Category: Transport

Posted on

Crash blocks SH57 in Levin

Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. A serious crash blocked State Highway 57 in Levin on Monday morning. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A serious crash has blocked State Highway 57 in Levin.

Emergency services were called to the two-vehicle crash on Arapaepae Road about 2.30am on Monday.

The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.

The road was expected to be closed until at least 9am.

Diversions were in place and motorists were advised to allow extra time for travel along the route.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/crash-blocks-sh57-in-levin/

Posted on

Taxpayers invest $784K to new Rakaia River wetland to try to lure salmon back

Source: Radio New Zealand

The small farming township of Rakaia’s river was once internationally-recognised for its abundant sea-run chinook salmon and other aquatic species, but population numbers have since drastically declined. Steve Terry

It’s hoped a new $1.7 million wetland in Mid Canterbury will improve the once-thriving salmon run in the Rakaia River.

For the past 70 years, Glenariffe Stream – considered a key salmon-spawning site in the braided river – has been diverted to drain farmland.

The stream contributed around 18 percent of the wild chinook salmon that returned to spawn in the river.

For the small farming township of Rakaia, south of Christchurch, its river was once internationally-recognised for its abundant sea-run chinook salmon and other aquatic species, but population numbers have since drastically declined.

Now, three large high country farms have retired hundreds of hectares of land to return the river’s eastern branch to its original course, pre-agricultural expansion.

Forty-four hectares of the wetland habitat have also been restored.

With Fish and Game the project lead, its North Canterbury project manager, Steve Terry, said protecting spawning habitat was one of the few levers available to help the fishery recover.

“Salmon numbers are at historic lows not just in Canterbury but across New Zealand’s East Coast rivers, with unfavourable, warmer ocean conditions among the key drivers of decline.”

He said while the ocean and climate could not be controlled, the efforts would ensure that when salmon do return to the Rakaia to spawn, their offspring have the best possible habitat.

“Glenariffe Stream is one of the river’s most significant spawning tributaries, and for 70 years it simply wasn’t functioning as it should. Getting it back to its natural course is a major step forward for the fishery,” Terry said.

The McIntyre wetland project was named after the late James McIntyre, who bequeathed $550,000 to the project.

Meanwhile, taxpayers fronted $784,000 towards the three-year project under the Ministry for the Environment’s freshwater improvement fund.

Double Hill Station retired 77 hectares of wetlands and waterways, Redcliffes Station stopped farming on 59 hectares of wetlands and native scrub, and a 200-hectare QEII covenant protecting the Hydra Waters for Mount Algidus Station.

Distressed anglers were raising the alarm about the Rakaia’s abysmal fish stocks and degraded river quality and flow, and were currently limited to catching just one salmon.

The Rakaia River. Supplied

For the first time in 40 years, organisers of the annual Rakaia River Fishing competition did not weigh in any fish to allow the fishery to recover.

But Hunting and Fishing Minister James Meager said a range of options to help restore state of the fishery were being considered with Fish and Game.

“We have had some concerns over the stock of the fishery there in terms of sea-run salmon.”

But he said it was all about balancing the economic drivers with environmental outcomes.

Meager said a water conservation order in place here provided guardrails, so farmers could irrigate within safe environmental limits.

He said irrigators had high standards, and he hoped Resource Management Act reform would see consenting for water storage eased.

“It’s all a balance though, of course, because we have to generate enough economic activity in the region, and we know that water is a big part of that in Mid-Canterbury, while balancing that off against the environmental outcomes that we want to achieve,” Meager said.

“So particularly for this project, it reaches a good balance.”

When asked if the economic drivers versus environmental impacts were unbalanced, he said he did not think so.

“If you look at the progress that’s been made over the past 10, 20, 30 years in terms of farming practice, in terms of the awareness of our activity and the impact on the environment, I actually think we’ve come a long way.”

Meanwhile, environmental critics including fish veterinarian Peter Trolove said salmon returns were excellent before the privatisation of public grazing runs, following the High Country tenure review.

Published back at the turn of the millennium, the Glenariffe stream’s tenure review warned that land‑use changes could worsen river sedimentation, water quality deterioration and habitat loss-issues.

The Salmon Anglers Association will hold a meeting about the future of the fishery in Christchurch on Thursday.

The wetland restoration was a partnership with landowners, the Canterbury regional council, Cawthron Institute, Manawa Energy, Rakaia River Fishing Promptions and QEII Trust.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/taxpayers-invest-784k-to-new-rakaia-river-wetland-to-try-to-lure-salmon-back/

Posted on

Fonterra’s first half expected to deliver despite impacts of war in Iran

Source: Radio New Zealand

The market consensus for the six months ended January was for revenue in the order of $11 billion. 123rf / Supplied images

Fonterra’s first half result is expected to deliver to expectations, but with a murky outlook as the war in Iran threatens global supply chains, along with rising energy and other costs.

Generate KiwiSaver investment specialist Greg Smith said strong demand for dairy products as well as the low value of the New Zealand dollar would help Fonterra through the ongoing volatility, though there could be some disruption to its cheese exports to places such as the United Arab Emirates, as an example.

“So there are some impacts there, and product that potentially will need to be re-routed,” Smith said.

The market consensus for the six months ended January was for revenue in the order of $11 billion, with an underlying profit of $976 million and a normalised net profit of $445m.

The first half dividend was expected to be about 21 cents per share, in addition to a special Mainland dividend in a range of 14-to-18 cps, following the completion of the sale of Fonterra’s Mainland Group of global consumer and associated business to Lactalis for $4.22b.

Where is the growth coming from?

The company was forecasting growth in its ingredients and food services business to fill any gap left by the sale of the consumer business by the year ending July 2028.

“Unlike other company results, I think the focus this time in particular (will be) less on the numbers… and I think that’s principally reflecting the strategic reset that’s underway,” Forsyth Barr senior equities analyst Matt Montgomerie said.

Two key focuses will be on where Fonterra’s debt levels, following the divestment and how the ingredients and food services businesses were planning to fill the earnings gap left by the sale of the consumer businesses.

Forecasts

  • FY26 forecast earnings guidance from continuing operations at between 45 and 65 cents per share.
  • Current season forecast Farmgate Milk Price midpoint $9.50 per kgMS – range of $9.20-$9.80 per kgMS.
  • Target to close Mainland underlying earnings gap of $300m – FY28 to match FY25.

“Delivery and execution and messaging around that target is the key for the next few years,” Montgomerie said.

Who will lead Fonterra?

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell resigned this month following a 25-year career with Fonterra, including eight years as chief executive after the resignation of the late Theo Spierings in 2019, who failed to connect with farmer-shareholders and left the company in a poor financial position, with high debt levels to deal with.

Montgomerie said farmers will want to see someone who operates in a similar mode to Hurrell, who was able to relate to farmers on a day-to-day business and deliver on the turnaround strategy.

“The farmers are looking for consistency and continuity. Obviously, change can bring about new perspectives, but I would be surprised if there are any notable changes in strategic direction with the new CEO,” he said.

“It feels like there’s a strong desire to provide sort of an opportunity for someone internally to continue the strategic direction of the business. But I think the key thing is that reliability and trust from a farmer point of view, but then also Fonterra’s customers all around the world.”

Smith said the next chief executive will have “big gum boots to fill”.

“I’m sure there’ll be a swathe of high quality internal candidates put forward but also no doubt there’ll be a global benchmark process,” he said.

“I don’t really think there’ll be a significant change in strategy, given all the effort that has gone into refocusing and simplifying the business.”

The bigger picture?

Smith said the sale of the Mainland business will give the New Zealand economy a much needed boost.

“The Mainland sale is going to inject potentially around $3 billion, if not more into the Kiwi economy,” Smith said.

“So that’s a positive story for the second half of the year, economically.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/fonterras-first-half-expected-to-deliver-despite-impacts-of-war-in-iran/

Posted on

Venue access: how we manage our bookable community spaces

Source: Auckland Council

Auckland Council’s Director of Community Rachel Kelleher responds to concerns about the council’s approach to venue hire of our community meeting halls and shared spaces.

It is with huge gratitude that I acknowledge the messages of support our staff and the council has received over the past few days, regarding our response to the awful disruption of a family-friendly Pride event at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last weekend.

It has been uplifting to see the voices of leaders throughout New Zealand also extend their support to our brave staff and affected communities, along with the widespread public condemnation of this harmful activity.

We are also grateful for police support, to ensure that all remaining Pride events at our venues continue to be uplifting occasions to celebrate Auckland’s rainbow communities.

We are actively monitoring any health, safety or security risks at future events.

Venue hire

We have been asked questions about the use of our community venues and whether the council should apply tighter restrictions on bookings – particularly from groups like Destiny Church with strong views that not everyone shares.  

So, I’d like to take this opportunity to talk about how Auckland Council provides access to our collection of more than 100 bookable community venues across the region on the principle that they are available for anyone to hire. We are obliged to ensure everyone throughout Auckland has fair and equal access to connect and enjoy using these spaces.

This doesn’t mean that we endorse the content of an event, or the views of participants, but rather that we must manage our venues in a neutral and non-discriminatory manner.

It is not always easy to maintain that careful balance between providing a public service (venues for hire) and expressing our council values, including ensuring our people feel supported on our position on diversity and inclusion.

This sometimes leads to tension, and pressure to do more in support of one community or group, over another.

When differences arise between the views of the various groups using our community venues, and there is potential for conflict or any risk to public safety, we work closely with the police and security experts to determine if activities should go ahead.

An example of this occurred in 2023, when the council terminated venue bookings at the Mount Eden War Memorial Hall in response to safety concerns from two groups with strong opposing views planning to gather on the same night.

Consistent with our obligations as a public authority, we will continue to operate our venues on the principle that they are available to all Aucklanders, but will not hesitate to address or terminate bookings if terms are breached or safety compromised.

With respect to the events at the events at the at Te Atatū Peninsula Library last Saturday, council is supporting the police with their investigations and has not ruled out taking further action against those individuals involved.  

Venue hire requirements:

  • All venue hire bookings agree to comply with council’s venue hire terms and conditions. These set out the circumstances in which the council may terminate a booking and include situations where the event might breach the law or the conditions themselves or where the management or control of the event is deficient.

  • It is always the responsibility of venue hire users to ensure their events are managed safely, and to meet the terms and conditions of our venue hire policy.

  • Where we have concerns that an event may raise health and safety or security concerns we work with the organisers and relevant agencies to ensure that these concerns are addressed ahead of the event. 

  • Our community venues are operated on the principle they are available for anyone to hire. If a booking is accepted, it doesn’t mean that we endorse the content of the event, but rather that we are obliged to manage our venues in a non-discriminatory manner.

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/venue-access-how-we-manage-our-bookable-community-spaces-2/

Posted on

Shot putter Tom Walsh remains on top of the world

Source: Radio New Zealand

Gold medalist Tom Walsh after the Men’s Shot Put Final at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, Poland, 2026. ANDRZEJ IWANCZUK / AFP

Tom Walsh has retained his World Indoor shot put title to become the all-time record holder in the event.

Walsh kept his best until last, overtaking American Jordan Geist with his fifth effort and then extending that lead with his final throw of 21.82 metres to collect his fourth indoor gold.

He has now won seven indoor medals, a men’s record.

His winning throw of 21.82m was a season’s best.

No other man has won this title more than three times.

Walsh has now equalled Dame Valerie Adams total in indoor gold medals, the two global shot put greats stand alone in their career dominance of the indoor championship arena.

Walsh has previously won gold in 2016, ’18 and ’25, silver in ’24 and bronze in ’14 and ’22.

The 34 year old is also a former world champion (outdoor), winning the title in 2017.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/shot-putter-tom-walsh-remains-on-top-of-the-world/

Posted on

KiwiSaver members get human rights warning

Source: Radio New Zealand

Responsible investment platform Mindful Money said investments in companies with exposure to human rights abuses rose 43 percent in the past six months. RNZ / Quin Tauetau

Responsible investment platform Mindful Money warns that KiwiSaver investors are increasingly exposed to human rights abuses – but one KiwiSaver manager says the list of companies to avoid is becoming too long to be realistic.

Over the past six months, Mindful Money said investments in companies with exposure to human rights abuses rose 43 percent, reaching more than $3.5 billion. This has been fuelled by both an increase in the number of companies identified as violating human rights and increased investment in those companies.

It said public surveys consistently showed that avoiding human rights abuses was the No.1 concern for KiwiSaver members.

“These findings highlight a growing gap between what New Zealanders want from their investments in terms of human rights and where their money is actually going,” said Mindful Money founder Barry Coates.

In recent years, attention has increasingly focused on the activities of major technology companies, particularly around surveillance, social media harms and their use in conflict situations, he said. Companies identified as raising human rights concerns included Meta, Tesla, Thermo Fisher Scientific and Palantir Technologies.

“KiwiSaver providers need stronger policies to screen out companies linked to serious human rights harms,” Coates said. “New Zealanders deserve confidence that their retirement savings are not contributing to exploitation or conflict.”

Concerns have also grown over investments in companies linked to the conflict in Gaza, the West Bank and Ukraine. KiwiSaver investments in companies providing weapons, surveillance technology or other support linked to these conflicts increased 14 percent between March and September 2025, reaching $856 million.

Companies receiving increased investment during this period included IBM, Booking Holdings, Palantir Technologies, Motorola Solutions and Caterpillar, but Koura founder Rupert Carlyon said the bar was too high.

“We look at a company like Caterpillar, which is on their list of human rights issues, because they supply machinery into Israel.

“It’s also a company that does a huge amount of good in other parts of the world – it’s extremely hard to measure.”

He said clients were most concerned about returns and fees.

“My very strong view is actually, if you really want to make a difference, then you’re going to make much more of an impact, if you don’t support them as a customer than as an investor.

“Airbnb… you’re going to stop investing in Airbnb, because you think there are human rights issues? Does that mean that, you know what, we’re never going to use Airbnb ever again?”

Pathfinder Asset Management founder John Berry said his KiwiSaver funds avoided those companies.

“Based on the approach taken by Mindful Money, they are taking a values-based approach to human rights and other issues, and I think it’s entirely appropriate,” he said. “They disclose their methodology and the approach they’re taking, and they give the managers the opportunity to respond.

“I think that’s a really well-developed and well-thought-out approach.

“I think it’s good that there’s a range of options for, you know, some fund managers may focus primarily on just making money. Other fund managers, like Pathfinder, focus on putting a values-based lens, really strong values-based lens over our investing.”

He said individuals and fund managers should make their own decisions about what they were comfortable with.

“I think the starting point with thinking about human rights, and thinking about it from a fund-manager perspective and an investor perspective, is to think about what is your mission with investing.

“There are two sides to it. One is you can consider human rights from a values-based perspective, that you care for people, planet, animals and you want to sleep at night with your investments.

“The other side is you believe that companies that comply with human rights will deliver better long-term returns, because they will be trusted, they’re good corporate citizens and they will have stronger reputations, so they’ll be financially better.

“I actually believe both those things are true.”

Coates said avoiding problematic companies would likely be more effective than trying to change them.

“These are major global corporations and New Zealand investors have only a small share of their capital,” Coates said. “It is unlikely that fund managers sending letters or voting a few shares will change their practices.

“If companies are linked to human rights violations, fund providers should respect the wishes of their clients and avoid investing in them.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/kiwisaver-members-get-human-rights-warning/

Posted on

I do a job where people love to hate me

Source: Radio New Zealand

For 17 years, Lori Davis has been sounding the alarm about the challenges facing SPCA animal welfare inspectors. But the hostility is only getting worse, she says.

“I myself have been threatened, you know, ‘get the F off my property or I will do this’. I’ve had a car driven at me in a driveway, like threatening to be run over, a couple of times. I’ve had a man open the door and holding a knife in his hand,” the Auckland regional manager says.

“I’ve had a man pick up a golf club and threaten to hit me with it. I’ve been cornered on a property in between two males.”

Three quarters of visits by an SPCA officer involve some form of abuse or threat.

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/i-do-a-job-where-people-love-to-hate-me/

Posted on

$50m plan to double the number of public EV chargers

Source: Radio New Zealand

Aotearoa currently has about 1800 public charge points currently, among the lowest charger-to-EV ratios in the OECD. File photo. ABC News / Brendan Esposito

The government is providing interest free loans of $52.7 million to two companies to boost the number of electric vehicle public chargers around the country.

The zero-interest loans will go to ChargeNet and Meridian Energy, who are investing $60m in capital, and would see 2574 new charge points, 1374 DC fast chargers and 1200 AC chargers.

The move will more than double the country’s chargers, to around 4550.

New Zealand has about 1800 public charge points currently, among the lowest charger-to-EV ratios in the OECD.

In 2023, the National Party promised electric vehicle chargers by 2030 if elected.

Transport Minister Chris Bishop said the loans kept the taxpayer’s contribution to a minimum.

“In this case, the average loan per charge point is $20,000, but once repayments are factored in, the net cost to the Crown is around $10,000 per charger, roughly a quarter of what a direct grant would cost.

Bishop said it was a chicken and egg situation, with some electric vehicle charger providers reluctant to roll out chargers until there were more EVs on the road, but concerns about the driving range of electric vehicles and a lack of public chargers was one of the main perceived disadvantages of EVs for potential buyers.

“Many New Zealanders have thought about getting an EV, even before the fuel challenges we’re currently facing. But research shows that the lack of public chargers is holding many back from making the switch to an EV,” Bishop said.

“The private sector is reluctant to invest in charging infrastructure until there’s sufficient demand, but demand won’t grow until the lack of public chargers stops putting buyers off. Just as the previous National-led Government did with the ultrafast broadband network rollout, we’re taking action to break that deadlock.”

He said the below-market interest rate loans were preferable to grants.

“It’s a more commercial model, a more sophisticated model, bringing forward that private sector investment.”

“In this case, the average loan per charge point is $20,000, but once repayments are factored in, the net cost to the Crown is around $10,000 per charger, roughly a quarter of what a direct grant would cost.”

Chris Bishop said work on the grants had been underway for some time, but the timing was “fortuitous” given the increased interest in EVs as fuel costs surged due to the conflict in the Middle East. RNZ/Marika Khabazi

Some requirements were placed on the loans, such requiring an urban-rural split, but exactly where they went was a commercial decision for the companies, Bishop said.

“About half the new chargers will be spread across Auckland, Hamilton, Tauranga, the Wellington region, Christchurch, and Dunedin, with the other half throughout the regions, so drivers outside the main centres will benefit too,” he said.

“We’re also changing our planning rules to make the installation of public EV chargers a permitted activity under the RMA, meaning in most cases no consent is required – another factor that will help to speed up delivery.”

Work on the grants had been underway for some time, but that the timing was “fortuitous” given the increased interest in electric vehicles in the wake of surging fuel costs caused by the conflict in the Middle East, he said.

“People look at a petrol price of three bucks, three bucks twenty, and potentially going higher, and they say, jeepers creepers, now’s the time to go electric because the running costs are just so much lower,” Mr Bishop said.

The 10,000 chargers by 2030 target was ambitious, he said.

It was on its way to meeting it, but would require additional Crown investment which would be considered as part of the budget process, he said.

Chair of EV lobby group Drive Electric Kirsten Corston welcomed the news, but said much more needed to be done.

She said the government had promised more than $200m to go towards fast chargers several years ago, and this project only accounted for $52m.

“We’re interested to see what the other commitments are going to be.”

It seemed very unlikely the government would achieve its target of 10,000 chargers before 2030, she said.

New Zealand was falling behind other countries in [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedetail/586362/the-ev-slowdown-how-government-decisions-changed-the-road-ahead

EV uptake] following a sharp decline in purchases following the government’s cancellation of the clean car subsidy.

EVs accounted for around 27 percent of new vehicle sales in 2023, or at least one in four cars sold. Only one in nine cars sold are electric now.

“And you look at Australia, one in five cars sold are electric. In China, one in two cars sold are electric. The global average is one in four cars sold are electric.”

There had been a three-fold increase of inquiries into second-hand and new EVs in recent weeks, she said.

“The challenge for us, though, is we’ve got a country that is still very dependent on importing fossil fuels and we’ve got a government that whilst this is fantastic to see this investment into charging infrastructure we also need investment into electric vehicles to drive uptake.”

Colston said reducing road user charges – which are the same for electric vehicles as for diesel vehicles – would be one way to do that.

Other levers included a Fringe Benefit Tax for light vehicles such as Australia has, or accelerated depreciation for commercial and heavy vehicles.

Drive EV wanted to see investment in making EVs more accessible to more people, she said.

“At the moment, when the average purchase of a car for a Kiwi is around $7000, yes, they can go and access a Nissan Leaf for $5000 – $10,000. But if they’ve got four kids and they need a 200 kilometre range to get around town for the day, that’s not going to meet their needs.

“So we have to create that second, third, fourth hand market for Kiwis to bring that price down – that’s a really critical piece to make EVs available for everyone in our community.”

Getting more people into electric vehicles promised a huge financial opportunity for New Zealanders, Colston said.

“The average household spends $3000 to $4000 a year paying for their petrol or diesel, and if they could electrify, it would be around $1000 a year.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/50m-plan-to-double-the-number-of-public-ev-chargers/

Posted on

School attendance improves in some areas after truancy overhaul

Source: Radio New Zealand

Children in a classroom learning. UnSplash/ Taylor Flowe

Early signs suggest the government’s overhaul of local truancy services is working – at least in some areas.

Most principals contacted by RNZ said it was too early to judge whether their local attendance service provider was doing a better job, but two said theirs were already returning more chronic truants to class.

Last year, the ministry signed 83 new contracts aimed at making providers more accountable and effective at tracking down the most serious truants.

In Whangarei, Hora Hora School principal Pat Newman said the service brought 10-15 children to his school this year who would otherwise be at home.

He said some had never been to school at all.

“What we’re finding is that we’re getting children who have not been attending school or [attending] poorly,” he said. “We’ve got some children who have not been at school, at [age] seven or so attending.”

He said the service approached the problem in the right way.

“What they’re trying to do is to look at what’s stopping a kid coming to school and then looking at where they can get help to take away the problem,” he said.

Other, more punitive options were considered only if the initial help didn’t work.

“I think it’s a damn good model,” Newman said. “It will continue or fail, depending on the resourcing put behind it.”

At Auckland’s Jean Batten Primary School, principal Nardi Leonard said her local attendance service was working better too.

“What we have noticed by the new service is they are more readily available to us,” she said.

“If you reflect back on the old system, a lot of the attendance officers were constantly soaked up into secondary schools and all the high schools, and at the primary level for us, we felt that the resource just didn’t get down to us,” she said.

“The new system, our person actually has less schools and they are primary schools, so we do feel there’s that support directly.”

She said her school had all but given up on the previous attendance service, but under the new system, it had already referred children and had positive results.

“In the short time of five weeks, we’ve made three referrals and we’ve been able to get two back,” she said. “One, we don’t know where that person’s gone, so that’s obviously a hard one, but we have got two children back in school.

“The next challenge is the sustainability of keeping them in school, but we celebrate the small steps and just work towards increasing it day-by-day.”

Leonard said, previously, the school got no response from the attendance service and had pretty much given up using it.

She said the school emphasised the importance of daily attendance and it was good to have the back-up provided by the attendance service.

Other principals told RNZ their local provider was still getting started and they were yet to see how they performed.

Berkley Normal Middle School in Hamilton was part of a group of schools that lost its attendance service contract in last year’s re-organisation.

Principal Nathan Leith said it was too early to tell if the new organisation was doing a better job, but he reckoned schools definitely were.

Leith said many had not realised how bad their attendance was, until they looked carefully at their data.

They now had to put a five-step attendance plan on their websites and have clear plans for what to do after a certain number of days’ absence.

“Those are the things that are perhaps making a bigger difference,” he said.

Leith said schools were dealing with the bulk of poor attenders and occasional truants, while the attendance services would tackle the toughest cases.

He said the service should have funding to tackle social issues, such as lack of money for food or school uniforms, that contributed to truancy and he hoped some of that funding would make it to schools.

Education Ministry figures showed daily attendance averaged a little more than 89 percent so far this year, about one percentage point more than at the same time last year.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/23/school-attendance-improves-in-some-areas-after-truancy-overhaul/

Posted on

Four dead in 24 hours after multiple crashes around NZ

Source: Radio New Zealand

In Auckland, northbound lanes were blocked on the South-Western Motorway, SH20, at Onehunga, on Sunday morning. Supplied/ NZTA traffic camera

Four people have died and others have been injured in crashes in Waikato, Taranaki, Auckland, Stratford, Waiohau and Southland

Waikato police said on Sunday morning a person died following a single-vehicle crash on Howden Road, to the west of Hamilton city in Temple View. The crash happened about 8:30pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, blocked lanes on Auckland’s Southwestern Motorway at Onehunga were reopened by 9:30am Sunday, after a collision earlier in the morning. Two vehicles were involved in the crash on the State Highway 20 motorway, police said.

One person was killed and two others moderately injured.

Early this evening, police said one person has died after a single vehicle crash on SH43 / Forgotten World Highway in Stratford this morning.

The crash was reported to police at 11.30am, and the road remains closed.

A fourth person died after a single-vehicle crash on Galatea Road, Waiohau, at about 5.15pm.

The sole occupant of the vehicle was found dead.

Police said the road was closed and diversions are in place.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/four-dead-in-24-hours-after-multiple-crashes-around-nz/

Posted on

Winston Peters announces proposal to overhaul energy sector in State of the Nation speech

Source: Radio New Zealand

During his state of nation speech, New Zealand First leader Winston Peters addressed his party’s new proposal to split up energy gentailers, the state of the economy, Covid and his party’s aspirations at this year’s election.

He also spent time taking shots at his political rivals, with sections of his speech dedicated to Labour, the Green Party and Te Pāti Māori.

Peters also acknowledged the country was “navigating a chaotic environment” and that New Zealand’s economy “isn’t where it should be”.

Here are some the topics Peters touched on.

Energy sector overhaul

Peters anchored much of his speech on energy, announcing his party would campaign on splitting up the energy gentailers (generators and retailers).

He said the policy would ensure energy gentailers could “no longer control both the power and the price”.

“The big four power companies control almost 90 percent of the electricity generation and then sell it back to themselves,” Peters said.

New Zealand First’s Winston Peters during his state of the nation speech. RNZ/Dan Jones

“It will mean more power stations. More renewable energy. More competition. More resilience.

“It’s time to secure our electricity system for all New Zealanders.”

New Zealand First Minister Shane Jones had already promised the party would look to split up energy gentailers.

New candidate Alfred Ngaro

New Zealand First also announced Alfred Ngaro as a new candidate, who will run for the party at this year’s elections.

Ngaro – speaking before Peters – said NZ First stood for “what is right” and everything he believed.

Alfred Ngaro. RNZ /Dom Thomas

“Right now there is a quiet uncertainty in this country, people are working hard but wondering whether things will get better.

“The best days of New Zealand are not behind us they are ahead of us,” he said.

However several people in the crowd questioned who he was, with Ngaro not introducing himself at the start of his speech.

Fonterra and Air NZ

Peters went on to talk about Fonterra’s proposal to sell Mainland, Anchor and Kapiti.

Fonterra had gone from a “propped-up nationalist company, to a sell-out globalist company”, Peters said.

He also labelled calls for the government to sell its stake in Air New Zealand as “economic neoliberal lunacy”.

“Air New Zealand is our national carrier and a national asset.

“As the majority shareholder, the government should be backing its future rather than dragging it down and hocking it off.”

Covid and Labour failures

Peters said the latest Covid-19 inquiry highlighted failures by the Labour party.

“The report brings questions that need to be answered by Hipkins and Verrall and all those other former ministers,” he said.

“They cannot brush this off… Someone needs to be held accountable.”

Peters claimed Labour wasted billions of dollars and did not “properly advise” the public of the vaccine “risks”, a claim Labour strongly denies.

Speech protests

Protests outside Winston Peters’ State of the Nation speech in Tauranga. RNZ/Dan Jones

Peters hosted the event at the Atrium Conference Centre in the Tauranga suburb of Otūmoetai, where a group of protesters gathered holding Palestinian and Māori flags.

People protesting Shane Jone’s fishing reform were seen holding signs that read: “Shane Jones = Fishy deal” and “Big fishing wins Kiwis lose”.

The New Zealand Herald reported some of the protesters as being Destiny Church members.

Currently, NZ First is trending upward in the polls. In the latest RNZ Reid Research poll, the party sat at 9.8 percent in the party vote, which would result in 12 seats in parliament – four more than what it currently holds.

Peters was third in the preferred prime minister ranking, at 12.6 percent. Labour’s Chris Hipkins was at 21.1 percent, with Christopher Luxon on 19.4 percent.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/winston-peters-announces-proposal-to-overhaul-energy-sector-in-state-of-the-nation-speech/

Posted on

One seriously injured after explosion in steam engine train at Glenbrook Vintage Railway

Source: Radio New Zealand

The incident happened at the Glenbrook Vintage Railway. File photo. Supplied / Glenbrook Vintage Railway

One person has been seriously injured, after an explosion in the engine compartment of a steam train at Glenbrook Vintage Railway.

Fire and Emergency sent four trucks to the vintage railway station between Glenbrook and Waiuku in southern Auckland just before 4pm.

A spokesperson said, when firefighters arrived, the blaze was contained inside the engine compartment of the locomotive.

St John Ambulance took one person to Middlemore Hospital in a serious condition.

– more to come

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/one-seriously-injured-after-explosion-in-steam-engine-train-at-glenbrook-vintage-railway/

Posted on

Watch: Seven weeks worth of fuel stocks in NZ – Finance Minister Nicola Willis

Source: Radio New Zealand

The finance minister says New Zealand’s fuel stocks remain at seven weeks worth, including stockpiles.

But Nicola Willis concedes that keeping that buffer was still “dependent on ships like this continuing to turn up”.

Speaking on Sunday afternoon at Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point Energy Precinct, Willis said she wanted to provide more information to address peoples’ concerns about delays in that supply.

She said New Zealand had a number of places fuel supplies arrive into the country, but Marsden Point is the largest.

Today’s visit comes amid fears of an energy crisis, with the global price of oil skyrocketing in the wake of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.

Iran’s response has included threatening ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for the transportation of fuel exports from the Middle East, and strikes on US-friendly neighbours’ energy infrastructure.

Marsden Point is New Zealand’s fuel import terminal, and until 2022 also had an oil refining facility. New Zealand now relies on imported refined fuels, without a facility to refine raw products.

Senior coalition politicians are at odds over whether the facility should have been closed.

Marsden Point. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Willis told Morning Report on Friday price increases were extremely tough and affecting all New Zealanders, but some were feeling it more than others.

“I can’t solve the pain for everyone. The cost of doing that would potentially involve levels of spending that would drive inflation higher, and certainly would put us in a more fragile position in terms of debt.

“So what we are looking at, is there something very targeted and temporary that we could do to assist those workers in particular who are most acutely impacted by these household budget squeezes?”

IRD and Treasury have been asked to come up with a package that could be implemented with urgency ahead of the Budget.

Willis will talk to the media at 2pm – watch it live here.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/watch-seven-weeks-worth-of-fuel-stocks-in-nz-finance-minister-nicola-willis/

Posted on

Slicing pizza using a digger: How to win the national digger operator title

Source: Radio New Zealand

Steven George of Whangarei won the 2026 edition of the New Zealand National Excavator Operator Competition. Supplied

A Northland contractor has retained his national digger operator crown by successfully slicing a pizza with his excavator.

Whangarei’s Steven George also used the excavator to pour a cup of tea and play a super-sized game of Connect Four.

The three unorthodox challenges proved to be the biggest crowd-pleasers of the 32nd National Excavator Operator Competition held across Friday and Saturday at the Central Districts Field Days event in Feilding.

After winning last year’s competition, the Steven George Contracting owner-operator backed up his previous exploits by overcoming 11 other regional champions.

Supplied

Napier’s Marcus Ingram and Taranaki’s Ryan Prankerd were the biggest challengers, finishing on the podium in second and third place respectively.

Prankerd won the MVP award for his “sterling display of spirit and camaraderie” during the event.

George said it was “bloody good” to win against a number of new competitors this year.

“I came into this weekend not knowing what to expect. There were a bunch of new faces, as well as guys who have done it a few times before,” he said.

Other challenges on the course included slam-dunking basketballs, painting pictures and serving ice cream to the crowd.

Supplied

The digger operating marvel told RNZ the more unconventional tasks were not as difficult as they sounded.

“It wasn’t too bad to be honest. It was a lot easier than you’d think from watching on the sidelines,” he said.

“Those activities are crowd-pleasing ones, they love watching that kind of stuff and watching the machines do that.

“You just take your time, concentrate on what you’re doing and not rush it.”

The more traditional tasks included bulk trenching, digging carefully around underground services, truck loading and health and safety knowledge.

Supplied

Other winners included Rangitikei operator Dean Cave, who won the One-day Job Challenge, which tested competitors’ ability to plan and execute a complex task from start to finish.

Tasman operator Daniel Bruning was awarded the Geoff Duff Memorial Trophy, which recognised the participant who achieved the best scores across the truck-loading challenges.

Civil Contractors New Zealand chief executive Alan Pollard said this year’s competition carried extra significance due to the essential work excavator operators had played in disaster-response efforts across the upper North Island in January.

“The competitors at this year’s event represent the very best of an industry that is more important to New Zealand than ever.

“These people are role models, who not only highlight the expertise and professionalism in our industry, but also inspire others to take up the tools and join the pool of talent required to build the infrastructure that will support the future of New Zealand.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/slicing-pizza-using-a-digger-how-to-win-the-national-digger-operator-title/

Posted on

Watch: Nicola Willis visits fuel import terminal at Marsden Point

Source: Radio New Zealand

Finance Minister Nicola Willis on Sunday afternoon will be visiting Channel Infrastructure’s Marsden Point Energy Precinct.

The visit comes amid fears of an energy crisis, with the global price of oil skyrocketing in the wake of the US and Israel’s attack on Iran.

Iran’s response has included threatening ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz, a key channel for the transportation of fuel exports from the Middle East, and strikes on US-friendly neighbours’ energy infrastructure.

Marsden Point is New Zealand’s fuel import terminal, and until 2022 also had an oil refining facility. New Zealand now relies on imported refined fuels, without a facility to refine raw products.

Senior coalition politicians are at odds over whether the facility should have been closed.

Marsden Point. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

Willis told Morning Report on Friday price increases were extremely tough and affecting all New Zealanders, but some were feeling it more than others.

“I can’t solve the pain for everyone. The cost of doing that would potentially involve levels of spending that would drive inflation higher, and certainly would put us in a more fragile position in terms of debt.

“So what we are looking at, is there something very targeted and temporary that we could do to assist those workers in particular who are most acutely impacted by these household budget squeezes?”

IRD and Treasury have been asked to come up with a package that could be implemented with urgency ahead of the Budget.

Willis will talk to the media at 2pm – watch it live here.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/watch-nicola-willis-visits-fuel-import-terminal-at-marsden-point/

Posted on

Multiple crashes block lanes, two dead, others hurt

Source: Radio New Zealand

In Auckland, northbound lanes were blocked on the South-Western Motorway, SH20, at Onehunga, on Sunday morning. Supplied/ NZTA traffic camera

Two people have died and others injured in crashes in Waikato, Auckland and Southland.

Waikato police said on Sunday morning a person died following a single-vehicle crash on Howden Road, to the west of Hamilton city in Temple View. The crash happened about 8:30pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, blocked lanes on Auckland’s Southwestern Motorway at Onehunga were reopened by 9:30am Sunday, after a collision earlier in the morning that had prompted police to direct northbound drivers to take another route.

Two vehicles were involved in the crash on the State Highway 20 motorway, police said.

One person was killed and two others moderately injured.

Crashes in Southland also reported

In Southland, Winding Creek Road was blocked following a single-vehicle crash between midnight Saturday and 1am Sunday.

Police said injuries were reported, and the Serious Crash Unit was advised.

“Motorists should avoid the road as emergency services work the scene or delay travel. The road is expected to be blocked for most of the day,” they said on Sunday

And Invercargill’s Leet Street was closed following a single-vehicle crash about 3am on Sunday.

“The Serious Crash Unit has been advised, and the road is expected to remain closed for most of the day while emergency services work at the scene,” police said.

“Diversions are in place, and motorists should account for extra travel time.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/multiple-crashes-block-lanes-two-dead-others-hurt/

Posted on

Mahurangi oyster farmers call for more transparency on Watercare’s compensation calculations

Source: Radio New Zealand

Mahurangi Oysters owner Jim Aitken. Nick Monro

A group of North Auckland oyster farmers are calling for more transparency on how Watercare came to its final calculation on compensation over a sewage spill into the Mahurangi River last year, that contaminated tens of thousands of oysters during the businesses’ peak season.

Wastewater poured into the Mahurangi River for over 17 hours, after a power surge tripped up the pumps at Watercare’s Warkworth Street wastewater plant in late October.

Reviews found that a faulty surge protection component at the plant meant the pumps could not restart, and a critical overflow alarm that was not working had delayed the discovery of the overflow.

Watercare estimated that half of the 1200 cubic metres of overflow went into the Mahurangi River, while the remaining was contained to the plant.

It announced on Thursday its last tranche of compensation payment – $750,000 – for Mahurangi oyster famers and the wider aquaculture industry, which came on top of the $2 million already paid to eight affected oyster farms.

It said part of the $750,000 was for a ninth oyster farmer who made a subsequent claim, and part of it would go towards Aquaculture New Zealand (AQNZ) for it to distribute to all impacted oyster farmers.

AQNZ, representing the affected farmers, said the “full and final settlement” did not cover lost income, cancelled sales, reputational harm and ongoing disruption to production.

An AQNZ spokesperson said the organisation was offered half a million in the final round of compensation, but had not accepted the money yet, as it felt Watercare had not made it clear how that money should be used.

Its CEO Teena Hale-Pennington said in a statement that farmers needed to see how Watercare assessed the losses and reached those final figures.

“At this stage, neither AQNZ nor individual farmers have received the independent assessment findings for their farms, nor information outlining the assumptions used in Watercare’s assessment.

“Without access to this material, farmers are unable to fully understand how assessments were undertaken or how conclusions were reached,” she said.

Meanwhile, Watercare maintained that its processes were robust.

“We commissioned an independent loss assessment to understand the financial impact of the October event on oyster farmers, resulting in the farms being shut down by MPI (Ministry for Primary Industries) during a critical part of their harvesting season.

“This process has informed Watercare’s approach to resolving the claims,” said its chief operating officer Mark Bourne, who added that the total compensation covered the losses attributed to the event.

Watercare chief operating officer Mark Bourne. Jessie Chiang

Hale-Pennington said it was frustrating that Watercare’s decision had been described as final, without the agreement of those most affected.

Tim Aitken, whose family business – Mahurangi Oysters – lost a large portion of its 80,000 dozen of oysters following the event, said they had been treated “like muppets” by Watercare.

“They haven’t entered into the conversation in a transparent way, they’ve treated us quite badly, I believe,” he said.

Aitken said he and other oyster farmers have handed Watercare five years’ worth of income and expenditure, in the hope of entering into a transparent negotiation.

Aitken said none of Watercare’s assessors had chatted with him in person about how they came to those compensation figures.

He said the $200,000 he received in compensation was just enough to cover staff wages.

Aitken said the reputational damage and ongoing impacts such as the loss of clients, were not being factored into the compensation.

“We sell weekly to chefs, and we sell fresh oysters, so everytime we get closed we lose a chef, we lose a restaurant because we can’t guarantee supply.

“Our business right now is hanging on, but only just,” he said.

Aitken said these days, they were struggling to sell oysters due to the lost trust by their clients.

“People now talk to us and say ‘we don’t wanna buy your oysters, they’re the ones that are in the shit harbour’.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/mahurangi-oyster-farmers-call-for-more-transparency-on-watercares-compensation-calculations/

Posted on

Cancer researcher celebrates double milestone at EIT Tairāwhiti graduation

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

50 seconds ago

Jordon Lima (Ngāti Porou, Te Aitanga-a-Hauiti, Ngāpuhi) took to the stage twice at EIT Tairāwhiti’s graduation ceremony on Friday – first to address the graduates as guest speaker, then to join her fellow graduates to receive her New Zealand Diploma in Te Reo Māori.

The 28-year-old completed the Level 5 Rumaki (full-immersion) Diploma at EIT while simultaneously finishing a PhD in Biomedical Sciences through Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka (the University of Otago).

Jordon said being asked to speak at the ceremony came as a surprise but was a meaningful opportunity to reflect on her journey.

EIT graduate and guest speaker Jordon Lima with her grandparents Tangi and Pete Kelleher.

In her address, she encouraged graduates to pursue further study no matter what stage of life, drawing on the statistic that the average age for Māori students completing a doctorate is 48.

“At the time I heard that, when I was starting my doctorate, I was not even half of that age! Studying for me was about curiosity and pursuing a passion – something anyone can do at any age.”

Jordon graduated with a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences with Honours at the University of Otago in 2020. Last month, she defended her PhD in Biochemistry and Māori Studies at the Mātai Medical Research Institute in Gisborne.

Her doctoral research examined how circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) – cancer-specific DNA detectable in the blood – could improve cancer screening and outcomes for Tairāwhiti communities.

Using a Kaupapa Māori approach to Biomedical Sciences, the project required close partnership with the communities her research was designed to benefit.

Her research is deeply personal, having lost several whānau members to cancer over the years, including her Aunty Hariata Green, who passed away in 2022 and before then, her Nanny Pōrua and Papa Joseph Green, who were all reo Māori teachers in Gisborne.

Jordon Lima addressed the crowd at EIT Tairāwhiti’s graduation ceremony on Friday.

“Aunty had been complaining of pain for ages before she was even diagnosed, and when she was, it was stage four. That was my turning point to design technologies that are actually going to be used by our people. I wanted to focus on empowerment in healthcare and do something with te reo to whakamana the people that we lost.”

Born in Tairāwhiti and raised in Christchurch, Jordon returned to her birthplace during the latter stages of her PhD to deepen her understanding of the tikanga, reo and kawa of the region.

“It felt wrong to write about it from anywhere else but here.”

Having not grown up with te reo Māori, Jordon turned to Te Whatukura at EIT, where she said the kōkā Barbie and kōkā Ange’s knowledge of her whakapapa made it feel like a place she belonged.

“As soon as I moved home and started learning our histories and mātauranga, I actually felt safe. They knew a lot about my whakapapa that I wanted to know. It was a beautiful space to be in.”

Jordon said studying at EIT alongside her PhD was one of the most rewarding parts of her academic journey. She described the rumaki environment as transformative – learning through stories, waiata and games in a way that reminded her of what it would have been like if she had gone to kōhanga reo.

She submitted her thesis midway through last year, returning for the second half of the programme able to fully immerse herself in her reo studies.

“It was hectic. I would start early in the morning, do work on my PhD, go to class from nine until three, and then stay on campus writing my thesis until I was basically kicked out when the building closed.”

Jordon said the kōkā at Te Whatukura were instrumental in her journey, not only as teachers but as connectors to her whakapapa. Kōkā Barbie, who is connected to Jordon’s whakapapa, gifted her a whakapapa booklet that contributed to an entire rewrite of her doctoral thesis.

The rumaki environment also helped her build confidence in te reo Māori, which she had never had before.

“It was super fulfilling to learn about the tikanga, reo and kawa of Tairāwhiti. When I first moved home, I didn’t understand anything that was being said on the paepae, but towards the end of my reo classes, I realised that I’ve actually learned heaps of reo just from being spoken to all day.”

She said that confidence is now central to her work. “It’s still quite rare to see scientists who can also kōrero Māori. Being able to go into the community and talk about science in reo is something I’m really excited about.”

Since completing her PhD, Jordon has been awarded the 2025 Otago Health Sciences Māori Postdoctoral Fellowship, through which she is establishing a molecular biology laboratory in Tairāwhiti capable of conducting blood-based cancer detection tests.

Jordon will formally graduate with her PhD in May this year. And she hasn’t ruled out one day completing the Bachelor of Arts (Māori) at EIT.

“I don’t know where I would find the time right now. But I’d love to do that one day.”

Tairāwhiti Campus Executive Director Tracey Tangihaere said: “I suggested Jordon as guest speaker due to her academic achievement, but also her desire to succeed in Māori health outcomes while being culturally grounded”.

“Having the life experience and stronger cultural skills, such as te reo, helps in communities like ours. Jordon has significant drive and passion. She’s a wonderful role model for us all.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/cancer-researcher-celebrates-double-milestone-at-eit-tairawhiti-graduation/

Posted on

Global flavours on display at EIT Taste of Cultures Day

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

2 days ago

Taste of Cultures Day brought students and staff together at the EIT Hawke’s Bay Campus this week, as food and performances highlighted the diversity of the community.

Ten cuisines were on offer, from French and Nepalese to Māori, Pacifica and Sri Lankan.

Students, staff and whānau attended a Taste of Cultures Day at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale on Wednesday.

Flags from around the world lined the campus, while cultural performances added to the atmosphere.

International Student Support Officer Song Sim said the event was a valuable way to bring people together.

“It is a really good opportunity to learn about the diversity of many cultures on campus. The best way of doing this is through food and performances.”

EIT Student Support Services Manager Sonya Aifai said the event also fostered a strong sense of connection.

“The Taste of Cultures Day is an event that brings everyone together on the Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale in a fun way to experience the different cultures that make up EIT,” she said.

Joy Capila with Jeremy Nacar and Anne Margarette Zausa Nacar.

“It has an amazing atmosphere, sharing food, dance and collegiality.”

Among those taking part was Master of Nursing Science student Anne Margarette Zausa Nacar, who moved to New Zealand from the Philippines in July last year with her husband Jeremy.

Anne said it was her first time participating in the event and described the experience as rewarding.

“It’s a good opportunity and experience. I’m really happy that we get to share our delicacies with different cultures. It’s lovely seeing people enjoying the food.”

Bachelor of Viticulture and Wine student Khageswori Budapal also took part for the first time, serving momos inspired by her Nepalese background.

Te Ūranga Waka performed kapa haka at EIT’s Taste of Cultures Day.

Having started at EIT in 2023, Khageswori said she wanted to make the most of her final year.

“This is my last year, and I want to participate in every event so I can make memories.”

MIL OSI

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/global-flavours-on-display-at-eit-taste-of-cultures-day/

Posted on

Fuel price strains send public transport numbers skyrocketing

Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Public transport is experiencing a boom, with commuters flooding onboard while fuel costs soar, and passenger numbers set to tumble.

Last week 91 octane petrol had risen 55 cents a litre since the beginning of the Iran war, with diesel up 90 cents in the same time, hitting personal and commercial budgets amid an existing cost-of-living crunch. And a string of commuters in the main centres told RNZ they were turning to public transport to help cut costs.

  • $4 a litre 91 petrol is coming, but take care with data showing it’s here in main centres

    • Passengers numbers have grown for both buses and trains in Wellington, the Greater Wellington Regional council says.

    Prior to this year, there had been a six percent decrease in public transport use year-on-year. But now, both the price of fuel and ongoing major traffic disruption from construction on Lower Hutt’s RiverLink project had turned that around.

    It means the Wellington Region is expected to have its highest day ever for public transport use in the next couple of weeks.

  • Watch: Seven weeks worth of fuel stocks in NZ – finance minister says

    • The steep trajectory of fuel costs meant the cost of driving 15 kilometres in Auckland reached nearly double the cost of taking public transport last week, Auckland Transport said – without parking costs factored in.

    And the Auckland public transport uptick has already reached records, with Tuesday the busiest day since 2019, councillor Richard Hills said.

    Passenger numbers were seven percent higher than the previous Tuesday, and had 7000 more trips than the previous busiest day.

    “It’s great to see more people choosing public transport and trying it out,” Hills said.

    Wellington public transport challenges levelling as demand increases

    Wellington “has had a hard road for public transport patronage over the last couple of years”, said the regional council’s transport committee chairperson Ros Connolly.

    “We’ve had a number of headwinds, you know. We’ve had working from home, we’ve had quite high numbers of unemployment in the Wellington region, and the cost of living has all meant that our public transport numbers haven’t been as high as we would have liked them to be. So year-on-year we’ve had about a 6 percent year-on-year decrease.

    But in recent weeks, “that number has absolutely turned around,” she said.

    “We’ve definitely seen the impact of higher fuel prices on people’s transport decisions …So unlike Auckland, we haven’t quite topped our highest day since 2019, but we can say we are getting close, and we’re confident that in the next fortnight, if things continue to track the way they have, that we will see Wellington experience that record number.”

    Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

LiveNews: https://livenews.co.nz/2026/03/22/fuel-price-strains-send-public-transport-numbers-skyrocketing/