Source: New Zealand Police
One lane on Mouse Point Road/ State Highway 7 is blocked following a two-vehicle crash this morning.
Emergency services received reports of the crash about 11am.
Motorists are asked to delay travel if possible and expect delays.
Police are in attendance and there are no reports of injuries.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/31/lane-blocked-mouse-point-road-sh7/
Source: New Zealand Police
Please attribute to Superintendent Naila Hassan, Waitematā District Commander:
A Police cordon remains in place at the Fanshawe Street off-ramp and on-ramp.
Protestors moved from Victoria Park to the cordon where they met a visible Police presence.
A majority of this group have now moved away back towards Victoria Park.
A temporary stoppage of all southbound traffic on State Highway 1 was put in place from the Onewa Road off-ramp.
This was in place for a short time to allow additional Police resource to move into the CBD.
We thank motorists for their cooperation with this brief disruption.
There are no further issues at this stage.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/31/auckland-protest-update-3/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Police say a large operation is now underway in central Auckland as two planned protests take place in central Auckland today.
Protesters have begun gathering at Victoria Park as part of the Destiny Church-affiliated Freedom and Rights Coalition rally.
The group had its bid to march across the Harbour Bridge denied.
A second Palestine solidarity rally is expected at Te Komititanga Square.
Toitū te Aroha spokesperson Bianca Ranson said the aim was to stand in solidarity with diverse communities across Aotearoa.
Follow RNZ’s liveblog at the top of this page.
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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/2026/01/31/live-traffic-delays-expected-in-auckland-with-two-protests-planned/
Source: New Zealand Police
Please attribute to Superintendent Naila Hassan, Waitematā District Commander:
Police staff remain highly visible in Auckland CBD to monitor protest activity, particularly around Victoria Park.
Police staff have formed a cordon at the Fanshawe Road on-ramp and off-ramp.
We will not permit unlawful access onto the motorway network.
Road closures remain in place in the area.
There are no further issues to advise at this stage.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/31/auckland-protest-update-2/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Police say a large operation is now underway in central Auckland as two planned protests take place in central Auckland today.
Protesters have begun gathering at Victoria Park as part of the Destiny Church-affiliated Freedom and Rights Coalition rally.
A second Palestine solidarity rally is expected at Te Komititanga Square.
Follow RNZ’s liveblog at the top of this page.
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/2026/01/31/live-twin-protests-set-to-cause-traffic-woes-for-auckland/
Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa – PSNA
PSNA says for once the New Zealand government has made a good decision for Gaza by refusing to join Trump’s Board of Peace.
But PSNA also says New Zealand must continue to push for complete Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, full resumption of humanitarian aid and a realisation of the basic human rights for Palestinians everywhere, including a right of return.
Co-Chair of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa, John Minto says a complete absence of any elected Palestinians in implementing the Gaza Peace Plan doomed it from the start.
“But then Trump mission-crept his Board of Peace into a personal global fiefdom, as an alternative to the United Nations. His claim to bring peace to the whole world, sounds as imbecilic as a speech from a Miss World contestant.”
Minto says the New Zealand government must at last realise that the Israeli government is only interested in destroying Palestinian resistance so it can ethnically cleanse Gaza.
“Netanyahu admits the October peace agreement, which the Board of Peace is ostensibly founded on, is ‘largely symbolic’.”
“Israel has re-expanded its area of control to up to three-quarters of the entire Gaza Strip and its ministers are saying Israel will never withdraw, whether the Board of Peace likes it or not.”
“Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has just stated Israel will not permit reconstruction to start in Gaza until he is satisfied Hamas has completely disarmed and surrendered.”
“The IDF has continued to bomb and shoot Palestinians in Gaza almost every day. It is bombing Lebanon, despite a peace agreement there too.”
“According to the Independent, Israel is also recruiting and arming Palestinian gangs ‘running rampant’ in Gaza to attack Hamas.”
Minto says perhaps the most important issue the New Zealand government must consider is that achievement of Palestinian rights can’t be isolated to Gaza, but must include, in particular, the West Bank, where instances of killings of Palestinians by illegal settlers are surging.
“Every previous attempt in the past nearly 50 years, and Israel made sure they all failed, from Camp David onwards, was ostensibly based on a comprehensive and universal achievement of Palestinian national rights.”
“Real peace can only occur if these are realised, and not subject to Israeli whim and veto,” Minto says.
“Trump’s plan for his ‘Riviera of the Middle East’, is built on top of the bones of at least seventy thousand Palestinians, a number that even Israel now admits is true.”
“If they are lucky, living Palestinians will get to be janitors and bellhops.”
“New Zealand has wisely chosen to walk away from this madness. But nonetheless our government can’t use this decision as an excuse to walk away from Palestine in order to wash its hands of complicity with a continuing genocide.”
“Sanctions on Israel would be a good start.”
John Minto
Co-Chair PSNA
LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/30/advocacy-rejecting-board-of-peace-right-decision-but-no-excuse-for-nz-to-disengage-on-palestine-psna/
Source: Radio New Zealand
[embedded content]
A large flash that lit up the night sky over Wellington was captured by a live feed camera and has prompted speculation it could have been a meteor.
The bright light was seen by people facing south at 11.25pm on Friday night, and travelled from east to west on an almost horizontal trajectory.
A PredictWind.com live feed camera (at timestamp 23:25:26) at the Heretaunga Boating Club, facing over Wellington Harbour from Petone, captured the ‘shooting star’.
It showed a circle of light with a long bright tail behind it entering view over the Eastern Hutt Hills from about a 10 o’clock bearing. The ‘head’ of light then flared brightly to a much bigger size – producing a wider and brighter trail behind it and at least two small bursts of light directly below it – then disappeared, leaving the brightest part of the trail to fade slowly.
“I live in Petone and it lit up my room,” one person said on a Lower Hutt Facebook group.
“I saw it in Tītahi Bay,” another person said. “From my point of view it looked like a green line shooting across the sky,” another said.
Supplied/ PredictWind.com
Several social media commenters asked if it could have been a meteor.
“Watched from my window in Ngaio. Most fantastic streak of blue/teal. Would have burnt up in the atmosphere,” a Redditor said.
Supplied/ PredictWind.com
A MetService spokesperson said sometimes their weather monitoring does pick up things like this, but in this case, while forecasters had checked their radars and other monitoring systems on Friday night, nothing had showed up.
The International Meteor Organisation posted online that data from the US Space Force indicated space debris had been observed re-entering the atmosphere 800km south of New Zealand – but later in the night, at 1.39am NZT(12.39pm UTC).
That was from a “massive (11 tons) second stage of a Chinese rocket, launched on December 3, 2025.”
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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/2026/01/31/bright-shooting-star-delights-wellingtonians/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Karim Lopez of the Breakers. photosport
Teenager Karim Lopez came alive in the closing minutes as the Breakers upset Melbourne United 97-95 in Auckland to keep their NBL playoff hopes alive.
The rising Mexican star scored 14 of his game-high 32 points in the last five minutes as the home side pulled ahead to secure a much-needed upset win.
It was a career-high haul for Lopez, whose deeds helped the Breakers overturn an eight point deficit with five minutes to play.
Victory lifts them to seventh (11-17) and one win behind the Jackjumpers (11-18), who hold down the sixth and final playoff spot, with the two teams to meet in a crucial contest in Tasmania on Sunday.
After that, the Breakers have just four games remaining as they launch a bold bid for a post-season berth, knowing they’re without the services of injured big men Rob Baker and Sam Mennenga for the rest of the campaign.
Lopez stepped into the void, the 18-year-old showing why he is regarded as a potential NBA player.
His scoring was complemented by eight rebounds, two assists and two blocks.
Robert Loe of the Breakers drives to the basket. photosport
Guard Parker Jackson-Cartwright finished with 23 points while centre Rob Loe’s 10 points were mixed with five rebounds, three assists and three blocks.
The Breakers shot exceptionally to open up a 17-8 lead but fourth-placed Melbourne edged the middle stages, led by 23 points from Jesse Edwards.
Former Breakers player Tom Abercrombie. David Rowland
After the match, former Breakers player Tom Abercrombie was honoured by having his jersey retired.
A four-time NBL champion, Abercrombie played from 2008 to 2024 and notched a club-record 429 games.
He addressed the crowd as his No.10 jersey was hung from the rafters at Spark Arena.
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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/2026/01/31/karim-lopez-leads-breakers-to-upset-nbl-win-over-melbourne/
Source: Radio New Zealand
ERO is unable to tell RNZ if it’s making more recommendations for support or intervention in schools than in the past. Unsplash/ Taylor Flowe
One in five schools recently scrutinised by the Education Review Office needs external support or intervention.
Twenty-one of the 100 most recently-published reviews of state or integrated schools said they needed or should continue to have statutory managers, a commissioner, or guidance for improving things like attendance and student achievement.
The recommendations were made in review reports signed off between early January and mid-November.
Last year ERO called for firmer action on schools that failed to improve despite support and some school principals warned the office was not giving schools enough credit for the challenges they faced due to social issues in their communities.
One principal spoken to by RNZ said reviewers who visited their school told them the school was doing excellent work, but “moderation” of their report resulted in only some mention of the school’s positive work and a recommendation that the school needed help.
The principal warned that ERO’s approach would discourage competent principals from taking on challenging schools in poor communities.
They also said schools with moderate results would get away with cruising or even declining results so long as their achievement and attendance figures were not in the danger zone.
ERO was unable to tell RNZ if it was making more recommendations for support or intervention than in the past.
“The Ministry of Education is the agency responsible for delivering support and is best placed to provide you with information on how many schools receive support,” it said.
However, it said it was “building a tracker” to indicate what types of support or intervention it recommended most.
Asked what common problems reviewers saw across schools, ERO said: “There are a range of common issues and can include us identifying schools that have low regular student attendance, a large proportion of students who are regularly and chronically absent, low student achievement and a lack of progress, and a significant number of students leaving school without NCEA qualifications,” it said.
Among the 21 review reports recommending support or intervention, 17 called for new action and five recommended continuing existing measures.
Eleven of the 21 schools had high equity index numbers placing them in the 14 percent of schools facing the most socio-economic barriers to achievement.
Eight were in the next most challenged group of schools, described as facing “many” barriers to achievement.
Just one of the schools was classed as facing “average” socio-economic barriers to achievement.
The office recommended dissolution of Herekino School’s board and appointment of a commissioner in order to improve leadership and student attendance and achievement at the Northland school.
It recommended appointment of a limited statutory manager at Te Kura a Iwi o Pawarenga to manage the relationship between the board and tumuaki and support strategic planning and teaching.
It also recommended a limited statutory manager for Randwick School in Lower Hutt to improve leadership, action planning and assessment and attendance.
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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/2026/01/31/one-in-five-schools-recently-scrutinised-by-ero-needs-external-support-or-intervention/
Source: New Zealand Police
Please attribute to Superintendent Naila Hassan, Waitematā District Commander:
A large Police operation is now underway in central Auckland ahead of planned protest activity.
Protestors have begun gathering at Victoria Park.
Road closures are being put in place around Victoria Park as a precautionary measure.
A Police cordon is being put in place at the Fanshawe Street on-ramp and off-ramp.
This is a precautionary measure for the safety of pedestrians and motorists.
Our focus is to ensure there is no unlawful access to the motorway network.
The public will see a visible presence around Victoria Park, as well as around the Northern Motorway and Auckland Harbour Bridge.
ENDS.
Jarred Williamson/NZ Police
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/31/auckland-protest-update-1/
Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ / REECE BAKER
One person has died after a single vehicle crash on Wickliffe Road in Port Chalmers on Friday night.
Emergency services were notified of the crash about 9.10pm.
A second person was also seriously injured and one person sustained minor injuries.
The Serious Crash Unit attended and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
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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/2026/01/31/one-person-dead-and-another-seriously-injured-after-single-vehicle-crash-in-dunedin/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Wellington Phoenix striker Ifeanyi Eze. photosport
Wellington Phoenix have squandered a two-goal advantage and missed a late penalty in a roller-coaster 2-2 home draw against Melbourne City.
Wellington’s 500th A-League match result was exactly the same as their first, having drawn 2-2 with Melbourne Victory in their inaugural competition fixture in 2007.
Coach Giancarlo Italiano was in no mood to reminisce, believing his side deserved the three points, paying a heavy price for defensive lapses late in the match.
“I don’t know what to make of that game to be honest,” Italiano told media.
“I’m disappointed. I feel as though if we play that game 20 times, that won’t be the result.”
The result doesn’t help the ninth placed home side in their bid to climb into the top six, with Brisbane and Melbourne City both still two points ahead of them in sixth and seventh respectively on a congested table.
Striker Ifeanyi Eze scored once in each half to put Wellington in control but the visitors scored twice in a five minute period, with their second coming via a dreadful mistake in possession from Bill Tuiloma.
Seasoned All Whites international Tuiloma was composed in his first match for the Phoenix but his error was highlighted by Italiano.
“The second goal was just comical. I’m not going to sit here and blame anyone for it. Bill [Tuiloma] got caught in possession, but I thought he was outstanding for the rest of the game.
“I thought with the ball he gave us a different dimension, especially in the first half under pressure.”
Manjrekar James had a chance to win the match for the Phoenix in stoppage time but his penalty was saved.
“But the penalty isn’t the reason we ended up drawing, it was that five minutes where we should have just done a little bit better,” Italiano said.
Wellington face another crucial home match on Friday, against the eighth-placed Melbourne Victory.
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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/2026/01/31/wellington-phoenix-settle-for-draw-in-500th-a-league-match/
Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died following a single vehicle crash on Wickliffe Road last night.
Emergency services were notified of the crash about 9:10pm.
In addition to the deceased, one person was seriously injured and one person sustained minor injuries.
The Serious Crash Unit attended and enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre.
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/31/fatal-crash-port-chalmers/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Susan Edmunds. RNZ
Got questions? RNZ has a podcast, Got questions? RNZ has a podcast, [https://www.rnz.co.nz/podcast/no-stupid-questions No Stupid Questions, with Susan Edmunds’.
We’d love to hear more of your questions about money and the economy. You can send through written questions, like these ones, but – even better – you can drop us a voice memo to our email questions@rnz.co.nz
I own one very small house on my own. If I can’t sell it (the market is terrible right now), then I will need to make the move to my new city anyway and rent there.
To pay that rent, I will have to rent out my own house, because I can’t afford both rent and mortgage payments.
It doesn’t make sense to me that I can’t claim the rent I’m paying elsewhere, as a tax-deductible expense against the rent I receive on my house.
From my perspective, the rent I pay in my new city is the cost of making my house available for an income-earning activity (ie, renting it out).
Do you know why this is the case? Is there any way to avoid ending up in a situation where I’m unable to pay rent in my new city because of the tax I’m having to pay on rental income?
To answer your question, I talked to Robyn Walker, who is a tax partner at Deloitte.
She said, while taxpayers earning income can generally claim tax deductions for the costs associated with earning that income, there are some limitations to that.
“In particular, it is not possible to claim costs which are capital in nature (ie you cannot expense the cost of buying a new fridge for your rental property, albeit you will be able to claim a depreciation deduction) and also it is not possible to claim costs which are of a private nature.
“The cost of renting and running a home that you live in to facilitate renting out the home you own is a private expense and cannot be deducted.”
She said it would still be possible to claim other costs associated with the rental property, such as interest, rates, insurance and maintenance costs.
This could reduce the income you earn to a much lower amount, reducing the tax you have to pay on the rent you receive.
“It is also worth noting that New Zealand has residential rental ring-fencing rules which essentially prevent a taxpayer from being in a tax loss position for rental properties; so even if the rent on a property you were living in was an available deduction, which it isn’t, then the deduction might also be effectively denied because of ring fencing rules.”
You might be able to improve your cash flow by making your mortgage payments interest-only. A mortgage adviser or your bank could help you look at whether that is appropriate.
I am unsure of who would pay if a parent dies and has no money (at all) to cover their funeral costs?
Both of my parents are divorced, in their early 80s and both are on pension only money, and one has multiple health issues, so it’s something I need to think about.
It’s usually the job of the person who is the executor of the estate to organise the funeral.
Citizens Advice Bureau advises that banks will release money from the person’s account to pay for one without probate or letters of administration. If the estate doesn’t have the money to cover the cost, the executor or the person who organises the funeral generally becomes liable.
You might be able to apply for a Work and Income Funeral Grant, which provides up to just over $2600 to help with the costs. From what I have seen, this is unlikely to cover it all.
You also might be able to apply for a withdrawal from your KiwiSaver fund if the cost is going to put you into significant financial hardship. I would use this as a last resort, though.
I turn 65 in May. A friend told me I will get less on the pension as I have $85,000 in KiwiSaver. I see there is a limit of $8000 you are allowed to have?
For the last few years all I read is you must save for your retirement. I made a lot sacrifices to get my KiwiSaver balance where it is. Now it appears the government penalises you?
I am now thinking of moving overseas when I retire. That is possible as long as you return every six months?
I think there’s a misunderstanding here. The $8000 threshold is only to apply for the accommodation supplement. You can get NZ Super no matter how much money you have in KiwiSaver.
If you’re moving overseas, it’s a good idea to talk to the Ministry of Social Development before you go to make sure you know how your pension will be treated. If you don’t and you stay away for more than six months, you can end up having to pay back the whole amount you were paid in that time.
My father-in-law is married but for the past 15 years his wife hasn’t been living with him she’s lives with her boyfriend, she keeps getting her mail sent to his address.
Now it’s coming to crunch time and she wants money out of the house, is she still entitled to half of his house?
Probably. If they were married and had children and so on, she’s likely to be entitled to a share of anything that can be deemed relationship property, even if it’s taken a while for them to get to the point of formally separating it. They will both need independent legal advice.
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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/2026/01/31/why-isnt-my-rent-a-tax-deductible-expense-ask-susan/
Source: Radio New Zealand
A pro-Palestine protest in Auckland’s CBD in 2025 (file image). Nick Monro
Traffic delays should be expected in Auckland’s central city with two protests planned today, police say.
The organisers of Toitū te Aroha are calling for unity in response to what they say is rising harassment and intimidation of migrants, faith groups and rainbow communities.
It comes the same day as the Destiny Church-affiliated Freedom and Rights Coalition plan to rally in Victoria Park, after having their bid to march across the Harbour Bridge denied.
Toitū te Aroha spokesperson Bianca Ranson said the aim was to stand in solidarity with diverse communities across Aotearoa.
Inspector Jacqui Whittaker said they were expecting large numbers of people to take part in a Palestine solidarity rally at Te Komititanga Square at about midday.
The group, led by Toitū Te Aroha, also planned to march down Queen Street to Myers Park.
“We expect numbers to grow around Te Komititanga Square from mid-morning, with those taking part expecting to disperse from Myers Park in the afternoon,” Whittaker said.
“Police will be monitoring the hīkoi as it progresses up Queen Street, and our focus is on ensuring this is completed safely.
“Our focus is on ensuring those taking part can exercise their right to peaceful protest, while balancing minimising disruptions as much as possible.”
She said police were also aware of another unrelated protest near the Harbour Bridge.
Superintendent Naila Hassan told RNZ police have offered to help the Freedom and Rights Coalition find another venue, but they haven’t responded.
Extra police are on duty to stop anyone getting onto the motorway today.
Hassan said from now on, no protesters will be allowed to walk on the bridge.
Detours would be in place for all bus services that travel to or through the city centre for several hours from 11am on Saturday.
In a media statement, Auckland Transport (AT) and New Zealand Transport Agency said motorists were advised to plan ahead, allow extra travel time, and check Google Maps for road closures and recommended detours on Saturday.
Commuters should expect significant delays to Auckland’s city centre, bus services, and the wider Auckland Transport network and detours will be in place for all bus services travelling to or through the city centre from approximately 11am, which could last several hours.
Customers using buses, trains, or ferries should allow extra time accessing Waitematā Station (Britomart) and the Downtown Ferry Terminal.
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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/2026/01/31/traffic-delays-expected-in-auckland-with-two-protests-planned/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Canterbury celebrates the wicket of Adi Ashok of the Auckland Aces during the Super Smash Elimination Final, Canterbury Kings Vs Auckland Aces, at Hagley Oval in Christchurch, on Friday. photosport
Canterbury will contest a sixth consecutive Super Smash T20 men’s final after trouncing Auckland in their knockout clash in Christchurch.
The Cantabrians will take momentum into Saturday night’s decider against top qualifiers Northern Districts.
The home side’s disciplined bowling attack proved too much for Auckland, who crumbled to be all out for 106 in 18.4 overs at Hagley Oval.
Captain Cole McConchie returned three for 20 and Fraser Sheat three for 13 while in the chase, marking his 100th T20 match for Canterbury. Opener Chad Bowes powered to an unbeaten 59 off 31 balls, with 9.3 overs to spare.
Canterbury get another crack – under lights – at winning a competition they haven’t won since its inception in 2005/06.
Saturday afternoon’s women’s final will see Wellington Blaze play the Auckland Hearts, also at Hagley Oval.
Auckland knocked out Northern Districts, led by a fine all-round showing from captain Maddy Green.
Wellington are chasing a women’s three-peat, having qualified for a ninth successive final.
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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/31/canterbury-crush-auckland-to-set-up-super-smash-final-against-nd/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Recent IT outages at hospitals come on the heels of controversial IT staff cuts and the beginning of a project to improve Health NZ’s IT systems – but with uncertain future funding. RNZ / REECE BAKER
An IT failure that forced some public hospitals to rely on pen and paper for 12 hours overnight Wednesday follows closely on the government setting up a new centre to try to fix the plethora of weak old systems.
This week’s technical failure was at a commercial datacentre – yet Health NZ’s plan has been that the use of exterior datacentres would help stabilise its systems.
The Centre for Digital Modernisation of Health began work on 1 December, with $19.5 million in funding.
An Official Information Act response showed that funding was only till June.
“An internal funding case will be developed to identify future funding options for the centre,” Health NZ told the senior doctors’ union, the ASMS, in the OIA, in December.
On Friday it repeated that the centre had confirmed funding to 30 June.
“Funding for the centre and its programmes will be progressed through Health NZ’s budget process,” said Health NZ acting chief IT officer Darren Douglass.
The centre is an addition to the agency’s digital and data ranks, after masses of cuts to it through two big restructures that put paid to hundreds of jobs and IT projects.
Staff at the time warned in internal feedback the cuts would worsen the outages.
“Without us the problems will go around and around in circles,” said one.
Unions on Friday blamed the 12-hour failure at hospitals across Auckland and Northland on the staff cuts, but Health NZ rejected that.
It was a technical failure in “part of our network infrastructure in one of our datacentres, commercial datacentre that we host a number of our systems on”, Douglass told Morning Report on Friday.
Yet Health NZ’s new 10-year fixit plan calls for more reliance on the datacentres. It said that critical clinical apps would be moved out of old, at-risk servers in individual hospitals to the ‘cloud’ in a “secure, modern national data centre”.
“This immediately reduces the risk of failure from ageing hardware or local power outages,” it said.
The outage that ended Thursday morning was the fourth hospital IT outage this month.
All four outages were technical issues, and three were due to “third-party vendor issues”, said Health NZ.
The new modernisation centre featured third-party vendors or “delivery partners”.
Health Minister Simeon Brown. RNZ / Mark Papalii
The centre was a “collaboration between Health New Zealand and delivery partners that brings together global innovation capabilities, artificial intelligence expertise, and world-class process engineering to coordinate critical investments,” said Health Minister Simeon Brown when he launched both the centre and the 10-year fixit plan at the same time last November.
Asked by RNZ about funding, Brown did not mention it.
His focus to fix the old system they inherited from the last government was on building “reliable digital tools for staff and patients”.
The phased approach was to first put governance and capability in place, then investment cases and then move into delivery using proven international best practice, Brown said.
He did not respond to a question whether, after the four IT outages in January, he would consider boosting the centre’s funding.
Douglass said the first phase of the 10-year plan – delivered by the new centre – was to stabilise the IT system across common platforms: “The centre is addressing this through bringing together in one team digital delivery expertise and disciplines.”
The plan made stabilisation one of three focus areas: “This means less time dealing with IT outages, and more time with patients,” it said.
Senior doctors said the Auckland outage caused chaos.
University of Auckland computer scientist Dr Ulrich Speidel on Friday questioned why any hospital IT system would have a single point of failure and no back-up.
Douglass had told Brown’s office in mid-2024 that relying on the old tech would lead to “ongoing security vulnerabilities and associated breaches, more frequent service outages”, emails released previously showed.
A chief IT officer late that year told staff they could not afford to have “anything other than … one vanilla-flavoured brown-bag common cheap solution per problem” and that continuous improvement demanded failing “early, fail often, succeed over time”.
Health NZ has been working on an IT fix since it was set up in 2022.
However, it had also cut data and digital roles and put the brakes on scores of IT upgrade projects to save $100m during 2024’s financial meltdown.
Some projects were considered crucial. Others have carried on or been newly initiated, such as Brown’s ‘Accelerate’ programme to digitise patient records and end the use of paper notes for two-thirds of hospitals.
“Modernising a system this complex takes time,” Brown said at the time.
The modernisation centre had an interim director appointed last month. Recruitment for a permanent director was underway, Douglass said.
Asked what it had achieved so far and about its plans, he said: “Design of the centre has been completed and communicated, detailed processes for delivery are nearing completion and the approach to assurance has been defined.”
Business cases to develop programmes in the 10-year plan were being worked on.
The centre’s funding is from a Vote Health appropriation for “enabling health system transformation”. It is unclear if that is additional to baseline funding.
Douglass said on Friday: “We need investment, we are underinvested.”
However, he also said they had enough staff and had spread that expertise nationally.
“That isn’t removing expertise from our system, that’s making sure the experts we have can lend support where it’s needed.”
They had responded to the Auckland outage within 30 minutes, but it was intermittent so proved hard to fix, taking 12 hours.
The ASMS senior doctors’ union responded that there was “no meaningful investment … the public deserves to know what’s going on”.
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Source: Radio New Zealand
Wisp Hill Station in southern Otago was Ingka Investment’s purchase in New Zealand, with the parent company of Swedish furniture giant IKEA, converting the farm to forestry. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Converting farmland to forestry in the sensitive Catlins area of the South Island has been an opportunity to set good standards, says the forest management company tasked with the project, Southern Forests.
The river which flows through parts of Wisp Hill Station forms the headwaters of the Catlins’ estuary.
The 5500 hectare property – once a sheep and beef farm – also borders the Catlins Forest Park which straddles Otago and Southland.
Ingka Investments purchased the property in 2021 and set about converting about 3300ha into commercial forestry, retiring the remainder of the land and leaving native vegetation to regenerate.
“It’s quite sensitive land, it’s got high biodiversity values, high conservation value,” explained Josh Cairns of Southern Forests from the peak of the property.
“It’s quite unique here on this Wisp Hill range where we’ve got alpine species that are commonly found in the Southern Alps that are at much higher altitudes, but they seem to do quite well down here.
“It’s also too high altitude to grow a production forest on, so it just made sense to retire it and look after it.”
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Planting started on a 330ha block of the most unproductive part of the farm in the very back corner while the transition was underway, with Ingka contracting Southern Forests crews to work their way towards the middle of the property.
Four years on, the first trees are now between 4.5 and 6 metres tall and will be ready for pruning early next year.
About 2975ha have been planted in Pinus Radiata, another 140ha in Pinus Attenuata hybrids, 95ha has gone into redwoods, 100ha mānuka and 70ha is in mixed natives. Another 2130ha have been retired or planted in natives along the riparian margins.
Forest manager Josh Cairns, of Southern Forests, at Ingka’s Wisp Hill. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
With all eyes on Ingka, converting farmland to forestry was an opportunity for the firm to set the standard, Cairns said.
“We pride ourselves in doing a high quality job and doing it properly, and you know we had those discussions with Ingka in the very early stages and said ‘no shortcuts’. Everyone’s going to be looking at us, seeing what we’re doing here.
“We’re in an area where it does have quite a lot of biodiversity value and conservation value, a lot of waterways that need managed, so we want to be seen to be doing the right thing.
“And from day one, they were 100 percent on board with that. [They] provided a lot of leadership, a lot of education, advice coming from Europe, where some of the environmental regulations are a lot more stringent than ours here.”
Ingka and Southern Forests have prioritised riparian and waterway management, with a secondary focus on looking after the native species which grow in those corridors.
“In this particular catchment, there’s about 40 hectares of natives planted on the riparian margins, with pine tree setbacks ranging from probably 40 metres to 150 metres off of the waterway.
“In the future, it makes life a lot easier. We’ll never really have to stress about how we get those trees out when we harvest it, because we don’t have to worry about what’s happening in the waterway.”
Wisp Hill has high biodiversity value – on the peak grow alpine species that are commonly found in the Southern Alps at much higher altitudes. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Another key focus – and part of the Overseas Investment Office requirements that allowed Ingka to purchase the property – has been ensuring public access.
Cairns said Ingka was keen to provide recreation opportunities for the local communities.
“We’ve got a really nice river here for fishing, good hunting opportunities.”
Access for hunters in particular helps with the local pest population, in particular the deer and pigs which live on bordering conservation land, which Cairns described as a “massive issue”.
“There’s one particular block we had to replant twice, 30 to 40ha, just through deer damage. It was just simply red deer coming out in that particular area and eating the trees.
“And at a cost of $2000-2500 a hectare to replant, well that buys you a lot of pest control.”
Since 2021, they have culled almost 8000 hares, rabbits and possums, over 1800 red deer and close to 570 pigs.
More than 3300ha of the 5500ha former-station have been planted in a mix of exotic forestry. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
As the forestry block is Forest Stewardship Council-certified they do not use poisons.
Two full-time pest control contractors help keep pressure on the population, while still allowing for recreational hunting opportunities which have helped to bring the local community on board.
Other major challenges Cairns faced were the heated debate surrounding the afforestation of farmland and concerns it would be shut up for carbon sequestration.
“The biggest challenge here was trying to, and it still is, getting the point across that this is a timber production forest first and foremost. And, we back that up by our pruning, planting and the genetics we’ve planted and that sort of thing.
“It was one of those properties that’s iconic down here and [there was] a lot of emotion attached to it.”
Cairns, who is also a farmer himself, understood the tension.
He said the property is different from other more productive, large-scale properties that have been converted recently, although it did not have high staffing levels – just a farm manager, stock manager, shepherd and tractor driver, with the owners based elsewhere.
The conversion to forestry has created new jobs for not only his team, but also forestry contractors, a local agricultural contractor and agricultural pilot.
Planting first started on the least productive section of the farm. Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Ingka’s forestland country manager Kelvin Meredith said New Zealand was identified as a key area for the company to develop a forestry portfolio early on, about the same time plans were developed for its first store in the country which opened in December last year.
“We all thought that IKEA was going to get here before forestry, but as it turned out, forestry was first sort of cab off the ranks.”
Meredith told Country Life timber was essential to IKEA – not only was it used in its supply chain, but it was also a great investment.
“It’s got nice, stable, steady returns, and you know, you can actually get some good environmental improvement by purchasing forests.”
IKEA’s first Auckland store opens on December 4 Marika Khabazi / RNZ
Inside IKEA’s first NZ store at Sylvia Park Marika Khabazi
At the time of the Wisp Hill purchase, Ingka’s first in New Zealand, a number of farms were being bought up by other companies for carbon sinks.
Meredith said it would have been easier for Ingka without the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS), which drove up prices for such properties as demand for carbon credits increased.
About 8000ha of the 41,000ha Ingka owns in the country have been registered with the ETS to “preserve the value of the land”, including some forestry blocks which had been registered prior to purchase.
He hoped to see all the land that had been planted eventually registered.
“We have no intention of being carbon traders. We don’t want the cash for the business.
“Long term, we might look at selling some credits for biodiversity projects, but there’s been no decision made yet.”
Meredith told Country Life converting farmland to forestry had allowed Ingka to set the forests up in alignment with its values – larger set asides, big riparian margins, experimentation with different species, including natives for long-term restoration projects.
“It’s been quite beneficial to do that, although it has raised a few eyebrows because we have bought quite a bit of farmland, but not all of it is high-quality farmland. A fair chunk of that, we’ve subdivided off and sold to the neighbour. Wisp was a classic example – 300ha there sold to a neighbouring farm.”
Eventually he hoped to see some of the timber processed here in New Zealand, although he acknowledged there were a number of challenges facing the industry.
“We’re here for the long term.”
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Source: Radio New Zealand
The Pickens family gathered around Lew in the woolshed RNZ/Sally Round
When Lew Pickens was 18, he had calluses on his hands like a 50-year-old and he was proud of them.
Now 83, he looks back happily on his days clearing bush and planting paddocks by hand north of Whangārei, hunting and driving bullocks in his spare time.
“I think of myself as much as a bushman or a hunter, as I do a farmer, really. Those bush skills allowed me to catch eels, catch goats.
“I can suss nature out pretty good.”
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Pickens sits on a chair by the camp oven in the corner of the woolshed showing how bushmen cooked in the old days.
The walking stick he holds, made of supple and strong tanekaha, is twisted at the top.
He knotted it while it was still a sapling in the bush.
“I can remember Dad tying one and saying to me, if you do that and pick that stick up when you’re an old man, you’ll have a walking stick.”
Camp ovens fed logging gangs in the bush in the old days, Lew says RNZ/Sally Round
Lew carved the design on his walking stick RNZ/Sally Round
Around him on the walls, tables and shelves are old tools, photos, hunting paraphernalia and other reminders of life in the bush.
“This is mainly bush gear, old farm gear, my grandfather’s old forge here, horse collars, nine-foot kauri drag up there, and old chainsaws.”
Julie Pickens with one her grandchildren surrounded by Lew’s memorabilia RNZ/Sally Round
View of the Pickens farm, Waimiha in King Country RNZ/Sally Round
The woolshed on the Waimiha property run by his cattle farmer son Craig no longer rings to the sound of shearing blades.
It’s mainly a place for Pickens and his family to enjoy old traditions and pass them on.
“It’s stuff that I’ve been around my whole life,” Craig said.
“I’ve kicked my toes on it in the shed. I’ve shifted it. Don’t know how many times I’ve played with stuff, and now you see it all out.
“It’s been a part of my life.”
The elder Pickens lights a fire on the camp oven to show how bush tucker was cooked up in the old days when gangs of men would haul out native timber using bullock teams and send them on rafts down to Auckland.
“Until probably about 1900 most, a lot of people just had camp ovens. What’s here is a typical old bush camp chimney. It would have been wider in the bush camp.”
With his stick, he points out bullock horns on the wall, polished and mounted.
Bullock driving is a lost art in New Zealand, Lew Pickens says Supplied
“Up to 1900 there would have been hundreds of teams around about, especially up north with the kauri. And that’s a set of horns, a good set of horns, off one of Dad’s bullocks.”
Pickens has plenty of stories to tell. The family would like them recorded as they are aware the old ways might be forgotten, like the trick of putting a bell around a bullock when it was put out to feed at night, with animal fat placed in its ear.
“A cunning old bullock, he’d know, and he’d rest his bell in the punga, and so didn’t make any sound but the old bullockie was a bit cunning. He put a bit of animal fat in one ear, and with the daylight coming, the flies started floating around. He’d start shaking his head.”
The bell would tinkle and the bullockies would hitch up the cattle beasts for another day’s work in the bush.
Several sets of bullock horns are among the memorabilia RNZ/Sally Round
Lew had several pairs of bullocks himself at one stage Supplied
Pickens would make good money as a younger man hunting eels and goats, and he was less of a farmer than a developer of the land, he said. Much of the work was done by hand.
“I love developing country, putting fences up, putting them into grass, cutting bush, and yeah, that was my strength.”
Traps are spread over the farm. Wild pigs can be a pest, digging up pasture and eating lambs RNZ/Sally Round
“Those days, you sowed your seed by hand. You made a sowing bag, around your stomach, and carried your bags up the hill.”
Pickens is less mobile these days, struck by diabetes, but he treats it like any other challenge he’s faced in the bush.
“I’ve been able to put up with that no sweat, really.”
Craig Pickens and Julie Tanneau outside the woolshed RNZ/Sally Round
Lew’s walking stick has a loop in the top, formed naturally after being tied will still a sapling RNZ/Sally Round
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Source: Radio New Zealand
Haizyn Mellars hopes to make a piece of Warriors history during the next three years. Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Sometime in the next three years – perhaps this year – Haizyn Mellars hopes to create a slice of NZ Warriors club history, when he follows his dad into the NRL.
Centre Vince Mellars chalked up seven first-grade appearances for the Auckland club across 2003/04, and 17 more from Cronulla Sharks and Sydney Roosters, before a rugby stint with the Crusaders and Canterbury, and four more years with English league clubs.
Mellars Jnr was born during his father’s tenure at Mt Smart and brought the circle almost (but not quite) complete, when he signed with the Warriors through 2028.
While coach Andrew Webster is excited by his potential on the wing – a position exposed for depth last season – Mellars admits he could just as easily have followed in his mother’s sporting footsteps.
Charmian Mellars (formerly Purcell) comes from a proud Kiwi basketball family. She won Commonwealth Games silver at Melbourne 2006 and, along with sister Natalie, was a member of the Tall Ferns squad at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“When I was younger, basketball was definitely one of my biggest passions,” Mellars says. “I got to the age of 17, and I could have gone to college or NRL.
“My old lady and old man just backed me, whatever I chose, and I wanted to follow in my dad’s footsteps.
“I can tell you right now, I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am without my parents. My mum and dad help me keep my head screwed on.
Haizyn Mellars’ parents – former Tall Fern Charmian Mellars and former Warrior Vince Mellars. Photosport
“When it comes to adversity and the things they’ve been through, they’ve always been in my corner. They’ve definitely been a rock for me in my journey.”
Growing up in Queensland, he began his league journey with Brisbane club Wynnum Manly, before joining the South Sydney NRL pathway.
The roundball path might have taken the 1.93m (6ft 4in) shooting guard through Utah’s Brigham Young University, the Mormon school where many of his uncles and aunties pursued their dreams.
With the league season approaching, Mellars insists he’s tried to avoid the basketball hoop beneath to the Mt Smart grandstand, but also hints he has taken down some of the hoops wannabes among his teammates and set his sights on the reigning king of the court.
“Roger will tell you he’s the best in the club,” he says.
Veterans Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak are the clear incumbents on the Warriors wings, so the hoops crown is not the only thing Mellars craves from his idol.
“I’ve grown up watching them boys play and couldn’t wait to do things like they do,” he says. “Roge is so professional – the way he conducts himself and obviously he’s been in the game a long time.
“Being able to watch what he does, even his little habits off the field… the way he looks after his body and preps for training.
“Dallin’s been really good, like a big brother, asking me questions and what I think of things, and telling me where I could be better.”
The Warriors have never had a father and son play first grade, but they potentially have two in the pipeline, with development halfback Jett Cleary following in the footsteps of dad Ivan, who played in one grand final and coached another at the club.
The Clearys probably have their noses ahead in that race.
When Lorina Papali’i became a foundation of the Warriors women’s programme, she achieved a mother-son milestone with 63-game second-rower Isaiah, while last season, teenager Ivana Lauitiiti scored on debut to emulate father and club legend Ali 27 years earlier.
Haizyn Mellars has identified Roger Tuivasa-Sheck as the Warriors’ king of the basketball court. Brett Phibbs/Photosport
Returning to his birthplace seems a relatively simple decision for Mellars.
“Being home was a big factor for me,” he says. “I have a lot of connection to my culture here.
“Growing up, the Warriors were one of my favourite teams, so coming back here was awesome.
“Webby was also a big factor for me. My dad always said go to a place where you want to play for the coach and I want to play for Webby.
“For me, he was not just inviting, but instilled that belief in my potential. I liked the way he was person before player, and was really interested in getting to know who I am and what I’m about, before what I can do on the field.”
Fully completing the family circle is still some way off. Without a single NRL game to his name, Mellars has been recruited on promise, and presumably still finds himself behind back-up fullback Taine Tuaupiki and former tryscoring champion Alofiano Khan-Pereira on the depth chart.
“That would mean more to me than a lot of things in my life,” he admits. “Obviously, with my old man playing, it’s really cool to be here.
“If I could wear that jersey, I promise I’ll rip in and give it a crack for sure.”
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