenua Hou diving petrel, mātātā/fernbird and tūtukiwi/snipe.

Although Whenua Hou is off-limits to the public to help protect threatened wildlife, DOC and Ngāi Tahu have been working there for decades, largely to support and study kākāpō and prevent rats from re-invading. 

As we are working to eradicate rats, feral cats and possums on Rakiura, we asked two experienced conservationists to describe the eco-system on Whenua Hou and how it compares to Rakiura National Park which is just three kilometres east of the island.  

‘We are Whenua Hou, Whenua Hou is us’

Tāne shows how his ancestors on Whenua Hou harvested tōtara bark to make poha – kelp bags used to store tītī/muttonbirds birds for kai.

Whenua Hou was the first place in the south where European men – mostly sealers – and Ngāi Tahu women lived together. It was also an important place for Ngāi Tahu voyagers who used to stop there on the way to the Tītī Islands to harvest tītī/muttonbirds.

Tāne Davis is one of the descendants of these inhabitants, and as a child, he remembers seeing the island’s mighty tōtara from his father’s boat on the way to the Tītī Islands to catch crayfish.

“I used to wonder what was there… and my mother used to say, ‘Ko mātou ko Whenua Hou, ko Whenua Hou ko mātou’. We are Whenua hou, Whenua hou is us.”

Left to right: Ngāi Tahu Carver James York, Ngāi Tahu Fund Chair Suzanne Ellison, Mahri Batey, Leanda Davis, Jane Davis, Tane Davis. Pictured with Te Pou Nehera

Tāne first stepped foot on Whenua Hou 25 years ago, not long after it became predator free, with DOC and Ngāi Tahu working together to eradicate pacific rats/kiore in 1998 and possums in 1986.

Tāne has since had a vital role in the management of the island as the chair of the Ngāi Tahu Whenua Hou Komiti and the Ngāi Tahu representative for the Kākāpō Recovery Programme.

“You don’t have to look hard to see the changes. Whenua Hou has become a safe haven for taonga species, and the forest has regenerated quite quickly from possum browsing.”

This work has paved the way for kākāpō to potentially have their biggest breeding season on record this year.  

It has also helped to create opportunities for Ngāi Tahu descendants to return and re-affirm their whakapapa connections on Whenua Hou. This included the establishment of three pou in 2017 to tell the story of the island’s human history and preserve it for generations to come.

“You can feel the presence of our tīpuna on the island, and we feel a sense of belonging and the responsibility as kaitiaki.”

Tāne has great belief in the vision for Rakiura to become predator-free, and the benefits this will have for all people connected to the island.

“Whenua Hou is like a role model for Rakiura. We’ve got to utilise these achievements on a larger scale.”

An island heaving with wildlife

DOC scientist, Graeme Elliott using an aerial and a receiver to find kākāpō that have transmitters attached to them. Photo supplied

DOC scientist, Graeme Elliott, has spent most of his life studying New Zealand’s wildlife, including kākāpō on Whenua Hou.

“My first visit was in 1995. We often slept in tents and there was a constant chatter of seabirds, but we also stayed in the hut next to this stunning white sand beach.”

He says when visiting Whenua Hou, nature is no longer a spectacle that you’re searching for, but you’re living amongst it and interacting with it at every moment – it’s naturing at its finest.

“When you go outside the hut, the forest is heaving with birds. There’s a little duck or a kākāpō wandering around, and tītī nesting underneath the deck.

“Without deer and possums, the forest has grown dense and luscious, making it difficult to get around. There are kākā and kererū everywhere, along with big flocks of mohua, brown creeper, kākāriki and riflemen.”

On summer nights, Graeme says you can hear hundreds of thousands of petrels flying over the forest as they come ashore to breed.

“Their colonies on the island are a bit whiffy but their poop acts as an incredible natural fertiliser. Big parts of the island are porous with lots of holes made by burrowing petrels. Most of New Zealand used to be covered in seabird burrows once upon a time.”

Check out the diversity of wildlife in this gallery of images captured by DOC volunteer Archer Tern during a trip to Whenua Hou last year.

Kākāriki/red crowned parakeet

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Kākāriki/red crowned parakeet
Mohua/yellowhead

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Mohua/yellowhead
Korimako/bell bird

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Korimako/bell bird
Mātātā/fern bird

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Mātātā/fern bird
Stewart Island skink

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Stewart Island green skink
Campbell Island teal

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Campbell Island teal
Ruru/morepork

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Ruru/morepork
Helm’s Stag Beetle

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Helm’s Stag Beetle

Rakiura could become like a huge version of Whenua Hou

Whenua Hou is a fair comparison to Stewart Island regarding its landscape as they are nearly identical, but just on a smaller scale, Graeme says.

“The type of vegetation is similar as well, with rimu, totara, kahikatea, rātā, and miro. But the bird life is vastly different. Forest birds are so uncommon on Rakiura, and the damage caused by pests and predators is visible all over the place.”

Oban township, which has more bird life than other parts of Rakiura, gives a false impression of what life is like in the forest, he says.

“This is likely because regular trapping has occurred in the area for many years. Oban is also in close vicinity to Ulva Island, which is predator free and hosts a range of native species, some of which have large home ranges and will travel around the township.

“Oban also has a variety of urban food sources for birds like kākā, kererū and tui that are not available elsewhere on the island, such as exotic fruit trees.”

When you get out into Rakiura National Park, Graeme says there’s a shocking absence of sound and forest health is poor in comparison to Whenua Hou.

“We have feral cats eating birds, rats hoarding and eating seeds and eggs, deer eating plants and saplings on the ground, and possums stripping the new shoots and leaves off trees like Southern Rātā which thins out the canopy. It’s so still in places that you can hear a single fly buzzing when the bird noise should be dominant.”

Honouring the legacy of Solstice

Solstice on her third nest in 2019 on Whenua Hou. She sadly died of an infection last year after battling cloacitis. Credit: Andrew Digby

Graeme and Tāne have dedicated much of their lives to protecting te taiao – the natural world. They both dream of seeing Rakiura become New Zealand’s largest wildlife sanctuary yet.

“It’s desperately needed for our threatened species, especially for kākāpō, which are nearly at capacity on Whenua Hou, so they can grow their population,” Graeme says.

This was reinforced recently with the passing of Solstice, who was the last kākāpō to be found and rescued on Stewart Island in 1997. She was one of the female founders of the modern population and has 27 descendants.

“Solstice was a matriarch for the species,” Tāne says.

“Her legacy is one of desperate survival and hope for future generations. We can honour her by enabling her mokopuna to return home to Rakiura and fill the forests with their booming calls once again.”

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/03/whenua-hou-an-inspiration-for-rakiura-wildlife-recovery/