Category: Public Media

Posted on

Sprinter Tommy Te Puni overcomes setbacks for national 200 metres record

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tommy Te Puni races to a 100 metres behind Tiaan Whelpton at Sir Graeme Douglas International. David Rowland/Photosport

Two years have passed, but Tommy Te Puni finally has his name in the record books.

Last weekend, the Auckland speedster claimed the national 200 metres mark, when he tore around a bend – but not THE bend – at Christchurch’s Nga Puna Wai Sports Hub and crossed the finish line in 20.35s, slicing two-hundredths of a second off the previous standard.

“It means a lot,” he told RNZ. “Coming off a bit of bad luck and a lot of injuries, it’s pretty good to get one of those on the board.

“Being a New Zealand record, it’s special, not just for me, but for all the people who have supported me, like my family and especially my coach, who sets up all the programmes, and deals with the ups and downs just as much as me.

“I’m really happy, not just for myself, but for everyone else around me that have helped me along the way.”

In November 2023, Te Puni was the victim of a timing malfunction that some believe cost him the first sub-46-second 400m by a Kiwi male at a local club meet.

Since then, he has battled a variety of injuries that have stymied his hopes of ever reaching his potential – until now.

Ironically, one of those injuries seems to have played a part in his current run of form.

Te Puni, 23, broke his foot during a northern hemisphere campaign that included the World University Games in Germany, which delayed his return to the track until the new year.

Instead of running his best times before Christmas, then hitting a wall afterwards, he is only now reaching a peak at the business end of the season.

His performance at the International Track Meet came off the back of a series of quick times over the preceding month. A 10.36s 100m personal best at the Douglas International in Auckland was followed by a solid 10.40s/20.89s double into slight headwinds at Hamilton’s Porritt Classic.

“This was the first week I actually felt fresh,” he explained. “For me, it usually takes quite a few weeks to freshen up, so even leading into Porritt, I wasn’t really feeling that good.

“In New Zealand, it’s a big thing to run 20-point, but it didn’t feel that good. I was overstriding, and I didn’t feel that fresh, so we went back to the drawing board.”

Personal bests over 150m in training had him and coach Elena Brown believing something special was near.

“We were thinking high 20.4s was what I was showing, so 20.35 was a pleasant surprise.”

Te Puni tuned up for his record run with a wind-assisted 10.26s 100m, although wind readings only told half the story. While winner Tiaan Whelpton clocked 10.01s with a 4.9m/s tailwind, four minutes before, the women supposedly ran into a 3.4m/s headwind.

In reality, the wind was a swirling side, so meet organisers switched the 200m start to take advantage of conditions around the bend. Three years ago, they did the same for Rosie Elliott, when she clocked a 22.81s national women’s record.

The maximum allowable tailwind for record purposes is 2.0 m/s. Te Puni’s 200m wind was 1.2 m/s.

“It’s a northwesterly, a true tailwind around the bend, but not helping you too much down the straight,” he said. “You come off the curve, you slingshot and just hold that momentum through to the finish line.

“The wind is coming from a direction that it doesn’t fully hit the wind metre, which is really good.”

[embedded content]

Te Puni’s achievement sets up the unique prospect of all three men’s sprint records falling in the same season.

Whelpton has now gone under the 100m standard twice with excessive winds, while clocking 10.10s – 0.02s outside the national mark – legally. He only needs the right wind to break the record and possibly crack 10 seconds.

Last season, Lex Revell-Lewis broke 46 seconds for the 400m (45.88s) and showed he was capable of faster still, when he clocked 10.36w/20.49s at Christchurch.

Six runners beat 10.50s over 100m at the ITM, albeit wind-assisted. In seventh, 14-year-old Vern Toaloamai-Holden recorded 10.67s.

Four runners beat 21.00 seconds over 200 metres, another slice of NZ sprinting history.

Why is NZ sprinting enjoying a resurgence?

“It’s a good question,” Te Puni mused. “I think it’s just a question of timing, when everyone’s around a similar point, but you also have trailblazers like Tiaan, trying to get that 9.99s.

“It’s inspiring for people, and you want to chase those top guys. When I ran the 200m, they’re all chasing me, but it’s not like there’s someone who’s clear and above everyone else that you lose motivation.

“There’s a bit of luck with the depth, and everyone wants to beat each other.”

For their part, meet organisers have done their best to provide optimal conditions for performances.

“I’m sure all athletes will agree with me, but when you turn up to a race and there’s no hope of them flipping the track, and you have to run into a three-metre headwind… that’s not much fun.

“If they flip the track and the wind’s blowing at three, but I might get lucky, and get a 1.5 and new PB (personal best). Psychologically, that just gets you more amped up to race.

“They did it at Cooks [Whanganui], they did it at Sir Graeme [Douglas International], they did it at Christchurch… I’m pretty sure they’ll do it for the 100s and hopefully 200s at nationals.”

A community initiative to promote national relay teams has also created a collective approach to what was previously an individual sport, while fostering competition within the squad.

Early attempts at a men’s 4x100m record have seen Te Puni miss out on the top foursome, but current form may force a selection rethink.

“It gives a lot of athletes more opportunity to potentially get onto that world stage, but it also ties into wanting to be in that team and getting that spot,” he said. “The relays elevate the competition, because you don’t want that guy or that girl to get your spot, so you want to perform the best you can.”

Te Puni hasn’t contested the 400m this summer, but wouldn’t rule out another shot at that record in the future.

.

“We’re trying to work out where to get one in, but because I only really started running at the start of this month, there wasn’t really time to fit in a 400,” he said. “We were thinking about Sir Graeme Douglas, but stuck with the short sprints, because that was where my shape was at the moment.

“We’re keen to get one in March maybe. I’m not sure, but it would be nice to run another one, because my speed is at an all-time high at the moment and that typically bodes well for a quick 400.

“At the moment, it’s just 200, especially with nationals.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/sprinter-tommy-te-puni-overcomes-setbacks-for-national-200-metres-record/

Posted on

Live: Super Rugby Pacific- Fijian Drua v Hurricanes at Churchill Park

Source: Radio New Zealand

Photosport

The Hurricanes are looking to make it two from two against Pacific teams, as they head to Lautoka to play the Fijian Drua on Saturday afternoon.

Callum Harkin will start at first-five for the Wellington-based outfit, while the Drua are still chasing their first win of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

Kickoff is at 4.35pm.

Hurricanes: 1. Pouri Rakete-Stones 2. Asafo Aumua (vc) 3. Tevita Mafileo 4. Hugo Plummer 5. Warner Dearns 6. Devan Flanders 7. Peter Lakai 8. Brayden Iose 9. Cam Roigard 10. Callum Harkin 11. Fehi Fineanganofo 12. Jordie Barrett (c) 13. Billy Proctor 14. Bailyn Sullivan 15. Josh Moorby

Impact: 16. Jacob Devery 17. Xavier Numia 18. Siale Lauaki 19. Isaia Walker-Leawere 20. Brad Shields 21. Ereatara Enari 22. Lucas Cashmore (debut) 23. Ngane Punivai

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/live-super-rugby-pacific-fijian-drua-v-hurricanes-at-churchill-park/

Posted on

Can New Zealand’s economy recover if house prices don’t?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Most forecasts expect house prices to rise less than 5 percent this year. RNZ / REECE BAKER

New Zealand’s economy is expected to continue to slowly recover this year.

But unlike previous recoveries, this time, it’s not likely to be dragged up by rising house prices. Most forecasts are for prices to rise less than 5 percent this year – and some forecasters expect half that.

Michael Gordon, a senior economist at Westpac, has issued a new report looking at whether the economy can have a sustained recovery without help from rising house prices making people feel wealthier.

He said he had encountered scepticism about whether it was possible. But he said, in part, it was already happening.

“Retail spending has consistently risen over the last five quarters, at a time when house prices were effectively flat. But it’s not certain that this can be maintained in the face of what are some still-subdued house price expectations for the year ahead.

“The recent economic literature points to a solution. There is growing support for the idea that what we observe as a ‘housing wealth effect’ is actually more of an income expectations effect, driving both spending and house prices higher.”

He said it had been clear in the past that when house prices were rising, people tended to be more willing to spend because they felt their house was “doing the saving for them”.

“We’ve noted in the past that there has historically been a strong relationship between housing wealth and household spending in New Zealand, and arguably stronger here than in other developed economies. But the relationship doesn’t hold all of the time, and especially not in more recent years, as Covid and the subsequent policy responses have led to significant volatility in both house prices and consumption.”

He said even in the absence of house prices lifting in many parts of the country, lower interest rates were having a difference in the economy. Retail sales volumes rose 0.9 percent in December, more than had been expected.

He said there was growing evidence that when people expected their incomes to rise in future they tended to both spend more money and to push house prices higher.

“The magnitude of the effect on house prices will depend on how responsive the supply side is – historically New Zealand’s housing supply has been fairly unresponsive, but there are signs that this is improving.

“All of this is not to say that housing wealth effects don’t exist. But their impact may be in amplifying the economic cycle, rather than being an essential driver of it. We feel that our household spending forecasts have been suitably tempered to match our view on house prices – spending growth of 3 percent to 4 percent over the year ahead is quite achievable in the early stages of a recovery, when the economy still has substantial spare capacity to be used up.”

Shamubeel Eaqub. Supplied

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said there had been regions that had experienced economic growth without house price growth.

“It’s true that we are very reliant on that channel to supercharge everything … the residential property mortgage market is such a big source of capital into any kind of investments that we make. If house prices are not increasing, we just have less capital to invest. And that’s including in businesses.

“That long tail of small businesses quite often relies on borrowing against the mortgage to be able to grow their businesses. That can be one of the constraints. It absolutely doesn’t go away but does it mean we can’t have any growth without it? I don’t think so. Does it mean we might have less growth or a less rapid recovery to a more dynamic state? Very likely.”

He said there had been economic growth before house prices boomed, and some of it was very strong.

“In fact, quite a lot of the economic growth we might have had post 2000 you might argue wasn’t actually very good quality… when I look at history and I look at our regions, there are periods of history where we’ve had economic growth without house prices running away from incomes. We’ve had economic growth in our provinces that haven’t always experienced high house prices.”

He said much of the downturn had been driven by the drop in disposable income available to households as the price of essentials rose.

But there is also a whole bunch of pent up demand to do things, whether it’s to do work on your homes, to replace things, replace the car, invest in your business, whatever. People have had plans that have been postponed. Recessions tend to be less about things being killed and more about things being postponed.

“The maintenance still has to be done. The expansion will still happen if you think the customers are there. And it’s that chicken and egg. What comes first? Certainly, I think right now what we’re seeing is there’s quite a lot of growth in the provinces… we’ve had pretty good news for sheep and beef farmers as well. When was the last time that happened?

“Wool prices have been pretty good this season so far. Dairy prices plus the payout from selling off our brands businesses. There’s a fair bit of money that’s going to be floating around. I think that might act as a bit of a catalyst. And of course, that reduction in interest rates.

“The big thing that’s going to be the catalyst here, I think, is whether or not banks are out lending. That’s probably the biggest unknown… not just for the price but the quantity of credit. It’s essential debt that supercharges the cycle.”

He said even though it felt like a grinding recession, some people were doing fine.

“It’s not like everybody is experiencing this equally. I think there is a risk in thinking that’s the case. There will be some people who have been waiting to make investments. They have the resources, they have the capital. They have the plans. They might decide now is a good time to make those investments.”

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/can-new-zealands-economy-recover-if-house-prices-dont/

Posted on

Defence in Whangārei murder trial closes, arguing Anaru Morunga had an ‘imaginative grip on reality’

Source: Radio New Zealand

Anaru Morunga is on trial for the alleged murder of his ex-partner and the mother of his two children, Jasmaine Reihana. NZME/SUPPLED

Warning: This article discusses graphic violence and may be upsetting to some readers.

After two weeks of silence, the defence in a murder trial finally rose and shifted the focus from the brutality of an alleged act to the question of the accused’s state of mind.

As Anaru Morunga’s trial nears its end, today marked the first moment defence lawyer Arthur Fairley addressed the jury and reframed the case.

“We’re dealing with this man’s mind. Not your mind, not my mind … it’s what this man’s mind thinks,” Fairley said in his closing statement.

Morunga has been on trial in the High Court at Whangārei on eight charges, including murder, related to events surrounding the death of his ex-partner, 35-year-old Jasmaine Reihana.

The couple had two children together but separated in 2018. It was unclear what the status of their relationship was at the time of her death on 8 September, 2024, after they had attended a tangi together in Ōtorohanga.

For 10 days, the jury has heard evidence from multiple Crown witnesses, including forensic experts and police officers, about events that occurred across the days leading up to Reihana’s death.

The Crown alleges Morunga murdered Reihana by stabbing her at the Pouto peninsula home in Northland that he shared with his mother, Suzanne Morunga, and her partner Michael Jones.

He is also accused of arson after allegedly setting Reihana’s car alight with her body inside at the far end of the Ripirō Beach farm, before fleeing and leading police on a State Highway 12 chase that ended with his arrest near the Brynderwyn Hills.

Today, he changed his plea on two of the eight charges he has been defending, admitting charges related to unlawfully taking a tractor and quad bike owned by his boss, Chris Biddles.

On the other charges, Morunga has repeatedly acknowledged killing Reihana, telling police he cut her throat before placing her body in her car and towing it to the beach by tractor. He continues to deny that he was the one who set the vehicle alight.

That admission has not only been heard by the jury through his evidential interview with police played in court, but also when he chose to take the stand yesterday.

“I just walked over to her, grabbed her, pulled the knife out and cut her throat,” he said in his police interview recorded in September 2024.

But when he gave close to four hours of evidence yesterday, his narrative changed.

He claimed Reihana had a gun and he had to kill her to protect his family.

“I pulled, she pulled, I won,” he testified.

He then demonstrated for the court how he cut Reihana’s neck.

In Crown closings, prosecutor Bernadette O’Connor told the jury Morunga was making things up to fit the evidence that had been presented.

“Folding up the paper napkin so it resembled a knife. Not something he was asked to do, something he did of his own volition to demonstrate how he killed Ms Reihana,” O’Connor said.

“Claiming he didn’t mean for her to die. I submit that flies in the face of the evidence and flies in the face of common sense.

“He meant to kill her.”

O’Connor said there were eight pages of transcript of Morunga detailing the slaying, even saying he was good with knives and trained to kill animals humanely.

“He didn’t seem to afford that humane killing to Jasmaine Reihana,” O’Connor said.

She said the new story about a gun being present was “simply not true”.

“When I pointed out he has never mentioned it, he said ‘I was a very broken man then’,” O’Connor said.

“A broken man? Or a man who was relaxed, enjoying his moment in the spotlight?”

O’Connor said Morunga had made a “fantastical story” that Reihana was having an affair, she was going to kill his family and sell his children to the Mongrel Mob.

“He will come up with anything that he can to get away with murder.”

O’Connor said he was high on methamphetamine, and being under the influence of drugs was not a defence to murder.

“The fault for her murder lies solely and squarely at the feet of Anaru Morunga.”

During the trial, Morunga’s lawyer, Arthur Fairley, did not cross-examine many witnesses and did not give an opening statement to the jury.

Today, in his closing address to the jury, he began by acknowledging the overwhelming evidence presented at the trial.

“I would suggest to you, members of the jury, there wouldn’t be a heart in this room that wouldn’t be tugged by that,” Fairley said.

“But in this room, in a trial like this, we’re not allowed to have our hearts tugged.”

Fairley said the key issue for determining the murder charge relied on establishing Morunga’s intent.

“The facts are, none of us were there,” Fairley submitted.

“He made some remarkable concessions for a man in a murder trial.

“Here’s the point. You might think the mind we’re dealing with at the material time had an imaginative grip of reality. But that’s the quality of the mind that has to be taken into account.”

Fairley submitted that Morunga had not uttered that he was going to kill Reihana before, during or after the act and therefore did not have murderous intent.

“Isolate what the issues are and try to give some analysis,” Morunga said.

“On the murder, they can’t make you sure what was in this man’s head at the material time.

“If they can’t make you sure, he’s not guilty of murder; it’s manslaughter.”

The jury was released for the weekend and will return on Monday for Justice David Johnstone’s summation of the case.

They will then retire to consider the verdicts.

* This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/defence-in-whangarei-murder-trial-closes-arguing-anaru-morunga-had-an-imaginative-grip-on-reality/

Posted on

Watch: Rocket Lab blasts off on hypersonic mission for US Department of War

Source: Radio New Zealand

‘That’s Not A Knife’ on the launch pad at LC-2. Supplied / Rocket Lab

New Zealand-founded company Rocket Lab has successfully launched its latest space mission for the US Department of War.

The HASTE rocket, called ‘That’s Not A Knife’, lifted off from Wallops Island in Virginia in the US at 1pm on Saturday (NZ time) from Launch Complex 2 at the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport.

[embedded content]

It was Rocket Lab’s second successful launch of a hypersonic test mission for the US Department of War’s Defense Innovation Unit, and the seventh HASTE rocket launch overall. Rocket Lab said all HASTE missions to date have achieved 100 percent success.

The launch was the company’s third of the year and its 82nd overall.

HASTE stands for hypersonic accelerator suborbital test electron, and is a suborbital testbed launch vehicle.

Suborbital missions enter space but don’t stay there.

The mission deployed DART AE, a scramjet-powered aircraft developed by Australian aerospace engineering firm Hypersonix, into a suborbital hypersonic flight environment at several times the speed of sound.

‘That’s Not A Knife’ mission payload. Supplied / Rocket Lab

Rocket Lab said the work was supporting a critical national priority to advance hypersonic technology for the United States and its allies.

Rocket Lab’s vice president of global launch services, Brian Rogers, said the launch was another proud moment for the HASTE team and a great showcase of the important commercial platform it has become for the Department of War.

‘That’s Not A Knife’ on the launch pad at LC-2. Supplied / Rocket Lab

“Regular and reliable HASTE launches are helping to accelerate hypersonic readiness for the nation, and we take pride in providing the foundation to a new era of testing of this critical technology to protect the United States space security,” said Rogers.

Hypersonix chief executive Matt Hill said successfully flying DART AE in a real hypersonic environment marked a major milestone for the company’s flight test programme and moved it closer to delivering reusable hypersonic capability.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/watch-rocket-lab-blasts-off-on-hypersonic-mission-for-us-department-of-war/

Posted on

Can New Zealand’s housing market recover if house prices don’t?

Source: Radio New Zealand

Most forecasts expect house prices to rise less than 5 percent this year. RNZ / REECE BAKER

New Zealand’s economy is expected to continue to slowly recover this year.

But unlike previous recoveries, this time, it’s not likely to be dragged up by rising house prices. Most forecasts are for prices to rise less than 5 percent this year – and some forecasters expect half that.

Michael Gordon, a senior economist at Westpac, has issued a new report looking at whether the economy can have a sustained recovery without help from rising house prices making people feel wealthier.

He said he had encountered scepticism about whether it was possible. But he said, in part, it was already happening.

“Retail spending has consistently risen over the last five quarters, at a time when house prices were effectively flat. But it’s not certain that this can be maintained in the face of what are some still-subdued house price expectations for the year ahead.

“The recent economic literature points to a solution. There is growing support for the idea that what we observe as a ‘housing wealth effect’ is actually more of an income expectations effect, driving both spending and house prices higher.”

He said it had been clear in the past that when house prices were rising, people tended to be more willing to spend because they felt their house was “doing the saving for them”.

“We’ve noted in the past that there has historically been a strong relationship between housing wealth and household spending in New Zealand, and arguably stronger here than in other developed economies. But the relationship doesn’t hold all of the time, and especially not in more recent years, as Covid and the subsequent policy responses have led to significant volatility in both house prices and consumption.”

He said even in the absence of house prices lifting in many parts of the country, lower interest rates were having a difference in the economy. Retail sales volumes rose 0.9 percent in December, more than had been expected.

He said there was growing evidence that when people expected their incomes to rise in future they tended to both spend more money and to push house prices higher.

“The magnitude of the effect on house prices will depend on how responsive the supply side is – historically New Zealand’s housing supply has been fairly unresponsive, but there are signs that this is improving.

“All of this is not to say that housing wealth effects don’t exist. But their impact may be in amplifying the economic cycle, rather than being an essential driver of it. We feel that our household spending forecasts have been suitably tempered to match our view on house prices – spending growth of 3 percent to 4 percent over the year ahead is quite achievable in the early stages of a recovery, when the economy still has substantial spare capacity to be used up.”

Shamubeel Eaqub. Supplied

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said there had been regions that had experienced economic growth without house price growth.

“It’s true that we are very reliant on that channel to supercharge everything … the residential property mortgage market is such a big source of capital into any kind of investments that we make. If house prices are not increasing, we just have less capital to invest. And that’s including in businesses.

“That long tail of small businesses quite often relies on borrowing against the mortgage to be able to grow their businesses. That can be one of the constraints. It absolutely doesn’t go away but does it mean we can’t have any growth without it? I don’t think so. Does it mean we might have less growth or a less rapid recovery to a more dynamic state? Very likely.”

He said there had been economic growth before house prices boomed, and some of it was very strong.

“In fact, quite a lot of the economic growth we might have had post 2000 you might argue wasn’t actually very good quality… when I look at history and I look at our regions, there are periods of history where we’ve had economic growth without house prices running away from incomes. We’ve had economic growth in our provinces that haven’t always experienced high house prices.”

He said much of the downturn had been driven by the drop in disposable income available to households as the price of essentials rose.

But there is also a whole bunch of pent up demand to do things, whether it’s to do work on your homes, to replace things, replace the car, invest in your business, whatever. People have had plans that have been postponed. Recessions tend to be less about things being killed and more about things being postponed.

“The maintenance still has to be done. The expansion will still happen if you think the customers are there. And it’s that chicken and egg. What comes first? Certainly, I think right now what we’re seeing is there’s quite a lot of growth in the provinces… we’ve had pretty good news for sheep and beef farmers as well. When was the last time that happened?

“Wool prices have been pretty good this season so far. Dairy prices plus the payout from selling off our brands businesses. There’s a fair bit of money that’s going to be floating around. I think that might act as a bit of a catalyst. And of course, that reduction in interest rates.

“The big thing that’s going to be the catalyst here, I think, is whether or not banks are out lending. That’s probably the biggest unknown… not just for the price but the quantity of credit. It’s essential debt that supercharges the cycle.”

He said even though it felt like a grinding recession, some people were doing fine.

“It’s not like everybody is experiencing this equally. I think there is a risk in thinking that’s the case. There will be some people who have been waiting to make investments. They have the resources, they have the capital. They have the plans. They might decide now is a good time to make those investments.”

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

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/can-new-zealands-housing-market-recover-if-house-prices-dont/

Posted on

Man appears in court after Auckland assault leaves two seriously hurt

Source: Radio New Zealand

Outside the central Auckland Library on Lorne Street. RNZ / Lucy Xia

A 65-year-old man has appeared in court over a serious stabbing in Auckland’s CBD on Friday night.

Police confirmed the incident occured in the area in front of the Auckland Central City Library, and a knife was recovered at the scene. One person was left with critical injuries and another seriously hurt.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews had said emergency crews were called to Lorne Street about 10.20pm where a knife had been recovered and the man was arrested by responding staff.

The man was facing two charges of causing grievous bodily harm.

He appeared at the Auckland District Court in a blue boiler suit shortly after midday on Saturday. No pleas were entered and the man was remanded in custody.

He was granted interim name suppression.

Cordons were in place overnight in the area in front of the library entrance, but had been lifted by midday Saturday.

Police said a scene examination was conducted on Saturday morning.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/man-appears-in-court-after-auckland-assault-leaves-two-seriously-hurt/

Posted on

Singer and songwriter Neil Sedaka dies at 86

Source: Radio New Zealand

American musician Neil Sedaka, who had a string of chart-topping hits in the 1960s and 1970s with songs like ‘Laughter in the Rain’, has died at age 86, his family said Friday.

Over a career spanning six decades, Sedaka scored three number-one hits in the United States and also wrote chart-topping songs for other artists.

“Our family is devastated by the sudden passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather,” Sedaka’s family posted on his Facebook page, describing the late artist as a “true rock and roll legend.”

Born in New York, Sedaka’s musical career began in the late 1950s. One of his first successes was writing ‘Stupid Cupid’ for one of the era’s most popular US female vocalists, Connie Francis.

Sedaka, an accomplished pianist, became a star in his own right in the early 1960s, with pop hits including ‘Breaking Up Is Hard To Do’.

His popularity faded in the second half of the 1960s as bands like The Beatles came into fashion, but it revived in the 1970s with easy-listening favourites like ‘Laughter in the Rain’ and ‘Bad Blood’.

Sedaka’s ‘Love Will Keep Us Together’ became a number one hit for the husband-and-wife recording duo Captain & Tennille in 1975.

Sedaka had dropped out of the charts by the 1980s. He remained a showbiz fixture and kept performing even as commercial successes waned.

No cause of death was given.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/singer-and-songwriter-neil-sedaka-dies-at-86/

Posted on

Why don’t we get a higher pension? – Ask Susan

Source: Radio New Zealand

Unsplash – Towfiqu Barbhuiya

Got questions? RNZ has launched a new podcast, ‘No Stupid Questions’, with Susan Edmunds.

We’d love to hear more of your questions about money and the economy. You can send through written questions, like these ones, but even better, you can drop us a voice memo to our email questions@rnz.co.nz

You can also sign up to RNZ’s new money newsletter, ‘Money with Susan Edmunds’.

I thought NZ super was 65 percent of the average wage. Where do they get an average wage of the current rate from? Considering the minimum wage for a 40-hour week is $49,816, and Stats NZ says median weekly earnings from wages and salaries were $1380 in the June 2025 quarter, which equals $71,360, 65 percent of that equals $46,384 or $1784 a fortnight compared to NZ super of $1254.28.

NZ Super is set at a rate of 66 percent of the after-tax average ordinary time wage for couples and 40 percent for single people. But the key point to note is that it’s after-tax income. The figures you’ve quoted here are pre-tax. It is also calculated net of any ACC levies.

I was 50 years old when KiwiSaver was introduced! And at that stage the government did not suggest that we would not be able to live on the retirement benefit. I was working unpaid part-time for my former husband as a secretary/receptionist. I had two teenage children, both born in my 30s. In those days there was no paid leave for parents. One of my children is autistic and state subsidised childcare was available two mornings a week. I had to resign from my full time job and work part-time. The expectations that we all fund our retirement is unrealistic, especially for women and for people with children who are disabled. I am now nearly 70 years old. What do I do?

I’ve talked to Liz Koh at Enrich Retirement about your situation.

It’s hard to give any advice without knowing your full situation, but here are some high-level thoughts.

Your ability to access NZ Super hasn’t changed. You’re right that there is increasing talk about people not necessarily being able to rely on it into the future to the same degree, as it becomes more expensive. But any changes made won’t affect people who are already receiving it.

Koh says your biggest challenge is probably finding affordable accommodation. Depending on your situation, you might be able to get the accommodation supplement – that will rely on you having very few other assets though. It is worth checking with the Ministry of Social Development that you are getting all the assistance and support you are entitled to.

She says you could look at moving to a cheaper area, social housing or taking in some boarders for extra income.

“There’s a number of strategies for securing affordable accommodation but not all of them are palatable. It’s much cheaper to live in smaller towns and if your accommodation is secure, it is possible to live on NZ Superannuation if you are able to cut your costs right back, for example by growing vegetables, reducing power consumption, using public transport.”

You could potentially consider whether a reverse mortgage is an option, too, depending on whether you own your home.

My question is about the upcoming increase in KiwiSaver employer contribution to 3.5 percent from 1 April. Does my employer have to apply the increase if I’m already contributing more than 3.5 percent?

Yes, your employer’s contribution will need to lift to 3.5 percent from 1 April.

If people request that their rate does not increase temporarily, employers have the option of matching their lower contribution. But if the employee is contributing the higher amount, as you already are, your employer has to match it.

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

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/why-dont-we-get-a-higher-pension-ask-susan/

Posted on

Auckland community leader tired of telling governments how to combat youth offending

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dave Letele in studio with Guyon Espiner. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A community leader in Auckland says he is tired of telling governments how to combat youth offending.

Fewer 10- to 17-year-olds went through the youth justice system in the year to June 2025 compared to the previous year, a new Ministry of Justice report has shown.

The Youth Justice Indicators report, published on Friday, said in the year to June 2025 the rate of police action against children decreased by 22 percent, and against young people by 9 percent.

The report defines those aged 10 to 13 years old as children, and 14- to 17-year-olds as young people.

However, Pacific young people experienced an increase in police action. Pacific young people were also more likely to experience a more serious response from the justice system than other groups, the report showed.

For example, 29 percent of Pacific young people proceeded against by police appeared in court, compared with 26 percent for the total population and 38 percent of the Pacific young people who appeared in the Youth Court were remanded into custody, compared with 32 percent for the total population.

Buttabean founder Dave Letele said that was not surprising to people like him who work with youth.

“Research like this is great because it tells the truth, and it’s not telling us anything we don’t know.

“But it’s frustrating because every time these reports are released, we keep having the same conversation.”

There was obviously a correlation between the high number of Pacific youth facing material hardship and going through the youth justice system, he said.

Data released by Stats NZ this week for the year to June 2025 showed one in seven children was living in hardship.

Letele said for Pacific children, it was one in three.

“Until all governments understand that they must invest in grassroots community-led programmes, and invest in them sustainably, so they’re not having to worry about funding all the time, nothing is going to change.

“I keep saying that, they just need to listen.”

Louise Upston. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Minister for Child Poverty Reduction Louise Upston earlier this week said reducing children’s material hardship was a priority in the government’s child and youth strategy.

“Our government is taking action to reduce child poverty by fixing the basics and building the future.”

She said the just-released statistics showed no statistically significant changes in the three primary child poverty measures compared to 2023/24.

“Our government has made a number of changes to improve the lives of Kiwi families, we’ve increased the in-work tax credit, lifted the threshold for Working for Families, provided working families with tax relief, reduced inflation and introduced FamilyBoost to make childcare more affordable.

“Unemployment is the last thing to come right after a recession and that is why our government is focused on growing the economy, reducing the number of people on the jobseeker benefit and reducing the number of children in benefit dependent households.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/auckland-community-leader-tired-of-telling-governments-how-to-combat-youth-offending/

Posted on

Lindis Pass reopened after crash leaves one seriously hurt

Source: Radio New Zealand

The closure is from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Lindis Pass / State Highway 8 has reopened after a single-vehicle crash resulted in a closure and left one seriously injured on Saturday morning.

The closure was from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road after the single-car crash.

Police said one person had sustained serious injuries and was seen by ambulance services.

The Serious Crash Unit was notified.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/lindis-pass-reopened-after-crash-leaves-one-seriously-hurt/

Posted on

Person seriously injured, another arrested in Auckland’s Glen Eden

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police were called to Great North Road around 10am. RNZ

A person has been seriously injured in the Auckland suburb of Glen Eden.

Police were called to Great North Road around 10am after a report of an incident involving people known to each other.

They did not share any details about the nature of the incident, but said enquiries were ongoing.

Another person has been taken into custody.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/person-seriously-injured-another-arrested-in-aucklands-glen-eden/

Posted on

AI scribe tool being used in emergency departments

Source: Radio New Zealand

Simeon Brown has announced that every emergency department in the country now has access to the tool. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The health minister says a doctor using an artificial intelligence scribe tool is able to see, on average, one additional patient per shift.

Simeon Brown has announced every emergency department in the country now has access to the tool, which records consultations and generates draft clinical notes, referral letters and follow-up summaries.

He claimed 80 percent of surveyed staff at Auckland’s Middlemore Emergency Department said it improved productivity or efficiency.

While 84 percent said it had a positive impact on their overall experience and wellbeing during a shift.

“This places New Zealand among the fastest health systems in the world to move from pilot to nationwide frontline AI use in emergency departments, helping clinicians spend more time with patients and less time on paperwork,” Brown said.

“AI will never replace clinical skill or judgement, but it will play an increasingly important role in supporting frontline healthcare staff and helping patients access care faster and more efficiently, now and into the future.

“We will continue investing in digital technology that puts patients at the centre of the healthcare system, improving access to care, and delivering better health outcomes for New Zealanders.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/ai-scribe-tool-being-used-in-emergency-departments/

Posted on

One dead after Northland single-vehicle crash

Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf.com

One person died following a single-vehicle crash in Northland Saturday morning.

Emergency services were called to Mahuta Gap in Te Kopuru about 7.15am.

Police said one person was found dead at the scene.

The Serious Crash Unit has examined the crash site.

The death will be referred to the coroner.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/one-dead-after-northland-single-vehicle-crash/

Posted on

The migrant communities reporting some of the worst mental health

Source: Radio New Zealand

Khawat, a sisterhood for ethnic women, hosting a run club. SUPPLIED

From watching homelands burn on social media to being stuck between cultures, there is one migrant community facing some of the worst mental health.

Middle Eastern, Latin American and African (MELAA) young people are an ethnic minority reporting unique challenges.

Having to navigate trauma, mixed identities and many other potential obstacles, some young people are also saying there is a gap in culturally sensitive mental health support.

In December 2024 the Ministry of Ethnic Communities released its ethnic evidence summary. As part of its findings, it stated that while most ethnic communities faced mental health challenges, MELAA people were reporting lower overall wellbeing with more than one third of the youth having seriously considered attempting suicide.

As heartbreaking as the statistic was, it had not come as a shock to some in the community.

Carrying the trauma

Fatima Sanussi is a refugee and the founder of ‘Do You Still Dream?’, a creative platform for migrants and refugees.

She said she was not surprised that MELAA youth were reporting such low mental health.

“During this time where you can see what’s happening in Palestine, you can see what’s happening in Congo, you see what’s happening in Sudan, we have communities here that are impacted … that carry these narratives.”

Community advocate Fatima Sanussi SUPPLIED

Originally from Sudan and Ethiopia, Sanussi was a year and a half when she resettled to South Auckland with her family.

She said a significant portion of the MELAA community were in Aotearoa due to forced displacement, and they did not always receive enough support.

Many of the youth Sanussi had grown up with in Otahuhu had left a brutal conflict.

“That type of trauma was not addressed, the trauma that they carried from the conflict.”

Community advocate Fatima Sanussi SUPPLIED

Her own mental health had suffered because of the war in Sudan, especially with the exposure on social media.

“I watched my homeland be destroyed, a tremendous amount of death, displacement as well as the loss of my own and the worry of my family being in a war zone.”

At 28, Sanussi was still navigating her own mental health journey, recalling the first time she went to therapy following the passing of her father.

“It was hard to speak to the therapist, I remember I was about 14 or 15 and I felt like she couldn’t understand me,” Sanussi said.

She felt there was no cultural awareness in the process with little understanding for her struggles as a young ethnic person and the experience discouraged her from seeking help until recently.

It was only last year, more than a decade later, that Sanussi decided to give it another go after feeling the impact of the war in Sudan.

Stuck in the ‘in-between’

Eman Ghandour, an AUT career advisor and founder of Khawat, a network for ethnic women, said the poor mental health for MELAA youth was due to many layered factors.

Eman Ghandour SUPPLIED

Originally from Jordan, Ghandour said she had struggled with depression for many years and one of the main reasons was a flickering sense of belonging.

She identified as a 1.5 generation migrant, a term for migrants who moved from their country of origin during their childhoods.

Lost between the culture they were born with and the culture they were trying to adopt, she said young migrants could struggle with their identity.

“I always say to my parents you’ve never doubted that you were Arab right, you’ve never doubted that you’re a Muslim… but for us we’ve always tapped in and out of that.

“One of the biggest barriers for mental health is actually that in-between feeling.”

Khawat, a sisterhood for ethnic women, hosting a run club. SUPPLIED

Although most migrants can experience this feeling, MELAA youth are considered a minority within a minority, making up only 3 percent of the population.

The ethnic summaries report had also stated that MELAA people could face employment barriers “on a similar scale as Māori and Pacific peoples”, although the types of barriers were not necessarily the same.

Ghandour pressed the point that mental health was holistic and was linked to things like employment and education for young people.

As a career consultant, Ghandour said there was a high expectation for second generation immigrants to achieve employment and get into industries with the same ease as non-migrants.

However, this was often not the case, even with the many migrants who graduated with top grades.

“They don’t have an in, they don’t understand the recruitment process they don’t see themselves like they belong to a certain workplace so there’s massive barriers of even getting through the door.”

Some of the young women from Khawat, a community for ethnic wahine, at a gym session. SUPPLIED

What do the stats say and what’s next?

The ethnic summaries report was the first of its kind in identifying how ethnic communities were doing across a range of sectors including mental health.

It had also highlighted that being a female, having a sexual or gender minority status were also some of the factors associated with higher suicidal and self-harming behaviour amongst MELAA youth.

Ministry of Ethnic Communities deputy chief executive Pratima Namasivayam said the statistics for MELAA youth mental health were concerning and the group was now one of the ministry’s priorities.

“It was the first time when we brought together Ethnic Evidence, we went, ‘Oh my God look at this particular finding for MELAA youth’.”

The Ministry of Ethnic Communities deputy chief executive Pratima Namasivayam. SUPPLIED

While young migrants contributed strongly to their communities’, factors like racism in schools, biases in workplaces, non-recognition of overseas qualification and trauma were still contributing to low mental health.

The report stated that for Asian and MELAA young people in particular, racial discrimination at school and low family support were “risk factors for self-harm”, however, high cultural self-esteem was a “protective factor”.

In 2023, the ministry worked with the Education Review Office to release a report which showed racism and ethnicity-based bullying in schools remain prevalent.

Namasivayam said nearly one in five MELAA learners had reported feeling that they did not belong and one in three reported loneliness, this was just one of the factors explaining the poor mental health statistics.

“We’re now doing a deep dive into it because we want to really understand what’s happening.”

Namasivayam said MELAA youth were now a top priority when it came to improving mental health for ethnic communities.

She said some positive movements had resulted from the findings of the report such as the Auckland, Kuwaiti community hosting a wellbeing event for young women.

Having spoken to the Ministry of Health, a search into MELAA youth mental health was now part of the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan.

However, there was still work to be done and Namasivayam said the ministry was now focused on communicating with existing youth groups and service providers to further its knowledge of an underrepresented group.

“We’re thinking that what would be really good is we go and talk to existing youth groups, to talk about mental health, rather than doing a wide general community consultation.”

Ghandour said there was a need for a more holistic approach, that looked at improving physical and mental health while empowering communities and giving them shared spaces.

“If you have a really good sense of identity and understanding your whakapapa, who you are, your migration story … you have a better career outcome, you have better confidence”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/the-migrant-communities-reporting-some-of-the-worst-mental-health/

Posted on

Man arrested after Central Auckland assault leaves two seriously hurt

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police recovered a knife at the scene and a 65-year-old man was arrested by responding staff. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A man has been arrested after a serious assault in Auckland’s CBD on Friday night that left two people with serious injuries.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ash Matthews said emergency crews were called to Lorne Street about 10.20pm.

Mathews said two people were hurt and that one was critically injured but is now stable. The other suffered serious injuries.

Police also recovered a knife at the scene and a 65-year-old man was arrested by responding staff.

The man was due to appear in Auckland District Court on Saturday on two counts of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

Cordons remained in place as investigations continued.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/man-arrested-after-central-auckland-assault-leaves-two-seriously-hurt/

Posted on

Country Life: International blade shearers on edge for the Golden Shears

Source: Radio New Zealand

Blade shearers at work preparing for the Golden Shears in Masterton. RNZ/Sally Round

At Rewa Rewa Station’s woolshed in Tīnui shearers are at work, but it’s not as noisy as usual.

Over the clatter of sheep hooves on the floorboards, you can make out the snip-snip-snip of blade shears instead of the much louder whirr of machine shearing tools.

Holding the shears – which look like giant scissors – are 15 blade shearers from several countries – here to learn a few tips from world champion blade shearer Allan Oldfield, in preparation for the Golden Shears competition in Masterton next week.

Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

Blade shearing is slower than machine shearing but leaves a thicker layer of wool on the sheep, beneficial if they’re caught in spring storms, Oldfield said.

“Blade shears leave about half an inch, so 10 or 12 millimetres of wool on the sheep, and that just gives them some protection against the elements, whereas even the cover combs on machines, which are meant to leave more wool on, they only leave five or six millimetres of wool.”

It’s done over a short season but is a skill in demand, with only about 20 commercial blade shearers in New Zealand, he said.

“It takes a lot of time to learn to blade shear well. For three months of work a year, a lot of people aren’t willing to put that effort in.”

A shearer works his way with his blades over a sheep, leaving a thicker layer of wool on the animal, beneficial before spring storms. RNZ/Sally Round

Blade shearing tutors Allan Oldfield and his father Phil at smoko in the woolshed. RNZ/Sally Round

Blade shearing is valued for cultural as well as practical reasons, according to the multi-national group in the woolshed.

Maureen Cadet from France has used her blades on flocks on remote islands where there is no electricity, and on milking sheep in the Pyrenees.

“It’s actually a pretty nice day, because everybody is gathering. We are, like, 20 or more shearers, blade shearing on that small flock for the day, and having a party at night.”

Wearing moccasins, tough jeans and a black singlet, she looks like shearers the world over, honing her blades on a sharpening tool in the corner of the woolshed.

Maureen Cadet holding a pair of blades. She has ten pairs at home in France. RNZ/Sally Round

In another part of the shed, shearers from The Netherlands and the Basque Country sort through a fleece, exchanging knowledge in a mixture of Spanish, Dutch and English.

Erik Bijlsma, from The Netherlands, likes the idea of practising an old craft.

“We’ve got those flocks that are grazing fields of heather, that are brought into the village, and then they make a sort of a festivity out of it to shear the sheep, and that’s all done in the traditional way.

“It’s much easier on the ears than machine shearing.”

Blade shearers from The Netherlands, France and the United States training at Rewa Rewa Station in Tīnui. RNZ/Sally Round

Being a social bunch, blade shearers enjoy the relative quiet of their craft, Oldfield’s father Phil said.

With half a century of shearing and wool handling under his belt, he was also in the woolshed imparting his knowledge.

Not having to shout above the machines, talk on the woolshed floor veers from politics to religion to relationships he said.

Also, according to Oldfield senior, blade shearing is way easier on the body.

“When you machine-shear a sheep, you pretty much turn it 360 degrees every time you shear them. And you’re shearing 200 or 300 or 400 a day.

“With the blade shearing, you walk around the sheep, and you might shear one or 200 sheep a day, so a lot less weight being carted around.”

Loren Opstedahl from South Dakota is in the United States’ two-person blade shearing team. He has competed at the Golden Shears twice before in machine-shearing.

His blades and his body were getting a good workout at the blade shearing school – good practice given he rarely took up the blades back home.

“If I practice, I’m shearing alongside my team. So they’re shearing with machines, and I’m over there shearing with the blades, slower, making less money, killing time.

“I just have to force myself to do the practice there, because it’s more nostalgic in the US.”

Allan Oldfield took his blade shearing school to Rewa Rewa Station in Wairarapa to give blade shearers some tips before competition at the Golden Shears. RNZ/Sally Round

New Zealand traditionally does well in the blade shearing, Allan Oldfield said, with South Africa the toughest ones to beat.

He was expecting good competition at the Golden Shears.

“The big thing for competition shearing, and that we’re working on here, is getting a really clean finish on the sheep.

“Blade shearing is probably 65 percent quality of the job, 35 percent speed.”

Learn more:

  • Find out more about the Golden Shears here

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/country-life-international-blade-shearers-on-edge-for-the-golden-shears/

Posted on

Australian buyer loses $100k deposit due to banking rules – could the same happen here?

Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf

A case in which an Australian house buyer lost more than A$100,000 because he was two days’ late with his deposit payment could happen in New Zealand, too, a banking expert says.

The Queensland Supreme Court ruled this week that Stephen Gary Evans had to forfeit his entire $98,500 deposit – plus interest.

He had tried to buy a property at Shailer Park, near Brisbane, in 2024 for A$985,000 from Yea Lan Jan.

Justice Michael Copley noted in his judgement, issued on Friday, that the contract to buy the house was subject to a building and pest inspection, and finance.

The parties agreed that the contract was formed on 23 January, 2024.

The contract required the deposit to be paid into the real estate agency trust account when both parties had signed.

But because of bank transfer limits, the full amount was not paid until two days later.

Evans was told by his bank that he had to visit a branch in person if he wanted to increase the limit on the amount he could transfer, which was set at A$50,000 a day.

There was not enough time to do so on the day the contract was signed so he rang the real estate agent that evening.

He received a text the next morning telling him he “may need to deposit today” and was able to transfer A$45,000. He sent a text saying the rest would be sent the day after.

The real estate agent replied, appearing to confirm that plan.

A building and pest inspection happened that day.

The next day, he transferred another A$50,000 and arranged for his brother to transfer the remainder of the deposit.

“In the meantime, at 1:17 pm that day the defendant’s solicitors sent an email to the plaintiff’s solicitors inviting comment about why [Jan] could not terminate the contract in view of the deposit not having being paid in accordance with the contract,” Copley noted.

“On 28 January 2024 the realtor informed the plaintiff via a text message that the defendant did not want to sell the house to him and was going to cancel the contract. On 29 January 2024 the defendant’s solicitors informed the plaintiff’s solicitors that the defendant terminated the contract because the plaintiff failed to pay the deposit by the due date in accordance with the contract.”

Evans told the court that he thought the real estate agent had the authority to represent the seller in all aspects of the sale.

“Based on the text message of 10:58 am on 24 January 2024 and the absence of any further message to the contrary, he believed the defendant had agreed to him paying the deposit on 24 and 25 January 2024. Had he not received this message from the realtor he would have attended his bank on 24 January 2024 and arranged to pay the deposit in full that day,” Copley’s judgement said.

Jan gave evidence that she never authorised the agent or requested that she agree to the extension of time for the deposit.

Copley said that the real estate agent did not have authority to agree to arrangement for the payment of the deposit that did not align with the contract.

Jan counterclaimed for the deposit plus interest from 29 January, 2024 and was successful.

“The counterclaim is based on the plaintiff having breached clause 2.2(1) of the contract by not paying the deposit by 23 January 2024. This was not a matter which was in dispute. Next, if the plaintiff failed to comply with an essential term of the contract, the defendant could terminate the contract under clause 9.1. This was not disputed … Then the defendant relied on clause 9.4(2) of the contract which provided that if the defendant terminated the contract under clause 9.1, the defendant may ‘forfeit the Deposit and any interest earned’.”

Copley ordered that the deposit be forfeited to Jan plus interest.

Banking expert Claire Matthews of Massey University said the same situation could happen here, but it was unlikely – and was likely to be an anomaly in Australia too.

“It seems the purchaser could have a case against the agent for not advising the seller.”

She said, as in Australian coverage of the case, it was “morally wrong even if legally correct”.

“I think the vendor has been unreasonable, and I wonder about their motives. However, the purchaser did have the option of visiting a branch to enable the full deposit to be made, and it’s not clear why that didn’t happen.

“It also appears the purchaser may not have had legal advice, and I’d strongly encourage both parties in a real estate transaction to get legal advice.”

Banking Ombudsman Nicola Sladden said banks’ payment limits varied.

“If a customer knows they will need to make a large or unusual transaction, it’s a good idea to contact their bank in advance. This allows the bank to work with the customer to put appropriate arrangements in place, so the payment can be made safely and on time.”

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

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/australian-buyer-loses-100k-deposit-due-to-banking-rules-could-the-same-happen-here/

Posted on

Country Life: An Oxford professor on the future of food and food production

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sir Charles Godfray from Oxford University is a population biologist and director of its Future of Food programme. Rebecca McMillan / Supplied

It is time for the food sector to have difficult conversations about its emissions, particularly beef and dairy. That was the message from a top UK scientist at the Riddet Institute’s Agrifood Summit.

Sir Charles Godfray from Oxford University is a population biologist and director of its Future of Food programme.

Addressing food security and sustainability at the Wellington gathering this week, he said while there had been concerns about how to feed a burgeoning population – expected to hit over 10 billion people by the 2080s – the bigger issue was how to feed them while ensuring adequate nutrition.

“We now know that if you bring people out of poverty, if you provide them with education, especially for girls, then human population fertility goes down. So we can now intellectually think about a time when humanity’s demands on the planet to produce food will plateau and even go down.”

Follow Country Life on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart or wherever you get your podcasts.

In particular, there were challenges about feeding an ageing population, Sir Charles said.

“Old people demand different, a different type of food than the younger people.”

Addressing protein deficits and improving diets, particularly in low-income countries, was another challenge facing the food sector with the “fetishisation of protein” in recent years.

Sir Charles said high- and middle-income countries like New Zealand had to avoid the “hypocrisy” of lecturing lower-income countries on how to manage this in a warming climate.

He thought it likely the world would begin to see more and more extreme events associated with climate, so that the effects of the food system on the climate and the climate on the food system would become “undeniable”.

“We need to have proper conversations about livelihoods and just transitions and how sectors can transform.

“When we talk about the challenges of milk and dairy in high-income countries, we must be very careful not to transpose those worries onto low-income countries, especially low-income countries where animal-based agriculture are so important.”

Sir Charles said it was possible ultra-processed foods, or UPFs, may become an important tool in addressing these challenges.

“There will be challenges in the global food system that may require foods that would be categorised as ultra-processed foods. If you think that UPFs are just the devil and can never be improved, then that is to me worrying because we will need these foods to address, for example, environmental things.”

While many contained “a lot of fat, a lot of sugar, a lot of salt” and were designed to be eaten very quickly, thus making them “energy dense” and increasing the risk of overconsumption, he said more work was needed to better understand their possible benefits as well as the harm they can cause.

Food producers had also yet to grapple with the consequences of the rise of GLP-1s – medication which mirrored our natural hormone GLP-1 to suppress appetites and regulate blood sugar levels.

Sir Charles said figures suggested about 15 percent of people in the US were using GLP-1s, and food companies like Nestlé were starting to develop products tailored to these needs.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/country-life-an-oxford-professor-on-the-future-of-food-and-food-production/

Posted on

Lindis Pass closed, one seriously hurt after crash

Source: Radio New Zealand

The closure is from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

The Lindis Pass/State Highway 8 has been closed and one person is seriously injured after a single-car crash.

The closure is from Broken Hutt Road and Old Faithful Road

Police said one person sustained serious injuries and was seen by ambulance services.

The Serious Crash Unit has been notified and the road is likely to be closed for a significant part of the day.

Police said motorists should consider delaying travel.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/28/lindis-pass-closed-one-seriously-hurt-after-crash/