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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/17/national-population-estimates-at-31-december-2025-stats-nz-information-release/
Electronic card transactions: January 2026 – Stats NZ information release
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LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/17/electronic-card-transactions-january-2026-stats-nz-information-release/
Global high jump star Hamish Kerr claims Supreme Halberg award
Source: Radio New Zealand
Hamish Kerr celebrates winning the Men’s High Jump final at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. www.photosport.nz
Hamish Kerr has claimed New Zealand’s highest sporting honour at the 63rd Halberg Awards in Auckland, after achieving heights in his career that no other Kiwi high jumper has reached.
Kerr has won the Supreme Halberg Award, capping off an extraordinary 2025 in which he dominated on the world stage.
Kerr – who also secured the Sportsman of the Year title earlier in the evening – won gold at the 2025 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.
His maiden triumph in Tokyo completed the final piece of Kerr’s collection of global titles. He is now the reigning world champion, Olympic champion (Paris 2024), and Diamond League champion (2025) – an unprecedented achievement by a New Zealand high jumper.
Kerr, who also won last year’s Halberg Sportsman of the Year, took the title ahead of athletics team-mate Geordie Beamish; Freeski Big Air World Champion Luca Harrington; footballer Chris Wood and golfer Ryan Fox.
Kerr’s athletics coach James Sandilands, who guided the 29-year-old through one of the best seasons of his career, was named Coach of the Year – his first win in the category.
Snowboard star Zoi Sadowski-Synnott, who is currently competing at her third Winter Olympics, was named Sportswoman of the Year.
Sadowski-Synnott won a third snowboard slopestyle world title in 2025, and got the accolade ahead of a field including global champions across cycling – Sammie Maxwell and Niamh Fisher-Black; tennis – Erin Routliffe, and rugby – Jorja Miller.
New Zealand snowboarder Zoi Sadowski-Synnott. JAMIE SQUIRE / AFP
The Black Ferns Sevens were crowned the Team of the Year after another dominant 2024-25 HSBC SVNS World Series and the SVNS World Championship.
Their unmatched global success stood-out in an impressive line-up of team finalists including Auckland FC; world champion men’s rowing pair Ben Taylor and Oliver Welch; the men’s team pursuit track cycling squad; the New Zealand Kiwis and the New Zealand Black Sox.
Sam Ruthe unsurprisingly beat out the other finalists in the Emerging Talent category after making history in 2025 by becoming the youngest person ever to run a sub-four-minute mile.
Paralympic sprint star Danielle Aitchison was awarded the Para Athlete/Para Team of the Year Award, for her impressive results on the track at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships. Other finalists included fellow Para athletics team mate Lisa Adams, Para track cyclists Nicole Murray and Devon Briggs and Para swimmer Cameron Leslie.
International sport administrator and leader Katie Sadleir received the Sport New Zealand Leadership Award, recognising her influential contributions to global sport and her long-standing dedication to athlete well-being and equity.
The Black Ferns Sevens continue to dominate. Jayne Russell / PHOTOSPORT
Kat Mueller was honoured with the Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award, for her significant work championing inclusive sport and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities across Aotearoa.
Two new inductees to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame were also celebrated. Dame Valerie Adams and Richie McCaw were formally welcomed into the prestigious group, recognising their contributions, achievements, and lasting impact on New Zealand sport.
Full List of Winners – 63rd Halberg Awards:
- Supreme Halberg Award: Hamish Kerr (athletics – field)
- Sportswoman of the Year: Zoi Sadowski-Synnott (snow sports – snowboarding)
- Sportsman of the Year: Hamish Kerr (athletics – field)
- Para Athlete of the Year: Danielle Aitchison (Para athletics – track)
- Team of the Year: Black Ferns Sevens (rugby sevens)
- Coach of the Year: James Sandilands (athletics -field)
- Emerging Talent: Sam Ruthe (athletics – track)
- Sport New Zealand Leadership Award: Katie Sadlier
- Sir Murray Halberg Legacy Award: Kat Mueller
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/global-high-jump-star-hamish-kerr-claims-supreme-halberg-award/
Wild weather: Strongest winds to hit Wellington in a decade
Source: Radio New Zealand
Taihape weather – flooding and slips aftermath – 16 February 2026 RNZ/Dan Jones
The winds that struck Wellington today were the strongest in more than a decade, says MetService.
Gusts of 193 kilometres an hour were recorded at Mt Kaukau, and 128 kilometres at hour at Wellington Airport – the highest for both since 2013.
There has also been an orange heavy rain warning for the eastern hills of Wellington, also Wairarapa, and the Tararua Range, issued tonight.
The warning is due to expire at 11pm.
About 15 to 25 mm of rain is expected, on top of what had already fallen today.
But attention is turning further south, especially to Banks Peninsula, which is under an Orange Rain Warning and where up to 100-millimetres of further rain could fall.
Christchurch City Council said it was closely watching the weather and was aware of reports of surface flooding.
It said roading crews were being put on stand-by overnight, and more will be known in the morning.
More than 30,000 properties lost power today as wild winds brought trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.
Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.
Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton were evacuated due to the threat of falling trees.
Air NZ cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.
“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.
See how today’s events unfolded with RNZ’s live blog:
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/wild-weather-strongest-winds-to-hit-wellington-in-a-decade/
Dr Hinemoa Elder: We need more mental health care in NZ
Source: Radio New Zealand
As she comes towards the end of her career as a working psychiatrist, Dr Hinemoa Elder says there’s never been more need for mental health resources to help navigate, “extremely trying times”.
“You know, I’m 60 years old and this feels like the worst confluence of horrible and terrifying global and more local experiences that I’ve seen in my life.”
Indigenous resources, particularly Māori resources, have a valuable place in the spectrum of ways to help people struggling with mental health, she says.
This month, she’s appearing at HamLit in the Hamilton Arts Festival, alongside award-winning poet, Dr Marama Salsano, where the pair will discuss the intersection between culture, creativity and mental health.
“Here is something that may be absolutely new to many of the people who attend. And that’s always provides some different kind of juicy experiences, doesn’t it?
“Because it gets in behind some of our defences.
“We might have some ideas about what might work for us and what might be less helpful. Whereas when we’re presented with something that comes from a different worldview perhaps, or from a Māori worldview, that we haven’t previously been aware of, then it opens up some really new potential, new experiences and a freedom, a freedom to consider our lives differently.”
Prior to her career in psychiatry, Elder was a children’s television presenter, a “fortunate time”, she says.
“Live television is a thing of the past now unless it’s a sports event or some other major national event. Afternoon telly for kids is a thing of the past. So, it was a great moment in time.
“I had a lot of fun, made some great friends, learnt a lot of good skills. And I suppose, yeah, you could see even then, I love coming from a young person’s perspective and trying to engage young people in light-hearted activities that also have some kind of educational element to them as well.”
She carried that interest in young people into her psychiatry career.
“I really like kids. I really like teenagers. I really enjoy the playfulness and the challenge. I like to work hard to understand the tamariki’s perspective and the whānau perspective around them and to think about the people who are not in the room, but who are exerting an influence over their tamariki and their whānau’s experience of what it means to be a tamariki, which is changing rapidly in our world.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/dr-hinemoa-elder-we-need-more-mental-health-care-in-nz/
Rugby league: Door open for Kiwis to play State of Origin
Source: Radio New Zealand
Born in Sydney, Kiwis player Casey McLean would be eligible for State of Origin. Photosport / David Neilson
With State of Origin set to debut in Auckland in 2027, Kiwis can now also feature in the iconic series after changes to the eligibility criteria.
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) today announced it was amending the Origin selection rules, which paves the way for Australian-born Kiwis to play in the series.
Players were previously required to be eligible to represent Australia or a tier two nation as defined by International Rugby League.
The updated rules remove this restriction, allowing players who who meet the traditional State of Origin criteria and represent tier one nations to be eligible.
The criteria is a player must have been born in New South Wales or Queensland, resided in New South Wales or Queensland prior to their 13th birthday, or their father played State of Origin.
ARLC chairman Peter V’landys AM said the changes were a necessary and logical evolution for the game in 2026.
“Rugby league has changed, the international game has grown, and our rules need to reflect that. If a player is eligible to play State of Origin, it makes no sense to exclude them simply because they’ve represented New Zealand or England at test level.”
He said State of Origin is about where you were from and what state you were eligible for – not which country you represent internationally.
“If you’re eligible, you should be able to play for your state. Over 45 years, State of Origin has developed into something special, and we want the best players playing if they’re eligible. The commission has a responsibility to grow both the international game and State of Origin, and this change strengthens both.”
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/rugby-league-door-open-for-kiwis-to-play-state-of-origin/
Support for National, Labour dips in new political poll
Source: Radio New Zealand
RNZ
Support for both major parties has dipped – while New Zealand First is up on double digits – in the latest 1News Verian poll.
The results – that polled 1003 eligible voters between 7 and 11 February – has National down 2 points to 34 percent and Labour down 3 points to 32 percent.
The Green Party is up 4 points on 11 percent, New Zealand First up 1 point on 10 percent, ACT up 1 point on 9 per cent and Te Pāti Māori up 1 point to 2 percent.
On these numbers, the right block would net 65 seats and the left block 59 seats, meaning the coalition parties would comfortably have the numbers to govern.
It’s New Zealand First’s highest rating in this particular poll since August 2017.
National leader Christopher Luxon and Labour leader Chris Hipkins were neck in neck in the new poll’s preferred Prime Minister ratings.
Luxon is down 3 points to 20 percent and Hipkins down 1 point to 20 percent.
New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is down 1 point to 10 percent, Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick steady on 5 percent, ACT leader David Seymour down 1 point to 4 percent and National’s deputy leader Nicola Willis steady on 1 percent.
The poll also asked voters to rate the coalition’s performance on a scale of one to ten – with the average score being five out of ten.
National supporters gave an average score of 6.7 and ACT supporters 6.4, while Green supporters gave a 3.1 rating and Labou supporters gave an average 3.6.
The new poll also shows voters have doubts about the economic turnaround, with economic optimism down 2 points to 40 percent and pessimism up 1 point to 31 percent.
Between November 29 and December 3 2025, 1007 eligible voters were polled by mobile phone (500) and online, using online panels (507). The maximum sampling error is approximately ±3.1%-points at the 95% confidence level. Party support percentages have been rounded up or down to whole numbers, except those less than 4.5%, which are reported to one decimal place. The data has been weighted to align with Stats NZ population counts for age, gender, region, ethnic identification and education level. The sample for mobile phones is selected by random dialling using probability sampling, and the online sample is collected using an online panel. Undecided voters, non-voters and those who refused to answer are excluded from the data on party support. The results are a snapshot in time of party support, and not a prediction.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/support-for-national-labour-dips-in-new-political-poll/
All eyes on delivery: Value for Money Committee opens for 2026
Source: Auckland Council
Savings and service reviews led the agenda as the Value for Money Committee’s first 2026 meeting echoed its always-on focus for increased efficiency.
At Thursday’s committee, chair Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson welcomed the council’s continued savings progress – with another $14.9 million saved in the three months to 31 December 2025.
“This lifts our savings to date to $67.9 million – or 79 per cent of our $86 million target for 2025-2026,” says Deputy Mayor Simpson.
“As a council group, we’re continuing to focus on both cost reductions across the business and increasing revenue. These enhance efficiency and deliver savings that keep rates down for Aucklanders.”
For every $30 million of planned savings in the council’s budget, a rates rise of around 1 per cent is avoided.
Further financial opportunities are identified through the ongoing Value for Money programme.
For the 2025-2026 year, five Value for Money reviews will look at council’s waste services, stormwater services, heritage property, resource consenting and legal services. These will build on 10 further completed reviews in the last three years.
“Value for Money service reviews have identified more than $60 million of financial opportunities over the past three years. Benefits come from clearer governance, standardised processes and stronger contract management. We are continuously looking at how to do things better,” says Deputy Mayor Simpson.
“The reviews also support improvements in the quality of what we do, as it’s important to continually check we are delivering great services for Aucklanders.”
The Value for Money Committee also oversees key procurement and contract decisions – applying a value for money and efficiency focus to all decision-making for suppliers and services.
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/all-eyes-on-delivery-value-for-money-committee-opens-for-2026/
‘His legs were like jelly’ – man hospitalised for huffing nangs
Source: Radio New Zealand
Nitrous oxide is used recreationally for a high that can cause serious side effects. File photo. AFP / BENJAMIN POLGE
The mother of a man who still has nerve damage more than a year after huffing nitrous oxide – and is no longer unable to work in construction – wants tougher regulation around nangs.
Health and community leaders are concerned about a surge in huffing – including in Hawke’s Bay, where hundreds of kilos of large discarded canisters have been collected. Two cases of nerve damage in the region have also been linked to huffing nitrous oxide recently.
The gas has legitimate medical and catering uses, but is also used recreationally for a high that can cause serious side effects.
While it is illegal to sell nitrous oxide for huffing, a Checkpoint investigation found stores are selling large canisters of the gas that are the equivalent of hundreds of hits – with virtually no questions asked.
The New Zealand Drug Foundation has said recreational drug users often inhale it for a short-lived high.
However, the availability of thermos-sized canisters of the gas have community leaders and doctors seriously concerned about the safety and health risks linked to consuming large quantities of the gas.
One mother – who does not want to be named – says her son was buying large quantities of the gas and thought he could manage his doses.
But she told Checkpoint that things got serious when he started losing his balance.
“It was almost like he was drunk and couldn’t hold his balance, and his legs were like jelly.”
She said it was not constant, but there were times when he could not use a knife and fork.
“He just couldn’t grip it correctly, and was really struggling.
“He said he couldn’t feel his feet or his fingers, so they were completely numb and he had no sensation in his feet.”
She eventually took him to hospital after hearing him “crash” in their home at Christmas 2024.
“I was devastated. We just didn’t know what was wrong…and we just took him to hospital,” she said.
The woman says her son continues to suffer nerve damage, and that he had been purchasing the large canister products “regularly” from dairies when he became ill.
“I don’t know how much he was using, but I think to get into the state that he was, it was extreme,” she said.
“I was shocked that he just bought it from the local dairy.”
When she took him to hospital in late 2024, he ended up being admitted for an eight-day stay.
“He said he couldn’t feel his feet and his fingers, so they were completely numb and he had no sensation in his feet.
“It was almost like he was drunk and couldn’t hold his balance and…his legs kind of were jelly. But that wasn’t constant.
“And the real challenging time was when he couldn’t use a knife and fork, like he just couldn’t hold it, grip it correctly and… was just really struggling.”
The woman shared her story with Checkpoint because she wanted people to understand how dangerous nitrous oxide was, and that it was easily accessible – despite requirements under the Psychoactive Substances Act.
She said the ongoing impacts on her son, who previously worked in the construction industry, had been particularly heartbreaking.
“The thing is…my son was trying to be a responsible user and had looked into the adverse effects of using this drug and saw that it depleted vitamin B12, so he was taking B12.
“But it obviously was not enough.”
She said it took about 10 hours for doctors at the hospital to establish her son’s symptoms were a result of nerve damage from low levels of vitamin B12 and nitrous oxide use.
More than a year later, he continued to have problems and had not been able to return to his work in the construction industry.
“He obviously can use a knife and fork and things more easily now…but I feel like he hasn’t got 100 percent sensation back in his feet,” she said.
“I know nerves do take a long time to heal and grow back, but we’re talking about 15 months since he was hospitalised.”
She said she was so angry by what happened to her son, and that there was no information out there about how to deal with it.
“It’s just horrifying, I just can’t believe it’s happening still. The minister needs to stop it being sold through dairies for a start. It’s just crazy and there needs to be some regulation around it.”
Health Minister Simeon Brown previously said the government took nitrous oxide misuse “very seriously”.
He highlighted tougher enforcement measures around sale of the gas, which were introduced last year.
“These changes were designed to provide greater clarity for retailers and enforcement agencies, and to ensure there are appropriate consequences when the law is not followed,” he said in a statement.
“I have requested advice on how effective these changes have been, including whether the penalties are adequate, to ensure we can keep New Zealanders safe.”
For anyone affected by issues discussed in this story, free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor. Or call 0800 Lifeline or text HELP to 4357.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/his-legs-were-like-jelly-man-hospitalised-for-huffing-nangs/
Can artificial intelligence legally be an inventor?
Source: Radio New Zealand
Stephen Thaler is seeking a patent for a new type of food container. RNZ
An American computer scientist wants New Zealand’s courts to decide whether AI can legally be an inventor in a global test case next week.
Stephen Thaler is seeking a patent for a new type of food container.
The sticking point is he named his artificial intelligence system, called DABUS, as the inventor.
The Patent Office turned his application down in 2022, and the High Court agreed, with both saying an “inventor” had to be human.
Thaler was set to challenge that in the Court of Appeal on February 24.
His lawyer Clive Elliott KC said when Thaler filled out his application for a patent, he was simply stating the truth.
“He didn’t actually invent this food container, it was his machine,” he said.
“He invented what he calls an autonomous invention machine, in other words, an AI system which is itself able to invent.”
But in its 2023 decision, the High Court said the law in New Zealand did not allow for DABUS to get the credit.
“If the legislators had intended to allow granting of patents in New Zealand for inventions devised solely by non-humans such as artificial intelligences, or life forms other than human beings they would have drafted the Act to accommodate these possibilities specifically and explicitly,” it said.
But Elliot said New Zealand’s Patents Act was only passed in 2013 so parliament knew about artificial intelligence when they created it – and did not exclude it.
Auckland University professor Alex Sims says NZ faces the risk of being left behind. Supplied
Auckland University law professor and intellectual property expert Alex Sims said beyond the technicalities of the case, there was a bigger picture about whether AI could truly be an inventor.
“What AI does is it’s hoovering up human creativity and then it’s using that to produce something. So some people would actually argue that it’s not being creative because it’s all premised on what has gone before,” she said.
Thaler was part of a group taking cases about AI and patents around the world to try to set a precedent.
Auckland University lecturer Joshua Yuvaraj followed his – unsuccessful – attempt in Australia.
People had been at the heart of intellectual property law as it developed over centuries, because there was no mechanism for creation other than the human mind, he said.
“That is why AI is challenging that notion because AI, it appears, can do a lot of what the human mind can do is the argument. That is the tension that IP law is facing.”
The food container US computer scientist Stephen Thaler says was invented by his AI and should be given a patent. Supplied
Patent were seen as important because they would determine whether someone’s designs could be protected if they were created by AI.
“Say you use an AI to make a new type of e-scooter or a new type of kettle or a new coffee machine, if you can’t register that patent then someone can take that idea and make money off your idea,” he said
Sims said many countries tended to be in lock step when it came to intellectual property law.
Most were grappling with the AI patent challenge.
An inquiry in the UK had considered the issue and those it talked to had mixed views, she said.
Some people worried by not allowing AI patents, it could stifle creativity and innovation because people would tend not to use AI.
Others worried letting AI be an inventor would push people out of the creative process, she said.
Thaler and his group were testing the law in several countries but had been unsuccessful everywhere but South Africa, which was considered to have a unique style of IP law.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/can-artificial-intelligence-legally-be-an-inventor/
Sewage spill stinks of double standards – Federated Farmers dairy chair
Source: Federated Farmers
By Karl Dean, Federated Farmers dairy chair
This month Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant failed catastrophically, sending an estimated 70 million litres of untreated sewage straight into the ocean each day.
Mayor Andrew Little called it an environmental disaster and Wellingtonians have been told it could be months before the south coast waters are swimmable again.
This is a major stuff-up, but one question keeps coming back to me: will those responsible be held to the same standards we demand of Kiwi farmers?
As farmers, we’re no strangers to regulation. Our businesses must comply with strict environmental rules, and we know there are consequences for non-compliance.
Breaches can carry hefty fines, legal action, reputational damage – and in some cases, a criminal conviction against a farmer’s name for life.
We take this seriously, as we should, because farmers have a responsibility to protect waterways and communities.
But is what we’re seeing in Wellington a glaring example of a double standard in environmental accountability?
If a dairy farmer had pumped raw effluent into a local waterway, even by accident, there’d be no debate.
Resource consent conditions would have been breached, immediate investigations would follow, and criminal charges would likely be laid.
So, will we see the same scrutiny of large, publicly managed infrastructure?
Will the manager of the wastewater treatment plant be held personally responsible?
Will Wellington’s mayor, councillors or chief executive be held accountable for long-term underinvestment in critical water infrastructure?
Will there be enforcement action against the council or contractors involved?
It’s fair to assume the answer will probably be a resounding no – or at least, not in a timely or visible way.
I commend Nick Leggett for resigning as chair of Wellington Water following the sewage crisis. He’s done the right thing, but real accountability shouldn’t stop with one resignation when the failure runs far deeper.
Andrew Little has called for an independent inquiry, which is promising, but I highly doubt we’ll see any individuals held to account.
Much was made of The Water Services Authority – Taumata Arowai being the three waters regulator, which includes wastewater.
The Three Waters Review raised system-wide concerns about whether the regulatory regime was fit for purpose.
Taumata Arowai was presented as a key part of the fix, yet they’ve been strangely silent throughout this debacle, effectively saying: ‘It’s not our job’.
They say it’s Greater Wellington Regional Council’s (GWRC) role to be the primary regulator when it comes to wastewater overflows or breaches of wastewater consents.
That means it’s GWRC’s job to take enforcement action, but the council is a one-sixth shareholder in Wellington Water, the company responsible for the discharge.
That seems like self-regulation to me and doesn’t inspire a great deal of confidence.
Let me be clear: this isn’t about farmers versus councils. It’s about fairness and consistency.
If we’re going to demand one sector follows strict rules under threat of penalties, those standards must apply to everyone.
Anything less erodes trust in our environmental system.
There are plenty of cases where individual farm employers or managers have been prosecuted for breaches of resource consent or environmental regulations, when the consent is in the name of a company. That same logic should apply here.
If a publicly managed facility can discharge untreated sewage – millions of litres a day, for an extended period – without consequence, what message does that send? That the rules are good for some, but not for all?
It also raises serious questions about advocacy and media coverage.
Activist groups usually quick to criticise farmers for environmental missteps because it suits their political narrative have been notably quiet.
Greenpeace, for example, haven’t said a thing about the millions of litres of untreated human waste flowing into the ocean each day in Wellington.
Yet they somehow found time to vandalise a salmon statue in Rakaia this week while ranting and raving about the evils of the dairy sector.
Why the silence? Because this disaster doesn’t align with their preferred villains.
New Zealanders care about clean water, and so do farmers.
We work hard every day to meet our obligations, often under challenging conditions, knowing the consequences of failure are real and enforceable.
But accountability must be universal; environmental laws and consent conditions can’t be selectively enforced.
If we want the public to trust that environmental protections are fair and effective, we must apply the same standards to all operators – farm or council, private or public.
The Wellington sewage spill is a clear reminder that environmental stewardship is everyone’s responsibility.
Farmers are already doing our part – but we also expect the same of every other sector.
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/sewage-spill-stinks-of-double-standards-federated-farmers-dairy-chair/
Live weather: Wellington residents urged to ‘stay vigilant’ ahead of high tide
Source: Radio New Zealand
More than 30,000 properties have lost power as wild winds bring trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.
Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.
Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.
Meanwhile, evacuations are underway at homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton due to the threat of falling trees.
Wairarapa assistant commander Ian Wright said it had been a busy night with weather-related call outs, which continue, and that trees coming down are the biggest risk.
He says there are shallow rooted trees on Lincoln Road that are “very, very unstable, so both roads have been closed and the people have been evacuated”.
Air NZ has cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.
“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.
Five districts – Manawatū, Rangitīkei, Tararua, Waipā and Ōtorohanga District – are in states of emergency.
Follow RNZ’s live coverage above for the most up-to-date information.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/live-weather-wellington-residents-urged-to-stay-vigilant-ahead-of-high-tide/
Fatal shooting after argument in Christchurch home, court told
Source: Radio New Zealand
Michael Scott Rodger is accused of murdering Richard Leman. RNZ / Nathan Mckinnon
Animosity between two men led to one of them being murdered and dismembered, a Christchurch High Court jury has heard.
Michael Scott Rodger, 46, is accused of murdering Richard Leman, 41, whose body was found in the boot of his own car parked at an abandoned house in Tyler Street in Rangiora in April 2023.
Leman’s torso was found in the car but his head, legs and arms are still missing.
In his opening statement on Monday afternoon, prosecutor Sean Mallett said Leman’s life was chaotic at the time of his death.
He said Leman was involved in the consumption and supply of methamphetamine and had financial problems that had drawn the attention of gangs.
He was also having problems with his ex-partner about the care of his children and had issues with police, the jury heard.
Murder victim Richard Leman. Supplied / NZ Police
On the day he died, Mallett said Leman smoked methamphetamine with friend Sara Plimmer and the pair then went to the home of another woman, Morgan Grant, to bring her food.
While the two women sat in a bedroom and ate, Leman went to look for a way to smoke more methamphetamine, Mallett said.
He said Rodger had also been invited over by Grant.
“The two women will tell you that as they were sitting on the bed eating the Burger King they heard arguing coming from an adjoining lounge and went to investigate,” Mallett said.
“They found Mr Leman and Mr Rodger in the lounge facing each other, while Mr Rodger had a gun in his hand.”
The Crown argues Rodger shot Leman twice, first in the leg, then a fatal shot to his chest.
Mallett said no-one gave Leman first-aid or called emergency services and Leman died within minutes.
He said Rodger threatened to kill both women, took Leman’s drugs and cash and dragged his body into another room.
Mallett said the women would be key witnesses.
Defence lawyer Pip Hall told the jury the women’s reliability would be pivotal, arguing their evidence was driven by self-protection and clouded by alcohol and methamphetamine.
Hall said his client says he did not shoot or kill Leman and the accusation was made up as a result of the women’s collusion.
The trial is expected to take about four weeks.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/fatal-shooting-after-argument-in-christchurch-home-court-told/
Wellington plastic surgeon treating dog attack victims almost every week
Source: Radio New Zealand
Dr Emily Yassaie said dog attack injuries are very common and a review into animal control laws is needed. 123RF
A Wellington plastic surgeon is patching up dog attack victims on a weekly basis, with some injuries so severe they are life changing.
Dr Emily Yassaie has already treated two dog attack victims this week.
She told Checkpoint Aotearoa needs to reviews animal control laws and consider mandatory reporting of bites and dog related injuries requiring medical treatment.
Checkpoint has been investigating the issue of aggressive dogs with some communities who have said they are effectively hostages to the problem and have to carry weapons in case they get attacked.
There are also growing calls for an overhaul of the 30 year old dog control act, in the face of increasing attacks.
Doctor Emily Yassaie said it is not just roaming dogs that are the issue, but also children around unsupervised or unfamiliar dogs.
“It’s really common, obviously, with all sorts of injuries they come in fits and starts, but it’s always common.”
While this week had already brought two surgeries caused by dog attacks for Dr Yassaei, it has been a big issue for a long time.
“A paper that some of my colleagues had written about dog bites quite a few years ago [showed] that there was 100,000 dog-related injuries over a five-year period between 2014 and 2019, and 3,500 of those required hospitalisation, so it’s a fairly big problem.”
She said the severity of injuries can range greatly, but even minor injuries could have severe consequences.
“Typically, because children are affected so much, they are a small injury but they are a lifelong injury with a visible difference, usually on the face. So even though they’re small and easy to repair, they have long-lasting consequences.”
Some attacks were so bad that people had lost parts of their face, like ears and noses.
“Really destructive tearing type injuries, which for at least one person I’ve seen in my career, the conversation was about things like face transplants, so they can be absolutely devastating.”
Dr Yassaei said treating the injuries came with a number of difficulties.
“They’re multifactorial injuries. So there’s not just the lacerations of tissue, but there is the destruction and tearing forces of everything underneath. So things like nerves, muscles.”
“There’s also the factor that a lot of the tissue that gets torn is devitalized, also doesn’t have a blood supply so you can’t necessarily repair that, you have to get rid of that and then reconstruct.”
She said contamination from the dog bite itself added an extra challenge to treating the wounds, as well as further contamination from the environment, such as soil.
“For the repair of them, usually for the big ones, it’s a multi-stage process where the first thing is cleaning the wounds, giving them a day to settle, just removing any of the dead tissue that you can’t use, and then coming back to reconstruct, which can be from one to multiple operations depending on the area and what’s injured.”
Most of the severe injuries Dr Yassaei sees from large dogs, such as Pitbulls, Shar Peis, Bullmastiffs and other crossbreeds within those types of large dog.
“It’s just the nature of biology, really. They’re stronger, they have different types of instinctual behaviour, and they can bring the most force and damage to people,”
“We’ve always wondered whether there should be some sort of either registration programme or some rules around public access to these dogs to try and reduce risk. But I understand that comes with a lot of debate.”
She said that a mandatory requirement to report dog bites and attacks as they come into hospitals could be a step forward in tackling the issue.
“The more data you have, the more you can accurately assess whether it is a breed issue, or it is a location issue or it is a training issue.
Currently data is available through ACC, which Dr Yassaei said shows a correlation between areas of deprivation and dog attacks.
“When you look at the decile 10 areas compared to decile one, those in greater deprivation are much more likely to be admitted to hospital with a dog bite. So it is not only a medical issue, but a social issue as well.”
While most injuries occur within adults, she said children who get bitten are far more likely to require hospitalisation and surgery.
“When they looked at it with regards to Māori and non-Māori, there’s a much higher rate of hospitalisation for Māori children compared to non-Māori.”
Like many others Dr Yassaei believes that it is time to take a look at the current dog laws.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/wellington-plastic-surgeon-treating-dog-attack-victims-almost-every-week/
Weather: Local farmers clear mudslide which trapped 20 vehicles
Source: Radio New Zealand
Trucks stopped in Taihape. Supplied
Cars stranded by a slip in rural Taihape are now free after a local farmer cleared a path through the slip with his tractor.
About 20 cars were stuck for several hours between a flood and a slip in the remote area of Turakina Valley Road with no cell coverage.
The Rangitikei Mayor Andy Watson says the cars were able to drive out and he believed they were now heading to Taihape.
Watson previously said he understood it was a local farmer who raised the alarm, calling emergency services to report what he could see.
It had been very hard to get information, he said.
It appears the cars took a back route after State Highway 1 was closed.
“They’ve found flood water that was too deep to drive through then slip has come down behind them and effectively blocked their path,” he said.
Residents in the wider district have told RNZ there are trees blocking may roads, with people not able to get to work.
State Highway 1 has been closed around Taihape.
Watson said it some of the roads the cars took would normally only see “half a dozen” cars a day, he said.
Rangitikei District Council said contractors were working to clear debris, and it was working with Civil Defence on a response to the situation.
Police said they were notified at 12.30pm.
St John Ambulance said it had so far not been required.
Establishing communication the priority
Manawatū-Whanganui Civil Defence said its first priority was to establish communication with those who were trapped.
State Highway 1 was closed between Hunterville and Waiouru and people should not use Turakina Valley Road as a detour, it said.
Many other local roads were also closed.
People should avoid non-essential travel because the roads were treacherous from fallen trees and the possibility for landslides.
Winiata Marae opens to stranded travellers
About 80 people are sheltering at Winiata Marae, in Taihape, which has opened to stranded travellers.
The marae’s chairman Jordan Winiata said they were travellers who had become stranded, unable to reach their destinations.
“They’re stranded because of what’s happening on the highways, we’ve got some InterCity buses, just multiple travellers that would have been going from A to B that unfortunately have been caught in between the roads being open and closed.”
He said the marae was preparing to host those stranded overnight and had capacity for 300.
Winiata said the power was out at the marae, but they had a generator and running water and gas for cooking.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/weather-local-farmers-clear-mudslide-which-trapped-20-vehicles/
South Wairarapa residents coming together during floods
Source: Radio New Zealand
A creek burst in banks on Lake Ferry Road south of Martinborough, Wairarapa. RNZ/Mary Argue
Residents in South Wairarapa are turning to one another in the face of “unprecedented” flooding that triggered several evacuations overnight.
The stormy weather lashing the region has caused rivers to burst their banks, inundating roads and cutting off communities.
Thousands of homes were without power across Wairarapa on Monday morning, roads have been closed and schools and trains cancelled.
Flooding has isolated settlements from Pirinoa to Lake Ferry and the south coast at Cape Palliser – which is being battered by southerly gales and huge waves.
South Wairarapa communities have been cut off during the storms. RNZ/Mary Argue
The wild weather meant South Wairarapa farmer Scotty Macdonald didn’t get much sleep, after helping to evacuate three homes in the early hours of Monday morning.
Macdonald said the call-outs weren’t official.
“We couldn’t get to Lake Ferry to get the fire trucks so we were just in our personal wagons.
He said a couple of the homes were already on their way out the door, but the first call at 4am on Monday necessitated a wake-up.
Evacuated house and flooded road in Pirinoa – South Wairarapa. Supplied
A farmer shifting animals had got in touch with him directly after becoming concerned about flooding at his neighbour’s place.
“It’s previously flooded so we knew there was a risk there.
“Within another hour the house was probably close to a metre underwater, but at the time it was only lapping around the edges.”
The resident was woken up “very politely, of course” and told it was time to go.
“It’s time to boogie buddy.”
One of the flooded homes in Pirinoa – South Wairarapa. Supplied
Macdonald said the extent of the flooding has split already cut off settlements into little islands on high ground.
“All along the road – where the rivers meet the road – the roads have been flooded, so we’ve kind of got little sections of population all the way along that are semi-isolated.
“I’ve been here all my life and we’ve had events like this before, but as far as the water levels go, this would be the highest. There are unprecedented areas that haven’t seen this kind of flooding before,” he said.
A falling tree in Carterton took out a car and powerlines. RNZ/Mary Argue
Macdonald said reception was patchy, but support agencies had been making phone calls and neighbours were checking in on one another where they could.
He said the only thing to do now was to hunker down and wait for the water to drop.
“It’s just too dangerous to go anywhere at the moment.”
Another resident in the areas told RNZ it had been a “long and loud night” and they were flooded in.
“[We’re] in the process of getting fallen trees of the driveways and the road in case the rivers decide to overflow.
“High tide’s not until 5, so we’ll be watching how the day goes!”
They said friends in Whangaimoana beach have had “their whole house go under”.
A creek has burst in banks on Lake Ferry Road south of Martinborough, Wairarapa. RNZ/Mary Argue
Fire and Emergency’s Ian Wright said earlier on Monday that residents in Ngawi had been evacuated to Pirinoa Hall due to rising floodwaters, as well as some tourists at The Pinnacles Campgrounds.
On Monday morning former South Wairarapa District Councillor Brian Jephson told Local Democracy Reporting (LDR)’s Sue Teodoro that Cape Palliser Road on the Wellington side of Ngawi was damaged where a stream had blown out a culvert.
“It’s impassable,” he said.
“There’s not much point going down there until the water stops going through it.”
Jephson said while he had about 62mm of rain, his daughter further north had more than 200mm.
“This is nothing new for us down this way,” he said.
Powerco reported at 8.45am on Monday that storms across the lower North Island left 23,455 customers without power.
The hardest-hit areas were the Wairarapa with 8166 outages, Whanganui with 7846, and Manawatū with 6961.
“Wild weather is expected to continue in parts of the network today which may hamper reconnection work and cause more outages,” a spokesperson told LDR.
-Additional reporting by LDR
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/south-wairarapa-residents-coming-together-during-floods/
Boil water notice lifted in Christchurch
Source: Radio New Zealand
There have been three clear days of samples from the Rawhiti supply zone. File photo. 123rf
The boil water notice affecting thousands of households in eastern Christchurch east has been lifted.
Christchurch City Council has had three clear days of samples from the Rawhiti supply zone, so people in New Brighton, Burwood, Wainoni, Aranui and Southshore no longer need to boil their water.
More than 14,000 households in the city’s east were under the boil water notice.
The council believed the contamination was the result of work recently done on the network.
People who live at about 20 properties will need to keep boiling their water. The council said it will contact them directly.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/boil-water-notice-lifted-in-christchurch/
Recidivist thieves wind up in custody
Source: New Zealand Police
A pair of thieves allegedly responsible for helping themselves to more than $40,000 worth of goods from various stores across Auckland and the Bay of Plenty have wound up in Police hands.
The duo have been trying to evade Police since September, with Police actively looking for the pair given the alleged tally of thefts they had racked up.
Detective Senior Sergeant Mike Williams, Waitematā CIB, says the pair have been continuing their retail crime wave.
“On Friday afternoon our staff were making enquiries at an address in Birkdale.
“The pair initially refused to come out of the address, however they were eventually taken into custody without further incident.”
Detective Senior Sergeant Williams says the pair are allegedly responsible for about $42,000 worth of stolen items from retails stores across the North Island.
“It’s great to see these recidivist offenders identified by staff and a swift response which meant they could be apprehended.”
“This is a fantastic outcome for not only out staff, but our retail community and is another example of the work going into targeting recidivist retail crime offenders.”
A 28-year-old woman has been remanded in custody and will reappear in North Shore District Court on Friday facing 17 charges of shoplifting.
A 34-year-old man will reappear in North Shore District Court on 9 March facing 27 charges including shoplifting, theft, burglary and possession of an offensive weapon.
He has been remanded in custody until his next appearance.
Police are continuing enquiries, and Detective Senior Sergeant Williams says further charges cannot be ruled out.
ENDS.
Holly McKay/NZ Police
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/recidivist-thieves-wind-up-in-custody/
Universities – What New Zealand can learn from Japan on earthquake insurance – UoA
Source: University of Auckland – UoA
Rohan Havelock is investigating how New Zealand’s earthquake insurance stacks up against Japan’s
Shortly after Associate Professor Rohan Havelock arrived in Japan to study its earthquake insurance system, a 7.6-magnitude earthquake damaged nearly 4,000 homes and buildings in Aomori Prefecture.
For the University of Auckland insurance law specialist, it was a reminder of the value of an insurance system that works for homeowners.
New Zealand’s earthquake insurance combines private insurance with government-provided statutory cover. Statutory insurance, says Havelock, pays first, up to a set limit for residential buildings and land, and private insurance typically covers additional building damage only.
After the Canterbury earthquakes, more than 460,000 claims were lodged with the former Earthquake Commission, far exceeding its capacity. Slow claims processing, significant litigation, and the insolvency of two insurers followed. Some claims remained unresolved after a decade.
New Zealand’s subsequent reforms included the Natural Hazards Insurance Act 2023 and the Contracts of Insurance Act 2024, but the dual system continues and Havelock believes similar problems are likely to occur after the next big quake.
“There’s a need for more carefully considered reform, especially relating to standard terms, handling of claims and dispute resolution.”
What can New Zealand learn from Japan?
Havelock says New Zealand could follow Japan’s lead in three ways:
First, Japan’s earthquake premiums are priced to match risk: they’re based on a building’s location, age, construction and earthquake strength. In New Zealand, Natural Hazards Insurance is funded through a flat levy: 16c for every $100 of insured building value.
“This means that owners of more risky homes are subsidised by owners of less risky homes, and also that there’s no incentive to strengthen homes against earthquakes, or for owners to move away from earthquake-prone areas,” he says.
Second, Japan’s earthquake insurance is based not on quantifying actual loss, which can be resource-intensive and time-consuming, but on classifying loss into four types: total loss, large half loss, small half loss, or partial loss.
Settlement is invariably by payment (instead of the insurer undertaking repairs or reinstatement), which Havelock says means assessment and claims settlement is rapid and there are fewer disputes over what is necessary.
Third, he says Japan’s dispute resolution process is notably efficient and arguably more claimant friendly.
“Insurers routinely offer re-inspection or review of decisions, which resolves a large proportion of disputes.”
If disagreement continues, Havelock says the main pathway is through the ‘Financial Alternative Dispute Resolution’ system, involving an experienced mediator. This is non-adversarial and is free of filing or hearing fees, says Havelock. “Very few disputes proceed to litigation.”
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/universities-what-new-zealand-can-learn-from-japan-on-earthquake-insurance-uoa/
What to pack in emergency ‘grab and go’ bags
Source: Radio New Zealand
When an earthquake, tsunami warning or flood strikes, you won’t have time to decide what to take.
National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recommends a small bag for each person with essentials, such as sturdy walking shoes, warm clothes, raincoat and hat, water and snack food, hand sanitiser, portable phone charger, cash (small notes/coins), and copies of important documents and photo ID (printed or scanned to your phone).
Don’t forget any regular medications and special-diet items, first aid kit, mask/face covering, torch and battery/solar/wind-up radio (plus batteries) for outages. For people with disabilities, include items such as spare batteries for hearing-aids or pen and paper for sign language users.
This video is hosted on Youtube.
LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/02/16/what-to-pack-in-emergency-grab-and-go-bags/