Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died following the serious crash on Coast Road, Karitane, earlier today.
Police were called to the scene about 9.25am.
Sadly, one person died at the scene.
The Serious Crash Unit has carried out an examination and the road will reopen shortly.
Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are ongoing.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/fatal-crash-coast-road-karitane/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Ali Jafari-Gh, an Iranian-born academic who teaches at Massey University, at a demonstration in Wellington on Saturday, to show support for those in Iran living under repression. RNZ/ Penny Smith
Members of New Zealand’s Iranian community and their supporters have formed a human chain on Wellington’s waterfront, calling attention to the situation in Iran and expressing solidarity with people they say are living under repression.
About 60 people from the Iranian diaspora and their supporters stood hand-in-hand for about an hour holding placards and flags, on the capital’s waterfront behind Frank Kitts Park.
Protesters said they organised the event to draw attention to what they describe as widespread unrest and government crackdowns inside the country.
Many participants said they had family members in Iran and were concerned about their safety.
Protesters calling for international support for people protesting against Iran’s government. RNZ/ Penny Smith
Among those attending was Ali Jafari-Gh, an Iranian-born academic who teaches animal science at Massey University.
Originally from Karaj, near Tehran, Jafari-Gh said he had recently travelled to Iran over the New Year period and witnessed protests first-hand.
He joined demonstrations during his visit and was injured when security forces opened fire.
“I was hit in the foot by gunfire,” he said.
“Many of the people out on the streets were young, and thousands came out to protest.”
Ali Jafari-Gh says he was shot in the foot while attending protests in Iran earlier this year. RNZ/ Penny Smith
Ali Jafari-Gh said the experience reinforced his decision to speak publicly in New Zealand about the situation in his home country.
Shirin, who has lived in New Zealand for about 13 years after leaving Iran, said she joined the demonstration to show support for people protesting against the government.
Shirin took part in the human chain protest in Wellington on Saturday. RNZ/ Penny Smith
“People raised their voices because life has become very hard,” Shirin said.
“Many innocent people have been killed or arrested. We are here to support them and show they are not alone.”
Several protesters said they supported international strikes against Iranian government targets, describing them as a necessary intervention rather than a war.
Dr Reza Farhour, a general practitioner who has lived in New Zealand for more than a decade, said demonstrators believed the action was aimed at helping ordinary Iranians rather than harming them.
“We do not see what is happening as a war,” he said.
“We see it as a rescue mission for the Iranian people. People have tried for decades to change the system peacefully and were met with bullets and prison.”
Dr Reza Farhour RNZ/ Penny Smith
Farhour said the aim of the gathering was also to bring attention to what he described as a lack of information coming out of the country.
“The main aim is to echo the Iranian voice, which is shut down by the government,” he said.
“There is no internet and no media coverage there, so we want people here to know what is happening.”
Participants said communication with relatives in Iran had become increasingly difficult due to internet shutdowns and media restrictions.
Amir, who has lived in New Zealand for more than 16 years, said he had struggled to reach family members in recent weeks.
“Our families are living in fear, but they are also hopeful,” he said.
“Nobody wants their country to be under attack, but many people believe this operation could help free them from the regime.”
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/07/iranian-diaspora-form-human-chain-on-wellington-waterfront/
Source: Media Outreach
SINGAPORE – Media OutReach Newswire – 7 March 2026 – Ten years on, XIXILI’s bestselling seamless panties remain a wardrobe essential for women who value simple, reliable comfort. The intimates brand, celebrated for thoughtful design and everyday ease, now introduces fresh new colours to the beloved range. Designed for invisible wear and lasting comfort, this signature style continues to earn the loyalty of those who prefer reliability over passing trends.
The Secret to a Decade of Loyalty
A decade of consistent customer trust speaks for itself. XIXILI’s seamless panties have earned a loyal following of women who return to the same style, year after year.
Whether it’s a breathable cotton panty for everyday basics or a sleek seamless style for fitted outfits, comfort remains the priority. The appeal comes down to the essentials: no visible panty lines, no adjusting throughout the day, and lightweight comfort that holds up from morning to night. For women juggling busy schedules, that kind of reliability makes all the difference.
“Our customers tell us these are the panties they don’t have to think about,” says Tara Tan, spokesperson for XIXILI. “They just work. That’s why women keep coming back.”
Designed for Every Body, Built to Last
The Full Coverage Mid-Rise Knitted Boyleg Panty delivers moderate coverage with a relaxed fit, suited for those who want fuss-free comfort. The High-Waist Knitted Boyleg Panty sits higher on the waist with gentle tummy smoothing, a go-to for wearing beneath tailored pieces and fitted silhouettes.
The Lightweight Seamless Microfiber Panty remains the star of the range. Its soft microfiber construction sits flat against the skin, creating an invisible finish under any outfit. A bestseller for ten consecutive years, this fan-favourite now comes in new colours, giving loyal fans a reason to refresh their collection.
The Foundation of Every Outfit
What sits beneath an outfit often sets the tone for the entire day. It’s the layer no one sees but everyone feels, allowing women to move through their routines with confidence, whether at work, running errands, or out with friends.
XIXILI’s decade-long bestseller continues to deliver on that promise. With new colours now available, updating the essentials is as effortless as the panties themselves.
To discover the full panties collection, visit XIXILI’s website to shop online with delivery to Singapore, or find your nearest XIXILI boutique across Malaysia.
https://www.xixili-intimates.com/sg/
https://www.facebook.com/XIXILI.OfficialFanPage/
https://www.instagram.com/xixili_intima/
https://www.tiktok.com/@xixili_intima?
https://www.youtube.com/user/xixilipage
Hashtag: #XIXILI #SGLingerie
The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/07/from-wardrobe-staple-to-10-year-icon-xixilis-seamless-panties-get-a-colour-update/
Source: Radio New Zealand
File footage, ESNZ – a diagonal fault offset exposed in a trench. Lloyd Homer
Scientists are uncovering previously unknown fault lines and signs of hidden earthquake activity across the North Island, as new research sheds light on how the ground beneath Aotearoa moves.
Studies are investigating potential faults beneath Auckland, newly identified fault lines in Wairarapa and signs of past shaking preserved in lake sediments near Hamilton.
Principal scientist Dr Graham Leonard from Earth Sciences New Zealand said the work highlighted how much remained unknown about the country’s geology.
“There are many, many thousands of fault lines across Aotearoa,” he told RNZ’s Saturday Morning.
“We’ve really only studied some hundreds of them in detail.”
In Auckland, researchers have identified one to two dozen possible fault structures beneath the city using thousands of underground drill samples originally taken for buildings and infrastructure projects.
Likely faults, possible faults and possible structures identified in the study are superimposed on a shaded relief map of Auckland and plotted alongside Auckland Volcanic Field centres and earthquake epicentres since 1988. Supplied
Scientists plan to dig trenches several metres deep across some of the most likely candidates, including structures near Pukekohe or Drury, to determine whether they are active.
By analysing exposed layers of soil and sediment, researchers can identify where past earthquakes have shifted the ground. Buried material, such as wood or charcoal, can then be carbon-dated to estimate when those quakes occurred.
“If there are bits of wood or leaves or charcoal in there, we can carbon date them,” Leonard said.
“That helps us work out when the earthquake happened and whether the fault has been active in the last 100,000 years.”
In Wairarapa, high-resolution laser mapping known as LiDAR has revealed seven previously unknown faults, including several crossing the Wairarapa Valley.
One of them – the 26-kilometre Pāpāwai Fault – has recently been trenched for the first time.
Scientists found a several-metre-wide disturbance zone, suggesting past earthquake movement may have occurred across multiple smaller fractures rather than a single break.
Further trenching work is planned near Masterton to pin down when earthquakes last occurred there.
Another study in the Hamilton Basin uncovered evidence of past earthquake shaking preserved in lake sediments.
Researchers drilled more than 160 shallow sediment cores from lakes and analysed them using medical CT scanners, allowing them to detect disturbances in layers of mud and volcanic ash caused by strong shaking.
Those disturbances, known as seismites, act as natural records of past earthquakes.
The findings suggest some shaking came from distant faults already known to scientists, but other signals likely came from faults beneath the Hamilton area itself.
Leonard said advances in technology were helping researchers detect previously hidden fault lines.
LiDAR scans landscapes with millions of laser measurements taken from aircraft, allowing scientists to digitally remove vegetation and buildings and reveal subtle steps in the ground that may mark faults.
An example of LiDAR scanning. File photo. ESNZ
Although Auckland and Hamilton experience fewer earthquakes than other parts of the country, Leonard said that did not mean they were immune to major events.
“You can still have a big earthquake anywhere in Aotearoa.”
He pointed to the 1891 Port Waikato earthquake, which shattered windows across Auckland.
Christchurch had shown how damaging earthquakes could strike areas that rarely experience strong shaking, Leonard said.
The fault responsible for the 2011 Christchurch earthquake had been previously unknown and may only rupture every several thousand years.
Research near Taupō is also examining whether earthquakes and volcanic eruptions may influence each other, after scientists found fault movements around the time of the 232AD Taupō eruption.
Leonard said combining studies like these helped improve New Zealand’s seismic hazard models, which inform building standards and risk planning.
“When we bring all these [studies] together, it helps us understand how faults interact with each other and how earthquakes might cluster in space and time.”
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/2026/03/07/laser-mapping-and-ct-scans-reveal-north-islands-hidden-quake-risk/
Source: New Zealand Police
Police can now confirm the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle involved in a crash in Dome Valley yesterday died at the scene.
The single-vehicle crash was reported to emergency services about 6:45pm.
The road reopened shortly after 9:15pm.
ENDS
Issued by Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/fatality-following-crash-dome-valley/
Source: New Zealand Police
Police can confirm one person has died following an earlier crash on Foxton Shannon Road.
Emergency services were called to the area around 9:40am to reports of a single motorcycle crash.
Sadly, the rider died at the scene.
The road has just reopened.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/fatal-crash-foxton-shannon-road/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules prepares to leave for the Middle East. Kaye Albyt
A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules was expected to depart from Auckland’s Whenuapai air base on Saturday morning for the Middle East to help any New Zealanders who may be stranded by the US-Iran conflict.
But as of 12.30pm, it still had not taken off.
Minister of Defence Judith Collins said the government’s immediate priority was supporting New Zealanders in the Middle East.
“New Zealanders in the region are still being advised to shelter in place, or take any safe and practical opportunities to leave.
“We are preparing a range of contingencies should evacuation operations become possible.”
Collins said Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular staff and two Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J aircraft are being pre-deployed so they “can respond quickly when conditions on the ground allow”.
One of the C-130J Hercules aircraft will depart from Whenuapai on Saturday morning, and is joining another Hercules which Collins said is already in Asia and is being “re-tasked to support this effort”, and is being moved to an “on-going staging location”.
Collins said for security reasons she could not provide specific routes, timings or destinations, but said the aircraft were being positioned to ensure they were ready to assist with any evacuation operations should conditions allow.
Collins also urged New Zealanders in the Middle East to register with Safe Travel to stay updated on evacuation options.
Emirates said flights were gradually returning to normal after the partial re-opening of airspace in the Middle East.
The airline was running a reduced schedule while it worked to restore its full global network.
It expected to return to full operations in the coming days, depending on airspace availability.
A friend waiting for a New Zealand family coming back from Dubai said they wanted to bring some comfort for their return home.
Michelle Frankham was waiting for her friend at Auckland Airport after what she described as a frightening night in Dubai.
Michelle Frankham (right) and husband Mark Frankham. Pretoria Gordon / RNZ
“I know that they spent their last night curled up in their bathroom with two young teenage girls, so we’re here with a car full of groceries and some gift baskets to make them feel better, so we’re just relieved that they’re coming home.”
Around 30,000 passengers were flown out of Dubai on Friday, the airline said.
By Sunday, Emirates expected to operate more than 100 return flights a day to 83 destinations – about 60 percent of its network.
The airline said its full New Zealand service is now running again, with Christchurch handling both inbound and outbound flights to Dubai on Saturday.
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/2026/03/07/defence-force-plane-bound-for-middle-east-to-help-new-zealanders-stranded-by-conflict/
Source: Radio New Zealand
From next month, two Hamilton stores will set up the technology to test safeguards are working properly. RNZ / Richard Tindiller
Bunnings Warehouse will introduce facial recognition technology (FRT) in its stores across the country in a bid to crack down on high-value theft and serious harm.
From next month, two Hamilton stores will set up the technology to test safeguards are working properly, and it will then be rolled out across the country.
Bunnings manager Melissa Haines said the scale of retail crime was growing, particularly when it came to threatening behaviour by repeat offenders, and showing no sign of stopping.
“Our number one priority is keeping team and customers safe, and we believe that FRT can play an important role in helping to protect people from violence, abuse and intimidation in our stores by repeat offenders.
“The scale of retail crime in New Zealand is accelerating and shows no signs of stopping.”
She said the company had “undertaken a thorough assessment process, with privacy, safety and community expectations at the forefront, and we are taking a phased approach to get this right”.
“FRT gives us a proactive warning when a serious repeat offender enters the store, so we can act before something happens. It adds one more layer to the safety tools we are already using, such as security guards, team member training, body-worn cameras and serious incident response processes.”
Last year three Christchurch supermarkets began trialling FRT, like Bunnings citing regular offenders. Operator Foodstuffs South Island said it would not be used on teenagers, despite people under 18 making up more than half of those deemed a problem.
A study in 2024 found it reduced serious harm in supermarkets by 16 percent.
The Privacy Commissioner in 2025 said facial recognition technology in retail outlets had potential safety benefits, despite raising significant privacy concerns.
Police have been using the technology for years.
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/2026/03/07/bunnings-to-trial-facial-recognition-tech-in-hamilton-stores/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Coast Road, Karitane is blocked due to a crash south of the Otago township. Screenshot/Google Maps
Coast Road, Karitane is blocked due to a crash south of the Otago township.
Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash just south of Marks Road about 9.25am Saturday.
Police said early indications were the crash had caused serious injuries.
The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.
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/2026/03/07/road-blocked-in-otago-due-to-crash/
LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/06/health-concerns-questions-over-dilapidated-and-cramped-renal-unit-forced-to-ration-dialysis-nzno/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Foxton Shannon Road. Google Maps
The road linking Manawatū towns Foxton and Shannon has been closed after a serious crash.
Police said the single-vehicle accident happened between Himatangi Block Road and Poplar Road at around 9.40am on Saturday.
Early indications were that someone suffered a serious injury.
“The Serious Crash Unit has been advised, and motorists are advised to take diversions,” police said in a statement.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/07/foxton-shannon-road-closed-after-crash/
Source: Radio New Zealand
MetService issued heavy rain watches for parts of the South Island. Screenshot/MetService
A yellow heavy rain watch has been issued for parts of Fiordland, southern Westland and Southland.
MetService issued the watches on Saturday morning as a slow moving front is expected to bring heavy rain to Fiordland and far southern Westland.
Another front is expected to bring heavy rain to Fiordland from early Sunday, and a period of heavy rain is then also expected to affect inland Southland.
The watches are for Westland about and south of Haast from 9am to 9pm Saturday, Fiordland about and north of Doubtful Sound from 9am Saturday to 9pm Sunday, and for Southland from 7am to 7pm Sunday.
All three watches have a moderate chance of upgrading to a warning.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/07/fronts-expected-to-bring-heavy-rain-to-deep-south/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Lyall Bay beach and the rest of Wellington’s south coast has been off limits since the Moa Point treatment plant failed on 4 February. RNZ / Krystal Gibbens
Public health experts are warning the catastrophic failure of Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant exposes deep, systemic problems with New Zealand’s infrastructure management.
Early last month a blockage in the plant’s outfall pipe led to a backflow of sewage into the plant, shutting it down and forcing the closure of beaches along the city’s South Coast as up to 70 million litres of untreated sewage was sent into the sea each day.
The University of Otago’s Public Health Communication Centre said the failure was a severe example of problems already affecting systems across Aotearoa.
It said Water New Zealand’s latest performance review recorded more than 3000 sewage overflows nationwide, though the true number was likely higher because reporting had historically been inconsistent.
It also found about 20 percent of the country’s 334 publicly run wastewater treatment plants were operating with expired resource consents, meaning they may not meet current best-practice standards or have robust monitoring in place.
If the inquiry into the Moa Point wastewater treatment plant was too narrow, the risk was only learning lessons about Moa Point and not systems across New Zealand, Marnie Pricket said. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
University of Otago research fellow Marnie Pricket said responsibility for water services was spread across multiple organisations, including the national regulator Taumata Arowai, regional councils, local councils and central government ministers.
Pricket said the complexity of that system made accountability unclear when things went wrong.
“For example, Taumata Arowai has oversight of water services but doesn’t currently have the legislative tools to intervene if regional councils fail to regulate wastewater discharges effectively.”
Poor wastewater management posed risks to both human and environmental health, including exposure to raw sewage, contamination of drinking water sources and polluted shellfish beds, she said.
Ageing infrastructure and climate change were also likely to increase the risk of failures in the future.
The government announced a Crown Review Team would investigate the failure under the Local Government Act 2002. But Prickett said that process appeared to focus largely on the role of Wellington City Council, which could limit its ability to investigate the full range of issues affecting wastewater management across the country.
“The drivers of poor wastewater management are much broader than a single council,” she said. “They include policy and investment decisions, workforce limitations, problems with data quality, governance issues, and unclear roles and accountability across agencies.”
The upcoming Crown inquiry must examine not just the immediate cause of the breakdown, but the wider drivers behind wastewater failures nationwide, Prickett said.
“If the inquiry is too narrow, we risk learning lessons only about Moa Point,” she said.
“But this is a national issue, and the inquiry should help us understand how to improve wastewater management across the country.”
The review should follow the model used after the 2016 Havelock North campylobacter outbreak, she said.
“The value of the Havelock North inquiry was that it looked at the specific outbreak, but it also examined the broader drivers of poor drinking water across the country.
“That meant the lessons could be applied nationally. That’s what we’re hoping for with the Moa Point inquiry.”
Local Government Minister Simon Watts was approached for comment.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/07/moa-point-disaster-exposes-deeper-problems-public-health-experts-warn/
Source: New Zealand Police
Coast Road, Karitane is blocked due to a crash south of the Otago township.
Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash just south of Marks Road about 9:25am today.
Indications are there is serious injury involved.
The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.
ENDS
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/serious-crash-coast-road-karitane-road-blocked/
Source: New Zealand Police
Foxton Shannon Road is blocked following a serious crash involving a single vehicle.
Emergency services were called to the area, between Himatangi Block Road and Poplar Road, around 9:40am.
Indications are there is serious injury.
The Serious Crash Unit has been advised, and motorists are advised to take diversions.
ENDS
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/foxton-shannon-road-closed-due-to-serious-crash/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules prepares to leave for the Middle East. Kaye Albyt
A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J Hercules is set to depart from Auckland’s Whenuapai air base on Saturday morning for the Middle East to help any New Zealanders who may be stranded by the US-Iran conflict.
Minister of Defence Judith Collins said the government’s immediate priority is supporting New Zealanders in the Middle East.
“New Zealanders in the region are still being advised to shelter in place, or take any safe and practical opportunities to leave.
“We are preparing a range of contingencies should evacuation operations become possible.”
Collins said Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular staff and two Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130J aircraft are being pre-deployed so they “can respond quickly when conditions on the ground allow”.
One of the C-130J Hercules aircraft will depart from Whenuapai on Saturday morning, and is joining another Hercules which Collins said is already in Asia and is being “re-tasked to support this effort”, and is being moved to an “on-going staging location”.
Collins said for security reasons she could not provide specific routes, timings or destinations, but said the aircraft were being positioned to ensure they were ready to assist with any evacuation operations should conditions allow.
Collins also urged New Zealanders in the Middle East to register with Safe Travel to stay updated on evacuation options.
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/2026/03/07/defence-force-plane-leaves-for-middle-east-to-help-new-zealanders-stranded-by-conflict/
Source: Radio New Zealand
One person has died after a crash on Paparoa Valley Road. Screenshot/Google Maps
One person is dead and another has moderate injuries after a single-vehicle crash in Paparoa, Kaipara District.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Paparoa Valley Road and Franklin Road at 12.35am on Saturday, after a vehicle had gone down a bank into a stream.
Police said a member of the public performed CPR before emergency services arrived, but one of the car’s occupants died at the scene.
The other was taken to hospital in moderate condition.
The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.
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/2026/03/07/person-dies-in-single-vehicle-crash-in-kaipara/
Source: New Zealand Police
Media are welcome to publish the attached images, taken last night to commemorate INTERPOL-led International Day of Remembrance for Fallen Police Officers, recognising the thousands of police officers worldwide who lose their lives each year in the course of duty.
Images are available on request from media@police.govt.nz
For more information, see media release issued yesterday – https://www.police.govt.nz/news/release/sky-tower-blue-honour-fallen-pol…
ENDS
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/photos-sky-tower-in-blue-to-honour-fallen-police-officers/
Source: New Zealand Police
One person has died and another has moderate injuries after a single-vehicle crash in Paparoa, Kaipara District.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Paparoa Valley Road and Franklin Road about 12:35am today, when a vehicle had gone down a bank into a stream.
Despite CPR by a member of the public before emergency services arrived, one of the car’s occupants sadly died at the scene. The other was taken to hospital in moderate condition.
The scene was cleared around 6:30am. The Serious Crash Unit is investigating.
ENDS
Issued by the Police Media Centre
LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/07/fatal-crash-paparoa/
Source: Radio New Zealand
Attendees sit in a circle and learn how to weave flax in one of the social forums. RNZ/Anisha Satya
Fieldays are one of the few events farmers will get off paddock for, but a new form of gathering aims to add more life to their work-life balance.
The Underground Festival, which took place on 18-19 February, is a multiday event which combines regenerative farming talks with glamping, music and “mean feeds”.
It’s the brainchild of Tokoroa-raised Fran Bailey, who got the idea after working at the Groundswell festival in the UK.
“It was at a time where there was, sort of, a lot of negativity around farming and climate change.
“I just thought, farmers care about the land and not enough people know about this, so I just, sort of, put a stake in the ground to help tell their stories.”
The welcome signage at the 2026 Underground Festival. RNZ/Anisha Satya
The social dining tent at the heart of the Underground Festival. RNZ/Anisha Satya
Bailey found herself working at Groundswell, which takes place annually at Lannock Farm in North Hertfordshire. She eventually brought the idea back home, running a pilot of the Underground Festival in 2025.
One year later, and the vineyard at Greystone Wines was covered in tents and teepees, with 400 farmers making the trip to Waipara with their families.
Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.
On the education front, a number of guest speakers ran talks in the large gathering tents. Topics ranged from biochar to soil health, to moths and butterflies.
Mangaroa Farms kickstarter Jules Matthews spoke on inspiring other farmers to take up the regenerative torch.
“This community is always very embracing, and it’s such a safe environment,” she said.
She attended the test festival last year, and was thrilled by 2026’s crowd size.
“It seems like people are really engaged, and each one of the tents has a good turnout of people.”
Regenerative agriculture enthusiast Jules Matthews spoke on inspiring other farmers to try their hand at regenerative agriculture. RNZ/Anisha Satya
The event was as much a celebration of food as it is farming, according to chef Max Gordy. He came down from Wellington to join the Base Food by Fire team in serving up some kai.
Chef Max Gordy preps some locally grown fruit. RNZ/Anisha Satya
Gordy’s ‘eat local, waste less’ ethos aligned with the festival perfectly.
“I’m not going to use processed stuff,” he said. “If you don’t know where your food’s coming from, you’re doing it wrong.”
Slow-cooked beef, roasted zucchini, bread made with local flour – it was all there, and well appreciated by attendees.
“We’re cooking for a bunch of farmers that really appreciate the soil, so they’re probably the most chilliest clientele we could possibly have.”
Bailey hoped this year’s successful run would encourage a bigger turnout in 2027.
“I would just love to see it continue to grow in quite an organic way.”
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/2026/03/07/country-life-inside-aotearoas-regenerative-farming-festival/