Category: Public Media

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Efforts to salvage capsized Black Cat Cruises tour boat in Akaroa halted

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Cat Cruises catamaran had more than 40 people on board when it began to smoke, then take on water, according to witnesses. Everyone on board was rescued after other boaties came to their aid. Canterbury Regional Council

Salvage efforts for a stranded catamaran on Canterbury’s Akaroa Harbour are being temporarily halted ahead of bad weather, the Canterbury Regional Council says.

The cleanup had been continuing after the Black Cat Cruises vessel ran aground on Saturday, prompting the rescue of more than 40 passengers and crew.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission (TAIC) had begun an investigation which was expected to take between 12 months and two years.

On Monday, local authorities attempted to recover the vessel and quell the impact of thousands of litres of spilled diesel on the harbour.

Part of the recovery operation included moving the vessel into deeper waters, in a bid to protect its structural integrity.

The regional council’s on-scene commander Emma Parr said this was unable to be achieved.

“The hull has settled hard on a large rock and was unable to be moved into deeper water as planned. Forecast bad weather for the next two days means recovery efforts will be paused,” she said.

“All efforts have been made to retrieve hazardous and loose materials from the wreck.”

All responding agencies remained committed to the removal of the wreck in its entirety, Parr said.

“Debris collection and environmental monitoring will continue, and the exclusion zone remains in place. We ask all water users to respect these restrictions to ensure the safety of responders and the public.”

The Black Cat Cruises catamaran sank in Akaroa. Canterbury Regional Council / SUPPLIED

Wildlife worries

The Department of Conservation (DOC) said it was concerned about the effects of the diesel spill on wildlife.

Operations Manager for the Mahaanui District Andy Thompson told Midday Report strong smells of diesel had been coming from the nearby marine reserve on Sunday.

“We’re always worried about any sort of substance, like diesel fuel, hydraulic fluid, and engine oil in the marine environment. And even more so when it’s in the marine reserve environment, which is there for the protection of marine life,” he said.

“We have been fortunate in this case in that we don’t have a lot of hydraulic fluid and engine oil, like you get on some boats.”

Spilled diesel had been “evaporating rapidly” and DOC would continue to monitor the situation, Thompson said.

Long-standing tourism business Pohatu Penguins said the South Island Wildlife Hospital were prepared and ready, should any of their birds be impacted.

Pohatu nature guide and penguin rehabber Averil Parthonnaud said it had been told by the regional council that no animals “were in trouble”.

“It’s also at the perfect time of the year because the penguins are moulting (shedding feathers) right now. So they’re pretty much at home in their nest and not in the water a lot right now,” she said.

“It kind of happened at the right time for penguins, but I don’t know about other native birds.”

Parthonnaud told RNZ there was a lot of sympathy and support among the community for their fellow tourism operators Black Cat Cruises.

“Everyone knows the Black Cat crew, and everyone will be feeling sad that they lost their boat,” she said.

Coastguard unit being trialled at Akaroa

Before the weekend’s events, it had already been a busy summer in Akaroa for the Coastguard.

Volunteers had responded to “several incidents” since December, including a fatal diving incident earlier this month.

Coastguard said it was undertaking a trial in the Banks Peninsula settlement to see whether a permanent unit could be established there.

“Since December, volunteers from a range of Southern units have been spending their Saturdays and Sundays on Ihenga Rescue, providing cover for what’s become an increasingly busy boating community.

“It’s already been a full-on summer,” a spokesperson said.

The nearest Coastguard stations to Akaroa were based in Sumner and the Canterbury Coastguard unit at Lyttelton.

Coastguard southern operations manager Rob Greasy said volunteers were already training on the Akaroa Harbour on Saturday, which meant a quick response time.

“The vessel was taking on water and the boat was trying to evacuate passengers and put them onto any nearby vessels,” he said.

Coastguard volunteers tried to pump water from the Black Cat, but the rate of water entering the vessel was too great to keep up with.

The summer trial would consider the number of incidents it responds to in Akaroa and their seriousness, the uptake of local volunteers and local community feedback, Greasy said.

The trial ends in late February, followed by a Coastguard review.

A follow-up trial in Akaroa could also be arranged.

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Pilot, passenger killed in Paekākāriki Hill helicopter crash named

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

The pilot and passenger killed in a helicopter crash near Paekākāriki Hill last week have been named.

They were Cole Christopher Ritchie, 25, from Wharepapa South, and Joseph Mark Keeley, 54, from Tauhara.

The pair were pest control contractors working on Transmission Gully.

Kāpiti Mana Area Commander Inspector Renée Perkins said emergency services, aviation authorities, local iwi and regional partners have worked closely in extremely challenging terrain.

The are where the helicopter crashed. RNZ/Samuel Rillstone

The helicopter wreckage was removed on Friday.

Perkins said police, Civil Aviation Authority and Victim Support are supporting the families affected.

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Modern windows suspected of being behind rise in serious Kererū injuries

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Dunedin wildlife hospital suspects modern windows could be to blame for an increasing number of serious injuries in Aotearoa’s native wood pigeon/Kererū.

Window strike is the most common reason for the Kererū ending up in its hospital, with hundreds over the past few years – but they’re not the only birds taking a hit.

Survival rates were also down due to the severity of the injuries and the people treating the Kererū believe double glazing could be the problem.

Dunedin Wildlife Hospital general manager Suzanne Stephenson told Checkpoint the number of Kererū deaths was rising

“When we started eight years ago … we saved about 64 percent of the Kererū that we saw, that’s sort of 37 out of 57, we were able to give a second chance and get back out there into the wild.

“But last year that basically halved, we’re down to 34.7 percent or 17 out of 49 birds.

Stephenson said the most common injury they saw was a coracoid dislocation or fracture, which is a bone in the chest.

She said the injury could also directly impact the heart, which was catastrophic for the native wood pigeon.

Stephenson said modern homes, with bigger windows and double glazing could be to blame for the rise.

An imprint left behind after a Kererū flew into a window. Supplied / Chris Murray

“Now the difference is down the track, we used to have single glazing and that glass had a bit of give, so if a Kererū saw a line of flight through your windows it would possibly fly through that, it would break the glass, but with an injury that was probably quite survivable.

“… Obviously, you know double glazing protects us, keeps us warm, but what it does is give a very hard surface and our very large wood pigeons of course, some of them weigh up to about 650 grams, hits that with great force.”

Stephenson said she understood the practical use of double glazing, but encouraged people to work together with native wildlife to reduce serious injuries.

She said while birds had far greater eyesight than human, they see a flight line path through the window, with reflections also proving difficult.

Stephenson said their hospital had a couple of injured Kererū being looked after, but there were also other types of birds being affected.

Shining cuckoos and kingfishers were also renowned for window strike, she said.

The size of the Kererū didn’t help with injuries, with the force of impact being larger as a result.

“They’re the largest species of pigeons in the world and I think any bird that goes straight into a window, no matter what its size, that impact is going to be huge for them,” she said.

“… People will tell us that they’ve seen a bird on the ground not moving and they’ve watched it for a couple of days to see if it’s okay.”

Stephenson warned that was not natural behaviour and advised people to ring the DOC hotline as soon as possible.

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More interest rates relief coming for homeowners

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Interest rates might have started to rise but what home loan borrowers pay in interest is likely to keep falling through this year.

BNZ chief economist Mike Jones said while 2025 was the “year of the refix” – with 81 percent of fixed-rate mortgage borrowers refixing, the highest percentage in 13 years – there was still more activity to come this year.

Over 2026, 68 percent of fixed rate loans were due to come up for renewal.

“It’s the coming six months in which mortgage term expiries are the most pronounced relative to average,” he said.

“There’s approximately $132 billion worth or 34 percent of total borrowings. The long-run average is 27 percent.”

He said there would mean cash flow improved for many borrowers.

“A hypothetical one-year $300,000 loan locked in a year ago at 5.74 percent could currently be refixed for another 12 months at a rate of around 4.5 percent. That would result in an interest saving of a little over $300 a month.”

He said, in November, the average rate being paid was 5.17 percent.

“It has been a slow 14-month descent from the 6.39 percent peak in October 2024.”

He expected it could get to 4.5 percent by the middle of the year.

“It’s kind of a weird time because you’ve got mortgage rates seemingly bottoming, starting to turn higher but for the average person coming up for renewal they will still most likely be experiencing or be facing a menu of options lower than what they were previously paying, just by virtue of the slow-moving nature of the refixing beast.

“That is obviously a key plank of the economic recovery last year and also this year… we think we’re about 80 percent of the way through that process of refixing on to lower rates with roughly 25 points’ worth of easing still to come through that pipeline over the next six months.”

He said many people were choosing to pay off their mortgages more quickly rather than using their savings to spend.

“There’s a strong element of that, keeping your repayments perhaps similar to what they were but applying the extra relief from lower interest rates just to principal. We’re seeing quite a bit of that. I think there’s quite a lot as well that’s just been soaked up more or less immediately by the higher costs that households are staring into.”

Some was going into discretionary spending, he said.

“It’s helping turn that retail sector but it’s certainly not turning with any great force which I think speaks to the fact of some of those pressures that households are still under.”

The reduction in debt would be good for long-term sustainability, he said.

He said the average home loan rate being paid by households would probably hit the bottom of this cycle in the middle of the year.

“It take some time to turn and it will stay at a relatively supportive level for a period of time and probably all of 2026.”

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Farms ‘smashed’ in East Coast storms

Source: Radio New Zealand

Farms at the top end of the East Coast have been “smashed” by recent storms, with stock isolated and extensive damage to land and infrastructure.

A clearer picture of the level of damage is starting to emerge after huge downpours hit the region last month.

Representatives from Beef and Lamb and Tai Rāwhiti Whenua Collective have been going farm to farm doing damage assessments.

Beef and Lamb’s Pania King said the damage is isolated to Hicks Bay down to Te Araroa and slightly inland.

“We’ve seen everything from erosion and landslides through to debris and silt throughout paddocks, water systems and culverts are gone and a huge amount of fencing is down – so it’s quite extensive the amount of damage that has happened on those farms and on that whenua.”

King said farms were cut off, and even within farms, farmers could not access their stock.

“This is step hill country farming – farmers will jump on their horse and get out there if they really have to, but stock should have feed and water.”

She said farmers and contractors were waiting for the land to dry out before getting heavy machinery in to start the cleanup.

“It’s still raining here on Monday, so we are hoping by Wednesday we will be able to get machines in to start reinstating access to farms – that’s step one.”

King, alongside others involved in the recovery, also took to the air to assess the damage.

“It was quite emotional actually because I did the farm assessments in Gabrielle and it was going through the back of my head how many gains we have made, how much work has gone into rebuilding the infrastructure on their farms and how much capital has gone in – and now its all back to square one.

“I was feeling disheartened for our farmers, because for many this is the second or third time they’ve been hit hard in recent years.”

She said five farms had been listed as a priority.

“They’ve been really smashed – the destruction on those farms is actually quite unreal.”

King said the morale on farms was something everyone was keeping a close eye on.

“As you can imagine, it’s only natural to be feeling pretty down in the dumps when you’ve done this two or three times – this is not their first rodeo.”

She said the damage assessment should be with the Ministry for Primary Industries by end of Tuesday, so she was hoping a package of support would be organised to help farmers recover.

“We need to recover pastures and get some crops growing ahead of winter for feed otherwise that will bring a whole other issue for our farmers.

She says the farms hit were 95 percent whenua Māori, so the farmers would rebuild and stay on their land.

“This is a close-knit community, and everyone is looking out for each other and helping where they can.”

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Seven people injured in two-car crash in north Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

The crash happened on the arterial route of Whangaparāoa Rd. RNZ/Nick Monro

Seven people, including pedestrians, have been injured after two cars collided in north Auckland’s Whangaparāoa Peninsula.

A police spokesperson said the crash happened on the arterial route of Whangaparāoa Road, Manly, just before 4pm.

The spokesperson said people have received minor injuries.

Pedestrians were hit in the crash. RNZ/Nick Monro

Two Fire and Emergency crews were called to the scene. FENZ shift manager Paul Radden said on arrival, firefighters saw a crash involving pedestrians and two cars.

One crew has since left, and one remained in attendance working alongside St John and the police.

The road is closed while the scene is cleared.

Whangaparāoa Road. Google Maps

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Police criminal probe into Pike River nearly finished

Source: Radio New Zealand

Credit: NZ Police

Police are nearing the final stages of their criminal investigation into the Pike River mine disaster, in which 29 men were killed.

A methane-fuelled explosion ripped through the mine in the rugged Paparoa Range on the South Island’s West Coast on 19 November, 2010.

Detective Superintendent Darryl Sweeney said the nationally significant and unique investigation was legally complex, and police had been working with the Wellington Crown solicitor for more than 18 months.

“We acknowledge this year will be 16 years since the disaster. Before any decisions can be made, we will be conducting a further investigation phase,” he said in a statement.

“To protect the integrity of the investigation, we will not be providing specifics. However, I can say any further update is likely to be several months away.

“We appreciate questions over the time this investigation has taken but police are committed to exploring all possible lines of inquiry out of respect for the 29 miners and their families.”

Last November the lawyer for Pike River families Nigel Hampton KC told RNZ police had enough evidence to lay manslaughter charges over the disaster.

The Department of Labour laid health and safety charges against Pike River Coal Ltd, its former chief executive Peter Whittall and contractor VLI Drilling Ltd in 2011.

The charges were dropped in 2013 in exchange for a $3.41 million payout to the victims’ families, which was later declared unlawful by the Supreme Court.

The 29 men died from the blast or from the toxic atmosphere underground, while two others in the stone drift managed to escape.

RNZ / Anneke Smith

Efforts by Pike River families, including Anna Osborne and Sonya Rockhouse, ultimately led to police being able to re-enter the mine and recover further material and evidence from inside the drift.

In September 2022, police announced they were reopening the borehole drilling operation as part of the investigation and 10 boreholes were drilled, imaged and resealed. Human remains were found in the mine in 2023.

The 15th anniversary of the disaster followed the release of the Pike River feature film, which brought the families’ ongoing fight for justice back into focus.

Osborne and Rockhouse met Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden at Parliament on 19 November to warn that her workplace safety reforms risked another Pike River disaster.

Unions are calling on the government to support corporate manslaughter legislation, arguing it would ensure that the most extreme breaches of health and safety obligations result in criminal liability.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith last year said there were no plans to introduce a corporate manslaughter charge.

A 2012 royal commission of inquiry found that New Zealand’s old safety laws lacked teeth and there were catastrophic failings in the mining company’s systems, despite numerous warnings about a potential disaster.

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Fertiliser a possible pawn in global chessboard – Rabobank

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rabobank senior animal proteins analyst Jen Corkran said the outlook for New Zealand’s agribusiness sector this year was mostly positive. 123RF

A new report has alerted that geopolitical risks, like further escalation of tensions in Iran, could affect prices for key items used on New Zealand farms like fertiliser.

Prices for key commodities and farm inputs were often vulnerable during times of volatility, like the sharp increase in grain prices at the start of the war in key producing nation Ukraine, in 2022.

Widespread [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/583713/why-are-iranians-protesting-and-what-does-it-mean-for-the-regime anti-government protests were held across Iran throughout January, in response to economic and social crises.

It came as the key producer of urea and ammonia fertilisers also faced a sharp increase in tensions with the United States.

In a new annual report titled Keeping One Move Ahead, Rabobank senior animal proteins analyst Jen Corkran said the outlook for New Zealand’s agribusiness sector this year was mostly positive from a farming point of view.

She said stable supply of our key exports coupled with good international demand should keep farmgate prices high this year, especially for dairy, red meat and horticulture.

“The mood out there in the agri-food and fibre spaces is quite buoyant and I guess positive, and this is driven largely by above average farmgate pricing across the board really.”

However, Corkran said geopolitical risks could push farm inputs prices even higher this year, like further escalation in tensions involving key fertiliser producer Iran.

Jen Corkran.

“Perhaps some softening in the later part of this year in terms of some of those farm input costs,” she said.

“But of course, some of these inputs are affected by some of the geopolitical situations globally, such as in the Middle East, in terms of the costs of some of the stuff we’re bringing into New Zealand.”

Iran was a major global exporter of urea in particular.

Iranians gather while blocking a street during a protest in Tehran, Iran on 9 January 2026. AFP/MAHSA

Corkran said urea and phosphate prices were already elevated for farmers – with urea highly volatile throughout last year, and possible further increases in the near-term.

“Certainly at times challenging around fertiliser prices, and we are expecting to see a bit of volatility continuing. It will be something we keep an eye on.”

She said fertiliser prices increased 8 percent for urea last year compared to the year prior, up 14 percent for phosphates and 22 percent for potash.

However she said with farmgate pricing for commodities well above five-year averages, this will help off-set rising costs.

Report co-author Emma Higgins said the “global chessboard” shifted again in 2025, with a steady tightening of trade blocs, industries policies and geopolitical manoeuvring.

“As we enter 2026, the pieces are still moving, and the pace hasn’t slowed,” Higgins said.

“Major economies are making assertive ‘opening moves’ on trade, technology and security, turning commerce into a tool of leverage more than cooperation.

“For New Zealand, this isn’t distant noise. It is the environment in which our farmers, processors and exporters must operate – in addition to usual supply and demand fundamentals.”

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Man charged over fatal Dunedin crash

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A 24-year-old man has appeared in the Dunedin District Court over a crash that killed one person and seriously injured another near the city on Friday night.

Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash on Wickliffe Road in Port Chalmers shortly after 9pm.

One person died at the scene and two others were hurt, one seriously and one with minor injuries.

The man faces charges of driving dangerously causing death and failing to stop to ascertain injury or death after crash.

The investigation is ongoing.

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Taranaki surfers thrilled over return of world’s surfing elite to NZ

Source: Radio New Zealand

Paige Hareb competed at the Women’s Championship Tour when it was hosted in New Plymouth. (File photo) Katrina Clarke

Taranaki’s surfing community, -the only region in New Zealand to have previously hosted the globe’s elite surf competition, is stoked for its Raglan cousins who will hold a combined men’s and women’s World Surf League event in May.

The Women’s Championship Tours stopped at Fitzroy Beach in New Plymouth between 2010 and 2013 sparking a surge of interest in the sport – particularly women’s surfing.

Craig Williamson was event director for the Taranaki Surf Festival which included what was then the ASP Women’s Dream Tour.

Reflecting on the groundbreaking event ahead of the World Surf League coming to Raglan, the Surfing Taranaki chief executive said the idea was to give a local favourite a leg up.

Craig Williamson was event director when the WSL’s predecessor the ASP brought the Women’s Dream Tour to Taranaki between 2010 and 2013. ROBIN MARTIN / RNZ

“Paige Hareb had just qualified for the world tour, the first New Zealand female to ever do so. She was young at the time.

“So, that was a huge deal for surfing in New Zealand and in Taranaki and we thought that perhaps we could pull something together here and give her a home town advantage.”

Williamson said the festival – which was pulled off with the help of 60 community partners – had left a lasting impression.

“It was incredibly inspiring for young surfers all around the country. I bump into people who are young adults now a lot of them and they are still surfing and they talk about what an effect it had on them to actually see the world best here.”

He said the impact of the visiting athletes went beyond what they demonstrated in the surf.

Promotional poster for the Taranaki Surf Festival. ROBIN MARTIN / RNZ

“I remember vividly when we had Bethany Hamilton, the Hawaiian who’d lost her arm in a shark attack, speaking to like a whole classroom, a whole group of youngsters – mostly young girls.

“I’m sure they remember that and it had an impact on them, you know, in terms of what you can do in spite of obstacles that can be put in you’re way.”

Now based in Australia, Paige Hareb remembered the competition fondly.

“Yeah it was pretty cool. At the time I and probably didn’t realise how good I had it, but yeah looking back now it was definitely a special moment to be able to surf in front of friends and family in your home breaks and show it off to all the other girls and the rest of the world is pretty special.”

She said the New Zealand stop was popular with her fellow competitors.

Paige Hareb in action during the 2022 Nias Pro in Indonesia. (File photo) PHOTOSPORT

“Everyone loved it. I know there was a lot of hype about it before they even went there and I think the worst part of it was that it was maybe too cold for them some days, but we got really good surf and everyone loved it the sea and the mountain I guess is pretty spectacular for anyone who doesn’t live there.,

She saw evidence of the Taranaki Surf Festival’s legacy every time she comes home.

“When I was growing up I was one of the only girls in the water and now I go home and there’s at least one other girl out every time I surf there, so yeah, there’s definitely a lot more females into surfing and out in the water which is cool to see.”

Hareb – who would compete for a wildcard into the Raglan competition – expected the Waikato settlement to be pumping during the 10-day event window.

Bruce Gatwood-Cook was media manager for the Taranaki Surf Festival.

A member of the New Plymouth Surfriders Club for about 20 years, he said the audience for WSL events was mammoth.

“It’d be in the millions of the reach we’d be getting because we provided packages to sports networks in Australia and America, Hawaii, South Africa to Europe.

“So, it would be impossible to quantify exactly how many people we reached, but we were reaching a global audience.”

He said WSL events were a marketer’s dream.

“At the same time as livestreaming footage of the heats and highlights of the heats, we also provided b-roll of mountain shots and scenics of the arena.

“So, typically as you see with sporting events like that they’ll have cutaways of the beach and local mountains and scenics like that of the country which really help destinations.”

As a surfer himself, Gatwood-Cook was also taken with the impact the surfers had with fans.

“We just had throngs of young girls idolising Paige Hareb let alone all the other superstars on the women’s circuit and it really created an aspiration for them that I could be that person and I could do that and also seeing how they surfed giving them inspiration to surf like that.”

Meanwhile, Izaro Williamson Sasia was a just a toddler when her dad ran the Taranaki Surf Festival.

Izaro Williams Sasia can’t wait for the world’s elite surfers return to New Zealand in May. ROBIN MARTIN / RNZ

Now a national under 18 and women’s longboard titleholder, she was stoked the world’s best surfers were returning to New Zealand.

“I don’t have any memories of it when it was here in Taranaki because I was only little, but I just can’t wait it would be such a cool experience to see it live and it’s been something I’ve always wanted to do, so I can’t wait. Like there’s no way I’m not going.”

The New Zealand Pro, which had attracted government major events funding, would run from the 15t-25 May at Manu Bay, Raglan.

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Mariameno Kapa-Kingi’s expulsion breached dispute process and tikanga, lawyer argues

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori MP, Mariameno Kapa-Kingi speaking in the House. VNP / Phil Smith

MP Mariameno Kapa-Kingi’s lawyers have claimed Te Pāti Māori’s co-leaders were also projected to overspend their parliamentary budget, and there was discussion of a settlement proposal during the hearing to consider the Te Tai Tokerau MP’s expulsion.

Kapa-Kingi’s lawyers are arguing Te Pāti Māori’s constitution was not upheld during a process that resulted in her expulsion from the party, with Mike Colson KC saying a “political party which was created to fight injustice has visited a serious injustice”.

The substantive hearing is taking place at the High Court in Wellington on Monday, and follows a period of turmoil for the party that resulted in the expulsion of two of its MPs, Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris.

Kapa-Kingi challenged her expulsion late last year, resulting in a temporary reinstatement prior to the party’s AGM in December, allowing her to attend.

At the time, Justice Paul Radich said there were “serious questions to be tried” on the manner in which Kapa-Kingi was expelled from the party.

Both party president John Tamihere and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi were present in the courtroom on Monday morning.

Kapa-Kingi’s lawyer Mike Colson KC begun the hearing by saying the Speaker had not been properly notified by Te Pāti Māori about Justice Radich’s decision late last year, and she remained an independent MP, pointing out this could be in contempt of court.

Colson went on to summarise his client’s key argument: that the party’s National Council did not have the power to expel Kapa-Kingi, and that it breached the dispute process and tikanga.

“And I suppose thematically, that we are now seeing a revisionist approach to the decisions that were made, in which there seems to be an emphasis that there was not actually an expulsion, but a cancelation of the membership.”

Colson then referred to Te Pāti Māori’s constitution, outlining the importance of tikanga, arguing “tikanga should be part of the lens” through which the case is considered.

He then highlighted various clauses, pointing out relevant parts of the Constitution to the case.

In particular, Colson highlighted a clause he said did not allow the National Council to “cut across independently” a separate clause specifying a Disciplinary Disputes Committee.

Colson said Kapa-Kingi was given “no notice whatsoever” that there was going to be a hui where her expulsion would be considered.

He referred to various parts of the party’s constitution, claiming the party hadn’t adhered to it.

Colson provided documentation including a range of emails discussing the projected parliamentary overspend, a key reason for Kapa-Kingi’s expulsion.

Colson acknowledged the judge would not be able to resolve who was right or wrong on the issue of the budget, which he said didn’t “particularly matter”.

But Colson said Kapa-Kingi was entitled to “additional payments” due to the additional work she had undertaken.

In relation to the forecasted overspend, he said the party had argued Kapa-Kingi used those funds for her “personal gain”, which he rejected.

He explained “a fix” was arranged between various parties – including a parliamentary representative – in relation to her forecasted overspend of $133,000.

He then outlined Te Pāti Māori’s co-leaders were also forecasted to overspend their budget.

“It’s a bit ironic that the party to say this forecast overspend was misuse when we know at the time the co-leaders office was also in a budget deficit situation,” referencing the Te Pāti Māori co-leaders who had an overspend of around $40,000.

He also mentioned a “level of unsatisfactoriness” of evidence from the respondents, referencing affidavits that “seem incorrect”.

A settlement proposal was referred to during the hearing, which is expected to be addressed later.

Tamihere’s lawyers will respond Monday afternoon, but their initial arguments during the interim injunction last year stated the National Council did in fact have the authority to expel her.

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Cyclist dies after crash on SH1 in Marlborough

Source: Radio New Zealand

The road was closed between Lake Grassmere and Taimate (file photo). RNZ

One person has died after a crash between a bike and a car on State Highway 1 in Malborough on Monday morning.

Police say the cyclist died at the scene.

Another person has moderate injuries

The road has since reopened between Lake Grassmere and Taimate.

The circumstances of the crash are being investigated.

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First GP prescriptions for adult ADHD patients issued

Source: Radio New Zealand

ADHD medication was “life-changing” for many people, patient Adam Currie said. 123RF

Adam Currie became one of the first people in the country to be prescribed ADHD medication by a GP at an 8.30am appointment on Monday.

He told RNZ he booked the first available doctor’s appointment for February after he heard about the upcoming changes “many months ago, hoping the doctor would prescribe it”.

Not every GP would choose to offer the service, with some lacking the capacity to offer 90-minute ADHD assessments and the required follow-up sessions and questionnaires, which did not fit into the usual 15-minute appointment slot.

However, Currie – who already had his diagnosis – said his Monday morning appointment was “really smooth”.

Under the previous process, following his assessment and diagnosis (which cost thousands of dollars), he would have needed another psychiatrist appointment to have the medication prescribed. That would have cost more money and involved waiting several months.

On Monday morning he simply provided a urine sample and the doctor was able to prescribe him the medication.

ADHD medication was “life-changing” for many people, making it easier to hold down jobs, maintain relationships, and focus on tasks, contributing to a “far better quality of life”, Currie said.

“I think it’s really exciting that people are able to get the support they need,” he said.

Lack of funding ‘discriminatory’- advocate

The rule change allowing GPs and some nurse practitioners to diagnose ADHD and prescribe stimulants has been widely welcomed by many in the sector as a way to remove some barriers in terms of cost and access.

However, it is unlikely that every practice will have the capacity to offer ADHD assessments – and those which do will have to charge patients for their time, which could run to hundreds of dollars.

Aroreretini Aotearoa convenor Kent Duston, who represented adults with ADHD, said his organisation had been working alongside Pharmac, the Ministry of Health and Medsafe for years to get policy changes.

Poor access to diagnosis and treatment was “a long-standing and persistent issue in New Zealand”, and the lack of funding to support the rule change was disappointing, he said.

Government agencies had made “very timid progress towards addressing these problems”.

“The Ministry of Health’s refusal to fund anything of any description for the ADHD community really is a pretty significant piece of discrimination. in that I can’t think of any other issue that would affect 5-7 percent of the population that has life-long implications that the Ministry of Health would say. ‘We’re not going to do anything about that and we’re not going to allocate a single dollar to it.’

“So we think that the health system as it’s configured at the moment for the ADHD community is highly discriminatory.”

He dismissed fears of “over-diagnosis” or “over-prescribing” as unfounded.

Between 250,000 and 350,000 New Zealanders were likely to have ADHD, based on international estimates, but only 60,000 people had been prescribed medication, Duston said.

Even taking into account that medication was not suitable for everyone and that some people did not want it, “that’s still hundreds of thousands of people who are not getting the help they need”.

Both the Ministry of Health and Health NZ have been approached for comment.

Health authorities have been criticised for not allocating extra funding for the new service. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Change brings ‘both opportunity and risk’ – psychiatrist

The College of Psychiatrists said allowing doctors and nurse practitioners to also prescribe ADHD medicines would help reduce barriers for some people.

ADHD spokesperson Dr David Chinn, a child and adolescent psychiatrist, told Nine to Noon the change brought “both opportunity and risk”.

Firstly, there were significant risks associated with undiagnosed and untreated ADHD, and having a wider range of clinicians able to do that would be hugely beneficial.

Many went undiagnosed, particularly Māori, Pacific, Asian and people from deprived communities, Chinn said.

“In terms of risks, we want to make sure that assessments continue to be of a good standard, that the right people are diagnosed with the right conditions and prescribed the right medication, whether that’s ADHD or otherwise,” he said.

Primary health providers were highly skilled at treating many mental health conditions, but it was important that they had sufficient time to carry out ADHD assessments and also access to “escalation pathways”, if patients required more complex interventions.

A thorough assessment typically took about two hours.

None of the features of ADHD – including attention problems, impulsivity, difficulties with emotional regulation – occurred only with ADHD, and it was important to rule out other problems, like mood disorders, anxiety, substance abuse problems etc.

“Stimulants can be life-changing for some people. Psychiatrists are quite supportive of these changes to ensure people aren’t encountering extra barriers in accessing them.”

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‘Avoid the area’: Report of person with firearm in Napier suburb

Source: Radio New Zealand

A police car seen behind a cordon as officers attend an incident. RNZ

Police say nothing of concern has been found after a report of a person with a gun in the Napier suburb of Marewa.

Cordons have been lifted on Nuffield Avenue in Marewa.

There will be an increased police presence in the area.

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‘Avoid the area’: Person with firearm seen in Napier suburb

Source: Radio New Zealand

A police car seen behind a cordon as officers attend an incident. RNZ

Police are asking people to stay away from Nuffield Avenue in Napier after reports of a person with a gun.

Cordons are in place in Marewa.

Police say people should avoid the area and follow instructions from emergency services.

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Former rower Les O’Connell’s Olympic gold medal stolen in home burglary

Source: Radio New Zealand

Les O’Connell, Shane O’Brien, Conrad Robertson and Keith Trask celebrate winning gold at the 1984 Olympics. Photosport

A former Olympic rower is hoping there is some honour among thieves after his gold medal was stolen from his Christchurch home while he was away for the weekend.

Les O’Connell won the medal at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, rowing in the men’s coxless four, and was appealing to whoever pinched it to give it back undamaged.

He said the medal was gold coated but was largely made of silver.

O’Connell’s home was robbed over the weekend, with thieves stealing a vehicle full of work tools, as well as entering the house and rifling through his belongings.

He was yet to return home after the robbery and did not yet know the extent of what had been stolen

However, he told Checkpoint that no loss was stinging harder than the medal.

“All those other items, that’s what they are, they’re just pure items that can be replaced, this can’t.”

“All of that pale’s comparison to the gold medal.”

O’Connell said the years of work he put in prior to getting the medal was part of what had made the loss hit even harder.

“It’s something I’m not going to win again and it’s a whole process. You know, I was a world champion for two years before the Olympics, so it was a whole build-up to winning a gold medal… it was hard fought.”

Despite having championship medals displayed in his home, it was only the Olympic medal that had been hidden that was stolen.

“I had those in frame, I had this one hidden purely because I didn’t want it hanging on the wall and I didn’t want it stolen. So we hid it behind some books on a bookcase.

“I’ve been told that all the drawers have been opened and that sort of thing. So, yeah, they’ve had a good look around.”

O’Connell said he doesn’t believe the thieves knew what they had found initially and is now worried they might think the medal is worth more than it actually is.

“As time goes on, they’ll probably look at them and think, well, you know, what do we do with this?

“What scares me the most is that they might go and do something stupid like try and melt it down or disfigure it or something like that, which really destroys the whole thing.

“I don’t know what the monetary value is, it never had a value, but it’s more of a collector’s item.”

O’Connell was holding out hope that the thieves would see some sense and return the medal back to its home.

“If they could put it somewhere and let someone know or phone into something and say, it’s here. Even if they just hide it somewhere and later on they let someone know… even post it back somewhere.

“I just don’t want it disfigured or thrown away and lost forever.”

New Zealand Police have been contacted for comment.

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Watch: PM Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford on reporting students’ progress

Source: Radio New Zealand

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford have unveiled changes to how students’ progress is reported.

The government says the new reports will give families clearer information about their children.

It says the reports will ensure all primary and intermediate schools describe children’s achievement in reading, writing and maths twice a year in the same way.

They will rank children’s achievement on a five-point scale – emerging, developing, consolidating, proficient and exceeding.

The reports will also provide an overall percentage score and describe what the child can do in each of the three subjects .

The government says schools will report on other subjects and on student behaviour as they do now.

It comes as schools are opening up again for 2026 and must use new maths and English curriculums for students in Years 0-10 this year. Draft curriculums for other subject areas are out for consultation until mid-April.

By the end of 2025, nine percent of students in Year 13 and 15 percent of Year 12s had not achieved the literacy and numeracy co-requisite, figures provided to RNZ by NZQA show. The achievement rates were the lowest in the past five years.

They equated to about 5000 Year 13s and 10,000 Year 12s who would not receive any NCEA certificates because they had not yet met the requirement.

Watch the announcement live at the top of this page.

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Patient touched while sleeping, watched while washing during recovery at Hutt Hospital

Source: Radio New Zealand

The woman was in Hutt Hospital, recovering from a leg amputation. RNZ / REECE BAKER

A woman recovering from a leg amputation in Hutt Hospital was repeatedly harassed by a male patient who touched her while she slept and watched while she was being washed.

The Health and Disability Commission says the hospital failed to keep her safe during her 2022 stay.

The hospital took a week to assign someone to watch the male patient, 11 days to give the woman a security guard, and did not remove the man from the ward.

The woman, known as Mrs B, was being cared for in a room with other women but in a mixed gender ward, deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper said in her report released on Monday.

Over the course of her stay, the confused man gave her “unwanted attention”.

That included “touching her when she was sleeping, watching her as she was being washed or changed, making inappropriate sexual comments, and going through her belongings”, the report said.

She was so badly impacted, her family discharged her early to finish her recovery at home and she became frightened to return to hospital.

The harassment began soon after the woman was admitted following her amputation.

For the first three days, the hospital used its confused patient protocols to manage the man – including medication, an alarm bracelet, regular checks and using nurses to help redirect him.

His behaviour escalated and a psychiatrist was consulted.

Health NZ told the commission it was unable to move the man from the ward to a place where his behaviour could managed better because of “resourcing constraints”.

On the eighth day of the woman’s stay, staff made an incident report and healthcare assistants were assigned to watch the man around the clock.

But the next day there was a “further incident” when the man entered the woman’s room.

She was offered a private room but declined because she felt safer in a shared room, saying it took 15 or 20 minutes for her call bell to be answered.

The family complained and met with staff to discuss safety measures.

It was not until another incident on day 11 that a security guard was posted outside the woman’s room and she was moved to a bed further from the door.

Her family told the commission the guard did not initially realise he was there to stop the male patient entering the room.

They decided to take her home early and her son complained to the commission.

She had post traumatic stress disorder as a result of her experience.

Deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper. Supplied

Hospital criticised

Deputy commissioner Carolyn Cooper said the hospital did not provide the woman with the safe environment she was entitled to.

Health NZ had taken steps to address the behaviour of the man towards her but they were not effective – and incidents continued until she was discharged, Cooper’s report said.

The report noted the hospital’s comments that it could not move the man because of “resourcing constraints”.

“Despite this, I have concerns that the male patient remained in the ward when it was clear that his behaviour was escalating and could not be managed adequately by the measures taken to minimise the risk of harm to Mrs B,” she said.

The hospital also under-reported the number of incidents, the report said.

Health NZ responds

Heath NZ told the commission it took reasonable actions to provide appropriate care to the woman.

But it accepted that it had ultimately failed to provide her with a safe environment.

“Health NZ apologised for this and for the emotional distress this caused,” it said.

The hospital had considered moving the man to another ward but decided not to because of the complexity of patients on that ward and that they may have increased the confusion the man was experiencing.

It had made a series of changes since the woman’s stay.

It was increasing staff education, including for security guards, orderlies and minders on the risks of sexually inappropriate behaviour.

The hospital was looking into same-gender bays in wards to “enhance patient dignity, privacy and safety” and changing wards to include low-stimulation spaces for patients who are confused or agitated.

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Tauranga City Council votes for independent review into fatal Mt Maunganui landslide

Source: Radio New Zealand

The six victims of the Mt Maunganui landslide – Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Lisa Maclennan, 50, Susan Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, Max Furse-Kee, 15, and Jacqualine Wheeler, 71. Supplied

Tauranga City Council has voted to commission an independent external review into the fatal Mount Maunganui landslide.

Six people died in the slip, and the police had finished their recovery efforts, with all the victims now recovered and identified.

Mayor Mahé Drysdale earlier said the council would arrange its own review into the slip, despite the fact the government was also likely to hold an inquiry.

In an emergency meeting held on Monday, councillors decided an independent external review would take place – opting for that instead of a “rapid internal assessment”.

“This is very much around establishing the facts, understanding what happened, and… whether the actions of Tauranga City Council were appropriate in the circumstances,” Drysdale said.

It was important any lessons would be delivered as soon as possible to protect the lives of residents and visitors, he said.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drusdale speaking at the scene of the landslide. RNZ

The council would now finalise the terms of reference, appoint the independent reviewer, and decide on the timeframe.

The option to do nothing was discounted “as it is not prudent governance to ignore an incident of this scale and the need to provide assurance, transparency, and organisational learning,” the agenda document said.

A rapid internal assessment run by a senior staffer would be quicker and cheaper, but with weaker “perceived independence” given community expectations and scrutiny, it said.

An independent external review would be slower and more costly, but with greater public confidence, the paper said.

Monday’s meeting was held in “tragic circumstances”, following events that had changed the city forever, Drysdale said.

“We’ve had a number of questions, and as governors, we need to answer those questions.”

The cordon in Mt Maunganui following the deadly landslide was covered in tributes for the people who lost their lives. RNZ / Lauren Crimp

Councillors noted the fact the council owned the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park meant there was inherent conflict.

That was cause enough for an independent Crown inquiry, Councillor Steve Morris said.

“But in the meantime we’re responsible for the lives of nearly 170,000 people, so we’ve got to learn and implement any changes as soon as possible, because a future natural disaster isn’t going to give us the courtesy for the Crown or its agencies to complete their inquiries.”

Councillor Hemi Rolleston urged the council to balance haste and care.

Tauranga City Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said he fully supported an external review.

Public scrutiny had been growing following the landslip.

A camper who contacted emergency services on the morning of the landslide said she saw a local council representative drive through the campground and directly past three slips about two hours before the deadly landslide.

The council would not comment on that before any review took place, emergency controller Tom McEntyre said.

It was also revealed last week that geotechnical engineers told Tauranga City Council two decades ago buildings should not be allowed in the “runout” zones of potential landslides unless they had specially constructed protection like a retaining wall.

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Schools fear uptick in absences for Lunar New Year

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ/ Dan Cook

A number of schools in Auckland have expressed concern about an uptick in absences at the start of the year as students travel overseas to visit families during Lunar New Year celebrations.

New Zealand’s state and state integrated schools begin the first term of 2026 between Monday, 26 January, and Monday, 9 February.

The upcoming Lunar New Year falls on 17 February this year – about three weeks after some schools resume classes.

That gap has prompted concern at schools with large numbers of Asian students that some families may miss extended periods of school.

Auckland’s Macleans College begins Term 1 on 2 February, with principal Steven Hargreaves acknowledging the absences the school typically records around Lunar New Year each year.

Hargreaves said some students stayed in China over the New Zealand summer holidays and only returned after Chinese New Year.

Lunar New Year fell a little later than usual this year, he said, noting that students who missed about three weeks of school could struggle to catch up.

“The first few weeks of school are always so important because that’s where the classroom routines are established,” Hargreaves said.

“If a student is away for three weeks, they miss some of the fundamental outlines of the course,” he said.

“They haven’t had a chance to review their timetable, the whole classroom dynamic and the establishment of routines is missed. It does put them behind their classmates for achievement.”

Macleans College principal Steven Hargreaves stands alongside international students from Germany, Italy, Kazakhstan, Russia, China, Vietnam, Thailand and Brazil. Macleans College/Supplied

Hargreaves said about half of Macleans College’s students were of Chinese heritage.

The school’s average annual attendance rate was close to 95 percent, he said, and students of Chinese descent had the highest attendance of any ethnic group.

Even so, he said, the small number of students who missed classes during Lunar New Year remained a source of frustration.

He said some families cited medical reasons to justify absences when students were abroad, which he said was problematic.

“We take the family’s word for it, even if we have our doubts whether that’s true or not,” he said.

“It’s often an excuse given to be absent,” he said. “But it just seems too coincidental that there’s a group of students away for a week or two all at the same time of year.”

Hargreaves said New Zealand law clearly stipulated that students could be absent only for specific reasons, and that family occasions or reunions did not qualify.

Several primary schools on Auckland’s North Shore shared similar concerns about possible absences this year related to the Lunar New Year.

Browns Bay School said it had set its 2026 start date as late as possible – on 9 February – to give families more time over the holidays, and reminded parents that students were expected back on the first day of term.

In a newsletter sent to families, the school said it had seen an increase in absences at the beginning of the school year around Lunar New Year, along with more parents citing medical reasons during that period as families travelled overseas to celebrate.

RNZ has approached the school for comment.

Pinehill School also planned to start the new term on 9 February but admitted that attendance could be affected this year.

“Last year, the first day of Lunar New Year was Wednesday, 29 January,” said the school’s principal, Carla Veldman.

“To acknowledge this special time for our Chinese families, we started the school year [in 2025] at the latest possible date, Monday, 10 February. Attendance was not an issue, and all students were back on Day 1.”

“This year is a bit more challenging,” she said.

“We are starting at the latest possible date again … but Lunar New Year falls later, on Tuesday, 17 February. We anticipate that this may affect attendance for some families.

“Extended absences at the start of the year can affect how students settle in, build relationships with teachers and peers, understand routines and systems, and complete beginning-of-year assessments.”

Supplied / Ministry of Education

Veldman said about 60 percent of the school’s students identified as Chinese.

She said the school followed its attendance follow-up procedures to communicate the importance of regular attendance to all families.

“We include messages such as, ‘Missing one week of school each term adds up to missing a whole year of learning by the time your child is 16’,” Veldman said.

“Regular attendance helps students get the most out of their education.”

For families who needed to travel for Lunar New Year, she said, the school encouraged parents to let staff know in advance so teachers could provide learning resources and support, helping students return without feeling overwhelmed.

“We understand that Lunar New Year is an important cultural occasion for many families,” she said.

“Our advice is to plan travel around the school calendar where possible, keep absences to a minimum and communicate with the school so we can support students to stay on track with learning.”

Pigeon Mountain Primary School in East Auckland starts the new term on 3 February.

Principal Phebe Rossiter said the school had noticed fluctuations in attendance at the start of the year.

In 2025, she said, the school recorded 85 percent regular attendance in the first week and 90 percent in the second, which coincided with Lunar New Year, compared with a typical weekly average of about 96 percent in Term 1.

She cautioned, however, against attributing higher absence rates solely to cultural celebrations.

Rossiter said regular attendance in the first weeks of school was critical but noted it was also important to bring culture into school life.

“A student’s culture is incredibly important to us,” she said.

Rossiter said the school was planning to mark Lunar New Year with decorations and classroom-learning activities, as well as a lion dance performance.

For families weighing attendance against cultural obligations, she encouraged parents to contact the school for support.

“We want parents to know that if they plan a holiday during term time, their child may miss out on key learning or a fun event they had been really looking forward to,” she said.

“However, we also lead with empathy. We understand that traveling home to see family for special events is not usually a regular occurrence, and important part of life.”

Phebe Rossiter, principal of Pigeon Mountain Primary School, says a student’s culture is incredibly important at school. Supplied

Rossiter said the school’s target of having 80 percent of students attending regularly was achievable.

Helen Hurst, acting leader of operations and integration at the Ministry of Education, said the legal expectation for state and state integrated schools was clear: Students were required to attend whenever school is open.

“Regular attendance is generally understood as attending school for more than 90 percent of the term, which means students could be absent for fewer than five days in a term,” she said.

Hurst said the ministry could identify the number of students on holiday in Term 1, but could not attribute those absences specifically to Lunar New Year, since families travelled for many reasons at that time of year.

She said the ministry acknowledged Lunar New Year was a significant annual cultural occasion and reunion for many families, similar in importance to Christmas.

For families who are unavoidably away during term time, she said the ministry advised parents to notify the school early; discuss options to maintain learning, such as learning packs, online access or adjusted timing for assessments; agree on how progress will be checked while the student is away; and make a plan for re-engagement and catching up on their return.

The government has taken a tougher line on school attendance in 2026, with schools mandated to begin the year with an attendance management plan that set out how they would respond when attendance started to slip.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour said school attendance rates were trending upward, and the plans could include schools contacting families after five days of absence, organising a meeting when absences reach 10 days and referring students to truancy services after 15 days.

The government’s goal is for 80 percent of students to attend school more than 90 percent of the time by 2030.

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