Category: Radio New Zealand

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Black Foils begin physical, emotional repairs after horror SailGP crash with France

Source: Radio New Zealand

Salvage crew survey the wreckage of Black Foils’ Amokura boat at New Zealand SailGP. James Gourley for SailGP

The Black Foils are drawing heavily on the strength of injured grinder Louis Sinclair as they come to grips with the horror crash that all but destroyed their F50 boat during New Zealand SailGP last weekend.

As the 13-boat fleet sprinted off the startline of Saturday’s third race, NZ driver Peter Burling seemed to lose control of Amokura’s rudder and swerved sharply into the path of France, whose boat ploughed over the top of bow, slicing it in two and leaving Sinclair with compound fractures in both legs.

He underwent surgery on the weekend and was pictured on social media overnight, leaving hospital on his own two feet.

“I just want to really commend Louis for how he’s handled himself throughout this whole incident,” Black Foils wing trimmer Blair Tuke said. “He’s been amazing really in true Louis fashion, and holding true to the values and characteristics we hope all our team members instil.

“Amazingly calm right from the first incident out on the water to the surgery in Auckland Hospital and as he comes out now for what will now be quite a long recovery back to full health.

“With his calm demeanour and unique sense of humour, he’s really brought strength to all of us through this time.”

The New Zealand team have spoken publicly for the first time since the high-speed crash that shocked thousands of spectators watching from the massive grandstand on Wynyard Point.

In happier times, the Black Foils, with Louis Sinclair second left, celebrate their SailGP victory at Portsmouth 2025. Jason Ludlow for SailGP

Team bosses Tuke and driver Burling are still processing exactly what happened in those fateful seconds before, during and after impact.

“We started off with a great two races, and were really enjoying the conditions and feeling comfortable in the boat,” Burling recalled.

“We started off race three and were going down reach one to windward of the Italian boat. We ended up high on the foil and ended up sliding sideways.

“We hit a system limit, which drastically escalated that situation, and had to take quite drastic action to avoid the Italian boat to leeward, which resulted in us touching down. Obviously, the incident followed that.”

Burling said once the spray had cleared, he could see his four crewmates safe, knowing strategist Liv Mackay was on the other side of the boat out of harm’s way.

Louis Sinclair leaves hospital, after surgery to compound fractures of both legs. Facebook/NZ SailGP Team

“At that stage, you’re thankful everyone’s safe, but very quickly we realised Louis had his legs stuck in the bottom of the cockpit and we can only commend Louis on his demeanour through that time.

“It was incredible to see someone in a situation like that remain so calm, and be such an instrumental part of telling us what he was feeling and where the pressure was, and getting the two boats apart.

“I think we can all learn a lot from Louis through this time and it’s pretty incredible to see the way he responded in the situation, but we’re also incredibly proud of the rest of our team and the way everyone came together in a tough situation, and the French team as well.

“They were dealing with situations on board, but definitely came straight to our aid.”

French strategist Manon Audinet sustained several abdominal bruising, when she was catapulted forward on impact, breaking the steering wheel. She is also under medical observation and is recovering well,

Burling has replayed the incident over and over in his mind, but has also had the benefit of a myriad other perspectives on the incident.

“The thing with SailGP is there are so many camera angles, all the audio and all the different aspects,” he explained. “It’s really nice in some ways to know that your memory of the whole situation was pretty accurate.

“It’s also interesting some things you didn’t see or weren’t concentrating on at the time, how everything unfolded.

New Zealand and France collide during New Zealand SailGP off Auckland’s Wynyard Point. Felix Diemer for SailGP

“It’s all part of the wider review process from here.”

New Zealand SailGP represented the first occasion all 13 teams raced on the water together, and other drivers suggested jamming that many boats onto the compact Waitematā Harbour course in tricky wind conditions probably didn’t help the situation.

Organisers responded by splitting the fleet into smaller heats on Sunday, increasing safety, but possibly detracting from the spectacle.

SailGP is still investigating the incident, but has already ruled New Zealand and France out of the Sydney regatta next week.

Inspections have confirmed Amokura’s central pod and port hull emerged relatively unscathed, and can be used to repair the damage to the French boat. Because they did not cause the impact, returning France to the startline will take priority.

Given the extent of damage to their boat, the Kiwis are probably waiting for completion of the next new boat, which SailGP CEO Sir Russell Coutts indicated could be June.

“From here, we’re still working out that exact path forward,” Burling said. “We definitely won’t be in Sydney and SailGP is still undertaking that wider planning process around when the Black Foils will be back on the startline.

“We’re having to play a little bit of a waiting game now.”

In the meantime, the mending continues.

“For the wider team, mental and physical health is paramount through this time,” Tuke said. “We’re just taking it day by day to make sure everyone is supported in the way that they need as individuals.

“It was a really horrific incident and how we manage our path back from here is really important.”

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/19/black-foils-begin-physical-emotional-repairs-after-horror-sailgp-crash-with-france/

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Majority of Fonterra shareholders vote in favour of Mainland payout scheme

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 98 percent of the co-op’s 8000 shareholders voted in favour of the capital return scheme resulting from the divestment of Mainland Group. 123rf / Supplied images

The multi-billion-dollar sale of dairy co-operative Fonterra’s consumer brands business is one step closer, as shareholders overwhelmingly approve another regulatory hurdle to the international deal.

More than 98 percent of the co-op’s 8000 shareholders voted in favour of the capital return scheme resulting from the divestment of Mainland Group, at a special meeting this morning.

In October, shareholders approved the proposal to sell the consumer brands business – behind well-known brands like Anchor, Kāpiti, Perfect Italiano and Fresh’n Fruity – to French dairy giant Lactalis.

This week’s vote was one of the various approvals needed for the international transaction of $4.22 billion to be completed, with more to go.

Fonterra’s board recommended its shareholders vote in favour of the payment schedule for the Mainland Group sale. PHOTO/Screenshot

Shareholders would receive $3.2 billion once the sale was complete in one lump sum, while up to $1 billion would go back into the co-op.

Board chairman Peter McBride said in the meeting that the sale process was progressing, before an expected completion by the end of next month.

“Your co-op has been working to deliver the proposed capital return as quickly as possible,” he said.

“We are targeting a tax-free capital return of $2 per share to shareholders and unit holders, equivalent to around $3.2 billion, once the sale is complete.”

Fonterra chairman Peter McBride. RNZ/Marika Khabazi

McBride said shareholders did not have to do anything to prepare, as the co-op would ensure their shares ahead of the deal remained unchanged.

“Subject to approval by shareholders, settlement of the transaction and receipt of final court orders, the co-op continues to expect the transaction to be complete in the first quarter of this calendar year.

“That is, by 31 March 2026,” he said.

A co-op spokesperson said it planned to invest up to $1 billion it would get from the sale into value-add projects across ingredients and foodservice, including the butter factory expansion at Clandeboye.

Fonterra co-operative chair and Wairarapa cocky John Stevenson said farmers would likely bank their dividends and pay down debt with the cash injection.

He said farmers will also keep a close eye on how Fonterra executes its new strategy as a global dairy ingredients supplier.

“I’m not surprised, I think the original vote on whether to divest or not was certainly the one where farmers put significant effort into understanding the proposal in front of them,” he said.

“Whilst an important part of the process is essentially in farmers’ minds re-confirming that they’re happy with the outcome of that in terms of the capital return and happy for Fonterra to continue in that direction.”

The payment would result in a lump sum payment for shareholders after the subdivision.

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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/2026/02/19/majority-of-fonterra-shareholders-vote-in-favour-of-mainland-payout-scheme/

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Review: No Other Choice is impossible to predict

Source: Radio New Zealand

You aren’t in much danger of walking out of No Other Choice wondering what it was about.

But director Park Chan-wook’s idiosyncratic, dark-comedy thriller is a masterclass in how hilarious, anxiety-inducing and chilling being on-the-nose can be.

When protagonist and former “Pulp Man of the Year’” Yoo Man-su loses his paper factory job in a takeover, his idyllic, summer barbeque-filled life comes under threat. As bills mount up, Yoo, his devoted wife and their kids (a boy and a girl – the daughter is a cello prodigy, of course) face the prospect selling their beautiful mid-century mansion.

This video is hosted on Youtube.

It’s a very corny opening and laid on very, very thick. We even watch their two golden retrievers being driven away in the back of a car.

Struggling to get work amid fierce competition in a dwindling, increasingly automated industry, Yoo decides the only thing left to do is to find and kill the rivals that threaten to beat him to a new job.

What follows is an equally riotous and disturbing serial killer comedy of as many errors as you’d expect when a “paper man” tries to play assassin.

Park (Oldboy, Decision to Leave) is, perhaps, best known for films where people do violence to each other with things like hammers. But much of the tension of No Other Choice is the violence that doesn’t happen – the hesitation, the doubt and the incompetence that make any given moment feel like it could go any way. It’s impossible to predict.

Every scene feels as likely to end in slapstick comedy and humiliating failure as it is to turn truly grim. What’s most remarkable isn’t the seamless pivots from comedy to darkness, but how easily it manages at go both ways at simultaneously.

As Yoo holds a giant pot plant over the edge of a building, preparing to drop it on a competitor, plant water begins to trickle out and then runs slowly down his face.

These scenes are boldly wrapped in eye-catching and idiosyncratic cinematography, as Park deploys every playful technique in the kit, and a few new ones.

Be ready for Dutch angles galore.

Even the music gets in on the comedy – although it’s a joke better not spoilt.

No Other Choice feels like a test of the limits of sympathy for the very unsympathetic goals of a mostly unsympathetic antihero.

As Yoo, Lee Byung-hun (KPop Demon Hunters, Squid Game) mugs, grimaces, panics and transparently lies his way between job interviews, killings and family time. He plays it big, exactly where the film needs it to be.

It’s also a portrayal of cowardice disguised as desperation that’s as sleazy as they come.

And while No Other Choice devotes much of its energy looking into the strange ways we deform ourselves to compete in a capitalist system that turns us on each other, it refuses to let its protagonist off the hook.

It’s just as much concerned with the kind of toxic masculinity that drives men to obsessive, silly, madness, and what it means for those around them.

These are ideas both incredibly of our times and, of course, as true now as they were in fiction hundreds of years ago.

But No Other Choice delivers them in a heart-stopping, side-splitting vehicle that is a hard to compete with.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/19/review-no-other-choice-is-impossible-to-predict/

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Crayfishers in cut-off Wairarapa hope bridge reopens soon

Source: Radio New Zealand

The bridge over Hurupi Stream on Cape Palliser Road. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

It’s not “panic, panic” yet, but Ngawi crayfishers are keeping their fingers crossed that a failed bridge reopens soon on Wairarapa’s south coast.

While the bridge at the Turanganui River on Lake Ferry Road reopened on Wednesday, the bridge over Hurupi Stream on Cape Palliser Road remains shut.

The bridge, known as the ‘Banana Bridge’, has been deemed structurally unsafe after severe flooding earlier this week.

The road is the only route in and out for the more than 100 people trapped on the south coast, prompting food and medicine to be delivered by helicopter on Wednesday evening.

An update on the status of the bridge is expected on Thursday, following an urgent notice from the South Wairarapa District Council and subsequent assessment by a civil engineer.

“The bridge, often referred to as the Banana bridge, could pose a serious safety risk,” a council spokesperson said.

“The bridge must not be used under any circumstances until it has been inspected and formally cleared by a qualified engineer.”

Ngawi fisherman Andrew Sim told RNZ in his 40 years on the coast, the Banana Bridge had never gone down, and crayfishers and their stock were currently stuck.

“I think there’s nine of us here, six of us are finished [the season’s fishing], three still going to mop up the little bit they’ve got left,” Sim said.

“They’re probably a little bit left in the lurch to get their product out.”

He said the live lobsters were usually transported by truck out of the fishing settlement.

“I’ve got a big boat if worst comes to worst, I can transport it to Wellington.

“It’s not panic, panic at this stage, but it’d be nice to know where it’s heading.”

Crayfishers off the coast of Ngawi. Suppled/Andrew Sim

Crayfisher Lance Maindonald was also eagerly awaiting an update on the bridge.

Maindonald, who has been unable to get into Ngawi due to the bridge closures, said he was hoping to board a boat from Wellington to take him there.

Sim said his stepson was among those who needed to collect the last of his catch but was also trapped on the wrong side of the bridge.

“We’ll know a bit more later on.”

RNZ has contacted the council for an update.

A helicopter dropped supplies in Ngawi on Wednesday evening. Supplied/Kim Hayes

Sim said he was almost out of medication when the helicopter arrived on Wednesday with supplies.

“The chopper’s come in… and my goodness, what a haul of food that got delivered out to here.

“That went beyond all expectations, that was fantastic. Everything from fresh fruit, vegetables, meat, toilet paper, dog rolls, cat food. Basically, everything you needed to keep you alive for several days, that’s for sure.

“It was unbelievable.”

Sim didn’t expect there would be traffic “will-nilly” on the road any time soon, but hoped it would at least reopen to residents and those who needed to get in and out.

However, he said there were “certainly a lot worse places” to be stuck.

“We’re pretty blessed out here.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/19/crayfishers-in-cut-off-wairarapa-hope-bridge-reopens-soon/

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Dax Rodney Holland named as man found dead in Tauranga park

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

A man found dead in a Tauranga park, sparking a homicide investigation, has been named as Dax Rodney Holland.

He was 54.

Detective Senior Sergeant Natalie Flowerdew-Brown said police were called to the Wharepai Domain on Saturday around 2pm following Holland’s body being found.

A homicide investigation was launched following a post-mortem on Monday.

“Police continue to ask for anyone who may have seen any unusual or suspicious behaviour around the Wharepau Domain prior to 2pm on Saturday 14 February, to please get in touch,” Flowerdew-Brown said.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact Police online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update report”, or by calling 105.”

The reference number is 260214/8937.

People can also give information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/19/dax-rodney-holland-named-as-man-found-dead-in-tauranga-park/

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OCR: Why no move was probably good news for home loans

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Reserve Bank kept the Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 2.25 percent. RNZ

Wholesale interest rates have softened a little since the Reserve Bank’s Wednesday update, but there is unlikely to be any relief for home loan borrowers.

The Reserve Bank kept the Official Cash Rate (OCR) at 2.25 percent but updated its forecast for the future path of interest rates. It now expects rates to lift a little higher and earlier than previously, but not as early as the market had been pricing in.

The five-year swap rate has now dropped from a high of 3.8 percent at the start of this month to 3.52 percent.

The three-year rate has dropped from 3.45 percent to 3.19 percent over the same period.

Two- and one-year swap rates have also fallen.

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub said it could mean a minor drop in home loan rates.

The main banks have all put up their longer-term rates in recent weeks.

But Brad Olsen, Infometrics chief executive, was not convinced that rates would fall.

He said it was notable that the Reserve Bank had tried to dampen down the market excitement at the end of last year, when attention quickly turned from how far the OCR would fall to when it would rise again, and many retail rates lifted.

“I don’t think any of the banks are going to come out and reverse the increase to interest rates that they’ve put through in the last couple of weeks. It probably just delays whenever the next changes might come through.

“The long-term rates have lifted. I don’t think you’re going to see much in the way of changed six-month rates. And even if you do, who’s going on a six-month rate at the moment? In the most recent lending data, there was a huge pivot away from floating and six-month rates and a much bigger increase in the number going longer. It’s still probably a question of when you see further increase in retail rates and what magnitude?”

He said the economy was in an uncomfortable position with a lot of changes happening at once.

“Interest rate changes last year that are still to fully hit the economy. You’ve got weaker recent economic trends through parts of last year, but then a bit more hot inflationary pressure, hopefully temporarily.

“The Reserve Bank’s still got a lot riding on expectations that spare capacity in the economy will limit how ready businesses feel to pass on costs and an expectation that with a weak housing market that consumer spending or growth will remain low. The challenge so far is that both of those trends are true and headline inflation is at 3.1 percent.”

Mike Jones, BNZ chief economist, said the Reserve Bank’s messaging set the stage for some consolidation in wholesale and retail interest rates.

“Just how long that pause might last will depend on how the economic numbers fall from here, particularly those around inflation.

“The next move in the OCR is up, and we think in September, so I think we can expect the uptrend to resume at some stage, but the Reserve Bank’s ‘time is on our side’ messaging does buy a bit of extra time on that.

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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/2026/02/19/ocr-why-no-move-was-probably-good-news-for-home-loans/

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Government weakens housing intensification rules for Auckland

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cabinet has agreed to lower the maximum number of houses in Auckland from 2 million to at least 1.6 million.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop announced the new figure to Auckland leaders at the International Convention Centre this afternoon.

Auckland Council had been progressing a new plan to accommodate up to 2 million homes in the coming decades.

The council opted out of medium-density rules that apply to most major cities on the proviso it set up zoning for 30 years of growth.

The council’s Plan Change 120 set out the process for doing this, but the government has since come under pressure from proponents of heritage homes who have raised concerns about further intensification in character areas that were already seeing major development.

Bishop has now confirmed Cabinet has signed off on legislating to “soften” the housing capacity equivalency requirement.

“Currently, that number equates to at least 2 million, and we are lowering it to at least 1.6 million,” he said.

Housing Minister Chris Bishop RNZ/Mark Papalii

The Minister told Auckland leaders PC120 had been “divisive” and fears the government had a target of building 2 million homes did not exist.

“The 2 million number was a red herring that transformed into a lightning rod….It’s clear a lot of Aucklanders are concerned about what growth means for them.

“That’s completely understandable. People want to know that their suburbs will continue to be liveable. That is what government wants too.

“This kind of angst in Auckland isn’t helpful for our housing goals. We need people to come with us on the journey of more capacity and more housing. We hear you and we are ready to act.”

Bishop said the government believed 1.6 million houses was the midpoint between the 1.2 million figure in the Auckland Unitary Plan (AUP) and the 2 million figure in PC120.

“This reduction is significant and strikes an appropriate balance between those Aucklanders concerned about densification, and those who wish to see more growth.”

He said Cabinet had asked for a summary of the provisional zoning changes the council would make once the government legislated for it.

“Once we legislate the lower housing capacity number, the rest is in Auckland Council’s hands.”

“The council will determine which parts of Auckland they wish to downzone in PC120. They can then formally withdraw parts of PC120 from the Plan Change, except for those parts needed to implement the NPS-UD or to upzone around key CRL stations.”

Legally complicated

Bishop said it was legally complicated to legislate in the middle of a process that was already underway but the coalition had found a workaround.

“We have devised a way through that will allow Aucklanders to see the areas that will be removed from PC 120 and provide another opportunity for Aucklanders to have their say – including those who have already submitted on PC120 and others who would like to join.

“I want to stress that I am determined to put this issue to bed once and for all. Auckland has been struggling with an update to the AUP since 2021. I accept Parliament hasn’t helped, but it’s now 2026. I think we’ve now got the balance right.”

He said the new plan would mean growth around the areas that made the most economic sense and where there was the most support – CRL stations, rapid transit stations and metropolitan centres while allowing more flexibility around suburban Auckland.

Existing provisions, such as setback requirements, tower dimension controls, and height limits, constrain development should be revisited, he said.

Bishop said “for largely unfathomable RMA legal reasons” the City Centre Zone was not included in PC120 and the council did not have a simple mechanism to unlock this potential.

“Cabinet has agreed that I will start an investigation into these planning provisions that are holding back Auckland’s city centre, with a view to making regulations under the RMA – similar to what we have just announced for Eden Park.

“My intention is that any additional housing capacity enabled in the city centre will count towards the new requirement to provide capacity for at least 1.6 million dwellings.

Together, these changes announced today will provide Auckland Council greater flexibility to respond to the feedback of Aucklanders and tackle our housing crisis.”

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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/2026/02/19/government-weakens-housing-intensification-rules-for-auckland/

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Person seriously hurt in Northland crash

Source: Radio New Zealand

SH1 was closed between Kaiwaka Mangawhai Road and Mangawhai Road for a time. RNZ / Tim Brown

One person has been transported to hospital in a serious condition following a crash on State Highway 1, Kaiwaka.

The single vehicle crash was reported to the police at 7.35am on Thursday.

SH1 was closed between Kaiwaka Mangawhai Road and Mangawhai Road as a result of the crash. It has now reopened.

“Police would like to thank motorists for their patience while the scene was cleared,” a spokesperson said.

“Inquiries into the cause of the crash remain ongoing.”

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How do you know when Ramadan begins? A night with the NZ moon sighters

Source: Radio New Zealand

Under a drizzly Auckland sky, clusters of people gather on hilltops across the city, eyes fixed on a narrow band of horizon on Wednesday night. They are waiting for a break in the cloud — a fleeting silver curve that will mark the start of Ramadan for Muslims across Aotearoa.

The window is brief. The new crescent, or hilal, might appear for only moments during sunset and can vanish just as quickly behind cloud or haze. No sightings mean the month completes 30 days instead of 29.

On this particular night, as Muslims anticipate the start of the holy month of fasting, the turnout is larger than usual for what is actually a monthly ritual.

Muslims point to the direction where they’re hoping to spot the hilal, or crescent moon.

RNZ / Isra’a Emhail

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/19/how-do-you-know-when-ramadan-begins-a-night-with-the-nz-moon-sighters/

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SkyCity doubles half-year profit to $12.1m, has high hopes for convention centre

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Ziming Li

Casino operator Sky City’s first half profit is nearly double that of the year earlier, despite a drop in revenue associated with ongoing regulatory costs and operational changes.

Chief executive Jason Walbridge said the first half reflected a planned period of operational transition, with the second half of the year ending in June focused on ongoing work to support its long-term operating objectives.

He said strong revenue contributions from food and beverage were a highlight of the result.

The company was also looking to sell some assets, targeting proceeds of $200 million within the next 12 months, which will be used to pay down debt.

  • Net profit $12.1m vs $6m
  • Revenue $411.7m vs $421m
  • Underlying net profit $14.4m vs $38m
  • Interim dividend nil vs nil

“We are undertaking a disciplined review of our operating model to ensure our cost structures reflect the current environment, while maintaining our commitment to compliance and customer experience,” Walbridge said.

He said revenue dropped 2.4 percent reflecting the introduction of mandatory carded play and continued investment in anti-money laundering (AML) measures and host responsibility capability, as well as costs associated with the opening of the International Convention Centre (NZICC) on 11 February.

Still, he said the full year underlying profit was tracking to expectations, though no dividends were expected to be paid in the near-term. SkyCity reaffirmed its full year underlying profit guidance in a range of $190-$210m, which compared with $72m in the first half.

Remediation costs

Walbridge said total costs were higher over the first half period partly because of ongoing investment in AML host responsibility and technology, particularly in Adelaide.

“Those remediation costs will leave our business when we complete the programme in June next year.”

Walbridge said the opening of the NZICC was a major milestone for SkyCity, with a strong forward events pipeline supporting future visitors to the precinct, with more than 110,000 expected over the next few months.

He said civil legal action between construction firm Fletcher Building and SkyCity over cost over-runs will play out over the next couple of years, with no meaningful update in the near future.

Asset sales

SkyCity was also actively marketing its 99 Albert Street building in Auckland, as well as continuing to look for a buyer of its Auckland car park concession, which had so far failed to attract an acceptable offer.

While it was considering the sale of other assets, Walbridge said those had not been disclosed so far.

“Carded play was introduced to strengthen our host responsibility framework and support player welfare,” Walbridge said.

“Six months on, we are seeing some operational benefits from the additional customer data and visibility it provides.”

Walbridge said SkyCity intended to take part in the New Zealand licensing process for online gambling, with legislation expected to be put in place from 1 May 2026.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/19/skycity-doubles-half-year-profit-to-12-1m-has-high-hopes-for-convention-centre/

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Pirongia residents asked to conserve water a bit longer

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pirongia. Phillip Capper / Flickr / Creative Commons

Residents in the Waikato town of Pirongia will have to conserve water until Sunday.

The Western Waikato Emergency Centre said work was underway to install infrastructure to boost resilience in the network.

It said Pirongia’s water was being supplied from a bore-fed reservoir with limited capacity.

Pirongia residents had already been conserving water for six days following last weekend’s storm which badly damaged roads, storms and infrastructure.

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Person seriously injured in Auckland shooting

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person was seriously injured after being shot in the Auckland suburb of Manurewa on Wednesday night.

Detective Inspector Shaun Vickers, of the Counties Manukau CIB said officers were called to a property on Marumaru Lane, in Manurewa about 8.45pm on Wednesday.

The person had suffered injuries consistent with a gunshot wound, Detective Inspector Vickers said.

The victim was seriously injured and was taken to hospital in a stable condition.

Officers are now working in the area while inquiries continue, Vickers said.

He appealed for anyone with information to contact police via 105, either over the phone or online, and use the file number 260218/3314.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers online or through 0800 555 111.

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Warning shortage of neurologists will see struggle with demand

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

New Zealand is facing a shortage in neurologists, despite advances in the life-saving treatments available.

A new study from the University of Otago in Wellington shows neurologists will struggle to keep up with the increase in demand for the diagnosis and treatment of conditions such as multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease and stroke.

Professor Anna Ranta from the Faculty of Medicine’s Department of Medicine led the study, examining capacity, trends over time and future projections to assist with health sector planning. The findings have been published in the British specialist medical journal, BMJ Neurology Open.

Ranta said while the workforce had increased over the past 10 years, the number of neurologists per head of population in New Zealand ranked well below other high-income countries.

The study, supported by funding from the Australian and New Zealand Association of Neurologists, found there were 83 neurologists working in New Zealand across the public and private sectors in 2024.

But not all of them worked full time – there were actually 67.3 full-time equivalents, including 8.3 full-time equivalent specialist paediatric neurologists.

That was one per 74,000 people. For comparison, the study noted, Australia had one neurologist per 41,000 people.

Ranta said a recent Australian workforce model estimated that to achieve best practice management requirements, one neurologist per 28,000 people would be required.

“If current training, recruitment, retention and practice patterns persist, projections indicate there will be a gradual worsening in the New Zealand neurology workforce over time.”

She said the lack of resourcing meant only about one in five patients with chronic neurologic disease were regularly reviewed by a neurologist.

“We should expect about six times as many follow-up appointments as first specialist assessments,” she said. “However, Health NZ reports an overall ratio of 1:1 first assessments to follow ups.”

And not everyone who would benefit from seeing a neurologist was getting the opportunity to do so.

In May last year, RNZ reported a Palmerston North woman who rushed to the city’s hospital after suffering a seizure was surprised to find there was no neurologist on duty – instead, a general doctor took instructions from a specialist in Wellington.

The study noted New Zealand currently only had the capacity to train only four to five new neurologists a year, with neurology specialist training taking three years.

At the same time, the need for neurology services was increasing, as new and sometimes more complex treatments became available.

“Multiple sclerosis treatment options have become more complex, requiring more specialist input, and new Alzheimer’s treatments are on the horizon,” Ranta said.

“Rarer diseases, such as spinal muscular atrophy, now have treatment options, and there are many more treatments for neurogenetic diseases imminent.”

That also included reperfusion therapies for treating a stroke, which could enable doctors to clear blocked arteries and restore the blood flow to the brain quickly.

“There has also been an increase in tertiary hospitals routinely providing telemedicine or telephone expert decision making support to smaller hospitals and in the number of patients transferred for reperfusion therapy.”

Despite these advances, there had been minimal additional investment in the neurology workforce.

“New Zealand requires strong funding, recruitment and training initiatives if we want to be ready for the projected increase in neurological burden of disease now and over the next decade.”

Health New Zealand has been approached for comment.

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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/2026/02/19/warning-shortage-of-neurologists-will-see-struggle-with-demand/

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Expert warns lack of staff, experience and support will see future wastewater failures

Source: Radio New Zealand

Moa Point. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Catastrophes like the recent sewage spill in Wellington will happen again due to a lack of skilled water operators, a water engineer says.

Millions of litres of untreated wastewater have been discharged daily into the south coast of Wellington since the Moa Point plant failed this month.

Ownership of the plant is set to change hands from the Wellington City Council to the new water entity, Tiaki Wai.

But water engineer, Iain Rabbits, who has been working in the industry for 35 years, told Nine to Noon wastewater failures, including the 2016 spill in Havelock North, come down to a lack of experienced workers and inadequate support for staff on the ground.

He said the industry’s capability issues have been known about for years.

Rabbits said he did not know the specifics about what went wrong at Moa Point but he had done many investigations into issues at water plants in the past and they usually all had the same issues.

“It usually comes down to lack of staff, knowledge, experience, no support for guys on the ground,” Rabbits said.

“Lack of investment and lack of transparency through to the governance level.”

Millions of litres of untreated wastewater have been discharged daily into the south coast of Wellington. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The issues would continue until the issues of culpability and capacity was addressed, he said.

“I did a survey at the Water Industry Operations Group last year and about 20 percent of our operators are on call continuously, or every other week, which is just not sustainable. We just don’t have enough people.”

“That’s because we haven’t been training them, and when we do train them, we don’t train the sufficiently.”

Rabbits said the water industry differed greatly from the electrical industry in that an electrical apprentice goes through years of training with a supervisor, whereas in water, “we tend to give people a manual – if they’re lucky – and say ‘don’t kill anybody’ and off you go”.

“It’s like getting a plane full of passengers, sitting them in the pilot’s seat, saying ‘here’s the manual, you fly the plane’. It’s crazy.”

These days, treatment plants had much tighter standards and were highly technical, requiring careful monitoring, and have instrumentation and automation that need maintaining.

“But the operators need to understand what the automation is doing, otherwise when something goes wrong, they’ve got no idea how to fix it.”

Rabbits told Nine to Noon he was “absolutely surprised” by the Moa Point failure.

“To flood a whole plant with anything takes a really good effort to do that, I think.

This map shows the Moa Point sewage spill along Wellington’s south coast. Supplied, CC BY-NC-ND

“Whether that’s a failure of maintenance, a failure of operation or a failure of experience or no support for the operators, whatever it is, to get to that point is quite serious.”

Training operators was going to be a major way of solving issues found at treatment plants, he said.

As far as he was aware, there was no legal requirement for anyone operating a plant to have a qualification of any kind.

A water operator assessment was available, he said, but staff needed to learn from working alongside senior operators and those with a lot of experience.

Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty earlier told RNZ there had been under-investment over a long period at the Moa Point plant.

“I worry that there may have been some early warning signs that there were troubles with the discharge and we missed those. But everything needs to be on the table,” he said.

He said there have been a couple of incidents over the last few months that he suspects may have been early indicators.

Wellington Water chairman Nick Leggett has since resigned from his position.

Leggett said leadership carried responsibility, and stepping aside would allow Wellington Water to focus on fixing the problems and restoring public trust.

An independent government review has also been announced and would examine the causes of the failure. Leggett said he would fully cooperate with that process.

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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/2026/02/19/expert-warns-lack-of-staff-experience-and-support-will-see-future-wastewater-failures/

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Minister mulls changes after deadly dog attack as SPCA calls for law reform

Source: Radio New Zealand

Minister for Local Government Simon Watts said he was seeking urgent advice on dangerous dogs. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The SPCA is calling for an overhaul of dog control laws and for the government to reinstate funding for the desexing of menacing and roaming dogs.

The agency said it had been campaigning for a review of the Dog Control Act 1996, for more than 10 years.

Mihiata Te Rore, 62, was killed by a pack of three dogs at a property in Northland’s Kaihu on Tuesday- the third fatal attack in the region in the last four years, and the fourth nationwide.

Kaipara District Council’s animal management said it had received four complaints about the dogs since November last year, and visited the property twice in February – though staff were unable to talk to the owner or uplift the dogs.

When asked if the government would consider reforming the Dog Control Act, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said in a statement: “I have sought advice on all the options available in addition to the work that is already being completed.

“To date my focus has been on non-legislative options that can assist councils more quickly, and that work will continue.”

Asked for specific examples of non-legislative options, the minister said it included improving the quality and consistency of national dog-related data.

Watts said officials were also working with the local government sector to refresh and improve dog control enforcement guidelines and updated guidelines were expected to be issued later this year.

SPCA senior science officer Alison Vaughan told Morning Report the Dog Control Act was “hopelessly out of date” and there needed to be a substantive, urgent, evidence-based review, and an overhaul.

Vaughan said there was a lack of consistency in how local governments responded to dog attacks, and that needed to change.

Shane Jones. RNZ/Samantha Gee

“What we really need right now is leadership from central government so we can get standardised national guidelines, so we can get more funding to address desexing of menacing and roaming dogs, because right now this population is continuing to grow.”

Asked about thoughts on minister Shane Jones’ comments on Morning Report that his father’s generation would shoot dangerous dogs, Vaughan said there needed to be solutions to address the underlying issues.

“We do know from overseas examples that indiscriminate culling of roaming dogs doesn’t find a sustainable solution, so it may reduce numbers temporarily, but if we don’t address the irresponsible breeding and roaming, we will see population quickly rebound.”

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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/2026/02/19/minister-mulls-changes-after-deadly-dog-attack-as-spca-calls-for-law-reform/

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Warning for other investors after $11,000 in crypto lost

Source: Radio New Zealand

Jonathan Raa / NurPhoto via AFP

A case in which a man lost access to $11,000 of cryptocurrency has prompted a warning that some people might not realise the limits around access.

The man complained to the Insurance and Financial Ombudsman scheme.

He had created a cryptocurrency wallet and shortly afterwards was targeted by scammers who instructed him to open it and transfer the cryptocurrency to them.

When his bank alerted him to the scam, he stopped the transfers with $11,000 remaining in the digital wallet.

When he tried to access it later he was unable to do so. He was asked to use a back-up file but could not find it.

He told IFSO the platform should reimburse him. He said he was not adequately informed about the need to back-up the wallet and there were no clear warnings or prompts about the risks, he said.

Insurance and Financial Services Ombudsman Karen Stevens said crypto platforms had an obligation under the Consumer Guarantees Act to exercise reasonable care and skill.

The IFSO scheme looked at the information and prompts shown during the wallet set-up process, additional information available through links on the setup screens, the platform’s actions the issue was reported, and the platform’s terms of use.

She said, during set-up, the app displayed screens explaining that the wallet should be backed up, the back-up was the only way to recover funds if access was lost, and the platform could not access or restore wallets on behalf of customers.

The set-up screens also included links to further information explaining how wallet back-ups worked and the consequences of not completing one.

“We found no evidence that the platform failed to exercise reasonable care and skill. The information about backing up the wallet was presented during set-up, and additional explanations were readily available.

“We also noted that the platform took reasonable steps to assist [the man] once the issue was identified, but recovery was not possible without a back-up file. The platform’s terms clearly stated that customers are responsible for backing up their wallets and safeguarding access.”

The complaint was not upheld.

Alex Sims, a professor in the department of commercial law at the University of Auckland and an associate at the UCL centre for blockchain technologies, said people probably did not realise the limits on accessing cryptocurrencies and education was needed.

‘Although it does depend on the platform being used as many cryptocurrency platforms will hold and control the cryptocurrency, but this platform didn’t do this.”

Stevens said cryptocurrency platforms were different from traditional banking services and it was vital that people paid close attention to the set-up instructions.

Internationally, there have been cases where people have accidentally lost access to their crypto wallets, and lots millions of dollars.

A Welsh man said he unintentionally dumped 7500 bitcoin units in a landfill.

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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/2026/02/19/warning-for-other-investors-after-11000-in-crypto-lost/

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Auckland Airport posts ‘positive’ half-year result

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Airport has posted a steady half-year result. RNZ / Kim Baker-Wilson

Auckland Airport has posted a steady half-year result, with the company cautiously optimistic about passenger growth in the near term.

Key numbers for the six months ended December 2025 compared with a year ago:

  • Net profit $177m vs $187.3m
  • Revenue $519.6m vs $499.9m
  • Underlying profit $157.1m vs $148.1m
  • Passenger numbers 9.64m vs 9.46m
  • Interim dividend 6.5 cents per share v 6.25 cps

Its bottom line profit decreased 5 percent amid a jump in depreciation expenses reflecting new assets the airport commissioned. Stripping aside one-offs, underlying profit increased 6 percent.

Chief executive Carrie Hurihanganui said the passenger demand trend was “positive”, and singled out the China Eastern Shanghai-Auckland-Buenos Aires service as a highlight, which she said was proving popular.

“While the passenger demand trajectory is certainly positive, we expect the ongoing global fleet shortages to continue to weigh on the availability of new seat capacity supply and the pace of growth in the near term,” she said.

The airport said it had been a promising start to the 2026 financial year for international travel, with seat capacity up 1.8 percent from a year ago, lifting non-transit passenger movements to 93 percent of pre-Covid levels.

“Travellers on North American routes continue to be exceptionally well served with seven airlines competing in the market, and we’re welcoming more inbound visitors to New Zealand on these routes than ever before,” Hurihanganui said.

Temporary disruption as work continues on terminal

Hurihanganui said construction of the integrated domestic jet terminal remained on track for completion in 2029.

Construction activity at the international terminal over the next 18 months would become more visible to travellers with the opening of a temporary check-in facility.

“This next stage of the build, where we are upgrading the check-in area at the international terminal, is an essential step in delivering the long-term capacity, resilience and improved customer experience travellers have been asking for at Auckland Airport,” she said.

“Travellers can expect some temporary disruption as this complex work gets underway, particularly in international departures.”

Hurihanganui said the airport was working with airlines and government agency partners to minimise

The airport forecast full-year underlying profit of between $295 million and $320m, and forecast capital expenditure guidance of between $1 billion and $1.2b.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/19/auckland-airport-posts-positive-half-year-result/

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Cricket: White Fern Lauren Down announces retirement

Source: Radio New Zealand

Lauren Down playing for Auckland. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

White Ferns and Auckland batter Lauren Down has announced her retirement from cricket.

Down debuted for the Hearts in 2011 and went on to play 202 games for her province and 48 for New Zealand.

The Hearts’ third all-time appearance maker, Down also ends her career as the Hearts’ third all-time leading T20 run scorer (1496) and fourth all-time leading List A run scorer (2690), and contributed 41 wickets during her early days as an allrounder.

She was a member of the Auckland side that won the Hallyburton Johnstone Shield five times.

Down made her full White Ferns debut in a one-run ODI win over the West Indies in Lincoln in March 2018.

She opted out of a White Ferns central contract for the 2023-24 season to welcome her first child, before returning to the 2024-25 list and featuring on the 2024 tours of England and India.

Down represented New Zealand for what would be the final time in the 3rd ODI against Australia at the Basin Reserve in December 2024.

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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/2026/02/19/cricket-white-fern-lauren-down-announces-retirement/

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When grief throws a ‘wrecking ball’ into your life – name it

Source: Radio New Zealand

Grief needs a name if you want to move on from it, says resilience expert and educator, Lucy Hone.

In her new book, How Will I ever Get Through This?, she calls it a “bloody, f#$%ing thing” (or BFT).

“I think there is amazing, important power in actually acknowledging that what you are going through is a BFT,” says Hone.

Ed Hone/supplied

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/19/when-grief-throws-a-wrecking-ball-into-your-life-name-it/

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Marlon Williams announces last NZ tour before he takes a break

Source: Radio New Zealand

Marlon Williams and the Yarra Benders have promised to perform four New Zealand shows this year before “taking a break for a bit”.

“Tā te Manawa (literally “heart at rest”) is going to be the tour before the break,” the Silver Scroll winner said in a statement on Thursday morning.

The first show will be held at Auckland’s Civic Theatre on 22 May followed by a Wellington set at the Michael Fowler Centre the following night.

They will then play in Nelson at Trafalgar Centre on 27 May and at the Christchurch Town Hall on 30 May.

“Comprising songs from my last album Te Whare Tīwekaweka all the way back to my humble first album, and bits of everything in between. I would love to see you there,” Williams wrote in a statement sharing the dates.

Williams’ break will come after a run of shows across Europe and Australia, ahead of the local leg of the tour at the end of May.

“For nearly 20 years I’ve explored both the physical and musical world in the company of incredible musicians, songwriters and friends and it’s been an absolute pleasure,” Williams wrote in a newsletter to fans on Tuesday.

“The catch with it is that because it’s such a blessing to do what you love, it can be easy to overlook the toll it can take over time, on body and soul. So yes, I’m gonna have a cup of tea and a lie down and maybe get a dog.”

Tickets for the shows go on sale at noon on 24 February.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/19/marlon-williams-announces-last-nz-tour-before-he-takes-a-break/