Category: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cook Strait ferry sailings are delayed today as rough seas and strong southerlies continue in the Cook Strait.

MetService Meteorologist Lewis Ferris said cold conditions in the Wellington region are a clear signal of the seasonal shift into Meteorological Autumn.

Strong cold south easterly winds, rain and hail were making for a chilly start to the week for Wellington and parts of the lower North Island today.

Winter is on its way

Ferris said the weather is a clear indication winter was not too far away.

“The cold air that has been moving up from the south just a few days ago, was actually down around Antarctica. It’s sped up across the Southern Ocean, didn’t warm up too much and it has been zooming through Wellington through yesterday and today. So, we are getting that chilly, chilly southerly air hanging round, some heavy rain in the mix and even some hail overnight,” Ferris said.

He said the change coming at the turn of the season was well timed to hammer home the feeling of a cold conclusion to summer.

“If this weather had happened in a few months time, we would’ve seen some very, very cold overnight temperatures. In this case, we have just seen a few temperatures getting below zero degrees [and] seeing some frost around the South Island. but it could’ve been a lot colder had it happened a few months later,” Ferris said.

Ferris said the majority of the country would see below-average temperatures throughout the day and on Wednesday morning.

“Some places will actually be a bit warmer tomorrow morning. We are looking at parts of Central Otago and Southland beginning to warm up, which does spell out the trend for the rest of the working week. Heading to Thursday [and] Friday we’ll actually see temperatures rebound to above average.

“We are seeing those swinging temperatures. It is one of those shoulder seasons, so it is the kind of thing we will see for a few more weeks, if not months,” Ferris said.

He said this week’s cold temperatures would ease as the weekend approached.

“We are seeing those showers ease up a little bit – we shouldn’t be seeing too much in the way of risk of hail today. As we move into Wednesday, it is still easing, still southerly showers along those eastern coasts of the North Island, but we will be noticing a little bit more clearer skies moving into Thursday,” Ferris said.

Ferries delayed as large swells batter Cook Strait

Tuesday morning’s Interislander sailings aboard the Kaitaki, from Wellington, and Kairahi, from Picton, will now depart each port at about 11.30am.

Three metre swells and winds of up to 74 km/h were forecast for the Cook Strait today.

Bluebridge said the conditions were leading to longer crossing times. It said the morning and early afternoon sailings from both Picton and Wellington could be delayed by up to five hours on Tuesday.

Passengers are advised to check for updated departure times on the ferry provider’s sites.

Wellington Harbour’s East By West ferry – between Queens Wharf and Days Bay – was also running a restricted timetable due to the conditions.

Ferry sailings were also delayed or cancelled on Monday.

Jetstar flight diverted to Christchurch

In the air, a Jetstar flight from Auckland to Wellington this morning was diverted to Christchurch due to high winds.

One passenger told RNZ as they approached the Capital, the pilot announced it was a “pretty typical wet and windy Wellington day”.

“We were coming into land and then suddenly thrust of the engine as the plane went back up and we went around to try again. Second time [we] didn’t get that close due to wind sheer,” the passenger said.

They said the flight would refuel and re-attempt the trip if conditions allowed.

Ferris said cold and at times heavy rain was likely to be contributing to a few bumpy flights.

“It’s no surprise that planes have had a bit of a tricky time coming in this morning. With these heavy showers, you typically have strong updrafts and strong downdrafts. So, on approach from the north, they happened to be close to or passing through one of those showers, it would have been a bumpy time.

“An aborted landing isn’t too surprising in these situations,” Ferris said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/03/flights-diverted-ferries-delayed-as-strong-winds-hit-lower-north-island/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – The world is an increasingly dangerous place. What do you do if you’re caught up in a conflict like the one raging in Iran and the Middle East?

The US and Israel launched attacks on Iran over the weekend, killing Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and leading to retaliatory strikes on multiple countries in the region.

Large sections of airspace over the Middle East have been closed, and while some flights have resumed, hundreds of thousands of travellers still face delays.

Meanwhile, New Zealand citizens caught in the conflict zone may be desperately trying to get out and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warned them to shelter in place.

What if you’re travelling, about to travel or stuck in a country where conflict has broken out? Here’s what you need to know.

What can the government do?

MFAT works to assist New Zealanders overseas who might get into trouble, ranging from illness to evacuation from natural disasters to helping crime victims.

Its SafeTravel website allows the government to reach out directly to Kiwis they know are in danger zones.

“All New Zealanders living or travelling overseas should register with SafeTravel, whatever their destination, as that means we can send you updates about the places you’re in or communicate with you if an emergency happens,” an MFAT spokesperson said.

“You can register at any time, but it’s best to register before you travel.”

Why is registering with SafeTravel important?

It’s the government’s primary way to contact travellers in danger zones.

As of Monday, there were currently more than 1800 New Zealanders registered in the Middle East with SafeTravel, with the bulk of those – 1091 – being in the United Arab Emirates.

There are 26 registered in Iran, and 71 in Israel or the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

However, there are likely to be many more who aren’t registered, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said Monday.

“In reality, the number of New Zealanders in the region is likely to be much higher. We therefore urge people to register on SafeTravel as soon as possible so that we can communicate with them directly.”

MFAT told RNZ that as the weekend conflict erupted, SafeTravel messages were sent to New Zealanders in 10 Middle East countries – Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Qatar and the UAE.

It’s possible the government can arrange repatriation flights to get New Zealanders out of war-torn regions, as it did last year when the Defence Force sent a plane to assist those stranded in Iran and Israel during earlier conflicts.

Stephen Hoadley, a former Auckland University professor of political science, told RNZ in an interview last year that registering travel in advance can make it easier for families to know what’s happening with their loved ones.

“About half of New Zealanders never bother to register in a foreign country and of course they’re vulnerable, more at risk because MFAT cannot contact them, their families cannot contact them often and then the families will ring up the Minister of Foreign Affairs desperate to contact their son, daughter, brother, sister in a war zone and this puts a lot of pressure on the minister, the ministry, the bureaucrats and others.”

The Middle East is far from the only hot zone in an increased time of global conflicts. Just last week, MFAT issued a warning to “exercise increased caution” to New Zealanders in Mexico after the death of a local drug lord led to violence throughout the country.

What can I do if my flights are affected?

Doha and Dubai, which have been closed during the crisis, are some of New Zealand’s biggest transit destinations for travel to Europe and elsewhere. Dubai is the busiest airport in the world.

“I would say that there are thousands (of New Zealanders affected),” Travel Agents Association chief executive Julie White told Morning Report this week.

Auckland Airport told RNZ travellers should check with their airline.

“Airlines will be working to rebook affected travellers. We encourage anyone due to travel through the Middle East in the coming days to check directly with their airline or travel agent for the latest updates. Other international flights are operating as scheduled.”

“If your journey has been impacted, we recommend you reach out to the airline scheduled to operate your flight, who will be able to discuss your rebooking options,” Air New Zealand also said in a statement.

Air NZ said it is allowing people to make changes to dates of travel or reroute, and no penalty fee, service fees or fare difference will apply if changed by Sunday, 8 March.

White said the disruption from the airspace closures will have ripple effects.

“It doesn’t just impact the Middle East, it will have onward effects with other regions. Travellers should expect delays in other areas.”

What if you get caught up in a war zone right now?

Hundreds have been killed in Iran, Lebanon and elsewhere as the US/Israel-led military action continues.

“Our advice to them is to follow the advice of local authorities, including shelter in place recommendations,” Luxon said.

MFAT warns people in places of conflict to “do everything you can to stay safe”.

If you have to venture outside, stay alert, avoid large crowds or protests, and if you see large groups of police or armed forces, leave the area.

“Try not to stand out or draw attention to yourself” and avoid taking photos of local authorities or demonstrations, it warns.

Be ready to shelter in place and gather supplies, but also have a “go bag” ready in case you need to evacuate immediately.

Be aware of what’s going on in the countries you are visiting

SafeTravel’s website has a list of countries around the world and what their current advice level is.

Twenty-seven countries are currently on SafeTravel’s highest alert status of “Do not travel”, including much of the Middle East, but also countries such as Russia, Haiti, Venezuela, and several African nations.

Eight countries were added to that designation this week, Luxon said.

“New Zealanders in these areas should know that consular assistance may be limited or not available,” MFAT warns.

“That means the New Zealand government may not be able to help you if you are detained, injured, or otherwise prevented from leaving these areas.”

The government has long told New Zealanders in Iran to leave, a message Foreign Minister Winston Peters reiterated on Sunday.

“It will be very difficult in the risky cities. But if you’re out in the countryside and can get away, give it a go. Otherwise, try and stay safe, stay inside, and we’ll see how things develop. But it’s very, very difficult for us, this far away from personal circumstances, to tell people what to do,” he said.

“Mind you, we’ve been telling them for weeks to get ready, just in case this happened. Maybe next time, listen to the government of New Zealand, who does care what their future might be.”

A repatriation flight was possible, “if it comes to that,” but it was too risky at the moment.

Getting a New Zealander out of a war zone could cost as much as $1 million if they’re injured, the Detail reported last year.

Will travel insurance protect me?

Unfortunately, travel insurance policies typically do not cover travel affected by war.

“Travel insurance can help with many unforeseen situations, but it doesn’t respond to every type of global disruption,” a spokesperson for the Insurance Council of New Zealand told RNZ.

“Where travel disruption, such as airline cancellations, delays or rerouting, is linked directly or indirectly to war or armed conflict, policy exclusions are likely to apply. This can be the case even if travellers are not heading to the conflict zone itself but are affected while travelling through the region.

“Some insurers may also limit or decline cover for destinations affected by active conflict, reflecting the increased and unpredictable risks involved. Ultimately, decisions about cover depend on individual policy wordings.”

Every insurer and policy can be different, so travellers are urged to contact their insurer directly.

However, it’s still recommended to always get travel insurance, the ICNZ spokesperson said.

“We would encourage anyone travelling overseas to consider taking out travel insurance, as it can provide valuable cover for a range of unexpected events such as medical emergencies, lost luggage, or some types of cancellations and delays.”

“We strongly advise New Zealanders to get comprehensive travel insurance before heading away,” MFAT also said.

It said medical emergency costs can “range from NZ$3000 to $30,000 or higher depending on where you are and what you want to happen”.

What if I’ve got travel planned in the near future?

If you’ve got travel booked in the coming months that you’re concerned about, your first port of call is either with your travel agent or with the airlines and accommodations you may have booked yourself.

If you cancel your plans yourself, you may find you’ll have to pay cancellation fees or other fees, so it’s best to check the details with the airline.

“It’s a case of, I hate to say it, wait and see,” White said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/03/iran-conflict-what-to-do-if-youre-caught-up-in-an-international-crisis/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Disgraced former Deputy Police Commissioner Jevon McSkimming breached police’s code of conduct by staying in hotels at police expense and inviting a woman he was having an affair with to join him up to 10 times, the police watchdog says.

The revelation comes following the release of another report by the Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA).

In November last year, the IPCA released a damning report into police’s response to allegations of sexual offending by McSkimming. The allegations arose from an affair between McSkimming and a woman who was a non-sworn police employee at the time.

The report found serious misconduct at the highest levels of police including former

Commissioner Andrew Coster who resigned from his role at the Social Investment Agency.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

The IPCA said at the time its investigation had three components. The November report related to the first component.

They were also investigating whether the subsequent Police investigation into the allegations of sexual misconduct since October 2024 had been robust and appropriate; and the final part was whether the Police investigation into the possession of objectionable images by McSkimming had been adequate.

On Tuesday, the IPCA released a summary of a second report into McSkimming.

The summary said the IPCA oversaw two criminal investigations into McSkimming.

The first investigation arose from the report in November last year in relation to allegations of sexual offending.

“In that report, we set out in detail our concerns with the initial stages of that investigation before it was referred to us.

“However, from November 2024 the investigation proceeded in accordance with Police adult sexual assault policy, with our close oversight.”

In September 2025 Police provided the IPCA with the final investigation report, as well as an external legal opinion and a legal peer review.

“That report found that the evidential test under the Solicitor-General’s Prosecution Guidelines had not been met.

“We are satisfied that from November 2024 Police conducted an appropriate investigation and reached a view on prosecution that was reasonable.”

The IPCA also oversaw the investigation into objectionable material.

“We have no concerns with the way Police conducted that investigation.”

The IPCA also investigated McSkimming’s decision to invite the complainant, Ms Z, to stay with him in hotel accommodation paid for by Police, on numerous occasions, primarily in 2016.

“Our investigation has been impaired by a lack of records of travel expenditure and credit card statements from the time, due to the nine to ten years that has elapsed since the spending occurred.”

The IPCA had not been able to review his credit card expenditure, and relied on the evidence of the complainant, McSkimming, his former executive assistant and one of his supervisors at the time.

“In 2016 and 2017 Mr McSkimming’s workplace was at Police National Headquarters in Wellington. He lived about 60-70 kms away.”

McSkimming and his executive assistant at the time told the IPCA that he was regularly required to attend functions or late meetings in Wellington or catch early morning flights.

“On those occasions, his executive assistant would book accommodation at a Wellington hotel, paid for by Police. The rationale for these bookings was explained to us as being to avoid a long drive home after a work event, or where he was required to attend a social function to ensure he was not having a drink and then driving.”

The IPCA said the Police travel policy at the time was “vague and unhelpful in providing guidance on the extent to which the examples Mr McSkimming gave were acceptable”.

“Beyond restatement of the principles applying to ‘sensitive expenditure’ as promulgated by the Office of the Auditor General, it did not provide any guidance on the use of hotel accommodation in circumstances such as Mr McSkimming’s, where the accommodation was in the same locality as the usual workplace.”

There was now an updated sensitive expenditure policy, which sets out the principles to be applied when spending taxpayers’ money.

Police travel policy at the time, and still, requires “the travel approving senior manager need only be informed where a partner, family member or friend accompanies a Police employee on travel at their own expense where they have made their own travel arrangement but intend to share travel facilities (eg accommodation…) that will be paid for by Police”.

McSkimming told the IPCA he thought Ms Z stayed with him eight to 10 times.

“This is corroborated by Ms Z. Mr McSkimming breached policy by not informing his senior manager approving the travel that she would be staying with him. If he had done so, we consider it highly likely that approval would have been declined.

“In any case, whether or not he informed his manager, he breached the Police Code of Conduct by staying in hotels at Police expense and inviting the woman with whom he was having a sexual relationship to join him. If he had paid for the hotels himself, that would have been a different matter. However, the fact that the hotels were paid for by Police gives rise to the perception that he was using taxpayer money to further a clandestine affair, thus bringing Police into disrepute.”

Police Commissioner Richard Chambers said he welcomed the IPCA’s conclusions that the investigation into allegations of sexual offending was conducted with appropriate oversight and in accordance with Police protocols for adult sexual assault investigations post November 2024.

“The IPCA was also satisfied the decision not to lay charges was reasonable.

“The IPCA was also satisfied with the investigation which resulted in Mr McSkimming being charged and pleading guilty to offences of possessing objectionable material.”

He thanked the staff who conducted those investigations for their “thorough work in what were sometimes challenging circumstances”.

“I was very concerned to learn of Mr McSkimming’s use of hotels in Wellington and agree with the findings of the IPCA.

“This showed a disregard for taxpayers’ money and Police expenditure policy.

“I intend to write to Mr McSkimming seeking reimbursement of the costs of these hotel stays.”

Chambers said as the IPCA report states, the Police policy for sensitive expenditure requires spending to be reasonable and able to withstand parliamentary and public scrutiny.

“It is my view that unless there are exceptional work-related circumstances, staff should not require hotel accommodation in the same centre as their normal place of work.”

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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/2026/03/03/former-top-cop-jevon-mcskimming-used-police-money-to-pay-for-hotels-during-affair/

Source: Radio New Zealand

An arsonist given a second chance when he appealed against deportation went on to set another fire at the hostel he was staying in, a tribunal has heard.

British chef John Dodsworth was convicted of endangering life by wilfully setting fire to a couch at a boarding hostel less than a year after he was granted residence.

He will now be deported following his two-year, nine-month jail sentence, with the Immigration and Protection Tribunal agreeing he risked causing a ‘potential catastrophe’ if he remained.

It previously decided to let him stay, so he could have contact with his daughter and to get help for alcoholism and mental health issues.

The 49-year-old’s deportation at that stage was suspended for three years if he committed no further offences or parole breaches.

The former UK teacher started to re-offend seven months later, making fake calls and shoplifting, before committing another arson.

“The boarding house at which the respondent was residing (and where he lit the fire) had eight residents,” the tribunal heard. “The fire was lit by him on or about 2 March 2024, and he handed himself in to a police station the following day.”

His lawyer said he would face a ”very grim and dark future’ if he was deported, which would cut him off from meaningful contact with his daughter.

“The respondent does not believe that he is a criminal but, rather, that mental health issues get on top of him and he does things without thinking,” the tribunal recorded in its decision. “When so overwhelmed, he is not in a frame of mind to consider consequences. He greatly regrets putting the other residents at the boarding house in danger, and knows how important it is for his mental health issues to be managed.”

A psychologist reported Dodsworth posed a low risk for re-offending, but not if there were an acute mental health deterioration.

“When distressed, the respondent is likely to behave in a manner that seeks help and attention, but which puts himself and potentially others at serious risk. This underlies his fire-setting. Without appropriate monitoring and support, such behaviours could reasonably be expected to reoccur.”

The tribunal said, despite concerns over his suicide risk and his staying in touch with his daughter, the danger of further fires was too great to give him a third chance.

“The tribunal places significant weight on the degree of risk of serious harm to innocent members of the public because of the nature of the respondent’s repeated offending. He has acknowledged setting a fire in a public building (in other words, a building to which other members of the public have access) in the United Kingdom in the past, though he was not punished, making his most recent offending the third occasion on which he has committed arson in public premises.

“Put bluntly, a fire in a public building, particularly one in which people are living and sleeping, has a strong potential for terrible loss of life.”

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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/2026/03/03/arsonist-given-second-chance-to-be-deported/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Cook Strait ferry sailings are delayed today as rough seas and strong southerlies continue in the Cook Strait today.

MetService was forecasting three-metre swells and winds of up to 74 km/h in the Strait, but the conditions were expected to ease later in the day.

Tuesday morning’s Interislander sailings aboard the Kaitaki, from Wellington, and Kairahi, from Picton, will now depart each port at about 11.30am.

Bluebridge said the conditions were leading to longer crossing times. It said the morning and early afternoon sailings from both Picton and Wellington could be delayed by up to five hours on Tuesday.

Passengers are advised to check for updated departure times on the ferry provider’s sites.

Wellington Harbour’s East By West ferry – between Queens Wharf and Days Bay – was also running a restricted timetable due to the conditions.

Ferry sailings were also delayed or cancelled on Monday.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/03/ferry-delays-due-to-rough-seas-strong-winds/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Ministry of Education has received 127 applications from schools for help with the cost of cleaning asbsestos-contaminated sand.

Some schools spent thousands of dollars on decontamination after several brands of coloured sand were recalled last year.

Applications for the one-off grants closed at the end of February.

The ministry told schools they could ask for help with costs including asbestos assessors’ reports, disposing of the sand, and removing furniture and flooring.

It would not cover the cost of replacing classroom furniture and resources.

The ministry said the grants were for schools whose insurance companies refused to cover them, but schools could apply before they knew if their insurance claims were successful.

The ministry earlier said that a “fixed sum of money” had been set aside for the “one-off, time-limited” support scheme.

School had to have completed a survey by 17 December describing the financial impact of the asbestos-contaminated sand.

Only schools “experiencing financial difficulty” would receive reimbursement for asbestos-testing costs.

Early learning services were not being included in the support scheme, the ministry said, as they were privately owned entities co-funded with government subsidies and parents fees.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/03/more-than-100-schools-apply-for-help-covering-cost-of-asbestos-sand-clean-up/

Source: Radio New Zealand

There is growing alarm among youth advocates and law experts that at-risk children could be asked to leave a public area if they’re caught begging or sleeping.

The government plans to give police the power to move on rough sleepers, beggars, or people displaying disorderly behaviour anywhere in public.

It would apply to anyone aged over 14 years old and be enforceable through fines and a maximum three month prison term.

The proposal comes after widespread concern about growing anti-social behaviour in Auckland and other city centres.

Aaron Hendry has worked with at-risk young people for a decade and is worried by the numbers of homeless rangatahi.

He heads Kickback, a youth development organisation responding to homelessness in Auckland.

“Currently we’re monitoring roughly 200 or so tamariki and rangatahi across the region, in various levels, some fairly intensively, others light touch just guiding and navigating. Others that we’ve been able to rehouse we stay in the background to make sure they don’t slip through the cracks.”

Kickback can help children on the street to find shelter, sometimes in a matter of hours, but that has taken years of work building relationships with key services and landlords.

“We meet new young people every single week though, there’s always someone new, there’s something new going on and the system right now is under huge amounts of pressure,” Hendry said.

“We’re seeing young people coming both through the mental health system where they’re discharged from the hospital mental health unit and they’ve got nowhere to go,” he said.

“We’re seeing children that are coming through the care system, going through the justice system, kids that have just ended up in a lodge or a hostel by themselves and they’ve got nowhere to go.”

He said children and young people who find themselves homeless need support, and organisations like Kickback need more funding.

Hendry said the move-on orders were not the answer and police already have the power to respond to criminal behaviour among young people.

“The fact that children have been named within them is concerning to us,” he said.

“We know that when a child or a young person is on the street, when they’re experiencing homelessness, there’s some real significant risk to their lives and what we need to be doing is ensuring that we’ve got the right wrap-around support in place.”

Many shop keepers and business leaders support the government’s move-on orders to address ongoing anti-social behaviour.

But Youth Law Aotearoa general manager Darryn Aitchison said they should not apply to teenagers.

“We used to go downtown and walk around the streets on a Friday night, right, that’s what young people do, that’s normal young person behaviour,” he said.

“This law actually creates a situation where being a normal 14 year old could bring you into contact with the police.”

He said public places are central to the rights of freedom of movement, association, and expression – and children have a right to housing.

“We’re actually seeing a bit of a creep around civil rights and people’s ability to just be in their communities, be free, be normal, do the normal things that young people do and that’s concerning,” Aitchison said.

“I think all New Zealanders should be concerned about that.”

The Human Rights Commission said the planned move-on orders appeared to contravene the Bill of Rights Act.

Chief Human Rights Commissioner Dr Stephen Rainbow said he had “major concerns” about children as young as 14 being subject to move-on orders.

“Our role should be in protecting and supporting children to live a life of dignity. The best interest of the child is the paramount consideration for our human rights responsibilities.”

He said everyone deserved a life of dignity and a safe place to call home and the commission was concerned homeless people would be displaced and forced into areas away from food, health services and support networks.

“Public spaces are essential for democratic participation, social and cultural life, community belonging and access to services. They are central to our rights to freedom of movement, association, and expression,” Rainbow said.

“Restrictions on Bill of Rights Act rights must be necessary, proportionate, and justified. Though we do not have the specific wording of the amendment, the proposal does not appear to meet these criteria.”

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith’s office earlier said police are expected to connect people given move-on orders with the support they may need.

Rainbow said there were too many people with serious mental health and addiction needs in the community without adequate support.

“This is not humane for those living on the street, and can be unsafe for workers, public transport users, families and businesses who experience anti-social behaviour or disruption.”

He said the move-on orders proposal does nothing to deal with any of the key drivers of homelessness including the rising cost of living, addiction and mental health issues.

“We all have times in our lives where we need care to get by, and many of us don’t have the savings or personal support systems to bounce back after a traumatic event like a job loss, health crisis, or fleeing violence,” Rainbow said.

“What people experiencing homelessness need most is a home and access to social services, which will lead to greater safety for all. We call on the government to prioritise safety, dignity, and care over short-term measures that seek to make problems and people invisible.

Criminal Bar Association of New Zealand president Annabel Cresswell said the proposed move-on orders risk eroding fundamental rights without addressing the cause of the issues faced by those who are vulnerable in our communities.

“We stand ready to challenge any rights breaches through the courts, where our members have long acted to stand for equality and justice for our most vulnerable.”

Cresswell said everyone in New Zealand deserves a secure home and to live with dignity.

“But we are all aware of the worsening problem of homelessness in our communities, especially clear to our members working in our courts, where unhoused persons often end up,” she said.

“Forcing our unhoused community to leave their most familiar spaces, via harsh policing and criminalisation, is not only inhumane but will cause many to become unsafe.”

Cresswell said it was shocking because emergency housing and state housing is at its least accessible.

“We remind policy-makers that policing and criminal justice processes against unhoused people is actually far more expensive in the long-run than investing in homes, health access, support and care.”

Pam Elgar is executive chair of social services agency Lifewise. She said there is widespread recognition that anti-social behaviour needs to be addressed.

But she said the underlying causes were crucial to address and opposed the move-on orders.

“When homeless rangatahi are visible in public spaces it highlights unmet needs, not necessarily bad behaviour and the conflation of bad behaviour with homelessness is a risk,” Elgar said.

“These young people fall through the cracks, they’re ineligible for a benefit and do not meet criteria for housing support. There’s a real concern that in the absence of appropriate alternative, police may refer them to Oranga Tamariki, which of course is widely regarded as a measure of last resort.”

Hendry said he feels deeply frustrated at the move-on orders when there are rangatahi who desperately need help and homes.

“If we think about it for a second, a child ending up sleeping rough in the city centre. What is going on in that kid’s life, what is going on in his whānau’s life that is what’s happening right now. The question as a community should be how are we going to respond to that?”

He plans to make a submission opposing the government’s move-on orders, which require an amendment to the Summary Offences Act.

“My biggest fear right now is that kids are going to be pushed out of the city centre, out into the forgotten suburbs where they’re going to get missed, they’re going to be at greater risk of harm and of abuse, exploitation and we’re not going to be able to connect with them and give them the support that they need,” Hendry said.

“What we are seeing is that the support structure is not there to support tamariki when they are experiencing homelessness right now and we need to be doing a lot more work to ensure that children get the support they need.”

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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/2026/03/03/serious-concerns-at-risk-youth-will-be-caught-up-in-governments-new-move-on-orders/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A train carriage turned house, racks of clown costumes, tools from decades past, plates and teacup-lined walls.

These are the reminders of history you can find in Paeroa.

With a population of 4600, the town markets itself as the ‘antique capital of New Zealand’.

In 1993, Vivien Leonard set up her first antique shop in the town in 1993, when there were only two antique shops and one second-hand store.

“About 1995, when I thought, well, there’s no other town in New Zealand that’s got as many second-hand shops as Paeroa, and we only had 4000 people, so I called Paeroa the antique town of New Zealand. From 2020, really it was the antique town in New Zealand, it started to catch on.”

The town now has about seven antique shops and six second-hand stores.

But behind the so-far-uncontested title, is an array of factors that kept the antique community growing.

At the start, the council and Leonard did their part.

“The council was good at supporting us and put the word out there. And I put it on my card, I wrote it on my car.”

Many other factors made space for antique shops.

To the locals, Paeroa has always been a town with a reputation bigger than its population.

Lawrie Smith, 89, and 82-year-old Gaye Cleave are part of the town’s historical society.

They said the town was known as a transport hub, for its brewery, and later on, the L&P drink.

Growing up, sewing factories and new furniture stores filled the streets, and buying second-hand, was uncommon for them.

But Cleave said when the railway closed, and big retail pushed out independent stores, space opened up for antique shops to thrive.

“Next door was Rodney Williams, when they closed down, it became the St John’s (op) shop. It seems to be that when shops [were] empty, people took the advantage and put antiques and op shops in them.”

Smith thinks Paeroa feared better than many other small towns across New Zealand.

“In the peak of the downturn when the rail first went, we lost a lot of business. But now there’s probably less shops empty here than there is in a lot of other towns.”

He has done maths. Paeroa has 220 shops, with just four currently sitting empty.

And even those won’t stay that way for long.

Sam Annison, who runs Shed & Co, is looking to expand his presence in Paeroa.

“I wouldn’t want to say too much just at the moment. There won’t be many empty shops in town soon.”

Three years ago, Annison decided to sell his garden shed business and pursue his passion in second-hand goods.

After a stint running his store in Waihi, he moved his business to Paeroa.

“Paeroa has always been known as the second-hand capital of New Zealand. I really don’t know how it all started, but I do know that I’d just love to come and join in.”

The welcoming community has also attracted newcomers like Just Plane Interesting, bringing clown costumes and M&M collectibles to the main street.

After running his West Auckland business for 26 years, owner Raymond May is ready to make Paeroa his permanent home.

“There’s so many different people, kindred spirits, and so many beautiful things to look at down there. And it’s in the middle of everything.”

He told RNZ he had been invited to join the Paeroa antique community years ago, but at that time, he had just bought a building in Thames and was planning to settle there.

Unfortunately a stoush with the local council over his facade renovation saw him pack up in disappointment.

So far, his interactions with the Hauraki District Council had been pleasant.

“No one comes in and dictates to you. They just let you do what you want to do. It was just refreshing.”

Among the newcomers is Lisa Wellington who opened her own op shop two months ago.

“I was working in an op shop that closed down, so I opened my own. As we make profits, we will donate back to the community instead of going out of town.”

She said the business community is supportive of each other, and she’s not worried about profit or competition.

“Everybody knows everybody. Everyone’s helpful and tries to help the customer rather than themselves. So I think the town does well from 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/2026/03/03/forget-lp-paeroa-is-the-antique-capital-of-new-zealand/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has died after a crash on the Kāpiti Coast.

Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash on State Highway 59, near Onepu Street, south of Paekākāriki at 11.30pm on Monday.

A police spokesperson said State Highway 59 was closed overnight while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination.

The road reopened on Tuesday morning.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/03/person-dies-after-crash-on-sh59-kapiti-coast/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Wellington business owner is accusing authorities of failing to do their jobs and allowing the owner of car parked illegally on Tory Street to do so on a semi-permanent basis.

The businessman, who RNZ agreed not to identify, said he first noticed the car parked illegally in the time restricted on-street parking spaces about a year ago and it had become a fixture ever since.

“So, a couple of months into it I went, ‘nah, this is not quite right’. I called the council. The council said that they would look into it.

“It’s quite clearly not paying for tickets, and it’s quite clear they didn’t have a warrant or registration. The council was ticketing it every second day. So we’re talking about $400 a ticket, maybe $500 a ticket.”

Metered parks cost $5 per hour between 8am-8pm in Central Wellington and most were limited to 120 minutes 8am-5pm, and 180 minutes from 5-8pm. At the weekend the fee dropped to $3 an hour while most metered parks were limited to 180 minutes 8am-8pm. There was no charge or time limit on public holidays.

Annoyed at losing potential customers because the car park was occupied, the businessman went to the council offices in August in an attempt to meet with someone about the problem, but was asked to leave the building after becoming upset which he apologised for.

He took the issue up with council via email, as instructed.

In December, the Office of the Mayor thanked him for bringing the matter to its attention.

“We understand the seriousness of your concerns.

“Please be assured that we have discussed this with officers who have advised the situation is sensitive and is currently being handled by the appropriate authorities, including the police and MOJ (Ministry of Justice).

“We appreciate your patience and cooperation while the process is underway while the police and Ministry of Justice decide the best course of action.”

The businessman replied that he was “at the end of his patience” pointing out that the offending car now appeared not be be getting ticketed at all, and demanded to know if parking officials had been told not to ticket the vehicle.

The Office of the Mayor responded about three hours later.

“We have discussed this with officers and can advise that the parking team have not been instructed to avoid issuing tickets to this vehicle and they will follow up on the points you have raised regarding instances where tickets were not issued.

The office said parking services had been in contact with the Ministry of Justice as a number of outstanding tickets were currently with it for enforcement.

“They have broader enforcement powers than council, including the ability to clamp or seize vehicles,” the Office of the Mayor said.

“MOJ has indicated they will look to act in early to mid-January in relation to this vehicle as unfortunately, based on repeated behaviour from the vehicle owner, standard council measures such as ticketing or towing have not proven effective as a deterrent in this instance.

“I understand this may not be the immediate response you were hoping for. However, in this case, the best approach is to allow the Ministry of Justice and police to determine the appropriate course of action.”

The businessman, who said he owned three businesses in the city centre and paid a combined $17,000 in rates, understood the car owner was a difficult personality but was fed up and wanted the situation resolved.

“This is an issue for the council. I have no issue with the car owner. I have an issue with the council not doing their job.”

In a statement, the Wellington City Council said it was aware of the vehicle and the fact it had been parked in violation of restrictions that applied in the Tory Street area of the city.

“We can confirm the vehicle has been ticketed on multiple occasions.”

Council said parking wardens were only able to get a vehicle towed if they believed, on reasonable grounds, the vehicle was causing an obstruction, or removal was desirable in the interests of road safety or for the convenience or in the interests of the public.

“The vehicle concerned has been towed on several occasions, however council does not have the legal power to clamp, impound, or otherwise hold the vehicle. Council will continue to enforce this vehicle within the powers that it has at its disposal.

“A number of tickets issued to this vehicle remain unpaid and have been lodged with the Ministry of Justice for collection, who do have the legal powers to clamp, impound and dispose of the vehicle to allow for the full or partial recovery of unpaid fines.”

The WCC said questions about how many tickets had been issued to this vehicle, over what timeframe and amounting to how much in dollar terms would required a Local Government Official Information Act request.

RNZ has been unable to determine what, if any, enforcement actions are being taken beyond what the council has done already.

Police said they had no information indicating they were involved with the vehicle and pointed out parking was a Wellington City Council matter.

Ministry of Justice group manager national service delivery, Tracey Baguley, said the ministry couldn’t comment on the infringements issued in this case, as these were issued by the Wellington City Council and questions should be referred to it.

“When an infringement is not paid to the issuing authority by its due date, it can be transferred to the courts and becomes a fine.

“The ministry is also unable to provide you with specific information relating to an individual fines, as a person’s fines profile, and the actions taken to collect outstanding fines, is court information.”

Baguley encouraged RNZ to apply for court documents related to the vehicle but these require applicants to know the case number or full name of the defendant which the council, police and MOJ could not provide.

The Wellington District Court did not respond to an RNZ email regarding any potential action against the owner of the vehicle using the registration number to identify the vehicle.

Meanwhile, Baguley at the Ministry of Justice, provided general information on the role of the courts in this process.

When an issuing authority like a local council issued a ticket (called an infringement fee) the individual it was issued against was given 28 days to either dispute the infringement or pay it directly to the issuing authority, she said.

If the individual did not pay the fee in that timeframe, the issuing authority sent a reminder notice.

Baguley said if a further 28 days passed after this reminder, and the infringement remained unpaid, then the issuing authority could file the infringement with the district court for collection.

“When this happened, the infringement fee becomes a court fine. The court will issue a notice of the fine to the individual, giving them a further 28 days to make payment.”

If the fine was not paid within that timeframe, and the individual did not reach a payment arrangement with the court, then the court could take enforcement action to resolve the overdue balance, Baguley said.

This could include:

• seizing and selling vehicles or other property;
• clamping vehicles;
• suspending driver licences;
• making compulsory deductions from the offender’s income or bank account;
• summoning the individual to court;
• issuing warrants to arrest.

None of which impressed the businessman.

“Yeah, it is difficult, but that’s why we have the police. And that’s why we have what we have parking wardens. You know, people just have to do their jobs. When people come into my place of business, if they’re unhappy, we try and look after them as best we can.”

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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/2026/03/03/authorities-under-fire-for-failure-to-deal-with-illegally-parked-car/

Source: Radio New Zealand

It has been one and a half years since Auckland bus driver Rajnish Trehan was told by a violent and angry passenger he was a servant in Aotearoa before the man smashed out four of his teeth – an incident not treated as a hate crime by police.

People of South Asian descent have copped the most hate as victims of reported racist abuse in New Zealand according the police’s latest hate crime data – with 4767 hate incidents reported involving South Asian victims in New Zealand between January 2022 and October 2025.

More than four years since the beginning of a $10.4 million initiative – Te Raranga, aimed at helping police officers better respond to hate-motivated offending and collect hate incident data following the Christchurch mosque attacks – police said they are continuing to work to mitigate hate-motivated offending over time.

Trehan, who was punched in the jaw by a passenger who told him “You’re in my country, you’re my servant” in September 2024, said the trauma still haunts him today.

“You can heal yourself physically, but when you get emotionally hurt, it’s very hard to come out [from] those emotions,” he said.

Trehan said he was unable to eat properly for half a year and had to get dental treatment for the dislocated teeth. He had since left his job on public buses to drive school buses instead.

Trehan said his daughter, who was just five at the time, hugged him tight and would not let him leave the house for several days following the attack.

He said he told police about the racist comments, but was not aware of them recording it as a hate incident.

Trehan’s attacker Paki Keepa was sentenced to one month of home detention on 19 December, 2024, and police confirmed that the crime was not treated as hate-motivated.

“This determination was based off enquiries made into the circumstances of the assault, including speaking with a witness,” police said in a statement.

Trehan said there was no justice in the outcome.

“It was very hard for my family to digest this thing, what has happened to us, so it’s not proper justice [that] has been done, because something needs to be done very strongly … regarding in future also, if these things happen [again],” he said.

Trehan said he had experienced several instances of racist verbal abuse on the job in the months following the attack, and now after leaving his old job, he continued to see racism towards South Asians in his neighbourhood in Papakura, including people throwing stones at the homes of South Asian families.

Police data showed nearly 80 percent of the 22,069 hate incidents reported between January 2022 and October 2025 related to racial discrimination. South Asians (4767), Asians (2616), People of Colour (1884) and Māori (1427) were the most targeted.

While Asians were around 17 percent of New Zealand’s population (2023 Census), South Asians alone made up 27 percent of the victims of reported racial incidents.

The data showed 5.3 percent (1187) of the total number of hate incidents in this period had resulted in court action.

An Auckland social worker of Indian descent, who was punched in an unprovoked racial attack in Aotea Square last year, said he felt police put “minimal” effort into investigating his case, and also lacked empathy.

The man in his twenties, who did not want to be named, recalled hanging out with a friend outside Aotea Centre one evening when he noticed a man shouting “F** off, go back, you don’t belong here”, before making eye contact with him and approaching to punch him in the face.

He said straight after punching him, the man confronted another South Asian male in the area.

“It did feel like on reflection, there was a huge substance factor there, then the behaviour was followed by whatever racial bias and hate this person had, again – those words were big,” he said.

He said while police did take note of the racial comments and recorded it as a hate incident, they did not ask too many questions about that aspect of his experience.

“It felt like they lacked empathy, like the fact that I had gone through this, and I’m sure they see a lot of worse things daily, but it would have been nice if they … if there was a little bit more of a human touch to how they approach it.

“They were just kind of asking me questions to tick-box their report,” he said.

He said police called him for a welfare check-in after a few days, but closed his case within weeks, saying they did not have footage of the offender’s face.

Police said to RNZ in a statement only one camera yielded footage.

“This footage was unclear and did not capture the offender or the incident clearly, leaving Police unable to make an identification.

“Unfortunately, there were no further lines of enquiry for Police to progress our investigation”.

The man said he felt horrible that police closed the case with “minimal” effort, when considering the number of cameras available to check in the Aotea Square area.

He said police were not giving enough attention to hate incidents, which were significant for individuals who experienced them.

“Compared to a stabbing, it was a lot more minor, but if I now look at it from a racial lens, it makes me mad, because I know there’s so much hate, and it’s worse that it happens in person and physically and tangibly, but there’s also a massive online component to the South Asian hate, that I experienced as well – and I feel like there’s a huge factor of both of them playing in together,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mount Roskill MP Carlos Cheung – whose electorate has over 50 percent of its population born overseas – said he was not surprised by the recent data and had heard lots from people experiencing hate speech and racism.

He said he was aware of constituents not reporting to police their experiences, and fears that the number of hate incidents was under-reported.

“In order to address the issues, we need more accurate data, so we can address the problem, so we should encourage people to report to the police, no matter how big or how small the issues,” he said.

When asked whether he would advocate for hate crimes to be made a standalone offence, in his capacity as an Asian MP with a diverse electorate, Mr Cheung said that was not something an electorate MP could answer.

He said he had been talking to police regularly about how to promote social harmony.

Meanwhile, hate targeting immigrants, particularly South Asians, had become increasingly visible with far right demonstrations in New Zealand and overseas – including the anti-immigration protest led by the Freedom and Rights Coalition in Auckland in January, and two Sikh parades disrupted in South Auckland and Tauranga.

Labour party MP and former ethnic communities minister Priyanca Radhakrishnan said the latest police data on hate incidents and its impact on the South Asian community was alarming, both in a global context, and in New Zealand’s own context of the mosque terror attacks in 2019 – and that things were not getting better.

When asked whether her party would look into hate speech law reforms and making hate crimes standalone offences, Radhakrishnan said Labour would have a focus on improving diversity and inclusion, and strengthening social cohesion.

The Law Commission was looking into whether it should reform hate speech laws under the previous government, but Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith ordered it to stop in 2024, saying it would undermine free speech.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

At Bexley’s Wetlands Grove, three dogs in a caravan bark enthusiastically, shoving their heads through an open window, jostling to see who has arrived at their Christchurch red zone home.

The deserted street is the last remaining road leading to the old Pacific Park subdivision overlooking the Avon River and the Avon Heathcote Ihutai Estuary, which was largely cleared of homes because of liquefaction after the 2011 earthquake.

The caravan’s owner shut the dogs away and directed RNZ to Moko, the informal leader of a ramshackle street community that had sprung up around buses, vans and cars.

Moko, who wanted to be identified by his first name only, had been living at Wetlands Grove for about 18 months, with numbers growing from three to 40 over that time.

“Some people work, some people don’t. Some people are here because mainly there is no availability (of homes). They’ve got pets, they got too many kids. It’s too hard to afford cause you gotta pay rent, and then you also got to pay power, phone, internet, and then food,” he said.

Moko was living in emergency housing when he was the victim of a home invasion.

His request to move was turned down, so he started living in his van four years ago.

Moko worked full-time as part of an on-call road crew and while his set up worked for him for now, he was finding it difficult to return to housing.

“It’s getting picked as suitable. There is a lot of judgment,” he said.

“You turn up to a viewing and you’ve got 30 other families there. We’ve got families down here, actual families. There is a lady with three or four kids that has to live out of her bus.

“We’ve got people coming down here who work but they live in a tent. It shouldn’t be happening.”

The council regularly removed rubbish and had delivered portaloos, Moko said.

“It’s better than walking 25 minutes to the closest one, only to find it has been shut because it has been tagged up or someone is sleeping rough in it,” he said.

One house remained in the red zone on Velsheda Street near Wetlands Grove after the owners turned down the Crown’s initial buy-out offer.

The house was sold to the council and quickly demolished in February.

Moko believed the owners had no issue with people living on the street, although the Wetlands Grove community has had problems with others who object to their presence.

“We’ve had people come down and try and do stuff, come down and throw eggs at our vehicles. I caught two young fellas just about to vandalise the portaloo, and their excuse? ‘My mum told us to, cause we don’t like you people’,” he said.

‘This is freedom’

Down the road, the windows of Ngawai Timu’s tidy campervan were trimmed with curtains and her home on wheels had running water, lights, a fridge, television and a chemical toilet.

Timu started living in a car before upgrading to her campervan a couple of years ago after deciding $470 per week rental payments were too much.

“All I felt was I was paying for somebody’s mortgage,” she said.

“I’ve paid my way and did my work and paid my taxes and all my life of hard work and still paying high rent. So I’ve come from Auckland, Hamilton to Christchurch to live for free,” she said.

“I have water, running, and can have a TV, and also my lights, my fridge. I have a dirty big fridge, everything I need is in this van.”

Ngawai said she was recently offered a short-term one-bedroom house as part of Kainga Ora transitional housing programme but rules and restrictions, including the frequent checks and not being able to bring her fridge or have space for her two vehicles meant she moved back into her van.

Many members of Timu’s family, including some of her children, had moved to Australia although a son lived nearby and being close to her mokopuna was important.

For now, van life was okay.

Timu looks out over the open land and the view of the ever-changing estuary and distant Port Hills.

“I’ve gone back to being eight, nine-years-old and living out in the country. This is what I’ve known to be freedom. Look at it, nothing there,” she said.

Between Timu’s van and the sweeping Canterbury landscape was a stark reminder of tougher times, with a small, one-man tent just visible in the long grass.

In the depths of winter, when Wetlands Grove was icy cold, his neighbours helped him to an old broken-down car to sleep.

‘Refugees in our own country’

Polly Stewart is sitting in the sun chatting to a friend when RNZ arrives, with a short blonde bob, colourful dress and immaculate make-up.

“I’m transgender. My former partner asked me to leave because she couldn’t cope with the idea, and as Fats Domino sang ‘I’ve found my freedom’,” she said, singing the words.

Stewart said the cost of housing kept her in her bus, with the pension enough to cover expenses and a few savings.

She said the prospect of a Kaianga Ora home was unappealing.

“Being here is sort of freedom for me. Whereas living in a Kaianga Ora apartment, no. It’s like being in prison,” she said.

Other people living at Wetlands Grove did not wish to speak to RNZ, including a man who said there was no point because news coverage would not change a thing.

“We’re not homeless by the way, we’re refugees in our own country,” he said.

Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said some people would criticise the council for paying for portaloos and rubbish collection in Wetlands Grove, but the council needed to keep conditions safe.

“It makes sense to me that you should because that’s sanitary stuff. You imagine if it wasn’t there,” he said.

“The piece of road they are parking on is out of the way, so to speak, it’s high, it’s dry. It’s not down in the bits that flood, or anything like that. I understand it still has street lights running on it. If that is where they have ended up, sadly at this stage, we have to do something to make sure it is sanitary otherwise it could turn into an absolute disaster.”

The council’s citizens and community general manager, Andrew Rutledge, said there was no set end date for the provision of portaloos and rubbish collection.

“We have been clear that this is a temporary situation as that space will be needed for ecological restoration works in the future,” he said.

With Pacific Park’s final house now gone, the council had started work on its plans for the area.

Rutledge said the river regeneration plan detailed the restoration of tidal wetlands in the area.

All infrastructure such as roads, power, water and wastewater services would be removed in the next 12 to 18 months and the council would soon start the process of closing all remaining roads.

Wetlands Grove would become wetlands once more, so Moko, Timu, Stewart and others would once again need to move on.

Five housing providers – Comcare, Emerge Aotearoa, Christchurch City Mission, Housing First Otautahi and the Christchurch Methodist Mission – work together to try to help people who are homeless.

Housing First Otautahi spokeswoman Nicola Fleming said there had been a massive jump in housing waiting lists since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We’ve got 103 on that wait list at the moment, which is horrendous. Before Covid it sat at about 70, after Covid it’s jumping and just jumps all the time. We can’t house people fast enough,” she said.

That wait list was only for people who were classified as chronically homeless, which meant they had been without a home for at least a year.

In addition to community housing, Housing First Otautahi also helped people into private rentals and supported them as they re-adjusted to home life.

Fleming said a lack of housing remained a key problem and while more central or local government-supplied housing was much-needed, a quicker fix could be found in private landlords working with providers.

“They get rent paid every week by the government through MSD and they get market rent paid. It’s never missed whether the property is vacant or not, so that’s a massive bonus for someone,” she said.

“They don’t have to manage the property and don’t need a property management firm, we do that through our community housing providers. We visit with really great kaimahi, staff, who visit once or twice or sometimes four times a week if someone is in crisis.

“There is the other side that you are doing something great for someone in your community and you feel good that you can offer someone a home. So it’s a really lovely thing to do.”

At Wetlands Grove, a communal tent had been set up to create a more homely feel.

Moko wanted to make more of the expanse of green land around him, with dreams of putting in sheep to keep the grass down and provide food.

He pointed to a break down in mental health and housing services as reasons the Wetlands Grove population would keep growing.

Asked what Moko wanted for himself and others he replied, “humbleness and love”.

“It is okay to be not okay but never judge a book by its cover, that’s all. If you want to come down and talk to us, come down and talk to us. We’re not bad people,” he said.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/03/03/community-forms-in-remains-of-christchurch-red-zone/