Category: LiveNews

Source: Radio New Zealand

A woman who helped her son and his wife buy a house has been offered $10,000 in compensation for the way the bank handled the dispute when the relationship went sour.

The case went to the Banking Ombudsman, which published a case note last month.

It said the woman wanted to help her son and daughter-in-law onto the property ladder. They formed a partnership and borrowed $320,000 in October 2008 to buy a house.

The loan was in each of their names.

But when the couple decided to separate, the mother and daughter-in-law decided to sell the property. The son told the bank there was a dispute and it froze the loan accounts and refused to act on any instructions until the dispute was resolved.

The mother offered to repay the loan in full so the mortgage could be discharged, but the bank still refused to act.

The Banking Ombudsman scheme said it raised concerns with the bank about its refusal to allow the woman to pay off the loan.

“We pointed out the dispute among the three borrowers had no effect on the right of each borrower to repay the loan at any time. The terms and conditions of the loan allowed for just such a step…. [she] held a 77 percent stake in the partnership so was able to pass resolutions without the consent of the other two partners.”

The bank offered the woman $10,000.

Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said partnerships could be a good way to get into the property market, but the case was a reminder that it was important everyone was clear on their rights and what would happen if circumstances changed.

“When relationships end, joint accounts, loans and partnerships can become tricky. It’s crucial to understand how your accounts are set up, and what your rights and obligations are. This knowledge can prevent a difficult situation from becoming even more stressful.”

She said people should decide in advance how they would divide assets if they separated and get legal advice if they needed formal arrangements.”

Mortgage adviser Jeremy Andrews, from Key Mortgages, said he dealt with people wanting to buy in partnership several times a year.

“There are some advantages such as being able to combine everybody’s deposit together to get the best possible interest rates, and combining everybody’s incomes together to get the highest approval figure based on income servicing.”

He said the case highlighted the main downside – what would happen when one of the parties wanted to get out of the joint ownership, such as to buy a different property.

“If they are jointly and severally liable for the loan, which is typically higher than a single or couple’s income alone could have allowed, this could be a dealbreaker without selling the property.

“There needs to be a clear understanding of the future implications at that point, before entering into such [an] agreement, and we always recommend each party seeks independent legal advice on this.”

He said sometimes people would own a house as tenants in common, which gave them an agreed and specified percentage of the ownership.

“If the property increases in value over time, then each party receives their respective percentage increase in value each when the time comes to sell – hopefully for an overall profit.

“There are also downsides to this type of arrangement, such as if one or more of the co-borrowers wish to retain ownership of the property, and then based on the income they have at the time, can they buy out the other exiting parties share of existing mortgage – plus typically accumulated equity on top of that.”

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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/2026/02/13/buying-a-house-with-friends-or-family-watch-out/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Campers are shocked and devastated as a Hawke’s Bay campground is evacuated due to the “extreme” risk of a landslide, the manager says.

It comes three weeks after six people died in Mount Maunganui when a chunk of the maunga crashed onto a holiday park.

The Hastings District Council said it evaluated “at-risk” sites including the Clifton Motor Camp after that tragedy.

At 4.30pm on Thursday, the council told campers and permanent residents they had 24 hours to leave because a geotechnical report has found an extreme risk of landslides affecting the grounds.

“Heavy or prolonged rain, elevated groundwater levels, or an earthquake could cause the slope to fail,” the council said.

“If that occurred, soil, rocks and large trees would fall directly onto buildings and caravans located at the base of the slope.”

Hawke’s Bay is under a heavy rain watch from 3pm today.

The council said there would be little warning and limited opportunity to escape safely if a landslide occurred.

The council said making the site safe would require significant engineering and drainage works, likely costing several million dollars.

Unless that work was undertaken, the campground could not be considered safe to occupy.

There had been slips there in the past: one in 2011 damaged the toilet block and covered the playground, and one in 2019 that put two tourists in hospital.

Hastings District Council chief executive Nigel Bickle said the decision was not a “knee-jerk reaction”.

“The advice is clear – the level of risk is extreme and cannot be ignored.”

Bickle understood it was distressing news for people who used the campground – some for many decades.

“But when expert advice tells us there is a credible threat to life, we have a responsibility to act.”

Campers shocked, devastated

Clifton Reserve Society’s Piki Wellwood-King – which leases the land from Hastings District Council – said the advice came out of the blue.

“Everyone here is in shock around the short notice, absolutely devastated trying to comprehend what’s really happening,” she said.

“The camp composes of people who live here permanently, people who live here seasonally, and the public who come in and rent a site,” she said.

“It’s really weighing heavy on everyone … it’s huge.”

Some had camped there for generations, and more than a dozen lived there permanently, she said.

But Wellwood-King said the advice to leave made “perfect sense” given the safety risk.

The council said staff were working with the society and support agencies to help residents with accommodation and support services, and to ensure they could retrieve their personal belongings.

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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/2026/02/13/devastated-hawkes-bay-campground-being-evacuated-due-to-landslide-risk/

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland man promised two people a better life, but instead kept them as slaves for several years, police said following his sentencing.

Moeaia Tuai was on Thursday jailed for 16 years and four months for dealing in slaves, rape and numerous other sexual assaults.

Detective Inspector Warrick Adkin of Counties Manukau CIB said the Samoan chief arranged to bring them to New Zealand in 2016.

He praised the bravery of the complainants for standing up in court, saying they gave compelling evidence.

“Initially the victims were promised a good education and a better way of life. But that’s not what happened – instead he put them to work, kept their wages and assaulted them.

“The charges are the result of more than two years of work by Immigration New Zealand and New Zealand Police, dating back to 2024 when the first allegations of Tuai’s offending were brought to our attention.”

Specialist agencies supported the two young people through the process and five-week trial, he added.

Immigration investigations manager Jason Perry said slavery was often a hidden crime, and urged people to report migrant exploitation.

“Immigration New Zealand is committed to supporting police to ensure those who deliberately harm or take advantage of others are held accountable. Immigration investigators worked closely with police throughout the operation, helping to ensure those responsible for these often hidden crimes are brought to justice.

“Coordinated action like this is essential to protecting vulnerable people and raising awareness. If you see signs of exploitation, report it.”

Tuai, 63, was sentenced to a non-parole period of eight years.

The High Court in Auckland heard he put the male complainant straight to work at an Auckland boarding house run by his wife’s sister, before moving both victims to Australia, where the young man escaped in 2020.

It took another four years before the young woman, back in New Zealand, also managed to run away.

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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/2026/02/13/police-praise-bravery-of-auckland-slavers-victims/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person is in a stable condition in hospital after being shot and injured in the Auckland suburb of Mission Bay.

Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk says police were called to a property about 9.15pm on Thursday.

She said it appeared a group of people had turned up at the house where some kind of altercation took place.

An investigation was underway to track down those responsible.

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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/2026/02/13/person-shot-during-fight-in-aucklands-mission-bay/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fisher Funds says it has made some changes to the team that manages its hardship applications, with KiwiSaver managers under pressure as withdrawal applications spiked.

Inland Revenue data showed there were 58,460 withdrawals for hardship reasons in 2025, 10,000 more than were made for a first home.

In total, $514.8 million was withdrawn from KiwiSaver because of hardship and $2.1 billion for a first home.

Some applicants faced delays as providers struggled to keep up with the volume.

Fisher Funds said some changes were made last year to its team, for the eight staff based in Hawke’s Bay.

“We put a change proposal to them, inviting them to relocate to Auckland/or Wellington and unfortunately none of them took up the offer.

“All roles were replaced with people in either Auckland or Wellington.”

A spokesperson said Fisher Funds was not immune to the overall increase in applications and, anticipating that Christmas would be a time of additional pressure on household budgets, extra staff were added from November through January.

Milford Asset Management has a partnership with DebtFix, to help manage the hardship application process. It, too, has seen a significant increase in applications.

A spokesperson for Westpac said it had added staff to its team, to handle first-home withdrawals as well as hardship applications.

“We’ve improved some of our internal processes to make it faster and more efficient for customers.”

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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/2026/02/13/kiwisaver-managers-under-pressure-as-hardship-applications-spike/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say the fire that ripped through the top floor of a factory in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga is being treated as suspicious.

Up to eight crews were called to the two-storey building on Patrick Street at 2.15am on Friday, where they found the upper floor fully alight.

Fire and Emergency said the bulk of the blaze had been extinguished by 3am.

No one was hurt in the fire.

Police said staff will work with fire investigators, with a scene examination to be completed later on Friday.

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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/2026/02/13/investigation-underway-into-suspicious-auckland-factory-fire/

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/13/hilary-duff-announces-first-world-tour-in-almost-20-years/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Emergency services are responding to a crash in north Canterbury, that has left multiple people trapped.

Fire and Emergency NZ said it was called to State Highway 7, north of Waikari, at about 6.40am on Friday after a car went off the road.

At least four fire crews are working to help free people trapped in the car.

One of the people trapped is in a critical condition and three others in a serious condition.

St John said it is responding with three ambulances and a helicopter.

Motorists are told to expect delays.

Police have been contacted for comment.

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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/2026/02/13/multiple-people-trapped-after-crash-in-north-canterbury/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two customers caught out by large changes in the valuation of their vehicles through AA Insurance say they only realised something was amiss when they went to claim.

RNZ has reported on a number of people who have queried the valuations of their cars through the insurance company in recent months.

One woman, Nicki, was upset that the value of her 24-year-old Subaru had increased two-and-a-half times when the policy renewed this year.

Another said that the value of his 2003 Subaru Forester dropped 58 percent last year and then lifted by 3.67 times this year – to $9900, 10 percent more than he paid for it 11 years ago.

AA said it relied on third-party data to provide vehicle values and from time to time the methodology and data sources were updated.

One person, Chris, who contacted RNZ said their policy renewed in February.

But five days later, the vehicle was hit while stationary and it was only then that they realised the insured value had been reduced by 70 percent. Chris said while the change in premiums was made clear in the information emailed about the renewal, the change in the insured value was more difficult to find.

Another person, Ruby, said the value of her car dropped from $6900 to $1300 at her policy renewal..

“After a lot of back and forth, stressful phone calls, and providing my original purchase receipt, AA eventually reinstated the agreed value of $6900.

“The repair quote for the damage is between $2000 and $3000, so if the policy had remained at $1300, it would have effectively left me without meaningful cover.

“However, AA are now requiring me to back-pay the premium difference for the period where the vehicle should have been insured at the higher agreed value. I’m a single mum on a very tight budget with existing debt, and I’ve been trying to resolve this since the 2nd of January while my car is still damaged and difficult to use. They have just agreed to let me repay the additional premium at $8 per fortnight.”

Karen Stevens, Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman, said she could not comment on specifics but had received a number of complaints in recent years from people who had not been aware that their vehicle’s value had been reduced by their insurer until they had an accident.

“We always remind people that it’s important to review the new policy schedule every year and, if they’re not happy with the value, to challenge it then rather than later. They can also get a valuation or PAV to show the vehicle is worth more than the insurer says it is.”

Rebecca Styles, Consumer NZ’s insurance specialist, said anyone who had not been advised about a drop in value should challenge it.,

“If someone is advised of a drop in the value of their vehicle and they disagree with it, they can ask for a revised valuation and provide evidence of what they consider to be fair market value.

“It’s also important to check the policy renewal details when they come through to make sure the insured value is appropriate, and to take the opportunity to check how the premium compares with other insurers to make sure you’re getting the best deal.”

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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/2026/02/13/single-mum-repaying-8-a-fortnight-after-insurance-confusion/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tai Rāwhiti locals isolated by January’s slips on the Waioweka Gorge and East Coast highway are anxious to have a reliable northern route out of Gisborne.

Convoys along State Highway 2 were stopped on Thursday night and have been cancelled this weekend, because of the threat of rain causing more slips in the gorge.

On State Highway 35 around East Cape, the storm-damaged road remained closed between Te Araroa and Pōtaka.

The months of disruption and hours-long detour had prompted calls for an alternative northern route out of Gisborne – but it was not something the government was currently considering.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the Waioweka Gorge was the main freight route out of Tai Rāwhiti therefore cleaning it up was the priority – until then, discussing the future of the network and other routes would have to wait.

“We need to make a determination as to the state of the network once we can actually see it. Clearly, there are issues on the [east] coast in terms of resilience and sustainability.

“State Highway 35 has been a long-running issue, so has the Waioweka Gorge and all the evidence is that it is going to continue to happen into the future.

“I’m just not going to pre-judge where we might get to until I’ve got information.”

Waioweka Gorge local Bob Redpath said the odd rockfall during heavy rain was nothing new and after weeks of closures felt frustrated by the cancellation of convoys due to forecast bad weather.

“Yes, it’s a bit fragile and tender at the moment, but they just need to be a bit kinder to the traffic, I think – [they] need to get it going.

“There’s a whole lot of people in Gisborne hurting.”

He said the uncertainty around the road’s status had put his farm stay operation on hold and dog trials due to be held Ōpōtiki next month had just been cancelled for the same reason.

Redpath backed the exploration of an alternative route but pinpointing its location was another matter.

“I tongue in cheek, jokingly said to someone recently, ‘If we were in China – China would build a bridge from Ōpōtiki to Matawai.”

Gisborne’s mayor, Rehette Stoltz, said unreliable roading infrastructure was hampering the region’s economic prospects by putting business confidence at risk.

She said with the cancellation of the convoys through the gorge, once again the only option to go north out of Gisborne was to first head south on State Highway 2, almost to Napier, before taking State Highway 5 – a detour which added between two and three hours.

For those north of Gisborne on the cape, the detour was even longer, creating a “huge time cost and huge money cost for our community”.

Stoltz said hard questions about the future of State Highway 2 would be asked once the region was back on its feet and hoped to sit down with the government in the first half of the year.

“Is it worth investing money constantly – and we are talking about nearly every year millions of dollars to build in, not even resilience into that route, but just to keep it available for us – or is it time for us to say we need to think bigger?

“What is the best option to either build resilience into State Highway 2 north? Or alternatively discuss a different route.”

However, she said the feasibility and location of a different route was best left to the roading engineers.

NZTA investigates resilience in current network

A 2020 National Resilence Programme Business Case prepared for the Transport Agency (NZTA) gave the Waioweka Gorge a 5VL rating – the highest level of “extreme risk” for likelihood of damage – and the only road in the country to receive it.

While NZTA had not investigated another northern route out of Tai Rāwhiti, three options for improving the gorge’s resilience were put forward in the SH2 Waioweka Gorge Corridor Resilience Single Stage Business Case.

NZTA regional manager of system design Lisa Faulknor said the options cost between $70 million and $200m as at 2024 and the agency had just completed work to address “weather-related risks” before the recent severe weather.

“The business case is complete and does not need any further work. So it can be utilitised without delay, subject to funding availability.”

However, the recommended option would only half weather-related road closures, she said.

“According to the business case, completing this option would result in a 53 percent reduction in closures – it would not fully eliminate the consequences of weather events or the subsequent closures.”

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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/2026/02/13/tai-rawhiti-locals-isolated-by-slips-anxious-to-have-reliable-northern-route-out/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rain is on the way for almost all of the North Island, including areas badly battered last month.

An orange heavy rain warning will take effect from 6pm Friday for Bay of Plenty east of Ōpōtiki, and Tai Rāwhiti north of Tolaga Bay.

Up to 100mm of rain is expected, with a chance of up to 150mm in one or two places.

Forecaster MetService said there was a low chance of it being upgraded to a red warning.

For most of the rest of the island there was a yellow heavy rain watch. It would begin in Northland, Auckland, Coromandel and Waikato at 9am, and make its way south through the middle of the day, with southern areas like Manawatū, Tararua District and Hawke’s Bay joining the watch at 3pm.

Wellington at this stage appeared to be spared.

East Coast residents were warned to expect up to 100mm or rain, with some localised areas getting up to 150mm.

“Peak rainfall rates are very dependent on localised downpours or thunderstorms, and may reach 25 to 40mm per hour during Saturday morning,” MetService warned.

There was a “low chance” the orange warning would be upgraded to red.

“Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions [are] possible.”

Tauranga City Council urged residents to evacuate immediately if the ground moved or there was another landslide.

Periods of heavy rain or showers and a chance of thunderstorms were expected in the region from noon.

The council said there was a higher chance of landslides because of the rain that had already fallen in recent weeks.

Six people died in a slip at Mt Maunganui last month, and two at a home in Welcome Bay.

There were still 40 slips on Mauao, and recent monitoring had found unstable land.

As a precaution, the council on Friday morning said it would close Adams Avenue, between Pilot Bay and the Maunganui Road roundabout, from 8am.

“This is a precautionary approach following geotechnical advice about the current risks on Mauao from anticipated rainfall from Friday to Saturday.”

No timeframe was given, the council saying it would only reopen once the rain had finished and experts had seemed it safe. The footpath on the ‘shop side’ of Adams Ave would remain open.

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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/2026/02/13/weather-fears-of-another-landslide-as-north-island-wide-rain-settles-in/

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/13/the-band-that-works-together-while-thousands-of-miles-apart/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Firefighters are responding to a fire at a factory in the Auckland suburb of Onehunga.

Up to eight crews were called to the two-storey building on Patrick Street at 2.15am on Friday, where they found the upper floor fully alight.

Fire and Emergency said the bulk of the blaze had been extinguished by 3am.

Two crews are still on site dampening down hotspots.

A fire investigator is heading to the scene this morning.

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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/2026/02/13/firefighters-battle-auckland-factory-blaze/