Category: Radio New Zealand

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Under-35s buying less vapes could be result of tighter regulations

Source: Radio New Zealand

Justin Lester, director of Dot Loves Data said this trend was likely a consequence of tightening restrictions around marketing and flavours. 123rf

Under-35s are spending less on vapes each year, according to an analysis of bank transactions by Dot Loves Data.

Eighteen to 24-year-olds spent $90 million on vape products throughout 2025, down from $105 million in 2024.

And among those aged 25 to 34 – historically the largest spending cohort – spend was down from $122m in 2024, to $113m in 2025.

Justin Lester, director of Dot Loves Data, said those numbers had been trending down since 2023 – and so far, were continuing to fall in 2026.

Dot Loves Data, based in Wellington, was bought by ANZ in 2022, giving it exclusive daily access to ANZ transactions on credit and eftpos cards, which made up 35 percent of transactions nationwide.

Overall, Lester said, vape spend was down, after peaking at $34 million a month in 2025. By this January, that figure had dropped to $32 million.

Annually, New Zealanders spent a total of $401 million on vaping products in 2025, compared with $417 million in 2024.

It was not possible to see what products people were buying based on the data, Lester said, and they didn’t collect data for under-18s.

Lester said this trend was likely a consequence of tightening restrictions around marketing and flavours.

The government had made a range of regulation changes in recent years, including a ban on disposable vapes and a restrictions for marketing and flavours.

However, it was a different story among older demographics. For age groups over 35, spending remained comparatively steady, even increasing in line with price increases.

In general, men spent more on vapes than women.

According to the 2024/25 New Zealand Health Survey, 11.7 percent of adults were daily vapers, with the highest rates found among those aged 18 to 34, Māori and Pacific people, and adults living in the most deprived neighbourhoods.

Jonathan Devery, chairperson of the Vaping Industry Association (VIANZ), said the figures were encouraging, and pointed to those restrictions targeting young people having an effect.

While data wasn’t available for under-18s, the ASH Year 10 Snapshot Survey of up to 30,000 students each year, showed regular vaping was on the decline.

Devery said those who didn’t experiment with vapes as teenagers were less likely to carry the habit into their twenties.

“Daily and experimental use amongst that age group has been on a steady decline for five years now, so I think you’re seeing a relationship between those under-18s not experimenting or using those products as they were five or so years ago, and those Kiwis falling into the new dataset no longer using those products.”

Devery said, according to retailers, the disposable ban had had the largest impact on sales.

He said research had shown the older generation tended to be the ones who had replaced a smoking habit with vaping, and were not such big users of the disposable, fun-flavoured alternatives.

ANZ data far higher than government estimate

The ANZ number was far higher than the Ministry of Health’s estimated total sales for “notifiable products” (vaping, smokeless tobacco, and herbal smoking products).

In 2024, the most recent year available, it was “at least $280 million”, compared to ANZ’s $401 million. The ministry noted its estimate was based on specialist vape retailers reporting their sales data, and was incomplete.

Data for 2025 was not available for comparison.

Devery explained those estimates relied on retailers and distributors accurately reporting their sales, but that wasn’t always happening, and a better, clearer platform for reporting data might help.

“Retailers, distributors, suppliers are all doing their best with the education and platform that they have available to them.”

A Ministry of Health spokesperson said it continued to work with industry to improve the usability and reliability of the annual returns system.

As the law left a relatively short window in which to submit annual returns, it had taken “a pragmatic approach” to ensure industry participants had enough time to submit complete and accurate information by allowing late or corrected submissions.

“This helps ensure that any information released publicly reflects the most accurate picture of the market,” it said.

But Letitia Harding, chief executive of the Asthma Foundation, said there needed to be harsher consequences for retailers for poor reporting. “It’s got to have enforcement, and that’s definitely been lacking,” she said.

The ministry said for the past year its compliance focus had been on retail practices that presented the greatest potential public health risk, like sales to minors, visibility and advertising restrictions.

“Annual returns reporting remains important for regulatory oversight; however, it has not been an area where limited compliance resources have been heavily directed.”

The ministry said it was unable to comment on the reported discrepancy between its number, and ANZ’s, “as we do not have visibility of how ANZ has collected or calculated its information, including what market segments or assumptions may have been included”.

Regulations may be having an effect, but there’s more still to do: Asthma Foundation

Harding said while there was no doubt regulations were having an impact, she was still concerned by other studies which showed 18 to 24 year-olds maintained a high rate of daily vaping. “They’re the ones we’re concerned don’t have the support to quit vaping.”

She was also cautious the data didn’t show what products people were buying, and how many. “It would be interesting to see what’s going out.”

Box mods, or non-disposables – typically favoured by older generations – tended to be more expensive. But you only needed to buy it once, and then the only ongoing expense was vape juice.

The data on locality, however, was well supported by existing evidence, she said, and it was concerning to see vape spend highest in areas of high socioeconomic deprivation.

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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/2026/03/11/under-35s-buying-less-vapes-could-be-result-of-tighter-regulations/

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Cathedral square upgrade: Concept design to open for consultation

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cathedral Square was badly damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes. Frank Film

A long-awaited plan for an upgrade to Christchurch’s Cathedral Square will go to the public in coming months, Christchurch City Council says.

Council staff briefed mayor Phil Mauger and councillors on concept design work for the city’s traditional centre on Wednesday.

Cathedral Square – which encircles the moth-balled Christ Church Cathedral in the central city – was badly damaged in the Canterbury earthquakes.

Efforts to upgrade both the cathedral building and surrounding square have floundered for more than a decade.

Council strategy, planning and regulatory general manager John Higgins said the revitalised concept design would go to the public for consultation later this year.

“The current programme has largely focused on surface improvements like upgrading roads and footpaths, paving and landscaping.

“We now have an opportunity to build on the design work done by Regenerate Christchurch to further recognise the role and importance of Cathedral Square as our central civic space.”

The council was seeking expressions of interest for the project.

Previous feedback had shown people want Cathedral Square to be an accessible and vibrant place to gather, Higgins said.

“For many, the square has historically been a gathering place for everyone who calls Christchurch home. We want to acknowledge its role as the heart of our city, connecting all our new and existing facilities and creating a space that reflects that importance.”

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Primary teachers’ union angry over government offering individual pay rises

Source: Radio New Zealand

Richard Tindiller

The primary teachers’ union is angry that the government is offering pay rises to teachers on individual employment agreements.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said from Wednesday, schools could offer staff on individual agreements a 2.5 percent pay rise from 20 March, with a further 2.1 percent on 28 January next year.

She said the teachers had a right to a contract.

“It is fair and reasonable that nearly a third of primary school teachers, who are not part of the NZEI, should be offered a contract so they can receive the pay increases that the government has already offered,” she said.

“This would equate to approximately $50 to $76 each week and is pay that non-union teachers could already be receiving if not impacted by the NZEI’s ongoing approach to bargaining.”

The Educational Institute Te Riu Roa rejected the same deal for teachers in the collective agreement.

RNZ understands it is unusual for an individual offer to be made before the collective is settled.

NZEI primary teacher leader Liam Rutherfod said the move was a serious breach of good faith and undermined collective bargaining.

“The government is employing divisive tactics to undermine teachers’ fight to get fair recognition of our work. Our teachers deserve a fair deal that reflects their value, not sinister manoeuvres designed to break our unity,” he said.

“The government is demanding we implement sweeping, rushed curriculum changes, yet they refuse to pay us for doing the extra work and consistently undervalue our work in supporting students through these changes. There is widespread frustration regarding the pace of curriculum changes and its impact on ākonga and their learning.”

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Wattie’s NZ proposes closure of three manufacturing facilities, impacting 350 jobs

Source: Radio New Zealand

(File photo)

Major food company Wattie’s has proposed changes to discontinue some manufacturing operations in New Zealand.

The company said the proposal would result in the closure of three manufacturing facilities in Auckland, Christchurch and Dunedin. Packing would also cease at the associated frozen lines in King St, Hastings.

The company said about 350 jobs were expected to be affected.

MORE TO COME…

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Live animal exporters disappointed by backtrack on government commitment

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Exporters of live animals by sea are feeling “not flash” about the government’s announcement it will not resume the trade this term.

On Wednesday, senior National MP Todd McClay told RNZ the party would not progress the move to reverse a ban on live animal exports by sea.

It followed an announcement by Associate Agriculture Minister responsible for animal welfare, Andrew Hoggard, that he did not expect the legislation to progress this side of November’s general election.

“While discussions are ongoing, Cabinet has not agreed any final decisions,” he said.

Nearly three years ago, the Labour-led government banned the trade worth around $374 million in 2022, after a ship en route to China capsized in 2020, killing 41 crew members – including 2 New Zealanders – and nearly 6000 cattle.

But during the last election, there was a push for the practice to resume. It featured in coalition agreements between National and Act and National and New Zealand First.

Since then, the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) had been working with industry to create so-called gold standards for live exports.

Industry group Livestock Export NZ’s executive director, Glen Neal said it spent years working closely with MPI on developing the new standards.

But he said he believed Cabinet did not understand that the sector was also focussed on animal welfare.

“The decision leaves us grasping for what the future of the sector really is,” he said.

“We couldn’t agree more with the SPCA and others that this is about animal welfare, which is why we work so closely with MPI on new standards; on standards that New Zealanders could justifiably be proud of, that lined up with our reputation as a proud trading nation in agricultural products.”

He said government went quiet on it last year.

“This decision announced from Minister Hoggard, unfortunately comes as no surprise. We haven’t heard much for the last nine months on this,” he said.

“We elected this government on the back of many promises, but one of them did include reinstating the trade, and so three years of missing $300 million in New Zealand’s rural economies, it does leave you scratching your head about why.

“Three-hundred million dollars, the minister mentioned last night, that per year. That’s what we’re leaving on the table in terms of trade with countries like Indonesia.”

Neal said New Zealand helped contribute to growing Indonesia’s domestic dairy herd, and China wanted this too.

He said these markets wanted dairy cattle from New Zealand, and may look to countries with lower welfare standards to plug the gap.

“Effectively, this decision just postpones the introduction of those good standards, postpones New Zealand’s re-entry into this market.”

Industry group Livestock Export New Zealand represented firms involved with the trade, like farmers, stock agents, shipping companies and veterinarians.

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Medicinal cannabis company Helius Therapeutics shuts down

Source: Radio New Zealand

Southern Medicinal has converted the old Mataura paper mill into a medicinal cannabis and hemp growing, testing and processing facility. Supplied / Southern Medicinal

Medicinal cannabis company Helius Therapeutics has been placed in voluntary administration, citing a tough commercial and regulatory environment.

The Auckland-based company was founded in 2018, and was one of the early players in the sector.

The voluntary administration does not impact the clinic business owned by Helius Group, and operating under Cannaplus.

Helius chief executive Vicky Taylor, who joined in late 2025, said the decision reflected challenges facing the sector.

“This is an incredibly difficult moment for our team and for the wider medical cannabis industry,” Taylor said.

“Unfortunately, the current commercial and regulatory environment has made it very challenging for manufacturers to operate sustainably at scale.”

Over the past few years, the sector has made repeated calls to ease regulatory burdens in New Zealand.

Helius Therapeutics will close its East Tāmaki manufacturing facility.

Daniel Stoneman and Neale Jackson of Calibre Partners were appointed voluntary administrators.

Stoneman said they would continue to trade the business at reduced capacity over the next six weeks to sell the remaining stock on hand.

All manufacturing operations have ceased, and assets would be sold, he said.

“The company has been placed in voluntary administration following a sustained period of trading losses driven by high operating costs and a challenging regulatory environment,” Stoneman said.

Taylor said its priority was to support staff and ensure patients received care through its clinic network.

“Most importantly, I want to thank the great people who have worked at Helius Therapeutics,” she said.

“Their commitment to patients, innovation and quality has been remarkable, and I’m grateful for everything they have contributed.”

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Home intruder hit in head with a golf club following serious assault in Mahia, Hawke’s Bay

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police were called to a house on Newcastle St in Mahia at 11.30pm on February 28. (File photo) RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A man who was struck in the head and face with a golf club after entering a house in Hawke’s Bay and seriously assaulting a person is being sought by police.

Police were called to address on Newcastle St in Mahia, at 11.30 pm on February 28 after a man entered the property and seriously assaulted a person.

Another person in the house confronted the man – hitting him with a golf club – and injuring his head and face, police said.

The man then fled on a dark-coloured side-by-side quadbike.

Detective Sergeant Joshua Jones said police were looking for man in his 30s or 40s with short black hair and a receding hairline.

The man was nearly six foot three inches tall – of chubby build – and wearing a white singlet and jeans at the time of the assault.

“This is a very serious incident that has happened in a place where the victim should have been able to feel safe.

“The victim sustained serious injuries, and both occupants are understandably very shaken by the incident,” Jones said.

Police were asking anyone who may have seen a person matching the description – possibly with unexplained head injuries – or who spotted the quad bike in the Newcastle and Weld St areas, near the time of the assault, to get in touch.

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NZ First calls for Covid-19 inquiry focused on vaccine injuries

Source: Radio New Zealand

NZ First said the latest report did not go far enough when looking into vaccine safety and risks. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

New Zealand First has called for yet another inquiry into Covid-19 – this one focused on vaccine injuries.

The second phase of the Royal Commission of Inquiry, commissioned by the coalition, released its findings on Tuesday, unequivocally endorsing the use of vaccines.

It did, however, highlight that officials were warned about the risks of giving two doses to teenagers – and said that was not passed on to ministers.

In a statement, NZ First said the latest report did not go far enough when looking into vaccine safety and risks.

It called for a select committee to hold its own inquiry to give anyone injured a voice and to hold decision-makers accountable.

“The Crown needs to know how widespread any effects of those known risks that were mandated on New Zealanders but specifically those young people.

“The downstream health effects could be disastrous with the report identifying myocarditis as a specific health consequence.”

Speaking at Parliament, NZ First leader Winston Peters told reporters he had serious concerns about vaccine safety.

“Hundreds of thousands of people have been affected here. They need to know the truth. They need to know why they were denied the truth.”

ACT’s David Seymour said he was open to the idea of a select committee inquiry.

“A lot of people felt they were ostracized from society and if this helps them feel seen and heard, then it might not be a bad thing.”

Even with the support of NZ First and ACT, a select committee inquiry would require the backing of the National Party.

National leader and Prime Minister Christopher Luxon dodged questions over whether he supported an inquiry, saying only that there were “very serious questions” for Labour to answer.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins said two high-level investigations had already been carried out – including one commissioned by the current coalition government.

He pointed out that Peters was once a staunch advocate for vaccines, even calling for them to be a requirement for welfare and parole.

“One of the wonders of being Winston Peters is you never have to be consistent in your position on anything.”

Hipkins said the government needed to “move on” and focus instead on the cost-of-living and the country’s future.

In its report, released on Tuesday, the Royal Commission of Inquiry said the process and consideration surrounding the approval of vaccines could not have been more thorough.

“We acknowledge that some people disagree with Medsafe’s decision that the benefits of [the Pfizer vaccine] Comirnaty outweighed its risks. They consider the risks of the vaccine then, and now, well outweigh any perceived benefit.

“We do not agree with that view.”

The report said the evidence did not support arguments that Covid-19 was not “a significant threat to public health”.

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Australian man sails around the world in homemade boat

Source: Radio New Zealand

There was champagne and smiles as Dan Turner sailed into Antigua, in the Caribbean Sea, this week.

After 16 months at sea and 28,000 nautical miles travelled, the South Australian accomplished what some can only dream of — sailing solo around the world.

And to top it off, he completed the feat in a boat he built in his own garage.

Dan Turner celebrates finishing the Mini Globe Race with champagne in Antigua, in the Caribbean Sea.

Supplied / Dan Turner

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Researchers teach computer made from human brain cells to play ‘Doom’

Source: Radio New Zealand

SPENCER PLATT

Researchers at Melbourne start-up Cortical Labs have taught their “biological computer” made from living human brain cells to play Doom.

They say it brings biological computers a step closer to real-world uses, such as drug-testing or robotics applications.

Cortical Labs synthetic biological intelligence scientist Dr Alon Loeffler told Midday Report it was the “first code-deployable biological computer”.

“We like to call it neurocomputer, made out of about 200,000 to 800,000 cells that were taken from stem cells and turned into brain cells,” he said.

“Then we had an early access user, a customer of ours, in one-week programme the game Doom, or a free version of Doom, without the copyright restrictions, so that the cells can navigate this environment and try and beat the game.”

He said the cells were very similar to what would be in a real-life brain.

Loeffler said while they were human brain cells, they were not taken from people’s brains, but rather from blood donations.

“We take blood donations from willing volunteers and donors and then our amazing biology team does some biology magic, which is science, but I think of it as magic.

“They turn these blood cells into stem cells, similar to what in the past you’d have to take out of embryos, but now you can just get them from skin cells or blood cells.

“Then those are converted to brain cells or cortical cells, which are then placed on a Petri dish, and we can record the electrical activity from the cells because they communicate via electrical signals, similar to how they would in the brain.”

In that sense, they were alive, he said.

‘Learning to improve over time’

Loeffler said because the system didn’t have sensory inputs such as eyes or ears, the question was how they would encode the information.

A lot of research had gone into that, he said.

“We’re still in the very early stages of understanding that, but the idea is, for example, in the Doom game, if there’s an enemy or demon that appears on the left side, you can send in an electrical input on the left side of the chip, and if it’s on the right side, you could send in an electrical signal on the right side of the chip.

“This is obviously a much more condensed version and simplified version, but then the response of the culture would then kind of tell the game or tell the controller what to do, to move to the left or to move to the right, for example.”

Loeffler admitted the computer was not very good at the game, but would outperform a model that shot randomly.

He said it was “learning to improve over time”.

Loeffler said there were several real-world applications it could be applied to, such as drug development and testing.

“You can test all sorts of different drugs on these cells, and they’ll perform much more similar to biological systems,” he said.

“They’re also much more similar to brains than animal models, so you can kind of remove the need for mice and chimpanzees and sheep in animal models. You could also potentially use them for robotics applications.

“It’s one thing that biological systems are really good at doing, which AI is terrible at doing, is navigating new and changing environments.”

He said if they could improve its ability to understand inputs, they would be able to navigate an environment in a more biological way.

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Researches teach computer made from human brain cells to play ‘Doom’

Source: Radio New Zealand

SPENCER PLATT

Researchers at Melbourne start-up Cortical Labs have taught their “biological computer” made from living human brain cells to play Doom.

They say it brings biological computers a step closer to real-world uses, such as drug-testing or robotics applications.

Cortical Labs synthetic biological intelligence scientist Dr Alon Loeffler told Midday Report it was the “first code-deployable biological computer”.

“We like to call it neurocomputer, made out of about 200,000 to 800,000 cells that were taken from stem cells and turned into brain cells,” he said.

“Then we had an early access user, a customer of ours, in one-week programme the game Doom, or a free version of Doom, without the copyright restrictions, so that the cells can navigate this environment and try and beat the game.”

He said the cells were very similar to what would be in a real-life brain.

Loeffler said while they were human brain cells, they were not taken from people’s brains, but rather from blood donations.

“We take blood donations from willing volunteers and donors and then our amazing biology team does some biology magic, which is science, but I think of it as magic.

“They turn these blood cells into stem cells, similar to what in the past you’d have to take out of embryos, but now you can just get them from skin cells or blood cells.

“Then those are converted to brain cells or cortical cells, which are then placed on a Petri dish, and we can record the electrical activity from the cells because they communicate via electrical signals, similar to how they would in the brain.”

In that sense, they were alive, he said.

‘Learning to improve over time’

Loeffler said because the system didn’t have sensory inputs such as eyes or ears, the question was how they would encode the information.

A lot of research had gone into that, he said.

“We’re still in the very early stages of understanding that, but the idea is, for example, in the Doom game, if there’s an enemy or demon that appears on the left side, you can send in an electrical input on the left side of the chip, and if it’s on the right side, you could send in an electrical signal on the right side of the chip.

“This is obviously a much more condensed version and simplified version, but then the response of the culture would then kind of tell the game or tell the controller what to do, to move to the left or to move to the right, for example.”

Loeffler admitted the computer was not very good at the game, but would outperform a model that shot randomly.

He said it was “learning to improve over time”.

Loeffler said there were several real-world applications it could be applied to, such as drug development and testing.

“You can test all sorts of different drugs on these cells, and they’ll perform much more similar to biological systems,” he said.

“They’re also much more similar to brains than animal models, so you can kind of remove the need for mice and chimpanzees and sheep in animal models. You could also potentially use them for robotics applications.

“It’s one thing that biological systems are really good at doing, which AI is terrible at doing, is navigating new and changing environments.”

He said if they could improve its ability to understand inputs, they would be able to navigate an environment in a more biological way.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/researches-teach-computer-made-from-human-brain-cells-to-play-doom/

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Gang members arrested after raids targeting Christchurch Mongrel Mob

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police discovered a “chop shop” and recovered several stolen vehicles. (File photo) 123RF

Two Mongrel Mob members have been arrested following raids targeting the gang in Christchurch and north Canterbury, police say.

Officers also seized cash, methamphetamine, guns and vehicles after searching properties linked to gang members over the past fortnight.

Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells said officers found several guns and ammunition.

“Police also discovered a ‘chop shop’ and have been able to recover several stolen vehicles,” Wells said.

“A further five vehicles were seized by the courts due to unpaid fines. As a result, two men, who are both patched Mongrel Mob members, were arrested. They are remanded in custody, due to reappear in the Christchurch District Court in the coming weeks.”

A 34-year-old and a 29-year-old were facing drug dealing and possession charges as well as charges relating to driving and unlawfully possessing ammunition.

“Police are not ruling out further charges,” Wells said.

Anyone with information or concerns about illegal activity should contact police via 111 or 105 or CrimeStoppers via 0800 555 111.

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Why you might want to clean your headphones

Source: Radio New Zealand

Whether it’s enjoying a podcast, listening to music or chatting on the phone, many of us spend hours a day using our headphones. One 2017 study of 4185 Australians showed they used headphones on average 47–88 hours a month.

Health advice about headphones tends to focus on how loud sounds might affect our hearing. For example, to avoid hearing loss, the World Health Organization advises people to keep the volume at below 60 percent their device’s maximum and to use devices that monitor sound exposure and limit volume.

But apart from sound, what else is going in our ears? Using headphones – particularly in-ear versions such as earbuds – blocks the ear canal and puts the skin in contact with any dirt or bacteria they may be carrying.

We generally only notice earwax when there’s too much.

Alexander_P/Shutterstock

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National would only support ‘gold standard’ live animal exports, Todd McClay says

Source: Radio New Zealand

Todd McClay says he does not think there will be a resumption of live animal exports any time soon. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The National Party has withdrawn its support for resuming live animal exports by sea.

Animal Welfare Minister Andrew Hoggard announced on Tuesday that the government would not get round to resuming the trade this term as there were more pressing matters.

The government vowed to reinstate the trade with a new gold standard of animal welfare, but after making it into ACT and National’s coalition agreement – the plan seemed to get lost in the cogs of Parliament.

Speaking to Midday Report Minister of Agriculture Todd McClay said his party had withdrawn support for reinstating the trade.

“It was a policy that the National [Party] had before the last election, and I put it forward as our agricultural spokesperson then, now as agricultural minister. But I was also very clear that we had to have a gold standard, and for animals to leave New Zealand, it had to be the highest level of animal welfare and animal husbandry that New Zealanders would expect.

“We are not convinced that that is possible and so we’ve said that we won’t support that anymore.”

Labour banned live exports by sea three years ago due to animal welfare concerns.

Before the ban the trade which was worth about $300 million a year saw cattle shipped to China to help build the dairy herd there.

McClay said if a case could be made where animal welfare could be guaranteed National would relook at it.

“But I don’t think that is possible so we’re not supporting it. It’s not something I think we’ll see any time soon.”

Green Party spokesperson Steve Abel RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Green Party spokesperson Steve Abel said National and ACT should never have committed to reinstating exports.

“Look, I think that neither National nor ACT did the background work on establishing if they were committed to the principle of upholding the highest animal welfare standards, which is what New Zealanders expect.

“Can they resume this fundamentally cruel trade? There is no veterinary expert who independently states that that was ever possible. That answer should have been able to be got before the last election.”

Abel said he was glad the truth has come to light.

“This gold standard idea is a public relations exercise that has no substance in fact and the minister, it sounds like, has rightly pulled the pin on the plans to resume live exports at sea.”

Abel said the live animal export industry wassn’t one National should be bending over backwards for.

“It’s a tiny cohort of particularly vested interests who want to reinstate this trade and the public don’t like it because New Zealanders do not want to see animals suffering.

“There should be no future for live exports in New Zealand and it’s a good thing if the National Party are committed to make sure it doesn’t come back.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/national-would-only-support-gold-standard-live-animal-exports-todd-mcclay-says/

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Woman dies, child hurt car crashes into cafe on Auckland’s North Shore

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A woman has died after a car mounted the curb and ploughed into a cafe in Auckland.

The crash, about 9am on Wednesday, closed William Souter Street in the North Shore suburb of Forrest Hill.

Three people were initially hurt – one critically, one with moderate injuries and one with minor injuries. Two were taken to hospital.

Police have confirmed one of those injured had since died.

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

“We just heard a massive crash sound,” Jess, who works in a neighbouring store, told RNZ.

“I was out back and I thought maybe some of our shelves had fallen down, so I rushed out to the front of the store, and lo and behold, there’s just a car on the sidewalk.”

Jess said she and her manager both rushed out and could see that the car had “obviously” crashed into the cafe.

“The first thing we saw was obviously the lady that was really injured, she was lying on the ground and there was, like, another girl, it looked like quite a young girl, whose face was bleeding as well so there were like two very noticeably injured,” she said.

“And the first thing was just to call 111, just because obviously we saw that the lady who was hit was in a not so good situation, she was in a lot of pain and she kind of looked super, super confused so we called emergency right off the bat.

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

“The car obviously has taken out the door area, the whole glass panel, it’s almost like a split glass panel and the one glass panel is literally floating in mid-air.”

Jess said they then tried to keep people away from the entrance so there were no further injuries.

She credited another nearby worker.

“The cat doctor next door to us, there is a cat nurse, she was brilliant in that situation, she ran right across from the cat doctor and she sat on the ground with the injured lady and she just sat with her and talked her through it. She was amazing,” Jess said.

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A worker at the cafe that was hit by the car said a woman and her daughter were sitting at the time.

“Very sad news to see today. Thinking of all those involved,” North Shore MP Simon Watts said in a post on Facebook.

St John sent three ambulances and two rapid response units.

Police said only one vehicle was involved.

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Labour reshuffle: Willow-Jean Prime loses education portfolio

Source: Radio New Zealand

Willow-Jean Prime has picked up the social development role. VNP / Phil Smith

Willow-Jean Prime has lost the education portfolio, but picked up social development, as Labour reshuffles its decks ahead of the election.

Ginny Andersen will take on the education role, making her the third Labour MP to take on the role in just over a year.

Peeni Henare‘s departure from Parliament, along with Adrian Rurawhe earlier this year, has given Labour leader Chris Hipkins an opportunity to change things up.

“These refreshed portfolios ensure our team will hit the ground running when we win the election in November,” Hipkins said.

Willie Jackson, who had taken on the social development role last year, will instead take on Māori Crown Relations.

Ginny Andersen will take on the education portfolio. RNZ / REECE BAKER

Speaking to the changes, Hipkins said Prime’s new social development role required “care, empathy, and a strong focus on improving outcomes for New Zealanders,” while Jackson would focus on running a “winning campaign” in the Māori seats.

Among the other changes are Damien O’Connor picking up Henare’s defence spokesperson role, Reuben Davidson taking over economic development, and Tangi Utikere becoming the spokesperson for state-owned enterprises.

Willie Jackson, who had taken on the social development role last year, will instead take on Māori Crown Relations. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Vanushi Walters moves considerably higher up Labour’s list, and takes over foreign affairs from Henare.

New list MP Georgie Dansey has been given the rainbow issues and regulation roles. Dan Rosewarne, who will re-enter Parliament following Henare’s retirement, has been given the rural communities and small business portfolios.

Duncan Webb, who has announced he will retire at the election, has lost all of his spokesperson roles.

Vanushi Walters takes over foreign affairs from Peeni Henare who is departing politics. VNP / Phil Smith

His justice portfolio has been given to Camilla Belich.

Hipkins said Webb would instead take on a “mentoring role to support our team.”

The Prime Minister is also expected to announce a ministerial reshuffle in the coming weeks, following the retirement of Judith Collins and Dr Shane Reti’s announcement he will step down at the election.

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90% of New Zealand homes in need of immedate maintenance

Source: Radio New Zealand

Images showing rot in beams and exposed wood and peeling paint on window frames. Branz/supplied

About 90 percent of homes in New Zealand are in need of immediate maintenance, with the total cost of the work thought to be $27 billion, research has found.

Centre for Research, Evaluation and Social Assessment (CRESA) – with Building Research Levy backing – is running a project aimed at helping owners keep their homes well cared for in an affordable way.

CRESA’s research director Kay Saville-Smith, told Nine to Noon, the 90 percent figure came from a variety of resources including the latest condition survey done by the centre along with other research it had done.

Saville-Smith said any home that did not operate well, for example, losing heat or getting too warm counted as being in need of maintenance.

The risks associated with an unmaintained home were that it could become damaged during any adverse weather events.

Older homes were likely to be in need of repairs, Saville-Smith said, particularly if the home had not been well maintained on a regular basis.

She said while new builds were less likely to need immediate maintenance, they were not always suitable for the conditions and environment of where they had been built.

Old weatherboard homes for example with wooden window frames, were pretty straightforward to maintain, Saville-Smith said, but for many houses things were not so simple.

“Homeowners, particularly as they age, get less and less willing and sometimes less capable of some of the work.”

Over the years, there had been many design periods which used lots of different sorts of cladding and roof tiles, she said, and every different type of cladding on a home moved in a different way.

Different cladding moves in different ways. (File photo) 123RF

“The main thing consumers can do when choosing homes and designs is to understand and think about these things.

“You want a resilient home not one that just looks a bit flash.”

She said it was also important for homeowners to remember low maintenance did not mean no maintenance.

AUT Professor of Construction Management John Tookey, said a lot of general maintenance which needed to be done on homes was relatively small including clearing gutters, touching up paint, checking for gutter cracks and treating surfaces.

He said problems arose “when the outside gets inside.”

“If you don’t maintain, issues can become serious,” he said.

At this stage, Saville-Smith said she did not have data on how much people were paying to keep their homes maintained but they were working with housing providers to get a better idea of this.

She said CRESA wanted to work with designers and housing providers as well as the building industry on how to build better, more resilient homes.

Tookey said the biggest barrier for homeowners with maintaining their houses was finances. Everything from mowing grass to trimming trees came at a cost if someone was being hired to do it.

The next thing it came down to was skills and an ageing population, he said.

“We’ve become increasingly a victim of our sedentary lifestyle.”

His advice for homeowners who did not have access to a lot of funds was to “focus on the small stuff”.

That included using treatments on wood and touching up the house with paint.

He said by the time a problem was big enough to get someone in to fix it, it was going to be expensive.

“Deal with small problems before they become big problems and have a regular budget for maintenance.”

Tookey said it was good to try and set up one day each month where you can do maintenance around your home.

Coming into winter, Tookey said it was good to prepare your home by making sure there were curtains to keep in the heat, along with insulation under the floor and in the roof. He suggested purchasing a dehumidifier to take the moisture out of the air was also good.

Saville-Smith envisioned a checklist of home maintenance for a number of different styles of homes which could be given to homeowners.

She hoped the project would be able to get out the door within 18 months.

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Crusaders back themselves to turn around slow start in Super Rugby

Source: Radio New Zealand

Crusaders halfback Noah Hotham in action against the Blues. Brett Phibbs

The Crusaders concede they have not been good enough but are confident they can turn around their disappointing start to the Super Rugby season.

The defending champions have won just one of their first four games with losses to the Highlanders, Brumbies and Blues.

Coach Rob Penney concedes they weren’t up to scratch, but said making wholesale selection changes was not the answer.

“Just a bit of a cohesion issue,” Penney said.

“We’ll fix that through consistent selections and working hard and we’re doing all that.”

Blues winger Caleb Clarke scores a try against the Crusaders. Brett Phibbs

That pressure is mounting on the Crusaders and that was evident in training on Tuesday with a couple of players involved in some “push and shove”.

“So there should be,” Penney said when asked if there was tension in the camp.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other, and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time.”

Penney insists morale remains high among the squad and he’s confident they can get their season back on track, starting with a win over the Highlanders on Saturday night in Christchurch.

“No, it’s awesome. The group is really well connected, enjoy each other’s company and are desperate to do well. Yeah, there’s been some hiccups, but they’re not catastrophic and there’s a deep determination to turn this around.”

Last weekend’s 29-13 defeat at Eden Park was a hard watch for Crusaders fans with the visitors giving away multiple turnovers.

Penney concedes their preparation for the Blues game could have been better.

He said the coaches and senior players must help the less experienced members of the squad learn to perform consistently.

“Some of these young men are still finding a way to prepare for football at this level,” Penney said.

“It’s about trying to give those without the experience an opportunity to grow and develop and those with the experience the chance to help to teach them.”

George Bell scores for the Crusaders during the Crusaders v Brumbies Super Rugby match at the Apollo Projects Stadium. PhotoSport / John Davidson

The Crusaders defensive efforts also left a lot to be desired against the Blues and Penney said the players have taken ownership for some individual errors.

“Yeah, they were very courageous. In our review process, it’s not an environment where they’re intimidated to say they’ve made a mistake. It creates a learning opportunity and that’s the way we view it and they’ve been awesome on that front.”

The Crusaders host the Highlanders in Christchurch on Saturday night, their third New Zealand derby of the season.

“As a team, as a group, we’ve got some really good strategies around trying to nullify their strengths and expose our strengths as often as we can,” Penney said.

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Covid booster should be given alongside annual flu vaccine – experts

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Jacinda Ardern joins star-studded Auckland Writers Festival line-up

Source: Radio New Zealand

Some of literature’s biggest names – from Aotearoa and around the world – will hit the stage for this year’s Auckland Writers’ Festival in mid-May.

The festival’s 2026 programme features more than 220 artists participating in more than 170 ticketed and free events. Audiences will be among the first in New Zealand to hear former prime minister Jacinda Ardern she talks about her Ockham Awards nominated memoir, A Different Kind of Power.

Other notable names include Mick Herron of ‘Slow Horses’ fame, acclaimed Australian writer Helen Garner and Irish author Roddy Doyle, as well as English novelist Ian McEwen and Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales.

Local authors on the slate include 2026 Honoured Writer Bill Manhire, Witi Ihimaera, Catherine Chidgey, Tusiata Avia, Charlotte Grimshaw, and Elizabeth Knox.

Younger audiences are being offered ‘Pukapuka Adventures’ – a free programme of family activities – and ‘Plot Twist’, a new branch of the festival aimed at rangitahi that includes zine making, DJs and BookTok meetups. Dav Pilkey, creator of the best-selling Dog Man and Captain Underpants series, will also be attending.

The Auckland Writers’ Festival is one of the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere, with 85,000 attendees in 2025 and 2024. Artistic director Lyndsey Fineran says she hopes the festival will entertain, enlighten and inform every type of reader.

“Nothing has thrilled me more than seeing attendances soar over the last two years and watching a broader range of readers (and the reading-curious…) fill our theatres.”

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/11/jacinda-ardern-joins-star-studded-auckland-writers-festival-line-up/