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Tall Ferns newcomers make international debut alongside USA’s biggest names

Source: Radio New Zealand

Caitlin Clark for USA and Emma Rogers for the Tall Ferns will both made their senior team debuts at the Basketball World Cup qualifiers this week. Photosport

Three of the biggest stars of USA women’s basketball share something special with a trio of inexperienced New Zealanders.

Jade Kirisome and cousins Emma and Briarley Rogers will make their debut for the Tall Ferns in Puerto Rico this week as New Zealand attempts to qualify for this year’s Basketball World Cup.

On the opposite side of the court WNBA stars Caitlin Clark, Paige Bueckers and Angel Reese are also in line to make their senior national team debuts for USA at the six-team tournament.

While New Zealand’s newbies shone in the domestic competition Tauihi, which is broadcast internationally, Clark, Bueckers and Reese are a different level of recognisable for hoops fans around the world.

USA basketballer Paige Bueckers. ISHIKA SAMANT

Regardless of where they come from, the stadiums they normally play in, or the domestic accolades they already have, all players are bound to feel a few butterflies when they pull on their national team kit for the first time on the world stage.

Just getting the call from coach Nat Hurst that she had made the team was nervous moment for Emma Rogers who was named Tauihi Basketball Aotearoa’s Most Improved and Youth Player of the Year last year.

“Literally my hands were shaking, and my hands were sweating so much but was just really excited,” she said.

For Clark, who plays for the Indiana Fever, the opportunity to be back on court after an eight month injury lay-off added to her emotions.

“I don’t want to call it nerves but excitement to play,” Clark told American media this week.

“This is a really cool opportunity. If you don’t feel that way, then you probably don’t care enough.”

USA are the reigning world champions and have already booked their place at September’s global showpiece in Germany, so the qualification tournament is an opportunity to build connections between a group that does not play together often.

In stark contrast the Tall Ferns need to build on-court chemistry and win.

Tayla Dalton is the most experienced Tall Fern at this week’s World Cup qualification tournament. Supplied / BBNZ

With 18 games for the Tall Ferns captain Tayla Dalton is the most experienced player on the youthful roster that is missing players with American college commitments and injury.

Dalton has seen veteran players leave after the last Olympic cycle and is now helping to guide the new talent like Kirisome and Rogers.

“Everyone has their own journey to make it to this level and it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to go from high school to America for college and then here, or it doesn’t mean you have to play WNBL.

“You can play in Tauihi, you can play from high school. There’s so many different pathways.”

While some thought New Zealand had been dealt a bad hand by landing in the qualification group that included the world champs and world number six Spain alongside Senegal, Italy and hosts Puerto Rico, Dalton had a different view.

“When the pool first got announced I had so many people sending it to me going, ‘oh my goodness you guys got ripped off’ or ‘you’re in the hardest pool’.

“But I honestly was just so excited, it’s not every day you get to play USA, the last time the Tall Ferns played them was over 15 years ago.

“And Spain, these are some of the best players in the world and this is why you play, because you want to compete against the best.

“And then personally, quite selfishly, I was on the team that lost to Puerto Rico on the buzzer beater to get to the Paris Olympics, so to get to have them in our pool and play against them in their home country, I think it would be pretty cool to win that game back.”

The top three teams from the tournament will go to the World Cup, but with USA already locked in, the fourth of the six teams should also get their ticket punched.

With five games in seven days Dalton said they would need to be strategic in San Juan.

“That’s the thing with these FIBA tournaments, they’re pretty full on, pretty heavy load on the body and very quick turnaround.

“So that’s why we’re just making sure all 12 girls are ready to go, because at any moment, anyone’s number’s going to be called up.

“I think we’re very realistic, we’ve got three target games in particular.

“USA and Spain, if we’re being very honest, these are two of the best teams in the world and we’ll get out there and we’re not competing to come close, we’re competing to win against all five teams.

“But there might be a couple games where we really rotate everyone through.”

The Tall Ferns first game of the World Cup qualification is on Thursday at 7am (NZT).

The Tall Ferns squad

  • Tayla Dalton (Tauranga Whai), 18 games
  • Tegan Graham (Perth Lynx), 3 games
  • Pahlyss Hokianga (Tokomanawa Queens & University of Portland), 13 games
  • Jade Kirisome (Tauranga Whai), debutant
  • Rebecca Pizzey (Southern Hoiho), 5 games
  • Sharne Robati (Adelaide Lightning), 5 games
  • Briarley Rogers (Tokomanawa Queens), debutant
  • Emma Rogers (Mainland Pouākai & Fairfield University), debutant
  • Emme Shearer (Tauranga Whai & UC Capitals), 8 games
  • Ashlee Strawbridge (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
  • Ella Tofaeono (Adelaide Lightning), 11 games
  • Charlotte Whittaker (Mainland Pouākai & Adelaide Lightning), 8 games

The games

  • March 12 v Spain, 7am
  • March 13 v Italy, 10am
  • March 15 v Senegal, 7am
  • March 16 v United States of America, 7am
  • March 18 v Puerto Rico, 1pm

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/tall-ferns-newcomers-make-international-debut-alongside-usas-biggest-names/

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Person dies on popular walking track near Wānaka

Source: Radio New Zealand

Skyline Track near Wānaka. Department of Conservation

A person has died on a popular hiking track near Wānaka.

Emergency services were called to the Skyline Track, which runs along the ridgeline between Roys Peak and the Cardrona Valley, just before 3pm on Tuesday.

The body was recovered by a helicopter.

Police will not say what caused the death, but it will be referred to the coroner.

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Fire ban declared in Queenstown

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fire ban has been declared for most of the Queenstown Lakes district. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A fire ban has been declared for most of the Queenstown Lakes district amid warnings of recent near misses.

Firefighters and helicopters fought to control a vegetation fire near houses at Arthurs Point on Tuesday, while a burn-off escaped at Arrow Junction last Friday.

District Commander Craig Gold said both fires threatened structures and affected local trails.

“The vegetation across the Lakes Zone is primed and ready to burn,” he said.

“The risks and consequences of any fire in these conditions far outweigh any benefit in terms of land management or recreation.”

The prohibited fire season for Lakes Zone begins at 8am on Thursday.

Outdoor fires were also banned in the neighbouring zone covering the Central Otago District.

Gold urged people not to be fooled by the lower temperatures over the summer and occasional rainy day, saying the vegetation was very dry.

March was predicted to be drier than normal.

“Community safety is our primary concern and the best way we can keep the community safe in these conditions is to stop fires from starting,” Gold said.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/fire-ban-declared-in-queenstown/

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Three people hurt after car crashes into cafe on Auckland’s North Shore

Source: Radio New Zealand

Google Maps

A person has been critically injured and others also hurt after a car hit a cafe in Auckland.

Emergency crews were called to William Souter Street in Forrest Hill on the North Shore around 8.55am on Wednesday.

A person was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

St John said one person also suffered moderate injuries, and another minor injuries.

A worker at the cafe on William Souter Street said a woman was sitting outside and her daughter was also hurt.

She said she was shaken by the crash and the shop was damaged and had a broken wall.

Only one vehicle was involved, police said.

William Souter Street was closed between East Coast Road and Morton Avenue.

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Crackdown on illegal diving at Manawanui wreck

Source: Radio New Zealand

UAS footage of RNZN Divers surveying the area around HMNZS Manawanui on the Southern Coast of Upulo as part of Op Resolution. New Zealand Defence Force

Illegal diving and forced entry at the wreck of HMNZS Manawanui have prompted the Samoan government to increase surveillance of the navy vessel.

The Royal New Zealand Navy ship sank in October 2024 off the south coast of Upolu after hitting a reef, spilling hundreds of thousands of litres of diesel and oil into the ocean.

Three naval officers are now facing a court martial – a specialised military court that tries members of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The charges include negligently causing a ship to be lost, which is punishable by up to two years in prison.

The Samoan government has ordered a 300-metre radius ban around the vessel, saying it poses significant risks to divers, fisherman and small craft.

Its Marine Pollution Advisory Committee (MPAC) said the vessel will be more closely monitored following reports of divers in the vicinity.

MPAC’s chair Fui Tupai Mau Simanu said the government had a statutory duty under the Shipping Act to prevent unsafe interaction with marine hazards.

He said divers risked getting tangled or trapped in ropes and cables and the wreck was unstable.

“It could suddenly shift due to currents and tides, and wreck material could threaten boats that may be operating nearby,” Simanu said.

He said there was a risk of pollutants being released, with lubricants still embedded in piping systems.

“When pipes corrode and break these chemicals will leak out into the ocean,” he said.

The committee has also imposed a ban on manned and unmanned aircraft flying below 500ft above sea level over the zone.

However, he said commercial air traffic at cruising altitude is not affected, as only low-level drone activity is regulated.

“It is Standard Practice in Maritime Emergency Zones. It aligns with International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) guidelines for wreck sites and pollution response.”

“It is also stipulated in the United Nations Conventions on the Law of the Sea Article 60, where a Coastal State is allowed to establish a safety zone of up to 500 metres around a dangerous zone,” he said.

The New Zealand Defence Force’s Manawanui response lead Captain Rodger Ward told RNZ Pacific that signs of unauthorised activity were found during a recent survey of the ship.

“Unauthorised diving on HMNZS Manawanui is an unsafe practice and creates a risk of injury and to life,” Ward said.

“There is currently a 300 metre Prohibited Area around Manawanui providing a safety buffer zone, with all diving within that zone prohibited unless authorised by Samoa’s Ministry of Works, Transport and Infrastructure.”

He said a team of Royal New Zealand Navy diving personnel would travel to Samoa to conduct an extensive survey the wreck and carry out remediation work.

The ban will remain in force until the MPAC is satisfied the wreck is stable, all pollution risks have been mitigated and the area is safe for navigation and public activity.

The government said it plans to “secure” the wreckage by stabilising the wreck, containing pollutants and controlling access to the site.

It will also erect navigational warnings and continue constant monitoring.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/crackdown-on-illegal-diving-at-manawanui-wreck/

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Live: White Ferns v Zimbabwe – third ODI

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow all the action as the White Ferns take on Zimbabwe for their third ODI at University Oval in Dunedin.

The Ferns have already won the series, having beaten Zimbabwe by 180 runs in the first ODI, and dismissing the visitors for 102 in their second.

First ball is at 11am.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/live-white-ferns-v-zimbabwe-third-odi/

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What do rural sector groups think of the RMA?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Aotearoa has more than 900,000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land, mostly in the South Island. Sally Round

Access to water, food production as a priority, and land use classifications are some of the issues primary sector groups are considering with the government’s proposed new resource management legislation.

Public hearings into the Planning Bill and Natural Environment Bill – which would replace the Resource Management Act – continued during the Environment Select Committee this week.

Primary sector groups generally supported the intent of resource management reform, but requested further changes to the drafts from the government.

The Environment Select Committee will consider all submissions before reporting back to Parliament by the end of June.

It said 2242 written submissions were publicly available, but the total number of submissions was confidential to the committee.

Wine

Water was a key issue for the country’s winemakers who warned that future access would likely become more difficult with climate change in a competitive market for users.

Wine vineyards covered around 44,000 hectares across Aotearoa, with the majority in Marlborough. The sector used water usually for irrigation, frost protection and then in winemaking.

New Zealand Winegrowers general manager for sustainability Dr Edwin Massey told the select committee on Monday, the RMA was no longer fit for purpose, as water became a more “scarce” resource.

“Certainly, water is absolutely critical for the success of our industry, largely along the east coast of both islands,” Massey said.

“And water is highly competitive.”

Wine vineyards cover around 44,000 hectares across Aotearoa, with the majority in Marlborough. RNZ/Sally Round

Massey said the sector prioritised efficient water use, and a market-based allocation, it opposed, could lock-up the resource.

“New Zealand is getting warmer and drier with less snow melt, and those east coast catchments are likely to, on long-term average, to have reduced access to clean, fresh water.

“So getting that allocation system right and basing that around incentivising sustainability, we feel is a great way to not only ensure export return, but also to protect the environment and its quality.”

Massey said wine companies metered their water use and reported back to the organisation to try to improve sustainability and efficiency of water use, under the Sustainable Winemaking scheme.

Group New Zealand Winegrowers represented 1400 commercial grape growers and wine companies.

Irrigators

Agricultural irrigators wanted the new resource management system to recognise the importance of food production and highlight their role as key infrastructure in its success.

Aotearoa has more than 900,000 hectares of irrigated agricultural land, mostly in Te Wai Pounamu/South Island.

These systems either stored rainfall when it was plentiful or extracted it from rivers and streams to feed crops during dry periods.

However, large-scale irrigation could impact river flows, degrade water quality from nutrient runoff, and cause soil issues.

Irrigation New Zealand represents around 5000 irrigators, irrigation schemes and farmers.

Chief executive Karen Williams told the Environment Select Committee on Monday, the proposed legislation replacing the RMA failed to highlight the role of natural resources in producing food.

“If irrigation and farming are framed primarily as environmental pressures, the system will regulate them mainly as activities to constrain,” she said.

“But when managed well, irrigated land strengthens food production, regional employment, and provides greater resilience to climate variability.”

Williams said water storage and distribution should be considered as long-life infrastructure in the legislation.

“So the decisions before this committee are very much about balance between protecting fresh water and enabling responsible use.”

Irrigation New Zealand represents around 5000 irrigators, irrigation schemes and farmers. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

But the Green Party’s agriculture spokesperson Steve Abel told the select committee, groundwater nitrate levels had significantly worsened since the advent of large-scale irrigation.

“Your industry is at the heart of some of our most chronic water contamination problems, particularly in Canterbury because big irrigation has driven dairy intensity,” he said.

“Isn’t your industry exactly the reason we need to constrain activities that could are going to chronically harm what is the collective commons, our freshwater?”

Williams said irrigation had enabled all sorts of agricultural land uses to evolve.

“Yes, it has enabled dairying, and the application of nutrients associated with any of those activities need to be carefully managed.”

The group said 90 percent of horticultural land was irrigated, 80 percent for arable, 40 percent sheep and beef, and 28 percent of dairy.

Livestock farming

Beef and Lamb New Zealand called for significant changes to the drafted legislation in its submission, arguing the wording in the legislation did not match the government’s own intent.

Chairperson Kate Acland said farmers could be worse off under the proposals, as setting and managing limits would likely see the need for more consents, not less.

“There are more onerous requirements on permitted activities,” she said.

“The lack of appropriate guard-rails on the exercise of ministerial and council powers in many areas and the lack of requirement to consider costs and benefits could result in significant economic impacts.”

Acland said freshwater health was incredibly important to farmers, rural communities and the country.

“We need to get the framework for managing this right. Changes to the legislation are necessary but I’m confident we can get to an enduring framework that’s practical and achievable.”

She said the drafted legislation lacked detail on how freshwater farm plans and other assurance programmes might fit into the consenting picture.

Federated Farmers too was concerned about compliance requirements and red tape for farmers.

Beef and Lamb New Zealand said farmers could be worse off under the proposals with the need for more consents. Beef and Lamb NZ

Spokesperson Mark Hooper said a major concern was that, as currently written, instead of a farm plan replacing the need for a resource consent, a farm may need both.

“We see a risk of farmers facing more red tape under the Natural Environment Act than they presently do under the RMA,” he said.

“There are too many ambiguous, principle-based clauses in the two bills, which is likely to see continued expensive, time-consuming and litigious decision making.”

It raised concerns that the same farming activity might fall between the two Acts leading to more complicated and costly compliance processes.

It did not support a market-based water allocation system nor a levy.

Pork industry group, NZPork said it urged the government to ensure permitted activity rules enabled farmers to operate without unnecessary red tape.

Horticulture

Horticulture New Zealand renewed its calls for commercial vegetable production to be enabled in the new legislation, rather than hindered as it argued some growers faced now.

Some growers in areas like Waikato and Horizons regions have struggled to get consents, due to local, regional rules.

Horticulture New Zealand renewed calls for commercial vegetable production to be enabled in the new legislation. RNZ / Eva Corlett

Chief executive Kate Scott told the Environment Select Committee last week, a clearer national direction for securing the supply of domestic production of fruit and vegetables was needed.

She said the government could create goals of either enabling the supply of fresh fruit and vegetables or making it an activity of national significance.

“The way these sections are drafted would mean that most horticultural activities would require a restricted discretionary or discretionary consent, even where growers are making environmental improvements,” she said.

“This is worse than the status quo, particularly for orchardists who do have a very minimal effect on freshwater quality.”

Scott said it was concerned permitted activities under the new system appeared to be more expensive for consent holders, than the status quo.

Horticulture New Zealand did not support the introduction of market-based water allocation, neither did New Zealand Winegrowers nor the Canterbury Regional Council.

It said the approach would allocate resources to the highest bidder or highest value user.

However, the Environmental Defence Society demanded changes to the drafts due to what it called significant weaknesses in the legislation.

It said regulatory relief risked undermining environmental protection, environmental limits lacked clarity, public participation would be stripped away and a narrow scope of planning.

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

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Latest wave of Covid-19 driven by low vaccination rates, expert warns

Source: Radio New Zealand

Covid-19 booster vaccination rates are dropping. (File photo) AFP

The latest wave of Covid-19 is being driven by low vaccination rates, a health expert says.

Latest number show 50 hospitalisation and 19 deaths with the virus within the span of a week.

University of Otago professor of public health Michael Baker said earlier this week, New Zealand was experiencing its ninth wave of the virus.

The chairperson of General Practice New Zealand, Dr Bryan Betty, told Morning Report, vaccination rates were dropping, with the number of people getting a booster hovering at 56 percent.

As Winter came closer, Betty believed we would see the Covid booster being promoted alongside the annual flu vaccination.

“I think lining it up with it [the flu vaccine], does make sense.”

He said he would like to see people getting a Covid booster once a year, especially if they were aged over 65, or over 50 if of Māori descent.

Betty noted Covid-19 was not seasonal and affected people year round.

Covid-19 is not seasonal. (File photo) 123rf.com

“Covid is always with us, it never goes away. When immunity drops we see a wave. Due to low immunisation rates that wave is occurring at the moment.”

Betty said 56 percent of the eligible population had the Covid-19 booster while 14 percent of non-Māori and 28 percent of Māori were not vaccinated at all.

“The booster vaccination is important to protect yourself against these very irregular waves of Covid that can occur,” Betty said.

Health NZ’s national director of public health service Dr Nick Chamberlain, said while Covid hospitalisations and cases had increased in recent weeks, levels remained below previous peaks.

“Since the arrival of Covid in our communities, we have been seeing both summer and winter Covid-19 increases, but from the available data, recent increases are currently not near the magnitude of 2022-2024 rates of Covid-19 illness.”

Chamberlain said since fewer people were testing and reporting results, most cases were identified in hospitals. He said there was no single dominant variant driving the increase.

Health NZ was monitoring Covid-19 trends through wastewater testing, hospital data, genomic sequencing and case reporting, he said.

“As we head into winter, we encourage people, particularly those at higher risk, to get your flu vaccination and stay up to date with their Covid‑19 boosters.”

Betty said lots of patients weren’t testing due to the fact tests were not subsidised by the government.

“Our advice is to stay home in those situations.”

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No Stupid Questions: What could the Iran war really mean for your bank balance?

Source: Radio New Zealand

ATTA KENARE / AFP

What will the war in the Middle East mean for the average Kiwi’s finances? How far are fuel prices going to rise? What will happen to interest rates?

And what does it all mean for the price of food – haven’t we had enough increases there, already?

A special episode of the No Stupid Questions podcast out on Wednesday aims to answer these questions – and more.

If you have any questions of your own, send them to questions@rnz.co.nz

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/no-stupid-questions-what-could-the-iran-war-really-mean-for-your-bank-balance/

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What is wabi‑sabi? Will this Japanese philosophy make me happy?

Source: Radio New Zealand

The ceramic bowl with an uneven glaze. The teacup mended with gold lacquer.

The images are calming and attractive.

They are said to reflect wabi-sabi – a Japanese aesthetic often summarised in the West as valuing imperfection, impermanence and incompleteness.

Wabi-sabi: things are flawed, things change, and things are never fully finished.

Ketut Subiyanto

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/what-is-wabi-sabi-will-this-japanese-philosophy-make-me-happy/

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Auckland Mayor says inner-city suburbs are ripe for housing intensification

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wayne Brown and councillors met on Tuesday after the government u-turned on 2 million homes for the city. File picture. RNZ/Marika Khabazi

Auckland’s mayor says the city’s oldest suburb can expect intensification after a “long and painful” meeting to mull over how to grow the city.

Councillors met on Tuesday after the government u-turned on plans for 2 million homes for the city.

It last month cut that to 1.6m.

“We’ll send them a letter on the 17th of March,” Wayne Brown said.

“We’ll just be handing them ‘this is the process we’re going to go through’ and if you don’t like it we’ll stick with 2 million,” he told Morning Report.

He was asked what would happen if the government did not like the plan from councillors.

“They’re just the government, and they live in Wellington, and they should just spend their time wandering around the coast picking up the lavatory paper that they put into the harbour,” he said.

“And we’ll carry on running a big city.”

Brown said with 180,000 votes, he represented Aucklanders more than Parliamentarians did.

But he said he was “not really grumpy with the government”.

The back-and-forth on future development in the city has been a divisive debate.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop has previously said he was frustrated by resistance from some for the government’s push for greater intensification.

After pressure from people worried about heritage homes and infrastructure, he announced last month Cabinet had agreed to lower the 2m number.

“We decided on some policies about how we would go about reducing the number from 2 million to 1.6, but we didn’t do anything about implementing it,” Brown said of Tuesday’s meeting.

“We’re not going to actually do any work about that until the government passes the legislation, so we’ve decided some sensible rules.”

Brown said there would be no intensification in suburbs “that haven’t got everything needed” and that are more than 10-kilometres from the central city.

But he said there would be in places with good public transport and infrastructure.

“It’s just sensible, it will end up with a city which looks like a city, not the world’s largest suburb,” the mayor told Morning Report.

Brown said “vocal constituents” had no more influence than local councillors did.

“Parnell has a railway station, bus service, and is on the upgraded sewage area so it will certainly be involved in intensification,” he said.

“Just like Mount Eden, Epsom, Ponsonby, and all the other areas that are close into the city that actually have a lot of it already.

“If you have a look, if you visit Parnell, there’s a multi-storey apartments everywhere, same with Ponsonby where I live, I’m in a multi-storey apartment as we speak so they’re just sensible things make it into a nice city.”

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Kurt Cobain’s Smells Like Teen Spirit guitar goes up for sale

Source: Radio New Zealand

The electric guitar Kurt Cobain played in Nirvana’s ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ video is expected to sell for more than US$7 million at auction in New York later this month.

The left-handed 1969 Fender Competition Mustang, which Cobain bought just before the release of the genre-defining album Nevermind, is among hundreds of items to be auctioned by Christie’s from the collection of late American billionaire Jim Irsay.

The guitar previously sold at auction in 2022 for $6.7 million ($US4.7 million), making it the most expensive electric guitar ever sold.

Kurt Cobain’s left-handed Fender Mustang is the most expensive lot listed for sale.

Christie’s

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Athletics comes out of hibernation in New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sam Tanner and Sam Ruthe, 800m, Potts Classic, Mitre 10 Park, Hastings. Kerry Marshall/Photosport

Sam Ruthe has set the world alight with his speed but he’s far from the only Kiwi track and field athlete making waves right now

When RNZ sports reporter Grant Chapman was a budding athlete in the 1970s he went along to international athletics meets to score autographs from the world champions visiting the country. They were there to compete with the likes of middle distance star Sir John Walker.

But for decades since those heady days of track medals on the world stage, athletics has more or less been in hibernation when it comes to profile.

“Nick Willis probably bridged that gap, won a couple of Olympic medals in the 1500 metres,” says Chapman. “He was a world class performer for us in middle distance running, but there has probably been a gap between say the 90s and now in athletics where it’s kind of slid back – it’s lost a lot of ground.

“I think a lot of other sports have come through in that time. One of them … was basketball which has emerged as a so-called ‘sleeping giant’ and is now probably one of our top five or six sports in the country. I think the sporting landscape in New Zealand has become way more diverse than it was in the 90s.

“The really cool thing about athletics in New Zealand at the moment is, I think Sam Ruthe and his emergence over the last couple of years has really captured the public imagination.

“I think that’s got a lot to do with the fact that New Zealand has a big tradition in middle distance running. You go back to Jack Lovelock, Peter Snell, Murray Halberg, John Walker, Rod Dixon, Dick Quax.”

Sam Ruthe, for anyone living in a box, is the 16-year-old who’s rewritten the history books, now holding every New Zealand under-20 title from the 800m to the 5000m.

A month ago he shattered the record for the mile set by Sir John Walker in 1982, 44 years ago.

He’s stunned the world – but he’s not the only champion we can expect to see hogging the limelight in July at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow. (Presuming he’s going – the team hasn’t been named yet.)

Today on The Detail, Chapman talks about the athletics renaissance.

It’s gone from being a sport that only really surfaced at the Olympics or Commonwealth Games, to selling out an Auckland stadium over the weekend in an event branded “Track Stars”, where the national championships were hyped and packaged for TV, and broadcast live.

That follows hard on the heels of a good haul for athletics at the Halberg Awards, where high jumper Hamish Kerr took out the Supreme Award.

Chapman says when he was interviewing Kerr recently he told him about a meet in Christchurch where there were some good athletes, but they weren’t world-class athletes.

“He said they were leaving the venue and all these kids started swarming them for autographs and they were completely like, ‘what’s going on here? Why do you want my autograph?’

“And Hamish is trying to tell them, you are inspiring these kids. And that’s the kind of interaction that has been maybe missing over the years, and the more opportunities you can create for that to happen can only be good for the sport.”

Making sure athletes can see a pathway to the top is important, says Chapman, and now they have role models to look up to. That was more difficult for the likes of high jumper Kerr, in a sport where New Zealand didn’t have a record.

Now an Olympic gold medallist, Kerr had to be convinced that he could create the pathway for others.

“Which he’s done – and hopefully now we will have kids seeing that it’s possible, and following him down that pathway.”

Parents and family are also important, and it helps if athletes have people around them who’ve succeeded in the past – Ruthe is a classic example of a family with a pedigree.

“Again going back to that ‘see it and be it’ saying, I mean he’s lived it – his whole family has lived it,” he says.

But Chapman does have a concern about Ruthe’s trajectory.

“He’s achieved so much at such a young age, and suddenly now there’s this bandwagon that everyone is jumping on. That has got to affect you as a person, as a kid. He seems like a great kid … but I worry about how having this much attention on him will affect him.”

And Chapman says, just quietly, Sam’s younger sister Daisy, who is also performing above her age and showing a lot of promise, could be the best in the family.

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/athletics-comes-out-of-hibernation-in-new-zealand/

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Government seeks information from police on rescue helicopter deployment after complaints

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government is seeking advice about how rescue helicopters are being deployed. Samuel Rillstone

The government is seeking advice from police about how rescue helicopters are being deployed.

RNZ has reported on Fire and Emergency lines rescue teams who do cliff rescues, who are upset they must go through police to get a chopper and are sometimes being turned down.

“Confirming the minister has sought advice from police and expects to receive that soon,” said Mark Mitchell’s office.

RNZ has also heard of frustrations among lifeguards and helicopter crew themselves about police gatekeeping of choppers.

An agreement in 2022 in rescue circles reiterated police were the lead agency on most search-and-rescue callouts.

Health NZ and St John in the last two years had reminded FENZ that its teams were not allowed to call out an air ambulance chopper off their own bat but must go through police.

FENZ told RNZ recently there had been “some discussion amongst our people” about the impact of the 2022 change to chopper callout procedures.

“We sought to discuss and confirm [with HNZ] our understanding of the details of the change to procedure, namely that requests for contracted air ambulance helicopters to transport Fire and Emergency lines rescue teams to incidents must come from a search and rescue coordination agency which is either Police or the Rescue Coordination Centre,” said national manager of response capability Ken Cooper.

The centre handles major rescues, while police handle most other rescues.

Cooper was part of an email chain among lines rescue personnel and managers alarmed after being turned down by police for a chopper to go to a cliff rescue in January 2025, and who said this type of thing was happening repeatedly.

Police admitted they made a wrong decision at the cliff rescue at Hahei.

“We have now clarified the procedures, and our people clearly understand them,” Cooper told RNZ.

“Fire and Emergency personnel take their responsibility for serving and keeping their communities safe in a timely way very seriously.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/government-seeks-information-from-police-on-rescue-helicopter-deployment-after-complaints/

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Otago Peninsula officially declared possum free

Source: Radio New Zealand

Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group chairperson Hoani Langsbury is congratulating the community for reaching possum free, saying it would not have been possible without them. Supplied

Otago Peninsula has been officially declared possum-free after years of hard mahi.

The milestone was officially marked on Tuesday with more than 24,000 possums removed from about 10,000 hectares.

For more than 15 years, the community has led the charge to eliminate possums on the Otago Peninsula.

Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group chairperson Hoani Langsbury said they would not have reached possum free without the community and many volunteers.

“Being community driven has enabled us to get onto nearly all of the properties. There’s virtually no one on the Otago Peninsula now that probably even realises that we still had possums up until recently because roadkill is something that the generations coming through now have never seen,” he said.

A possum trapped in the Otago region in 2024. Supplied

They have been waiting to mark this milestone for close to a year, and he was thrilled the community could finally celebrate the years of mahi.

It was far from easy terrain, covering steep cliff faces, farmland, gullies and bush to the backyards, villages and popular tourist trails.

Having new technology meant they could ramp up their efforts, he said.

“We have live capture traps in people’s backyards because they don’t want their pets getting caught up, through to cliff faces where it’s impossible for our volunteers or staff to get down, where drones and helicopters had to be used, Langsbury said.

Tūī, pīwakawaka and bellbird had all returned to the Peninsula and they were spreading the seeds that were now able to survive on trees, he said.

“It’s almost like a human-induced mast event where we have so much seed out there that, as long as we have plenty of birds to distribute it, we will see the peninsula come back naturally, and if we can augment that by the community helping with regenerational rewilding, the future can only be positive for the Otago Peninsula.”

Predator Free Dunedin – a collaboration of more than 20 organisations – took over the final push to eliminate possums in 2024.

It has received funding as part of the government’s goal to eliminate stoats, rats, possums and feral cats by 2050.

Project lead Rhys Millar said the project was existing on the smell of an oily rag in the early days and he did not think elimination was possible on such a limited budget despite the hard mahi.

Rhys Millar. Supplied/Predator Free Dunedin

It was a breakthrough moment when the Predator Free 2050 funding kicked in, he said.

Becoming possum free was a massive accomplishment, Millar said.

But it had been a challenge tracking down the last possums.

“Possums inhabit every little nook and cranny that they can so we would see a south facing, cold damp cliff as being inhospitable and not a place possums would live. They do,” he said.

“They will inhabit backyards and live in a tiny little heap next to a compost bin.”

They have been using a mix of technology to hunt them down including AI traps, thermal drones and even man’s best friend.

“The dog, probably not such modern technology, but having a focused scat dog in the team … has been the biggest detection device, the most useful detection device because it’s in real time.

“Scout can detect the scat and then we can allocate resource to that immediately.”

Detection dog Scout sniffs for scat to find possums. Supplied/Predator Free Dunedin

Department of Conservation strategic projects manager Brent Beaven said it was a great win.

“It’s amazing, isn’t it? The community’s been working a long time toward getting a possum free peninsula and that extra investment and focus associated with Predator Free achieved an eradication or an elimination of possums,” he said.

The community had been championing this project for years, Beaven said.

“Predator Free’s one of those goals across the country that can only succeed if communities buy into it and contribute to it so this is everyone’s business.

“We won’t achieve it unless we’ve got communities onboard.”

The country was doing really well towards its Predator Free 2050 goal, he said.

But the mahi was not over now the Otago Peninsula was possum free.

Hoani Langsbury said the Otago Peninsula Biodiversity Group had been talking with Ōtākou Runaka and the Otago Peninsula Trust about what was next.

“We’re already starting to talk about what next species look like, which ones we might need to suppress, which ones we may be able to eliminate and we’re not put off by the fact that it’s going to be another intergenerational project like the 17 years it took us to remove the possum,” Langsbury said.

For Predator Free Dunedin, its efforts would be shifting across the harbour to support The Halo Project and implement a pilot programme to eliminate possums, stoats, other mustelids and feral cats around Orokonui Ecosanctuary – about 2000 hectares.

The Halo Project, a delivery partner of Predator Free Dunedin, checks the elimination efforts in the Silver Peaks near Dunedin. Supplied/Predator Free Dunedin

Native birds were flourishing behind the pest proof fence, but once they left the safety of the ecosanctuary, he said they could become easy prey.

They also wanted to hold onto their community’s possum free win with an extensive AI live trapping network in the buffer zone and a request to residents to report any signs of possums.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/otago-peninsula-officially-declared-possum-free/

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Air Chathams announces $20 fuel surcharge on fares

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Air Chathams plane. RNZ / Robin Martin

Regional airline Air Chathams has announced it is introducing a $20 fuel surcharge on all flights due to increased aviation fuel prices.

The announcement came a few hours after Air New Zealand raised its fare prices on Tuesday, adding it could be forced to raise them again and review routes.

In its statement, Air Chathams said aviation fuel prices in New Zealand “have risen significantly” due to the war in the Middle East.

The critical Hormuz Strait, a shipping route for up to 20 percent of the world oil is essentially closed due to the conflict in the region.

The price of jet fuel has been fluctuating wildly since the conflict broke out, and has at times gone up more than 120 percent.

Air Chathams’ $20 charge will be added to ticket prices at the time of booking but will not apply to existing fares.

“This surcharge will be reviewed regularly and will be removed once fuel prices return to more normal levels,” the airline said.

Air New Zealand was raising one-way economy fares by $10 on domestic routes, $20 on short-haul international services and $90 on long-haul flights, with further price, network and schedule changes possible if jet fuel costs remain elevated, according to a Reuters report.

The national carrier has suspended the earnings guidance it issued less than two weeks ago because of what it said was unprecedented volatility in jet fuel markets.

The airline expects a meaningful impact on its seccond-half earnings.

Reuters also reported that Qantas was increasing international fares, and was exploring options to redeploy capacity to Europe as airlines seek to evade disruptions in the Middle East.

Singapore Airlines has raised fares to Europe by $140 for a return ticket.

Travel agent Vincent George told Checkpoint the price increase was not only to do with fuel costs, but also supply and demand.

“With the demise of some of the airlines travelling through the Middle East, which were some of the hugest carriers out of New Zealand, Qatar and Emirates, then we’re looking at people travelling on other routes.

“As these routes get taken up and the capacity gets lower not only is the airfare going to increase a little because of aviation fuel, but also because of supply and demand.”

George said travellers hoping to visit the Northern Hemisphere should book their flights as soon as possible to avoid any further price increases.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/air-chathams-announces-20-fuel-surcharge-on-fares/

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Indian drag artist on embracing her past, fighting for her future

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sunita Torrance (right), who goes by the stage name Coco Flash, and Daniel Lockett, also known as Erika Flash, hosted roughly 250 Rainbow Storytime events in New Zealand. Supplied

Sunita Torrance grew up in the rural Taranaki town of Stratford feeling largely distant from her Indian heritage.

The 46-year-old was born into one of the oldest Indian families in the country, but her parents didn’t seem to cling to their South Asian heritage.

“My family … were the only Indian family in Taranaki through most of my life up until I was about 20,” Torrance said.

“My mum and I didn’t necessarily embrace our Indian heritage all that much and we were very Western.”

Torrance’s family originally hails from the Indian state of Gujarat, and she spoke Gujarati as a child.

However, Torrance found identity to be confusing growing up in a place where differences stood out.

“I thought I was Māori [when I was a young child] but [I had] a weird name, and [later] found out that I was Indian,” she said.

“It took a little bit of time to figure out my identity a little bit.”

There were few Indian families in Taranaki when she was growing up, she said, and even fewer Indian restaurants.

As a child, she changed her name to Sunny, thinking it would be easier for people to pronounce and remember.

“But, also, I wasn’t really all that proud of being Indian back then,” she said.

“I didn’t understand it then but I’m now proud of my heritage and probably identify a lot more with that side than anything.”

Her first trip to India at 15 did little to spark that pride.

“I was 15 years old, you know, hormonal teenage girl,” she said.

“I had left my boyfriend in New Plymouth – and he was my life – and I was stuck in this awful village with a long trip for a toilet.”

Her relationship with her culture began to shift around the age of 18, when Indian influences appeared more prominently in mainstream pop culture.

“There were touches of Indian culture in mainstream pop culture like the Pussycat Dolls having Indian themes to their music and wearing saris and it was just, like, okay, so being Indian is quite cool [and] that’s when I kind of figured out maybe I should actually get into this,” she said.

Over time, Torrance said she came to see her culture as something to celebrate rather than hide.

She travelled to India again last year with her mother and said she now loved visiting the country.

Torrance said she began performing drag to support one of her best friends, who wanted to try it but did not want to attempt it alone.

She later began performing alongside Daniel Lockett, also known as Erica Flash.

What started as support for a friend grew into something much bigger, with Torrance eventually adopting the stage name Coco Flash.

“[And] it just developed into something bigger and then my allyship and activism in regard to the rainbow community really grew from that as well,” she said.

Torrance went on to host the first Pride festival in Taranaki and helped establish initiatives such as Taranaki Pride, Outfest and Out and Proud Taranaki to support rainbow communities.

Sunita Torrance said her business income dropped from about $150,000 to $30,000 in the past year. Supplied

Encountering threats of violence

Inspired by Drag Queen Story Hour in the United States, a South Taranaki librarian approached Torrance and Lockett about launching a similar children’s event in New Zealand.

This eventually became Rainbow Storytime.

The duo toured the country twice, performing at about 130 libraries and holding roughly 250 sessions before protests by Destiny Church halted shows in 2024.

In April 2024, Torrance and Lockett cancelled a nationwide Rainbow Storytime tour due to threats of violence.

Around the same time, two rainbow pedestrian crossings in Auckland and Hastings were vandalised, and multiple Rainbow Storytime events were cancelled in Hastings and Rotorua.

In February 2025, about 30 adults and children were barricaded into a room at a West Auckland library after a group linked to Destiny Church attempted to disrupt a Pride Festival event in Te Atatū.

Torrance said the fallout had taken a heavy personal toll.

“We were on the rise, we were getting keynote speaker invites and we felt it was super positive and then it’s all come crashing down and I can’t even do any of my shows that have a drag twist to it just because of safety and even the Rocky Horror Picture Show, which I’ve been touring for nine years, I haven’t been able to do that.”

In 2024, Haus of Flash, one of Torrance’s companies, filed defamation proceedings against Brian Tamaki and Destiny Church in the Auckland High Court, seeking just over $2 million in damages over alleged attacks on their Rainbow Storytime events.

Drag artist Sunita Torrance speaks to reporters outside Auckland High Court in June 2024. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Torrance said the case carried wider significance beyond the rainbow community, particularly as other groups faced backlash.

In January, Sikh community leaders called for calm and dialogue after two Nagar Kirtan religious processions were disrupted in Auckland and Tauranga.

Videos later posted by Brian Tamaki showed protesters approaching members of the Sikh community wearing shirts with slogans such as “Kiwis first”, “Keep NZ, NZ” and “True patriot”, alongside a banner reading: “This is New Zealand, not India”.

In February, hundreds of people gathered at separate protests, prompting police cordons and some road closures.

Destiny Church-affiliated Freedom and Rights Coalition protesters assembled at Victoria Park before attempting to cross the Harbour Bridge only to be stopped by a police cordon.

A second protest on the same day, led by Toitū te Aroha, called for solidarity among diverse communities.

“It sickens me, it honestly does,” Torrance said.

“It was already personal with the rainbow community, even though I’m not a part of that community, but now he’s attacking hardworking Indians, people who have really built the foundation of our country along with other cultures.”

Despite the turmoil, Torrance tried to remain hopeful.

“I also think that the Indian community, or all communities really, they just need to show strength in numbers,” she said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/indian-drag-artist-on-embracing-her-past-fighting-for-her-future/

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Immigration NZ investigated 146 allegations against staff in five years

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Immigration New Zealand says 47 staff members have faced disciplinary action in the last five years for breaching its integrity standards.

It has investigated 146 allegations over the same period.

INZ would not go into details, but said integrity matters could range from dishonesty and not declaring conflicts of interest, to inappropriate access of systems and fraud.

Its head, Alison McDonald, said there has been no staff member dismissed recently because of corruption.

Staff disciplined over the 47 allegations, which were substantiated, or partially substantiated, since 2021, were dealt with by dismissals, warnings, training or letter of expectations.

“The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) does not tolerate instances of fraud, corruption, dishonesty or harassment,” she said. “Any such allegations are taken extremely seriously. When we are made aware of any issues we act promptly, and any allegations are investigated.

“MBIE, of which INZ is part, sets clear and reasonable expectations of conduct and behaviour for all employees. All INZ staff are expected to act with the highest level of integrity and make fair decisions without bias.”

Staff and managers complete modules on MBIE’s fraud, corruption and dishonesty policy as part of their induction, and employees have training sessions on integrity, she added.

“Additionally, staff receive regular communication from their managers, which includes reminders about our policy, the process for raising integrity concerns, as well as specific security threats.

“Any member of staff who has concerns about the integrity of the Immigration system is encouraged to raise the issue, either with their manager or through MBIE’s integrity line, so it can be investigated. Any member of the public is also encouraged to use this integrity line.”

They can call 0800 33 77 33, email integrity@mbie.govt.nz or contact Crime Stoppers.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/immigration-nz-investigated-146-allegations-against-staff-in-five-years/

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KiwiSaver balances wobble: Is this time different?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Markets have been volatile this week as they digest the impact of the war in the Middle East. RNZ

Worried KiwiSaver members are asking: is this time different?

Markets have been volatile this week as they digest the impact of the war in the Middle East.

But some investors have been concerned the warnings of economic disruption could mean more pain to come for their KiwiSaver balances.

One woman who wrote to RNZ said she was 64 and worrying about her KiwiSaver balance falling.

“I am out of work due to illness and have no other income or support from the government … I am really counting on this money. I’m worried not much will be left.”

KiwiSaver managers say – as ever – the volatility is the price that investors pay for the returns they get on the other side, and for most people, sticking with their investment strategy is the best plan of action.

ASB chief investment officer Frank Jasper said the bank was fielding some inquiries.

“People obviously seeing headlines, especially [Monday] seeing some pretty dramatic market moves and asking questions around what’s going on.”

Jasper said, while riding it out was usually the best course of action, a downturn in markets could sometimes highlight a personality mismatch for investors.

“We do all of this risk profiling when we go into KiwiSaver and we get asked about our attitude to risk.

“And then we live through these experiences and they are visceral experiences, that really test your genuine attitude towards risk.

ASB chief investment officer Frank Jasper. Supplied / LinkedIn

“I think for some people, it’s a learning opportunity … And they realise ‘when I actually experience it, I realise that it does affect me a bit more than I thought’ … every time there’s a dramatic market move, despite the fact the long-term evidence suggests the world gets through it and we do recover, there’s a scenario you can paint where things get worse.

“Sometimes people will lean heavily on that ‘things will get worse’ scenario. Sometimes they will be right, but most of the time the world returns to normal and things are okay.”

He said, since 2009, the S&P500 had fallen more than 5 percent 32 times and continued to record all-time highs through that period. “It’s just a feature of the market.”

He said it typically took 47 days for the market to recover from a shock.

‘And then within 12 months, about 68 percent of the time, the market is higher than it was 12 months ago.”

He said persistently negative markets would usually come only when a shock become a macroeconomic crisis.

But Jasper said it was a good opportunity for people to think about whether their fund was a match for their emotional ability to cope with risk, not just their investment time horizon.

“It’s very easy to think you are relaxed if there are drawdowns or relaxed if there are shocks in the markets. It’s only living through these experiences you get to actually genuinely test what your attitude to risk is. For some people, they will experience this and go ‘you know what? I don’t sleep well at night and I’m genuinely uncomfortable about this’.

“For those people, it may be very rational to think about a different risk profile over time. But for others they’ll go ‘I’ve got 20 years left, I know these things happen. I’m okay with it’.

“If you think about any other thing in our life, if the big screen TV was on special we’d be really happy about it. Or if you could dine at your favourite restaurant bit cheaper than normal, you’d be really happy about it. The minute shares go on sale, they fall a bit, we get the chance to buy more shares in good companies that we can own for the next 120 years, we kind of get nervous about it. It’s strange behaviour in the financial markets we don’t see in any other parts of our lives.”

ANZ, the country’s biggest KiwiSaver provider, said it had been contacted by a small number of people who wanted to switch to a more conservative fund.

“In April 2025, during another recent period of market volatility, we also noticed an increase in customers contacting us to switch into more conservative funds. However, the numbers were again low – a couple of hundred – and a fraction of what we saw in March 2020.

“We think this is a reflection of how ANZ Investments, alongside other KiwiSaver providers and industry participants, have made conscious efforts to remind KiwiSaver members to stay the course.”

Milford head of KiwiSaver Murray Harris. Supplied / Milford

At Milford, head of KiwiSaver Murray Harris said it had not received many calls or questions but was telling members that markets moved up and down and this was no different.

He said investors who stuck to their goals would do better than those who tried to time the markets and switch funds to avoid a downturn, because they would often turn out to have moved at the wrong time. That could mean locking in losses and missing out on the recovery.

Morningstar NZ spokesperson Greg Bunkall said the impact on funds would depend on the performance of equity markets from now.

“To date, the KiwiSaver balanced and growth indexes Morningstar uses to track KiwiSaver funds are flat, and that doesn’t include the bounce back [Tuesday] morning.”

So what can you do if you’re worried?

You should be in a KiwiSaver fund that matches your risk profile.

If you have a long time until you need your money, you can afford to take some more risk and should get through this disruption – and others – by not paying too much attention to your KiwiSaver balance.

If you need the money soon, you should already be in a conservative fund that hopefully isn’t moving around too much.

If you’ve realised you’ve got your settings wildly wrong, and you need money now, you’ll probably need to move your investments, even if it means locking in losses.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/kiwisaver-balances-wobble-is-this-time-different/

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Cyclists frustrated by drivers illegally parking on Auckland’s cycle lanes

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two vehicles parked on the cycle lane on Orly Avenue near Māngere town centre. RNZ / Luka Forman

A South Auckland man who was hit by a car while cycling believes drivers illegally parking on cycle lanes is a safety issue in the area.

He said during busy periods some cycle lanes were clogged up with cars, forcing cyclists onto the road or footpath.

A cycling advocacy group said it was an issue right across Auckland.

Māngere man Selwyn Lilley knows the danger cars pose to cyclists – he was hit by one while coming around a roundabout near Māngere town centre on his bike.

“This car came up from Bader Drive and collected me. So I was lucky… got out of it with just with a couple of cracked ribs and a chipped pelvis. But I spent three weeks on crutches.”

Lilley no longer cycled for fear of being hit again.

There were now several cycleways covering the area around Māngere town centre, but Lilley said drivers parking over the lanes were causing problems for cyclists.

Some days it might be one or two cars, he said, but on busy weekends or when there was an event on nearby, whole streets could be clogged up.

“If you have car after car after car where the road is pretty busy. They don’t take any notification. Then they honk at you and say ‘use the cycle lane that’s what it’s been built for’.

“Most people would turn around and say ‘hey, we’ll use the cycle lane but you cars are in the way’.”

Manukau councillor Alf Filipaina. RNZ / Felix Walton

Manukau councillor Alf Filipaina said part of the problem was that there were not enough carparks for families living in new apartments in the area.

“You’ll see a lot of the cars parking on the verge, because they don’t have sufficient car parks … especially when you’ve got multiple families in there.”

“Hopefully we’ll have an alternative – I know they want to get people out of their cars but when you’ve got the car that’s for all the family members, there’s no option.”

Filipaina wanted a community campaign to encourage people to make use of the cycle lanes in the area.

“Let’s use some of our community people to sort of let them know the benefits. But also realise that sometimes we just can’t get the bikes for the kids for them to use the cycle lanes.”

Co-chair of Bike Auckland Karen Hormann said people parking on bike lanes was a problem right across the city.

“It’s forcing people riding bikes, expecting the protection of a cycleway, to be forced out into the traffic. It’s actually really unsafe.”

Co-chair of Bike Auckland Karen Hormann. Supplied

It was important to keep on top of the issue because getting people onto different modes of transport was the only way to improve congestion in Auckland, she said.

“Auckland is very congested. And drivers are getting frustrated. They’re also parking on footpaths and berms and blocking people’s access. We really need to allow for all of these different mobility modes.”

Auckland Transport (AT) head of transport and parking compliance, Rick Bidgood, said enforcement with consequences was the only real way to deal with the problem. The fine for parking on a cycle lane was $70.

As cycling was relatively new to Auckland compared to European cities, it would take time for people to recognise it as a real form of transport, Bidgood said.

AT head of active modes Tania Loveridge said when the new stretches of cycleway were being built in Mangere, it ran a targeted communications campaign edcuating people about changes to parking.

There had been an average five percent growth per year in cycling across Auckland over the past three years, Loveridge 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/2026/03/11/cyclists-frustrated-by-drivers-illegally-parking-on-aucklands-cycle-lanes/