Category: LiveNews

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First rubber road laid in New Zealand is made from recycled tyres

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Zealand’s first full rubber road has been laid in Glentunnel, in the Selwyn district. RNZ / Tim Brown

New Zealand’s first full rubber road has been laid in Glentunnel, in the Selwyn district.

The local council is trialling three rubber surfaces on Glentunnel Domain Road with the possibility of rubber-based roads being used in other parts of the district.

One part of the road uses rubber chips, another uses rubber in the bitumen, and a third combines the two.

Selwyn District Council transportation delivery manager Steve Guy said the rubber came from recycled tyres – a lot of them.

“So this trial is … saving 29 tonnes of waste tyres – so tyres that would normally get sent from here up to the North Island, shredded and sent abroad. So that 29 tonnes of tyres if that had got incinerated, for instance, would equate to between 20 to 30 tonnes of carbon emissions. So we’ve saved that,” he said.

Selwyn District Council transportation delivery manager Steve Guy. RNZ / Tim Brown

“And ultimately there’s about 1797 mostly truck tyres that have gone into this trial, into this road.”

Cars, trucks, bikes and other road users would put the surfaces to the test over winter.

The rubber-based surface was longer lasting and cheaper over its lifetime despite a higher upfront cost, Guy said.

The product was produced by Treadlite.

Operations and engineering manager Richard Upperton said the company was in a position to rapidly increase production if demand increased.

“We could do hundreds of kilometres now, it’s just a case of how fast can the industry take it up and I’m confident we can keep up,” he said.

Treadlite operations and engineering manager Richard Upperton. RNZ / Tim Brown

Cost would probably prevent the product from ever becoming the standard surface on state highways, but it had applications due to it producing a quieter road surface, Upperton said.

But Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said there were financial reasons to be excited about rubber roads.

“If we can take this trial and this can be implemented across the country, there’s savings for everyone,” she said.

“This is a circular economy as well. So we’re not having to export tyres off anywhere else, we can make use of the product we have and we can import less bitumen.”

Gliddon said the project reflected Selwyn’s commitment to smart, innovative thinking.

“Selwyn is always looking for fresh ideas that improve value for money and stronger results for our communities. We are determined to not just be building more infrastructure but building better, smarter infrastructure,” she said.

More than six million tyres reached end of life in New Zealand each year while around 180,000 tonnes of bitumen – almost all imported – was used on roads annually.

The council would look to trial the surfaces in other locations and on wider stretches of road if Glentunnel Domain Road was a success.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/first-rubber-road-laid-in-new-zealand-is-made-from-recycled-tyres/

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Live NRL: Warriors v Raiders

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow all the NRL action, as NZ Warriors take on Canberra Raiders at Go Media Stadium in Auckland.

The Warriors will be looking to secure their second win of the 2026 season, after beating Sydney Roosters 42-18 in round one in front of a home crowd last Friday.

Kickoff is at 8pm.

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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/2026/03/13/live-nrl-warriors-v-raiders/

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Wastewater testing shows Covid cases increasing

Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf.com

Wastewater testing is showing an increase in Covid cases, and hospitalisations are on the rise as New Zealand enters it’s ninth Covid wave.

National Clinical Director of the Public Health Service Dr Susan Jack told Checkpoint many people aren’t testing for Covid, and the best way to track numbers is through wastewater.

“It is a good reflection. These days we know that testing is not so available, so wastewater testing is a really good indication of if we have got a surge in cases.

“There has also been an increase in hospitalisations, correlating with what we are seeing in the wastewater.

“It does look like we are going into a wave. Maybe more a ripple than a wave compared to previous years.”

Dr Jack said many people can’t afford rapid antigen tests (RATs), and there is a reduced amount of people who are able to test. But Dr Jack said the wastewater testing does provide accurate information.

“It is good if you can afford it, please keep some RATs at home and test. But if not, we have the wastewater testing to fall back on.”

While wastewater testing provides an accurate account of Covid cases in the community, Dr Jack said one issue is that individuals do not know if they have Covid, and so the advice is to stay home if you have a runny nose, cough, or any sort of respiratory symptoms.

“If you do need to go out then we ask people to wear a mask.”

While Covid cases are on the rise, so to are vaccination numbers.

Dr Jack said last week around 20,000 Covid vaccinations were administered.

“Vaccinations have increased since this latest burst of media focus on Covid, and we are really encouraging people as we head into winter, if you are due for your Covid vaccination please get it at the same time as you get your Flu vaccination, and that will be widely available from the first of April.”

Dr Jack said over time immunity does wane, and the best way to counter this is by keeping up with Covid boosters.

While there is not one dominant strain of Covid at the moment, Dr Jack said that older vaccines will still provide some immunity against newer Covid strains.

“They have tweaked the vaccine variant and we have got a new one that has just been released. But the older one still provides good protection against what we have got circulating.”

Dr Jack also said it was a good idea to call your pharmacy ahead of getting your vaccine to ensure they have stock, but that the vaccine is widely available.

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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/2026/03/13/wastewater-testing-shows-covid-cases-increasing/

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Dean ‘delighted’ by mayor’s comments on funding restoration of Christ Church Cathedral

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christ Church Cathedral Dean Ben Truman inside the cathedral. RNZ/Rachel Graham

The Christ Church Cathedral Dean is delighted by the Christchurch mayor’s suggestion that the city council should contribute millions of dollars more to the earthquake-damaged building’s restoration.

Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, which is managing the rebuild, mothballed the project in 2024 because of a $85 million funding shortfall.

The cost to rebuild the earthquake-damaged building had blown out to $248 million, before being revised down to $219m in 2024, leaving a shortfall of about $85m.

The group leading the rebuild, Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, currently plans to do the reinstatement work in stages to reduce the initial costs.

Christchurch City Council is about to start work on plans to upgrade Cathedral Square, with the council seeking expressions of interest.

On Thursday mayor Phil Mauger told Newstalk ZB that he felt the $28.5 million budgeted for the Cathedral Square project was too much money and around half could go towards restoring the Anglican cathedral because, “we’ve got to get our centre back”.

Mauger was unavailable for interview on Friday.

Cathedral Dean Ben Truman said the mayor’s suggestion was pragmatic.

“I think what Phil’s comment shows is we can’t have a fully functional square until we have a fully functional cathedral. This really has to be the priority to open up the square and bring people back into the centre of the city,” he said.

Christchurch was undergoing a renaissance but the square was lagging behind, Truman said.

“We have Turanga, we have Te Pae, the new court theatre, but the square still doesn’t feel fully alive. We want to be part of getting that solution to get that back up and running.” he said.

The cathedral is holding another series of building tours from 13-15 March. RNZ/Rachel Graham

Truman said developers were halfway through the process of reopening the cathedral, with $24m from private donors and a promise of $20m from the Anglican church, leaving a shortfall of $40 to 45 million.

“Every little bit helps and the council has been a wonderful partner to us in the past and we look forward to working with them in the future,” he said.

In a statement, a council spokesperson said Mauger was keen to hear from the public about the city’s iconic buildings, including the cathedral, as part of the council’s draft annual plan.

The cathedral is holding another series of building tours from 13-15 March.

Around 12,000 people have taken part in the tours, which have been running for the past couple of years.

Truman said the free tours were fully booked, with 900 people in hi-vis and hard hats expected through the cathedral.

Visitors would see the recreated stained glass rose window and hear bird song designed to reflect the environment when work started on the cathedral in 1864.

Truman said the tours’ popularity demonstrated how important the building was to the people of Christchurch.

“People love this building, it’s part of our history, part of our story, part of our identity and part of our hope for the future of Christchurch,” he said.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/dean-delighted-by-mayors-comments-on-funding-restoration-of-christ-church-cathedral/

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Live: Hurricanes v Western Force – Super Rugby Pacific

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Hurricanes return home from a demolition job of the Waratahs to take on the Western Force in Napier.

Meanwhile, the Force’s New Zealand tour resumes after a high-scoring defeat to the Highlanders last week.

Kickoff is at 7.05pm.

Hurricanes:

1. Pouri Rakete-Stones. 2. Jacob Devery. 3. Pasilio Tosi. 4. Caleb Delany. 5. Isaia Walker-Leawere. 6. Brad Shields. 7. Du’Plessis Kirifi (cc). 8. Devan Flanders. 9. Cam Roigard. 10. Callum Harkin. 11. Fehi Fineanganofo. 12. Jordie Barrett (cc). 13.Jone Rova. 14. Bailyn Sullivan. 15. Josh Moorby.

Bench: 16. Asafo Aumua. 17. Xavier Numia. 18. Tyrel Lomax. 19. Warner Dearns. 20. Brayden Iose. 21. Jordi Viljoen. 22. Ruben Love. 23. Riley Higgins.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/live-hurricanes-v-western-force-super-rugby-pacific/

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Appeal for information following burglary, Invercargill

Source: New Zealand Police

Attribute to Detective Sarah Harper – Invercargill CIB: 

Police are appealing to the public for information following a burglary in Waikiwi, Invercargill this morning.

It happened around 5.15am at a supermarket on North Road.

Initial enquiries have determined that the offenders have used a vehicle to force the front doors of the store open, and taken a large amount tobacco and cigarette products, before fleeing in the vehicle.

Police would like to hear from anyone who may have information about this incident, or about people who may have an excess amount of tobacco or cigarettes, or anyone who has been offered tobacco or cigarettes.

Additionally, if you have CCTV or dashcam footage of the North Road and surrounding areas, between 4.30am and 6am this morning, or witnessed a blue Toyota Prado in the area, please get in touch.

Information can be provided through 105, either online or over the phone, referencing file number 260313/4943.

You can also provide information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

ENDS

Issued by Police Media Centre

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/appeal-for-information-following-burglary-invercargill/

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Health Minister to meet with blood cancer specialists who say NZ lagging behind with treatments

Source: Radio New Zealand

Professor Judith Trotman and Health Minister Simeon Brown. Supplied

The Health Minister has agreed to meet with a group of blood cancer specialists who wrote an open letter expressing their alarm at Kiwi patients dying unnecessarily because Aotearoa is lagging behind with treatments.

The dozens of doctors, nurses and clinician researchers say New Zealand blood cancer patients are being deprived of modern, funded treatments that are available globally, including the myeloma drug Daratumumab.

They’ve laid out a three-point plan, including an immediate increase in funding for the drug-buying agency for Pharmac,

The letter was largely prompted by the case of Greymouth myeloma patient and former shearer Tawhai Reti, who’s had to leave his four young children with a relative and go to Australia with his wife Lani to get a life-extending drug that is not funded here.

Professor Judith Trotman, the Chair of the Australasian Leukaemia Lymphoma Research Group and an expat Kiwi-Australian haematologist in Sydney, who is treating Tawhai Reti, coordinated the letter.

She told Checkpoint that she and the dozens of doctors who signed the letter felt compelled due to the distress their New Zealand peers were experiencing.

“New Zealand is not funding drugs with a cascading effect on patients’ lives, on doctors’ morale, and drug development. Patients are being lost to their disease, and doctors lost to overseas,” she said.

“We really felt compelled to do something on behalf of but in lockstep with the cancer community.”

Trotman said blood doctors in New Zealand feel that they simply don’t have the tools of their trade and are seeing their patients dying earlier.

“They are not only dying earlier, they are not living well,” she added.

Blood cancer patients in New Zealand were constantly in hospital with recurrent infections. While patients with myeloma, in particular, are repeatedly breaking their bones, Trotman said.

A three-point plan put to the government calls for more funding for medicines that are considered ‘standard of care’ overseas, pointing out that only 0.4 percent of New Zealand’s GDP is spent on medicines, compared to the OECD median of 1.4 percent.

Trotman said New Zealand need to establish a funding trajectory for Pharmac to deliver these standards of care blood cancer medicines to levels comparable with OECD nations.

“When you are only spending one-third the equivalent of GDP of the OECD average, that’s a huge gap to fill. It will take some time, but it’s going to take far too many lives if it takes too long,” she said.

“Blood cancer patients are exquisitely sensitive to Pharmac funding. They can not be prevented with public health measures by the cancer control agency [and] they cannot be removed by the surgeons. They can only be treated with these life-saving, life-changing new therapies that only Pharmac can provide.”

Trotman said Health Minister Simeon Brown has offered to convene a round table with the local blood cancer community, both clinicians and consumer groups.

She said he acknowledged the problem and thanked the hardworking clinicians.

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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/2026/03/13/health-minister-to-meet-with-blood-cancer-specialists-who-say-nz-lagging-behind-with-treatments/

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Cancellation of live exports a win for Animals

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is claiming a win for animals, following the Luxon Government’s confirmation that they have cancelled plans to reinstate the live export of animals at sea.

Plans to resume the trade in live animals by sea was part of the National and Act coalition agreement, however the frequently endorsed intention has been scrapped at cabinet, according to Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard, who said “we needed to get everyone on board to take it forward and haven’t achieved that.”

“The Greens have long opposed this fundamentally cruel trade.” Says Steve Abel, Green Party spokesperson for Animal Welfare.

“Animals are herded into miserable cattle ships where they are forced to wallow in their own waste for weeks at sea.”

“Exported animals also face disease, heat stress, bruising, motion sickness, and other conditions that cause fear, anxiety, and discomfort for weeks or even months.”

“New Zealanders don’t want to see animals suffering. The plans to reinstate this cruel trade cut against the grain of our values as a nation,” says Abel.

“It’s clear that reality has caught up with the Luxon Coalition. They’ve realised there is no magical ‘gold standard’ for live animal exports. The practice is fundamentally cruel, despite industry spin.”

“The decision to cancel the animal export plans is a great win for animal welfare advocates and the majority of New Zealanders, including many farmers, who opposed the cruel trade.”

With the ban on the live exports of animals at sea saved, the Greens would extend the ban to include the live export of animals by air, such as chicks, and the export of native wild-caught animals such as endangered longfin eels.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/cancellation-of-live-exports-a-win-for-animals/

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Fast-track Decision Looms on Destructive Waitaha Hydo Scheme

Source: Green Party

The Green Party says the Fast Track expert panel should turn down the previously declined ‘Waitaha Hydro’ project, which if approved will destroy an internationally significant South Island river.

An application to dam the river as part of the ‘Waitaha Hydro project’ was declined in 2019 by the Minister for the Environment David Parker. It was shown then to offer little benefit to New Zealand, while causing significant impacts on the natural character of the wild Waitaha River and Morgan Gorge, the intrinsic value of the area, and people’s enjoyment of it.

Green Party Environment spokesperson MP Lan Pham says they are expecting a release on the Waitaha Fast-track hydro application today, based on comments from the panel chair during a recent hearing.

“The only people to benefit from this zombie project being resurrected from the dead are to its investors. It is a cynical manipulation of democracy to try and get a different result through the Fast Track process after it was already declined through an earlier, more robust process.”

“This project wouldn’t even be ‘fast’ to get going – the project backers want 15 years to build the thing. Using the Fast Track process is a transparent misuse of the legislation and a big middle finger to Aotearoa NZ.”

“The Waitaha river flows through conservation land. The area is home to over 25 native bird species, including kea, kākā and kārearea, whio, and long-tailed bats, and forest and green geckos.”

“The Department of Conservation themselves have said “the Waitaha Valley has ecological, landscape and recreational values of local, regional, national and international significance.”

“It is DOC’s view that the proposal will result in the fundamental loss of natural character, solitude and remoteness that underpin the Waitaha Valley characteristics of a back country-remote zone.”

Pham says along with irreversibly destroying the wild character of area, the project fails to meet any sensible economic threshold.

“There are already consented, unbuilt hydro schemes on the West Coast, that wouldn’t do the damage that this project would. The proposed cost has doubled to $200 million, while only providing power for 12,000 homes. That’s about $20,000 per household – money which could be used to expand nearby solar projects, or other modern technology solutions which don’t rely on destroying our remaining wild places.” 

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/fast-track-decision-looms-on-destructive-waitaha-hydo-scheme/

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Wellington Council budget cuts would ruin capital city’s green reputation

Source: Green Party

The Green Party is astounded to read a Wellington City Council working group’s newly released cost-cutting proposal which includes major slash and burn cuts to climate change and transport.

“Our city has been internationally recognised for its leadership in reducing emissions and transforming our transport system. This cost-cutting proposal completely guts that reputation and decades of good Green mahi within the council” says Green Party Wellington Central MP, Tamatha Paul. 

“Wellington’s competitive factor is that we are a green city in every sense of the word. There is no stronger mandate for bold climate action than right here in Pōneke. We are one of the only cities in the world where native wildlife is increasing and we are among the highest pubic and active transport users in the country.”

“Our city’s climate emissions have dropped for the first time in a long time, including vehicle emissions which are our biggest emissions, and public and active transport use is up. This didn’t happen by accident. It’s because we took action that the Council seeks to abandon.”

“I was so proud to be a part of the Council that ushered in the plan to become a carbon zero capital city by 2050. This is being gutted by the current leadership in council.”

“Mayor Little must not fall into the classic local government trap of putting short-term thinking before trying to mitigate the climate catastrophe we are seeing all across the country. It’s right in front of our eyes.” says Tamatha Paul.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/wellington-council-budget-cuts-would-ruin-capital-citys-green-reputation/

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DOC backtracks after accusations it was illegally closing popular track

Source: Radio New Zealand

Harwoods Hole on Takaka Hill Supplied – Department of Conservation

The Department of Conservation (DOC) has u-turned on its closure of the track to the country’s deepest natural sinkhole.

Harwoods Hole, which is a nearly 180-metre deep vertical shaft, is part of a cave system in the Abel Tasman National Park.

It’s estimated that up to 4000 people use the track each year.

The Department of Conservation closed the track to the site last month, citing safety risks. It warned that the area around Harwoods Hole has unstable rock and significant fall hazards, where slipping could be fatal.

It caused public backlash, with a collective of recreational groups claiming shutting the track was illegal and threatened legal action if DOC did not take down any material saying the track was shut.

DOC has since said it will no longer be providing a marked track to Harwoods Hole or promoting it as a managed visitor site.

DOC Golden Bay operations manager Ross Trotter said on Friday the department has updated wording on its website and will be updating the temporary signage to reflect this.

“We’ve taken these steps because the experience being offered at this site, including the hazards, and the type of visitor it was appealing to, did not match,” Trotter said.

He said people can still access the area at their own risk. However, DOC will not be actively managing visitor access or mitigating natural hazards at the site.

“Heavy promotion on social media and by third parties has set unrealistic expectations and implies viewing of Harwoods Hole from the track is possible, but it’s not. It’s not possible to look down Harwoods Hole from the top of the hole, as it flares out at the top entrance, or from anywhere on the track,” Trotter said.

“We appreciate that some people feel strongly about this place, but our first responsibility is ensuring visitors understand and can safely manage the risks involved.”

Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand president Megan Dimozantos said she received an email from DOC on Friday afternoon to confirm that the track is not closed, but that it will no longer be maintained.

“It’s all about words,” she told Checkpoint. “The use of the word closed has a different legal implication to the use of the words no longer maintained.”

Dimozantos said Section 13 of the Conservation Act only allows for closures of public conservation land where there is an emergency or inherent public risk.

“Obviously, this didn’t meet that very high threshold and we appreciate DOC taking measures to rectify the communication of the situation.”

Dimozantos believes there was an element of safety overreach.

“DOC’s role is not to wrap our public in cotton wool. It is to inform the public of what the risks might be at a particular site and allow the public to make their own decisions about whether they’d like to proceed or not.”

Dimozantos said the case has highlighted a number of other sites where similar “inappropriate” closures are in place.

The group is currently collating that information from the public and will address that with DOC as a separate matter.

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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/2026/03/13/doc-backtracks-after-accusations-it-was-illegally-closing-popular-track/

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Students struggle to pay rent and buy food amid loan payment delays

Source: Radio New Zealand

Many students are worried over paying their expenses as they wait for their delayed student loan payments. Tri Wiranto/Unsplash

Stressed out students are struggling to pay rent, buy food and take the bus to class because their student loan applications are still not processed, weeks after courses began.

But the Ministry of Social Development, which runs StudyLink, said nearly all the applications made before its cut off date have been approved – and it’s tracking better than last year.

An Otago University student, who didn’t want to be named, applied for her student loan before December 16, which StudyLink’s website said was a very important date: “It’s a date students just can’t miss, it allows us to manage the volume of applications and help them get organised for the start of their study year.”

But she has still not received her loan payments.

“My savings are not gonna last that long, it’s really tough,” she said.

“I’m flatting this year, which means I need to obviously constantly make payments for … rent, and power … not having a steady income from allowance or loan, it’s just been really tough.”

Her mum Louise said her daughter had been without income for about three weeks, since the Jobseeker hardship grant she got over summer stopped.

“She’s very, very stressed,” she said.

“Currently we are supporting her financially, which again is quite stressful on us as well.”

Her daughter’s application had been in “final processing” for three weeks, she said.

“From what I believe or understand, everything has been done at our end and everything has been done at their end, they’ve got all the information they need.

“So what is this hold up?”

She was one of many parents and students in a social media group sharing their frustration about the delays and problems getting through to Studylink on the phone.

Amelia Bethell, who’s studying at the University of Auckland, applied on 14 January – later than the date Studylink was pushing for – because she had heard applications had quietened down by then, and it might get processed faster.

She had heard nothing since.

“After two months of calling, I finally got through to them on Wednesday and pretty much they said, ‘oh, it looks like your documents just haven’t been sent off, they’re sitting here, they’ve been sitting here since you sent them’.

“And they said they would put them through to process them.”

Studylink then asked her to resend some documents, she said.

Bethell felt lucky to have a scholarship that pays for her student accommodation, and a fees-free course, but she was struggling with day to day living costs.

“If I miss getting … a packed lunch from my halls, then I don’t eat all day because I can’t afford to just go and get food,” she said.

“My parents have been trying to send me just little bits that they can so I can catch the bus to go to my classes and to get home.”

But that was not easy for them, she said.

“My family’s a low-income family and it’s taking the money away from them, helping support my sister and my brother that live with them.”

Other students in her hall were worried about being kicked out of university because they could not pay their fees, Bethell said.

Most applications complete – StudyLink

The Ministry’s centralised services general manager, Paula Ratahi O’Neill, said students who applied by 16 December should “overwhelmingly” have had their applications wrapped up.

“A total of 87.5% of these applications have now been finalised. Completion peaks at between 88% and 90% each year because some students may submit an application but not complete it,” she said.

It was still working on about a third of applications made after 16 December.

On both counts, that was a better track record than last year, Ratahi O’Neill said.

“Processing of all applications is ahead of last year, with more completed, despite receiving more applications than last year. Around 11,000 more students have applied for student support compared to last year.”

Ratahi O’Neill said StudyLink’s still receiving thousands of applications each week, and staff have been working overtime since October to support more students.

She confirmed students would be backpaid, and said anyone who’s struggling students should contact them.

Student associations advocating for students

Victoria University Students’ Association president Aidan Donoghue said up to fifteen students had been in touch this academic year struggling with Studylink delays meaning they can’t pay their fees.

“We’ve been advocating within the university, pleading the case … and the university’s very receptive, and they’re very understanding of it not being within the students’ control, and have set up some more links to have representatives from Studylink be at campus, particularly during O-week, to get things sorted in person.”

Other student associations had also seen an increase in students reporting StudyLink application delays.

They acknowledged there were a number of factors at play, including application dates, and waiting for universities to verify students’ studies and grades.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/students-struggle-to-pay-rent-and-buy-food-amid-loan-payment-delays/

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Cricket: Seven decades since one of New Zealand’s biggest wins

Source: Radio New Zealand

John Reid in 2015 in his study surrounded by memorabilia from his cricketing career. Supplied / Lisa Thompson

This week’s one of despair for New Zealand cricket lovers, after the Black Caps were outclassed in the T20 World Cup final.

But, today is a special anniversary in cricket history – it’s 70 years since New Zealand won its first test match, after 26 years of trying.

The victory over the West Indies at Auckland’s Eden Park came in the 45th attempt, going back to January 1930. They’d suffered 22 losses and drawn 22.

As the victorious cricketers walked off Eden Park many in the crowd jumped the fence and swarmed their heroes.

Among the fans sprinting to the middle was 11-year-old Anand Satyanand.

The future governor-general of New Zealand, now Sir Anand, rushed to see history unfold as it seemed the game was heading for a tight finish.

“I went from Richmond Road School with a small group of friends,” he said.

“We were a cricket-mad school, as I recollect, and from Richmond Road one caught the bus to the reservoir on the corner of Ponsonby and Great North Road and then walked along and across the gully to Eden Park.”

The Right Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand, former Governor General of New Zealand. RNZ

Once there he was among those snapped by press photographers capturing the euphoric scenes.

“I was sitting on the terraces with my friend Ken Pratt… and clearly in a moment of excitement we jumped the fence and walked across the ground, hence that photograph that appeared in the New Zealand Herald of the two teams coming off the field, surrounded by a group of cricketing followers.”

A copy of that now hangs in Sir Anand’s laundry. In the picture he’s carrying his school satchel over his shoulder.

It was a low-scoring match – both teams scored at less than 2 runs an over – and the West Indies on the final day needed 268 runs to win the series four-nil.

But the New Zealanders, especially medium fast bowlers Harry Cave and Don Beard, took advantage of the tricky conditions and bowled them out for 77.

The New Zealand line-up even included former West Indies player Sammy Guillen, but was missing the great batsman of the era, Bert Sutcliffe, who played 42 tests but was never once on a winning side.

Expectations heading into the game were low. The West Indies had thrashed New Zealand in the three preceding tests and it was only a year since New Zealand was humiliated – bowled out for 26 by England, still a world-record low score.

It was quite the turnaround. At the after-match presentations captain John Reid was hailed as a hero, as the crowd gave him more than one round of three cheers.

He later said it was the best day of his cricket career – the non-drinker even tasting champagne during the celebrations.

“For once it wasn’t us who bowled that one loose ball each over, or who dropped the vital catch,” he told journalist Joseph Romanos in their 2000 book, John Reid – A Cricketing Life.

Former New Zealand cricketer John F Reid. PHOTOSPORT

Bill Frith, who was then 10, remembers watching as much of the match as he could, rushing there on the final day from Mt Roskill Intermediate.

In those days you’d get into the last session for free.

“I remember being on the terraces, which were grass at that time. It was quite a good-looking ground at that time, and I can remember the jubilation at the end, with the players pulling the stumps out and souveniring them and and that sort of thing.”

Still years until daylight saving arrived, the players were battling the gloom, but New Zealand had conditions in its favour.

“In those days you could go out and inspect the pitch. And the pitch there, around where the ball pitched, was sort of like corrugated iron,” Frith said.

“I’d be interested to know what it was like on the day we bowled the West Indies out.”

The Press newspaper described the bedlum: “It was a memorable scene at the end. The ground, all green and gold, was besieged by the crowd of 7000 that watched the final act…

“The crowd, savouring to the full the flavour of the occasion, had not fully dispersed when the teams left the ground an hour later.”

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack even reported local offices closing early to let workers head to the ground as victory drew near.

Frith and Sir Anand both thought the win might herald a period of success, but it wasn’t to be, and New Zealand struggled at cricket until the 1970s, not winning another test until the 1961-2 summer.

Since then the team has risen to be one of the best in the world – a long innings the pair have enjoyed watching.

Both men fondly remember watching cricket history take place.

“I follow cricket today, but not with the day-to-day enthusiasm of when I was 10 and 12,” Frith said.

“I used to go down to Eden Park and watch all the club games. I used to go and watch the Black Caps practice, and they’d sometimes bowl to me.

“I was the archetypal cricket tragic at that time.”

Sir Anand was similar, although he said his playing ability never matched his enthusiasm.

“I think it was a vital turn of the road for New Zealand cricket to to be able to foot it against a major cricket playing nation and to win,” he said.

“New Zealand had been treated as a rather secondary sort of member of the world cricket fraternity.

“England and Australia only played us on an irregular basis, but the victory against the West Indies was a pointer to the the modern game, where New Zealand is a contender that is treated very seriously.”

SCORES: New Zealand 255 (John Reid 84, Tom Dewdney 5-21) and 157-9 declared (Denis Atkinson 7-53) beat West Indies 145 (Hammond Furlonge 64, Tony MacGibbon 4-44, Harry Cave 4-22) and 77 (Cave 4-21, Don Beard 3-22).

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/cricket-seven-decades-since-one-of-new-zealands-biggest-wins/

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KCM Trade Launches KCM Trade Copy, Strengthening Its Digital Offering

Source: Media Outreach

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – KCM Trade, a leading global CFD broker, has recently announced the launch of KCM Trade Copy, a new mobile copy trading platform officially released in February and now available on both iOS and Android. The launch comes as the company marks its 10th anniversary, highlighting a decade of growth and innovation in the global trading industry.

A Platform Designed for Collaboration

KCM Trade Copy is a dedicated mobile application that allows clients to automatically replicate the trades of experienced Master Traders in real time. Through the app, users can browse detailed trader profiles, review historical performance data, and select strategies that match their individual goals and risk preferences.

Once a Master Trader is selected, their trades are automatically replicated in the client’s account in real time, allowing users to participate in the markets without the need for constant monitoring or manual trading. Meanwhile, experienced traders can join the platform as Signal Providers, showcase their performance, grow a following, and earn profit-sharing fees, fostering a collaborative and opportunity-driven trading community.

Key features of KCM Trade Copy include:

  • Real-time automated trade replication
  • Full transparency through detailed performance data
  • User control with adjustable lot sizes and risk limits
  • The ability to follow multiple Masters simultaneously
  • Secure infrastructure with segregated accounts and SSL protection
  • Fast execution and competitive trading conditions

By combining these capabilities within a single mobile application, KCM Trade Copy provides clients with a convenient and efficient way to engage with the global financial markets.

Supporting Traders Through Innovation

The launch of KCM Trade Copy is part of KCM Trade’s broader strategy to continuously improve the trading experience for clients around the world. By integrating new technology alongside its established MT4 and MT5 offerings, the company is expanding opportunities for traders of all experience levels to participate in the markets with greater flexibility and convenience.

Commitment to Client-Centric Growth

With the launch of KCM Trade Copy, the company aims to foster a more inclusive environment where clients can choose strategies that align with their individual goals while strengthening long-term relationships with its global client base.

Looking ahead, the company plans to further enhance the platform, including the development of a web-based version, as part of its ongoing efforts to build a comprehensive suite of trading tools designed to serve modern investors.

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Hashtag: #KCMTrade #KCMTradeCopy #10years #globalbrokers

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/kcm-trade-launches-kcm-trade-copy-strengthening-its-digital-offering/

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UPDATE – Aggravated robbery, Whanganui, seeking to identify

Source: New Zealand Police

Media are advised that Police have now identified the people sought in images from a releas this afternoon about an aggravated robbery in Castlecliff, Whanganui.

We would ask media to therefore please now remove these photos from any reporting.

Enquiries into the robbery are ongoing.

ENDS

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/13/update-aggravated-robbery-whanganui-seeking-to-identify/

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Taskforce Morpheus: Arrests made, firearms seized

Source: New Zealand Police

New Zealand Police have targeted Comanchero members and associates as part of coordinated enforcement activity across Australasia targeting the gang’s criminal operations.

Three men have been arrested, with items seized including an AR-15 rifle, cash and methamphetamine.

Taskforce Morpheus is a working group of law enforcement agencies across Australia and New Zealand that focus on the targeting and disruption of illegal activity by organised criminal groups.

Last week, the National Day of Action targeted the Comanchero Motorcycle Club, and saw nine Police districts carry out enforcement activity, supported by the National Organised Crime Group and the National Gang Unit.

Police charged three men who are members or associates of the gang and laid 14 charges for drugs and firearms offending.

In Tokoroa, Bay of Plenty staff searched three addresses with the assistance of the Armed Offenders Squad.

Five firearms, including an AR-15 rifle, were recovered along with cannabis and a kilogram of a substance believed to be methamphetamine.

Two men, aged 36 and 39, were arrested without incident during the warrants.

Around the country, Police also worked with the Department of Corrections given the number of members currently in custody.

Director of the National Organised Crime Group, Detective Superintendent Greg Williams says the Comancheros remain of interest to law enforcement agencies.

“This gang is seen as one of the top organised crime groups in both Australia and New Zealand for their involvement in the importation and distribution of cocaine, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs,” he says.

“They remain a focus for us, and through our investigative work we continue to find their members and associates involved in a large number of importations, alongside their propension for committing serious violence to maintain control over the market.”

Police continue to work with law enforcement agencies in New Zealand and abroad to combat the Comanchero’s influence globally.

“We are focused on taking their influence out of New Zealand, and we have had many successes since the gang established operations here through Operations Nova and Embargo,” Detective Superintendent Williams says.

“Nearly all of the gang’s members and associates have been prosecuted, and this includes its entire senior leadership team that are all facing serious charges.”

Director Prisoners of Extreme Risk Directorate, Jeanette Burns says a large number of cells were searched across six prisons in New Zealand.

“Across those prisons a large amount of tobacco was located, alongside quantities of suspected illicit drugs,” says Jeanette.

“Some prisoners go to extreme and elaborate lengths to continue offending from prison. Our staff work hard to stop contraband entering our prisons, and when we do find it we take this extremely seriously.

“Corrections does not tolerate any criminal behaviour in our prisons, and we continue to work with our partners to stamp out this offending and the harm it causes to our communities.”

ENDS.

Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/taskforce-morpheus-arrests-made-firearms-seized/

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Education – Ara celebrates milestone as 900 graduates cross the stage

Source: Ara Institute of Canterbury

Ara Institute of Canterbury has marked a major milestone in its return to independent status, with over 900 graduates filling Ōtautahi’s Wolfbrook Arena in two vibrant Autumn ceremonies on Friday 13 March.
A total of 1800 ākonga (students) were eligible to graduate this year, with half choosing to walk across the stage in front of whānau, friends and staff. The arena was filled twice over with waiata, haka and standing ovations as Ara celebrated its first graduation ceremonies since becoming a standalone polytechnic once again.
Graduates represented a wide range of disciplines – from construction management and engineering to cookery, early childhood education, business and broadcasting. The cohort included 65 postgraduate awardees, 586 bachelor’s degree or graduate diploma recipients, and 1123 graduates completing certificates and diplomas at Levels 4-6.
Associate Director of Māori Success Tate Tiatia opened the ceremony by acknowledging the collective effort behind each and every ākonga’s story.
“Achievement doesn’t come easily. It doesn’t happen in isolation. It takes effort and support. Be proud. You can move forward in confidence to navigate new environments and seek out new horizons,” she said.
One of the most moving moments came as the arena fell silent to honour two deaf graduates. Hands shimmered across the stands in New Zealand Sign Language as Danielle Elliott and Liberty Francis received their New Zealand Certificate in Health and Wellbeing.
Elliott said the sense of community had defined her study experience. “Having that connection and family environment was the main thing. We had a great class vibe,” she said.
Mother and son graduates Linda Glasgow ( Diploma in Business – Leadership & Management) and Jack Glasgow ( Diploma in Construction – Quantity Surveying) were delighted to be marking the moment together.
“I wasn’t going to do graduation but to be able to do it with Jack is really special,” Linda said.
Jack, on leave from his graduate role with Seipp Construction, said it was “great to see mum’s achievements rewarded”.
Bachelor of Applied Science (Nutrition) graduate Lani Pitcher led the morning ceremony.
A previous recipient of Ara’s Eke Panuku Māori – Transformation Award, she will return to Taranaki this weekend to begin a role with Hāto Hone St John.
“I came here as a single mother with a one-year-old son and a big dream. I wasn’t just starting study – I was starting over,” she said.
“I’m grateful to Ara for creating a place that welcomes people from all walks of life, where learners can grow, where doors open, and where we are encouraged to bring our full, authentic selves into our study.”
Ara’s new board chair, Hugh Lindo, said the ceremonies marked a proud moment for the organisation under Chief Executive Darren Mitchell.
“We’re excited to be working with Darren and his team as we plot Ara’s future in a way that ensures we meet the expectations of learners and the industries they will join.
“Our team will be doing all it can to provide the best vocational opportunities to our ākonga and give them the tools they need to be successful in a diverse and ever-changing world.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/education-ara-celebrates-milestone-as-900-graduates-cross-the-stage/

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Has the Middle East war reached a worst-case scenario?

Source: Radio New Zealand

A photo illustration of a Brent crude oil price chart displayed on a screen. (File photo) AFP / Jonathan Raa / NurPhoto

War in the Middle East might have developed beyond US President Donald Trump’s ability to end it at whim, but has it yet reached a worst-case scenario?

Bloomberg reported on Friday that “international and US efforts to mollify oil markets continued to fail in the face of the long-feared worst-case scenario”.

Iran had pledged to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively shut.

New Zealand commentators said the situation was deteriorating with each day that passed – but could it yet be called a worst-case scenario?

Mike Jones, chief economist at BNZ, said there were still a wide range of scenarios at play.

“I think what we’ve seen over the past few days is markets adjust expectations around the length and impact of this conflict. Oil prices have continued to grind higher since Tuesday’s brief reprieve, and global bond yields are rising as a bigger inflation shock is factored in. That’s not a growth-friendly mix, although the magnitude of any impact is still highly uncertain.

“I think what is clear is that every day the Strait is closed the risk to the global and domestic economies rises. And even when shipping does resume, it looks as if it will take some time for energy trade to recover. That means we could see some sort of risk premium built into oil prices for a longer period.”

Kelly Eckhold, chief economist at Westpac, said it was a “very serious situation” that was unprecedented outside the 1970s oil embargo period.

“Our analysis last week showed that the economic impacts would scale up significantly the longer the straits are closed. There will be an accumulating shortage of crude oil in Asian jurisdictions which is where we source our refined products. And the reality is you can’t refine and export what you can’t access.

“Right now, the impacts are modest. We have fuel inventories on hand and new supplies seem to be arriving as usual. Business has likely not needed to do much more than prepare contingency plans. Consumers are noticing an uncomfortable rise in fuel prices that hasn’t extended beyond the experience of the last few years. However, that will change as the closure period grows. Crude oil and refined product will become scarcer and more expensive and cause increasing economic losses.”

Westpac chief economist Kelly Eckhold. (File photo) Newshub

At Otago University, Murat Ungor said he did not think the situation was yet a “worst-case scenario” – because things could still get “considerably worse”.

“What is likely happening is anchoring to recent experience: oil has traded in the US$70-95 range since August 2022, so breaking US$100 feels dramatic relative to that baseline. To put this in historical context, we have seen far more extreme oil price environments. During the 2008 financial crisis, Brent crude reached US$147/barrel.

“Or, following the 2019 Abqaiq attack on Saudi facilities, markets briefly priced in severe supply disruption scenarios.

“A genuine worst-case oil scenario would involve several interrelated factors not yet observed.

“First, a large-scale physical supply disruption. Second, prices rising to US$150 to US$200 per barrel and remaining there some weeks or even a few months. Third, cascading macroeconomic effects: global recession, stagflation, and supply-chain paralysis as transport costs make moving goods uneconomical. Finally, severe demand destruction, with airlines grounding fleets, industrial production halting, and possible fuel rationing in major economies – surely, this is a part of the worst-case scenario.”

He said the current prices did not reflect worst-case outcomes.

“I think we are in a regime of significantly elevated risk rather than a worst-case realisation. That captures the seriousness without overstating where we currently stand.”

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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/2026/03/13/has-the-middle-east-war-reached-a-worst-case-scenario/

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Alibaba Cloud Accelerates Worldwide AI Innovation and Adoption Across Industries

Source: Media Outreach

AI+Cloud strategy continues to empower businesses towards greater efficiency and new growth opportunities

HANGZHOU, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 13 March 2026 – Alibaba Cloud, the digital and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, presents a series of customer success stories from 2025, showcasing how its full-stack AI and Cloud capabilities are powering innovation for enterprises worldwide.

Alibaba Cloud’s comprehensive AI offering – spanning infrastructure, its Qwen and Wan model families and development platforms – met significantly growing demand as enterprises scale their AI applications across industries. These AI deployments have in turn fueled higher usage of core cloud services, contributing to sustained growth and underscoring the company’s role as a trusted digital partner for enterprises worldwide.​

Dr. Feifei Li, President of International Businessfor Alibaba Cloud Intelligence Group, said: “In 2025, we witnessed enterprises deepening and broadening their use of AI. Businesses around the world are utilizing our AI capabilities, built on a secure, scalable cloud foundation, to reimagine their industries, from AI-driven sustainable mobility to intelligent healthcare and generative content creation. Alibaba Cloud remains committed to delivering full-stack AI solutions, open-source initiatives and AI-optimized cloud infrastructure that empower customers to innovate at pace.”

Accelerating EV innovation in Malaysia

In Malaysia, Alibaba Cloud has been supporting mobility technology company PRO-NET from its inception, enabling the company to adopt a cloud first and data driven approach through a fully integrated end to end data pipeline. This foundation has played a key role as PRO-NET drives the development of Malaysia’s new energy ecosystem and accelerates the nation’s transition towards intelligent, sustainable mobility.

Building on this foundation, PRO-NET is advancing its AI capabilities using Alibaba Cloud’s Model Studio to develop its internal chatbot, which will later expand to customer-facing applications and vehicle infotainment systems. This collaboration strengthens PRO-NET’s capabilities in intelligent mobility, predictive analytics, and customer experience, supporting Malaysia’s broader EV transformation.

“Alibaba Cloud has been a key partner to PRO-NET, and their support in building our cloud-first and data-driven foundation has been instrumental as we advance Malaysia’s new energy mobility ecosystem. As we move into the next phase with AI, this impactful collaboration will empower us to unlock deeper insights, elevate customer experiences, and accelerate our vision of shaping a smarter, more connected future of mobility for Malaysia,” said Zhang Qiang, Chief Executive Officer of PRO-NET.

Powering multilingual AI in Singapore

In Singapore, Alibaba Cloud supports the release of Qwen-SEA-LION-v4, the latest version of a large language model developed by AI Singapore (AISG), to address the linguistic, cultural, and commercial needs of Southeast Asia. Built on Alibaba’s Qwen3-32B foundation model, the launch represents a significant step in AISG’s efforts to deliver increasingly capable and accessible AI solutions for the region.

Qwen-SEA-LION-v4 delivers significant improvement in multilingual accuracy and cultural contextual understanding while being efficient enough to run on a consumer-grade laptop with 32GB of RAM. It currently ranks first on the leaderboard for Southeast Asian Holistic Evaluation of Language Models (SEA-HELM) among open-source models under 200B parameters, thanks to its advanced reasoning, multilingual support, and long-context understanding tailored for Southeast Asian languages.

The base Qwen3-32B model has been further trained on over 100 billion Southeast Asian language tokens to enhance its ability to interpret local expressions, conversational nuances and regional knowledge domains.

“Our collaboration with Alibaba on Qwen-SEA-LION-v4 is an important milestone in advancing AI inclusivity and to make it more representative of Southeast Asia,” said Dr Leslie Teo, Senior Director of AI Products, AI Singapore. “It embodies our shared vision of accelerating AI innovation across the region and ensuring that developers, enterprises, and public institutions have access to AI that is open, affordable, and locally relevant, and is designed to truly understand the languages, cultures, and communities of this region.”

Modernizing healthcare with AI in Hong Kong

In Hong Kong,Leading Hong Kong-based Chinese medicine company PuraPharm Corporation Limited (PuraPharm) and clinical traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) intelligence software solutions company HerbMiners Informatics Limited (HerbMiners) have used Alibaba’s Qwen3 model to enhance the pioneering Traditional Chinese Medicine Advisor (TCMA) platform, a clinical management platform designed to modernize and globalize TCM practices. Powered by Qwen3 model, the platform now uses advanced natural language processing (NLP) and deep learning capabilities to help analyze unstructured clinical data, such as doctors’ notes and herbal prescriptions, supporting personalized treatment decisions and enhancing AI-driven patient engagement, clinical operations, security and compliance.

Dr. Wilfred W.K. Lin, Co-founder and Chief Data Analytics Director, HerbMiners Informatics Limited, said, “Our pioneering TCMA platform sheds lights on how modern tools can unleash the value of traditional wisdom, creating smarter, more responsive, and globally scalable healthcare systems. The platform is poised to redefine the future of TCM, not only in Hong Kong, but on a global scale.”

Enabling smarter, greener cities

Alibaba Cloud also supported global industry leaders to utilize Qwen to transform their operations, from accelerating product innovation to building smarter, more sustainable cities.

Signify, the world leader in lighting headquartered in the Netherlands, has launched the industry’s first GenAI agent in China powered by Alibaba’s self-developed large language model Qwen. By harnessing Qwen’s advanced capability to effectively handle complex tasks, the GenAI agent has been integrated into Signify’s connected street lighting system Interact City Flex that monitors, controls and manages street lighting, to further reduce energy consumption while boosting maintenance efficiency. Powered by Qwen, the upgraded system simplifies operation by allowing users to generate and deploy AI-driven dimming strategies through natural language commends. It also flags anomalies and provides solutions to improve efficiency on facility management and maintenance.

“Digital transformation in urban environments relies on intelligent systems that make city management smarter and more sustainable,” said Hans Nikol, Head of Open Innovation of Signify. “By making use of Alibaba’s Qwen model in our GenAI Agent, we’re empowering cities to proactively reduce energy consumption and lower operational costs. This collaboration marks an important step in intelligent city management and underlines our commitment to innovation and our vision for greener, brighter cities.”

Reinventing digital content creation in Japan

In Japan, Alibaba Cloud has established a strategic partnership with Tokyo-based digital manga developer and factory to drive AI adoption and innovation within Japan’s manga industry. Under the partnership, and factory becomes Alibaba Cloud’s official “Manga Partner,” contributing industry expertise and experience in digital manga platform development. Alibaba Cloud will provide advanced cloud infrastructure and AI technologies to support this digital transformation.

Together, the companies will co-develop AI-powered tools designed to boost efficiency and creativity in manag production, such as automated background illustration, intelligent storyboard creation, auto-coloring, animation conversion, and automatic translation. These solutions will empower creators, publishers, and distributors, expanding manga’s global reach.

With an expanding ecosystem of partners and customers, Alibaba Cloud remains focused on delivering secure, high-performance and accessible AI capabilities that help businesses of all sizes unlock new value and accelerate digital transformation in 2026 and beyond.

Hashtag: #AlibabaCloud

The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.

– Published and distributed with permission of Media-Outreach.com.

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/13/alibaba-cloud-accelerates-worldwide-ai-innovation-and-adoption-across-industries/

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Person hit by truck in Pukekohe

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been hit by a truck on Titi Road. Google Maps

A pedestrian has been hit by a truck in Mauku, west of Pukekohe.

Police say initial information is that the person is critically injured.

The crash happened at 3.22pm on Titi Road.

The road is closed and emergency services are at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit and Commercial Vehicle Safety Team will also be 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/2026/03/13/person-hit-by-truck-in-pukekohe/