Category: housing

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Spike in children under 12 needing mental health support

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

More children under 12 are ringing Youthline, with its latest figures showing that age group makes up 10 percent of calls for help.

At the charity’s inaugural youth mental health summit at Parliament on Wednesday, speakers called for cross-party support and a more connected model of care for young New Zealanders who, since Covid-19, are struggling more than ever.

Youthline runs free services including a helpline, face-to-face counselling, mentoring, and programmes in schools.

Its chief executive, Shae Ronald, said the helpline had 28,000 conversations a year but demand had been climbing for more than a decade, particularly since Covid-19.

“We had a big jump last year in January, and we’ve had another big jump over the last three months.”

And the cases were growing in seriousness, too – the number of rangatahi who were considered very high risk, and requiring emergency intervention, was up to four a day. Ronald said she remembered a time when it was one a week.

Youthline’s Shae Ronald. RNZ David Steemson

Today, many young people were battling something she called the “missing middle service gap”.

“Many young people fall into the space where their needs are serious, but do not meet the threshold for urgent or specialist intervention. As a result, they may face long wait lists, limited availability, or uncertainty about where they fit within the system,” she said.

And the callers were getting younger, too.

“As of last year, 10 percent of all people contacting Youthline are under 12,” she said.

Australian psychiatrist Pat McGorry explained the increase of mental health distress among youths was a global trend, and it could be down to any combination of factors – social media, climate anxiety, rising cost of living and buying a house, and notably, Covid-19.

“The younger age groups had a much more precipitous drop in their mental health during the pandemic,” he said.

“We think it’s about 25 percent of the rise over the last 20 years, Covid is responsible for it.”

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey – who himself had spent time as a Youthline counsellor in the 1980s – expressed envy of Australia over the size and scale of their resources to respond to the mental health crisis.

But McGorry said it wasn’t all smooth sailing there, either.

“I assume it’s the same in New Zealand,” he said.

“Life is much more precarious in an economic sense for [young people]. Their futures are clouded in many, many ways. House prices in Australia cost you three times the median income 40 years ago to buy a house. Now it’s 10 times. And rents are proportionally equal.

“And there are students in Western Sydney at the universities who have to choose between buying textbooks and eating. So they have food banks in the universities. Now, how can a society like Australia, one of the richest countries in the world, tolerate that? I mean, it’s just madness.”

Dr Jess Stubbing, a clinical psychologist and researcher now working in Massachusetts, said New Zealand was yet to see the true peak of the wave.

“I’m seeing more and more younger people, who are coming in at a younger age with really significant need, and a lot of that is young people who were in their very formative, early years during Covid, when their families were stressed, the country was stressed, we were all divided, and that affects us, that affects how we grow up.”

She said the New Zealand system was not meeting the current need, and it was definitely not going to meet future need, either.

That left a couple of options, she said – spend money today on an integrated, cohesive mental health system, “or spend ten times that in a decade when those people are adults and need our adult services”.

Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Doocey said the feedback he frequently received was that the system felt fragmented, with long wait times, unequipped to meet growing demand.

In the past 12 months, an extra 35,000 accessed support compared with the year before, which Doocey said was largely due to a reduction in workforce vacancies.

But that same growth wasn’t seen among young people.

A prevalence survey – the first of its kind for mental health and addiction among young people – was set to begin in the coming months, Doocey said.

And while that would take years to start producing data, it was a step in the right direction for a system where the need grew year on year.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/05/spike-in-children-under-12-needing-mental-health-support/

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Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra Ushers in New Premium Era

Source: Media Outreach

Thanks to powerful partnerships with industry leaders, NOTE 60 Ultra represents Infinix’s boldest entry in the flagship tier, debuting in Barcelona during MWC 2026

BARCELONA, SPAIN – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 March 2026 – Infinix is cementing its status within the premium smartphone segment in a bold new way with NOTE 60 Ultra, its landmark flagship debuting in Barcelona during Mobile World Congress 2026.

Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra Design by Pininfarina

Co-developed with Italian automotive and design legend Pininfarina, NOTE 60 Ultra’s design is driven by an emotion-led aesthetic inspired by super cars. Beneath its bold design lies a fully realized flagship experience, integrating breakthrough in-house innovations with best-in-class partner technologies. A professional-grade 200MP ultra-high-definition imaging system, built-in multi-country satellite communication connectivity, and immersive audio precision-tuned by SOUND BY JBL come together to challenge expectations in the premium segment.

Infinix NOTE 60 Ultra family

Supercar Design DNA in a Flagship, Shaped by Pininfarina

In the premium segment, the design language is a device’s opening statement. A user’s perception at first glance is shaped by aesthetics, long before a single specification is considered.

Drawing inspiration from the aerodynamic philosophy and pioneering spirit of high-performance sports cars, Infinix, in partnership with Pininfarina, takes a radical departure in sculpting a flagship. What stands out immediately is what’s missing: the camera bump. As premium handsets adopt larger sensors, they often sacrifice form with increasingly protruding camera modules.

True to the sports car heritage, NOTE 60 Ultra introduces a fully integrated, single-body rear: the Aluminum Unibody Design. At the heart of this craftsmanship is the World’s 1st Uni-Chassis Cam Module, formed a single, continuous sheet of CORNING® GORILLA® GLASS VICTUS that virtually conceals the presence of the camera. Much like a supercar sculpted for low-drag, the rear design maintains a smooth, uninterrupted silhouette. This also ensures a natural in-hand feel and unobtrusively slips into any pocket, while reinforcing the phone’s durability and structural integrity.

Paying homage to Italian cultural and racing heritage, NOTE 60 Ultra arrives in four striking colorways: Torino Black, Monza Red, Amalfi Blue, and Roma Silver. Each hue draws inspiration from the most iconic scenes and legends of Italy’s motorsport and cultural history, capturing the spirit of speed, lifestyle, and emotional beauty.

Just as a supercar announces its ignition through sound and light, NOTE 60 Ultra mirrors the ritual. A Floating Taillight signature spans the rear, illuminating as the device powers on. And as a final nod to automotive heritage, NOTE 60 Ultra features an Active Matrix Display reminiscent of a supercar dashboard at startup. Concealed within the rear surface, the hidden display lights up to reveal notifications, expressive icons, or a pixel-style virtual companion.

Dual Flagship Cameras for Detail, Zoom, and True-to-Life Imaging

Although discreet at first glance, Infinix makes no concessions on camera performance and earmarks a new era for Infinix’s imaging capability. Delivering performance on par with industry-leading standards, Infinix’s Dual Flagship Imaging Architecture marks several brand-first breakthroughs and improvements across three dimensions, reinforcing its position as a signature offering.

Under the hood, it’s clear that NOTE 60 Ultra refuses to settle for less. Discreetly integrated within the Uni-Chassis Cam Module is a powerful triple-camera array. Anchored by a next-generation 200MP Samsung ISOCELL HPE sensor, NOTE 60 Ultra delivers ultra-high-definition clarity. And ensuring flagship-grade versatility across focal lengths, the phone is complemented by a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL JN5 periscope telephoto lens and a 112° ultra-wide lens.

However, hardware alone does not define the full experience. For the first time, Infinix supports the XDR display standard with Ultra HDR Capture. Powered by a proprietary XDR Image Engine, Infinix’s advanced system delivers a superior dynamic range, ideal for true-to-life photos of bright lights at night or breathtaking sunset scenes.

The result is exceptional resolution that sets a higher bar for precise framing in daylight or after dark, while faithfully preserving details often lost in standard photography. Whether exploring daytime cityscapes or distant horizons, NOTE 60 Ultra excels with its advanced optical‑to‑digital zoom performance. Crisp, detailed shots are captured across a versatile zoom range, from a 2× optical crop and native 3.5× optical zoom to a 7× lossless digital zoom, extending up to 100× for extreme distances.

Expansive Satellite Calling and Messaging Coverage

Beyond what meets the eye, NOTE 60 Ultra carries a more subtle capability designed to accompany the user’s ambition, as far as and wherever the road leads. NOTE 60 Ultra is the first¹ to introduce dual-way satellite calling with expansive global coverage across a far greater number of countries¹. Powered by two-way messaging and calling beyond traditional terrestrial networks, NOTE 60 Ultra offers an added peace of mind whether navigating remote terrain beyond cellular coverage or facing large-scale network disruptions. The device bridges regional connectivity gaps to maintain communication and enables emergency location sharing when it matters most.

Ultra-Fast, Enduring Functionalities for an All-Around Flagship Experience

NOTE 60 Ultra combines category-leading performance and enduring power to support multi-sensory entertainment without interruption. Complementing this, its latest user experience delivers forward-looking innovations and AI-driven optimizations, making it more accessible and seamless for everyday use.

Impressively, Infinix debuted the Proprietary Battery Self-Healing Technology. Despite featuring a massive 7000mAh silicon-carbon battery within a slim, lightweight frame, NOTE 60 Ultra is engineered to restore up to 1%² of battery health every 200 charge cycles. Complementing this breakthrough, NOTE 60 Ultra supports wired 100W All-Around Fast Charge and 50W wireless charging, achieving a full charge from 1% to 100%² in only 48 minutes through a wired connection.

Even with a massive battery, Infinix pulls out all the stops to optimize for both speed and energy management. Featuring a 4nm all-big-core MediaTek Dimensity 8400 Ultimate chipset together with Infinix’s self-developed performance engine, NOTE 60 Ultra achieves up to 25%² faster multitasking, accelerated app responsiveness, and sustained smoothness.

NOTE 60 Ultra excels in its class with a captivating, 1.5K Ultra HDR cinematic display. Delivering fluid 144Hz responsiveness and exceptional 4500-nit peak brightness, visuals remain vibrant across most lighting conditions. Even in motion, intelligent predictive stabilization minimizes motion sickness, whether watching a film or playing games from within a car. And just as a high-performance vehicle demands calibrated acoustics, NOTE 60 Ultra doesn’t settle for less. It delivers high-fidelity audio through a stereo system with SOUND BY JBL, completing a truly compelling entertainment experience.

The NOTE 60 Ultra’s optimized performance enables its intelligent AI features to run fluidly and efficiently with minimal battery drain. Its integrated AI ecosystem focuses on practical daily-enhancing functions, including real-time vitals tracking via Advanced Health Monitor, personalized file organization and an adaptive AI-powered knowledge base, all evolving with user preferences. These AI capabilities are seamlessly woven into GlowSpace, a new interface debuting on XOS 16.³ Powered by Android 16, GlowSpace introduces a fully reimagined UI centered on fluid motion and luminous details that animate with every interaction.

Through co-engineering with leading technology and innovation partners, Infinix has aligned NOTE 60 Ultra around a unified vision of excellence. The outcome is a benchmark-setting flagship defined not by spectacle, but by deeply integrated and purposeful engineering, inside-out.

Product availability

NOTE 60 Ultra comes with a promise of 3 years of major OS updates and 5 years of security patches.

NOTE 60 Ultra is available in four colors: Torino Black, Monza Red, Amalfi Blue, and Roma Silver.

It will be available in a single variant with 12GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and built-in eSIM⁴.

NOTE 60 Ultra comes with a deluxe gift box with automotive-inspired display stand design. A Supercar-Inspired MagCharge Base in Zinc Alloy, a Kevlar-Pattern MagPad, a Custom Kevlar MagCase, and a Track-Edition SIM Ejector Pin are included in the gift box.

Disclaimer

¹As of launch, this device is the first commercially available smartphone to support two‑way satellite calling across multiple countries. Feature availability, supported regions and coverage are subject to local certification, network deployment and market conditions.

²All data comes from Infinix laboratories. The testing data may vary slightly between different test versions and testing environments.

³The specific XOS upgrade plan for each model will be announced separately. Please note that availability of this upgrade may be limited in certain countries.

⁴eSIM availability is carrier and region-dependent; it may not be supported in all countries.

Hashtag: #Infinix

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/05/infinix-note-60-ultra-ushers-in-new-premium-era/

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New Zealanders feeling the pinch of rising inequality, think tank says

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

A think tank says New Zealanders can see and feel rising inequality.

Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa released polling suggesting most people agree billionaires should pay more tax.

Carried out by Talbot Mills, 68 percent of respondents agreed with the ultra wealthy being taxed more to support public goods like healthcare, housing and climate action.

Thirteen percent disagreed in the poll from 11-26 February of 1033 people.

Half of people surveyed – 50 percent – agreed there should be no billionaires while people struggle affording the basics like housing, food and healthcare.

Think tank director Gareth Hughes told Midday Report there is deep unease about how the economy is handling challenges like housing and the cost of living.

“Kiwis know that our tax system isn’t fair, it’s putting too much of the responsibility on workers, on things like GST, which are incredibly regressive,” he said.

“Yes, they would like those ultra-wealthy to be contributing more for our health and education system.

“That’s two-thirds agree that billionaires should be paying more to fund these public services.”

The numbers were closer together in another question in the poll – whether there should be a “billion-dollar wealth cap” or maximum amount of wealth a person can have.

Among the respondents, 37 percent agreed, while 34 percent disagreed.

“Oh, personally, I would be comfortable with that,” Hughes said.

“I think once you had a billion dollars you could get a certificate saying you’ve won capitalism and you could contribute to society.”

Hughes said he was part of a global network working to try to redesign the economic system “to deliver wellbeing for people and nature”.

He said it was a topic being raised overseas, and Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa wanted to test the idea in New Zealand.

“I acknowledge it’s a pretty new idea for New Zealanders, the idea of wealth caps,” he said.

“But remember, once upon a time we had very high marginal tax rates for the super wealthy in this country to contribute towards society.”

The National Business Review‘s annual rich list reported last year that New Zealand had 18 billionaires, up from 16 the year before.

“I think the big message though is that billionaires around the world and through corporate influence in New Zealand has seen a system which advantages them,” said Hughes.

“It’s very hard for people to pull themselves by their bootstraps today, you can almost say the ladder’s being pulled up behind the super-wealthy.”

Hughes said it was up to political leaders to put their solutions to the public.

On the question of billionaires paying more tax, 71 percent of people under 30 were supportive, and also 71 percent of people 30-44.

Sixty-eight percent of people 45-59 agreed and 64 percent of people polled over 60.

Eighty percent of Labour and Green voters agreed, 69% percent of Te Pāti Māori voters, 67 percent of the poll’s New Zealand First supporters, 58 percent of National and 44 percent Act.

The poll responses:

How strongly do you agree or disagree with the following:

  • The economic system in New Zealand is not set up to effectively address the big issues like housing, healthcare, and climate change. 66% total agree. 10% total disagree.
  • No one should be a billionaire while so many people struggle to afford basic necessities like housing, food, and healthcare. 50% total agree, 24% total disagree.

How strongly do you support or oppose the following in NZ:

  • Billionaires paying more tax to fund public goods like healthcare, housing, and climate action. 68% total agree. 13% total disagree.
  • Introducing a billion-dollar wealth cap – a maximum amount of wealth any person can legally hold. 37% total agree. 34% total disagree.

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/new-zealanders-feeling-the-pinch-of-rising-inequality-think-tank-says/

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AEON Bank Launches Seamless Zakat Payments for Ramadan Through Partnership with Tulus Digital

Source: Media Outreach

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 March 2026 – AEON Bank, the first digital Islamic bank in Malaysia, has gone live with its Zakat feature on its digital banking app, making it easier than ever for Muslim customers to fulfil their mandatory obligation of Zakat Fitrah payment during the month of Ramadan.

This Zakat payment feature is made possible through a strategic partnership with Tulus Digital, an Islamic social finance fintech platform that serves as an authorized agent of the State Zakat authorities, including Pusat Pungutan Zakat MAIWP and Lembaga Zakat Selangor. Together, the collaboration provides a sah, secure, seamless end-to-end digital solution that effectively brings the Zakat payment directly to customers’ smartphones.

AEON Bank’s Chief Executive Officer, YM Raja Datin Paduka Teh Maimunah Raja Abdul Aziz said, “At AEON Bank, we believe that digital banking should be more than just about managing money; it should also support your lifestyle and values. By enabling the Zakat feature in our app, we are fulfilling the amanah to make mandatory religious obligations as convenient and stress-free as possible. This partnership with Tulus Digital is about merging ethical technology – just in time for Ramadan, allowing our customers to focus on their Rukun Islam amal ibadah while we facilitate the technical details.”

Why Paying Your Zakat via AEON Bank App is Sah and Seamless

  • Ultimate Convenience : No queues, no physical counters. Pay anytime, anywhere, in just a few steps.
  • Comprehensive Coverage : It supports 11 types of Zakat, including Zakat Fitrah, Pendapatan (Income), Perniagaan (Business), Emas (Gold), KWSP and more.
  • Built-in Shariah Integrity : Every Zakat payment includes the digital Aqad (contract), ensuring your contribution is sah and compliant with Shariah principles.
  • Automated Record-Keeping : Receive an immediate in-app receipt and a formal notification from Tulus Digital. Official tax-deductible receipts from state authorities are easily accessible via their respective portals.

Tulus Digital’s Commercial Director, Ubaida Othman, added, “Our key focus is to enable secure, Shariah guided digital payments and social finance solutions. Tulus Digital provides payment settlement via secure API integrations, mobile applications, and enterprise-grade payment rails, directly into institutional bank accounts, serving state zakat authorities, corporate partners, and financial institutions across Malaysia. Through our strategic partnership with AEON Bank, we are committed to strengthen the country’s Islamic finance digital economy by combining ethical technology, Shariah governance, and purpose-driven financial innovation.”

Pay Your Zakat in 4 Simple Steps

Step 1 : Log in to the AEON Bank app
 Download the AEON Bank app and activate your Savings Account-i.

Step 2 : Select “Zakat” icon on the app’s home screen
Click on the Zakat app on the Home screen and choose the authorised Zakat agency and the type of Zakat contribution.

Step 3 : Enter required details
Fill in the necessary payment information, including the number of dependents or selected rice category (for Zakat Fitrah only).

Step 4 : Confirm and complete payment
 Review the details, click on the ‘T&C’ and ‘Aqad’, and authorise the transaction securely within the app to complete your Zakat contribution.

Upon successful payment, customers will receive :

  • Zakat payment receipt within the AEON Bank app
  • Zakat payment notification email from Tulus Digital, sent to the customer’s registered email address
  • Official Zakat receipt issued by the respective Zakat agency, accessible via the agency’s website

The introduction of the Zakat feature on the AEON Bank app further strengthens the Bank’s suite of digital utility services, seamlessly integrating financial and Shariah obligations in one secure digital platform. The service currently facilitates payments for Lembaga Zakat Selangor and Pusat Pungutan Zakat MAIWP, and AEON Bank will progressively enable contributions to other state Zakat authorities in the near future – all part of its commitment to expand accessible and trusted digital financial solutions anchored on Shariah governance and integrity.

Click HERE to visit AEON Bank’s website and download the AEON Bank app on the App Store or Google Play Store.

https://aeonbank.com.my/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/aeonbankmy
https://www.instagram.com/aeonbankmy

Hashtag: #AEONBank

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/aeon-bank-launches-seamless-zakat-payments-for-ramadan-through-partnership-with-tulus-digital/

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Best Nights VC invests in Mad Monkey alongside lead investor EXS Capital

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 March 2026 – Best Nights VC (BNVC) is proud to announce its investment in Mad Monkey, one of the world’s leading socially responsible hostel groups, joining lead investor EXS Capital. With locations across Southeast Asia and Australia, Mad Monkey welcomes hundreds of thousands of young travelers every year, creating unforgettable nights, lifelong friendships, and meaningful human connection on the road.

For Best Nights VC, the venture capital investment firm of globally known spirits brand Jägermeister, this partnership is a natural strategic fit. Best Nights don’t only happen at home, they happen while traveling, meeting strangers who become friends, and sharing unique experiences in unfamiliar places. Perfectly reflecting BNVC’s Emerging Markets Strategy, Mad Monkey stands out as a hospitality platform that already enables more than one million bed nights for over 115,000 guests a year across seven countries, including the Philippines, Cambodia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, and Australia, creating epic social connections on the journey.

“This investment marks an exciting next chapter for Mad Monkey,” said Tom Edwards, Co-Founder and Director at Mad Monkey. “With the support of EXS and Best Nights VC, we’re excited to continue with our growth plan while staying true to our mission of creating meaningful, inclusive travel experiences. Their shared belief in connection, community, and responsible travel strongly reflects our own values.”

“We’re delighted to welcome Best Nights VC into the Mad Monkey journey,” said Eric Solberg, Founder and CEO of EXS Capital. “Their deep understanding of culture-led consumer brands and their focus on meaningful social experiences make them a natural partner. Together, we see strong alignment in supporting Mad Monkey’s continued expansion and its ability to create safe, high-energy environments for travelers.”

“We’re excited to join EXS in backing Mad Monkey,” said Lorrain de Silva, Managing Director at Best Nights VC. “From empowering solo travelers to creating authentic social connection on the road, Mad Monkey represents exactly the kind of platform we believe in. We’re proud to come on board and contribute to a brand that already delivers more than one million Best Nights every year.”

Mad Monkey embodies the core mission of Best Nights VC: building safe, inclusive, high-energy environments where people connect, celebrate, and discover new cultures together. This investment is anchored in three narrative pillars that define Mad Monkey’s impact and long-term relevance:

Empowering the Solo Traveler

Safety at Mad Monkey is not an add-on, it is the foundation for inclusivity. Especially for first-time and solo female travelers, Mad Monkey offers a trusted and consistent standard across 24 locations in

Southeast Asia. From secure accommodation to strong on-site communities, the brand provides a reliable safety net that enables confidence, independence, and freedom of movement.

Social Tech: Connection Before Arrival

Mad Monkey bridges digital convenience with real-world connection. Through the Mad Monkey App, guests can see their future “tribe” before they arrive. Features such as pre-stay chat and real-time guest transparency allow travelers to start building community even before packing their bags, and allowing an extended user experience beyond the trip – fostering immediate social bonds, accountability, a sense of belonging from day one and lasting connections.

Community Impact

Guided by the belief that “one community shouldn’t ruin it for the next,” Mad Monkey sees itself as a guest in every region it operates. Its CSR initiatives are designed to support local communities and ecosystems rather than exploit them, Mad Monkey is proud to employ 77% of their staff from outside city communities ensuring that the local communities are enriched by the platform too.

Together, Mad Monkey, EXS and Best Nights VC are excited to co-create the next chapter of global backpacker culture, scaling experience-driven hospitality, expanding into new markets, and delivering more moments of joy, connection, and adventure worldwide.

More Best Nights. More global community. More meaningful travel experiences.

 www.bestnights.vc
www.madmonkeyhostels.com
https://www.exs.com

Hashtag: #MadMonkey #BNVC #EXSCapital

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/best-nights-vc-invests-in-mad-monkey-alongside-lead-investor-exs-capital/

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Forest and Bird granted leave to appeal part of Dome Valley landfill approval

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dome Valley. The Wireless / Luke McPake

Legal action over a controversial mega-dump in Auckland’s Dome Valley is continuing, with Forest and Bird granted leave to appeal part of the decision to approve the landfill.

Forest and Bird will appeal the Environment Court’s 2023 decision to allow the landfill to go ahead, focusing on river protections.

The proposed landfill is 80 hectares and would collect around half of Auckland’s annual waste – but about 12 kilometres of streams in the valley would be destroyed within its footprint.

Forest and Bird senior environmental lawyer May Downing said the case raises critical questions about how rivers are protected across the country.

“These aren’t just a river that’s nice to look at they’re essential habitat for indigenous fresh water species,” she said.

“The concern really is the normalisation of river loss when it’s something that should be stopped, not normalised especially for this type of development.”

Dome Valley is five kilometres from Warkworth and home to Hochstetter’s frogs, freshwater species, pekapeka-tou-roa long-tailed bats and diverse birdlife.

Downing said the landfill’s approval also raised questions about whether riparian planting elsewhere can really mitigate the loss of rivers destroyed by a landfill.

Timeline of events:

  • 2021: Landfill given conditional approval by Auckland Council’s independent commissioner panel
  • 2023: Environment Court provisionally granted consent after iwi and community groups appealed council’s decision
  • 2024: High Court dismissed two appeals of Environment Court decision
  • 2025: Forest and Bird asked for leave to appeal High Court decision, in Court of Appeal
  • 2026: Court of Appeal grants leave in part for Forest and Bird to appeal

As part of the consenting process, developers can often offset the loss of a stream by agreeing to undertake stream protection work elsewhere – sometimes in different regions.

In this case, Waste Management proposed a general mitigation, offset and compensation package to address the stream loss, including riparian planting of up to 60km of streams elsewhere – likely in the Hoteo catchment of the Kaipara Harbour.

It alternatively offered to pay $10 million for these works to be done – these will be considered in the ongoing Environment Court process.

Forest and Bird’s appeal relates to the interpretation of the National Policy Statement for Freshwater Management and whether it allows streams to be removed to make way for a landfill.

When Waste Management lodged plans for the dump, it was strongly opposed by iwi and community groups due to cultural and environmental concerns.

Waste Management has said the landfill was needed to cater for Auckland’s growth.

It opposed Forest and Bird’s application for leave to appeal the decision, as did interested parties Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust, Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei Whai Maia and Environ Holdings.

Auckland Council declined to comment on the Court of Appeal’s decision to allow an appeal in part.

A hearing date for the appeal is still to be confirmed.

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/forest-and-bird-granted-leave-to-appeal-part-of-dome-valley-landfill-approval/

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Man facing murder charge after death of woman in Kāpiti Coast

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / REECE BAKER

A 24-year-old man who previously faced lesser charges after a woman was found dead in a Kāpiti Coast house has now been charged with murder.

The woman was found dead at an address on Mataua Road in Raumati Beach in February.

Following her death, the man was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and appeared in the Porirua District Court.

Police, who launched a homicide investigation, were considering further charges and have confirmed the man has now been charged with murder.

Police said the man is remanded in custody and is due back in the High Court at Wellington on 20 March.

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

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/man-facing-murder-charge-after-death-of-woman-in-kapiti-coast/

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Speech to second Pacific Stakeholder Fono

Source: New Zealand Government

Tēnā koutou katoa, and warm Pacific greetings to you all. Thank you for the opportunity to gather for this important fono. 

I want to begin by thanking Reverend Hiueni for opening today’s fono and bringing us together in prayer this morning.  

Thank you also to MC Fuimaono for your welcome and introduction. 

I also acknowledge Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche.  

I also want to greet former parliamentary colleagues Dame Winnie Laban, Aupito William Sio and the Honourable Alfred Ngaro. Thank you for your longstanding commitment to Pacific peoples in New Zealand. 

To our Pacific leaders and public sector leaders, thank you for attending this second Stakeholder Fono and for the valuable insights you shared at the first gathering in November. 

Scene setting 

At the first fono, you heard from senior officials who provided important context about the global, geopolitical and domestic pressures shaping our environment. These forces are changing the face of how we work, how community needs are changing, and how the public sector must respond.  

New Zealand is of the Pacific, and our country is enriched by the strength, culture, and contribution of Pacific peoples. Your success is New Zealand’s success. Pacific communities are among the youngest and fastest-growing in the country. That growth represents enormous potential; for families, for communities, and for the future workforce and economy. 

That is why the Government is focused on delivering practical improvements in the areas that matter most: safer communities, better education, stronger health outcomes, secure housing, and real economic opportunity. 

Delivering for Pacific Communities Strategy 

Not long after the first fono, the Ministry published its Delivering for Pacific Communities Strategy, a practical three-year plan to ensure Pacific peoples benefit directly from government policies and programmes. 

The Strategy focuses on the priorities Pacific communities told us matter most: economic opportunity, health, housing, education, and law and order, the fundamentals that support strong families and thriving communities. 

Across these areas, the Government is committed to delivering real results, not just intentions. 

I will briefly precis these areas of law and order, education, housing, health and economic opportunity. 

Law and order 

Good societies are safe societies. In the 2025 Global Peace Index, New Zealand ranked third highest. Safety is foundational. Pacific peoples are disproportionately affected by crime, and we need to continue to address the drivers and the remedies. 

We have taken strong steps to restore law and order. There were 49,000 fewer victims of violent crime in the year to October 2025 than there were in October 2023. Ram raids are down by 85 per cent and there has also been a 22% drop in serious repeat youth offending compared to when we took office – well ahead of our target of a 15% reduction by 2030. 

Alongside this, we are supporting community-led pacific initiatives that make a difference on the ground. For example, the Government is investing $1 million over four years in the Auckland Pacific Wardens Trust, recognising the vital role Pacific Wardens play in keeping people safe and strengthening community wellbeing. 

Safer communities allow families, businesses, and young people to flourish. 

Education 

Education is the pathway to social mobility and improved quality of life. Social investment insights tell us the huge impact education has on our life’s trajectory. 

Pacific learners, on average, face lower achievement across several indicators. To address this, we are seeing the highest shakeup in education in years. We have mandated one hour each of reading, writing, and maths every day, supported by structured literacy and phonics checks to improve reading outcomes. 

We are already seeing progress. The proportion of new entrants meeting expected phonics levels has risen from 36 per cent to 58 per cent. 

At the same time, programmes such as Tupu Aotearoa are creating pathways into employment, education, and training. We have already exceeded our target, placing more than 1,000 Pacific people into new opportunities. 

I am also encouraged by the huge increase in Pacific People enrolling in tertiary education. 

Investment in STEM is also important to participate in jobs and the workforce of the future. The Toloa Scholarships programme is seeing hundreds of Pacific students supported to carry out study in fields vital to New Zealand’s future. 

Here is where we are cutting new ground with the Ministry. I have ministerial responsibility for the Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI) and in June I also safely uploaded the largest amount of data ever into the IDI. As part of this I also recently uploaded Toloa Scholarship data into the IDI. The first grant-related data set to ever go into the IDI. This will provide two sets of insights: a look back at the attributes of the recipients, and a look forward to data insights of attributes of success. 

Education is not just for youth but for adult learners also, and programmes such as MSD’s Alo Vaka are helping Pacific adults build skills and economic security, supporting over 300 people into better employment or business opportunities, and helping participating households increase incomes by around $9,000 to $12,000 on average. 

I am also exploring converting the certificates of completion that people receive from the Centre for Pacific Languages into micro-credentials that then sit on their CV for future stacking. This will add immense value. 

Health is closely linked to housing, both of which are key priorities for this Government. 

We have made significant investment into Pacific housing initiatives, totalling $150 million. 

We are cutting some never-trod ground in Pacific health. Healthy Homes is an HNZ initiative directed at improving young people’s health outcomes against ED attendance, and against off-work and off-study impacts.  

Do healthy homes also benefit older people? In 2024, I landed the Pacific Healthy Homes Initiative which for the first time in any agency includes older people in the eligibility criteria. More specifically, Pacific people over 45 years with an ASH condition. We commissioned Otago University for before and after assessments. Initial data concludes older Pacific people benefit from warmer homes.  

The programme is achieving real results, including delivering more than 5,200 interventions to date, such as insulation, heating and minor repairs in Pacific households. 

We are investing $35.9 million to deliver 41 homes through the Pacific Building Affordable Homes Fund, and it has been a privilege to personally open Penina homes in South Auckland, and the Pacific Trust in the Waikato, and providers in New Brighton, Christchurch.  

The Our Whare Our Fale programme in Eastern Porirua, shows the power of partnership between iwi, community organisations, and government to improve economic and health outcomes for families.  

Supported by a substantial $114 million Government investment over three years, it will deliver up to 300 affordable homes by 2034. On assuming the portfolio three years ago, this was still requiring sign off, but for me the vision was impactful and the implementation deliverable. 

I signed it off, and the first stage has already delivered 18 warm, energy-efficient homes and a communal fale, and I was glad to be there with Minister Potaka and Sir Bill English to mark its completion.  

This project will support families into stable homes designed for multigenerational living, with families expected to begin moving in by the end of the year.  

Homes are kept affordable through shared-equity support, perpetual land leases from Ngāti Toa that remove land costs, and construction at cost rather than market rates.  

I want to acknowledge Central Pacific Collective, Te Rūnanga o Toa Rangatira, and the Ministry for Pacific Peoples for their collaboration on Our Whare Our Fale.  

It is an initiative that is delivering real results, with a further 32 homes expected by late 2026 and ongoing employment throughout construction.  

Strong financial capability supports long-term economic resilience and home ownership, which is why the Ministry funds 12 providers to deliver the Financial Capability Programme across New Zealand. 

Since July 2025, 674 individuals completed financial literacy training and 266 were supported with tailored home ownership plans. 

Together, these initiatives enable Pacific families to step into home ownership while also creating Pacific-led construction and employment opportunities. 

The progress in Pacific-led affordable housing reflects the Government’s broader focus on fixing the housing system and enabling long-term supply. 

Alongside this work, the Government is focused on unlocking land for housing, supporting infrastructure, and reducing the barriers and costs that slow down building. 

Health  

Unfortunately, we know that Pacific peoples continue to experience poorer health outcomes, which is why improving frontline health services is a priority. 

Recent results show encouraging progress on the targets that matter most for families: 

  • Childhood immunisation rates at age two have risen to 82.6 per cent, the largest improvement across all targets 
  • Faster cancer treatment, supported by $604 million funding for new medicines 
  • Shorter emergency department stays despite higher demand 
  • Reduced waiting times for specialist appointments and elective procedures  

Our Elective Boost has delivered thousands of additional surgeries that make a real difference to people’s lives – hip and knee replacements, cataract surgeries, and other procedures – helping people return to work, family life, and the activities that give them purpose. 

Economic Opportunity 

Economic growth is central to long-term wellbeing. 

Pacific communities are a powerful driver of New Zealand’s economy, and strengthening Pacific businesses creates jobs and prosperity that benefit everyone. 

Unfortunately, we know Pacific unemployment is unacceptably high. The cost-of-living crisis, an economic downturn and high inflation hit our most vulnerable communities the hardest. 

That is why we have prioritised practical initiatives to support Pacific communities into sustainable employment and economic opportunity.  

Alo Vaka has provided targeted support to over 1,200 individuals and supported more than 300 individuals into better employment. 

We are investing in programmes such as the Pacific Business Trust, which has created hundreds of new jobs. 

Our Toloa Scholarships Programme will see hundreds of secondary students supported through strong education to employment pathways in high growth industries, enabling skills that are critical for the future economy. 

Pacific people already play a vital role across essential industries. Strengthening skills, entrepreneurship and leadership will lift productivity and competitiveness across the country. 

At the same time, this Government is focused on getting the broader economic settings right. Inflation has already more than halved from its peak, easing pressure on families and businesses, and we have lifted the incomes of working households experiencing hardship through tax relief and more affordable childcare. While it is encouraging to see inflation trending downward and pressure beginning to ease, we know there is still more work to do. 

Our young people are our greatest asset and backing them to succeed is essential to building a stronger future for New Zealand. 

Pacific youth are one of the youngest and fastest-growing population groups in New Zealand, and their wellbeing will shape our collective future. 

They carry Pacific languages, cultures, and identities forward. They are not only the leaders of tomorrow, but innovators and change-makers of today. 

I warmly acknowledge our Youth Panel – Lyonah, Tyler, Lupe, and Kaiata. Your perspectives ensure policies remain grounded in lived experience and focused on real opportunities. 

When young people are equipped to thrive, our communities and our economy thrive with them. 

Thriving Pacific communities 

Across all these areas, safety, education, health, housing, and economic opportunity, the goal is the same: strengthening the fundamentals so Pacific families can thrive. 

When communities are safer, children are learning, people can access timely healthcare, families have stable homes, and businesses are growing, the benefits extend far beyond any one group. Strong Pacific communities contribute to a stronger New Zealand. 

Progress takes sustained effort, partnership, and trust. Government can’t do this alone, and we value the leadership and expertise within Pacific communities. 

Lastly, as the previous Ministers here will agree, it’s a great privilege to be the Minister for Pacific Peoples and to be able to engage and support the Pacific community in New Zealand. In this task, I am ably supported by the staff here at the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.  

I know there has been some discussion in the previous months regarding the Ministry for Pacific Peoples and where it sits within the structure of government. I want to be clear with everyone here that I believe it is important that there is strong voice for Pacific peoples within government, both at a ministerial level and within the public service. I am also very proud of the Ministry being in the top agencies or better across a range of public service performance measures reported over the recent months. 

The Prime Minister has said there will be no structural change regarding the ministry in this term of Government. 

That’s not to say that there isn’t room for improvement. This government believes that the entire public service needs to do better to ensure they are truly delivering for the communities they serve. That includes things like improved efficiencies, through use of AI and streamlining back-office services. Others will speak more on this. 

Conclusion  

In closing, thank you for coming here today and prioritising this fono. 

Ngā mihi ki a koutou. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/speech-to-second-pacific-stakeholder-fono/

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Amnesty International Update – Urgent call to protect civilians and respect international law amid escalating regional conflict following US and Israeli attacks on Iran

Source: Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand

Amid rapid expansion of regional hostilities across the Middle East following the ongoing joint United States-Israel attacks on Iran and the subsequent wave of Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region, Amnesty International is issuing an urgent call on all parties to protect civilians, adhere to international humanitarian law, in particular by ending unlawful attacks, such as deliberate, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks on civilians and civilians infrastructures.
Military operations have spread across the region and now involve more than 10 countries. They have already resulted in significant loss of civilian life and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Israel has escalated its attacks on Lebanon in the past 24 hours in response to Hezbollah’s attacks. The US has said that “the hardest hits are yet to come”. Iran has warned of further intensification and insecurity across the whole region following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader and commander-in-chief Ali Khamenei.
“Civilians should not pay the price for the unlawful and reckless acts by parties to the conflict, ravaging the principles of humanity and distinction at the heart of international humanitarian law and threatening the very foundations of international peace and security. The stakes could not be higher. Across the region, civilians have already endured successive cycles of conflict and mass violations and crimes under international law. Their protection should now be the top priority. Instead, they are facing more senseless killings and repression,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“Parties to the conflict must immediately refrain from and cease unlawful attacks, whether direct attacks on civilians, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, or the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas. They must take all feasible precautions to prevent civilian harm.
“As the threat of a protracted international conflict grows, compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law is more urgent than ever. Any failure to uphold these obligations will intensify an already devastating human toll and push the region even further towards another humanitarian and human rights catastrophe.”
Attacks on Iran and Iran’s response
On 3 March the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported that 787 people have been killed in Iran since the attacks began. On 28 February 2026, according to the Iranian authorities around 150 school children were among 165 people killed when a school in the southern city of Minab, Hormozgan province, was struck. The UN has described the bombing of this school as a ‘ grave violation of humanitarian law’, with UNESCO warning that attacks on educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the protections guaranteed under international humanitarian law. The UN Human Rights Office has called for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the “horrific” incident.
Amnesty International verified six videos from the aftermath of the strike that impacted the school, which show black smoke rising from the partially collapsed building and rescuers and excavators searching through the rubble for victims. Footage filmed from the school entrance shows walls marking the parameter of the school yard and building, with smoke visible in the background from the direction of a nearby Iranian Revolutionary Guards Compound.
According to the head of the Medical Council of Iran, 10 medical centres have been damaged by the Israeli and US attacks. Hospitals in Iran have already been subjected to militarized raids by Iran’s security forces who committed widespread human rights violations against injured protesters and medical workers during and in the aftermath of the protest massacres in January 2026.
The Iranian authorities shut down access to the internet again on 28 February, preventing millions of people from accessing essential information about armed hostilities and communicating with loved ones inside and outside the country, and suppressing the flow of information about violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
The armed conflict has intensified concerns about the fate and safety of prisoners across Iran, including the thousands of protesters and dissidents arrested in connection with the January 2026 uprising. These concerns stem from reports by human rights defenders of explosions near prisons and other facilities where prisoners are held as well as Israel’s previous attack on Tehran’s Evin prison during the 12-day war.
Human rights defenders are also expressing fears that the Iranian authorities have often used armed conflict as pretext to subject dissidents to intensified patterns of torture and other ill-treatment as well as summary, arbitrary or extrajudicial executions. Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and take effective measures to secure the safety of all other prisoners, including through temporary release on humanitarian grounds. Concerns for the rights of people in Iran are compounded by the Iranian authorities’ well-documented record to repeated crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations, including during successive lethal crackdowns to eradicate dissent. On 8-9 January, Iranian authorities carried out unprecedented massacres of thousands of protesters and bystanders during anti-establishment protests calling for an end to the Islamic Republic.
Iranian authorities responded to US and Israeli attacks with missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attack in Israel and across the Gulf region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Media reports and official government statements indicate that some of the attacks, including as a result of falling debris from intercepted missiles or drones, led to some deaths, injuries or damage to civilian infrastructure. According to the authorities in Abu Dhabi, an Iranian drone targeting Zayed International Airport (AUH) was intercepted, leading to “falling debris” killing one person and injuring seven. On 2 March, both the Qatari and Saudi authorities claimed their oil facilities were targeted by the Iranians, and a Gulf Cooperation Council statement condemned “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks.”
In Israel, according to media and rescue agencies, at least 10 people have been killed and tens injured as a result of Iranian attacks. This includes nine people killed and more than 20 injured in Beit Shemesh after an Iranian ballistic missile strike, as well as the death of a woman in the Tel Aviv area from falling shrapnel. Iranian strikes also damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, according to local authorities.
Israel has escalated severe restrictions on movement across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), effectively blocking movement between villages and towns in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem. The authorities have also closed all external crossings into and out of the OPT including Kerem Shalom/ Karem Abu Salem and Rafah crossings blocking lifesaving aid and effectively placing the entire Gaza Strip under siege. Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem was reopened on 3 March.
These arbitrary measures are gravely exacerbating the suffering of Palestinians living under Israel’s unlawful occupation and apartheid and are further compounding the multi-layered humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians are still living through Israel’s ongoing genocide.
In Iraq, a faction [Saraya Awliya Al-Dam] of the Iran-aligned militia groups, calling itself the Islamic Resistance, has claimed responsibility for multiple drone attacks on Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and later in the capital Baghdad, primarily targeting US military facilities. According to Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, drone strikes have targeted their positions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq following warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon
Following Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, which the group said was retaliation for Khamenei’s killing, the Israeli military significantly escalated its attacks on Lebanon, including the suburbs of Beirut, overnight on 2 March. Israeli air strikes in Lebanon had killed at least 40 people and injured 246, according to the Lebanese authorities, by 3 March. Before the recent escalation and since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israel had been carrying out near daily attacks in the south of Lebanon, killing more than 380 people, including 127 civilians.
A new, mass “evacuation” warning, issued by the Israeli authorities after midnight on 2 March, has again displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians across Lebanon. The vague and broad warning covered more than 50 villages across the country’s south and east, and led to panic, clogged roads and another round of displacement for many. Additional broad mass evacuation warnings were issued early on 3 March ordering people in dozens of additional villages in southern Lebanon to leave their homes and expanding the area under threat.
On 2 March, the Israeli military said it would strike Hezbollah-affiliated financial institutions in multiple locations across Lebanon, then did. Israel previously targeted branches of the Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution in October 2024, which Amnesty International described as a likely violation of international humanitarian law, calling for such attacks to be investigated as a war crime.
International humanitarian law strictly prohibits direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate strikes that fail to distinguish between civilians and civilian object and combatants and military objectives, and disproportionate attacks. Aerial attacks impacting schools, medical facilities or residential buildings, as well as the firing of ballistic missiles and other explosive weapons with wide area effects into densely populated areas, raise grave concerns of possible violations of international humanitarian law.
Amnesty International is closely monitoring the situation and call on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law. In instances of civilian death, injury and infrastructure harm, parties should initiate immediate investigations and hold anyone responsible for violations of international law to account.
“The escalating crisis in the Middle East poses a grave threat to multilateralism and to the integrity of the international legal order. Unlawful acts by parties to the conflict, particularly those committed by influential states, not only endanger civilians across multiple countries, but also accelerate the erosion of the global norms that are essential for the protection of human rights and global peace and security,” said Agnès Callamard.
“It is imperative that all parties take urgent measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including airports, hospitals, residential buildings, schools and prisons. They must also ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all affected areas and enable independent international monitoring.
“We call on the international community to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent further military escalation to avert additional civilian harm, and halt any further crimes under international law against populations who have already endured decades of repression. In line with international law, states must exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from any conduct that could fuel further violations, and remember that they have clear obligations not to aid or assist internationally wrongful acts, as well as a duty to cooperate to bring such breaches to an end.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/amnesty-international-update-urgent-call-to-protect-civilians-and-respect-international-law-amid-escalating-regional-conflict-following-us-and-israeli-attacks-on-iran/

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Homelessness – Out of sight is not a solution

Source: Hapai Te Hauora

Aotearoa cannot enforce its way out of homelessness.
The Government’s proposed changes to the Summary Offences Act would expand Police powers to issue move-on orders requiring people to leave a public space for up to 24 hours. These powers would apply to rough sleeping, begging and behaviour deemed disorderly, including for young people aged 14 and over.
At Hāpai Te Hauora, we are concerned that this approach focuses on visibility rather than cause.
“Using move-on orders may reduce what is seen in parts of the CBD, but it does not reduce homelessness,” says Jason Alexander, Chief Operating Officer at Hāpai Te Hauora.
“It shifts the problem without addressing why people are there in the first place.”
The real question: Why are people becoming homeless?
People do not become homeless overnight.
Homelessness is driven by housing shortages, rising rents, income insecurity, family violence, unmet mental health needs and long-standing structural inequities. It is the visible outcome of deeper instability.
In the past year, homelessness in Auckland has more than doubled. At the same time, one in seven tamariki in Aotearoa are living in material hardship.
These realities are connected.
When families are forced to choose between rent and food, when incomes fail to meet living costs, and when housing supply cannot meet demand, homelessness increases. Moving people away from a particular location does not change those conditions.
It may change what is visible in parts of the city. But it does not address the causes.
Māori are significantly overrepresented in homelessness statistics in Aotearoa.
While Māori make up around 17 percent of the population, they account for roughly 31 percent of people experiencing severe housing deprivation.
That disparity does not happen by accident.
It reflects uneven access to stable housing, income security and rental opportunities. Māori households are more likely to experience overcrowding and insecure housing, and research has also identified discrimination in the rental market, where applicants with Māori-identifying names receive fewer responses from landlords.
When housing becomes scarce and expensive, those already facing these barriers are the first to feel the pressure.
Jacqui Harema, Chief Executive of Hāpai Te Hauora, says the statistics point to deeper structural issues.
“When Māori are consistently overrepresented in homelessness statistics, it tells us the housing system is not delivering equitable outcomes,” she says.
“The response needs to focus on the drivers of homelessness.”
Housing is widely recognised as a fundamental human right. When Māori experience homelessness at disproportionate rates, it signals a system that is not working fairly for everyone.
Forcibly removing people experiencing homelessness, many of whom are Māori, to present a more curated image of the CBD raises important questions about whose wellbeing is prioritised. It also reinforces the historical pattern of contempt for the partnership embodied by Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Move-on orders may change what is visible in certain areas. But they do not:
  • Provide housing
  • Increase income
  • Connect people to care
  • Reduce trauma
  • Prevent future homelessness
They displace people who are already vulnerable.
Homelessness is not a public nuisance to be managed. It is a public health issue to be addressed.
Public safety and public wellbeing are not competing goals. Communities are safer when whānau are housed, supported and connected. Stability reduces harm. Visibility alone does not create it.
These proposed changes have not yet progressed into law. But the framing of homelessness as something to be moved along rather than resolved has consequences.
When policy focuses on appearances rather than underlying drivers, it risks deepening instability for those already at risk.
“We should be asking what is pushing people into homelessness, not how quickly we can move them away from view,” says Alexander.
“Real progress comes from addressing causes, not symptoms.”
At Hāpai Te Hauora, we believe homelessness is not the problem itself, but a signal that our housing and income systems are failing whānau.
Moving people out of sight is not a solution.
We will continue to advocate for responses that address the root causes of homelessness and reduce harm, particularly for Māori and other communities disproportionately affected.
When whānau have stability, our entire community thrives. 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/homelessness-out-of-sight-is-not-a-solution/

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Amnesty International – Urgent call to protect civilians and respect international law amid escalating regional conflict following US and Israeli attacks on Iran

Source: Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand

Amid rapid expansion of regional hostilities across the Middle East following the ongoing joint United States-Israel attacks on Iran and the subsequent wave of Iranian retaliatory attacks across the region, Amnesty International is issuing an urgent call on all parties to protect civilians, adhere to international humanitarian law, in particular by ending unlawful attacks, such as deliberate, indiscriminate or disproportionate attacks on civilians and civilians infrastructures.
Military operations have spread across the region and now involve more than 10 countries. They have already resulted in significant loss of civilian life and destruction of civilian infrastructure. Israel has escalated its attacks on Lebanon in the past 24 hours in response to Hezbollah’s attacks. The US has said that “the hardest hits are yet to come”. Iran has warned of further intensification and insecurity across the whole region following the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader and commander-in-chief Ali Khamenei.
“Civilians should not pay the price for the unlawful and reckless acts by parties to the conflict, ravaging the principles of humanity and distinction at the heart of international humanitarian law and threatening the very foundations of international peace and security. The stakes could not be higher. Across the region, civilians have already endured successive cycles of conflict and mass violations and crimes under international law. Their protection should now be the top priority. Instead, they are facing more senseless killings and repression,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“Parties to the conflict must immediately refrain from and cease unlawful attacks, whether direct attacks on civilians, indiscriminate and disproportionate attacks, or the use of explosive weapons with wide area effects in densely populated areas. They must take all feasible precautions to prevent civilian harm.
“As the threat of a protracted international conflict grows, compliance with international human rights law and international humanitarian law is more urgent than ever. Any failure to uphold these obligations will intensify an already devastating human toll and push the region even further towards another humanitarian and human rights catastrophe.”
Attacks on Iran and Iran’s response
On 3 March the Iranian Red Crescent Society, reported that 787 people have been killed in Iran since the attacks began. On 28 February 2026, according to the Iranian authorities around 150 school children were among 165 people killed when a school in the southern city of Minab, Hormozgan province, was struck. The UN has described the bombing of this school as a ‘ grave violation of humanitarian law’, with UNESCO warning that attacks on educational institutions endanger students and teachers and undermine the protections guaranteed under international humanitarian law. The UN Human Rights Office has called for a prompt, impartial and thorough investigation into the “horrific” incident.
Amnesty International verified six videos from the aftermath of the strike that impacted the school, which show black smoke rising from the partially collapsed building and rescuers and excavators searching through the rubble for victims. Footage filmed from the school entrance shows walls marking the parameter of the school yard and building, with smoke visible in the background from the direction of a nearby Iranian Revolutionary Guards Compound.
According to the head of the Medical Council of Iran, 10 medical centres have been damaged by the Israeli and US attacks. Hospitals in Iran have already been subjected to militarized raids by Iran’s security forces who committed widespread human rights violations against injured protesters and medical workers during and in the aftermath of the protest massacres in January 2026.
The Iranian authorities shut down access to the internet again on 28 February, preventing millions of people from accessing essential information about armed hostilities and communicating with loved ones inside and outside the country, and suppressing the flow of information about violations of international humanitarian and human rights law.
The armed conflict has intensified concerns about the fate and safety of prisoners across Iran, including the thousands of protesters and dissidents arrested in connection with the January 2026 uprising. These concerns stem from reports by human rights defenders of explosions near prisons and other facilities where prisoners are held as well as Israel’s previous attack on Tehran’s Evin prison during the 12-day war.
Human rights defenders are also expressing fears that the Iranian authorities have often used armed conflict as pretext to subject dissidents to intensified patterns of torture and other ill-treatment as well as summary, arbitrary or extrajudicial executions. Amnesty International calls on the Iranian authorities to immediately release all those arbitrarily detained and take effective measures to secure the safety of all other prisoners, including through temporary release on humanitarian grounds. Concerns for the rights of people in Iran are compounded by the Iranian authorities’ well-documented record to repeated crimes under international law and other serious human rights violations, including during successive lethal crackdowns to eradicate dissent. On 8-9 January, Iranian authorities carried out unprecedented massacres of thousands of protesters and bystanders during anti-establishment protests calling for an end to the Islamic Republic.
Iranian authorities responded to US and Israeli attacks with missile and unmanned aerial vehicle attack in Israel and across the Gulf region, including in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman and Saudi Arabia.
Media reports and official government statements indicate that some of the attacks, including as a result of falling debris from intercepted missiles or drones, led to some deaths, injuries or damage to civilian infrastructure. According to the authorities in Abu Dhabi, an Iranian drone targeting Zayed International Airport (AUH) was intercepted, leading to “falling debris” killing one person and injuring seven. On 2 March, both the Qatari and Saudi authorities claimed their oil facilities were targeted by the Iranians, and a Gulf Cooperation Council statement condemned “indiscriminate and reckless missile and drone attacks.”
In Israel, according to media and rescue agencies, at least 10 people have been killed and tens injured as a result of Iranian attacks. This includes nine people killed and more than 20 injured in Beit Shemesh after an Iranian ballistic missile strike, as well as the death of a woman in the Tel Aviv area from falling shrapnel. Iranian strikes also damaged at least 40 buildings in Tel Aviv, according to local authorities.
Israel has escalated severe restrictions on movement across the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), effectively blocking movement between villages and towns in the occupied West Bank including East Jerusalem. The authorities have also closed all external crossings into and out of the OPT including Kerem Shalom/ Karem Abu Salem and Rafah crossings blocking lifesaving aid and effectively placing the entire Gaza Strip under siege. Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem was reopened on 3 March.
These arbitrary measures are gravely exacerbating the suffering of Palestinians living under Israel’s unlawful occupation and apartheid and are further compounding the multi-layered humanitarian crisis in Gaza, where Palestinians are still living through Israel’s ongoing genocide.
In Iraq, a faction [Saraya Awliya Al-Dam] of the Iran-aligned militia groups, calling itself the Islamic Resistance, has claimed responsibility for multiple drone attacks on Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq and later in the capital Baghdad, primarily targeting US military facilities. According to Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, drone strikes have targeted their positions in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq following warnings from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Escalation between Hezbollah and Israel in Lebanon
Following Hezbollah rocket attacks on northern Israel, which the group said was retaliation for Khamenei’s killing, the Israeli military significantly escalated its attacks on Lebanon, including the suburbs of Beirut, overnight on 2 March. Israeli air strikes in Lebanon had killed at least 40 people and injured 246, according to the Lebanese authorities, by 3 March. Before the recent escalation and since the November 2024 ceasefire agreement, Israel had been carrying out near daily attacks in the south of Lebanon, killing more than 380 people, including 127 civilians.
A new, mass “evacuation” warning, issued by the Israeli authorities after midnight on 2 March, has again displaced hundreds of thousands of civilians across Lebanon. The vague and broad warning covered more than 50 villages across the country’s south and east, and led to panic, clogged roads and another round of displacement for many. Additional broad mass evacuation warnings were issued early on 3 March ordering people in dozens of additional villages in southern Lebanon to leave their homes and expanding the area under threat.
On 2 March, the Israeli military said it would strike Hezbollah-affiliated financial institutions in multiple locations across Lebanon, then did. Israel previously targeted branches of the Hezbollah-affiliated financial institution in October 2024, which Amnesty International described as a likely violation of international humanitarian law, calling for such attacks to be investigated as a war crime.
International humanitarian law strictly prohibits direct attacks on civilians and civilian objects, as well as indiscriminate strikes that fail to distinguish between civilians and civilian object and combatants and military objectives, and disproportionate attacks. Aerial attacks impacting schools, medical facilities or residential buildings, as well as the firing of ballistic missiles and other explosive weapons with wide area effects into densely populated areas, raise grave concerns of possible violations of international humanitarian law.
Amnesty International is closely monitoring the situation and call on all parties to adhere to international humanitarian law. In instances of civilian death, injury and infrastructure harm, parties should initiate immediate investigations and hold anyone responsible for violations of international law to account.
“The escalating crisis in the Middle East poses a grave threat to multilateralism and to the integrity of the international legal order. Unlawful acts by parties to the conflict, particularly those committed by influential states, not only endanger civilians across multiple countries, but also accelerate the erosion of the global norms that are essential for the protection of human rights and global peace and security,” said Agnès Callamard.
“It is imperative that all parties take urgent measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, including airports, hospitals, residential buildings, schools and prisons. They must also ensure safe and unhindered humanitarian access to all affected areas and enable independent international monitoring.
“We call on the international community to intensify diplomatic efforts to prevent further military escalation to avert additional civilian harm, and halt any further crimes under international law against populations who have already endured decades of repression. In line with international law, states must exercise the utmost restraint, refrain from any conduct that could fuel further violations, and remember that they have clear obligations not to aid or assist internationally wrongful acts, as well as a duty to cooperate to bring such breaches to an end.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/amnesty-international-urgent-call-to-protect-civilians-and-respect-international-law-amid-escalating-regional-conflict-following-us-and-israeli-attacks-on-iran/

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Auckland’s next steps: regeneration projects progress across the region

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council’s Annual Plan sets out the priority activities and investments for the year ahead – and while it covers a wide range of services and programmes, urban regeneration remains an important area where Aucklanders will see continued progress.

Urban regeneration projects are underway across the region, led by the Auckland Urban Development Office (AUDO). These initiatives support council’s broader goals of building stronger infrastructure, unlocking housing opportunities, and improving the everyday places Aucklanders live, work and gather.

“Urban regeneration is one part of how we help Auckland grow,” says Patrick Dougherty, General Manager of the Auckland Urban Development Office. “This work complements the wider priorities in the Annual Plan by improving town centres, enabling new homes, and creating better-connected communities.”

Working together for better outcomes

AUDO acts as the council’s “front door” for urban development, partnering with government agencies, mana whenua, iwi, the private sector and community organisations.

“Regeneration takes time and strong partnerships,” says Dougherty. “Our role is to coordinate planning, invest strategically in infrastructure and amenities, and enable high-quality residential and commercial development that benefits local communities.”

The office works across town centres and growth areas to support a vibrant, liveable Auckland. This includes selling underutilised council sites to development partners to enable new homes in places like Mt Eden, Old Papatoetoe, Flat Bush, Howick, Hobsonville, New Lynn, St Johns and Glen Eden.

All developments must meet strict sustainability standards, including Homestar 6 or better for new homes in regeneration areas.

What’s Happening in 2026/2027

Across Tāmaki Makaurau, Aucklanders will see continued progress on urban regeneration projects already underway:

Panmure – Lagoon Edge Reserve Upgrade

The completed upgrade offers new public spaces, better facilities, and celebrates the cultural and historical significance of the lagoon.

Onehunga – Waiapu Precinct

Work continues to transform this town centre precinct into a more welcoming, better-connected town centre with space for housing and a new supermarket.

Henderson – Catherine Plaza Renewal

The plaza has been opened up and improved to create a more inviting public space linking the main street with WestCity Waitākere.

Old Papatoetoe – New Homes and Community Spaces

Council land sales have enabled new homes, supported by a wide range of public space and community improvements.

Pukekohe – Market Precinct Enhancements

Enhancements will begin on the market precinct beside the town square, including a permanent home for the farmers market and better-designed community space.

Northcote – Te Ara Awataha Greenway

Work begins on the final section of the 1.5km greenway and on the upgrade of Puāwai Cadness Reserve.

Manukau – Public Space Regeneration

Progress continues on the Hayman Park Repo (wetlands) project and improvements to Te Aka Raataa / Puhinui Stream.

Avondale – New Town Square

A new town square is being created alongside Te Hono, Avondale’s new library and community hub.

Have Your Say

Public consultation for the Annual Plan opens in February through AK Have Your Say.

“Aucklanders have an important role in shaping these programmes,” says Dougherty. “We encourage people to get involved, share their views, and help us deliver great outcomes for local communities.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/aucklands-next-steps-regeneration-projects-progress-across-the-region/

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Annual Plan: what’s happening with rates next year?

Source: Auckland Council

The council’s proposed Annual Plan 2026/2027 is out now for all Aucklanders’ to have their say. The plan includes a proposed rates increase of 7.9 per cent for the average value residential property.

What does the annual plan mean for next year’s rates?

Each annual plan sets out rates for the year and the average increases or changes ratepayers can expect. A 7.9 per cent rates increase for the average value residential property is proposed for 2026/2027 (for the average value residential property).

Rates make up less than 40 per cent of council income and contribute significantly to the quality of life Aucklanders’ have. They help maintain and enhance the infrastructure, parks, facilities, activities and services that make Auckland a great place to live. 

Rates help us invest in services and activities for our communities – improving public transport, maintaining parks, museums and art galleries, environmental services, rubbish collection and community facilities.

What’s the extra rates delivering?

A major highlight this year is the expected start of the City Rail Link (CRL), which will transform Auckland’s public transport. The CRL is a key investment for Auckland and is bringing a range of benefits to Auckland. 

As CRL opens in 2026, the council will have additional annual costs come into play. These costs are the primary driver of the 7.9 per cent rates increase. The CRL will enhance Aucklanders’ ability to move around the region by delivering more trains and quicker, easier journeys. It will also bring economic and environmental benefits.

2026/2027 will see the council invest $3.9 billion into new capital infrastructure projects across Auckland – helping deliver a region with the physical assets it needs to thrive and grow. We will also invest $5.3 billion into continuing essential services Aucklanders rely on (operating costs). For more highlight projects for 2026-2027, read on.

Will all ratepayers have an extra 7.9 per cent to pay?

Not every household will pay exactly 7.9 per cent more – that is the increase for the average residential property (valued $1.28 million). Rates vary based on the capital value of each property. Individual properties might also be subject to specific targeted rates which might impact the rates change. Our online rates guide provides estimated rates for each property. See our online rates guide. 

What is the average cost of rates?

For the average household, annual rates are proposed to increase by around $320 next year – from $4055 in 2025-2026 to $4375 in 2026/2027. This is a total weekly rates cost of around $84, or $6.16 more a week. 
These figures are based on an average $1.28m capital value (CV) residential property. Capital values help us share rates fairly across all property owners, and are only for setting rates.

How can I see what rates I will pay next year? 

To find out estimated rates for your property during 2026/2027, see our online rates guide. 

Are there changes to any targeted rates?

Targeted rates contribute to specific services or projects and are generally set across all ratepayers, or to specific ratepayers in certain areas.

Individual properties may see some changes to targeted rates. Proposed changes include:
–    the future of the Waitakere Rural Sewerage Scheme (affecting the associated targeted rate from 2027/2028 onward)
–    a proposed new local services targeted rate for Mangere-Otahuhu Local Board 
–    a proposed new local services targeted rate for Otara-Papatoetoe Local Board

There are also several proposed changes to other targeted rates:
–    a proposed reduction to the area of the Onehunga Business Improvement District (BID) and changes to the BID targeted rate
–    a proposed expansion of the Kingsland BID and changes to the BID targeted rate
–    a proposed reduction in the Rodney Drainage District targeted rate for properties in the Te Arai Drainage District.

What about business rates?

Under our rates policy, businesses contribute 31 per cent of the rates revenue. In 2026/2027, the rates for an average value business property ($3.89 million) will rise by 9.84 per cent. 

What about farm and lifestyle rates?

The rates for an average value farm/ lifestyle property will increase by 8.37 per cent in 2026/2027. 

Individual business and farm/lifestyle properties might also be subject to specific targeted rates which might impact the rates change. Our online rates guide provides estimated rates for each property. 

Rates increase numbers indicated in this article are subject to adoption of the council’s final budget in June 2026 and updated property information.

What is Auckland Council doing to cut costs?

Auckland Council is focused on delivering value for money and continues to forecast some of the lowest rates increases in New Zealand.  

While the overall rates rise is higher than the council would like – we have delivered savings and increased efficiency across the council that have helped reduce what could have been an even higher rates rise. 

For 2026–2027, we have set a savings target of $106 million, which includes an additional $20 million in annual savings as part of our ongoing commitment to financial sustainability. The $106 million equates to around 3.5 per cent of rates revenue.

In addition to savings, the council utilises value for money reviews, a Better Value Projects approach, a focus on non-rates revenue, sales of under-utilised assets and an ongoing focus on driving value for every dollar to manage new priorities and changing demands for the future.    

How are rates calculated?

Rates increases for individual residential properties may differ from the average 7.9 per cent. 

Rates vary based on the capital value of each property, its classification (residential, business farm or short-term accommodation) and location (urban or rural). Individual properties might also be subject to specific targeted rates. 

If a property’s value has increased (such as due to renovation work) or decreased, its rates increase might be lower or higher than the average change. 

Read more about rates on the council website.

Our online rates guide provides estimated rates for each property in 2026/2027.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/annual-plan-whats-happening-with-rates-next-year/

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Pest eradication on Kawau Island resumes

Source: Auckland Council

After taking a break over summer, to avoid disruption to the busiest season for residents and visitors to Kawau Island, Auckland Council and our project partners are resuming the pest eradication programme on the island with operations commencing in March.

With our field camera network and drone survey data revealing that numbers of wallabies and possums are higher in the southern part of the island than previously anticipated, hunting efforts will be supported by the permitted use of toxins (1080 cereal bait and cut foliage treated with 1080 gel) from Monday 9 March. 

This is dependent on the weather and ground conditions and will be undertaken in accordance with strict permit conditions.

Working towards a pest-free Kawau Island

Auckland Council has been working with Kawau Island landowners and residents to restore the extensive native forest on Kawau Island. 

The presence of wallabies and possums means that the native forest cannot thrive as these introduced pests browse on seedlings and plants, destroying potential habitats and food sources for indigenous species. 

After years of planning and preparation, the project began in early May 2025.

Working towards a pest-free Kawau Island, is a ground-based operation to remove wallabies and possums and is primarily being carried out by hunters using trained indicator dogs and thermal drones, supported using toxins (1080 and Feratox) in areas where the monitoring network has revealed higher numbers of wallabies and possums are present.  

The next treatment area for the toxins is located on private land in the southern sector of the island (excludes residential areas and Public Conservation Land) and will be fenced and monitored.

You can read more on OurAuckland.

Important information

  • Safety is of utmost importance to us. Working towards a pest-free Kawau Island is underpinned by strict public health conditions from the National Public Health Service – Northern Region Auckland and robust health and safety precautions will be undertaken.
  • However, 1080 is a toxin that can be deadly to people and dogs. Small quantities of 1080 gel are lethal if eaten or swallowed. 
  • Visitors and residents of Kawau Island must stay out of areas with toxic bait and avoid all contact with baits. 
  • Anyone who consumes any of the toxic baits should call 111 immediately and contact the Poisons Centre for advice while waiting for emergency services. 
  • Dogs are highly susceptible to 1080 poisoning if they consume baits or scavenge carcasses.
  • To keep dogs safe, visitors should avoid taking dogs to the island during the operational period. 
  • Residents should keep dogs on a leash and closely supervised at all times, especially in the southern sector of the island. If you suspect your dog has been poisoned, induce vomiting and immediately go to a vet. 
  • We have been working with Warkworth Vets, and the team are ready to treat any dogs brought in, if needed. Muzzles and emetic medication are available from Warkworth Vets for landowners and residents of Kawau Island, free of charge. 
  • As per our permit conditions, there will be a six-month caution period. Uneaten foliage bait will be removed within 14 days of deployment, and soluble cereal bait will readily breakdown. However, secondary poisoning remains a risk for dogs during the six-month caution period.
  • Signage will remain during this time, and all residents and visitors to the island must follow all instructions from the council and its teams during this time. 

For more information on the Kawau Island restoration project, including FAQs and further factsheets, please visit our website or phone us on 09 301 0101. To support this project and ongoing conservation efforts, visit New Zealand Nature Fund.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/pest-eradication-on-kawau-island-resumes/

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The fractured, drug-fuelled life behind the scenes of a 10-month-old’s death

Source: Radio New Zealand

Public Domain

The mother of a baby found unresponsive in a South Auckland home has described her broken relationship, drug use, and the day her son died, before a Coroner’s inquest on Wednesday.

Ten-month-old Poseidyn Hemopo-Pickering was rushed to Middlemore Hospital and later moved to Starship Children’s Hospital on the evening of 5 September, 2020.

He died a few hours later.

His father, Anthony Simon Pickering, was acquitted of murdering his son in 2022 after a jury trial, and no one has been held responsible for his death.

The purpose of the coronial inquiry is to determine how Poseidyn died and the circumstances surrounding his death, not criminal or civil liability.

Today, the Coroner heard from Poseidyn’s mother, Filoi Huakau, who told the court she had a fractured relationship with Poseidyn’s father, who was also present.

She said the couple domestically abused one another.

“I would say we were like showponies, we would smile for the camera but we had a lot of brokenness between us behind closed doors,” Huakau said.

“We lacked the ability to communicate properly with one another, and there was barely any affections between us.”

Huakau said the pair were heavy methamphetamine users. Her meth use continued while she was pregnant with Poseidyn.

She had said Poseidyn’s parentage was a point of debate and argument for the pair, and that it was only confirmed after his death that Pickering was in fact his biological father.

It was a miracle he had been born healthy, she said, given how much she was using and how little she was eating.

She told the court she had previously given mixed accounts to police of what happened, saying the account given on Wednesday would clear the air.

“Every time that I provided a statement, my head was in a scramble.

“What happened back then, and some of the things I said, no longer sit right with me.”

Huakau said she did not know why she lied to police.

“It is really hard to explain why I lied about certain things, but I was honestly fried, in almost every single statement that I gave,” she said.

“I know it looks like I was probably trying to cover up the truth, but to be completely honest I didn’t even know the truth, I suppose I was really just trying to find a way to justify what happened to myself.”

Huakau paused several times while giving evidence to collect herself, wiping her face with tissues.

She recalled being in the hospital with Poseidyn, and Pickering suddenly mentioning for the first time that the baby had hit his head on the window sill while his mother was out.

Poseidyn had suffered a blood clot and a fracture.

“I screamed at Simon and said, ‘why the F didn’t you say something’, he said he had only just remembered it now,” Huakau said.

“All I remember is just crying.”

She spoke about a family hui following Poseidyn’s death, in which she and Pickering were told one of them would need to take the blame for their child’s death, and that it needed to be Pickering.

‘Your lowest low’

Later in the day, Huakau was questioned by her lawyer Kima Tuialii, who acknowledged the loss she had suffered.

“We all know that you’re sitting where ideally no mother or parent should ever have to sit, before a Coroner in a court, trying to understand what’s happened to their baby.”

She commented on Huakau’s journey to recovery.

“We’ve spoken about really your lowest low, and some of your deepest hurts,” Tuialii said.

“The way you’ve turned things around have been nothing short of remarkable, and I think that everybody in this room would agree with that.”

She asked Huakau if she believed she could have done better.

“Absolutely,” Huakau said.

“I do acknowledge that my kids were neglected, I do believe that they deserved a lot more than what they did get.”

Tuialii asked if she ever hurt Poseidyn.

“Never,” Huakau said.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/the-fractured-drug-fuelled-life-behind-the-scenes-of-a-10-month-olds-death/

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Vinhomes Green Paradise Gains Traction as a Multigenerational Global Investment

Source: Media Outreach

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 March 2026 – Can Gio is Ho Chi Minh City’s coastal district, a threshold where a metropolis of more than 10 million people meets the vast ecological reserve of mangrove forests and the open sea. Such geography cannot be replicated. Now, at this rare intersection of city and biosphere, Vinhomes Green Paradise is steadily transforming vision into reality, shaping a new coastal urban paradigm for the next generation.

Among hundreds of candidates from across the globe, Vinhomes Green Paradise has emerged as the first official participant in the global campaign New7Wonders’ “7 Wonders of Future Cities”. It signals that on the southern edge of Ho Chi Minh City, in Can Gio’s coastal expanse, a new urban thesis is being tested – one in which development is calibrated not by vertical ambition alone, but by the durability of its quality of life.

“Vinhomes Green Paradise is a truly compelling model for the concept of a ‘future city,’” said Jean-Paul de la Fuente, Director of New7Wonders and President of the “7 Wonders of Future Cities” campaign. “Here, the benchmark of progress is measured in the quality of living across generations.”

That future is now materializing at pace. Construction advances with uncommon velocity. Infrastructure grids are being laid with the discipline of long-term urban choreography. At the center of this unfolding ecosystem lies a 50-meter-wide artery known as the “Future Boulevard” – planned as the district’s commercial spine and among the earliest components to be completed and activated.

To acquire a Boulevard Prime townhouse along this axis is, by many measures, to participate in the district’s economic overture before the crescendo. Can Gio is envisioned as a tourism capital welcoming up to 40 million visitors annually. As infrastructure scales and connectivity deepens, the pricing paradigm is expected to reset accordingly. Early ownership, therefore, is a position in an emerging consumption corridor.

The Irreplicable Value of a “Rare Axis”

In urban economics, frontage along a primary commercial axis carries a structural premium. In Can Gio, this logic is rendered tangible along the 50-meter Future Boulevard, the first commercial lifeline of Vinhomes Green Paradise.

Each segment of the street is anchored to a destination of international scale: a six-star luxury resort; the 5,000-seat Blue Waves Theater; the global entertainment complex VinWonders; a Safari park; the 24/7 retail and leisure hub Cosmo Bay; Landmark Harbour international marina; twin 18-hole golf courses; and a five-star Vinmec International Hospital.

According to development plans, these flagship amenities are slated for substantial completion by the third quarter of 2027. Once synchronized in operation, the boulevard will transcend its infrastructural role. It will function as a sustained “consumption corridor” – channeling a stable, continuous stream of visitors past the doors of Boulevard Prime properties.

The anticipated clientele arrives for resort stays, theatrical performances, golf tournaments, wellness programs, global events – activities that imply longer dwell times and elevated discretionary spending. The rhythm of commerce here is not circumscribed by office hours. It extends day and night, across all seasons.

Such an environment is naturally suited to structured, premium service models: fine-dining establishments; curated boutiques; concept stores; flagship showrooms; spa and wellness centers; branded hospitality hybrids. The boulevard’s design, retail interlaced with major attractions, ensures that each property benefits not from a single demand stream, but from layered and overlapping consumer flows.

This “amenity-adjacent” architecture confers resilience. When consumption is underwritten by an entire ecosystem rather than a solitary anchor, volatility is diffused. As the district matures and visitor patterns stabilize, assets positioned along the core axis are likely to see their competitive advantages sharpen.

It is this structural clarity, of connectivity, scarcity and projected demand, that positions Boulevard Prime as a focal point for international capital seeking long-horizon growth in Southeast Asia’s evolving urban markets.

Securing Capital Costs, Anticipating the Cycle

Urban planners often note that the intrinsic value of commercial property along a central axis derives from infrastructural singularity. A city may expand outward, layering additional amenities and residential clusters, but it rarely replicates its primary connective spine. Once established, such axes become enduring frameworks around which value consolidates.

In Can Gio, the 50-meter Future Boulevard is the sole route designed to link, directly and comprehensively, the district’s full spectrum of large-scale amenities. The supply of Boulevard Prime townhouses along this stretch is, by definition, finite. As the urban organism reaches operational maturity, that scarcity is expected to become increasingly pronounced.

If rarity underwrites long-term value, timing determines margin. At the present juncture, while the boulevard is advancing toward completion, pricing does not yet fully encode the district’s projected consumption capacity. Early investors retain latitude in site selection and stand to capture the repricing that typically accompanies infrastructural activation.

Complementing locational advantage is a financing structure engineered to minimize capital risk. The program “Buy a Vinhomes Home – No Worries About Interest Rates” offers 0% interest support for 36 months, followed by a capped maximum rate of 9% per annum for the subsequent 24 months. In effect, investors can model capital costs across a five-year horizon with unusual clarity.

This structure is calibrated to an entire economic cycle. Rather than remaining exposed to market rate volatility, investors can establish predictable cash-flow projections from the outset. In a climate where interest rates exhibit upward pressure and liquidity discipline tempers expansion plans, such insulation functions as a financial shield.

Long-term fixed-rate commitments of this duration are not commonplace in the current market. They presuppose balance-sheet strength and a willingness on the part of the developer to absorb rate risk alongside buyers. For investors, particularly those navigating cross-border allocations, this arrangement reduces friction at the point of entry and fortifies holding strategy during the formative years of the district’s growth.

A City Measured in Generations

What distinguishes Vinhomes Green Paradise is not a singular building or amenity, but its integrative thesis. It proposes that tourism, culture, healthcare, recreation and commerce need not exist as disjointed clusters. When orchestrated deliberately, they can reinforce one another, creating both a lifestyle destination and a durable economic engine.

In that sense, the project’s participation in the New7Wonders campaign reads less as accolade and more as validation of intent. The aspiration is to cultivate a city where daily life, for residents, entrepreneurs and visitors alike, unfolds within a coherent, future-oriented framework.

If cities of the past were defined by fortifications or factories, and the cities of the 20th century by skylines, the cities of the future may well be judged by their capacity to harmonize infrastructure with human experience. In Can Gio, that experiment is already underway – not as speculation, but as construction steel rising against the coastal horizon.

Hashtag: #Vinhomes

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/vinhomes-green-paradise-gains-traction-as-a-multigenerational-global-investment/

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VinEnergo Announces Global Strategy, Deploys First 10 GW International Renewable Energy Portfolio

Source: Media Outreach

HANOI, VIETNAM – Media OutReach Newswire – 4 March 2026 – VinEnergo announces its large-scale global expansion plan, initially focusing on Asia and Europe with a renewable energy project portfolio totaling 10 GW that has officially secured development agreements. In addition to the capacity already approved in Vietnam, over the next three years VinEnergo will continue expanding its operations and increase its total deployed capacity to 100 GW, positioning itself as a leading global renewable energy enterprise and deepening its participation in the international energy transition.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Khoa, CEO of VinEnergo (left), and Mr. Karsten Nielsen, Founder and CEO of GreenGo Energy Group (right), at the partnership signing ceremony between the two parties.

Under its overall plan, VinEnergo targets the development of 100 GW of renewable energy over the next three years, including 50 GW in core international markets such as North America, Northern Europe, the Mediterranean, and Southeast Asia. These regions demonstrate rapidly-growing power demand, strong renewable energy promotion policies, and significant development headroom for international investors.

In parallel, VinEnergo will also explore expansion into other potential markets such as Central Asia and Africa, where electricity demand and emissions reduction requirements are rising rapidly. Through collaboration with governments and relevant stakeholders, VinEnergo will develop sustainable energy sources, support businesses in accessing clean electricity, contribute to Net Zero goals, and directly participate in shaping green energy policy.

To establish a solid foundation for the structured and long-term deployment of renewable energy projects, VinEnergo has signed partnerships with international financial institutions to access green credit. In addition, VinEnergo has reached agreements with multiple reputable foreign partners to develop a 10 GW project portfolio, with the overall objective of mastering all stages, from design, schedule management, and commercial structuring to long-term operations.

Specifically, in Northern Europe, VinEnergo partners with GreenGo Energy to develop a renewable energy project portfolio of 2 GW in Denmark and Sweden. In the long term, the company plans to expand its capacity in Northern Europe and across Europe to 6.2 GW.

In the Philippines, VinEnergo will develop projects totaling 1.3 GW with NKS Renewables Inc, 1.2 GW with URG Asia Corporation, and 1.3 GW with 11.11 Growth Properties, focusing on large-scale solar power projects in favorable areas such as Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

In these co-development projects, VinEnergo holds over 80 percent ownership and acts as the primary developer, responsible for capital mobilization, construction, and long-term operations. Several projects commenced in early 2026 and are expected to begin operations during 2027 to 2028.

Mr. Andre Pablo G. Fausto, President of NKS Renewables (left), and Mr. Nguyen Anh Khoa, CEO of VinEnergo (right), at the partnership signing ceremony between the two parties.

With in-house capability in the manufacturing and integration of battery energy storage systems (BESS), VinEnergo can standardize design, secure equipment supply proactively, and synchronize technical solutions across its entire portfolio. This ensures high operational stability, reduces schedule risk, and optimizes project economics, particularly in markets with high renewable penetration and increasingly stringent dispatch requirements.

According to the plan, in the first quarter of 2026, VinEnergo will increase its total international renewable energy portfolio to 20 GW, with at least 8 GW of additional projects in Southeast Asia and Africa to be signed during the period.

Mr. Nguyen Anh Khoa, Chief Executive Officer of VinEnergo, stated: “Entering 2026, VinEnergo moves into a new development phase with the aspiration to become a renewable energy enterprise with global scale and competitiveness. The simultaneous deployment of a large portfolio across multiple markets affirms our capacity for governance and execution of complex projects. VinEnergo believes we will make an important contribution to the global energy transition process, while elevating the stature of Vietnamese enterprises on the global green energy map.”

In 2025, VinEnergo broke ground on the Hai Phong LNG thermal power plant, with a total investment of approximately VND 178 trillion and a designed capacity of 4,800 MW, placing it among the largest LNG-to-power projects in Vietnam and globally. VinEnergo has also been assigned as the investor for two offshore wind power projects in Ha Tinh, totaling approximately 900 MW with a combined investment exceeding VND 39 trillion.

Most recently, VinEnergo also invested in Phase 1 of the Hon Trau Wind Power Plant project in Gia Lai, with a capacity of 750 MW, one of the largest renewable energy projects in the province. In addition, VinEnergo has been approved as the qualified investor for the Vinh Thuan Wind Power Project, with a capacity of 143 MW.

Co-operation agreements both domestically and internationally reflect partners’ confidence in VinEnergo’s financial strength, governance, and execution capability, while affirming the company’s increasingly established position in the international renewable energy value chain.

With a long-term development orientation and as part of the Vingroup ecosystem, VinEnergo pursues the mission of providing clean, stable, and efficient energy, aligned with disciplined investment, international governance standards, and sustainable value creation for the community, while proactively adopting the latest trends such as AI and big data applications in operations and smart power solution development.

Hashtag: #VinEnergo

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/vinenergo-announces-global-strategy-deploys-first-10-gw-international-renewable-energy-portfolio/

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New CT scanner for Wairarapa

Source: New Zealand Government

A new CT scanner is now operational at Wairarapa Hospital, marking a significant upgrade to diagnostic services in the region, Health Minister Simeon Brown says.

“This $2.46 million investment will strengthen diagnostic services for Wairarapa, bringing faster, more reliable imaging closer to home and improving access for local patients,” Mr Brown says.

“The previous end-of-life CT scanner has experienced regular outages, disrupting care and delaying appointments. The new, modern scanner will significantly improve reliability and capability, providing faster imaging, better technology, and a more consistent experience for patients and staff.”

“The upgrade is expected to deliver around a five percent increase in output and productivity, supporting faster diagnosis, stronger cancer pathways, and better access to imaging for both inpatients and outpatients.

“It will also strengthen the wider regional diagnostics network, ensuring hospitals are better able to manage demand and maintain timely care across the region.

“By investing in frontline infrastructure like this, we are ensuring regional communities like Wairarapa get the quality care they deserve.

“This is about putting patients at the centre of our health system – investing in the infrastructure and technology that supports frontline clinicians, strengthens regional services, and ensures communities like Wairarapa can rely on modern, quality care now and into the future,” Mr Brown says.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/new-ct-scanner-for-wairarapa/

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Save the Children – Children sleeping in cars and on the streets in Lebanon as families seek safety

Source: Save the Children

Families are sleeping in cars, in the street and in damaged schools seeking safety as the number of people displaced in Lebanon rises and with seven children reported killed, Save the Children said.

About 58,000 people, including an estimated 16,000 children have been displaced in Lebanon in the past three days according to the Ministry of Social Affairs due to Israeli airstrikes and forced displacement orders.
With media reports of an Israeli ground incursion more families are fleeing their homes. [1]
As armed conflict spreads in the wider region, Israeli strikes have reportedly killed 40 people including seven children in Lebanon and a further 246 injured since Saturday.[2] [3]
Save the Children is urgently calling for a cessation of hostilities to protect children from further harm. Save the Children is responding on the ground by distributing essential items such as blankets, mattresses, pillows, baby supplies, hygiene items and water to people that are displaced.
Nora Ingdal, Save the Children’s Country Director for Lebanon, said: “Our team is hearing cases of children across Lebanon sleeping in cars, on cold pavements, and in partially damaged classrooms with cracks in the walls, while parents are sitting on the side of the streets crying, exhausted from little sleep after being unable to get into proper shelters with their children.
“The buildings that they are finding and using as shelters are places no child should have to sleep in. Some of the schools housing families have water dripping through the walls from broken pipes, and there are no beds. These buildings are becoming increasingly crowded are not designed to house families.
“In the south, families attempting to flee are stuck in huge queues of traffic. The situation is pure chaos for those on the move. Journeys that should take an hour are now taking over 15. Parents are telling Save the Children staff how anxious they feel, as they smell smoke and see bombs and drones loom in the sky over them.
“I heard a 10-year-old ask her mother “Why are they attacking us?” Her mother was completely lost for words and unable to give any answer to her child. This isn’t a question any child should have to ask.
“Many of these children have been displaced before and are completely terrified, families are being forced to relive their trauma and have nowhere safe to go. With media reports of an Israeli ground incursion, families are glued to the news for any updates, but nothing is clear at the moment, and the future remains unknown for millions.
Every possible effort must now be taken to prevent further escalation and to safeguard children. There must be an end to the hostilities. All parties involved in the conflict must uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law. Children must be protected at all times.”
SOURCES:
[1] Lebanon Ministry of Social Affairs
[2] Lebanon Ministry of Social Affairs
[3] UNICEF Lebanon
Notes:

There are no cooking facilities in the shelters currently and toilet and washing facilities very minimal. Families are being forced to share toilets in schools meant for children in schools.
One school Save the Children is responding in is meant for 130 students but there are already over 230 people sleeping there with the number rapidly rising.
Rents have almost tripled overnight, with people being forced to stay with friends and relatives.
All Save the Children staff in Lebanon have been affected. Some have had to flee with their own families during the night. They have barely slept, yet they still show up for work to help others with many fasting for Ramadan.  

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/save-the-children-children-sleeping-in-cars-and-on-the-streets-in-lebanon-as-families-seek-safety/

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Child Care: Tamariki and rangatahi in Oranga Tamariki care are yet again being failed by the system that is supposed to be protecting and caring for them – Ihorangi Reweti Peters

Source: Ihorangi Reweti Peters

The Experiences of Care in Aotearoa report found that Oranga Tamariki has continued to not comply with the National Care Standards Regulations, six years after they have come into effect. 

The National Care Standards Regulations set out the minimum standard that tamariki and rangatahi in care should receive. 
The fifth Experiences of Care in Aotearoa for the period 1 July 2024 – 30 June 2025 was published today by Aroturuki Tamariki | Independent Children’s Monitor. 
State care survivor and advocate, Ihorangi Reweti Peters, says this report is yet again highlighting that tamariki and rangatahi in care are not having their needs met, and they are being failed by the very system that is supposed to be caring for them.

“The Independent Children’s Monitor found that 246 tamariki and rangatahi stayed in a hotel or motel during the reporting period. Hotels and motels are not homes; they are meant to be used as a last resort in emergency situations for a short period while a more suitable care option is identified. When tamariki and rangatahi are living in hotels or motels they are cared for by a security guard, a casual staff member, a reliever, or a social worker – these are not people who should be caring for our tamariki and rangatahi. It is also shocking that tamariki and rangatahi with high and complex needs, which includes disabilities are more likely to be placed in motels. Tamariki and rangatahi need to feel safe, they need to have stability – which these motels or hotels do not provide,” Mr Reweti Peters said.

“The report also found that the number of tamariki and rangatahi found to have been abused or neglected while in Oranga Tamariki care has increased from 507 in 2023/24 to 530 in this reporting period. This is one in 10 tamariki and rangatahi in care. Māori tamariki and rangatahi make up 73 percent of those who were found to have been abused in care. Since 2022/23 the number of tamariki and rangatahi found to have been abused has increased. No abuse should ever be inflicted on tamariki and rangatahi in Aotearoa New Zealand, let alone in the very agency that is supposed to be protecting tamariki and rangatahi from harm and abuse.”

Oranga Tamariki needs and must do better to ensure that all tamariki and rangatahi in their care are safe and have stable accommodation.

Mr Reweti Peters said, “Kei te rongo koe? Are you listening? – VOYCE Whakarongo Mai’s State of Care Report and scorecard shows the importance of making sure that our tamariki and rangatahi in Oranga Tamariki care have their basic needs met, which include safety and stability. Kei te rongo koe? Paints another bleak picture – that Oranga Tamariki is still not doing enough to make sure that the minimum standards of care are being met and that tamariki and rangatahi in Oranga Tamariki care have their basic needs met. In 2027 VOYCE – Whakarongo Mai will do another scorecard and hopefully the scores will improve so that our tamariki and rangatahi in Oranga Tamariki care are safe and have their basic needs met and have the minimum standard of care that they deserve.”

“I welcome the report today by the Independent Children’s Monitor. I hope that in the interim Oranga Tamariki will start to comply with the National Care Standards Regulations so Aotearoa can see that there has been improvement. However, Oranga Tamariki is still in no place to care for some of our nation’s most vulnerable tamariki and rangatahi. I again, echo the calls from survivors, academics, and whānau that Oranga Tamariki needs to be dismantled and iwi, hāpu and whānau need to take over the provisions of caring for our tamariki and rangatahi,” said Ihorangi Reweti Peters.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/04/child-care-tamariki-and-rangatahi-in-oranga-tamariki-care-are-yet-again-being-failed-by-the-system-that-is-supposed-to-be-protecting-and-caring-for-them-ihorangi-reweti-peters/