Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

New rules allowing GPs and nurse practitioners to prescribe drugs to treat ADHD increase the risk of over-diagnosis, over-prescribing, addiction, psychosis and other harms, some clinicians are warning.

Christchurch hospitality worker Caity became increasingly anxious in the month after starting on ADHD medication.

“I just couldn’t shut my brain off at night, so I went 11 days without sleeping, which was definitely not fun.”

Then the TV started talking to her.

Caity had been prescribed atomoxetine by her GP while on the waiting list for an ADHD assessment.

It is not a controlled stimulant drug like Ritalin – but in rare cases, it can also trigger psychosis.

Admitted to Hillmorton Psychiatric Hospital, she was discharged too quickly.

“At that point I still believed probably about 50 percent of my psychosis, but I wasn’t a danger to myself or others so they didn’t really have a place for me.

“I was back within a month, and they were like ‘What happened? Why did you stop taking your meds?’ And I was ‘I don’t know’.”

Caity has since been diagnosed with ADHD but does not currently take medication, and has not had another psychotic episode.

Prescriptions rising

Since GPs lost their authority to prescribe stimulants in 1999 – due to worries about the potential for abuse – only psychiatrists and paediatricians have been able to initiate treatment.

Yet prescriptions for ADHD medications increased more than tenfold in the last two decades.

Wellington psychiatrist and addiction specialist Dr Sam McBride said it was “inevitable” that having more prescribers (GPs and nurse practitioners) would lead to more prescribing – and more negative impacts.

As happened now, some drugs would end up being “diverted” into the hands of people who had not been prescribed them, he said.

“A certain number of people come to harm from abusing them. A small proportion will develop addiction in the context of exposure to stimulants.

“We can expect a small number of people to have psychosis precipitated by these medications. And we can also expect some people will have physical effects due to exposure to stimulants.”

Those physical reactions could be short-term, like an irregular heartbeat, or become chronic, long-term problems.

There was also a risk to the wider health system: high demand for ADHD services could take “scarce medical resource” away from other parts of the health system.

“We’ll see the development of private providers meeting the need. And I’m unclear whether we’ll see the equity gains that were intended from the changes.”

Accused of ‘drug-seeking”‘

The lack of capacity in the public health system in the last few years has forced many people to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars for an ADHD assessment.

Bella* waited more than nine months and paid nearly $1000 for an ADHD assessment by a psychiatrist – but felt “let down” by the experience.

“He said something along the lines of ‘a lot of people come in and try to get diagnosed so they can re-sell the medication’. It was like he had an idea of what I was trying to do that was completely inaccurate.”

Bella said she had already told the doctor she was not interested in medication, she just wanted a diagnosis.

“I cried throughout most of that session because I thought I was finally in a space where I was going to get answers and support, and to be put down in that way … I wasn’t expecting that at all.”

Three years on, she remains “really hurt” by the experience.

“I haven’t gone for a second opinion because I’m honestly worried that I won’t be seen for who I am or the mental hurdles that I overcome each day.”

However, she has researched widely and found her own ways to mitigate some of the problems, including turning off social media notifications, exercise, proper sleep and good food.

“It’s a lot of work and can be tiring, but the results have really paid off. I’ve also gone to therapy to work through some of the more ingrained habits and thought patterns, and I’m learning to accept myself and encourage the positive aspects of ADHD.”

She thinks she will “most likely” go to her doctor for a second opinion at some point, but is in no hurry.

It’s ‘big business’ – psychologist

A psychologist who worked at a private clinic specialising in neurodiversity said she left after witnessing “unethical and lazy practices”.

There were clinicians who treated it like “a box ticking exercise” or ignored red flags.

“I saw people being diagnosed that I am confident did not have ADHD and when I raised it, it was like I was stepping out of line,” said the woman, whom RNZ has agreed not to name.

In one devastating case, a teenager died of suspected suicide within weeks of being diagnosed with ADHD.

The psychologist believes no one adequately explored what was really going on for him.

A proper assessment should involve digging deep into family history, home-life, school, relationships, what trauma (even intergenerational trauma) could be involved.

“I don’t want to discredit it as a genuine diagnosis but I am really skeptical about the diagnostic framework, particularly as used by clinicians who claim to specialise in this area.

“It’s being used as an explanation for people’s difficulties too easily without considering other things.”

It was hard to say “no” to a client or parent who was desperately seeking a diagnosis, she said.

“There’s also a financial incentive to give people the answers they want.

“You’re talking about a private business that’s incentivised to keep clients on, send them onto the psychiatrist. It’s big business, and it’s concerning that the public don’t know that, you’ve got very vulnerable people coming in.

“It’s very frightening because the consumer has to come in with a lot of knowledge if looking for a diagnosis for themselves or their child.”

Furthermore, the huge pressure on mental health services meant there was also political pressure to get people seen quickly, she said.

“I’m really concerned about this pathway of making it easier and faster for less qualified people to diagnose ADHD.”

McBride said when a diagnosis was correct and properly managed and people were “well supported”, stimulants were useful.

They could even reduce the risk of people engaging in other addictive and risk-taking behaviour, he said.

However, they did not work for everyone, and treating ADHD was often much more complicated than just popping a pill.

“And I’m concerned that at present there’s been really little consideration given to monitoring any of these issues, educating the public about these issues, educating clinicians about these issues, and looking to contain some of these harms.”

Ministry to monitor

The Ministry of Health said only vocationally registered specialist GPs and nurse practitioners who had knowledge and skills in ADHD assessment and treatment would be able to diagnose and start patients on stimulant medicines.

“They must be confident they can do this safely, follow accepted clinical guidelines, and meet the professional standards set by their regulatory authorities.”

Prescribing would continue to follow “existing regulatory and clinical guidelines to ensure quality care and prevent misuse”.

“As with any regulatory change implemented by the Ministry, we will continually monitor the new framework to mitigate any risk.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/clinicians-fear-over-diagnosis-of-adhd-as-gps-nurse-practitioners-allowed-to-prescribe-medication/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The recovery of a catamaran that grounded at Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is expected to begin on Monday.

The Black Cat Cruises catamaran was beached at Nīkau Palm Valley Bay, after it got into trouble on Saturday afternoon – requiring more than 40 people to be rescued.

Environment Canterbury (ECAN) said the first phase of the recovery operation – fully submerging the catamaran in deep water to prevent further damage – is expected to get underway on Monday.

The second phase to remove it from the water, depended on the weather and safety requirements, it said.

ECAN said it was working with the Conservation Department, iwi, and Black Cat Cruises on the recovery and salvage, while the Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it would be investigating.

Black Cat Cruises was approached for comment.

Longtime tourism operator, Tony Muir – who runs Coast Up Close – said the grounding hadn’t put a hold on scenic tours, but the exclusion zone around it, had changed what’s offered.

“Where they have it is right in the marine reserve, right at one of the highlights of the marine reserve.

“[On Sunday] afternoon we took a tour to the south, which is just fine as long as the weather conditions are fine… it’s a beautiful trip.

“But… this is one of the jewels in the Akaroa crown, where this vessel has been positioned.”

ECAN said the vessel was more significantly damaged than it anticipated and it was likely that all the fuel on board had leaked into the water.

It said the environment was coping, with oily sheens decreasing over time, and there were no signs of wildlife in distress.

A spokesperson said no fuel was able to be pumped out of the boat due to the nature of the incident.

“Most was discharged (likely in the early stages of the incident) due to the significant damage to the hull.”

Muir said it “wasn’t an ideal situation” but accidents happened and commended the crew for getting everyone off safely.

“It’s [now] up to all the powers that be to lessen the impacts the best they can.”

Following the near-sinking, Muir took his boat out on the water and helped with the clean-up.

“We went around and picked up a whole lot of rubbish, and plastic gloves, and puke bags and bits and pieces that had floated off it – we picked up quite a lot of that stuff just to get it out of the water.”

Fellow tour operator, Roy Borelli of Fox II Sailing Adventures, said he also scooped up some of the Black Cat’s debris.

He said his yacht, with 24 passengers on board, was one of the first on the scene on Saturday.

After a “wonderful sailing trip” where they’d been surrounded by dolphins, seeing the vessel was a bit of a shock.

“It was very… distressing seeing the boat listing. Because I’ve seen that boat almost every day that I’ve been working for the last 20 years.

“I know that boat. So, when you see it slowly sinking it’s very, very upsetting.”

He said he was one of many boats to offer assistance but ultimately wasn’t needed, and believed the catamaran ran itself aground to prevent it from sinking further.

Borrelli said there was still plenty of wildlife outside of the exclusion zone.

“We don’t know how long this is going to last, but it’s still an amazing harbour, and we have so much to see.

“We typically see dolphins, penguins, seals, and albatross on many of our trips.”

ECAN said the exclusion zone around the boat remained in place, and all non-response vessels must keep clear.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/recovery-of-tourist-boat-grounded-in-akaroa-set-to-begin/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Home loan borrowers are switching banks in record numbers, chasing cash back incentives.

But who’s paying the price?

Reserve Bank data shows there was $14.1 billion of home loan lending in December, $3.6b more than the previous strongest month, which was March 2021.

Cotality chief property economist Kelvin Davidson said it was a “large spike” in lending activity, for both owner-occupiers and investors.

He said some of it was for people buying houses but the bulk of the activity came from people switching banks.

There was $5.8b in home loan lending refinanced in the month, more than double the previous high. Switches made up 41 percent of the total movement of lending, compared to the previous highest level of 30 percent in June.

Davidson said it was all driven by increased “cashback” activity – where banks try to tempt borrowers in by offering them a percentage of their loan total, in cash.

“Remember that the banks were all offering 1.5 percent cash for lending for a period of time in November, which then fed into December’s strength once the loans had actually been drawn down.”

Davidson said it seemed that borrowers with large loans and large incomes were playing a key role in the activity.

“The share of lending being done at a high debt-to-income lending (DTI) actually dropped fairly sharply in December; or in other words, a lot of lending or switching was done at lower DTIs. For example, in relation to investment collateral, high DTI loans fell from nearly 17 percent of the total in November before exemptions to around 12 percent in December.”

He said December’s data was a story of “huge gross churn”.

“Borrowers will have been the winners, although some banks may have gained market share.”

Not every borrower benefits?

But chief executive at mortgage broking firm Squirrel, David Cunningham, said not every borrower would benefit.

Those who could move banks would get the extra cash, but those who were not able to could end up paying a higher price.

People usually cannot move without paying break fees if some of their lending is on a fixed term, or for a number of years after they accept a cash back offer.

“What you end up with is your new customers get their 1.5 percent cashback, but existing customers go well, hold on, why are they getting this deal?”

People who could move might have decided to take up the offer at another bank instead, he said, creating a giant “pass the parcel” scenario of borrowers.

He said it left the question of what fixed rates the banks would be offering if they were not funding cash backs.

“I’d argue we would have got the one-year down at four percent, but cash backs have become the new battleground.”

He said banks no longer tried to compete with lower interest rates to get new business.

Those lower interest rates would also benefit existing borrowers who would be able to claim them when they came to refix even part of their mortgage, and they would not have to change banks to do so.

But Claire Matthews, a banking expert at Massey University, was not so sure that existing borrowers were losing out.

“I’m not convinced that cashbacks would be having a significant impact on interest rates because they are only generally available to a subset of customers, and they are a standard time of marketing tool to attract new customers.

“Despite cashbacks, I think banks do still compete on interest rates, because that is still a key driver for borrowers given the longer impact and they will be important to a large portion of customers. And if they don’t qualify for the cashback, borrowers can negotiate with their bank for a better deal.”

ANZ, which initiated the 1.5 percent cashback offer, said it was committed to offering competitive home loan rates, too, for existing borrowers and new customers.

“Customers consider a number of things when choosing who to get a home loan from – pricing, approval times and other incentives on offer. Cash contributions give customers extra support upfront, helping with the cost of moving, refinancing or other expenses.

“Our recent cash contribution campaign was distinct from our choices on interest rate settings. We saw strong demand for the cash contribution campaign but for commercial reasons we cannot release details of specific amounts.”

BNZ said it would look at each customer’s situation individually to ensure it was meeting their needs and giving them the best overall value.

“Cashbacks are one tool that can help customers with costs when purchasing their first home, moving house, or switching banks,” general manager of home lending product James Leydon said.

“We currently have a cashback offer for first home buyers, offering at least $5000 cash back on new home loans of $250,000 or more, even with a deposit as low as 5 percent.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/whos-paying-the-price-for-cash-back-offers/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Auckland Anniversary floods of January 2023 devastated much of the North Shore’s Wairau Valley. Particularly badly hit were the suburbs of Milford, Sunnynook, Forrest Hill, and Totara Vale. In Milford alone, 150 houses were classified as Category 3, land now considered to be too dangerous to live on.

Three years later, the community is working together to redesign the increasingly empty streets, and to turn the Wairau creek catchment into something that locals will treasure rather than fear.

Before the 1960s, flooding was common along Milford’s Nile Road. Two major floods, in 1928 and 1953, prompted the former Takapuna City Council to seek ways to tame the creek that drains the Wairau Valley.

Longtime resident Sean D’Souza, who lives near Nile Road, said he understood much of the area “was always muddy, always filled with water”, before modern development.

In the mid-1960s, a network of concrete stormwater culverts was built to channel water parallel to Wairau Road. The system begins near the Northern Motorway north of Tristram Avenue and winds down through the valley toward Milford, where Wairau Creek meets its outlet near the shops two kilometres away. The construction appeared to solve flooding problems and opened the area to commercial and residential expansion.

On Auckland Anniversary Day 2023, the city endured a record deluge of around 245 millimetres in 24 hours. The Wairau culvert system from Target Road through to Milford was overwhelmed. Floodwaters surged through homes, businesses, and properties. Two men lost their lives, and more than 250 homes across the Wairau Valley and nearby suburbs were red or yellow stickered as unsafe.

By late 2025, over 150 properties in Milford had been purchased by Auckland Council. Roughly 45 Category 3 houses had already been removed or demolished, leaving wide stretches of cleared land where neighbourhoods once stood.

The Milford Residents Association, led by co-chair Debbie Dunsford, consulted locals about the future of the cleared areas.

“We’ve probably spoken to or engaged with about 500 people over some months last year, and quite a few themes have come out, and the big one is the idea of a blue-green network with paths and cycleway and little bits of park and community activities running alongside or close to the stream,” Dunsford said.

Locals envisioned an interconnected corridor that improved safety while enhancing the area’s liveability.

In a statement to First Up, Auckland Council’s group recovery manager, Mace Ward, said the approach was about recovery and redesign, not merely repair.

“What we’re doing in Milford is about making the area safer from future flooding and creating a place the community can enjoy and feel proud of,” he said.

Some of the Category 3 land was expected to become part of a blue-green network to allow water to flow more naturally during heavy rain, framed by public green spaces.

The Ngā Wairau Flood Resilience Project, the council’s long-term plan, would be delivered in phases. The first stage involves reshaping nearby parkland, which is currently the home to the Takapuna Golf Course, to store floodwaters diverted from the Wairau culvert system, reducing pressure on the main channel.

Work is due to begin in 2027, with funding in place both for phase one of the project and for the property removals in the Wairau catchment.

Uncertainty over future

For residents still living near the creek, uncertainty remained. Large tracts of bare land were now scattered through Milford and the valley. Some wondered if rebuilding could occur on higher ground once flood mitigation was complete, while others urged caution.

“Well, I hope there’s no building there, because if flooding happens again, something has to go higher. But if replacements are built at higher elevations, that makes sense,” said D’Souza.

He believed significant engineering work was needed to widen and strengthen the waterway. “If they don’t open it up or find more room for water to get through, it’s going to come onto properties. Water is unstoppable.”

Still, he favoured patience over haste. “It’s not going to flood every day, it’s not going to flood every year, I don’t see the need to rush through the decision making. But there needs to be clarity.”

The council still seemed to be figuring out what to do, he added.

Neighbouring resident Graeme Treeby agreed the future vision was promising, though funding remained uncertain. “I’m kind of more excited about perhaps the bolder plan of widening the creek, of having walkways and cycleways along there as far as it will go,” he said.

Despite some frustration about slow progress, optimism persisted that something positive could emerge from the devastation. Dunsford, representing the Milford Residents Association, believed the transformation could ultimately enhance local life.

“There will be an opportunity to have open space that the public can use on a daily basis and the sort of recreation of that stream, a naturalised stream we are hoping for and something that does become a local treasure.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/wairau-valley-regeneration-has-potential-to-become-local-treasure-2/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The mayor of Tauranga says they’ll start opening up the area around Mount Maunganui when it’s safe to do so, as police finish their recovery efforts following the deadly landslide.

All six victims of the slip that hit the Mount have been recovered and identified.

Police on Sunday stood down their operation at the mount, and the scene is expected to be handed back to local council in the coming days.

Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale told RNZ the area was still dangerous.

“We need to understand how we can make that as safe as possible, what that impacts, what we can and can’t open, and as soon as we’ve done that we’ll get to work to do what we need to, to get as much of the area open as we can,” he said.

Drysdale said he was hopeful streets could be reopened in a number of days.

As for Mauao itself, Drysdale said it could be a matter of months before it could be reopened.

He said they would work with local Iwi to assess the situation.

“We’ll be working closely with them to come up with a plan to firstly assess the damage, understand what we’re dealing with, and then put in a plan in place to get that opened up,” he said.

“But, looking at the significant damage, I think we are talking months at least until we can open that up safely.”

Drysdale said the community was still reeling from what happened.

“We’re going to be feeling this for months, if not years to come,” he said.

“However, knowing that all the bodies have been recovered, and now also identified, it does make things slightly easier knowing that the families can have some peace, knowing that their loved ones are returned.”

Mayor offers condolences, thanks community

The mayor released a statement late on Sunday, sharing his and other councillors’ condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the slip.

“While loved ones lost in this terrible tragedy have now been returned, we will continue to offer support to the families in the years to come and have been blown away by the care they have been provided by the police family liaison team,” he said.

“We extend our profound gratitude to all the emergency workers and volunteers who have worked tirelessly and with immense care to bring the missing loved one’s home to their families.”

Drysdale said it had been humbling to see how hard everyone worked and came together to give the families with closure.

He also acknowledged and thanked the community response to the disaster.

“In times of tragedy, the true strength of Tauranga is revealed in our unity and compassion. We will continue to support one another in the time ahead as the recovery of this tragedy and Mauao continues.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/mayor-says-area-around-mount-maunganui-to-open-when-safe/

Source: Radio New Zealand

In less than 10 years, nearly 100 Chemist Warehouses and Bargain Chemists have opened across the country – so where does that leave local pharmacies?

New 12-month prescription rules came into force this weekend, saving time and cutting GP visits for patients – but community pharmacists warn they are the latest in a raft of changes in a sector that is struggling to survive.

The rules mean that people with long-term, stable conditions can now get prescriptions of up to a year from their prescriber, which the government says could save up to $105 in GP fees annually.

Pakuranga pharmacist Vicky Chan says the change has no financial impact on her business but it adds to the hours of unseen, unpaid work she and other community pharmacists do.

“There will be more clinical responsibilities to make sure their health circumstances haven’t changed and that’s almost on us, the community pharmacist,” she says.

Chan, a member of the Independent Community Pharmacy Group, says government funding has not kept pace with other costs and she has to work harder to keep her business viable by offering extra government-funded services such as sleep clinics.

She is looking at buying a $100,000 pill-counting robot for her Auckland pharmacy but she worries that her business may not be able to support the investment in the future, given the threat of increased competition from discount pharmacy chains.

“In east Auckland we have seen another local pharmacy closed three months ago and there will be another closing at the end of the month. If you look at the numbers of pharmacy closures, I think we’re almost 100 community pharmacies down from 2020.

“There are a lot of workforce pressures, smaller operators are finding it harder to recruit and retain, there’s the burnout after the covid response, we did see a lot of people leave the profession.

“The funding hasn’t been recalibrated in a way that fits the model now.”

Chan says she spends a lot of time on tasks that make no money because she wants to do the best for her customers, some of whom are third generation.

A study by University of Otago in 2021 found that unfunded customer services comprise a significant share – between 15 and 50 percent – of a pharmacist’s daily activities, requiring cross-subsidisation using revenue from other activities like dispensing or retail sales.

https://ourarchive.otago.ac.nz/esploro/outputs/doctoral/Investigating-pharmacy-provision-patient-utilisation-and/9926478231001891

“I think a lot of work we do is invisible, that has helped reduce pressures on the GP, but also reduced ED (emergency department) admissions because we were able to pick those things up early, because we have that relationship with our patients,” Chan says.

Wainuiomata pharmacist Clive Cannons says people can come in to ask for a free diagnosis on an ailment or treatment, but there is nothing to stop them going elsewhere to buy the medicine if they think they can get it cheaper online or at a discount pharmacy.

He gets emotional when he talks about the threat to the 1000-odd community pharmacies around the country.

“I’m very worried,” says Cannons, chair of the community pharmacy group.

“We’ve lost our local GPs, we’ve lost those things that hold communities together and the last bastion is the local pharmacy.”

He admits that not all local pharmacies offer a top quality service and the sector needs to help itself to adjust to the growing competition from Chemist Warehouse and Bargain Chemist.

“However, there is a need for that high-service model where the owner knows their community,” he says.

Cannons’ group is calling for country-wide consistency in the way Health NZ grants contracts under the National Pharmacy Agreement.

In his Hutt Valley region he says new pharmacies can only get an agreement if the local funders consider there is a need. In other regions agreements are more accessible but that leads to oversupply.

He calls Pukekohe, on the southern edge of Auckland, “ground zero”. With a population of around 28,000, it has 13 pharmacies clustered in a high-volume area. Other parts of Auckland are also oversupplied, and many community pharmacies are struggling to break even.

Cannons’ group is also fighting industry deregulation proposals that would open up the pharmacies to non-pharmacists by removing the Effective Control Principles. Under those rules, pharmacies have to be more than 50 percent owned by pharmacists.

The associate health minister Casey Costello says deregulation will enable different models for pharmacy ownership, “allowing for more innovative and integrated healthcare that will improve safe access to medicines”.

A supporter of deregulation, Dr Eric Crampton of the think tank NZ Initiative, wrote last year that the existing ownership rules protect pharmacies, calling it an “odd little regulatory cartel”.

He cited a Ministry of Health report that it has not seen any clear evidence that the ownership restrictions contribute to patient safety or service quality.

Cannons disagrees.

“The questions is, what do the people of New Zealand want? What sort of pharmacy industry does the man on the street want. If they want us to go like America then that’s exactly what’s going to happen.”

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/pharmacist-fears-for-last-bastion-of-communities/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Heavy rain and strong winds are forecast to affect parts of the South Island from early Monday through to late Tuesday, with MetService issuing a series of severe weather watches.

MetService says a front will bring a period of heavy rain to Fiordland and southern Westland from early Monday, before a low-pressure system moves across the South Island on Tuesday, spreading heavy rain to parts of Canterbury and Marlborough and bringing the risk of southeast gales to the West Coast and Fiordland.

A heavy rain watch is in place for Fiordland from 12am to 3pm Monday. A period of heavy rain is expected that may approach warning levels.

The ranges of Westland south of Fox Glacier, including parts of Mt Aspiring National Park, are also under a heavy rain watch from 6am to 9pm Monday. There is a moderate chance the watch could be upgraded.

Further east, a heavy rain watch has been issued for Marlborough, south of Seddon, and Canterbury, north of the Rangitata River, from 2am to 10pm on Tuesday. Periods of heavy rain are expected, with totals that may approach warning levels.

Strong winds are also forecast on Tuesday, with a strong wind watch in place for the Westland and Grey Districts from 3am to 7pm. Southeast winds may approach severe gale strength in exposed places, with a moderate chance that the watch could be upgraded.

A separate strong wind watch covers Fiordland from 2am to 11am Tuesday, where southeast winds may also approach severe gale force in exposed areas.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/heavy-rain-and-strong-winds-forecast-for-parts-of-south-island-from-early-monday/

Source: Radio New Zealand

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/02/why-are-school-uniforms-so-expensive-and-do-we-need-them/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A tourist boat that grounded in Akaroa on Banks Peninsula is more damaged than thought, with Environment Canterbury believing all fuel has leaked into the sea.

The Black Cat Cruises boat remains inside the marine reserve, after it got into trouble on Saturday afternoon – with more than 40 people requiring rescue.

Environment Canterbury (ECAN) said the boat sustained “more significant damage” than anticipated and it was likely that the “full amount of marine diesel fuel” on board was released into the water.

It earlier said the boat was carrying 2240 litres of marine diesel fuel and around 120 litres of other oils in sealed containers and engines combined.

In a statement on Sunday, it said the environment was coping well with the fuel, with oil sheens decreasing over the course of the day.

“Wildlife specialists are on standby, and precautions are in place to mitigate any potential impacts to the surrounding environment. No wildlife in distress have been observed at this time.”

The agency said a recovery plan that minimised further environmental risk was underway in collaboration with iwi, the Department of Conservation, a salvage team and Black Cat Cruises.

It said the first phase of the recovery would see the boat fully submerged in deeper water to prevent further damage.

The second phase to lift the boat out of the water would depend on the weather and safety requirements, it said.

ECAN said the operation would begin in the next 24 hours, with phase one expected to be completed on Monday.

ECAN regional on-scene commander Emma Parr said the recovery operation was complex.

“We appreciate the support of all agencies and the local community as we work through the safest approach.”

Concerns

A conservation group said authorities were not doing enough to protect Hector’s dolphins in Akaroa Harbour.

Maui and Hector’s Dolphin Defenders said tourism pressure in Akaroa Harbour was relentless and oversight hadn’t kept pace.

Its chair Christine Rose said the grounding was a symptom of New Zealand’s commodification of nature for tourist dollars.

Councillor Tyrone Fields said it was the second time a boat had grounded in a sensitive area in three years.

He said he was deeply concerned about the impact the grounding had had on the environment.

The Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it would be on the ground in Akaroa to investigate the grounding of the ferry.

Black Cat Cruises has been approached for comment.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/01/over-2000-litres-of-fuel-leaks-from-akaroa-shipwreak-into-ocean/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A group of dirt bikers in South Auckland have put lives at risk after driving into oncoming traffic, over footpaths and across fields where children were playing, say police.

A number of emergency calls were made at about 3:45pm.

Police said the Eagle helicopter and dozens of staff were diverted to try and split the group up, while police also worked with local petrol stations in case the group attempted to refuel.

At one point, there were 40 bikers, police said.

Tāmaki Makaurau Duty Operations Manager Inspector Kerry Watson said police were asking for the public’s help before someone was killed.

“We’re asking for assistance from the public so we can locate these riders as soon as possible before they kill someone or themselves.

“There are no other words – it was horrifying behaviour, and to see riders speeding across sport fields where young kids are playing… you feel ill, because if something goes wrong, someone is going to be maimed or dead.

“We are combing through CCTV footage, frame by frame, to identify those who were involved in this display of stupidity, and when we find out who they are, we’re going to have words.”

She asked anyone with dashcam or CCTV imagery that may assist to get in touch.

A 25-year-old Ōtara man faces serious charges of reckless driving and aggravated failing to stop.

Inspector Watson said the 25-year-old’s bike had been impounded, and anyone involved would also lose their bikes once caught.

“Losing your bike isn’t the worst outcome when you consider that eventually someone is going to die riding like this, or they’re going to kill an innocent person.”

Anyone with information is asked to make a report at 105.police.govt.nz or by calling 105.

Please use the reference number P065318019.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

“I can look at our protectors – our maunga – around us and there’s huge slips gashing them,” Civil Defence incident management leader Trudy Nawhare told RNZ’s Checkpoint last Monday.

“One of our whanau described it as just like a movie – or something you might see on the TV.”

She was describing the damage in Te Araroa on the East Cape. At the height of the danger, Newstalk ZB reported Civil Defence officials there telling whanau to tie their tamariki to themselves and wait for rescue from floodwaters.

The disaster-movie scenes Nawhare described also played out on TV news – from Northland, Coromandel, elsewhere in Tairawhiti and the Bay of Plenty – but in Mount Maunganui, it wasn’t just the scars of storm damage on the hillsides.

The catastrophic slip from Mauao onto Beachside Holiday Park killed six campers and became the focus of the media coverage for days.

Eyewitness Alistair McHardy gave TVNZ News chilling phone footage of a slip he filmed in the early hours of the morning. He also gave a chilling account of his own helplessness when disaster struck after 9am.

The Herald vividly described how Morrinsville teacher Lisa Maclennan also raised the alarm and saved lives – but didn’t live to tell the media about it herself.

Images of the giant slip from overhead were heavily used by the media, but perhaps the starkest image this past week was the Bay of Plenty Times front page on Monday.

It bore the names of Maclennan and five other victims on a stark black background, and a statement from Ngati Ranginui: “Those who have passed now become part of the sacred fabric of our Maunga. Their wairua will rest forever, beneath the mantle of Mauao, protected and embraced for all time.”

Pointing the finger

Along with neighbouring Ngāti Rangi and Ngāti Pūkenga, Ngāti Ranginui administers the maunga through the Mauao Trust. The prime minister thanked them all for their support of people who were displaced and traumatised – and for their help with the recovery, but on social media, the iwi were accused of contributing to the catastrophe.

Online posts that claimed the removal of non-native trees for protection of culturally significant sites contributed to the landslide were widely shared.

“It was a day of disappointment, as the prime minister had to shut down what he called racist misinformation over the role of iwi in the landslide,” said ThreeNews on Monday.

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“I’m aware there’s a lot of misinformation and stuff going on out there,” Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told reporters. “The people on the margins with their rhetoric – they just need to frankly keep it to themselves.”

He didn’t name names, but Cameron ‘Whale Oil’ Slater said on X that the landslides “may have been the result of co-governance of the Mount”. He alleged Māori had demanded removal of large non-native trees recently at the main slip site.

Alternative news sites online also aired claims that the deadly landslide was avoidable, and may have been sparked by the removal of stabilising trees and at the iwi’s request.

Several cited the analysis of retired civil engineer Rod Kane, who claimed to have 20 years of experience in slope stability and remediation.

“It’s now fairly evident that the Tauranga council, at the insistence of iwi in using ratepayers money, removed big trees in the area of the slip simply because they were colonial,” Kane said in his own online post. “This is where superstition, stupidity and cultural arrogance hits the brick wall.”

He went on to warn of what he called “fake tribalists” and “12th century spiritual nonsense”, encouraged by what he called “stupid governments and councils and the media”.

Clearly, it wasn’t just geotechnical evidence informing Kane’s conclusion. In a rambling interview with Counterspin Media, Kane and the host claimed the removal of “naughty racist trees” contributed to the slip – and aired concerns about inept politicians, the RMA, “uncontrolled immigration” and Te Pāti Māori “pushing for civil war”.

Broadcaster Duncan Garner was persuaded by Kane’s account, reading it aloud on his MediaWorks podcast ‘Editor In Chief’.

“Colonial trees were removed at the insistence of the owners, the local iwi, not because of science, but because they were colonial trees – despite basic geotech reality, because symbolism mattered more than stability.”

“Six people… died because human decisions altered the land in 2017,” Garner told his listeners.

News media clear up the picture

Under the headline ‘Did tree removal really trigger the Mount Maunganui landslide?’ Dr Andrew Stolter from the University of Auckland’s Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering told Stuff: “Not really.”

Removing trees could contribute to instability, he said, but also tree roots may not be deep enough to control a deep, fast-moving slip like that one. Extreme weather and soil conditions were the big factors, he said.

So did Professor Ewan Mason from the University of Canterbury, who told Stuff the removal of trees in 2022 and 2023 would not be the sole reason for the tragedy.

“The surface of it is riddled by past landslides, which have occurred some recently in the last couple of decades, but also some long before European settlement,” University of Auckland professor of Applied Geology Martin Brook also told the Herald Now show.

Martin Brook followed that up with an article widely republished in our media this week, in which he said that the campsite itself was built on deposits from previous slips long ago.

Mauao may have been a disaster waiting to be triggered by extreme weather, but not solely for the reasons that some non-experts claimed online.

News you can trust

Once the emergency subsides, politicians might ponder the benefit of people getting information from accountable news outlets – rather than scattergun blurts on social media, where there’s no real recourse at all for falsehoods and bad-faith opinions.

Co-incidentally, last Wednesday, ACT MP Laura McClure lodged a Member’s Bill to scrap the state-backed agency upholding standards in broadcasting, the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

“In a free country, the ultimate broadcasting standard is the judgment of the audience,” the ACT party said in its announcement of McClure’s move, which would mean broadcasters couldn’t be held to account at all.

“How do you make sure that people have some kind of news that they can loosely trust?” Newstalk ZB’s Ryan Bridge asked her.

“When something big happens, you go to a trusted source. Do you not need some regulation for that?”

“Given the fact that people are consuming media in all kinds of different places, it really is unfair for mainstream media to have to adhere to paying levies,” McClure replied. Broadcasters pay a modest $500 for each $1m in revenue annually for BSA levies.

“I do think it is important for people to have oversight and trust and accountability, and I think that we’ve got enough there.”

She didn’t mention that broadcasters themselves drew up the broadcasting standards, alongside the BSA itself, and those standards mirror their own editorial principles and guidelines. Scraping the BSA complaints system would probably mean more complaints ending up in court – a much bigger liability for broadcasters.

If McClure’s Bill is drawn from the ballot, MPs would have to decide if extending the free-for-all of the internet to broadcasting is really in the interests of New Zealanders, who mostly say they do want news they can trust, when asked in opinion surveys.

What happened – and what happens next

After last week’s tragedy, probing journalism revealed that warnings were missed at Mount Maunganui, emergency calls may have been mishandled and opportunities to save lives possibly squandered.

Under the headline [‘Should warnings have been seen?’ https://www.thepost.co.nz/nz-news/360936602/mt-maunganui-landslide-should-warnings-have-been-seen] the Weekend Post had six senior journalists on the case.

The Post‘ national affairs editor Andrea Vance concluded there was no system to escalate the response in place and critical information stayed in silos.

Last Tuesday, RNZ’s Phil Pennington revealed that, after a big storm in 2005, geotechnical engineers told Tauranga City Council buildings should not be in “run-out zones” that might be inundated in a slip, unless they had been specially protected.

The prime minister was not alone in his surprise to be told this week that landslides have killed more Kiwis in our history than any other natural hazard.

“I had no idea until this week,” Newstalk ZB host Jack Tame said on air last Monday.

“Just as Pike River was a catalyst for huge health and safety law reforms, the Mount Maunganui disaster is fast shaping up as a watershed moment for property owners and councils, when it comes to liability around the country,” Tame said.

The media will have a role in whether it is a watershed or not.

Learning the lessons and making a plan

Some of Tame’s media peers were not so hopeful.

“I’ve seen this too many times with reports into disasters,” RNZ’s Morning Report host Corin Dann said on the political panel show ‘The Whip’ last Wednesday. “They don’t get acted on properly – or they don’t get implemented or it’s taken too long… and then it drags and it gets lost in bureaucracy.”

ZB host Andrew Dickens earlier echoed that fear.

“We’ve had this before,” he said. “Whether it’s Pike River or Cave Creek or the Wahine, after time has passed, we have a review, but by that stage, the heat has gone out of the argument.

“Maybe you should not just blindly trust your fellow citizens who say, ‘Yeah, sweet, it’s never happened before, so don’t worry about it’.”

Talkback hosts change their tune

Coincidentally, Dickens was saying that on ZB last Monday, on the third anniversary of the Auckland Anniversary Day floods. When Cyclone Gabrielle was bearing down on Hawke’s Bay and Coromandel days later, Dickens pushed back hard at talkback callers claiming the warnings were overblown and unnecessary.

The biggest names on the same radio network were also saying that. Mike Hosking, Kate Hawkesby and Kerre Woodham all condemned school closures and evacuation warnings as fear-driven overreactions.

Three years on, after the catastrophes at Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay, Hosking was this week earnestly pondering whether this would end up changing where we build and live.

He told listeners it was a bit too soon after the tragedy for that discussion, but Woodham did have that discussion on her ZB talkback show last Tuesday, after telling her listeners the deadly landslide was “horrifying, but not unexpected”.

“In some instances, though, do we just need to acknowledge that we are no match for the power of nature, concede defeat and step away?” she asked.

Several ZB listeners got in touch to say it was too soon to ponder that sort of thing and more said the same of claims that the tragedy had been caused by climate change.

Those making that case included the prime minister.

“I’ve talked about that for years,” he told RNZ’s Morning Report on Tuesday from Mount Maunganui.

“I just think, if you’re a doubter of climate change having an impact on extreme weather events, I’d give that up, because there’s no doubt there’s that connection.”

Last weekend’s Otago Daily Times editorial was even more blunt under the headline ‘It’s climate change, stupid’. That was directed at the doubters and deniers, and not the prime minister, but this bit of the editorial was:

“Economy was mentioned 18 times in Christopher Luxon’s State of the Nation speech this week, but climate change? Not once.

“It was a speech about wanting to ensure the best possible future for Kiwis, which completely ignored the most pressing issue the same day.”

The Post editorial the same day was also unequivocal.

“If you ask why this summer’s been wetter than the golden Kiwi summers you remember, the answer is climate change. There’ll be some who say it’s too soon to talk about climate change while the search for bodies is ongoing.

“They’ll say the commentary is politicising the tragedy, but the reality is that rather than too soon – it may be too late.”

Tauranga City Council, which owns Beachside Holiday Park, has commissioned its own review of last week’s disaster and, having seen the damage up close for himself, the prime minister was persuaded to propose a wider one as well.

While arguments fade about ‘the right time’ to talk about those things, the inquiries will be done in the knowledge that what happened at Mount Maunganui and Welcome Bay could happen almost anywhere in the country at almost any time.

Journalists have already identified the issues that need to be tackled.

This week, RNZ’s Kirsty Johnston detailed a “growing gap between disaster recovery and climate preparation.”

It showed a pattern of spending heavily after disasters strike, but investing comparatively little upfront to reduce future risk, even though Treasury has highlighted this growing future fiscal liability for the Crown.

“While we still can and perhaps just still be able to afford it, we must act in unity,” The Weekend Herald editorial said.

AA Insurance’s move this week to halt new home insurance policies in Westport because of flood risk was timely.

“If we continue down the same road of reaction, then some communities will face the prospect of being abandoned, if not by its people, then by those holding the purse strings – the insurance companies and government,” the Weekend Herald said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/01/death-devastation-and-extreme-weather-test-media/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The biosecurity part of the Border Processing Levy has dropped by 30 percent.

It has reduced from $16.92 to $12.03 for incoming air passengers.

The Border Processing Levy funds x-ray screening, detector dogs and other protections.

Biosecurity New Zealand had raised it to cover border costs and rebuild operations after Covid-19.

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard said those costs were now paid off, with air travel recovering faster than expected.

“It’s great to be in a position to ease costs on international travellers and Kiwis coming home, while still keeping our border safe from environmental and economic threats,” he said.

Biosecurity New Zealand will also invest in new border technology and more detector dogs.

Hoggard said it had set aside funding for a new digital border programme that would build on the introduction of the New Zealand Traveller Declaration, as well as deliver smarter passenger processing and new x-ray technology.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/01/government-drops-part-of-border-processing-levy-by-30/

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died following a two-vehicle crash on Puketutu Road, near Matamata.

Police were called to the crash between Matai Road and Buckland Road at about 12.15pm Sunday.

The road was closed, while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination, and it has now been re-opened.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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