Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Voting for Fish of the Year opens on Saturday.

The competition run by the Mountain to Sea Conservation Trust celebrates New Zealand’s weird, wonderful, and often overlooked marine life.

Much like the well known Bird of the Year, the competition spotlights native species and raises awareness about their conservation status.

“People might not realise that so many of our fish in New Zealand are actually endemic, which means they’re found only in New Zealand waters,” said co-director of the conservation trust Samara Nicholas.

Last year the blobfish, which back in 2013 was declared the world’s ugliest animal, beat the odds to win the competition.

The blobfish was not a contender this year, but there were plenty of other fish in the sea.

“There’s some really interesting deep water fish like orange roughy to some of our highly threatened banded kōkopu for example,” said Nicholas.

“Then some really weird and interesting fish all in between, like the sunfish, which is the heaviest fish in the world, and the torrentfish, which is really well adapted to living in rivers where there’s high water flow.

“So it’s a great opportunity to learn more about the fish that call New Zealand home and to get engaged and excited and try and make your favourite fish win.”

Voting runs from Saturday 28 February – Sunday 15 March.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/27/plenty-of-fish-in-the-sea-voting-opens-for-fish-of-the-year-competition/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Public Service Association is warning hospital IT outages will keep happening due to cuts to Health NZ’s digital team.

Auckland and Northland hospitals were hit by an outage on Thursday afternoon.

It disrupted the transfer of radiology images – including X-rays, CT and MRI scans – for two hours across both regions.

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons described the outage as “critical”, forcing clinicians and radiographers to text and phone each other scan results.

“The impact of clinicians needing to resort to text and phone to pass on vital information is that mistakes are more likely, it takes longer, and when you’re dealing with patients in ED or in operating theatres, time is everything.

“It is absolutely critical that these systems are of a modern standard and that these outages don’t keep happening.”

Health New Zealand said the outage was resolved quickly on Thursday afternoon, and standard back-up processes were used while it was happening.

A spokesperson said patient care was not compromised.

Fitzsimons said no IT outage affecting critical clinical information was minor.

“These are important systems that clinicians rely on, and that need fixing because they are not set up to a modern standard, and we’ve lost the experts who know how to patch them quickly.”

She said it was the second failure in less than a month, after clinicians were forced to use pen and paper for 12 hours overnight in late January.

“More [outages] will occur, because we’ve lost the data and digital experts from Health New Zealand, after government-imposed funding cuts.”

She wanted Health New Zealand to launch a review into this outage, as it had for the [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/585415/staff-public-deserve-answers-after-major-it-outage-at-hospitals-union-says

incident on 28 January].

Health Minister Simeon Brown said he was aware of a “brief IT issue” in the northern region on Thursday.

“I want to thank staff for resolving the issue swiftly and ensuring there was no disruption to patient care.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/27/hospital-it-outages-will-continue-due-to-health-nz-staff-cuts-union-warns/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A study into thousands of ambulance callouts for mental health shows most were non-urgent, and should have been managed in the community.

It found “most callouts [89.8 percent] were of low acuity, with a notable proportion of repeat callouts, suggesting unmet need for mental health care”.

That, and the fact that many – 32.8 percent – did not need to be taken to hospital, “suggest that many mental health callouts may be managed outside emergency settings”.

The study, published in the NZ Medical Journal on Friday, analysed 26847 mental health callouts – that was 5.7 percent of total callouts between July 2022 and June 2023 – before police began to retreat from mental health callouts.

Events which counted towards the study included attempted suicide, self-harm and anxiety.

The study also showed inequalities based on ethnicity. Māori accounted for 22.1 percent of these callouts, and Pacific people for 4.6 percent.

There is a disproportionately high rates of mental health related callouts among younger Māori and Pacific people compared to younger non-Māori or Pacific people, and higher proportions of callouts in areas of lower socio-economic deprivation.

Nearly a third (30.8 percent) of mental health callouts occurred in the most deprived areas (quintiles 9 and 10), with the highest proportions among Māori (47.7 percent) and Pacific peoples (49.9 percent).

Female patients accounted for over half of these callouts across all ethnicities.

“Continued reliance on emergency services suggests inadequate access to or insufficient community-based support,” the report says.

One of its authors, Gabby Harding, a lecturer in paramedicine at Auckland University of Technology and a paramedic herself with Hato Hone St John, said the low number of people taken to hospital means many would have been referred to community-based care.

“So it suggests that people are seeking support when other services aren’t available. As we know, people ring 111 when they are at a crisis point or in distress.”

Repeat callouts, where people called back within the year, suggested there may be a gap in continuous, accessible and culturally safe care, she said.

She said it was an opportunity to develop links between ambulances and community-based mental health services.

Ambulance services could refer people back to community services, but people’s access would still rely on those services being available, which was different by area.

Recommendations from the report

The study says future mental health policies should make it a priority to ensure appropriate systems, services and support for Māori and Pacific peoples were in place.

It also points out that addressing socio-economic determinants of mental health, like financial strain, unemployment and poor access to healthcare services, could improve people’s mental health.

“Addressing these issues requires comprehensive policy changes and a targeted approach to mitigate stressors such as racism, socio-economic inequities, stigmatisation and systemic barriers to healthcare,” the study says.

Wellington City Mission says sometimes people just need to talk

Pip Rea from the Wellington City Mission said people experiencing mental health distress could be having suicidal thoughts or a panic attack, and at that point, “they don’t know where to go, they don’t know what to do”.

“Something that’s ingrained in us as New Zealanders is to call 111, ask for an ambulance, and they will help us, they will know what to do – and so that’s what people do.”

Often by that stage, people had tried places like their GP or talking to someone, and had reached crisis point.

She said the City Mission had a good relationship with Wellington Free Ambulance, meaning people could be redirected to their Crisis Cafe, which was open all hours.

“A community, peer-led response – that’s what works, not a clinicalised model such as ED.”

It also meant repeat callers had somewhere else to go, rather than calling 111 in future.

Their service was “not over capacity, but we definitely are busy”, with numbers increasing month-on-month. In the Crisis Cafe’s first 11 months of operation, they had had more than 750 people through the doors, she said.

Minister says people reach out for loneliness and stress – issues which are ‘serious’ but ‘non-urgent’

The Minister for Mental Health, Matt Doocey, said his office’s own work had shown similar trends to this recent study.

“When we started working toward a mental health response to 111 calls, we started by examining the data. What we found was that a significant number of calls were being coded as “1M” by police, a category used for mental health,” he said.

People were reaching out, some repeatedly, for issues like loneliness, stress about housing or finances, or other social challenges.

“While these are serious and important issues, they are not always situations requiring an immediate response,” Doocey said.

He said this data backed the need for the government’s rollout of mental health co-response teams, which would work alongside police or ambulance staff to respond to 111 calls.

“I recently visited a co-response team who spoke about the value of having a joined-up response, particularly in dealing with repeat callers, as they know the person well and can respond accordingly,” he said.

Health NZ says more work to do, but investment is being made

Health NZ national director for mental health and addiction Phil Grady said the agency was committed to providing faster access to primary and specialist mental health and addiction services while growing the mental health workforce to meet increasing need.

Investment so far included:

• The $10 million Mental Health Innovation Fund, aimed at supporting faster access to a greater range of community-led support, like Ki tua o Matariki to run peer support groups for expectant mothers aged 15-24 in Auckland.
• A $61.6m investment, announced in late 2025, to expand crisis recovery cafés and peer support in emergency departments.
• Money from Budget 2025 was being used to roll out co-response teams and expand telehealth capacity.
• $3.5m annual funding boost to specialist mental health services for infants, children and teens in Tairāwhiti, Counties Manukau, and Waitematā.

Uptake was increasing for community-based services, with the Access and Choice programme having provided more than a million sessions since it began in 2020.

An additional 6072 people had received specialist services compared to the previous year, Grady said, and an additional 557 full-time-equivalent mental health workers had been recruited since March 2023.

“This is promising – but we know there is more to do, and we remain committed to improving services to meet the needs of communities,” Grady said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/27/thousands-of-ambulance-callouts-for-mental-health-non-urgent-study-shows/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wētā Workshop co-founder Sir Richard Taylor has been recognised for his contributions to the visual effects industry at the 24th Annual VES Awards on Thursday night in Los Angeles.

Global professional honorary society the Visual Effects Society (VES) awarded Sir Richard the VES Visionary Award. Previous recipients include Christopher Nolan and J.J. Abrams.

“I’m honoured by this recognition from the Visual Effects Society, a community of artists and practitioners that I feel blessed to have been a part of since its inception,” Sir Richard said.

“I accept this award on behalf of all of our crew at Wētā Workshop, whose work has always been in creative service – using practical effects, design, and physical craftsmanship to help expand what’s possible in collaboration with VFX and film-making teams around the world.”

He said the award reflected the dedication, ingenuity, and generosity of spirit by the many artists who had joined him on his journey over the past 38 years.

He said he was incredibly grateful to the VES for celebrating the creative and collaborative journey of him and his colleagues and their efforts to bring imagined worlds to life.

The VES Visionary Award recognises an individual who has uniquely and consistently employed the art and science of VFX to foster imagination and ignite future discoveries by way of artistry, invention, and groundbreaking work. The society selected Sir Richard Taylor for his undeniable impact on the VFX industry as co-founder of the Wētā companies.

Wētā Workshop has provided the design and physical effects for more than 160 films, including the globally acclaimed The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit and Avatar trilogies, as well as Chronicles of Narnia, King Kong, the Thor series and Black Panther.

It has won five Academy Awards across three disciplines, special effects makeup, VFX, and costume design. Sir Richard has also received four BAFTAs and more than 35 national and international awards for his work within the creative industries.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/sir-richard-taylor-recognised-for-contributions-to-visual-effects-industry-in-los-angeles/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A New Zealand woman who reportedly disrupted a mosque prayer session being played over a loudspeaker in Indonesia could face deportation.

According to the South China Morning Post the woman disrupted a Qoran recitation night session at a musalla (a small prayer room) near her villa on Gili Trawangan due to the noise.

It said she was unfamiliar with the traditional celebrations that could last until midnight and a meeting had since been held with her to provide understanding.

However immigration officials said her tourist visa expired in January, which could be grounds for deportation.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade says it’s providing consular assistance to a New Zealander in Indonesia.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/kiwi-who-disrupted-mosque-prayer-in-indonesia-could-face-deportation/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has died after an incident in Christchurch last week which involved individuals from two gangs.

Police were called to a property on Hoani Street in the suburb of Northcote about 9.30pm on 18 February after an altercation.

Four people were injured.

One was in a critical condition and police said that person had now died in hospital.

Detective Inspector Nicola Reeves said the individuals involved were associated with Black Power and Mongrel Mob, but to date the investigation had indicated this was not a gang-motivated attack.

It appeared to be an isolated incident between specific individuals, Reeves said.

Reeves warned any form of retaliation would not be tolerated.

“Anyone considering taking matters into their own hands should expect an immediate and firm response.”

There was no information to suggest there was any ongoing risk to the wider public, she said.

Police would maintain a visible presence in the area.

Three men, aged 19, 31 and 40, have been charged with aggravated wounding and aggravated robbery.

Reeves said further charges would now be considered against them.

They have been remanded in custody and are next due to appear in Christchurch District Court on 17 March.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/person-dies-after-incident-involving-gang-members-in-christchurch-last-week/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Dunedin man who drove his vehicle towards officers and avoided police on Wednesday, has been charged.

Superintendent Jason Guthrie, Southern District Commander said the 46-year-old was arrested in Fraser’s Gully after his attempts to avoid Police, during which Police fired a shot which did not injure anyone.

“The man faces charges of assaulting Police, failing to stop for Police, driving a motor vehicle in a dangerous manner, and driving while disqualified third and subsequent.”

Officers involved in an operation to locate the man had seen him at a commercial premises on Kaikorai Valley Road at about 6pm and tried to apprehend him.

Police had been looking for the man in relation to a series of offences in the Otago coastal area over recent days.

Guthrie had previously said the man had fled in the vehicle but was later found in Brockville where police successfully deployed road spikes.

The man fled into the bush but was found soon after by a police dog team in the Fraser’s Gully area.

Earlier on Wednesday, police had cordoned the area near Three Mile Hill and Brockville as officers searched for the man.

He is due in Dunedin District Court tomorrow and an investigation into the events of Wednesday night remains ongoing.

The incident will also be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority as is standard procedure when a police firearm is used.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/dunedin-man-arrested-after-driving-towards-officers-and-avoiding-arrest/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland and Northland hospitals were hit by an IT outage on Thursday afternoon.

Health New Zealand says the outage affected the transfer of radiology images at hospitals across Auckland and Northland for two hours.

The Public Service Association said the outage was “major”, and the system affected manages all medical images including x rays, CT and MRI scans.

National Secretary Fleur Ftizsimons said it’s the second critical failure in less than a month and put patient safety at risk, after clinicians were forced to use pen and paper throughout the night in late January.

“The PACs system impacted by the outage is a critical function of our hospitals which clinicians rely on to access images so they can assess and treat patients needing urgent treatment in EDs, in operating theatres and elsewhere.

“The outage means clinicians and radiographers must communicate by text and phone to pass on vital information from scans.

“Without a doubt this will slow down treatment, compromising care,” Fitzsimons said.

Fitzsimons said the government needs to immediately review funding for health digital services and IT infrastructure.

A Health New Zealand spokesperson said the outage was resolved quickly without affecting patient services.

“During the outage standard back-up processes were used for the reviewing of radiology images.”

The spokesperson said services were fully restored within two hours and patient care was not compromised.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/auckland-and-northland-hospitals-hit-by-major-it-outage/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Automobile Association says the government’s proposal to bring in a number of new road rules will clarify the situation for road users to make sure that everyone is on the same page.

AA chief policy and advocacy officer Simon Douglas told Checkpoint the government was trying to address the fact that there were now more drivers, more cyclists, more scooter riders and cities were increasingly more densely packed.

“So just a bit of a reset of the rules of the game so that everyone’s on the same page around some of these points of rub is a really good idea.”

One of the rules proposed by the government was to introduce a mandatory passing gap of between one and 1.5 metres, depending on the speed limit, to give motorists clearer guidance when passing cyclists and horse riders.

It is already recommended that motorists do not pass a cyclist closer than 1m, but Douglas said currently there was no enforceable rule around the correct distance for a driver to pass a cyclist.

“So what this gives us the opportunity to do is to say very very early in teaching young drivers to drive, there’s a rule that says that there’s a passing distance, a minimum passing distance.

“Setting that up as a rule, as an enforceable rule, really just says ‘you know we’re serious about this, this is one of those things that you need to learn to put into practice as a courteous driver’.”

It would be useful for everyone to know there was no equivocation about this in terms of whether it was a rule or a recommendation, he said.

“So we see it as a way of clarifying, removing doubt and just a way to help enforce good etiquette from a very early age.”

Another proposal is to require drivers travelling under 60km/h to give way to buses pulling out from bus stops.

Douglas said a recent AA survey found that about half of respondents thought you had to give way to a bus that was pulling out but the other half either thought you did not have to give way or didn’t know.

“At the moment the law isn’t, doesn’t say that a bus has right of way,” he said.

Driving was a complex task, he said.

“You’re in that moment where you’re think ‘well the bus is pulling out, does he or she have the right of way, do I scamper in front of them, do I wait behind them?’”

Currently some of the time there was a lack of certainty around what the rule was, he said.

Douglas acknowledged that sometimes people were just not driving courteously.

“One of the things about this set of rules is that it will give the opportunity for enforcement behaviour.

“So if you’re not giving a cyclist the right distance or you’re not letting the bus go past and there’s a police officer nearby, it gives them a tool and they will undoubtedly be able to levy a fine.”

That way drivers do not need to make a decision about how to act, he said.

“You just know, the bus has right of way, I will let the bus in.”

The government is consulting on two packages for rule changes, the first focuses on lane use and everyday road rules, while the second focuses on heavy vehicles.

Other proposed changes in its first package include allowing e-scooters to use cycle lanes, allowing children up to age 12 to ride their bikes on footpaths and clarifying signage rules so councils can better manage berm parking.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/aa-supports-proposed-road-rule-changes/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are warning that problems around the huffing of nitrous oxide products or nangs have escalated to where people are “playing chicken” and seeing whether they can drive without blacking out after inhaling the gas.

Nitrous oxide, known as laughing gas, has legitimate medical and catering uses – including being used to whip cream.

However, if inhaled recreationally, the gas can have dangerous long-term side effects like nerve damage in the brain and spinal cord.

And while it is illegal to sell for huffing or recreational purposes, a Checkpoint investigation previously found stores were selling large canisters of the gas, which contain hundreds of hits, with virtually no questions asked.

Tusha Penny, assistant police commissioner of road policing, told Checkpoint police had seen drivers huffing from balloons in eight districts across the country. She also said she had been sent a message from a road user in a rural area who had seen a driver huffing from a balloon on the road.

“It has gone from just individual-use, sitting behind a shop and huffing, [to] getting in a road and almost playing chicken to see whether you can black out and still drive the car,” she said.

“That has really escalated the potential for harm.

“We really want parents and people on the road to ring us, to let us know.”

Penny said police suspected at least one or two fatalities had been caused by huffing nitrous oxide products and driving.

These cases were still under investigation, she said.

“If we look at the Bay of Plenty, for example, since New Year, we know there’s been some absolutely fantastic work when they’ve highlighted this.

“There’s been an investigation done and a number of drivers have actually been prosecuted and are being dealt with at the moment.”

Despite that, Penny said police had decided to focus on “education” when it came to retailers selling nitrous products illegally.

“What we’re now asking them to do is work with us because we cannot have this amount of community harm that could happen from the illegitimate sale of this item.

“We’re sitting down, we’re giving them the letter, but we’re really explaining it to them,” she said.

“That is the approach we think is best to take at the moment around prevention for a short time, engagement, asking people to work with us.”

When asked how many prosecutions of retailers allegedly selling nitrous oxide products illegally police had taken, Penny was unable to say.

“We’re being really clear on the enforcement approach that we’re going to take, and then we will move to enforcement.”

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/nitrous-oxide-users-playing-chicken-on-the-roads-police/

Source: Radio New Zealand

All motorists know what it is like learning to drive – the endless attempts to parallel park, the grinding gears, the lurches and the stalls.

Now one instructor believes he has found a way to confine those teeth-clenching experiences to the past, with a virtual reality programme that can help teach learners to drive without even getting into a car.

Ashley Gore runs VR lessons in Auckland and Napier through his company MintEDVR, and is now hoping to expand his virtual driving school across the country.

When he first came across virtual reality technology five years ago, Gore started thinking about its implications for learner drivers and the huge number of people who fail their tests, often multiple times.

“[In one year] 46,000 fails, 7000 failed because they didn’t stop at a stop sign, 37,000 drove too slow on their practical licence, let’s get rid of all these thousands of people who don’t have a license.”

The set up looks identical to one used while playing VR video games, consisting of a headset that covers the eyes with two small controllers held in each hand.

Once the headset goes on, the user is in the driver’s seat.

But with joysticks instead of pedals, and no actual steering wheel to grab onto, it is a system quite different to traditional car controls.

However, Gore said most people catch on quickly.

“Couple of sessions, it’s just familiarisation, it’s a bit like when you jump into a different car, if you’re used to driving a small hatchback and then you jump into a ute, just the whole dynamics, the controls are a bit different.”

There are different scenarios available to practice things like right-hand turns, parallel parking and T-intersections, along with the rest of the skills needed to pass a practical licence test.

While the simulation features other cars on the road, road signs and markings, and all the buttons and the lights you’d find in and on a real car, the scenery resembles something closer to a video game than real life.

At around $15 per lesson, it is a cheaper option than practical driving lessons, which Gore hopes will make the tech more accessible, not just for first time learners, but also people wanting to brush up on their skills.

The VR tracks the users movements, picking up on errors such as failing to stop, driving too fast or slow, or forgetting to check a blindspot.

Although it offers virtually every experience you get while being in a car, Gore said it is not a replacement for driving.

“The VR is there and it plugs and plays anywhere in your driving journey, and it’s never going to replace driving on the road.”

However, Gore said he believes the VR training should count towards the driving hours learners are recommended to undertake before their practical test.

“I would like to see the hours that you do in VR count towards your driving hours because you are learning, you’re getting important skills, you still need that experience on the road but I think it should count.”

It comes soon after the government announced changes to the driver licensing system, including increasing the learner period for those under 25, and removing the requirement to sit a second practical test.

While Gore is now marketing his technology to driving schools across the country, AA spokesperson Dylan Thomsen said the organisation is tentative.

“The thing you need to spend lots of time doing is actually driving a real car in the real world, and that is the major thing that people need to put the time into, but we certainly see potential for the tech to work as a nice additional practice tool.

“Those hours of practice should be for hours spent in a real car actually driving in the real world, that is the key thing.”

The New Zealand Transport Agency told RNZ there is no substitute for on-road training and experience.

“Our position is based on evidence which shows that learners do not gain the same level of skill or competence in a simulated environment, without real-world experience, and there is potential for over-confidence which can lead to novice and learner drivers being at greater risk of crashes.”

It said it is not possible to replicate the complex real world driving environment using a simulator.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/virtual-reality-helping-people-learn-to-drive-before-stepping-foot-in-vehicle/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Otago Regional Council is aiming to deliver an overall zero percent rates rise in the upcoming financial year.

The council has been preparing a draft annual plan which will be put up for adoption in April.

The Long Term Plan forecasted a close to nine percent increase for the same year.

Chairperson Hilary Calvert said councillors sought to keep rates as low as possible while protecting the environment and providing public transport.

“We’re confident we can deliver for Otago’s people and environment within the zero-budget increase proposed,” she said.

“Factors helping to reduce rates include cost savings and efficiencies in work programmes, extended timeframes for some work and finding alternative revenue sources.”

A directive from the government to pause planning work meant that the council would spend less than expected this financial year and would use some of the surplus to pay for work next financial year.

The average residential property in Dunedin, Clutha, Waitaki and Central Otago would see a slight rates drop, but Queenstown Lakes properties would see an increase due to a public transport rate, Calvert said.

Councillors have opted not to consult the community on this annual plan, saying no significant changes had been made to what was consulted on in the 2026/2027 year of the Long Term Plan.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/otago-regional-council-aims-for-zero-percent-rates-rise/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Child poverty activists say families are having to make impossible decisions and go without life’s essentials following the release of new Stats New Zealand data.

The statistics agency said one in seven kids are living in material hardship, according to research conducted between July 2024 and June last year.

Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston has said reducing child poverty was a priority and that the government is making changes to improve the lives of families.

Advocates were calling for change after the latest data on child material hardship did not show a statistically significant difference compared to 2024 and 2018.

But it did show a statistically significant increase compared to 2022.

The Children’s Commissioner said the data shows there are 47,500 more children in material hardship in 2025 than there was in 2022 (169,300 compared to 121,800).

Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad said affected kids were going without key life essentials.

“I’m talking about things like access to fresh fruit and vegetables, being able to go to the doctor or the dentist, being able to have a good bed to sleep in.

“I think we can all agree no child in New Zealand should be going without these things.”

Dr Achmad said half of the children in poverty had parents that were in work – so it was important people have pay that can lift kids out of deprivation.

She said child poverty needs to be a priority for successive governments.

“Children cannot wait for our economy to improve. Children get one chance at childhood, and we’ve got to act and get this right now.”

Child Poverty Action Group communications manager Isaac Gunson said some families were being forced to make ” impossible decisions”.

“They are paying power and rent so they can keep the lights on and keep a roof over their head, and they are going to see if there is anything for them at the foodbank.

“No one in this country should be having to make decisions like that.”

Social advocate and BBM founder Dave Letele said there needed to be change.

Unless support was provided, Letele said the conditions kids lived in would deteriorate.

“The New Zealand that our grandkids grow up in will be even worse. It is going to be seen more unsafe.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the current stats weren’t good enough.

“We want to see a reduction in child poverty, but I also have to acknowledge it has been an incredibly difficult time.”

Luxon said it was important the economy was run well for low-income New Zealanders.

Upston said reducing kids’ material hardship was a priority in the government’s child and youth strategy.

Upston said they have made a number of changes to improve the lives of Kiwi families such as the in-work tax credit and introducing their FamilyBoost policy for childcare.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/26/families-making-impossible-decision-amid-child-poverty-crisis/