Category: LiveNews

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pencils, pens, textbooks and a full uniform might seem like the basics for any school student, but many families are relying on donations to start the school year.

Several schools across New Zealand can fund parts of their school uniform through their own coffers, local community trusts and donations.

But some school principals said covering back-to-school costs means they have to make sacrifices elsewhere.

It’s that time of year… families are making trips to their school’s uniform shop and rushing to print out school stationery lists.

But for many families in Aotearoa buying back-to-school basics has never been so expensive.

Checkpoint spoke to some parents outside an Auckland primary school.

“There’s no uniform here which, I don’t know it’s kind of a good thing because there’s no uniform costs.”

“Stationery was pretty expensive, $80 for a few books and some pens. I had to Afterpay it,” another parent said.

“The stationery prices are okay same as last year but the uniforms… it’s really expensive, having two children in college, luckily my primary doesn’t wear one, but next year she will be,” said another.

“Expenses are really high, especially [with] the economy these days, it’s really challenging. We have to be really careful, [with] other bills such as rent, power and food.”

Checkpoint looked at 10 school stationery lists across different schools in Auckland.

The cheapest was for a Year One student costing $26 and the most expensive was for a Year 12 student costing over $100, not including a Bring Your Own Device such as a laptop.

Wellington’s Porirua College Principal Ragne Maxwell said if students did not have uniforms and stationery on their first day, it could deter them from going to school.

“There’s no question about it; we have people who turn up who say they won’t be able to start straight away because we can’t get the uniform yet.

“We’ll say that’s all right we’ll gift them some basic uniform and you can buy some more things when you’re able to.”

Porirua College is able to fund a significant part of their uniform costs.

But Maxwell said if schools could fund back-to-school items, it often meant they could not fund other things.

“Some of it’s charity money but some of it’s out of the school’s operational grants and we have to make choices.”

“Do we buy textbooks or do we buy uniforms for kids?”

Christchurch’s Burnside High School principal Scott Haines said when they were putting together stationery and uniform lists, costs were front of mind.

“Trying to minimise those costs where we can. Supporting families to buy only what they need, when they need it, rather than buying everything at the start of the year.

“Working with suppliers to keep pricing competitive, just before Christmas I was talking with our uniform supplier about how we can in these rising times, keep the cost down.”

Haines said Burnside High School had a hardship fund to help families with back-to-school costs.

But this money comes out of the school’s own pocket, alongside funding from community trusts.

“[It’s] a mixture of some funding that we provide ourselves and some locally raised funds, the likes international student income helps create a fund for us to support our domestic learners who might struggle to afford the things they need for school.”

George McGuinness, a Year 13 student from Auckland, runs a charity called Papers Pens Pencils, where donated stationery from schools and businesses are put into packs and given to schools across the Upper North Island.

He said the cost of stationery for him and his three siblings was a big expense.

“Scientific calculators are over $100, for me and my whole family, it ended up being $500, $600, just for stationery to get back to school.

‘Most of that in our family doesn’t even get used.”

McGuinness said last year they donated 50,000 stationery items to 26 schools.

“When stationery companies like BIC or Warehouse Stationery have left over stationery that they can’t sell, they’ll come and bring it to us so we can redistribute it.”

Parents on low incomes can apply for hardship assistance for school costs through the Ministry of Social Development.

But MSD said this grant must be paid back and they can set up repayments.

Last year, over 38,000 hardship payments were granted for school costs, adding up to over $11 million.

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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/2026/01/29/families-rely-on-donations-to-pay-for-school-uniforms-stationery/

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 100 people have mucked in to help clean up rubbish from Wellington’s waterfront today.

Wellington Museum’s annual Great Big Waterfront Clean Up is in its eighth year.

On average each year, the clean up usually collected around 1500 litres of rubbish.

Organiser Naiomi Murgatroyd expected this year’s total would be about the same.

In the past they’ve uncovered some interesting finds.

“We get a lot of road cones,” she said. “We’ve actually pulled Lime scooters out of the sea.”

Acrylic nails were another common find, and once she said they found a doll’s head.

Murgatroyd said Wellington was the only capital city in the world to be home to little blue penguins, some of which nest along the waterfront.

“They make their homes right in all those rocks and crevices along the waterfront here. So any time there’s any rubbish or debris or anything like that, you know, that’s something that could harm them if they eat it.”

Cecilia Tuiomanufili liked to take an active part in looking after the environment. She brought her granddaughter Layla down to the clean up to help out.

She said what she hoped to get out of the clean up was removing all the rubbish the birds could eat and to teach her granddaughter about looking after the environment.

“If we can’t live well in our environment and take care of it, how are our children supposed to know how to do that?,” she said.

“We should be showing our children this is how we do it, this is how we keep our environment clean.”

Anna Brewster is here from England on a working visa.

“I’m a guest in this country and it’s beautiful and I’ve learned a lot about the ecology and the nature and I want to help in some way and I saw the poster and thought it would be a good thing to do.”

She said most of the rubbish she picked up was plastic or aluminium, but she did make a few other finds.

“I found some bucket hats, a lot of bottles of beer, lots of condoms,” she said.

She said she also came across a lot of cigarette butts.

“Which is a shame because I feel like that’s the kind of thing people, they don’t really see it as littering, because they’ll like have a cigarette and then just throw it away because it’s kind of the done thing.”

Maggie Drawz, Cole Kasbarian and Samuel Goldsmith were visiting from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.

Through their school they’re partnering with local organisations to help solve social science problems and get involved in communities around the world.

They got involved in the clean up through Zelandia who is a sponsor of their project here.

“They asked us if we would like to join, and we were like, absolutely. So we’ve been here cleaning up, and we’ve enjoyed every second of it,” said Kasbarian.

Plastic, food and broken glass were among the items they cleaned up.

The group has also got some pretty nice things to say about Wellington’s Waterfront compared to back home.

“Everything is so nice around here,” said Goldsmith. “It’s much cleaner.

“People seem a lot more conscious of caring for their environment and doing what they can individually compared to back home, which is really great to see,” said Drawz.

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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/2026/01/29/more-than-100-people-help-clean-up-rubbish-from-wellingtons-waterfront/

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 1000 people, with more expected, are attending a community vigil in the wake of the Mt Maunganui landslide.

Families of the victims, having held another service with emergency services at the base of Mauao, will be in attendance with seats set aside for them.

Older members of the community were asked to sit in other sets next to the family seats as a show of support.

Several people said it was important for them to be here to support one another as well as victims’ families. Many described a heavy feeling since the landslide a week ago today.

One woman came with black balloons with each of the victims’ names painted on in gold.

Hosted by the Tauranga City Council, the vigil was a time for the community to “come together in aroha – to support one another”, as well as say thank you to the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue working to return loved ones to their families.

The vigil will take place from 7pm at Coronation Park with a karakia at 8pm. The event is expected to conclude around 9pm.

“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.

“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”

A free park and ride service is running from Kawaka St to Maunganui Rd.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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/2026/01/29/watch-community-vigil-for-mount-maunganui-landslide-victims/

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 45,000 people have signed a petition demanding equal treatment of visitors from New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours.

At the moment they must apply for a visitor visa, provide proof of funds for the duration of their stay and could be asked to get an x-ray or doctor’s check to show they’re in “good health”.

But the petition wants visitors from six Pacific nations to be treated the same as travellers from 60 other countries – that it says are eligible for a cheaper more straight forward electronic authority to enter Aotearoa.

The petitioner, former National MP Arthur Anae, told Checkpoint’s Lisa Owen discrimination against Pacific peoples travelling to New Zealand needed to end.

“At this point of time 3.2 billion people around the world can access New Zealand direct or via Australia and be issued a visitor’s visa on arrival at the airport. The less than 16 million people of the Pacific have been denied this opportunity for far too long,” Anae said.

When challenged on the fact that people accessing the electronic authority also face barriers such as still having to have sufficient funds to sustain themselves while in New Zealand and also having to process online documentation and pay a fee Anae said they were not the same barriers put on people from the Pacific.

“We can meet those no problem. And the fees they have nothing to do in the size that we have to pay.

“All I am asking for, treat the people of the Pacific equal,” Anae said.

Anae said he wrote to the [immigration] minister and the prime minister last year describing it as a sad situation.

“I just said this question, close your eyes and put yourself in this position. Your mother’s died, your father’s died, or your brother or sister or your child, and you can’t come to the funeral.

No matter what the emergency Pacific people have to make an application and pay a fee before they can come to New Zealand, he said.

“Why are we discriminated [against] this way all the time by the New Zealand immigration office.”

Anae said he wanted to make it very clear who he thought was to blame.

“It is the New Zealand Immigration Office and the minister responsible who doesn’t give a damn about us,” Anae said.

When asked what kind of response he had had from government Anae said he had had none.

“Nothing. The minister hasn’t responded to anything I have asked in anyway at all.”

It was pointed out to Anae that the highest number of overstayers as a percentage are from some Pacific Island countries. When he was asked if he thought that was the reason why there are stricter requirements he had this response.

“That’s true, but that’s based on the few numbers that are here and taken into consideration all the other people. But the fact is, as I just said, if you made it easier for people to come and go, they don’t need to overstay.”

Anae said he intended to present his petition to Parliament next month.

“We present the petition on the 11th of February, asking for the petition to go … to Parliament so that the members of Parliament can have a conscious vote on the outcome of that.”

He said what he wanted was to have a select committee process so parliamentarians themselves could hear from people and understand how they had been treated in comparison to others.

“And they can make the decision if they think this is right or wrong.”

“I believe 95 percent of people [in] this country have no idea, no idea, how the Pacific people are treated by New Zealand immigration.

RNZ has approached the office of Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment 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/2026/01/29/45000-sign-petition-demanding-equal-treatment-of-visitors-from-pacific-nations/

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died after a single vehicle crash in the Auckland suburb of Taupaki.

Emergency services were alerted to the crash on Nelson Road at 5.20pm.

The road is closed and diversions in place.

The Serious Crash Unit is attending.

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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/2026/01/29/one-dead-after-auckland-crash/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A putrid stench lingering in Christchurch’s eastern suburbs from the city’s wastewater treatment plant is expected to persist for at least another week.

Locals have complained of nausea and headaches and say the odour from the Bromley plant is driving them inside behind closed windows and doors.

Offensive odours have plagued Bromley and neighbouring suburbs since a fire at the plant in in 2021 but some neighbours believe the pong has become worse than ever in recent days.

The fire badly damaged the plant’s two trickling filters, affecting the quality of effluent flowing into the system.

The stench left people battling nausea, worsening asthma, sleepless nights and deteriorating mental health for months.

Christchurch City Council said recent heavy rain had affected the health of oxidation ponds and treatment plant staff were trying to improve the water quality.

Environment Canterbury said since Monday it had received 530 odour reports from east Christchurch suburbs which were likely related to the plant.

Since the beginning of this year 610 residents had reported odour issues to the regional council, it said.

In a statement, the regional council’s acting compliance manager Lauren Hamilton said it was aware “and we understand that these odours are affecting people’s daily lives in very real ways”.

Environment Canterbury continued to work with the Christchurch City Council to ensure they were “meeting their consent requirements and putting suitable odour mitigation measures in place wherever practicable,” she said.

Bromley woman Tracy Andrew said the smell was “absolutely vile”.

“The smell yesterday was the worst I have smelt it for a couple years. It woke me up, just about being sick. I have turned my HRV off as it was making the house so much worse,” she said.

Andrew said she was forced to keep doors and windows closed.

Gabrielle Barry said it was unfair that people were expected to live with the smell.

“It’s horrific it gives me and my children headaches, gets in your clothes so you can’t even hang your washing out, even with all the windows shut it somehow seeps into the house,” she said.

Another Bromley woman, who did not wish to be named, said she was concerned about her health.

“Everyday coming home from work I smell that, it’s very terrible. It smells like toilets. Hopefully the council can fix it because it’s alarming for the community,” she said.

Bromley local Sharon said the smell had been strong around Maces and Ruru Roads but it was dependent on the way the wind blew.

“I’ve had enough. For a lot of people I think that are paying their rates it’s about, ‘hey you’re charging exorbitant fees for our rates but you’re making us suffer with this putrid smell in the area’,” she said.

Christchurch City Council head of three waters Gavin Hutchison said the council expected higher-than-normal odour levels to continue for at least another week.

He said the council had received 12 complaints about the smell in the last week and 14 in total this year.

“The recent period of heavy rain has significantly affected the health of several oxidation ponds. Monitoring from this week showed a drop in dissolved oxygen levels across the system. These low-oxygen conditions create an environment where odour is much more likely to be released,” he said.

“This is different from what we’ve seen in the past. During previous wet-weather events, the additional rainfall has generally supported pond recovery, improving overall pond health and preventing odour issues. However, this time the ponds have not responded in the same way. Our staff are continuing to collect and analyse data to understand why these conditions have developed on this occasion.

“We’ve also seen increased loading to the ponds, which also put more pressure on the ponds, increasing the likelihood of odour.”

Hutchison said staff were trying to minimise the odour by using all available tools to improve the ponds’ water quality.

“We know odour impacts are disruptive and we want to reassure our community that reducing them is a priority for us,” he said.

Hutchison said work started on a new $140 million sludge plant, with construction expected to take about three years.

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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/2026/01/29/christchurchs-bromley-plant-stench-expected-to-continue-for-at-least-a-week/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A pop-up clinic offering free dental care in Wairoa has been overwhelmed with demand in an area that has not had a full-time dentist for half a decade.

The clinic is a joint project between Health New Zealand, the iwi Ngāti Kahungunu and Hawke’s Bay’s Golden Apple dentists.

Patients are being prioritised according to need, and there have been a lot of them keen to get in the chair, with the clinic’s two week run almost over.

Dr Isha Woodhams of Golden Apple Dental volunteers her time at the clinic.

She told Checkpoint over the last week they had done over 100 extractions, on top of check-ups and cleaning.

Woodhams said that number of extractions was far higher than what you would see in a community that had been well serviced.

“There is a lot of unmet demand from just deferred care. So, we’re seeing a lot of patients in pain, a lot needing fillings, just basic dental care.”

The pop-up clinic has brought overwhelming demand, with some patients waiting as long as three hours to be seen.

“We have had patients booked in, but we’ve been accommodating patients that have been turning up and waiting.

“There’s quite a lot of people in pain, even some facial swellings and infections.”

While historically there had always been a dentist in Wairoa, Woodhams said due to a national shortage of dentists there had not been one in the town for over half a decade.

The Kahungunu Executive, a Māori health provider in the area has put in a weekend locum service, but it is not enough to meet demand.

The charitable trust has also recently acquired a full-time clinic with two chairs, but the challenge now is staffing it.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to help find a clinician, a long-term solution for the clinic.”

Woodhams said there were multiple factors that made it difficult for people in Wairoa to go outside of the district to access dental care.

“The region, a couple of years ago, was badly affected by the floods, and there’s very low socio-economic demographics here. So, it’s a huge barrier to leave for routine care.”

The clinic has been offering all of its services for free, something Woodhams said patients had been extremely grateful for.

“One patient misunderstood, they thought that they had to pay and they were extremely relieved. She was almost in tears when we said it was free.

“It’s extremely rewarding work… it’s a huge issue for many dentists to discuss fees with patients.

“We know that things have been tough for patients across the country, especially in the context of the last five years. So it’s a huge privilege to be able to provide free dental care and to just take cost out of the equation for the day.”

It is this feeling that has kept Woodham volunteering.

“It’s a privilege to practice dentistry and cost is a huge barrier, so practising in a context without it is just a blessing really.”

While her stint in the town is nearly over, she is hoping that a new dentist is not too far away.

“There’s huge funding in place at the moment from the Health New Zealand for a bonded scholarship scheme for health providers to come work in the regional areas, so I’m hopeful that someone will turn up soon.”

After two weeks in service, the clinic will wrap up 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/2026/01/29/huge-demand-for-wairoa-pop-up-dental-clinic-offering-free-care/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A community vigil is being held in Tauranga on Thursday evening to honour those missing and the lives lost following the landslide at Mount Maunganui.

Hosted by the Tauranga City Council, the vigil is a time for the community to “come together in aroha – to support one another”, as well as say thank you to the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue working to return loved ones to their families.

The vigil will take place from 7pm at Coronation Park with a karakia at 8pm. The event is expected to conclude around 9pm.

“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.

“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”

A free park and ride service is running from Kawaka St to Maunganui Rd.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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/2026/01/29/watch-live-community-vigil-for-mount-maunganui-landslide-victims/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has been charged with murder following the death of a woman in Pukehina in the Bay of Plenty.

The woman’s body was discovered on New Year’s day in a house in the rural area.

A 50-year-old man who was initially charged with assaulting a person in a family relationship has now been charged with murder.

Police say their enquiries are ongoing and they are asking people with information to come forward.

A second person was found dead on the property a day after the woman.

The police say the man’s death is being classed as unexplained and their enquiries are ongoing.

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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/2026/01/29/man-charged-with-murder-after-womans-death-on-new-years-day-in-pukehina/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A community vigil is being held in Tauranga on Thursday evening to honour those missing and the lives lost following the landslide at Mount Maunganui.

Hosted by the Tauranga City Council, the vigil is a time for the community to “come together in aroha – to support one another”, as well as say thank you to the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue working to return loved ones to their families.

The vigil will take place from 7pm at Coronation Park with a karakia at 8pm. The event is expected to conclude around 9pm.

“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.

“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”

A free park and ride service is running from Kawaka St to Maunganui Rd.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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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/2026/01/29/watch-live-mount-maunganui-landslide-community-vigil/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Another victim of the fatal Mount Maunganui landslide has been formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

Six people died in the Mauao slip last Thursday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20 year old tourist.

Detective Sergeant Brent Griffiths told the court the body was found on Saturday, and forensic dental examination and DNA had determined his identity.

On Wednesday, the first victim was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee. His identity was released on the same day he would have turned 16.

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui have resumed after being paused for a second time when technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered.

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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/2026/01/29/second-mount-maunganui-landslide-victim-formally-identified-as-swedish-tourist/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A burst water pipe has sent silt and discoloured water into Wellington’s Oriental Bay on Thursday afternoon.

At 2.30pm crews responded to a burst drinking water pipe on Oriental Parade.

Following the pipe breakage silt and discoloured water entered the stormwater system – causing it to flow into the harbour.

Welllington Water said the material was quickly contained.

The team was using a sucker truck to clean out sumps in the area to prevent further discharge, it said.

At 5.25pm, Wellington Water said the fault had been located towards the side of the road which meant that there were no traffic issues.

It expected work to repair the pipe would take several hours.

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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/2026/01/29/burst-water-pipe-sends-silt-into-wellingtons-oriental-bay/

Source: Radio New Zealand

There is a new measles case in Tauranga which is likely linked to overseas travel.

Heath NZ says the patient is believed to have contracted the disease overseas and was not thought to be infectious on their flight to New Zealand.

National Public Health Service clinical director Dr William Rainger said the person was working with health officials to identify anyone they may have been in contact with while infectious.

The person’s early symptoms started on 21 January, he said.

So far two locations of interest have been listed for Wednesday 21 January: The General Cafe in Mt Maunganui from 7.30am-3.30pm and Pak N Save Cameron Road, Tauranga from 4.15pm to 7.15pm.

Measles symptoms include: 

• an illness that begins with high fever (over 38C), cough, runny nose, and sore red eyes (conjunctivitis) 
• a rash, beginning on the face and gradually spreading down the body to the arms and legs. The rash lasts for up to one week. 

Dr Rainger said it was a highly infectious disease which could affect all age groups.

“If you have symptoms of measles, please phone ahead before visiting your doctor or healthcare provider so they can take precautions to prevent measles spreading,” he said in a statement.

“Getting immunised with two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine (after the age of 12 months) is the best form of protection against measles. ”  

The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is very effective in preventing measles – and it is free in New Zealand for all children under 18, regardless of immigration status, and for adults 18 years old and over who are eligible for publicly funded healthcare, that includes all citizens and permanent residents.

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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/2026/01/29/new-measles-case-in-tauranga/