Category: LiveNews

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Appointments – CAA appoints new Chief Financial Officer

Source: Civil Aviation Authority (CAA)

After a thorough recruitment process, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Brett Banner as Chief Financial Officer to its Executive Leadership Team.

Brett is an experienced public sector finance leader and Chartered Accountant with more than 20 years’ experience across corporate services, including finance and governance, risk, procurement and ICT.

He is currently General Manager Corporate Services at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA), and has previously held Chief Financial Officer roles at the Commerce Commission and the Ministry for Culture and Heritage.

Brett also serves on the Board of NZ On Air, where he chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.

CAA Chief Executive and Director of Civil Aviation Kane Patena says Brett brings strong leadership and experience at a time of continued organisational focus on performance, value, and delivery.

“Brett brings a depth of experience across government and Crown entities, and a strong track record leading organisational change and lifting capability,” says Mr Patena.

“He has led major programmes, strengthened business planning and risk management practices, and supported organisations to align to strategic priorities. His experience and approach will support CAA as we continue to deliver on our role as a modern, effective regulator.”

Brett will join CAA on 25 May 2026.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/19/appointments-caa-appoints-new-chief-financial-officer/

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Save the Children – Conflict drives Eid food price surge across Middle East and wider region, leaving families struggling to cope

Source: Save the Children

Food prices have surged in some of the most food-insecure countries in the Middle East and wider region due to the ongoing conflict, threatening to push the most vulnerable families further into hunger as Eid approaches, Save the Children said.
Families already struggling after years of conflict and economic shocks have told Save the Children staff that rising food and fuel costs – compounded by war and displacement – are stripping away the joy of Eid al-Fitr, the celebration marking the end of Ramadan. Eid this year for many families will be a time of fear and hunger with more than 4 million people newly displaced mostly in Iran and Lebanon.[1]
While food prices generally tend to rise around Eid, the conflict has driven fuel and food prices higher than usual, pushing already vulnerable families closer to the brink while forcing many others to forgo Eid traditions such as buying new clothes for the celebrations, decorating homes or sharing sweets and chocolates.
Even before the conflict, about one in six people in the Middle East region did not know where their next meal would come from and had to sacrifice the quality of their food because of financial constraints. [2] In Lebanon supply chain disruptions and uncertainty in local markets have further driven up prices. Save the Children’s analysis of the cost of fuel and six key foods for a healthy diet found prices rose by 5% between 23 February and 9 March.[3]
One million people – or 20% of the population – have been displaced in Lebanon since the escalation started on 2 March. [4] Families living in collective shelters will miss out on food traditionally eaten by their families to mark Eid, while others staying outside shelters are prioritising spending on essentials due to ongoing uncertainty, Save the Children staff reported. 
Iran’s suspension of food and agricultural exports has had a significant impact on Afghanistan where about 9 million children – or one in three – are facing severe hunger. [5] Iran accounts for 30% of Afghanistan’s imports, including key goods such as food and fuel.[6] Prices of some vegetables and cooking oil have surged 13% in the past month, while staples are up 3%, according to Save the Children price’s monitoring. [7]
Fruit sellers in Herat, close to the Iran border, said the price of dried fruit – traditionally bought for Eid – has risen sharply. Families are replacing more expensive items used in Eid dishes with cheaper alternatives such as chickpeas, raisins, and pumpkin seeds.
In Iran, the UN has reported that preexisting economic pressures such as economic stagnation, high food inflation, and rapid currency depreciation which were already driving food insecurity prior to the current conflict, is leaving households with limited capacity to absorb further shocks.
The Government of Israel’s closure of the Rafah border on the second day of the conflict- which still remains closed to the entry of humanitarian goods and supplies – contributed to spiking prices in Gaza, compounding the inflationary effects of two years of war. Some fruits and vegetables have disappeared or become scarce in markets. The cost of peppers, potatoes, and onions more than tripled in less than two weeks while the prices of eggs and meat have also risen, putting children’s nutrition and development at risk.[8]
The UN has warned that if the conflict continues, elevated prices could push an additional 45 million people into acute hunger, up from 318 million, to an all-time record-high.[9] 
The effects could be felt in sub-Saharan Africa which is heading into planting season and relies on fertiliser shipped through the Strait of Hormuz – conduit for 40% of world fertilizer.
Ahmad Alhendawi, Save the Children’s regional director for the Middle East and eastern Europe said:
“Eid, traditionally a time of celebration and community, will be disquietingly unfamiliar for many children across the Middle East and wider region as the human and economic cost of the conflict unfolds.
“Children have been killed, displaced, and prices of everyday essentials such as food are rising. For children in Gaza and elsewhere, who have already endured unimaginable horrors during what is supposed to be one of the most joyful times of the year, this Eid looks to bring little respite.
“These price hikes are hitting children and families across the region whose safety, security and incomes have in many cases been battered by years of conflict and economic crises. It’s not difficult to imagine how even the smallest cost increase is a blow to these families who are already on the brink and exhausted by conflict and crises.
“It is another stark reminder of how conflict upends the life of children, inflicting new wounds on a generation of children across the Middle East and wider region, many of whom already carry the physical and mental scars of years of violence, insecurity, or deprivation.”
Save the Children is urgently calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities. All parties to the conflict must adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law, including by facilitating the unimpeded passage of humanitarian supplies, fertiliser, and food through the Strait of Hormuz.
[3] Based on prices for rice, flour, red lentils, sunflower oil, eggs and tomatoes as reported in the Lebanon Ministry of Economy and Trade mini-basket of prices on 23 February and 9 March 2026. Fuel prices taken from IPT.
[7] Save the Children market price monitoring in Afghanistan
[8] Save the Children market price monitoring in Gaza. Prices collected on 23 and 28 February and 8 February.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/19/save-the-children-conflict-drives-eid-food-price-surge-across-middle-east-and-wider-region-leaving-families-struggling-to-cope/

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Health – New air pollution report prompts renewed calls for action

Source: Asthma and Respiratory Foundation

A new report reveals that more than 700 Aucklanders are dying every year from traffic-related air pollution – a toll now rivalling smoking – yet little is being done to reduce the human toll, a leading health charity says.
A new University of Auckland report – released by Healthy Auckland Together – found that over 90 per cent of Aucklanders are breathing air that falls short of international health standards, with vehicle emissions responsible for the vast majority of harm.
Nationwide, air pollution killed 3300 Kiwis, and was responsible for more than 13,100 hospital admissions for respiratory and cardiac illnesses, and 13,200 cases of childhood asthma, in 2016.
Ms Letitia Harding, Chief Executive of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ and Kia Manawanui Trust – The Heart of Aotearoa, says the findings highlight a preventable public health crisis.
“Air pollution is a direct and daily threat to people’s hearts and lungs.
“We are seeing the consequences in asthma, heart disease, and other respiratory illnesses affecting our communities every day.”
To address this, there needs to be long-term, Government-led change, Ms Harding says.
“Cleaner air means fewer hospital visits, fewer missed school days, and longer, healthier lives.
“That’s what’s at stake if we fail to act, and why reducing pollution must be treated as a priority.”
The report shows transport is responsible for around 80 per cent of harmful air pollution in Auckland. Pollutants like nitrogen dioxide and fine particulate matter can penetrate deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream, increasing the risk of stroke, heart disease, lung cancer, and asthma.
Dr Ian Longley, Director of The Air Quality Collective, said the scale of harm demands a coordinated national and local response.
“The science is clear and increasingly difficult to ignore.
“Air pollution is contributing to thousands of deaths across New Zealand each year, and much of it is coming from sources we can control – particularly vehicles,” Dr Longley says.
“Auckland’s air quality in some areas is comparable to major international cities, yet our policy response has not kept pace with the evidence.
“It’s that gap that is costing lives.”
Proven solutions already exist and are being used successfully overseas, he says.
“Other cities around the world have already shown that measures such as low-emission zones, stronger vehicle standards, and investment in public transport can rapidly improve air quality.
“These are practical steps that deliver real health benefits.”
The WHO estimates that globally indoor and outdoor air pollution exposure currently kills about seven million people yearly due to cardiovascular diseases, such as strokes and ischaemic heart disease, and respiratory diseases such as acute respiratory infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and lung cancer.
According to the World Bank, the global health cost of mortality and morbidity attributed to air pollution was $8.1 trillion in 2019.

LiveNews: https://enz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/19/health-new-air-pollution-report-prompts-renewed-calls-for-action/

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Fog disrupts flights at Wellington airport

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some Sounds Air flights had been cancelled due to fog. RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

MetService says low cloud disrupting flights in the capital is already starting to lift.

Wellington airport said 12 flights had been cancelled and a further 10 delayed on Friday morning.

An airport spokesperson said the weather was expected to improve.

“We advise passengers to check directly with their airlines for details on their flights.”

MetService meteorologist Michael Pawley said the fog hanging about was already beginning to shift.

“We’re not expecting it to stick around for much longer.”

The airport’s online departure board showed some Sounds Air and Air New Zealand flights had either been cancelled or delayed indefinitely since 6.45am on Friday.

Sounds Air owner Andrew Crawford said planes can’t land in the fog, so they’d be waiting for it to clear.

The fog hasn’t affected Jetstar flights. Air New Zealand has been approached 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/2026/03/20/fog-disrupts-flights-at-wellington-airport/

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Pumping wastewater into Kawarau River only option, Queenstown mayor says

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Kawarau River. 123rf

Queenstown’s mayor says pumping treated wastewater into the “pristine” Kawarau River is the council’s only realistic option.

Queenstown Lakes District councillors agreed on Thursday to lodge a 35-year resource consent application for discharge from the Shotover Wastewater Treatment Plant, while staff keep looking for alternative solutions to the region’s wastewater woes.

It comes after emergency discharges from the treatment plant to the Shotover River.

The discharges sparked community backlash and ultimately saw the Environment Court order the council to come up with a long-term solution by the end of May.

The mayor John Glover told Morning Report it was a difficult decision that would see treated wastewater pumped into the Kawarau rather than the Shotover River.

“I don’t think anybody recognises that what we’re moving forward with is what we want to do. I mean, it’s the case of there are no – at the moment – no realistic other options.”

Under the $77.5 million plan – recommended by staff and supported by most councillors – advanced filters would be installed at the treatment plant, and a 1.4km pipeline built to carry the treated wastewater to a rock outfall structure on the Kawarau River.

The decided-upon plan was strongly opposed by Ngāi Tahu, with iwi representatives stating the direct discharge of human waste to nature water was “abhorrent”.

Glover said council staff were also directed to investigate land-based solutions as most people understood – particularly Wellingtonians after the catastrophic failure at Moa Point – that discharging to waterways carried risk.

“So in the long-term, if we’re able to discharge to land, that’s obviously going to be the preferred solution. It certainly aligns with the preferred option for mana whenua.

“In a district where land is very expensive … it’s a challenge. But I think we owe it to future generations to do more and look at other options.”

He conceded that such a solution wouldn’t happen time soon.

In response to criticism that the council had failed over successive years to address wastewater issues, Glover said the current situation was the culmination of investment decisions, management of plants, and unknown technology.

“What has happened has happened. But it doesn’t take away from the fact that around New Zealand and elsewhere in the world, the primary route to deal with our discharge, with our treated wastewater is to pump it into the sea or pump it into a river.”

He said the environmental impacts would be assessed through the consent process.

“Because of the pristine environment of the river that the council are looking to discharge into there will be a consenting process, those environmental impacts will be tested.”

He said the Local Government Act means the impact on local mana whenua would also be taken into account.

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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/2026/03/20/pumping-wastewater-into-kawarau-river-only-option-queenstown-mayor-says/

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Crash, Waihola Highway

Source: New Zealand Police

Traffic management is in place following a crash on State Highway 1/Waihola Highway, Milburn, in the Clutha District.

Emergency services received reports shortly before 7:50am of a van hitting a power pole.

Injury status is unclear at this stage.

Traffic is down to one lane and motorists are asked to expect delays.

ENDS

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/20/crash-waihola-highway/

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Iran war hits Kiwi wallets hard, as economist warns of another recession

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nick Monro

Higher fuel costs mean higher transport costs, and that means higher prices across the board – and that’s a hard pill to swallow for Kiwis three years into a cost-of-living crisis.

Kiwis are already feeling the expensive ripple effects of the war in Iran – and economists are warning that the real impact is only just beginning.

What started as a distant geopolitical conflict has quickly landed squarely on our country’s economy, driving up fuel costs, squeezing household budgets, and threatening to slow growth.

If it continues, New Zealand could be staring down the barrel of another recession.

“So this sort of shock, if it gets worse, will definitely increase the risk of a recession here,” Kiwibank chief economist Jarrod Kerr tells The Detail.

“And we have only just gotten out of recession, so to fall back in would be horrendous for households and businesses.”

At the centre of the crisis is oil.

Global prices have surged past US$100 a barrel as fighting disrupts supply routes through the Strait of Hormuz – a chokepoint for about 20 percent of the world’s oil.

And for New Zealand, which imports almost all of its fuel, the effect has been immediate.

Petrol prices are already climbing rapidly, with forecasts that they could push toward $4 a litre – or higher – if the conflict escalates.

And when fuel costs rise, everything that relies on transport follows – from groceries to clothing to construction materials.

“The direct impact that we are seeing right now is the rise in petrol prices, and that affects, I would say, every household, particularly those on lower incomes who are forced to drive to work,” Kerr says.

“It is just another cost that they have to wear. And they have been in a cost-of-living crisis for the past three years.”

He warns that the conflict could push inflation higher while slowing growth, with Kiwi households already tightening spending, cutting discretionary purchases, and reducing travel and fuel use. Delaying big buys and trading down to cheaper brands are likely on the horizon.

“Yes, we are going to see a spike in inflation, but what I don’t agree with is the commentary that that automatically leads to a rate hike. I disagree.

“That is only going to put greater pressure on a household that is already under pressure. That would be the exact thing not to do … for me, the bigger risk is that households get hurt, the economy doesn’t recover, and the central bank may be needed to come in and provide support.”

He said economists entered the year “quite optimistic, because we had been banging the table for a long time, because the Reserve Bank had not cut interest rates to a level that was actually stimulatory and helpful for the recovery.

“They finally got there in November last year, took them far too long to get there, but they got there. We came into this year saying, ‘this is it, we are going to recover, the settings are about right, let’s go, c’mon let’s get some growth happening’, and mid-way through that sentence, we were cut off with missile strikes in Iran.

“It’s just another international shock that we have to deal with, and it’s just another headwind that all households and businesses have to face into.

“It’s hard for households to pay the food bill and power bill, which is up 35 percent on the year, petrol prices, which will be up a similar sort of amount, it is very, very difficult.

“We need to see policymakers stepping in to help, not hinder. So calls for rate hikes from the RBNZ [Reserve Bank] are tone deaf.”

On this episode, The Detail also speaks to Retail NZ chief executive Carolyn Young, who says retailers and consumers throughout the country are feeling the fallout of the war.

She says prices for goods and services will increase and “we will see that relatively soon”.

“We are seeing increases in insurance … increases in the fuel to get the ships to New Zealand,” she says. “Those additional costs are being passed on to the retailers and, at some point, those costs will be passed on to consumers.”

She says, right now, it’s “a really uncertain time for everyone”.

“Ultimately, uncertainty is not good for business. And I think that’s the thing we have to remember, and right now everyone is in a state of flux and uncertainty.

“And for any business owner, whether you are a retailer or other business, it’s going to have an impact on your sense of how you are going to move forward, and therefore it will have an impact on your profitability and ability to spend money in other areas.”

She fears some businesses might not survive the war.

“It will be difficult for people, and we will see some people who are perhaps a bit more pessimistic about what the future holds and may decide to close the store, and there will be others who will try to hang in there.”

She says recovery will depend on how long the conflict lasts.

Economists say a short conflict will see a sharp but temporary spike in prices, while a prolonged war will mean sustained inflation, weaker growth, and reduced spending.

And an escalation? Enter the risk of recession.

For now, the message from economists is simple: New Zealand may be far from the conflict, but it is not insulated from its consequences, because a war a world away involving oil doesn’t stay overseas for long.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

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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/2026/03/20/iran-war-hits-kiwi-wallets-hard-as-economist-warns-of-another-recession/

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Government looking at ways to assist families with increasing costs due to Middle East conflict

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Finance Minister Nicola Willis face questions on the fuel crisis. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

With the cost of fuel and other essentials rising due to the conflict in the Middle East, the government is looking at ways to ease the cost pressure for those feeling it the most.

Finance Minister Nicola Willis told Morning Report the price increases are extremely tough and affecting all New Zealanders, but said some are feeling it more than others.

“I can’t solve the pain for everyone. The cost of doing that would potentially involve levels of spending that would drive inflation higher, and certainly would put us in a more fragile position in terms of debt.

“So what we are looking at, is there something very targeted and temporary that we could do to assist those workers in particular who are most acutely impacted by these household budget squeezes?”

Willis said she doesn’t want to see a situation where people can’t drive to work, and has instructed the IRD and Treasury to come up with a package that could be implemented with urgency ahead of the Budget, but Cabinet will ultimately decide on timing.

Willis wouldn’t say what the income thresholds would be, but said the package would take into account household income and number of children.

“We’re also looking at forecasts at the moment and putting together a budget, all of which involves questions that we have to address on the way through. But I do want to stick to our fiscal strategy,” Willis said.

Fuel supply disruption

Willis also discussed rising fuel prices, and said the message remains the same, “this is not the time to panic, we’ve got plenty of fuel in the country and on its way.”

On Thursday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon acknowledged a “big shift” in the government’s messaging around the war in the Middle East, warning New Zealanders the fuel situation could get worse before it gets better.

Willis said the government was preparing for scenarios where supply from Singapore and South Korea, where New Zealand gets petrol, diesel, jet fuel from, could be disrupted.

“We know that they are having challenges getting crude oil out of the Middle East and so are either reducing the amount of products they’re refining or, in South Korea’s case, looking to prioritise domestic customers.

“So what we’re anticipating is there could be a point down the line where that makes it harder for our fuel importers to get the refined products they need out of Asia.”

Willis also defended the government’s LNG plans, despite the attacks on Iran’s South Pars gas field and [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/590133/oil-prices-surge-stocks-sink-on-energy-shock-fears Qatar’s Ras Laffan.

Willis said the focus was still for New Zealand’s energy to be “largely renewable”, but having LNG as a back up remained the government’s strategy.

Not our conflict

Willis said the fighting in the Middle East was “not our conflict”, and reiterated calls for a humanitarian end.

“What we want to see is that the rules of international engagement are upheld, which involves not targeting civilians and protecting human life.

“We are not involved, we haven’t been asked for authorisation, we haven’t been asked for support, we haven’t been asked for assistance.

“Our opinion has not been relevant to the events that are unfolding in that region of the world.”

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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/2026/03/20/government-looking-at-ways-to-assist-families-with-increasing-costs-due-to-middle-east-conflict/

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Significant delays, SH 2, Waipaoa

Source: New Zealand Police

There are likely to be extensive delays, of several hours, as a result of the State Highway 2/Matawai Road crash at Waipaoa.

The diversion is also extensive and motorists, including those in commercial vehicles, are asked to delay travel or consider alternative options.

ENDS

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/20/significant-delays-sh-2-waipaoa/

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Military alliances: is NZ getting a tangled web or a ticket to get in?

Source: Radio New Zealand

China is warning that military alliances will likely escalate rather than de-escalate tensions. NZ Defence Force

China is warning that alliances will likely escalate rather than de-escalate tensions and “spread rather than limit the conflicts”.

The warning delivered by its ambassador in a hardhitting speech on geopolitics in Wellington on Thursday came as New Zealand was getting closer to Australia and Australia was getting closer to the United States on defence.

The speech closely followed China accusing the trans-Tasman allies of “arrogance” in a clash over military manouevres.

That in turn came on the heels of the allies releasing a new ‘Operationalising our Alliance’ joint statement aimed at “being able to operate seamlessly as an increasingly integrated, combat capable Anzac force by 2035”.

Canberra for its part under a separate alliance was “committed to deepening cooperation through accelerating and expanding joint defence initiatives, shared investments in new capabilities and industrial base integration” with the US.

This all came a few weeks after US President Donald Trump announced a big shift in how his administration would sell weapons.

Gone was what his directive called the “partner-first arms sales approach”, newly arriving was an “America First” arms export strategy, where allies would be encouraged to buy US-made weapons as an explicit powerful foreign policy tool that prioritised partners “that have invested in their own self-defense and have a critical role or geography for executing the National Security Strategy”.

US President Donald Trump announced a big shift in how his administration would sell weapons. ALEX WONG / Getty Images via AFP

‘I haven’t seen New Zealand miss out’

Would the new ‘America First’ priority partner list impact New Zealand? It had favoured status in Anzac, ANZUS and Five Eyes, but is not part of AUKUS.

RNZ put that question to L3 Harris, a top 10 US defence contractor that just did a billion-plus-dollar partnership to add missile rocket motors to the US “arsenal of freedom”; signed a defence collaboration deal with Saudi Arabia last month; and supplied advanced comms gear to the NZ navy and army.

“In my career, I haven’t seen New Zealand miss out because they weren’t perfectly aligned with the way that the administrations have played,” said Alan Clements, L3 Harris vice president for Australia and New Zealand.

“Never once have I heard, either when I was in the military or outside the military, that New Zealand was to be excluded from anything.

“Yes, there’s policies … but there are also carve-outs for that, there are waivers.

“From our company perspective, nothing that’s been said inside those policy settings has stopped us being able to work with New Zealand and deliver capability with New Zealand.”

The country was not part of AUKUS Pillar Two – a military tech sharing arrangement for Australia, the US and UK – but was not missing out, Clements said. “New Zealand wouldn’t miss out because New Zealand being part of the Five Eyes [intelligence grouping] would be able to get access to that as we go.”

Share and share alike

In Australia, defence media reports had foreseen “major implications” from Trump’s America First arms move.

It beholdened the Pentagon to put a MAGA lens over the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme, which was the place where New Zealand went arms shopping. The government began talks under the FMS last August to buy $2 billion of naval Seahawk helicopters.

The Seahawk deal showed how the closer the three militaries got, the closer they were likely to get. “The Seahawk helicopter, operated by Australia and the United States, is the preferred helicopter,” an aide memoire to Cabinet last year.

“The ability to leverage American and Australian supply chains and through-life support arrangements … makes this the most cost-effective and durable helicopter. It means Defence does not need to fund the integration and certification of essential military equipment and systems” – plus aircrew would be interchangeable.

Alan Clements, L3 Harris vice president for Australia and New Zealand. Supplied / L3 Harris

Clements said the defence industries on either side of the Tasman had to align to rein in costs by preventing double up.

“We are now seeing more and more that we’re working closer together, particularly when it comes to capability alignment.”

L3 Harris had seven people working in New Zealand, compared with over 500 across the Tasman.

“But we work with other New Zealand companies and they do the work either as a subcontractor or sometimes as a prime for us where we try to build that capacity and capability within New Zealand itself, rather than import.”

‘Entanglements’

In the higher, weightier world of geopolitical alliances, who was in control?

China’s ambassador Wang Xiaolong warned on Thursday that alliances were “entanglements” where everyone would end up less secure.

“The next non-solution I want to debunk is military alliances, which we believe is, often a de-stabiliser rather than a stabiliser for the world.

“These alliances, by definition and by design, are meant to win wars rather than to keep the peace,” he told the Wellington Club.

China’s ambassador Wang Xiaolong. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Defence Minister Judith Collins, asked by RNZ on Thursday where the line was within increased integration, given Australia’s different positions, say, on nukes or the Iran war, said those were foreign policy differences, not defence.

“There’s no risk to our independence,” said Collins.

The existing “enormous” defence integration with Australia went both ways.

“The biggest risk to our independence is to not be closely connected to Australia,” she said.

The 2035 joint statement mentioned “sovereignty” six times.

‘Rocket diplomacy’

The statement also made clear the Anzacs would be using the same weapons more and more; by 2035 the two would “deploy increasingly integrated and interchangeable units”.

Australia and the US would be, too. Canberra recently signed on to spend over $20 billion with the Pentagon and contractor Lockheed to co-produce guided weapons – what Politico called “rocket diplomacy”.

The track to human-machine integation was also becoming well beaten. The US Army planned to deploy its first Human Machine Integrated Formation (HMIF) platoons by 2027, while the NZDF in its new long-term insights briefing made “human-machine teaming” one of four themes.

It was not just about sharing weapons at the pointy end either, but also the data-crunching AI systems behind them that the NZDF told MPs last week would become the number one force multiplier.

AI allowed command-and-control to be integated like never before on the battlefield. The NZDF was experimenting with this in US-led multinational exercises.

Defence Minister Judith Collins. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Clements said New Zealand’s stance and defence capability plan meant the country would probably want to head down the path of aligning command and control with their allies and partners, in particular Australia.

“That alignment with command and control is important for both countries.

“Australia has gone down a particular path with its command and control, and it aligns and the services have aligned slightly with the way the US do things.

“Those systems that are actually currently being used are not L3 Harris systems at the moment. But if there was an opportunity where they were looking at doing something new, then absolutely.”

Lower level control of, say, a drone could be programmed to “put constraints around what it goes to do, where it looks, [where] the information goes.

“So you can absolutely put constraints around that,” said Clements. Once the data went up to a higher level, that would be a different system.

So, L3 Harris’s product Amorphous that controlled of swams of land, sea and air drones all at once, could be controlled at the frontline, and a separate system sit behind it where the bigger targeting decisions were made.

Lethality on order?

One shift by Collins had been to order Defence to become more lethal.

Defence has been holding ‘early-days’ workshops with contractors to get ideas about drones and the like.

Was the NZDF asking for more lethal and autonomous weapons now?

“I’m not aware of them asking for that from us directly at the moment,” said Clements.

“But yes, as a defence organisation, we will develop capability using all the tools that we currently have to meet the requirements of the lethality requirements of the Defence Force.

“But often we’re not in there trying to beat a door down and say, ‘You need to buy this piece of kit’.

“It’s looking at what they’re doing from a full structure and then having a conversation about, ‘Do you think this would help you in what you do?’”

While Clements has stressed how “autonomy, AI-enabled sensing and unmanned systems” were transforming military capabilities, he told RNZ that autonomy was not a prerequisite for the huge gains in precision and humans could be first in the loop – “at the beginning to hit the button”.

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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/2026/03/20/military-alliances-is-nz-getting-a-tangled-web-or-a-ticket-to-get-in/

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Road blocked, SH 2, Waipaoa

Source: New Zealand Police

State Highway 2/Matawai Road, Waipaoa, is currently blocked following a serious crash this morning.

Police were notified of the two-vehicle crash, near McMillan Road, around 6.50am.

The Serious Crash Unit has been advised, and the road is expected to remain closed for some time while emergency services work at the scene.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible, and expect delays.

ENDS

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/20/road-blocked-sh-2-waipaoa/

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Too expensive to smile: Calls grow for universal, Te Tiriti-consistent dental care

Source: Radio New Zealand

A dentist provides dental care to a girl. AFP/ Thibaut Durand/ Hans Lucas

Nearly half of adults in Aotearoa are avoiding dental care because they cannot afford it, leaving many in chronic pain, at risk of serious infection, or in need of hospital treatment.

New research and frontline experiences are painting what advocates describe as a system failing to meet basic health needs, with growing calls for dental care to be fully integrated into the public health system.

Dental for All, a coalition of health workers, unions, community organisations and advocates travelled the country last year speaking directly with whānau about their experiences.

Dental for All campaigner Max Harris said the stories they heard were confronting.

“We heard about the shame and pain people face when they can’t get to the dentist, and how problems get worse over time,” he told RNZ.

“We also heard about the home remedies people resort to, things like using pliers or fishing wire to pull teeth, or relying on painkillers just to get through.”

There are growing calls for dental care to be fully integrated into the public health system.

A system built without teeth

According to the latest Ministry of Health survey, 47 percent of adult New Zealanders reported not visiting a dentist due to cost, with even higher rates among Māori and Pasifika.

Research commissioned by Dental for All also estimated untreated oral disease was costing the country around $2.5 billion each year in lost productivity and $3.1b in reduced quality of life.

“That is people missing work, missing job interviews, or living with constant pain and stigma,” Harris said.

“When you compare that with estimates that universal dental care could cost between $1 and $2 billion a year, it starts to make economic sense as well as human sense.”

According to a Talbot Mills poll in 2023, 74 percent of New Zealanders agreed that adult dental care should be funded in the same way it is funded for tamariki. So why wasn’t it?

Harris said that gap dated back to the system’s foundations.

“When the public healthcare system was set up in 1938, some dentists lobbied to carve teeth out of the system and it has essentially stayed that way ever since.”

Auckland City Mission opened the doors of its new onsite dental clinic in July 2025, delivering lifechanging dental care for those that need it most, free of charge. Supplied / Auckland City Mission

Across the country, demand for affordable dental care continues to grow.

At teaching clinics run by the University of Otago Faculty of Dentistry, patients could receive reduced cost treatment from senior dental students under supervision.

In Auckland, the waitlist for student led care sat at around 950 people and was currently closed due to capacity.

Across both Auckland and Dunedin clinics, more than 14,800 patients were treated in 2025, delivering nearly 60,000 appointments.

Director of Dental Hospital and Clinics Janine Cochrane said demand had remained strong in recent years, reflecting wider national trends.

But even with those services, need continued to outstrip supply.

In July last year, Auckland City Mission opened a free dental clinic aimed at people who had struggled to access care.

In its first seven months, the clinic treated around 380 people and built a waitlist of more than 100.

Director of housing and health Brendan Short told RNZ that many patients had gone years without treatment.

“The people that we support have been marginalised from mainstream and public health care for a very long time,” he said.

“It is really clear that there is not enough funding for oral care in New Zealand for the general population. Dental care is essential healthcare and it seems that this is a blind spot for us as a nation.”

Auckland City Mission director of housing and health Brendan Short. RNZ / Layla Bailey-McDowell

Living with pain

Short said the impact of untreated dental issues went far beyond physical pain.

“Avoiding social situations, hiding one’s smile, or even missing job opportunities are everyday realities,” he said.

He said many people had normalised living with pain.

“It is quite common for people to live with pain, to think that what they are putting up with is normal or is okay, and it is not.”

The Auckland City Mission dental clinic operated three days a week and relied heavily on volunteer dentists.

“This is not possible or achievable for us without those volunteer dentists. They are superstars,” Short said, adding that some even travelled from outside Auckland, including as far as Taranaki.

Volunteer dentist Roger Tiang told RNZ that demand was constant at the clinic, highlighting the need for these spaces.

“Every time I come in my shift is fully booked,” he said.

Tiang said cost and sometimes discomfort with mainstream services were key barriers and that delaying care allowed small issues to escalate.

“If we do not catch things early, problems get bigger and we end up dealing with much bigger issues than we would have if we had seen them earlier.”

After more than 25 years in dentistry, he believed oral healthcare should be treated like any other part of the health system.

“People might not realise it, but if you cannot chew your food properly or you are living with infections in your mouth, that can affect your overall health.

“It is part of your health. Just like the rest of the health system in New Zealand, there is public healthcare and dentistry should be part of that as well.”

ActionStation and Dental for All campaigner Jasmine Taankink says poor oral health is “just another negative implication of colonisation” and Māori not being able to exercise tino rangatiratanga. Supplied / Jasmine Taankink

Longstanding inequities for Māori

For Māori, barriers to dental care were often compounded by cost, distance, and access, layered on top of longstanding inequities within the health system.

ActionStation and Dental for All advocate Jasmine Taankink said poor oral health outcomes for Māori could not be separated from colonisation.

“We know that upon arrival to Aotearoa, English settlers were really impressed with the overall physical health of our tūpuna Māori, especially their oral health. That’s quite widely documented,” she said.

“Our tūpuna Māori didn’t have cavities, they didn’t have massive oral health problems. So poor oral health is just another negative implication of colonisation and us not being able to exercise our tino rangatiratanga”

She said solutions must be grounded in Māori led approaches.

“We have the expertise within our own communities to develop solutions that work for us.”

Tumuaki of Te Ao Mārama (New Zealand Māori Dental Association) Leeann Waaka says whānau should not have to suffer in silence any longer. Supplied / Leeann Waaka

Leeann Waaka, dental therapist at Hauora a Toi and Tumuaki of Te ao Mārama (New Zealand Māori Dental Association) said the situation had remained largely unchanged for decades – with many left suffering in silence.

“The current suffering for our people is real, and it has not got any better since, well, what, 30 years?”

Waaka said while cost was a major issue for whānau, accessibility, especially in rural areas, remained a problem.

“When you are looking at a current structure and your lens is a holistic lens, it really does not fit.

“Whenever you need something, you should be able to access it, right there and then. Unfortunately that is not the case for dental.”

After travelling the country with the Dental for All kaupapa, she said the stories shared were confronting.

“Many have suffered in silence for a long time, It’s heartbreaking.

“I come from up north. I knew it was bad up there, but when we went up there for the roadshow, I don’t even think we could have imagined just how bad it is … It is inhumane.”

Waaka, alongside Dental for All and Te Ao Mārama, was pushing for a Te Tiriti consistent system – which would mean properly resourcing Māori providers and enabling iwi and hapū to design services that meet the needs of their people.

“It is reimagining the system and starting to rebuild it to what it needs to be to serve our whānau. Our people deserve better.”

Dental for All campaign set out on a national roadshow last year, hearing concerns from whānau and building public support over communities. Supplied / Dental for All

Looking overseas for solutions

Dental for All’s latest research pointed to countries including Niue, Japan, Brazil, Canada and the United Kingdom, where dental care was integrated into public health systems.

Harris said those models showed change was achievable.

“It ultimately comes down to political will,” he said.

“We have seen other countries make the decision that oral health is part of overall health and design their systems accordingly.”

Dental for All was now developing a detailed policy proposal outlining how such a system could be introduced in Aotearoa.

“This could be something we look back on as a once in a generation change to strengthen our healthcare system.”

Waaka said the focus must remain on equity and wellbeing.

“All knowledge systems matter, and coming together to bring the best of those knowledge systems is key for when we are serving our people,” she said.

“Our people deserve the best and nothing less.”

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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/20/too-expensive-to-smile-calls-grow-for-universal-te-tiriti-consistent-dental-care/

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Faulty alarm and surge protection led to Mahurangi River wastewater spill, reviews find

Source: Radio New Zealand

A wastewater spill into the Mahurangi River meant farmers had dump thousands of oysters because of contamination. Supplied

A critical overflow alarm that was not working and a faulty surge protection component in a North Auckland wastewater pump station were factors that led to what is believed to be the biggest wastewater spill into the Mahurangi River that happened in October last year, according to independent reviews.

Wastewater poured into the Mahurangi River from about 2.30pm on 29 October, after a power surge at Watercare’s Warkworth Street wastewater pump station, and subsequent pump failures.

Watercare estimated that there was 1200 cubic metres of overflow, which was not discovered and stopped until 8am the next day.

Mahurangi oyster farmers were furious with the spill and contamination, with one reporting that much of their 80,000 oysters had to be dumped, at the peak of the oyster season.

On Thursday, Watercare confirmed that independent reviews into the cause of the overflow had been completed.

“The reviews found the incident resulted from a unique chain of events involving technical and operational factors at the newly commissioned Warkworth Street Pump Station, triggered by a power outage,” said Watercare in a press release.

Watercare’s chief operations officer Mark Bourne told RNZ the reviews found that a faulty safety relay – which was part of the plant’s surge protection system – was in conflict with other safety relays, and prevented the pumps from restarting following the power surge.

Watercare’s chief operations officer Mark Bourne. Jessie Chiang

He said the treatment plant was designed in a way that its protection system would kick in when individual components failed.

Bourne said if the safety relay was not faulty, the pumps would have restarted following the brief power surge – which lasted about half a second.

The most critical of alarms – the overflow alarm – had also failed to operate, said Bourne.

“That was tested during the pre-commissioning phase before the pump station went into operation but for whatever reason, failed during that operation phase,” said Bourne.

Bourne said the Warkworth Street plant was new, and was going through its commissioning and start up phase when the October event happened.

He said prior to commissioning, Watercare had run tests on the station with clean water, and added that the plant could not be tested across its full ranges until it was in service.

“We try and simulate all activities during the initial testing process, but as I indicated before this was a very unique set of circumstances,” said Bourne.

Bourne said the faulty safety relay had since been fixed and all alarms had been tested and checked.

When asked if he was confident that station could withstand future possible power surges, Bourne said he had “absolute confidence” in the Warkworth Street pump station.

“This event is just so unfortunate and quite frankly we’re gutted that it occurred,” he said.

Asked where responsibility could be traced to with the multiple failures of the treatment plant, Bourne said Watercare took accountability.

“It’s our pump station, it’s our operation, if there’s further conversations to be had, they’ll be for us to have at a later date, but at this point Watercare takes responsibility for the fault that occurred,” he said.

He added that this was a unique circumstance leading up to the failure of the station, and that there was no systemic issue.

Bourne said Watercare had over 550 pump stations across Auckland.

On Thursday, Watercare announced its final tranche of compensation payment for impacted oyster farmers, bringing the total payout to $2.75 million.

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How much might prices rise, and when?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rising oil prices are expecting to put pressure on prices across New Zealand.

But from food to coffee and petrol to clothes, what are sectors expecting?

RNZ set out to ask.

Petrol

Mike Newton, spokesperson for fuel monitoring app Gaspy, said if crude oil prices were to remain at Thursday afternoon levels, after rising 10 percent overnight, the national average price for 91 would be about $3.30 a litre.

That was about 15c more than the average at the time but some petrol stations were already charging at that level.

A $4 national average for 91 might not be out of the question. Nick Monro

“Some economists and analysts are talking about crude rising ot US$200 a barrel and if that were to happen a $4 national average would not be out of the question. Early on in the Russian invasion of Ukraine, crude topped out at US$119 a barrel.”

Restaurants

Nicola Waldren, general manager of the Restaurants Association said it had been talking to restaurant and cafe members over the past few weeks.

“What we’re hearing at this stage is that significant price changes haven’t come through to them yet so they are in a bit of a wait and see. There are still a lot of unknowns about how long the impacts are going to go on for but we are firmly of the view that prices will get passed through to businesses.”

Restaurants are in a “wait and see” as to whether price rises will impact the industry. Supplied/San Ray

She said the association was advising restaurants to look at their menus, keep ahead of supplier bills and be across price changes coming through so they could adapt if they needed to.

“How much it might change is a difficult thing to answer because all the businesses are different, they’ve got different menus, they’ve got different supply chains… but hospitality businesses are small, they’re local businesses, we’re slowly coming out of some really tough years and now we’re facing this unexpected headwind.

“If it’s a sustained period of time when those cost pressures come on then we can expect some changes to pricing.”

She said restaurants were aware many households were squeezed in terms of what they could afford to pay but many hospitality businesses were working with such small margins that they would need to pass on increases.

Waldren said some businesses were concerned about being able to access products.

“Businesses are looking at are there ways to adapt their menus, source alternative ingredients… there’s a big focus on sourcing local from local suppliers that will probably help to mitigate some impacts but I think the fuel price changes are going to affect the whole supply chain.”

Coffee

Richard Corney of Flight Coffee said coffee bean prices had dropped from record highs but were still high compared to the past.

But there were concerns about the cost of everything else rising to push up the price of coffee in New Zealand cafes, he said.

Packaging and shipping costs have risen for the coffee industry. 123rf

“We’re already seeing shipping cost skyrocket back to pandemic levels, adding huge differential costs per kilo to landed coffee imports in NZ.

“Beyond that, packaging companies have alerted us to increase in packaging costs due to the constraint of plastics derived from oil.

“And to top it all off, in the coming months Brazil will need fertilisers to fed next year’s crop, and there’s major constraints on this due to the conflict in the Middle East – so what’s in effect been a great harvest out of Brazil, now faces existential threats that may very well force the commodity price higher or keep it at elevated levels.”

Fuel shortages could also make it hard to move coffee from storage locations to where it needed to be, he said.

But he said coffee prices were already getting to their limit in terms of what consumer would pay.

“We’re discovering, if not some parts of it’s been discovered, the ceiling of what consumers are able to pay … it becomes a point where the market will dictate its value.

“We’ve asked a lot from our customers and they’ve responded wonderfully but you can only go so high, right? You can only pass on so much before it becomes unsustainable.”

Construction

Auckland University of Technology construction expert John Tookey said the cost of building would rise.

“Anything that involves either the formation of materials or the transportation of materials is going to be massively affected … the kicker as far as construction materials are concerned is simply the fact that they tend to be high volume, low value and they are very energy intensive to transport.”

Experts predict the price of building will rise. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

He said prices would probably rise in anticipation.

“Stockists start hedging knowing that it’s going to start creeping up… they’ll start to feed that into their quoted prices.

“We’re already seeing the cost of diesel at the pump going up and as soon as diesel starts going up then transportation of materials goes up and up and up.”

He said he did not want to guess at how much construction prices would rise.

“I think that sort of prediction would age like milk in the sun.”

Retail

Carolyn Young, chief executive of Retail NZ, said the sector was already seeing increases in distribution costs and for things such as couriers.

“It’s a higher impact on goods and services being moved around the country because a lot of freight companies are using trucks that run on diesel.”

She said supermarkets, grocery retailers, fruit and vegetable outlets and bakeries would have increased transport costs and might not be able to absorb them.

The retail sector is already seeing price increases. Ke-Xin Li / RNZ

“Some will and some won’t. It will depend on the profitability of the business and the reserves they may have,”

People bringing in goods from overseas would also be affected.

“In terms of grocery,. they’ve got good supply of stock in the distribution centres but stock is always coming in.”

For things such as apparel or DIY or jewellery, she said, freight ships were staying in Singapore longer to make sure they were 100 percent full.

“The longer they take to leave port and fill up, the higher the cost of the fuel being passed on.

“If you are importing goods they’re going to land in Auckland, Tauranga or Lyttleton then they’re going to be distributed to your site or sites – so there’s two lots of costs that can be passed on a that point as well because you’ve got costs coming in internationally and then you’ve got domestic costs from the price of fuel in New Zealand.”

She said prices would rise if it was a sustained conflict.

“Retailers that are able to absorb as long as they can – it will impact their margins long-term and their profitability.”

Earlier, Infometrics chief forecaster Gareth Kiernan said fishing was particularly exposed to oil price rises.

BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said food prices were likely to rise faster but it was hard to quantify. He expected general inflation to peak at 3.8 percent in the second quarter.

Uber

Uber said fuel price increases were having an effect across a wide range of industries, including for driver partners and delivery people who used the Uber and Uber Eats app to earn.

“Uber is actively monitoring conditions as they evolve and regularly reviews ways to support driver partners and delivery people as circumstances change.

“We are always looking for ways we can continue to support them, including our Uber Pro programme which offers discounts on fuel and EV charging, as well as other savings to help reduce their expenses.”

Supermarket delivery

At Woolworths, a spokesperson said it was closely monitoring the situation in the Middle East.

“We have no current plans to change our delivery fees.”

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Lower Hutt businesses report 50 percent drop as roadworks roll on in city centre

Source: Radio New Zealand

Lower Hutt businesses say they’re swiftly losing cash, and one’s shut up shop, as roadworks roll on in the city centre.

Authorities are sorry for the disruption, but say the work is essential.

Hutt City Council, Greater Wellington Regional Council and the Transport Agency are running multiple projects to future-proof service infrastructure, improve flood protection, develop the CBD and improve transport connection.

The obstacle course of road cones and closures has caused gridlock and delays, and now businesses are bearing the brunt.

A chunk of the work involves ripping up a roundabout at the Queens Drive/High Street intersection, which began on 2 March and will run until December, shutting the road.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

Jinuka Paranavithana runs Lakdiv Supermarket right on the roundabout and said there was a slump the day the works began, with takings down 50 percent.

The cluster of shops in the area are now effectively tucked down a dead end.

Paranavithana was not confident the supermarket would last until the works were completed, so he was looking for leases elsewhere and could be forced out to Naenae.

A few doors down, Raquib Gondal had already shut his kebab shop for good.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

He also reported a 50 percent drop in business, saying only the regulars would pop in, once a week at best.

“I feel really bad, because when I bought this business … I’ve taken all the money from my friends and family and we gathered the money … just to have a secure kind of income,” he said.

Gondal didn’t want to close, but he was getting into debt, he said.

“Opening it for longer, it will be … really a disaster for me.”

Another stretch of High Street is shut for four weeks, right outside City Green fruit and vege shop.

Owner Patrick Gao said he was only just hanging on, also reporting 50 percent less takings.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

“I’m not making enough to pay my bills, my rent, my wages … tough going,” he said.

He may have to consider closing, but thinks he can stick around another month or two, with the community behind him.

Gao put out a plea on social media on Tuesday, asking for local support to help get him through.

On Wednesday morning, Rachael Trudgeon answered the call, and walked out of the store carrying a box full of produce.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

She urged others to do the same, noting the deserted street.

“Just get out there, support our local shops that we have here, especially the small business owners, they are struggling so we want to help them out as much as we can.”

Across the road at cafe Espresso High, barista Rane Magno said the cafe was definitely quieter with a lack of parking.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

“Nobody wants to drive in this corner of the Hutt any more,” she said.

“On the flip side, we’ve been able to see how our community’s really supported us, and our regulars have come in and made their efforts.”

Works essential for Hutt resilience

Many spoken to by RNZ believed the roadworks were necessary but it was too much all at once.

Lower Hutt Mayor Ken Laban said there was not much council could do.

“I can’t take people’s pain away, if I was … affected by the business, or I was stuck in traffic trying to get mum to the hospital for her appointment, equally I would be frustrated and angry and all of those kinds of things.

“We are just trying the best that we can to minimise the disruption, but this is a hugely inconvenient time for everybody.”

RNZ / Mark Papalii

The work included a “once in a generation upgrade” of flood defences to protect the city, including the hospital and thousands of homes, said Laban.

Greater Wellington Regional Council transport committee chair Ros Connelly said disruption was certain no matter how the work was carried out, and the parties involved had chosen “the most efficient work programme from a cost perspective and also from a logistics perspective.”

“We absolutely understand that the roadworks are disruptive and we’re really sorry for the impact that this is having on businesses and commuters.

“But unfortunately, the works are essential to improving safety and flood resilience and reliability for everyone who uses the road.”

Once the work was done, the city would be better protected and connected, Connelly said.

The transport agency said it was continually considering whether the work could be sped up, and there would be night work in some places.

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Rising cost of fuel forces Kiwis to consider alternative transport to save money

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cost-of-living pressures are picking up again, driven in part by sharp increases in fuel prices linked to the conflict in the Middle East.

So, are people ditching their cars, dusting off their bikes, or turning to public transport to save money?

At Auckland’s Waitematā Station, commuters poured off trains into the central city, with buses and the downtown ferry terminal just steps away, making it one of the city’s busiest transport hubs.

One commuter said they’ve noticed a clear shift.

“I notice on the train it’s getting really busy. Yeah, a lot more people are using it, which is good.”

They said rising fuel and parking costs were even changing how they think about short trips.

RNZ / Nick Monro

“I’m even thinking … where I normally work, I’m only probably a 10-minute drive away … maybe I’ll start using my e-bike … between parking and the petrol … you’re still using a lot of gas. And I’d rather save it for doing trips I really want to do in the car.”

But another Auckland commuter said public transport still didn’t work for everything.

“Yeah, we use the cars to get around because convenience-wise, public transport’s no good. You can’t really pop down the road and do the shopping effectively… so we still need the cars.”

He said the flexibility of working from home was a bonus when it came to beating petrol prices.

Meanwhile, a third commuter in Auckland said cost was already shaping their routine.

“Choosing that option specifically because of the cost is the main reason … it just sort of reinforces it further with the cost of living and the petrol prices going up.”

In the capital, some people were already leaving the car at home.

RNZ / Nick Monro

“I walked to work today because I thought, ‘I’d better not use the car’,” said this commuter.

Another Wellington commuter estimated the savings were adding up.

“I would be driving in, but it’s too expensive a lot of the time, so public transport is better. I can save around $100 a week.”

Others said they’re cutting back on extra trips.

“I probably won’t drive up to the Kāpiti Coast like I used to, just to go to the market. You need to be more thoughtful in each trip you plan.”

But not everyone was convinced habits have fully changed yet.

“Energy prices have definitely moved up, but I’m not sure that’s changing people’s habits yet. It might have [to] if petrol goes to $3.20.”

And for some, it’s not just fuel prices dictating new commuting habits.

RNZ / Nick Monro

“I train in, then I walk to work, and it’s mainly because of higher parking, actually,” said one man.

In Christchurch, some commuters said they didn’t have the flexibility to change. A woman RNZ spoke to said she was still driving despite the cost and was worried about how to keep managing it within her budget.

“I am still driving, but it’s using up a lot of my gas … I don’t know what I’m going to do next … I assume I’m just going to keep driving because I have to get places … I have to get my kids to school.”

Another commuter in Christchurch said public transport simply wasn’t viable for their route.

“It’s really hard to get public transport to where I work because it’s just out of Rolleston … I have to drive there all the time, so it’s eating a lot of fuel.”

In Queenstown, where petrol was sitting between $3.15 and $3.19 per litre, commuters say the cost is biting.

RNZ / Nick Monro

“I travel daily from Glenorchy to Queenstown, so does my husband. It’s just getting so hard to cope.”

Another said they have no alternative.

“Where I live, I have no public transport in the morning. The only way I can get to work before 6 o’clock is using my car, so I have been dealing with the increase as I can manage. At the end of the day, you’ve got to pay it.”

Some were trying to adapt where they can.

A Queenstown commuter said they’re biking more often.

“I do drive occasionally, but more recently biking has become a cheaper alternative … you just have to limit where you go, don’t you? Because it’s just so expensive, and it’s already expensive enough to live in Queenstown.”

Others were making bigger changes.

“I just bought a hybrid car … that was sort of prompted by obviously the fuel prices and the war in Iran … I thought, ‘right, now’s the time’,” said a man who commuted daily from Cromwell to Queenstown.

He was also looking for ways to cut costs day-to-day.

“I’ve got the [fuel price] app on my phone, so I normally stick to the cheapest fuel station in Cromwell, but I’ll definitely be looking for new strategies,” he said.

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NZ prepares for uncertainty at the pump as it eyes prolonged Middle East conflict

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand is preparing for a prolonged conflict in the Middle East as attacks on the world’s largest natural gasfield create even more uncertainty at the pump. RNZ / Quin Tauetau

New Zealand is preparing for a prolonged conflict in the Middle East as attacks on the world’s largest natural gasfield in Pars create even more uncertainty at the pump.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has warned the fuel situation could get worse, before it gets better.

Brent Crude prices surged to US$109 a barrel on Thursday following the attacks, prompting motorists to fill up before prices got even higher.

Some people were unlucky, arriving at the pump after it had run dry.

At an NPD in Christchurch, many were nervous about how much a trip to the service station could soon cost.

“I’m currently studying, so it’s not really helpful. I live 40 minutes out of town and then commuting, and so it’s kind of like a bit of a sting in the butt trying to get through study, and it’s like, let’s add more stress,” one student said.

Another person had been checking prices daily: “I’ve been keeping an eye on it, looking at the apps and just checking each day whether or not today’s the day I should go fuel up.”

While others were more optimistic, and said they had just started to take the bus.

As of Thursday, New Zealand had 41.3 days worth of petrol, 47 days of diesel and 49 days of Jet Fuel.

Luxon assured New Zealanders officials were doing what they could to prepare for a fuel shortage.

“Like all New Zealanders, we hope that the conflict is ending quickly, but hope is not a plan, and so we are preparing for the worst case scenario where the conflict is prolonged,” Luxon said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

But energy analyst David Keat did not think New Zealand would run out of fuel for long periods of time, if at all.

Keat said the country should be ok.

“I imagine we might miss a few cargos, but in terms of the physical supply, I can’t see us running out for long periods, if at all.

“The price though is a different thing, because everybody is bidding for these cargos and it’s a seller’s market, so the price could go very high.”

The government would consider more details in the fuel escalation level plan next week.

It had four levels of concern, similar to the levels seen during Covid-19.

Rural Contractors New Zealand said its members were already being hit hard, with one larger contractor’s fuel bill rising by $5000 a day.

CEO Andrew Olsen said the agriculture industry needed to be a priority.

“Everyone’s important and naturally will say we are, but I think this is Covid 2.0 and agriculture received dispensations to continue to operate and it’s important, it’s our GDP, 20 percent of it.”

Olsen said the conflict and resulting fuel shortage had come at the worst time.

“It’s a very busy part of the year, we’ve got the maize harvest in full swing in the North Island and we’ve still got a lot of grass work occurring elsewhere, big machines, lots of fuel consumption.

“We’ve also got the viticulture harvest right now and we’ve also got the kiwifruit harvest,” he said

Business Canterbury CEO Leeann Watson believed there were takeaways from the Covid-19 response that should be considered.

“There’s quite a lot of learning’s here from Covid. You know, in some cases we were quite slow to do some planning and you know while we in particular as Business Canterbury at this stage we’re not being alarmist.

“We think it’s really important that businesses do start to do some planning and thinking about the options that they do have moving forward.”

Watson said it was crucial officials kept businesses informed.

The government’s next update on the fuel crisis will be on Monday.

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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/2026/03/20/nz-prepares-for-uncertainty-at-the-pump-as-it-eyes-prolonged-middle-east-conflict/

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How people and businesses with tax debt can avoid IRD penalties

Source: Radio New Zealand

Taxpayers who have debt for the 2023 and 2024 tax years are being given another option to avoid paying penalties to Inland Revenue.

As part of an amendment to the Taxation Bill, a pilot programme is being launched that will allow people with tax debt to settle it via tax pooling, if they meet eligibility criteria.

They will have until 1 October this year to enter an arrangement with a tax pooling provider, and then must settle the debt by 1 October 2027.

Tax pooling allows people to smooth out their tax payments and borrow from those who have overpaid their tax as required.

Tax Traders co-founder Nicola Taylor said the programme would be a big help to people with tax debt.

“There’s $1.2 billion in income tax debt across the two tax periods that this amendment is focused on. Tax debt is not about not wanting to comply. It’s actually usually about cash flow and timing.”

Inland Revenue has been chasing overdue tax hard in recent years.

If people had a tax bill they should approach a tax pooling provider with their debt, Taylor said.

“What they won’t be hit with is the late payment penalties and the use of money interest that they would have been hit with otherwise.

“Let’s say a taxpayer has a $10,000 unpaid income tax bill… by the legislation and using Tax Traders, you’ll be able to save about $800 of late payment penalties and use of money interest that otherwise you’d be hit with. And you know, $800 is not nothing.

“And the core tax gets paid … I think IRD’s been really sensitive and empathetic here and also very innovative. So I think we should, you know, I think there’s much to applaud IRD for taking this approach.”

The amendment also removes a tax issue that affects infrastructure investment.

Thin capitalisation rules stop multinational companies from allocating an excessive proportion of their debt to to New Zealand to affect the tax they have to pay.

But they can interfere in situations where there is a large amount of debt associated with an infrastructure project and some interest deductions can be denied even when the debt level is not normally considered excessive.

The Corporate Taxpayers Group told the government this was sometimes stopping foreign investment in New Zealand projects.

The new rules provide an exemption from the thin capitalisation rules for investments in qualifying infrastructure assets to the extent they are funded by limited-recourse third-party debt.

Deloitte partner Robyn Walker said it was likely that transport infrastructure, water, energy and telecommunications might be included in the projects that could opt into the rules.

Corporate Taxpayers Group chair John Payne said it was pleasing to see the rules progressing.

“We regularly see that tax rules can be an impediment to investment in important infrastructure, and these amendments help clear a barrier and that is why the Corporate Taxpayers Group has been involved in consultation on these rules.”

Revenue Minister Simon Watts RNZ / Mark Papalii

Revenue Minister SImon Watts said the change removed a barrier to make it easier to access capital and talent.

“New Zealand’s thin capitalisation rules limit the amount of tax-deductible debt that foreign investors can put into New Zealand investments. These rules prevent income being shifted offshore and protect our tax base.

“However, there is a risk that these rules can unduly disincentivise investment, particularly in capital-intensive infrastructure projects that are typically funded by large amounts of debt.

“The government is making changes to ensure that rules strike a balance between protecting the tax base while not discouraging investment in infrastructure.”

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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/2026/03/20/how-people-and-businesses-with-tax-debt-can-avoid-ird-penalties/

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Twinning: The Tauranga school with 13 sets of twins

Source: Radio New Zealand

As the saying goes, what is in the water supply of Ōtūmoetai?

The leafy suburb in Tauranga is producing twins at a rate that is far above the global average of 1.2 percent with Ōtūmoetai Primary School hitting about 5 percent of students who are twins. There are 13 sets at the school, including eight that are identical, and there is another pair joining the school in a few weeks, according to principal Zara McIndoe.

Year 4 is doubly blessed with about 14 percent of students in that year claiming twin status.

There are 13 sets of twins at Ōtūmoetai Primary School.

supplied

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/20/twinning-the-tauranga-school-with-13-sets-of-twins/

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What is vaginismus and how do you know if you have it?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Madeleine Edwards had never heard of vaginismus, but about six months after giving birth to her daughter, Carmine, she was diagnosed with the condition.

The 31-year-old, who lives in Naarm/Melbourne, says it was a “heavy” diagnosis to receive as she adjusted to motherhood.

According to experts, women and those assigned female at birth who have vaginismus often put up with intense vaginal pain and don’t know it can be treated.

Our experts

  • Pav Nanayakkara, a minimally invasive gynaecological surgeon from Jean Hailes for Women’s Health
  • Jenny Pell, a senior physiotherapist at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s Hospital
  • Sarah Ashton, sexual health psychologist and the director and founder of Sexual Health and Intimacy Psychological Services (SHIPS)

Pav Nanayakkara says for those experiencing vaginismus, painful muscle tightening can occur any time there is penetration.

Supplied/Jean Hailes for Women’s Health

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/20/what-is-vaginismus-and-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-it/