Category: KB

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Tauranga mayor said any decisions on the land immediately surrounding the fatal Mount Maunganui landslide will be months away, but feels it is unlikely that the area will remain a campsite in the future.

Six people died after a section of the maunga collapsed into a campground during the extreme weather event two weeks ago.

On Wednesday, Mayor Mahé Drysdale announced that Tauranga is moving to a “transition period” for a month, focusing on assessing damage and making plans for what reopening Mauao looks like.

The mayor said any decisions on the future of the land surrounding the landslide will require conversations with iwi, communities, and people closely affected by the tragedy.

“We’ve got a number of conversations to have with the families of those that lost loved ones, because we also want to be respectful and understand what they’d like to see,

“I think I can probably confidently say we don’t have a campground where the slip happened, we got to make some decisions around what we do with that land and how we remember this very tragic event,” he said.

Access to Mauao is restricted, and cordons remain along parts of Marine Parade and Adams Avenue, as geotechnical experts assess conditions.

Drysdale said the current focus is to mitigate risks around the Mount Maunganui landslip, so that businesses nearby can open before the Waitangi weekend.

He said three businesses remain closed on Adams Avenue, but he’s hopeful that they can safely open by Friday.

Drysdale said shipping containers have been put in as a precaution, and more work will be done on Thursday to stabilise the land.

“By putting these mitigations in place, and this is always subject to geotechnical advice, we’re confident that we can make it safe enough that we’re happy to open that,” he said.

Drysdale said businesses have had a hard time since the tragedy, and he hopes that visitors can still come and support them during the Waitangi weekend.

“We hope that people still come down to the area and support these businesses, this was a natural disaster and no doing of themselves, but they have been caught in the crossfire, so we’re doing what we can to support them,” he said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/05/tauranga-mayor-says-its-unlikely-mt-maunganui-landslide-area-will-remain-a-campsite/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some locals have described a Wellington sewage plant shutdown as gross, sad and unacceptable.

An average of around 70 million litres of untreated wastewater had been pouring into the capital’s South Coast since Wednesday morning.

The Moa Point plant’s lower floors had been completely flooded when sewage backed up in the 1.8km outfall pipe, which normally sent treated wastewater into the Cook Strait.

Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty said it was critical the company understood why the pipe failed.

RNZ went out to Wellington’s South Coast on Wednesday evening.

Lyall Bay on a bright summer evening would normally have been humming with surfers out in the waves and locals on their post-work walks.

But instead, the area was deserted – the only people there were Wellington Water staff members in large fluro coats warning people about the sewage.

RNZ spoke to locals from the safety of concrete paths and carparks.

Angus was planning to go down to the water for a surf, but decided against it after looking at the water.

“I didn’t want to go there because it looked like I don’t know… toilet paper or jellyfish, so I was like I don’t really want to go in on either of those.”

Stacey said she came down to the beach to enjoy the view and that the plant breakdown was “pretty shocking” and “pretty gross”.

She held concerns about how Wellington Water managed the pipes and plants.

“Where I live Ngaio there’s water out quite a lot, so this is just sort of on top of ongoing issues that they seem to have with the infrastructure.”

Kristina said the news was horrible.

“Really unacceptable, this is a beach where you might see a lot of surfers and they are all in the water all year around,” she said.

“I think it is pretty toxic.”

Leila Martley told RNZ it was a “hugely sad” situation.

“I really feel for Wellington Water.”

She also felt for Tiaki Wai – the new organisation set to take over Wellington, the Hutt Valley and Porirua’s water operations.

“It is just an awful thing to set off with.”

Further to the east of the coast at Tarakena Bay Alishba said she was about to go swimming but was warned by a local not to get in the water.

“It is pretty gross; I don’t know how that would happen though.”

A Rahui was in place throughout the South Coast, with people told not to gather food and to keep themselves and their dogs out of the water.

Wellington Water said it was taking water samples from a wide area and was expected to provide an update later on Thursday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/05/pretty-gross-locals-shocked-as-raw-sewage-flows-into-wellington-sea/

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland couple who accidentally received $158,000 in a bank transfer error, spending most of the money within days, have each been sentenced to six months of community detention.

Senia Filipo, 39, and her 37-year-old husband, Alexander, were sentenced at the Auckland District Court on Tuesday.

Mistaken transfer

In January 2024, Mt Roskill pensioner Sit Bong (Andrew) Che, now 79, tried to transfer his life savings from Barclays Bank in the United Kingdom to his Westpac account in New Zealand.

However, Che missed a digit when entering his account details due to what he claimed was a “sticky keyboard” and, following the bank’s own protocols, Westpac added a zero to the suffix, which ended up sending the money to Senia Filipo’s account.

Senia received the money a couple of weeks later, withdrawing $3000 from two ATMs, paying off a loan worth about $18,694 and making two large transfers to her husband’s Westpac account on the same day, according to the summary of facts.

Two days later, she bought a car for $49,000, and then withdrew a total of $9000 on five other occasions, primarily using the money at food and retail stores.

In March, Senia made her last large purchase of $1500 at Mag and Tyre before the acquired funds had been used.

She was charged with intending to deprive Che of $158,643.88 after obtaining control over the money, irrespective of how it was obtained.

Senia told Alexander she had unexpectedly received a large sum of money in her account.

Alexander then received two payments from Senia totaling $59,000, and another $5000 on a later date.

He was charged with having been reckless as to whether the money transferred to him had been obtained by an imprisonable offence.

The couple’s charges each carried a maximum penalty of seven years in prison, with both pleading guilty.

Che only discovered that he had not received the funds in March, notifying Westpac.

Following an investigation, the bank recovered a little over $28,000.

Che made several efforts to get his money back, contacting police, the banks in New Zealand and the UK as well as the banking ombudsmen in both jurisdictions, receiving a refund in full by Barclays in May last year.

Gambling windfall implausible

Senia and Alexander Filipo claimed they thought the money was winnings from an online casino game.

However, Judge Simon Lance found the explanation implausible.

The couple failed to make further enquiries into the nature of the funds, even though Senia’s bank statement listed Barclays as the sender instead of a casino, Lance said.

The judge also noted discrepancies in the couple’s accounts, questioning why any winnings would be paid to Senia if Alexander was the person who gambled.

He also considered the way in which the large amount of money was spent.

“They didn’t think to themselves that this can’t be right. They just went and spent it,” Judge Lance said. “[Claiming the money was a] windfall from online gambling lacks plausibility.

“It makes it hard for me to accept that the couple honestly thought the money was theirs and now they have pleaded guilty.”

The couple both applied for discharge without conviction and had sought permanent name suppression.

Acknowledging the couple did not hold any previous convictions, accepting their remorse as genuine and recognising their need to support five young children, Judge Lance sentenced each of them to a six-month community detention.

The judge refused to grant permanent name suppression as he didn’t feel the threshold for extreme hardship had been met.

In a victim impact statement, Che said he had “suffered significant financial, physical and emotional hardship over approximately 18 months”.

“The funds taken represented my retirement savings,” Che said. “During this period, I experienced severe stress, difficulty sleeping and eating, and lost over 10kg in weight.”

Che said he had been unable to make a substantial financial contribution to his son’s wedding and had become socially withdrawn.

“Justice [has] been served,” he said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/couple-sentenced-in-accidental-bank-transfer-trial/

Source: Radio New Zealand

An inmate has died after being transported to Mt Eden prison on his way back from court.

Corrections acting deputy commissioner men’s prisons David Pattinson confirmed in a statement to RNZ that a man had died after being transported to the prison in a First Security escort vehicle about 3pm on Wednesday.

“The court escort had returned to Mt Eden Corrections Facility after taking the prisoner to court. Upon opening the prisoner’s cell, staff have found the prisoner unresponsive. Our staff made every effort to save him, however they were unable to revive him.

“The prisoner was secured in his own cell within the van. There are no indications the death is suspicious.”

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

Pattinson said Corrections’ thoughts were with those impacted by the man’s death.

“Staff and prisoners are being provided with support, including access to Chaplains and cultural support where requested.”

Police had been notified, and had contacted the man’s next of kin.

“All deaths in custody are referred to the Coroner for investigation and determination of cause of death.

“An investigation by the independent Corrections Inspectorate will also be carried out.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/mt-eden-prison-inmate-dies-after-court-appearance/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has been charged with murder after the death of a woman in Clutha on 23 January.

Emergency services were called to Adams Flats Road in Crichton around 6.10pm.

A woman was found deceased, and a second person was critically injured.

Police said a man has been arrested and charged with the murder after a bedside hearing on Wednesday.

“We understand this is a distressing event for the small community,” detective senior sergeant Nik Leigh said.

“Police would like to reassure residents that officers are not searching for any other people in relation to the matter.”

Friends and co-workers named the murdered woman as Jillian Clark, who worked at Clutha Vets in Milton.

John Smart said he worked with Clark for about 30 years at different branches of the veterinarian practice. He said Clark had a keen interest in sheep health and production.

“She was a highly respected vet, it’s a hell of a shock,” he said.

The tight-knit Clutha Vets team would be heartbroken, as would farmers from Taieri to Milton, Smart said.

“I know the whole community down there will be absolutely in mourning for the tragedy of losing Jillian. She was just a great lady, a great community member, and supported the farmers in particular.”

A death notice described Clark as a much-loved family member who was tragically taken.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/man-charged-with-murder-of-jillian-clark-in-clutha/

Source: Radio New Zealand

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/sublime-are-coming-to-new-zealand-for-the-first-time/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, the Māori Queen, has pledged to give the proceeds of the annual Turangawaewae Regatta to Māori communities impacted by severe weather events.

Ngātiwai in the North, Tauranga Moana and Te Tai Rāwhiti will receive the proceeds from the annual event, which sees thousands descend on the bank of the river at Ngāruawahia every year.

Waikato-Tainui chair Tukoroirangi Morgan made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon, following a formal welcome onto the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

Speaking to RNZ, Morgan said the regatta was a chance for the community to celebrate culture and enjoy each other’s company.

He said the century-old gathering would now be a chance to give some relief to those affected by recent flooding.

The announcement comes off the back of a visit by Te Arikinui to Ngāiotonga Marae, a marae belonging to Ngātiwai, whose rohe was ravaged by the weather.

Morgan said the visit was a first-hand look at the degree and the level of devastation in a tiny community tucked away on the coast.

“It’s really important that people hear the stories… the stories of rescue, of struggle. As a result of that, [Te Arikinui] was driven to make this gesture of financial support.”

“People have lost their homes, people have worried about the short-term and long-term future. The best way to help is to reach out, provide some relief and some form of support – that’s exactly what the Queen is doing.” he said.

Green MP and former Ngātiwai Trust Board chief executive Huhana Lyndon told RNZ her people were grateful for the manāki.

“That announcement took my breath away.”

Lyndon said there had been ongoing support from groups all over the country, and the Queen’s announcement “demonstrates the way that we come together in times of crisis.”

Welcoming Te Arikinui onto Ngāiotonga Marae left the local “starstruck”, she said.

“Our tamariki mokopuna were there, whānau came… for myself, I’m from that rohe as well. My kainga is there and our farm was heavily impacted by the storm.”

“We’ve got significant damage and many months of work to come. So it just lifts your spirits, having that attention.”

The Turangawaewae Regatta celebrations kick off on Saturday, 21 March on the riverbank at Turangawaewae Marae.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/maori-queen-pledges-proceeds-of-turangawaewae-regatta-to-weather-impacted-communities/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has been charged with murder after the death of a woman in Clutha on 23 January.

Emergency services were called to Adams Flats Road in Crichton around 6.10pm.

A woman was found deceased, and a second person was critically injured.

Police said a man has been arrested and charged with the murder after a bedside hearing on Wednesday.

“We understand this is a distressing event for the small community,” detective senior sergeant Nik Leigh said.

“Police would like to reassure residents that officers are not searching for any other people in relation to the matter.”

Friends and co-workers named the murdered woman as Jillian Clark, who worked at Clutha Vets in Milton.

John Smart said he worked with Clark for about 30 years at different branches of the veterinarian practice. He said Clark had a keen interest in sheep health and production.

“She was a highly respected vet, it’s a hell of a shock,” he said.

The tight-knit Clutha Vets team would be heartbroken, as would farmers from Taieri to Milton, Smart said.

“I know the whole community down there will be absolutely in mourning for the tragedy of losing Jillian. She was just a great lady, a great community member, and supported the farmers in particular.”

A death notice described Clark as a much-loved family member who was tragically taken.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/man-charged-with-murder-of-woman-in-clutha/

Source: Radio New Zealand

When strong New Year’s Eve winds broke the cabling on an historic bridge, its future came under a cloud.

Sitting above the flat lands surrounding State Highway 56 in southern Manawatū, the former Ōpiki toll bridge will now dramatically change shape, as this week its decaying cables come down.

This will leave only the landmark’s pylons still standing.

Time has taken its toll on a bridge that for nearly 50 years cost some loose change to cross – saving motorists a lengthy trip.

For the second time in just over two years, the ageing structure has sagged into the water below.

And this week regional council officials announced the fix – removing the cabling, meaning the old bridge becomes less recognisable.

No one’s crossed since shortly after it closed in 1969 and its decking was removed, but thousands of people drive past what remains every week.

Toll days recalled

Spanning the view from Clive Akers’ living room window, the concrete towers and cabling of the Ōpiki bridge dominate the skyline – it’s a view that’s about to change.

Originally build for the family flax business in 1918, that industry’s collapse meant it instead became a private toll bridge over the Manawatū River until its closure in 1969, when the current highway bridge was built.

“Oh yes, there was a toll keeper,” Akers said.

The position was similar to a lighthouse keeper, in that the worker would live onsite and almost always be on call.

This and other parts of the bridge’s history are detailed in the book Suspended Access, written by Akers’ mother Molly two decades ago.

Akers recalled how one toll keeper was rescued by boat when the surrounding area flooded. The area still floods regularly today, which often closes the highway.

The busiest days of the week were Saturdays, when there was horse racing on.

“I remember as a teenager, when [the toll keeper] had his day off and would go to town, myself and one of my brothers or sisters would go up there and be toll keepers for half a day,” Akers said.

“We were warned of a car coming – one side there was an air pipe. When the car tyre ran over it it rang a bell in the house.”

From the other side the toll keeper would hear a car rattle the bridge’s loose boards – because a suspension bridge moves, the wooden planks couldn’t be nailed down.

In later years it cost 10 cents a trip for vehicles under three tonnes.

At night there was a barrier arm to keep vehicles out – although if a motorist was insistent on getting through, the toll keeper could charge them triple, Akers said.

While locals were happy enough to contribute to the bridge’s upkeep in exchange for quicker trips between Palmerston North and Foxton, not everyone was as impressed.

“During the 1930s the minister of public works was horrified when he came through Ōpiki and he was charged a toll to cross this bridge.

“He said, ‘Nowhere in New Zealand should there be a toll bridge.’ He told the toll keeper, ‘I’m going to have a public bridge here in the next five years.’ That never happened.”

Instead, the arrangement of a private bridge spanning the river, with public roads either side, continued for three more decades.

Akers said he was relaxed about the cabling’s removal.

“Of course, there’s not so many people now who have actually got memories of going over the bridge.

“It closed in 1969. That’s over 50 years ago.”

Tough breaks

One of the bridge’s cables, which are said to come from Waihi’s gold mines, failed in 2023 and fell into the river.

It was fixed the next year, paid for by Horizons Regional Council, which now owns the structure, but the same cable again broke on 31 December.

The bridge has a category 1 rating from Pouhere Taonga Heritage NZ and Historic Places Trust Manawatū Horowhenua chairwoman Cindy Lilburn said it was an icon.

It was significant as New Zealand’s first private toll bridge and, when built, the country’s longest suspension bridge – about 150 metres.

“It stands alone in what’s a very flat landscape and it has a certain sort of spookiness, which has been suggested for use in films, because it rises out of the mist in the morning.

“It is such a landmark.”

Lilburn said the trust had favoured a solution to ensure the bridge’s long-term survival.

“We’d like to at least have the opportunity to talk about a long-term plan.

“The reality is suspension bridges aren’t actually that difficult to build. It requires running cabling up and over, so there is the potential solution that you could put new cabling up and over and then clip the old cabling to that.”

But with the news this week that wouldn’t happen – at least any time soon – she said the trust was saddened.

The cables had contributed visually to the bridge’s status as a landmark.

“There’s a certain degree of elegance we’ve now lost,” she said.

Council general manager catchment operations Dr Jon Roygard told RNZ last week that officials were working through options to fix the latest break, while also considering a long-term solution.

Until something was done, the broken cabling remained a hazard, he said.

“It’s a stretch of the river where people can use it for jet boating or that sort of thing. I don’t think it’s a highly used area.

“We have put signs up. We really recommend caution in that area. In fact, we’d rather people weren’t in there and operating around it.”

This week, Roygard confirmed that the cabling, which was in poor condition, was coming down.

“The other cable, while it has not fallen, is in similar condition to the one currently in the river. We will remove this cable at the same time to avoid the possibility of it also falling,” he said.

“Removing both cables at the same time also helps to bring the cost of the works down.

“Doing one cable now and the other at a later date is significantly more expensive than removing both at the same time.”

He acknowledged the bridge’s history, but said the regional council also had obligations for navigational safety in the Manawatū River and for the use of public money.

Sections of the cabling would be gifted to the Historic Places Trust and the Akers family, Roygard said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/historic-opiki-bridges-future-under-cloud-with-more-repairs-needed/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The High Court has dismissed an environmental charity’s claim that an emergency ban on set net fishing around Otago Peninsula didn’t go far enough to protect hoiho.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) filed proceedings against Fisheries Minister Shane Jones last year, claiming the ban failed to protect hoiho from the risk of extinction.

It said the closure should have encompassed the entire northern hoiho range, including North Otago, the Catlins, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Foveaux Strait.

While the court recognised the severe risk facing northern hoiho, it found the temporary emergency closure lawful, as section 16 of the Fisheries Act gave the Minister significant discretion in establishing the parameters of an emergency closure.

Hoiho, yellow-eyed penguins, are critically endangered. The northern hoiho population, which is found in and around Canterbury, Otago and Southland, has been in sharp decline in recent years.

The court said hoiho were “priceless” and a taonga, and emphasised that their protection was essential, with the the minister required to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the survival of the nothern hoiho population.

ELI senior legal advisor Megan Cornforth-Camden said it was important to challenge the decision, given hoiho numbers were declining and little had been done to protect hoiho at sea.

“The judgement contains some of the strongest statements written by the courts about the sustainability provisions in the Fisheries Act and how they apply to threatened species, so although ELI were not successful on the grounds of the judicial review we were very pleased with the outcome.”

Hoiho numbers have fallen by around 80 percent since 2008, with fewer than 150 breeding pairs remaining. Several factors are responsible for this collapse, one of which is commercial set net fishing. Every year the birds become entangled in fishing nets while foraging for food.

Jones initially closed the set net fishery around Otago Peninsula in September for three months, before announcing in December it had been extended for a further nine months, to September 2026, with the public to be consulted during the closure on long term protections.

Justice David Boldt said the decision to implement an emergency ban was a precursor to a set of longer-term measures that would be far more important to the long-term future of the northern hoiho.

“It is difficult to escape the conclusion that ELI, in its haste to do whatever it can to protect the penguins, has challenged the wrong decision.”

However, the court found potential economic detriment to commercial fishers could never be a justification for allowing the decline of the population to continue.

“There is no dispute that the [Fisheries] Act’s sustainability imperative extends to the need to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the survival of the northern hoiho population.

“In practical terms, that means that if commercial fishing cannot occur in an environmentally sustainable manner – which in this context means in a way which ensures it poses no material risk to the survival of the northern hoiho – it cannot occur at all.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/emergency-set-net-fishing-ban-to-protect-threatened-hoiho-lawful-court-rules/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A child has died after being hit by a car in Springston in Canterbury.

The police say the child was walking when they were hit at about 3.30pm.

Emergency services responded but they died at the scene.

A large portion of the rural part of Leeston Road is closed while the Serious Crash Union investigates.

Leeston Road was closed and diversions were in place at the Goulds Road and Leeston Road intersection and at the Bethels Road and Leeston Road intersection.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/child-dies-after-being-hit-by-car-in-canterburys-springston/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cries of “shame on you” rang out from the public gallery as Clutha councillors voted to drop an investigation into vehicle-free zones on beaches in the district on Wednesday afternoon.

The council is instead investigating beach speed limits as a means to protect the coastline and its wildlife, following complaints about drivers harassing seals and sea lions.

The review of the Vehicles on Beaches bylaw started a year ago after a group allegedly harassed a sea lion at Tautuku Beach in the Catlins.

In 2024, three sea lions were found dead with gunshot or stab wounds

Councillors opted to defer any decision-making until after October’s local elections. Then, at a workshop in December, the new council moved to cancel the beach ‘safe zone’ review.

That was formalised by a vote at Wednesday’s council meeting, where just one councillor was opposed.

Councillor Simon McAtamney said he was part of the previous council and he was still open to looking into the safe zone review.

Councillor Bruce Graham argued vehicle bans would be hard to enforce and there would always be “dickheads that are going to break those rules”.

“I can’t see any advantage of changing what we have here except for a speed limit changes… I can’t see any advantages of closing beaches or making safe zones,” he said.

Council staff said work was underway on a speed limit review covering the district’s beaches and it would be complete by October.

During the meeting, a group of residents could be seen in the back of the chamber holding a sign that read ‘Honour Your Word’.

When the council voted in favour of scrapping the review, the protesters called out “shame on you” and filed out of the council chambers.

Earlier, during public deputations, Papatowai Beach resident Keith Olsen argued the beach needed stronger protections to make it safe for all users – human and “non-human”.

The beach was home to ground-nesting birds such as oystercatchers and had a regular visiting elephant seal, he said.

Signage was not enough to prevent the dangerous use of vehicles on the beach, Olsen said.

“Just saying don’t be a dickhead doesn’t cut the mustard with the sort of people who are likely to be dickheads,” he said.

Papatowai resident Diana Noonan said some councillors had made important promises relating to the environment.

“I appeal to you today… that you remember your promises from the past and that you do not dishonour them,” she said.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/04/cries-of-shame-on-you-as-clutha-councillors-vote-on-looking-into-vehicle-free-zones-on-beaches/