Homeowners shifting properties could be good news for the economy

Source: Radio New Zealand

First-home buyers were still a strong force in the market, but dropped to 26.2 percent of transactions compared to 28.3 percent at the end of 2025. Unsplash/ Jakub Żerdzicki

Homeowners becoming willing to brave the housing market and shift to a new property could be a positive thing for the economy, one economist says.

Cotality, formerly Corelogic, has released its latest property data pack.

It shows that sales volumes were down 10.7 percent on the same month in 2025. It followed a stronger-than-expected December.

Property economist Kelvin Davidson said, when taking the two months together, there was still an overall lift in transactions.

“We’d expect to see more sales growth activity in 2026 on the back of reduced mortgage rates and a recovering economy,” he said.

Values dropped 1 percent in the year to January but Cotality said while Auckland and Wellington were soft, areas such as Dunedin and Invercargill had more pressure on prices.

Nationally prices are still down 17.5 percent from their peak but Wellington’s are down 25.5 percent compared to 3.6 percent in Christchurch.

First-home buyers were still a strong force in the market, but dropped to 26.2 percent of transactions compared to 28.3 percent at the end of 2025.

Investors were also active. But chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said movers’ share of the market increased from 25.3 percent to 27 percent. These are people who own a home and are moving to another.

“To be fair, it’s early days. But this could be the first sign that as economic confidence starts to recover more owner-occupying households may start to look at the market again and relocate. Their activity has been quieter than normal lately, so some pent-up demand to shift is probably present.

“They’ve been relatively quiet for quite a long time, biding their time, Watching the economy still feeling a little bit cautious about taking that next step, trading up, moving house. You probably don’t necessarily want to do that if you don’t have to in an uncertain environment.”

He said it was not a trend yet but something he had been watching for.

“All that time that movers have been quiet, there’s still been life going on. People have been changing their circumstances yet not moving. So I suspect there’s probably a bit of pent-up demand there that will come out at some point.”

He said, if it did, people such as valuers and real estate salespeople would benefit, but so too would big ticket retailers. “A good time to move house might be a good time to get a new sofa, that sort of thing.”

Flat prices might disappoint sellers but were positive for buyers.

The predictability of current conditions is reassuring for buyers, who are continuing to adjust to the recent experience of stable prices and lower mortgage rates,” Davidson said.

“With affordability gradually improving and employment conditions set to strengthen slowly this year, there’s a growing sense of cautious optimism, even if the recovery will be measured rather than sharp. Debt to income ratio caps remain important to watch.”

The data showed rents were subdued.

Prices were down over the year in Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga and Wellington.

The median national rent fell 0.8 percent in the last quarter of the year compared to the same time a year earlier.

Davidson said it was likely behaviour would shift, activity would improve and 2026 would be a year of gradual growth for sales and prices.

“Affordability has improved to its best position in several years, mortgage rates have eased, and listings are gradually drifting lower. Those factors combined are helping to steady the market and should support a lift in sales activity through 2026,” he said.

“Other considerations include borrowers who are rolling off higher fixed rates onto cheaper loans, which will help free up cashflow for some households and should the labour market slowly gather steam as expected, that sets the scene for modest price growth rather than a sharp rebound.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/homeowners-shifting-properties-could-be-good-news-for-the-economy/

Company boss shocked as 2500 apply for one job

Source: Radio New Zealand

Oppo managing director Morgan Halim said more people applied for the entry level roles, than the ones with more specialist requirements. RNZ

Oppo managing director Morgan Halim would usually consider 500 a high number of applicants for a job ad.

So when a current advertisement ticked over 2500 applications – and counting – he was shocked.

“It’s quite surprising, actually. We have multiple ads running and this particular one has far exceeded our expectations.”

The job is a customer service role based in central Auckland. It requires someone with demonstrated experience in customer service and says it is advantageous for the applicant to have experience in a call centre.

“We brought back our call centre that used to be in Malaysia back to New Zealand. We made some changes about two years ago and we’ve found in this role there’s pretty good interest every time we advertise.”

He said more people applied for the entry level roles, such as this one, than the ones with more specialist requirements. Oppo is also advertising for a content creator.

Halim said he would work with a human resources partner to do the vetting on the thousands of applicants, and then the process would be worked through between three people. “It’s usually the HR person, the manager and myself. What we do is we work as a team and understand location-wise where they’re from, that’s important because we work in the CBD and we want to make sure they’re comfortable to come in and out from the business.

“Also experience, what we’re looking fo, we can usually narrow the options down quite quickly.”

He said only 44 percent of applicants for this role were from New Zealand.

“It’s still a lot of numbers, 44 percent is about a thousand and something but it at least cuts it in half, basically.”

He said it was good to know that so many people wanted to work for Oppo, which currently has a team of 27.

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said there were still high numbers of applicants being recorded across all job listings.

“As of November 2025, which is the latest data we’ve got, relative to November 2019, which is sort of a fairly good pre-pandemic figure, we have seen a 243 percent increase in the number of applicants per job ad on the Seek site, at least.

“There is a substantial increase coming through, and it’s going to take a lot for that number to come back to anywhere near normal. It’s going to take both a large increase in the number of jobs being listed, noting that we’re still about 25 percent down on pre-pandemic levels in terms of job numbers, but also, clearly, there’s a heck of a lot of competition out there, given the unemployment rate is high as well.”

He said the number of applications per filled job seemed to have stabilised in the past six months but at very high levels.

“Looking through the monthly figures, there’s no indication that it’s necessarily getting any worse, but, equally, nothing to show it’s getting any better immediately, either.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/company-boss-shocked-as-2500-apply-for-one-job/

Second priest at St Bede’s College was accused of sexual abuse by three complainants

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fr Brian Cummings was rector at St Bede’s College between 1990-2001. Supplied

A second priest who worked at St Bede’s College was accused of sexual abuse by three complainants over three decades, it can be revealed.

The priest, who “strenuously denied” the allegations, was rector at the school for more than a decade and worked alongside a priest who was recently revealed as sexually abusing four boys.

The school’s current rector says the matter is “distressing”, and that any form of abuse is “unacceptable”.

RNZ earlier revealed that former priest Rowan Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection. He is awaiting sentencing.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

It can now be revealed that another priest, Fr Brian Cummings, was also accused of sexual abuse by three different complainants.

Fr Rowan Donoghue outside the Christchurch District Court last month. Nathan McKinnon / RNZ

Cummings, who died in 2022 age 68, was rector at the school between 1990 and 2001.

RNZ approached the Society of Mary for comment on allegations involving Cummings last week.

Initially the religious order said if there were allegations about any other Marists they encouraged complainants to take them to police.

Pressed further for comment, a Society of Mary spokesperson confirmed on Tuesday it had records of three complaints of sexual abuse against Cummings from three complainants.

“They were received in 1996, 2014 and in 2023; the third came after he had died. All related to his time at St Bede’s College. Cummings strenuously denied the accusations in 1996 and 2014.

“The first two complaints were investigated by police and the Society of Mary. Police took no action on either complaint. The third complaint was investigated by the Church.”

RNZ asked St Bede’s College rector Jon McDowall for comment on allegations of sexual abuse in relation to Cummings.

He replied the school was “aware of allegations against the late Father Cummings”.

“Those allegations are working through a process and we are not able to offer any further comment at this time.”

He said he found the matters “distressing”.

“Any form of abuse is unacceptable, regardless of when it occurred or whether it involved one individual or many.

“I was not in this role at the time these matters arose. My responsibility now is to ensure we respond with clarity, care and integrity.”

He said work was under way to understand what was known historically and how those matters were addressed.

“That work is being led by the current Boards and myself.

“Some historical allegations were previously subject to investigation. Where new information comes to light, we encourage it to be brought forward and addressed through the appropriate channels.

“What matters most is that anyone impacted feels supported and heard. We are committed to ensuring concerns are addressed appropriately, with care, integrity and accountability.”

He said the school today operated with “clear safeguarding expectations, strong oversight, and a culture where student well-being comes first.”

“Abuse has no place at St Bede’s – past, present or future.”

In a statement Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney said: “Police can confirm offending was reported to us centred on St Bedes in the 1980s/90s, investigated by Canterbury District in 2013.

“Following enquiries, the evidential test to proceed with prosecution was not met.

“This investigative material has been handed to the current investigation [into Donoghue].”

McDowall sent an email to former St Bede’s students on Tuesday. The email, seen by RNZ, referred to “continued media coverage” relating to “historical matters” related to the school.

“I am aware there may be further reporting in the coming days. I do not want you as Old Boys and Alumni to be caught off guard if additional historical matters are referenced. I will not speculate on what may or may not be published, but it is possible that some of the content may be difficult to read.”

McDowall said he recognised that for many former students the coverage may “bring back difficult memories or raise personal questions about your own time at the college”.

“For some, it may be confronting or unsettling. That response is entirely understandable.”

Anyone who wished to speak to him about any concerns, or share their own experiences could contact him directly.

Cummings’ departure from St Bede’s College was marked in the 2001 yearbook.

Cummings first started at the school in 1980 as an english and religious education teacher, he was also a dormitory master, eventually becoming the dean of boarders. In 1988 he left the school and was deputy rector at St Patrick’s College Silverstream, but returned about two years later to become rector.

“St Bede’s has been his primary focus and the goal of all his efforts. He has never tired in working for the good of the Staff and Students who make up this College,” the magazine said.

McDowall earlier told RNZ it was brought to his attention by police in recent weeks that the college had previously been notified of concerns relating to Donoghue.

“On learning this, I immediately took steps to establish clearly what was known by the school, when it was known, and how it was handled. I was not in this role at the time, and records from that period are limited. This work is ongoing; I am committed to gaining as much clarity as possible and doing so with care and integrity.

“I will say again, if there was inaction, and any failure to respond appropriately, then I am appalled. My thoughts remain with the victims and survivors who continue to live with the impact of this harm.”

Police appeal for people to come forward

In a statement to RNZ Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons said last week police were appealing for anyone with information on offending by Donoghue to come forward.

A suppression order on Donoghue’s guilty plea was lifted last month.

“Following the lifting of all suppression, police have been made aware that former students of Wellington school St. Patrick’s College Silverstream, have alleged similar offending by Father Donoghue,” Simmons said.

“We know it can be incredibly difficult and at times distressing to talk about these matters, but we would like to reassure any victims of offending that we will take them seriously.

“Police has a number of officers and detectives dedicated to these cases, and we provide a safe space to report offending in confidence.”

St Patrick’s Silverstream rector Rob Ferreira earlier told RNZ the school had not been made aware of any allegations of abuse in care while Donoghue worked at the school between 1982 to 1992.

“We have not had any inquiries from the police either.

“We operate according to clearly set out guidelines and best practice and you should note that our primary concern is the wellbeing of our students. Given that – our protection of the privacy and any other rights of survivors of abuse and other individuals would be paramount.”

He said the school had informed the community that Donoghue’s name suppression had lifted.

Where to get help:

  • Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason
  • Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
  • Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends
  • Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202
  • Samaritans: 0800 726 666
  • Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz
  • What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds
  • Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, and English.
  • Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
  • Healthline: 0800 611 116
  • Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
  • OUTLine: 0800 688 5463
  • Aoake te Rā bereaved by suicide service: or call 0800 000 053

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sexual Violence

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/second-priest-at-st-bedes-college-was-accused-of-sexual-abuse-by-three-complainants/

Kaihu community in mourning after woman mauled to death by a pack of dogs

Source: Radio New Zealand

The scene of a fatal dog attack in Kaihu, Northland. RNZ

The small Northland settlement where a woman was mauled to death by a pack of dogs is devastated, a councillor and kaumātua for the region says.

Emergency crews rushed to Kaihu north of Dargaville on Monday and Police remained at the scene several hours.

Cordon tape was tied across the gate.

The community is tiny – the pub is for sale, there’s rugby field, a small gas station down the road and a smattering of homes.

“Our thoughts and our aroha is with the grieving family and the community,” Snow Tane told RNZ after learning of the attack.

He himself had driven by the scene before he knew what happened, taking note of the flurry of emergency vehicles that rushed there.

Tane had since heard from some who live in Kaihu.

“We’ve got a community there that’s absolutely devastated,” he said.

“So my thoughts are with the community and I’m really, you know, in the next few days, I hope to be able to support both the family and the community.”

Tane, a Kaipara councillor, will be freeing up his diary to do so.

“My sort of position is is very clear and it’s around dog owner responsibility and what that responsibility means and how we need to ensure that dog owners act in a more responsible manner,” he said.

“Because this has occurred, and it has occurred throughout New Zealand over the past 20 years and that and I think it’s really important that we need to make sure that dog owners understand and know what their responsibilities are, and two, we need to be checking and ensuring that there is compliance to those responsibilities.”

A dog seen roaming in Kaihu on Monday evening. Not related to the attack. RNZ

Tane said people should alert authorities immediately about any uncontrolled dogs in neighbourhoods and communities.

“Compliance officers should attend and act accordingly to these situations,” he said.

After the attack a local told RNZ the dogs had been at the property for about a year.

“There’s been so many complaints about them in the last year – the council know and haven’t done anything.

“They run out onto the road all the time. I was really scared about that and somebody getting hurt,” they said.

At least two dogs in the community were notorious for chasing cars as well as cyclists on the Kaihu Valley Bike Trail.

The Kaipara District Council would not say if the dogs that attacked and killed the woman were known to animal control.

Local Government Minister Simon Watts is asking officials for urgent advice after the death.

He said the Department of Internal Affairs is woking on the issue with local councils to improve dog control.

Watts expected new guidelines in the second half of this year.

Kaipara District mayor Jonathan Larsen called the death tragic and a sad situation for the families.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/kaihu-community-in-mourning-after-woman-mauled-to-death-by-a-pack-of-dogs/

Antarctic expedition collects evidence that ice sheet melted during previous warm period

Source: Radio New Zealand

Co-chief scientist Molly Patterson with a core sample all packaged up for transportation back from the Crary Ice Rise campsite. Supplied / Ana Tovey (SWAIS2C)

An Antarctic sediment sample dating back millions of years shows evidence that a major ice sheet partially or totally collapsed during a previous warm period.

The sediment core was retrieved by a New Zealand-led research team from beneath half a kilometre of ice, during a record-breaking mission in a remote part of Antarctica.

It will now help answer the question of when, and how drastically, the West Antarctic ice sheet might melt as the climate keeps warming – releasing up to five metres of sea level rise as it goes.

Previously, the largest samples retrieved from that deep beneath an Antarctic ice sheet were only about 10 metres in length.

Camping on the ice, 1100 kilometres from the nearest permanent base, the team used a huge drill rig to extract a 228-metre sample of mud and rock, three metres at a time.

It dates back an estimated 23 million years – giving climate researchers an enormous geological record to examine.

“It still feels a little bit unreal, to be honest,” expedition co-chief scientist Molly Patterson said.

“I can’t imagine anything else in my professional life scaling that experience up.”

Co-chief scientists on the ice, Molly Patterson (left) and Huw Horgan, with the first core of sediment collected during the expedition. Supplied / Ana Tovey (SWAIS2C)

Collecting the sample was crucial to confirming models of what might happen to the West Antarctic Ice Sheet as the temperature warms by 2°C or more.

At the moment, the ice sheet is protected by ice shelves – floating layers of ice formed by the ice sheet flowing off the Antarctic continent.

Without them, the flow of ice into the ocean will accelerate, meaning the potential collapse of the entire ice sheet.

Some of the smaller shelves could collapse within years, but the Ross Ice Shelf, the largest of them, is still stable – for now.

However, early analysis of the sample confirms what the researchers already suspected from previous modelling – that there was a period in history when, instead of thick ice in that part of Antarctica, there was open ocean.

Patterson’s fellow co-chief, Huw Horgan, said from about the 200-metre mark, they started finding diatoms in the sample – small photosynthetic creatures that can only exist when there’s light.

“When there’s a thick ice shelf, no light gets through, so these organisms can’t live in the presence of the ice above them.

“So, they really tell you that there was open ocean, that there was no ice shelf, that there was no ice sheet there at the time they were deposited. So, it’s a very direct indicator of open ocean conditions at the site.”

The core was loaded carefully into polystyrene boxes for transport back to Scott Base and then on to New Zealand. Supplied / Ana Tovey (SWAIS2C)

The core has been transported safely to New Zealand and the next step is to accurately date it, Horgan said.

“Being able to then take that and relate it to what the temperature was in the past, what global temperatures were in the past, that’s really strong evidence for what we can expect the ice sheets to do in the future.”

That would also help to determine the rate at which any melting might occur.

All of that information would be fed into models of sea-level rise, which is expected to affect one billion people by the end of this century – within the lifetimes of children alive today.

“No one’s going to put their hand up and say, I want an unstable West Antarctica, I want four to five metres of sea level [rise],” Horgan said.

“But for me, any trepidation in finding out that result, finding out that there’s the absence of ice in these places is tempered by the fact that now we’re informed and better informed is better prepared.”

Third season lucky

The sediment was collected from a location where the Ross Ice Shelf and the West Antarctic Ice Sheet meet, called Crary Ice Rise.

There is no permanent base there.

Instead, an advance team transported equipment 1100km across the ice shelf from Scott Base, so the expedition could camp out for weeks while they set up the drill rig and got to work.

The 2026 camp and drill site at Crary Ice Rise on the edge of the West Antarctic ice sheet. Supplied / Ana Tovey (SWAIS2C)

It was the third attempt, after equipment failures during the 2024 and 2025 Antarctic summer seasons.

Head driller Tony ‘TK’ Kingan has been travelling to Antarctica for nearly 30 years to work on drilling projects.

This expedition was more technically difficult than most, because the ice was directly touching the bedrock – meaning the ground beneath the ice was also frozen, he said.

Before they could even start extracting sediment, the drilling team used a hot water drill to get through the 500 metres of ice sitting on top of it.

They then lowered a ‘riser’ – essentially a long pipe – through the hole in the ice so the drill could pass through it to the ground below.

“Whenever we stopped drilling in the ground itself, the hole would want to start freezing,” Kingan said.

To stop that happening, the drilling team had to keep the riser moving, and hot water circulating around the clock.

“Right to the bitter end, it was pretty full-on, pretty stressful. We’re running 24 hours in that instance over the drilling period,” he said.

“You can’t really relax until all the gear is out of the hole and the project’s done and we haven’t hurt anyone or lost any gear.”

Head driller Tony Kingan carefully collects a sediment core as it’s extruded from the drill pipe. Supplied / Ana Tovey (SWAIS2C)

Patterson said the first piece of core came up while she was off-duty – but she made sure to be there.

“I was working the night shift and it was during the day shift, but I just, I wouldn’t have been able to sleep or stay away. I just personally wanted to witness it.”

There was “a huge sense of relief” that the expedition had succeeded, Patterson said.

“Just because [of] the past two seasons, the challenges we’ve had, and also recognising how technologically difficult all this was.”

Horgan said the drilling team had managed the scientists’ expectations about what the first core might look like.

“There’s often nothing in it, and if there is, it might just be what they call drilling mud, which is just the fluid they put down to lubricate everything,” he said.

“And when the first core came up, it was actual core, and it was rock. And that was a fantastic feeling.”

The process of extracting the core had several stages, each with different technical challenges, made more difficult by the harsh Antarctic conditions the team was working in. Supplied / SWAIS2C

There were brief celebrations when the first core came up, and again at landmark depths – 50m, 100m and 200m.

“There’s definitely a pat on the back and a hug,” Horgan said.

“And the geologists are great. They’ll celebrate different rock types. So you get a core which has a different rock type, and suddenly a message will whip around the camp, and everyone’s coming and running to see the core.”

The science team is now finalising plans for a full analysis, so they can begin working on the results.

Horgan said there will also be discussions about future expeditions, including to the site of their previous failed attempts.

“We’re going to want to acquire more data in different places, sampling different parts of the geological record and looking at different ice sheet processes.

“We’ve got this incredible capability now, and I think it would be wise to use it.”

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/antarctic-expedition-collects-evidence-that-ice-sheet-melted-during-previous-warm-period/

Newly-independent polytechnics given $325m from former owner

Source: Radio New Zealand

Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

The 10 newly-independent polytechnics have been kick-started with more than $325-million from their former owner, super-institute Te Pūkenga.

Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds said the organisations were recapitalised with sufficient funds to cover three months’ spending plus any ring-fenced funds they took with them when they were subsumed by Te Pūkenga, the NZ Institute of Skills and Technology.

“Some polytechnics had significant reserves going into Te Pūkenga, while others had significant debt. Each polytechnic received three months of operating expenditure, plus their original ring-fenced reserves (if applicable) plus any other restricted funds (if applicable),” she said.

Simmonds said five Industry Skills Boards had temporarily taken over seven work-based learning divisions of the mega-institute which were recapitalised with $62.7m.

She said the money would ensure financial viability and sustainability of training during the transition phase while the boards were temporarily accountable for work-based learning.

Simmonds said any remaining funds would be returned to the Crown after work-based learning moved to a tertiary education organisation such as a polytechnic or private training provider.

However, any previously agreed ring-fenced reserves would got to the tertiary education organisation.

Simmonds said the funding was arranged by Te Pūkenga and the Tertiary Education Commission.

Canterbury institute Ara received $80.8m, while the combined United/Manukau Institute of Technology received $52m, and Eastern Institute of Technology $34.5m.

The Open Polytechnic and Southern Institute of Technology each received more than $27m and Otago and Waikato more than $24m each.

Nelson-Marlborough received $22.6m, Toi Ohomai $20m, and Ucol $11m.

Among the former work-based learning divisions, Competenz received $20.9m, the Primary ITO $14m, EarnLearn $8.7m, Connexis and Careerforce more than $6m each, ServiceIQ $4m, and HITO $1.7m.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/newly-independent-polytechnics-given-325m-from-former-owner/

Banks Peninsula sees 10 times monthly rainfall in 48hrs, MetService says

Source: Radio New Zealand

Flooding around Akaroa, Banks Peninsula on Tuesday. RNZ / Nathan McKinnon

Banks Peninsula has been hammered by nearly 10 times the average monthly rainfall in just 48 hours, MetService says.

The deluge has left the peninsula cut off, with slips and flooding blocking State Highway 75, the main road between Christchurch and Akaroa.

A state of emergency remains in Banks Peninsula, about 250 properties have been without power overnight, and there are also cell and internet outages.

Boil water notices are in place for Wainui and Little River.

Canterbury Civil Defence controller Duncan Sandeman said he didn’t know how long the peninsula would remain isolated – but reopening the road would be Wednesday’s priority.

About 250 properties have been without power overnight in the Banks Peninsula after the flooding. RNZ / Nathan McKinnon

“That’s a decision for NZTA, what I do know is that they’ll have contractors working pretty hard to get that lifeline reopened,” he said.

A damaged fibre optic cable was causing the communications outages, said Sandeman.

“That’s created a number of dramas … the comms is patchy, we know that the 2degrees cell network is able to take texts.”

People could also dial 111 in an emergency, he said, and civil defence staff were communicating via satellite phones.

School children stuck at camp

About 40 primary school children are stuck at Wainui Park Camp on the peninsula, and the manager has no regrets about the trip going ahead.

Wainui Park Camp is run by the Kind Foundation, and it’s been hosting a rural Christchurch school trip since Monday.

The foundation’s chief executive Josie Ogden Schroeder said the camp is well equipped with food, water, power and communications, and the group was staying in a building on a hill away from the river.

Roads had been blocked near Wainui after the floods caused slips. SUPPLIED/Linda Hennessy

“This is a country school, they are full of beans, they’re totally relaxed … they’re all absolutely fine, they are very safe where they are,” she said.

“I don’t think that there’s any major concerns about safety, it’s more just the adventure of it all, and I believe that school is turning this into a pretty awesome learning experience for those kids.”

Despite the wet weather forecast, Ogden Schroeder said it was the right call to continue on with the camp.

“Heavy rain shouldn’t stop outdoor education because that’s actually the entire point of going away on camp is to actually experience the outdoors and learn about such things,” she said.

“However, if we had known … that the road would be cut off and such like, then of course then we would have been saying to schools, ‘look, this is not a sensible time for you to be coming to Wainui’.”

The camp was not badly damaged, save for a few small bridges over creeks, thanks to flood mitigation work over the last year, Ogden Schroeder said.

School trips scheduled for the rest of the week had been cancelled, she said.

Warning level questioned amid massive rainfall

A huge amount of rainfall was experienced in the Banks Peninsula RNZ / Nathan McKinnon

MetService meteorologist Katie Lyons said Canterbury had seen a “huge amount” of rainfall – with Banks Peninsula in particular taking on nearly ten times the average monthly amount in just 48 hours.

Banks Peninsula

  • 48 hours, Sunday night to Tuesday night: 300mm
  • Monthly average rainfall: 35mm

Christchurch city

  • 48 hours, Sunday night to Tuesday night: 40mm
  • Monthly average rainfall: 30mm

Some Banks Peninsula locals have questioned why the MetService weather warning wasn’t upgraded from orange, to a rare red.

Lyons said it’s too soon to say whether it was the right call – but MetService would analyse it, which was standard practice.

“We don’t just look at the rainfall that has fallen, we look at the impacts that were actually felt, because sometimes the heaviest rain falls in places that no one lives, and that means no one cares,” she said.

There was a lot of “post-analysis” to get through which involved working with councils to understand how badly people were affected, Lyons said.

Red warnings are issued when there’s high confidence of extreme impact and risk to life, she said.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/18/banks-peninsula-sees-10-times-monthly-rainfall-in-48hrs-metservice-says/

Annual food prices increase 4.6 percent – Selected price indexes: January 2026 – Stats NZ news story and information release

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/annual-food-prices-increase-4-6-percent-selected-price-indexes-january-2026-stats-nz-news-story-and-information-release/

Births to under-25s decline to record low proportion – Births and deaths: Year ended December 2025 (including abridged period life table) – Stats NZ news story and information release

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/18/births-to-under-25s-decline-to-record-low-proportion-births-and-deaths-year-ended-december-2025-including-abridged-period-life-table-stats-nz-news-story-and-information-release/

Watch: Father and kids flee large slip under their home

Source: Radio New Zealand

A father shouted to his children to get clear of a large slip as it fell away from the base of his home – rendering it uninhabitable.

People in the lower North Island were confronting the damage to their neighbourhoods after heavy rain and high winds felled trees, flooded homes and closed schools yesterday.

Aaron Pahl said he arrived at his home in Stokes Valley – north of Wellington City – after picking up two of his children when their school was closed on Monday morning.

“I was looking from my path down at my backyard and I’m like ‘something’s not right here’. I looked at the ground and it’s just dropped about a metre and a half.

“About half an hour later, I was outside and I heard it start cracking, like all the trees just start cracking and crunching. So I pretty much screamed out to my kids ‘get your arses up here now!’ and I watched the whole thing just slide down the bank,” Pahl said.

The view from Stokes Valley painter Aaron Pahl’s house after a slip left the house uninhabitable on Monday morning. Supplied

Pahl said it felt like slow motion as his back fence, a green house and a section of scaffolding slid down into the valley behind his property, leaving his deck and the rear foundation of his home hanging above the precipice.

He said he estimated an area of yard about 30 by 10 square metres disappeared over the edge.

“It was a pretty big storm, but we’ve never had anything like that happen to us, never thought it would happen. The bank that slipped away had like 30 metre tall manuka trees on it. They were there for forever, massive trees and the roots must have been huge but obviously not huge enough to retain the bank,” Pahl said.

Stokes Valley painter Aaron Pahl says he shouted to his children to get to safety when a large slip fell away from the base of his home – leaving the house uninhabitable -on Monday morning. SUPPLIED

Pahl said the family only had time to grab a handful of personal belongings before they had to leave the property.

Later in the day he heard from a neighbour that council staff had been at the site.

“I went back and there’s letters all over the door saying damaged buildings, do not enter, stuff like that. And then there’s something that says the remedial work has to be done or the building has to be demolished,” Pahl said.

Pahl said the family was now “in limbo” – staying at his in-laws – as they waited to hear how his insurance company could help with an accommodation supplement to house them ahead of any potential repairs.

“I’ve just spent thousands of dollars doing the house up, new kitchen, new bathroom, recarpeting, redecorating the whole interior.

“I’ve spent pretty much most of my free time, doing up my own house so I can sell it to do better for my family. It’s – hopefully – not all lost, but it’s very unclear right now. If that goes down the drain, I’m pretty much screwed,” Pahl said.

A Lower Hutt City Council spokesperson confirmed Pahl’s home had been issued with a dangerous building notice.

They said the building had been assessed as “damaged enough not to be safe to be in” and details of what next steps had to be taken where outlined in the notice to the owner.

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/2026/02/17/watch-father-and-kids-flee-large-slip-under-their-home/

Global Neighbors @Yiwu: Turning a Foreign Land into Home

Source: Media Outreach

YIWU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 17 February 2026 – As red lanterns light up the streets and alleys, Yiwu is welcoming spring in a unique way. For the international community living here, the city has transformed from a foreign commercial hub into a warm “hometown.”

This year, three expatriates shared their unique Chinese New Year experiences in Yiwu.

For Lina from Ukraine, the festival is a visual feast of “Chinese Red.” Having lived in Yiwu for five years, she immerses herself in local traditions, shopping for “Get-Rich Horse” dolls for the upcoming Year of the Horse and buying traditional red outfits to take back to her home country.

For He Lvsheng, the holiday offers a chance to find a comfortable rhythm. While he notes that the New Year isn’t celebrated with the same intensity in his home country, in Yiwu, he enjoys the festive atmosphere by buying food and toys for friends while maintaining his daily fitness routine.

For foreign businessman Weihua, the Spring Festival is about unity. He celebrates by pasting spring couplets with his Chinese employees and handing out “Hongbao” (red envelopes), turning business partners into family.

From the scent of ink on couplets to the shared joy of the holidays, Yiwu’s inclusive environment allows entrepreneurs and residents from around the world to strive, live, and turn a foreign land into home.

Hashtag: #Yiwu

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/2026/02/17/global-neighbors-yiwu-turning-a-foreign-land-into-home/

T20 World Cup: Black Caps beat Canada by eight wickets

Source: Radio New Zealand

Glenn Philips in action for the Black Caps against Canada in their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup clash. www.photosport.nz

The Black Caps have comfortably chased down Canada’s total in their T20 World Cup clash.

Canada scored a respectable 173 in the match at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai, with batsman Yuvraj Samra scoring 110 in 65 balls.

But the Black Caps chased the total down with 29 balls remaining – Glenn Phillips top scored with 76 runs off 36 balls, while Rachin Ravindra also reached a half-century, scoring 59 in 39 balls..

The win has secured the Black Caps a place in the Super 8s, where they will be divided into two groups of four each, and play each other in a round-robin format.

The top two teams from each Super 8s group will progress to the semi-finals.

See how all the action unfolded with our live blog:

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/17/t20-world-cup-black-caps-beat-canada-by-eight-wickets/

As it happened: Akaroa on Banks Peninsula will remain cut off overnight due to flooding, slips

Source: Radio New Zealand

A state of emergency has been declared in Banks Peninsula, a boil water notice is in place, a river has burst its banks and a highway closed.

See how the day’s events unfolded with our liveblog:

Flooding in the Christchurch suburb of Beckenham after the Heathcote River breached its banks. RNZ / Adam Burns

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/17/as-it-happened-akaroa-on-banks-peninsula-will-remain-cut-off-overnight-due-to-flooding-slips/

Broken leg sidelines NZ Warriors veteran Te Maire Martin for start of NRL

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Maire Martin will miss about three months with his fractured fibula. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

NRL pre-season: Warriors v Dolphins

Kickoff: 8pm Friday, 20 February

Leichhardt Oval, Sydney

Live blog updates on RNZ

NZ Warriors have suffered their first significant injury of the 2026 NRL campaign, with the loss of utility Te Maire Martin to a broken leg.

Martin left the field during the first half of last weekend’s Māori v Indigenous All Stars clash at Hamilton and has been diagnosed with a fractured fibula (lower leg) that keep him out of action for about 12 weeks.

Martin was a key component of the Warriors interchange last season, with his ability to cover a variety of positions off the bench. He will now join halfback Luke Metcalf, who continues to rehab his knee, after season-ending surgery last July.

The Warriors had seven players involved in the pre-season spectacle and have named four to return for their second trial against the Dolphins on Friday.

The other absentees are co-captain James Fisher-Harris, who is given the week off, and winger Alofiana Khan-Pereira, who suffered concussion in action for the Indigenous side.

Coach Andrew Webster fielded a makeshift line-up against Manly Sea Eagles last Saturday, with several untested at first grade, and watched them tumble to a 33-18 defeat at Napier.

Six days later, his team is much closer to full strength, with the addition of fullback Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, centre Adam Pompey and second-rower Jacob Laban.

Young forward Demetric Vaimauga has also been given a rest, while veteran winger Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is still nursing the hamstring twinge that forced him out of the Manly fixture.

Second-rower Marata Niukore and five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita are other notable omissions, but back-up fullback Taine Tuaupiki has been named 18th man, after an off-season leg injury delayed his return to training.

Five-eighth Luke Hanson and winger Haizyn Mellars are the only players named yet to play first grade.

Warriors: 1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, 2. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 3. Ali Leiataua, 4. Adam Pompey, 5. Haizyn Mellars, 6. Luke Hanson, 7. Tanah Boyd, 8. Tanner Stowers-Smith, 9. Wayde Egan, 10. Jackson Ford, 11. Kurt Capewell (c), 12. Jacob Laban, 13. Erin Clark

Interchange: 14. Sam Healey, 15. Morgan Gannon, 16. Leka Halasima, 17. Eddie Ieremia-Toeava

Reserves: 18. Taine Tuaupiki, 21. Kayliss Fatialofa, 22. Jack Thompson, 23. Makaia Tafua, 24. Motu Pasikala, 25. Sio Kali, 26. Caelys-Paul Putoko, 27. Geronimo Doyle, 28. Rodney Tuipuiotu-Vea, 29. Paea Sikuvea

Meanwhile, the Dolphins have added several frontliners, including former Warriors Kodi Nikorima at five-eighth, after suffering a 24-12 loss to Gold Coast Titans last week,

Dolphins: 1. Trai Fuller, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Jake Averillo, 4. Herbie Farnworth, 5. Selwyn Cobbo, 6. Kodi Nikorima, 7. Isaiya Katoa (c), 8. Francis Molo, 9. Bradley Schneider, 10. Tom Gilbert, 11. Connelly Lemuelu, 12. Oryn Keeley, 13. Morgan Knowles

Interchange: 14. Tevita Naufahu, 15. Thomas Flegler, 16. Kulikefu Finefeuiaki, 17. John Fineanganofo

Reserves: 18. Sebastian Su’a, 19. Elijah Rasmussen, 20. Brian Pouniu, 21. Zac Garton, 22. Brent Woolf, 23. Adquix-Jeramiah Watts-Luke, 24. Sangstar Figota, 25. Noah Fien, 26. Elijah McKay

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/17/broken-leg-sidelines-nz-warriors-veteran-te-maire-martin-for-start-of-nrl/

Government considers Auckland Harbour Bridge toll to help pay for second crossing

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tom Kitchin

The government is seeking advice on whether to bring in a toll on the existing Auckland Harbour Bridge, to help pay for a second Waitematā Harbour crossing.

The Infrastructure Commission has suggested a toll as high as $9, a figure the Transport Minister says would be a “big decision” to make.

The government continues to mull over its options as to what a new crossing would look like, such as a tunnel or second bridge.

In the newly-released National Infrastructure Plan, the Infrastructure Commission said new revenue would be needed to fund the crossing.

High-level analysis suggested a $9 toll “on both new and existing crossings” could raise between $7 billion and $9 billion, depending on the tolling period.

“Higher tolls may not raise more revenue, as they would divert too many users and erode viability, and tolling only the new crossing would sharply limit revenue,” the Commission wrote.

“Other funding mechanisms are possible, but would likely require non-users to contribute funding which may not be considered equitable or favourable.”

When the bridge was first opened in 1959, motorists had to pay 2 shillings and 6 pence, a figure the Commission said equalled around $9 in 2025.

Tolls were removed in 1984.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the new crossing would be the biggest infrastructure project New Zealand has ever done.

While the new crossing would be tolled, a question remained over whether the existing bridge would be tolled as well.

“We are working our way through that. That’s a very big decision for the country to make,” he said.

Bishop said he would not get ahead of any decision, and the government was working through it in a “methodical and comprehensive way” as the Commission said it should do.

“We’re working our way through quite a complicated series of funding questions and financing questions around the second harbour crossing. It will be a very large infrastructure project. All large infrastructure projects have to be paid for. So we’re working our way through that.”

He said “in theory,” a new crossing should be able “wash its own face, financially,” due to the number of vehicle movements.

ACT leader David Seymour, an Auckland-based MP, said $9 per trip added up to $90 a week for some people who would already be trying to pay “tough” bills.

“I think you’re going to struggle with that level of price. But you could imagine that maybe at a peak hour, when it was mostly buses and ridesharing, maybe for a part of the day. But I don’t think making everybody pay $9 with no alternative is going to fly.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/17/government-considers-auckland-harbour-bridge-toll-to-help-pay-for-second-crossing/

Multiple Netball NZ board members step down from roles after ‘challenging’ year

Source: Radio New Zealand

The chairperson had served on the Netball NZ Board for more than eight years. File photo SANKA VIDANAGAMA

Multiple Netball NZ board members – including chairperson Matt Whineray – are stepping down from their roles.

In a statement released this evening, Netball NZ said Whineray and board members Pavan Vyas, Stephen Cottrell and Aliesha Staples are moving on after a “a challenging period for the sport and broader netball community”.

The statement said the board members recognised there was “a need for new leadership to enable renewed focus and momentum for Netball NZ”.

Last year the organisation struggled to secure a broadcast deal for the ANZ Premiership, the sport’s domestic showpiece

Then in September it announced that Silver Ferns coach Dame Noeline Taurua was being suspended due to concerns in the high performance environment, sparked by player complaints..

Dame Noeline was eventually reinstated, but calls for ‘heads to roll’ at Netball NZ came from many quarters of the netball community.

Jane Patterson was hired as interim chief executive last month, following Jennie Wyllie’s decision to step down as head in December 2025 after nine years in the job.

Whineray had served on the Netball NZ Board for more than eight years, and had been chair for the past two and a half years.

In today’s announcement, Whineray said netball had “long been a sport that is inclusive, accessible and deeply connected to people of all ages and backgrounds”.

“This job has been deeply fulfilling, and it has been an honour to serve New Zealand’s vibrant netball community over the past eight and a half years,” Whineray said.

“The board accepts that the last year has been a significantly challenging time for Netball NZ and the wider netball community and, as chair, I acknowledge there is a need for a change in leadership. To this end, I firmly believe now is the right time for me to step back from the board and allow Netball NZ to appoint a new chair to guide the organisation through an important year ahead.”

A recruitment process will begin in the next week to find replacements for the board chair and board members, who will remain in their roles until those replacements are appointed.

The incoming chair will take responsibility for managing the recruitment of Netball NZ’s new chief executive

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/17/multiple-netball-nz-board-members-step-down-from-roles-after-challenging-year/

Banks Peninsula still cut off after floods hit Canterbury

Source: Radio New Zealand

Little River Cafe and store owner Cameron Gordon RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

The town of Akaroa on Canterbury’s Banks Peninsula will remain cut off overnight, with State Highway 75 closed because of slips and flooding that swamped Little River.

A local state of emergency was in place for the peninsula, where several hundred people remained without power and many more affected by telecommunications outages.

Little River flooding in Canterbury RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

Little River Cafe and Store owner Cameron Gordon has lived in the settlement for 20 years but told RNZ he had never seen flooding so bad.

“This is the worst, significantly the worst by far”, he said.

“It’s the deepest water we’ve had and the most damage around town as well, no doubt.”

Gordon said the cafe had flooded five times, most recently last May when a foot of water washed through some businesses.

Flooding at the Little River Cafe on Tuesday. RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

“We can’t do much yet, everything’s covered in water. We’re just sitting and waiting, feeling very frustrated and just over it. Well and truly over it. We’ve done this too many times,” he said.

“Our house also floods regularly with any heavy rain. We just seem to be in low land with pour drainage and seem to cop it. We’ll see what happens, see what the damage is and just go from there.”

A boil water notice was in place for Little River and Wainui, while about 250 households and businesses were expected to be without power overnight.

A damaged fibre line meant One New Zealand and Spark services were off-line but Two Degrees was working.

Civil defence chiefs said people should still call 111 in an emergency because it would go through the Two Degrees network.

Little River flooding in Canterbury RNZ/Nathan McKinnon

Little River Campground owner Marcus Puentener said more than 300 millimetres of rain had fallen in the area, twice what forecasters had predicted.

“Two bridges are down, the driveway is pretty wrecked. A lot of water has come down off the road, out of the river and through the camp area,” he said.

“We’re trapped in Okuti Valley. There’s no power in Okuti Valley. There are slips on the roads blocking some residents in and at the bottom of the road there’s at least a foot, if not more, of water blocking any exit.”

Some tourists had international flights to catch but no way of making them, Puentener said.

Further down the road in Cooptown, Tim Wilson questioned whether there should have been more warning or greater urgency.

“This is right up there,” the long-time local said.

“Maybe it should have been a red weather watch instead of an orange but I don’t know if that makes any difference to the outcome. It’s going to be a big clean up.”

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said the the council was talking to the government about getting a Defence Force Unimog into the area.

“Cars can just not get through,” he told RNZ on Tuesday.

“It’s just a matter of just being able to get there with emergency services and get people out safely as well, so that’s the main concern.

“As well as getting power and comms on. People are feeling really isolated so we’ve got to sort that out as quick as we can.”

Heavy rain also caused widespread flooding in Christchurch, where the Heathcote River broke its banks.

People who lived near the river in suburbs like Opawa and Beckenham said they were used to the river flooding but the water was lapping ever-closer to their homes.

Stacey Hurst was not one of the lucky ones.

For the second time since she moved to Eastern Terrace two years ago she was mopping up in her garage after floodwater rushed in on Monday night.

Flooding in Eastern Terrace. Tim Brown/RNZ

“Once we realised it wasn’t going to slow down we moved everything upstairs to minimise the damage,” she said.

“We had an almost identical experience last year with about a foot of water coming into the shed.”

The wake from cars driving down the road made the problem worse, Hurst said.

“It just sends a big wave in here,” she said.

Hurst’s neighbours had avoided water getting into their homes but were shocked by the speed at which the river broke its banks, especially because last year’s floods followed days of heavy rain and coincided with king tides.

Georgia Sytema said the water rose quickly.

“This morning our whole yard was flooded, which doesn’t usually happen, it was up into the driveway. It’s a lot higher than usual,” she said.

Emeline Sales was also nervous as the water rose on Tuesday morning.

“We woke up to a big moat,” she said.

“This is the worst it’s been. It came all the way up to my husband’s car, it was quite deep this time around. It was cutting it close this time.

“It was the drains that started flooding first before the river actually broke. We haven’t had issues with the drains before but that’s what caused all the quite intense surface flooding and then the banks broke.”

Sam Guerin moved to nearby Hunter Terrace about three months ago.

He knew his home was in a flood management area and it was part of the reason he and his partner planned to knock down the house and rebuild further up the site.

Guerin said the scale of flooding was worse than anything he had prepared for.

“We were told that in one of the worst floods in the last 10 to 15 years, the water lapped at the driveway but it’s quite a lot worse than that and it happened so quickly,” he said.

“We were told the last time it flooded was before the council had done a lot of resilience measures, so it was surprising for the water to get as high as it did.”

The family had returned from a night out to find the river had burst its banks, the road was flooded and water was rising about 100 millimetres every hour.

“It was a bit of a sleepless night because we were coming out to check it wasn’t getting too close to the floor level and throughout the evening it was up on our verandah deck,” Guerin said.

“It was getting quite high, so that was a little concerning. It was under the house.”

Woolston was also affected, with Clarendon Terrace residents nervously watching the water as it washed over the riverbanks, onto the road and towards their properties.

Emily Jensen said she moved her cars on Monday night because the road had already flooded.

“I haven’t seen it that high up. I’m really surprised by how much flooding there is just after a day’s rain,” she said.

“It feels a little scary because if you were to think multiple days of rain and king tides on top of that, I don’t know what we’d be looking at.

“I would love to know the council are thinking about what to do in these areas because with climate change and everything’s that happening, it doesn’t feel so good to be down here. Five or six years ago we had a really big flooding event but the water didn’t come up the driveway at all, but now it’s coming up so it’s getting worse.

“It just creates anxiety about what you’re going to wake up to.”

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/2026/02/17/banks-peninsula-still-cut-off-after-floods-hit-canterbury/

Incoming law change so MSD can claw back welfare payments off ACC clients

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Minister moved a motion of urgency to introduce the bill. VNP / Phil Smith

The government has introduced legislation so the welfare system can legally claw back payments when someone has been backpaid for an ACC claim.

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston moved a motion of urgency to introduce the Social Security (Accident Compensation and Calculation of Weekly Income) Amendment Bill shortly after 7.30pm.

It comes after a significant High Court ruling against the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) on the recovery of welfare payments late last year.

The ruling said MSD couldn’t require people to pay back supplementary assistance they’d received (like accommodation supplements and winter energy payments) once they had been paid back-dated compensation from Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC).

For context, many people claim support from MSD while they wait on cover from ACC and once ACC grants cover, it then pays the person backpay for weekly compensation.

In the meantime, the person may have received support from MSD while they were waiting on cover from ACC.

In these situations, ACC automatically reimburses MSD for the main benefit and up until now, MSD was also requiring people to repay any supplementary assistance payments received during the backpay period.

At the High Court Justice Grice held that while the law allowed ACC to reimburse MSD for the main benefit, it did not extend to supplementary forms of assistance designed to meet essential costs.

Speaking at the bill’s first reading this evening, Upston said the legislation clarified the law on the impact of ACC payments on welfare entitlements, given the High Court decision conflicted with “long standing policy intent and operational practice”.

She said there were two main main cohorts of ACC compensation recipients in the welfare system: people who receive ACC and welfare assistance at the same time and people who receive welfare assistance while they wait for ACC to decide on their entitlement

“Under the current situation, as interpreted by the courts, the latter group, who receive lump sum payments, are treated more generously than the former.

“They are in effect receiving two forms of income support to address one need. This also means these clients can remain eligible for assistance which only beneficiaries receive, such as the Winter Energy Payment.

“This would not result in fair treatment between these groups and isn’t in line with the policy intent.

“The government has a duty to fix this situation and clarify the law, so it aligns with the longstanding intent of policy,” Upston said.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/17/incoming-law-change-so-msd-can-claw-back-welfare-payments-off-acc-clients/

Government to clarify welfare and ACC payments

Source: New Zealand Government

The Government is introducing legislation to clarify the law on the impact of ACC payments on welfare entitlement and ensure the process is fair.

Social Development and Employment Minister Louise Upston says the Social Security (Accident Compensation and Calculation of Weekly Income) Amendment Bill will: 

  • confirm the longstanding policy intent underpinning MSD’s approach to charging income, including income from ACC
  • authorise MSD to retrospectively consider a person a non-beneficiary when their backdated ACC payment reduces their benefit to zero for the applicable period, as is current practice
  • reflect the principles of a targeted welfare system; where the more income you earn, the less assistance you receive from the state
  • provide certainty in the law and remove the potential for interpretations of the law that go further than the policy intent, creating inequities between different cohorts of people receiving ACC payments.
  • people who receive ACC and welfare assistance at the same time
  • people who receive welfare assistance while they wait for ACC to decide on their entitlement 

“There are two main cohorts of ACC compensation recipients in the welfare system,” Louise Upston says. 

“Under the current situation, as interpreted by the courts, the latter group, who receive lump sum payments, are treated more generously than the former. 

“They are in effect receiving two forms of income support to address one need. This also means these clients can remain eligible for assistance which only beneficiaries receive, such as the Winter Energy Payment. 

“This would not result in fair treatment between these groups and isn’t in line with the policy intent. 

“The Government has a duty to fix this situation and clarify the law, so it aligns with the longstanding intent of policy,” Louise Upston says. 

Notes to editors: 

  • The bill will be referred to the Social Services and Community Select Committee for one week
  • The need to amend the Social Security Act comes out of a High Court case known as ‘B’ and an earlier decision by the Social Security Appeal Authority, in which a client received a backdated lump sum payment of weekly ACC compensation and MSD sought to recover supplementary assistance paid for the period covered by the ACC payment

The retrospective effect of the legislation will not apply to a small number of cases that have been filed with the Social Security Appeal Authority or the Courts before 2pm on the day of the introduction of the Bill.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/17/government-to-clarify-welfare-and-acc-payments/

Wairarapa communities cut off from livelihoods by destructive storm

Source: Radio New Zealand

A large hole has opened up at the Lake Ferry Road bridge cutting off communities in South Wairarapa. RNZ / Mary Argue

Some isolated Wairarapa residents are gutted they are cut off from their livelihoods and emergency services after a destructive storm ripped through the region.

Torrential rain and widespread flooding on Sunday and Monday has washed out the Lake Ferry Road bridge over the Turangaui River – cutting off settlements in Ngawi, Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser.

While crews were preparing to fix the bridge today, the South Wairarapa District Council said that now will not happen today.

Fisherman Lance Maindonald said the timing of the bridge washout could not be worse.

He was meant to be pulling up crayfish, but found himself trapped on the wrong side of the road.

“Bit of a kick in the guts because we’re coming towards the end of crayfish season too, so that costs a lot of money too if you don’t have all your quota caught,” Maindonald said.

Floodwaters have gouged out about a three metre hole in the bridge.

Maindonald spoke with contractors today, and he reckoned repairs to the Lake Ferry Road bridge could take up to three days.

He said this made things difficult for people on the coast.

“I’ve got me son that lives out there in a bach, so we’re just getting them to get their list together, we can chuck supplies over the bridge, keep everyone tickety-boo until we can get access down to the next bridge.”

An RNZ reporter on the scene said this afternoon locals have formed a human chain via a patch of concrete which had not been washed away, and were passing bread, eggs and nappies across the other side.

A South Wairarapa District Council spokesperson said emergency teams were working to get more supplies to the cut off communities.

Ngawi chief fire officer Kerry Hayes said he was concerned about access in an emergency.

“Especially if you need paramedics to come out, how are they going to get here – it’s a helicopter at this stage – so that’s always a little bit of a concern if the roads have been cut off.”

Hayes said residents were a little apprehensive and they needed to be prepared.

Meanwhile, the Hurupi bridge – located further along the South Wairarapa coast – has also been damaged.

Emergency controller Simon Taylor said the main priority for teams today had been contacting isolated residents.

“We just need to understand, are those communities safe? Have they got sufficient supplies to keep them going for seven to 10 days, and until we can actually get roads reopened.”

More than 1000 people are still without power in Wairarapa, and about 2300 in the Wellington region.

In Wellington’s southern suburb of Makara, resident Mike Hanning had his power cut after fierce winds tore down power lines on Takura Gorge Rd overnight on Sunday.

He said the loose lines were dangerous.

“The next pole down three of the four lines are off completely, and are just laying in the paddock, and then we’ve got one line draped across the road that is actually dropped by probably about three metres in the middle, and it’s actually getting hit by the likes of the school bus and trucks that are going passed.”

Hanning said he did not know when his power would be back on, but he had borrowed a generator to get by.

“Thanks to a generous neighbour, we got that last night, otherwise we’d have a freezer full of food that’s going to have to be dispersed.”

Wellington Electricity said it hoped to restore power for most people by this evening.

But it said some fixes to individual properties may not be restored until the end of the week.

Hutt Valley residents spent the morning cleaning up after the Waiwhetu stream became a “raging torrent” yesterday.

On Monday morning, people in nearby Heather Grove people were told to self evacuate if they felt unsafe.

BJ Rauhihi said it was “panic stations” – as the stream broke its banks and water began to swamp the area early in the morning.

“It just started getting worse and worse and then you could see it was starting to fill up the rest of the street but when you look down there, yeah it was like a raging torrent really.”

Chris Kaye said she was helping to clear bark off the street this afternoon.

She said the storm was pretty scary, and scattered a lot of debris on the ground.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/17/wairarapa-communities-cut-off-from-livelihoods-by-destructive-storm/