Te Kawau Tūmaro ō Tōi / Kawau Island’s forests are showing strong signs they can recover – when long-standing pressures from introduced mammalian pests are removed.
A new baseline forest monitoring report, prepared ahead of a major pest eradication programme, paints a clear picture of both the damage done by browsing animals such as wallabies and possums, and the hopeful future that could follow their removal.
Once the programme is fully completed, Kawau could become one of the largest permanently inhabited islands in the Hauraki Gulf to be free of pest mammals.
Introduced to Kawau Island in the mid-to late-1800s, the four remaining species of wallabies have had a profound impact on the island’s forests. Alongside other pest mammals, they have heavily eaten seedlings and saplings, creating what ecologists describe as a “recruitment bottleneck”– where young plants struggle to grow into the next generation of forest.
Despite this, the forests have not lost their resilience.
Auckland Council’s Principal Specialist for Natural Environment Operations Lisa Tolich says the really encouraging thing is that the building blocks for recovery are still there.
“We’re seeing a dominance of native plants, plenty of seedlings waiting for their chance to grow, and bird communities that are still relatively intact. That tells us these ecosystems are ready to respond once the pressure is lifted.”
Kawau Island has been identified as a strategic priority area under Auckland Council’s Regional Pest Management Plan. The ‘working towards a pest-free Kawau Island’ programme is a collaborative effort led by Auckland Council with funding through the Natural Environment Targeted Rate as well as funding from central government and third-party philanthropic donations. The project is supported by the Manuhiri Kaitiaki Charitable Trust, the Department of Conservation and developed alongside the local community.
The programme is being rolled out in stages. Stage one, which began in autumn 2025, focuses on removing wallabies and possums – the primary browsing pests. A second stage, subject to feasibility, approvals, funding and further community engagement, would target mammalian predators such as rats and stoats.
Before any eradication work began, a network of forest monitoring plots was established across the island to capture a detailed snapshot of current forest health. This baseline allows scientists and land managers to track changes over time, understand how different forest types respond, and adapt management as needed.
The recent findings show recovery is unlikely to look the same everywhere.
Broadleaved forests with existing diversity are expected to bounce back more quickly, while kānuka-dominated areas and exotic forests may take longer to diversify. There is also a note of caution: removing browsing pressure could allow some invasive weeds, currently kept in check by pests, to spread rapidly if not closely monitored.
“Eradication isn’t the end of the story, it’s the beginning of a new phase of stewardship,” says Tolich.
“Ongoing monitoring will be critical so we can spot emerging issues early and respond before they become major problems.”
To do this, the report recommends re-measuring forest plots every two to three years in the short term, then every five years over the longer term. It also suggests targeted monitoring of high-value native species to better understand how individual populations respond to a pest-free future.
Chair of the Policy, Planning and Development Committee Councillor Richard Hills says the findings offer a hopeful message.
“While decades of browsing have destroyed native flora and held Kawau Island’s forests back, the potential for recovery is strong.
“With sustained effort, careful monitoring and community support, Te Kawau Tūmaro ō Tōi forests will once again grow, regenerate and thrive which is promising news for the biodiversity of all of our Hauraki Gulf islands not just Kawau.”
Iwi representatives from Taranaki have delivered a ‘trespass’ notice to seabed miners in Sydney today, warning the company against pursuing any future plans to pillage the seabed in Aotearoa.
Hand delivered by Rukutai Watene of Ngāti Ruanui, alongside Greenpeace Aotearoa, the notice was served peacefully at the headquarters of Manuka Resources – parent company of Trans Tasman Resources (TTR). Manuka Resources Co-Founder Haydn Lynch was on site but refused to engage with Watene or Greenpeace Aotearoa and shut himself in an office.
For over a decade TTR has been trying – and failing – to start an iron sand mining operation off the coast of Taranaki.
The notice “expels” the company from Taranaki, and comes after TTR withdrew from the Fast Track process after the panel issued a draft rejection of their seabed mining proposal earlier this month.
Rukutai Watene, who delivered the notice, says:
“We are here today to send a clear message that seabed mining is not wanted or needed in Aotearoa. We’ve fought Trans-Tasman Resources multiple times since 2014 and we’ve won every time, even at the Supreme Court. Article two of Te Tiriti o Waitangi guarantees Māori authority over our taonga. We will protect Papatūānuku, from the maunga to the moana. Seabed mining won’t ever take place on our watch.”
In February, the Fast Track Panel issued itsdraft decision denying TTR approvalfor its project. The decision was celebrated by the iwi, communities and environmentalists who have fought this mine every step of the way. Last week TTR announced they were withdrawing from the Fast Track process before the final decision was issued.
“This activity serves as a warning to Manuka and TTR: stay away, do not try to revive your plan, or expect resistance. The message from iwi, Taranaki locals, environmental groups and the New Zealand public has been united and clear for decades: no seabed mining is welcome in Aotearoa.”
“TTR has a habit of ditching official processes when they don’t go their way and exploring other “easier” avenues to resurrect their zombie project. We’re here to say any attempt to start seabed mining in Aotearoa – whatever avenues or workarounds mining companies try to use – will face strong resistance.”
In 2024, the company withdrew from the Environment Protection Authority consenting process right before the new Fast Track legislation was announced, providing TTR a new pathway.
Later that same year, Ngāti Ruanui and Greenpeace representativesinterrupted Manuka’s AGM, calling for them to withdraw their seabed mining plans.
Lee says, “Even with pro-industry ministers desperate to help get seabed mining over the line, TTR has failed yet again to prove their project won’t destroy the ocean, violate indigenous rights or provide major economic benefits. They will never win against the people-powered movement who have staunchly resisted their ocean destruction.
“This company has been rejected numerous times, and it is time a line was drawn under this project. Political parties must commit to banning seabed mining in Aotearoa. Communities shouldn’t have to fight every single deluded miner that comes knocking.
“Across the Pacific, seabed mining companies are rushing to carve up the ocean for profit, including in the High Seas, and the domestic waters of nations such as the Cook Islands, Aotearoa and American Samoa.”
Lee adds that global powers including the Trump administration are also trying to make it easier for seabed mining companies to do this.
“The US is attempting to fast track mining permits, and pressuring states such as New Zealand to sign Critical Minerals deals. In response, the government has just announced a new minerals slush fund. It remains to be seen if TTR will try to use this to breathe life into their besieged project.
“Enough is enough. The courts have said no, iwi have said no, the community has said no, tens of thousands of New Zealanders have called for a ban.
“Now we need politicians to listen – commit to banning seabed mining and ensure that Aotearoa holds the line against this destructive industry from ever getting a foothold. The ocean is too precious to mine, and we must defend it.”
The Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) has approved the release of a leaf-feeding beetle (Blaptea elguetai) as a biological control agent to combat Chilean flame creeper (Tropaeolum speciosum), an invasive weed in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Chilean flame creeper is an invasive pest plant that spreads quickly and smothers native plants. It is now a threat in many regions, especially Southland, Otago, and Canterbury. It can be found on Stewart Island/Rakiura and the Chatham Islands. It is also becoming a problem plant in Manawatū-Whanganui.
Environment Southland, on behalf of the National Biocontrol Collective, applied to import the beetle as removing the weed by hand or using herbicides is not very effective, takes a lot of time, and can harm nearby plants.
EPA Acting Manager of New Organisms and International Applications, Peter Day, says the leaf-feeding beetle offers a low-maintenance solution that can reach areas that are hard to access.
“The decision to approve introduction of this organism was made by an independent decision-making committee, which follows a rigorous, evidence-based assessment.
“The risk assessment provided by the applicant showed that the Chilean flame creeper leaf beetle is highly unlikely to harm native plants or animals. It also does not bite or sting, so there is no health risk to people.”
Mr Day says the decision followed public consultation, engagement with mana whenua, and consideration of international best practice.
“New Zealand has a strong track record of using biological control agents to manage invasive weeds with minimal impact on native ecosystems.”
In recent years the EPA has approved other biocontrol agents for weeds such as Darwin’s barberry, purple loosestrife, old man’s beard, Sydney golden wattle, and moth plant.
In four months’ time, essential funding that is helping improve patient outcomes and freeing up GP time is set to end, despite outstanding results. ProCare has been supporting practices to integrate pharmacists, emergency care paramedics, physiotherapists, and care-coordinators into practices, through the Comprehensive Primary and Community Care Team (CPCT) initiative.
Grey Lynn Family Medical Centre, part of the ProCare Network, is praising the impact of CPCT and has outlined how it has significantly improved support for patients with complex medicine needs.
Dr Kavi Deo, GP and Clinic Director of Grey Lynn Family Medical, says: “Having pharmacists embedded in the team over the last 18 months has been transformative. Medication optimisation, reconciliation, and prescribing are safer and more accurate. Patients now book directly with pharmacists because they value and trust the help they receive.”
Dr Deo says the daily collaboration between pharmacists and GPs has strengthened clinical decision making and improved efficiency.
“Pharmacists bring expertise about medicines into the clinical conversation. That allows our GPs to focus on diagnosis and broader medical management, while also giving our less experienced clinicians more support and prescribing confidence. Overall, there has been great improvements in patient care, clinical workflow, and team-based practice.”
Bindi Norwell, Chief Executive at ProCare, says the model shows the opportunities for collaboration in primary care, and the kind of innovation and investment the health system needs more of.
“Programmes like CPCT show how we can design workforce models that truly complement the skills of a whole clinical team. When pharmacists and GPs work together in a structured, well supported way, it strengthens patient care and ensures each professional is working at the top of their scope.
What we’re seeing at Grey Lynn is a good example of how collaboration can lift outcomes without adding pressure to general practice. It helps free up GP time for the complex care only they can provide, and it leads to safer medicine use and better patient understanding.”
Norwell adds that ProCare is committed to supporting practices to embed these roles sustainably.
“As more practices recognise the value of this model, we are looking ahead to how it can be maintained over the long term. This is exactly the kind of co-ordinated team based care our system needs, to ensure better outcomes for our communities.
The funding is set to end on 30 June 2026. ProCare is advocating to Health New Zealand to continue support for multidisciplinary teams.
About ProCare ProCare is a leading healthcare provider that aims to deliver the most progressive, pro-active and equitable health and wellbeing services in Aotearoa. We do this through our clinical support services, mental health and wellness services, virtual/tele health, mobile health, smoking cessation and by taking a population health and equity approach to our mahi.
As New Zealand’s largest Primary Health Organisation, we represent a network of general practice teams and healthcare professionals who provide care to nearly 700,000 patients across Auckland and Northland. These practices serve the largest Pacific and South Asian populations enrolled in general practice and the largest Māori population in Tāmaki Makaurau. For more information go to www.procare.co.nz
Tomorrow will mark four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
“That’s longer than the duration of their war against the Nazis,” says Josie Pagani, CEO of ChildFund New Zealand.
“Charities like ChildFund have remained working in the country and the region since the start, through our local partners. We could not support the children we do, without the generosity of Kiwis who have kept supporting us since the war started.”
The latest statistics are shocking:
4.6 million children entering their fourth consecutive year of disrupted schooling
10% of school and educational facilities damaged (1,700 facilities)
2,859,000 children displaced; one third of Ukraine’s child population
62.89% of these displaced children are now refugees
Bombs have killed or injured more than 3,200 children since February 2022.
2025 saw a 10% increase over the year prior for child casualties
Nearly 200 medical facilities have been destroyed or damaged in 2025 alone.
Through its partner,We World,ChildFund New Zealand has also helped support 7,334 people (adults and children) across Ukraine with mental and psychosocial health sessions. Safe centres for children have been set up in protected and underground spaces, offering educational, psychosocial and recreational activities.
This winter, temperatures have already dropped to -20 degrees Celsius. The renewed attacks on energy infrastructure mean widespread blackouts, and no reliable access to heating and water.
“Ukrainian children and their families need us more than ever.”
Source: Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum
Swimming with Sharks is coming to Tāmaki Paenga Hira Auckland War Memorial Museum for a limited season across March and the April school holidays. Created in collaboration with internationally renowned puppet theatre company Erth, Swimming with Sharks is an immersive live theatre experience that allows visitors to get up close to an extraordinary array of sharks, from the prehistoric past to the oceans of today.
Through expressive puppetry and engaging storytelling, tamariki will discover the diversity of sharks that inhabit the seas around Aotearoa and beyond. Meet the kitefin shark, the largest bioluminescent animal on the planet; learn about “shaggy beard” sharks that dwell on the ocean floor; and encounter an impressive five-metre-long great white shark. Along the way, hear fascinating facts about these often-misunderstood ocean creatures and explore the essential role they play in the delicate balance of ocean ecosystems.
Jo Brookbanks, Public Programme Content Specialist at Auckland Museum, says Erth is internationally recognised for their extraordinary wildlife puppetry.
‘We’re excited to be working again with Erth to bring another engaging live experience to our audiences.’
‘Visitors may remember Erth’s previous shows at Auckland Museum, the much-loved Prehistoric Aquarium and Dinosaur Zoo. Swimming with Sharks continues that tradition of combining beautiful puppetry with real science in a way that’s accessible, educational and fun for tamariki and their whānau,’ says Brookbanks.
Scott Wright, Artistic Director at Erth, says the performance encourages children to see sharks in a new light.
‘Sharks have captured imaginations for generations. With Swimming with Sharks, we invite young explorers to step into an ocean world and discover the beauty, diversity and importance of these extraordinary animals,’ says Wright.
Each performance runs for approximately 20 minutes. Children are invited to sit up-close on floor cushions, while adults can join them or relax on sofas at the back. Relaxed sessions are available.
Tickets are offered on a ‘Pay What You Can’ basis. Children aged 0–4 are recommended free tickets, while children aged 5–15 and adults can choose their own ticket price. All attendees require a ticket.
Performances take place on 7–8, 14–15 and 21–22 March, and 3–19 April, with sessions at 10am, 11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm. Tickets are available now at aucklandmuseum.com.
While visiting, families can also explore the Museum’s special exhibition Sharks for an even deeper dive into the science and stories behind these iconic marine animals, on now until Monday 1 June. See aucklandmuseum.com/sharks for full details.
The death of a major cartel boss in Mexico has unleashed a violent backlash in which members of the criminal group have paralyzed some cities through blockades and attacks on property and security forces.
At least 73 people have died as a result of the operation to capture Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho.” The head of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel was seriously wounded during a firefight with authorities on Feb. 22, 2026. He later died in custody.
As an expert in criminal groups and drug trafficking in Latin America who has been studying Mexico’s cartels for two decades, I see the violent aftermath of the operation as part of a pattern in which Mexican governments have opted for high-profile hits that often lead only to more violence without addressing the broader security problems that plague huge swaths of the country.
Who was ‘El Mencho’?
Like many other figures involved in Mexico’s drug trafficking, Oseguera Cervantes started at the bottom and made his way up the ranks. He spent some time in prison in the U.S., where he may have forged alliances with criminal gangs before being deported back to Mexico in 1997. There, he connected with the Milenio Cartel, an organization that first allied, and then fought with, the powerful Sinaloa Cartel.
Most of the information available points to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel forming under El Mencho around 2010, following the killing of Ignacio “Nacho” Coronel Villarreal, a Sinaloa Cartel leader and main link with the Milenio Cartel.
Since 2015, Jalisco New Generation Cartel has been known for its blatant attacks against security forces in Mexico – such as gunning down a helicopter in that year. And it has expanded its presence both across Mexico and internationally.
In Mexico, it is said to have a presence in all states. In some, the cartel has a direct presence and very strong local networks. In others, it has cultivated alliances with other trafficking organizations.
Besides drug trafficking, the Jalisco New Generation Cartel is also engaged in oil theft, people smuggling and extortion. As a result, it has become one of the most powerful cartels in Mexico.
What impact will his death have on the cartel?
There are a few potential scenarios, and a lot will depend on what succession plans Jalisco New Generation had in the event of Oseguera Cervantes’ capture or killing.
In general, these types of operations – in which security forces take out a cartel leader – lead to more violence, for a variety of reasons.
Mexicans have already experienced the immediate aftermath of Oseguera Cervantes’ death: retaliation attacks, blockades and official attempts to prevent civilians from going out. This is similar to what occurred after the capture of drug lord Ovidio Guzmán López in Sinaloa in 2019 and his second capture in 2023.
Violence flares in two ways following such high-profile captures and killings of cartel leaders.
In the short term, there is retaliation. At the moment, members of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel are seeking revenge against Mexico’s security forces and are also trying to assert their regional authority despite El Mencho’s death.
These retaliatory campaigns tend to be violent and flashy. They include blockades as well as attacks against security forces and civilians.
Then there is the longer-term violence associated with any succession. This can take the form of those who are below Oseguera Cervantes in rank fighting for control. But it can also result from rival groups trying to take advantage of any leadership vacuum.
The level and duration of violence depend on a few factors, such as whether there was a succession plan and what kind of alliances are in place with other cartels. But generally, operations in which a cartel boss is removed lead to more violence and fragmentation of criminal groups.
Of course, people like Oseguera Cervantes who have violated laws and engaged in violence need to be captured. But in the long run, that doesn’t do anything to dismantle networks of criminality or reduce the size of their operations.
What is the current state of security in Mexico?
The upsurge in violence after Oseguera Cervantes’ killing occurs as some indicators in Mexico’s security situation seemed to be improving.
But other measures are appalling. Disappearances are still unsettlingly high. The reality that many Mexicans experience on the ground is one where criminal organizations remain powerful and embedded in the local ecosystems that connect state agents, politicians and criminals in complex networks.
Criminal organizations are engaged in what we academics call “criminal governance.” They engage in a wide range of activities and regulate life in communities – sometimes coercively, but sometimes also with some degree of legitimacy from the population.
In some states like Sinaloa, despite the operations to take out cartel’s leaders, the illicit economies are still extensive and profitable. But what’s more important is that levels of violence remain high and the population is still suffering deeply.
The day-to-day reality for people in some of these regions is still one of fear.
And in the greater scheme of things, criminal networks are still very powerful – they are embedded in the country’s economy and politics, and connect to communities in complex ways.
How does the El Mencho operation fit Mexico’s strategy on cartels?
The government of President Claudia Sheinbaum wanted a big, visible hit at a time when the U.S. is pushing for more militarized policies to counter Mexico’s trafficking organizations.
But this dynamic is not new. Most U.S. and Mexican policy regarding drug trafficking organizations has historically emphasized these high-profile captures – even if it is just for short-term gains.
It’s easier to say “we captured a drug lord” than address broader issues of corruption or impunity. Most of the time when these cartel leaders are captured or killed, there is generally no broader justice. It isn’t accompanied with authorities investigating disappearances, murders, corruption or even necessarily halting the flow of drugs.
Captures and killings of cartel leaders serve a strategic purpose of showing that something is being done, but the effectiveness of such policies in the long run is very limited.
Of course, taking out a drug lord is not a bad thing. But if it does not come with a broader dismantling of criminal networks and an accompanying focus on justice, then the main crimes that these groups commit – homicides, disappearances and extortion – will continue to affect the daily life of people. And the effect on illicit flows is, at best, meager.
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 24, 2026.
Cuba has survived 66 years of US-led embargoes. Will Trump’s blockade break it now? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Trapani, Associate Lecturer of History and International Relations, Western Sydney University After toppling Venezuela’s leader earlier this year, the Trump administration has turned its sights on Cuba. The near-total blockade of the island is now posing the greatest challenge to the government since the Cuban missile
Two new federal polls have One Nation gaining on Labor Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Two new federal polls by DemosAU and Fox & Hedgehog have the combined primary vote for Labor and the Greens dropping as One Nation continues to surge.
Prohibitive policies drove organised crime in Australia 100 years ago. It’s happening again Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Martin, Associate Professor in Criminology, Deakin University Organised crime has a long history in Australia. For more than a century, criminal groups have accumulated vast fortunes, committed countless acts of intimidation and coercion and, at times, extreme and spectacular violence. In the process, they have become
Buying a car? Here’s what you need to know about new safety ratings Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne Most people know about car safety ratings and many take them seriously when choosing a new car. In Australia and New Zealand, safety ratings are issued by the Australasian New Car
These shoes are best for hip and knee arthritis, according to science Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kade Paterson, Associate Professor of Musculoskeletal Health, The University of Melbourne People with hip and knee osteoarthritis are advised to wear “appropriate footwear” to minimise their pain. Does that mean heels are out? Does it matter if you wear runners or something a little stiffer? How about
The Moment: Charli XCX is the ultimate chronicler of contemporary pop stardom Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alice Pember, Assistant Professor of Film and Television Studies, University of Warwick “Want to go again?” a choreographer asks Charli XCX at the start of the mockumentary The Moment. It’s the latest entry in the pop star’s rapidly expanding cinematic empire, propelled by the stratospheric cultural impact
3D-printed ‘ghost guns’ are not as untraceable as criminals think – new study Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgina Sauzier, Senior Lecturer in Forensic Chemistry, Curtin University 3D-printed guns are a growing threat to public safety. The blueprints used to make these firearms can be found online, making them easily accessible. With a relatively cheap 3D printer and a quick web search, anyone could print
Roger Fowler’s legacy – and the Polynesian Panthers connection Polynesian Panther Party Legacy Trust The Polynesian Panthers met Roger Fowler in the early 1970s when Ponsonby was home to the largest urban Pacific population in Aotearoa. He helped establish the Ponsonby People’s Union for Survival and ran several much needed community focused programmes like a food co-op, tenant’s rights advice and support. He was
We studied primary care in 6 rich countries – it’s under unprecedented strain everywhere Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Felicity Goodyear-Smith, Professor of General Practice and Primary Health Care, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Primary care – the kind delivered by general practice (GP) clinics – is the backbone of every health system. When it works, we barely notice it. It keeps people healthy, detects
Calls for a boycott of the 2026 FIFA World Cup are growing, but how realistic is one? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University The next major international sporting event, the 2026 FIFA Men’s World Cup hosted jointly by the United States, Canada and Mexico, is already garnering international scrutiny. There have been numerous calls to boycott it. Calls for a boycott
Scrapping business class could halve aviation emissions – new study Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milan Klöwer, NERC Independent Research Fellow, University of Oxford Air travel is famously one of the hardest sectors to decarbonise, and the number of air passengers keeps increasing. Electric planes and “sustainable” aviation fuels are still a long way off making a dent in the industry’s emissions
Misconduct in public office: three reasons why the case against Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is so complex Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hazell, Professor of British Politics and Government & Founder of the Constitution Unit, UCL Following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor for possible misconduct in public office, both the palace and the government will be hoping that his case might be brought to a swift conclusion. There
Desperate, intelligent, irreverent: in Big Kiss, Bye-Bye, Claire-Louise Bennett breaks up with illusions Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Georgia Phillips, Lecturer, Creative Writing, Adelaide University In Burnt Norton, the opening section of T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, the poet moves down a passage “we did not take” and passes through a door “never opened” to arrive in a mythic rose garden. Here, in the thorny cradle
Why are the phrases ‘globalise the intifada’ and ‘from the river to the sea’ so contested? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Martin Kear, Sessional Lecturer, Department of Government and International Relations, University of Sydney In the aftermath of the Bondi terrorist attack at a Hanukkah celebration that killed 15 people, the New South Wales government is moving toward banning phrases it argues incite hatred. The Queensland government has
What are your options if you can’t afford to repay your mortgage? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura de Zwaan, Senior Lecturer, School of Accountancy, Queensland University of Technology After just three rate cuts in 2025, interest rates have risen again in Australia this year. It’s unwelcome news for many borrowers – particularly those still struggling with the increasing cost of living. Currently, the
Reality check: America’s Next Top Model docuseries never apologises for abuse of contestants Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Trelease, Senior Lecturer in Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology If you’ve spent much time on the internet, you probably know how to yell “I was rooting for you!” The clip from “Cycle 4” (iykyk) of America’s Next Top Model which aired in 2005 went uncontrollably
Delving into ‘deep time’: what NZ’s ancient past reveals about its present Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James S. Crampton, Professor of Paleontology and Stratigraphy, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington We know Aotearoa New Zealand is home to many geographically and biologically special features. Yet few of us know it also has its very own measure of “deep time”. Known as
One of the biggest stars in the universe might be getting ready to explode Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sara Webb, Lecturer, Centre for Astrophysics and Supercomputing, Swinburne University of Technology One of the largest known stars in the universe underwent a dramatic transformation in 2014, new research shows, and may be preparing to explode. A study led by Gonzalo Muñoz-Sanchez at the National Observatory of
Can blood tests really detect cancer? Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John (Eddie) La Marca, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) If you’re feeling worn out or have suddenly lost some weight, your doctor might send you for a blood test. Blood tests are a common way
When feral cats are away, potoroos and bandicoots are more likely to play Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University All animals need to eat to survive, grow and reproduce. To do so, they also need to avoid being eaten. This is a big challenge for many of Australia’s native mammals,
A rāhui is in place on the southern coast from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, which covers anything the water touches or can touch with the high or low tides.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
The Wellington mayor says the current blanket direction for people to stay off all south coast beaches is not sustainable when test results show little risk, and is hinting at a possible change of policy.
There was a major sewage spill earlier this month – the city’s southern coast has been off limits since the Moa Point treatment plant failed catastrophically, pumping millions of litres of untreated sewage into the sea.
There is currently a rāhui in place on the southern coast from Ōwhiro Bay to Breaker Bay, which covers anything the water touches or can touch with the high or low tides.
Public health advice has been that people should not swim, surf, dive, fish, collect kai moana, walk dogs along the shore until further notice.
Mayor Andrew Little said the city and regional councils, Wellington Water and public health officials were now getting a picture of the level of risk, with nearly three weeks of monitoring of the impact of the untreated sewage being discharged into the Cook Strait on south coast beaches.
“We wanted to see what happened with the storm last weekend. We’ve worked our way through that and we’re showing good results in terms of a little or no contamination.
“On that basis, what we are looking at being able to say to people is: ‘here are the results, this is what it shows, the risk is pretty low, you make your own decision about whether you want to go onto the beach and and have a swim in the sea’.”
Little said they would also look at having a place where people could go daily to get an update on the risk and factors that could affect it on any given day.
“We can’t keep telling people just to stay away from the beach, stay away from the sea and producing testing results that show little or no risk.”
Little said they had to be practical and realistic.
“It is summertime, this is a beautiful part of Wellington to go to and if there is little or no risk, then let people make the decision about whether they want to use the amenity.”
Little said some risk remained near the outfall pipe, which could be used again.
“But in terms of [places] like Lyall Bay, Princess Bay, Houghton Bay, Island Bay, Ōwhiro Bay the testing results are showing little or no risk.”
Little said they had also had “good discussions” with iwi representatives about the current rāhui.
“They will continue to maintain a position that the health of the sea is at risk.
“But they’re clear to me that that doesn’t affect the public health advice we give about going onto the beaches and having a swim in the in the on the beaches.”
Health New Zealand directed RNZ’s requests for comment to the Wellington City Council and Wellington Water.
RNZ has contacted Wellington Water, the regional council, and Wellington iwi Taranaki Whānui ki te Upoko o te Ika.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
After toppling Venezuela’s leader earlier this year, the Trump administration has turned its sights on Cuba. The near-total blockade of the island is now posing the greatest challenge to the government since the Cuban missile crisis in 1962.
Cuba is quickly running out of oil, creating a dire political and economic crisis for the island’s 11 million residents.
US President Donald Trump’s embargo has prevented any oil tankers from reaching the island for months. A ship carrying Russian fuel is now reportedly on the way to the island to attempt to break the blockade, but the US has seized other ships that have previously tried.
The Trump administration has also threatened tariffs on any nation that tries to send Cuba fuel, putting Latin American leaders in an uncomfortable position. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum has called out the embargo as “very unfair”, but she’s been careful not to antagonise Trump by putting an emphasis on the Cuban “people”, not the government.
This is not the first time the US has isolated Cuba, or coerced Latin American leaders to take part. Cuba has been under a US embargo for the past 66 years, which has stunted its economy and caused widespread human suffering.
The island has always found a way to get by, but can it survive this new round of American pressure?
Animosity grows in the 1950s
The Cuban Revolution caught the United States by surprise in 1959. During the Cold War, the US had supported dictatorships in Latin America, such as Cuba’s Fulgencio Batista, with political, financial and military support, creating widespread anti-US activism across the region.
After coming to power, revolutionary leader Fidel Castro instituted modest reforms to land tenure and infrastructure to support the impoverished people. Then-US President Dwight Eisenhower opposed these moves because of their impact on US commercial interests on the island. This opposition turned into a US embargo of Cuban sugar imports in 1960.
Fidel Castro and his revolutionary fighters in the mountains of Cuba in 1956.Wikimedia Commons
In response, Castro looked to the Soviets as an export alternative. Eisenhower retaliated by refusing to ship oil to Cuba, leading Castro to sign an oil deal with the Soviets and eventually nationalise American and British refineries. In 1961, Castro declared his adherence to “Marxism-Leninism”.
Castro and Cuba were hugely popular throughout Latin America. When the Cuban military defeated the CIA-trained force of exiled Cuban fighters at the Bay of Pigs in 1961, Castro was lauded for standing up to the US, though few knew of the military and intelligence support coming from the Soviets.
And when President John F. Kennedy began the campaign to remove Cuba from the Organisation of American States (OAS) in 1961, most Latin American democracies moved to block it.
To bring the those leaders to his side, Kennedy used a carrot-and-stick approach. He proposed an “alliance for progress” to meet the “basic needs of the [Latin] American people for homes, work and land, health and schools”. But his government also passed the Foreign Assistance Act, which established a total blockade of the island and prohibited US aid to any country providing assistance to Cuba.
The OAS removed Cuba as a member the following year and, in 1964, voted to embargo all trade to Cuba, except food and medicine.
Life under the embargo
The embargo prevented Cuba from reaching the modern technological age. Instead, it existed in socialist bubble, emphasising the care of its people over economic development.
Nonetheless, Cuba’s Cold War economic growth was comparable to its neighbours. In 1970, the nominal GDP per capita for Cuba was US$645 (A$900), slightly lower than Mexico and about double the Dominican Republic. By 1990, it was US$2,565 (A$3,600), about 80% of Mexico’s and more than triple the Dominican Republic’s.
Cuba was not industrialised, but the country did reach full literacy before any other Latin American nation and extended health care to all Cubans. Cuba then exported its teachers and doctors throughout Latin America, and beyond.
A Cuban doctor treats a cholera patient in Haiti in 2010.Sophia Paris/MINUSTAH via Getty Images
However, life on the island was still difficult, especially after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
With no clear replacement for Soviet imports and subsidies, the economy began to buckle. From 1990 to 1994 (a time known as the “Special Period”), food production decreased by 40%, leading to food rationing, malnutrition and other health issues.
Protests broke out across the island in 1994 and some 35,000 Cubans fled on boats for Florida.
A boat in the Bay of Havana carries fleeing Cubans away from the island and towards the United States in August 1994.Jose Goitia/AP
Cuba and the US after the Cold War
However, the end of the Cold War brought newfound sympathy and assistance from Cuba’s neighbours. Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, for example, provided Cuba with oil in exchange for Cuban doctors.
Then, in 2009, the OAS voted to readmit Cuba and allow for regional trade and tourism again.
US President Barack Obama followed suit in 2014, saying the US embargo of Cuba had “failed”.
His administration then initiated what would become known as the “Cuban thaw”. Then-President Raul Castro visited Washington in 2015 and, the following year, Obama became the first US president to visit Cuba since 1928.
Obama did not end the embargo, but he did open the door to US tourism, providing a lifeline for Cuba’s economy.
US President Barack Obama, centre, with his wife Michelle Obama and daughters take a walking tour of Old Havana in 2016.Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
The White House claims Cuba presents a “unusual and extraordinary threat” to the United States, saying the island is cooperating with “dangerous adversaries” on intelligence activities, chief among them Russia and China.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has condemned Trump’s embargo, saying “we do not accept anything like this”.
If Russian oil makes it to Cuba, more aid could follow. If that eventuates, the US will have invited Russia into its backyard again, laying the foundation for another Cold War-style stalemate, with the Cuban people once more trapped in the middle.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne
Two new federal polls by DemosAU and Fox & Hedgehog have the combined primary vote for Labor and the Greens dropping as One Nation continues to surge. There’s no sign of a boost for the Coalition from Angus Taylor replacing Sussan Ley.
At the 2025 federal election, the combined primary vote share for Labor and the Greens was 46.8%, while the combined share for the Coalition, One Nation and Trumpet of Patriots was 40.1%. In the two polls below, the total right vote is 49% and the total left vote 41–42%.
A national DemosAU poll for Capital Brief, conducted February 16–20 from a sample of 1,551, gave Labor 29% of the primary vote (down one since a mid-January DemosAU poll), One Nation 28% (up four), the Coalition 21% (steady), the Greens 12% (down one) and all Others 10% (down two).
No two-party estimate was given, but seat projections had Labor winning 76–85 of the 150 House of Representatives seats, still enough for a majority but down from 87–95 in January. One Nation was winning 43–54 seats, up from 29–38, the Coalition 9–20 (10–22 previously), the Greens an unchanged 0–2 and all Others 3–7 (6–11 previously).
Anthony Albanese’s net positive rating was down three points to -17, with 46% giving him a negative rating and 29% positive. Taylor’s initial net positive was -4 (28% negative, 24% positive), up 14 points on Ley. Pauline Hanson’s net positive improved four points to -1 (38% negative, 37% positive).
In a three-way preferred PM question, Albanese led with 37% (down two), followed by Hanson at 25% (down one) and Taylor at 19% (up three from Ley).
Cost of living was rated the most important issue by 45%, followed by housing at 18% and immigration at 13%. Respondents were asked which of Labor, the Greens, One Nation or the Coalition were best for various issues.
Combining One Nation and the Coalition against the combined Labor and Greens gives the right a 44–32 lead over the left on cost of living, a 41–32 lead on housing and a 53–26 lead on immigration.
A national Fox & Hedgehog poll for the News Corp papers, conducted February 17–19 from a sample of 1,625, gave Labor 30% of the primary vote (up one since an early January Fox & Hedgehog poll), One Nation 25% (up four), the Coalition 24% (down one), the Greens 12% (down two) and all Others 9% (down two).
In a “three party preferred”, where Greens and Other voters are asked which of Labor, One Nation or the Coalition they prefer, Labor had 44% (down two), One Nation 29% (up four) and the Coalition 27% (down two). Respondent preferences gave Labor just a 51–49 lead over the Coalition, a two-point gain for the Coalition. Labor led One Nation by 53–47, a three-point gain for One Nation.
Albanese’s net approval was unchanged in the latest Fox & Hedgehog poll.Joel Carrett/AAP
Albanese’s net approval was an unchanged -15 (47% disapprove, 32% approve). Taylor’s initial net approval was +3 (26% approve, 23% disapprove) (Ley’s net approval was -13). Albanese led Taylor by 40–35 as preferred PM (39–31 vs Ley). Hanson’s net approval was up 12 points to +9 (44% approve, 35% disapprove).
On reducing the capital gains tax discount, 35% both supported and opposed. By 59–17, respondents supported an immigration ban from “high risk” areas. By 64–15, respondents did not think “ISIS brides” should be allowed to return to Australia.
Resolve poll on international relations
I previously covered the mid-February federal Resolve poll for Nine newspapers. In further questions, Russian President Vladimir Putin had a net likeability with Australians of -60, United States President Donald Trump -41, Chinese President Xi Jinping -26, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu -20, United Kingdom PM Keir Starmer -5 and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky +22.
The US’s net likeability was -17, down 21 since October and 34 from two years ago. China’s was -24, the UK’s +41, Japan’s +53 and New Zealand’s +67.
On the greatest threat to Australia in the next few years, 31% said China (down 23 since January 2023), 17% the US, 5% Russia and 31% all equally.
By 62–11, respondents thought Taiwan was a sovereign nation rather than a region of China. On any conflict between China and Taiwan, 36% thought Australia should support Taiwan, 7% support China and 38% not take sides.
On the Ukraine-Russia war, 40% thought Australia should maintain its current support for Ukraine, 16% increase its support (down nine since March 2025) and 21% decrease or withdraw support for Ukraine (up seven).
Tasmanian federal EMRS poll
A Tasmanian federal EMRS poll, conducted February 16–19 from a sample of 1,000, gave Labor 30% of the primary vote, One Nation 24%, the Liberals 18%, the Greens 13%, independents 12% and others 2%. One Nation only received 6.0% at the 2025 federal election in Tasmania.
Labor led the Liberals by 60–40 after preferences (63.3–36.7 at the last election), and they led One Nation by the same 60–40 margin. Figures for the five Tasmanian federal seats were given, based on samples of 200 per seat.
In Braddon, One Nation and Labor were tied 50–50, from primary votes of 34% One Nation, 31% Labor, 16% Liberals, 7% Greens and 10% independents. Labor was winning all other seats easily. Albanese led Taylor as preferred PM by 45–31 statewide.
Queensland DemosAU poll: LNP far ahead
A Queensland state DemosAU and Premier National poll, conducted February 10–20 from a sample of 1,044, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) 34% of the primary vote (down three since the October DemosAU poll), Labor 28% (down one), One Nation 21% (up seven), the Greens 10% (down two) and all Others 7% (down one).
The LNP led Labor by 56–44 after preferences, a two-point gain for the LNP. All Queensland polls now have the LNP far ahead.
LNP Premier David Crisafulli had a net +16 approval, with 39% positive, 38% neutral and 23% negative. Labor leader Steven Miles was at net -10. Crisafulli led Miles as preferred premier by 43–32 (44–32 previously). By 44–36, respondents thought Queensland was headed in the right direction (42–38 previously).
Two new cases of measles have been detected and both have been linked to international travel.
Health New Zealand said locations of interest include Auckland International Airport and Waitākere Hospital’s emergency department.
Health officials are attempting to contact people on flight SQ281 from Singapore.
Medical Officer of Health Dr Richard Vipond said measles is a serious and highly infectious illness.
He said anyone with symptoms should phone health care providers before turning up to prevent the spread and the best form of protection was the MMR vaccine.
A new residential development is set to deliver more homes and an economic boost for Hawke’s Bay following the Fast-track approval of the Arataki subdivision in Havelock North says Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop.
CDL Land NZ Limited lodged its application in July 2025 to provide up to 200 new homes across an 11-hectare site.
“Approval has taken just 5 months following the commencement of the expert panel,” says Mr Bishop.
“The project is estimated to generate around $78 million in investment and create approximately 629 jobs over the five-year development period during construction.
“This project will be very important for the people in Hawke’s Bay. It will create work for local people, bring investment into the area, and deliver more homes for families choosing to build their lives in the area.
“Housing affordability continues to be a challenging issue for the people of Hawke’s Bay. Over the last 10 years, house prices in Hawke’s Bay increased by 134 per cent and rental prices increased by 86 percent.
“Hawke’s Bay is another example of how the supply of homes has not kept up with growth. This means locals and temporary workers struggle to find affordable housing.
“This development of hundreds of homes will make a real difference in Hawke’s Bay, where demand for housing is high.
“This is the sixth Fast-track housing project and eleventh project overall to be approved through Fast-track.”
Notes to editor:
For more information about the project: Arataki
Fast-track by the numbers:
11 projects approved by expert panels.
18 projects with expert panels appointed.
149 projects are listed in Schedule 2 of the Fast-track Approvals Act, meaning they can apply for Fast-track approval.
47 projects currently progressing through the Fast-track process.
28 projects have been referred to Fast-track by the Minister for Infrastructure.
On average, it has taken 122 working days for decisions on substantive applications from when officials determine an application is complete and in-scope.
Fast-track projects approved by expert panels:
Arataki [Housing/Land]
Homestead Bay [Housing/Land]
Bledisloe North Wharf and Fergusson North Berth Extension [Infrastructure]
Drury Metropolitan Centre – Consolidated Stages 1 and 2 [Housing/Land]
Drury Quarry Expansion – Sutton Block [Mining/Quarrying]
Kings Quarry Expansion – Stages 2 and 3 [Mining/Quarrying]
Maitahi Village [Housing/Land]
Milldale – Stages 4C and 10 to 13 [Housing/Land]
Rangitoopuni [Housing/Land]
Tekapo Power Scheme – Applications for Replacement Resource Consents [Renewable energy]
Waihi North [Mining/Quarrying]
Expert panels have been appointed for:
Ashbourne
Ayrburn Screen Hub
Bendigo-Ophir Gold Project
Green Steel
Haldon Solar Farm
Kaimai Hydro-Electric Power Scheme
Lake Pūkaki Hydro Storage and Dam Resilience Works
Mahinerangi Wind Farm
Pound Road Industrial Development
Ryans Road Industrial Development
Southland Wind Farm Project
Sunfield Masterplanned Community
Takitimu North Link – Stage 2
The Point Mission Bay
The Point Solar Farm
Waitaha Hydro
Waitākere District Court – New Courthouse Project
Wellington International Airport Southern Seawall Renewal
Associate Health Minister David Seymour and Health Minister Simeon Brown welcome Pharmac’s proposal to widen access to two medicines for people with stage 3B to stage 4 melanoma.
“Improving access to cancer medication in New Zealand is important to cancer patients, and their families. That’s why it has been a focus of this Government,” Mr Seymour says.
Pharmac is proposing to widen access to nivolumab and ipilimumab for people with stage 3B to stage 4 melanoma from 1 May 2026.
“This proposal would give people who meet funding criteria another immunotherapy option before surgery, while the cancer is still operable. This lowers the chance of the cancer coming back,” Mr Seymour says.
“Nivolumab and ipilimumab are immunotherapy medicines that help the immune system better recognise and attack certain types of cancer. Using them together can have a stronger effect on the immune response.
“Clinical advisers told Pharmac that using these treatments together before surgery, then adjusting treatment after surgery based on how well the cancer has responded, can lower the chance of melanoma coming back. Nearly two in three people have a very strong response by the time their tumour is removed, with significant shrinkage or very little active disease remaining.
“Because of this strong early response, many people may not need further treatment after surgery. This can mean fewer ongoing infusions, and fewer hospital visits for people with melanoma, their families, and carers.
“When used early and together, Nivolumab and ipilimumab means some patients require fewer infusions. This is better for patients. It also frees up health resources by reducing pressure on hospitals and oncology infusion centres. We expect this proposal would save about 1,000 infusion hours each year.
Mr Brown says the Government is focused on ensuring New Zealanders have faster access to more effective cancer care.
“From strengthening early detection through expanded screening, to speeding up treatment and improving access to the latest medicines, our priority is making sure Kiwis can get the right care at the right time,” Mr Brown says.
“New Zealanders elected a Government they could trust to invest in better cancer treatments, which is why we provided a $604 million boost to Pharmac. This investment, including funding for 33 new cancer medicines, is expanding access to life-saving and life-extending therapies for thousands of New Zealanders.
“Today’s announcement marks a further step forward in expanding access to advanced treatment options so more melanoma patients can benefit from improved outcomes,” Mr Brown says.
Pharmac is engaging with clinicians, the public, and advocacy groups including Melanoma New Zealand to understand the practical impacts of funding these medicines. Feedback will be considered before a decision is made by Pharmac’s Board, or its delegate.
The wetland spans 7,000 hectares of swamps, fens and peat bogs and is one of New Zealand’s seven sites recognised globally for its ecological significance under the international Ramsar Convention on Wetlands.
Under the Convention, Ramsar Sites must be continually monitored. New Zealand is required to notify the Convention if the ecological character of one of our Ramsar wetlands has changed or is likely to.
This is the first time New Zealand has delivered an international report integrating science alongside maatauranga Maaori, underpinned by the principles of the Ramsar Convention, to comprehensively assess changes in ecological character.
DOC Regional Director Tinaka Mearns says the report, released today, concludes the Whangamarino has deteriorated since it was designated a Ramsar site in 1989.
“Whangamarino has faced mounting pressures for decades, but recent events have made things worse. Poor water quality led to fish and bird deaths in 2022-23, triggered by very low oxygen and a botulism outbreak following floods and extensive input of contaminants and organic matter into the wetland. The human-induced fire in October 2024 was another setback.”
The report identifies a concerning decline in water quality, indigenous wetland habitat, the wetlands’ Australasian bittern/matuku population, and cultural values recognised by mana whenua.
These declines are driven by the modified water regime in the wetland, poor water quality, large-scale fire, and invasive species such as koi carp.
For Waikato Tainui, Whangamarino is a taonga, deeply connected to identity and wellbeing, with significant ecological and cultural values.
“This report confirms what our people have been observing over many years. Maatauranga Maaori and lived experience tell us that the pressures on Whangamarino are cumulative and long-standing, and that restoration must address the whole system; water quality, hydrology, invasive species, and land use, not just individual symptoms,” says Marae Tukere, General Manager, Oranga.
“We acknowledge mana whenua and their tireless mahi monitoring, reporting, and working to mitigate impacts. Their kaitiakitanga and commitment are integral to protecting and sustaining our taiao.”
Internationally, there’s growing recognition that incorporating traditional knowledge and cultural perspectives into conservation reporting produces better conservation outcomes.
Tinaka says the report gives a fuller picture of the ecosystem’s decline and a deeper understanding of what this loss means for mana whenua and local communities.
“By thoroughly assessing the state of both ecological and cultural values in the Whangamarino, the report targets restoration efforts and builds the foundation for a strong collaborative response to revive both the ecology and mauri of Whangamarino.”
Waikato Regional Council Environmental Science Manager Dr Mike Scarsbrook said degradation had occurred over many decades, with the causes and solutions complex and interconnected.
Waikato Regional Council is leading the development of an action plan to respond to the decline, supported by DOC, Waikato Tainui, Waikato River Authority, mana whenua representatives, Fish and Game, landowners and other stakeholders.
The action plan will assess and prioritise actions to improve the health of nearby Lake Waikare (one of the adjacent waterbodies that feeds into the wetland) and Whangamarino itself. The action plan will address the full system, including hydrology, land use, water quality, biodiversity, cultural values and community connection.
“It’s taken a long time for Whangamarino and Lake Waikare to degrade, so it will take a long time for it to recover. Success of the action plan depends on sustained collaboration, investment and accountability – no single intervention will solve the problem. Progress relies on multiple coordinated actions,” says Dr Scarbrook.
DOC also has work underway to control pest plant species at the site, to reduce the spread of willow, golden dodder and royal fern.
A Kawau Island resident recently discovered they had an unexpected, feathered houseguest and he wasn’t paying rent.
Tucked into the corner of a humble garden shed, a determined North Island brown kiwi had dragged together an eclectic collection of plastic, paper and whatever else he could shuffle into place to fashion a cosy nursery. The reason? An egg, carefully laid by mum and now entrusted, as is kiwi tradition, to dad.
In the world of kiwi, the boys do the babysitting. Once the egg is laid, the male takes over incubation duties, sitting patiently for around 75–80 days; one of the longest incubation periods of any bird. For weeks, this devoted Kawau Island papa was spotted slipping out under cover of darkness to feed, then quietly returning to resume his devoted vigil.
Even a curious weka popped by to inspect the unusual setup, poking around to see what the shed-dwelling neighbour was up to.
When concerns were raised about the egg’s progress, a small team including Dr Juan Cornejo from Auckland Zoo and Lisa Tolich, Auckland Council’s Principal Specialist – Natural Environment Operations travelled to the island to assess the situation. The adult male was away at the time, but sadly the egg was cold and no longer viable. Candling confirmed the egg had developed to around 55 days, not far off maturity, but there were no visible blood vessels feeding it.
“It’s always disappointing when an egg doesn’t make it, especially when dad has put in such a monumental effort,” said Lisa Tolich.
“But every nesting attempt tells us something important about how our kiwi are doing and reminds us of just how resilient and determined our kiwi are.”
A comprehensive survey undertaken between January and March 2025 has provided the clearest picture yet of the Kawau kiwi population. Across three trips, trained kiwi dogs detected 56 birds, with 51 adults handled, many in just poor to moderate body condition. No chicks or juveniles were found.
“That absence of young birds suggests breeding success has been low in recent years,” said Tolich.
“Dry conditions, habitat degradation and heavy browsing of undergrowth by wallabies are likely reducing food availability and putting pressure on adults.”
Genetic testing also shows Kawau kiwi have very low genetic diversity, tracing back to a small founding population introduced in the 1860s. While unique traits remain, long-term resilience will rely on careful habitat restoration, wallaby control and managed genetic exchange.
While this chapter has a bittersweet ending, there is a bright side; the cheeky shed-squatter has since been picked up on camera, alive and well and hopefully before long, there will be another chance for him to egg sit with a happier outcome.
For this special Kawau kiwi population, this male, as he returns to his nesting duties, may yet play an important role in seasons to come.
What to do if you find a kiwi nesting on your property
Do not disturb! – if the bird is sitting on eggs, don’t move the nest, the egg or the bird
Keep it safe – make sure cats and dogs can’t disturb it
Consider having a backyard trap
Report it – let the Department of Conservation know. They may even want to monitor the bird – 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468) or
Don’t try to handle, feed (including leaving out food) or move the bird.
A worker’s life-changing injuries at a commercial bakery have exposed fundamental safety failures that WorkSafe says are far too common across New Zealand workplaces.
The worker’s hand was pulled into machine rollers at French Bakery in Christchurch in April 2023. His index finger was amputated, thumb partially amputated, and middle finger crushed.
Following a WorkSafe investigation, the company admitted work health and safety failures and has now been sentenced in the Christchurch District Court.
“This incident did not merely affect my hand. It shattered my livelihood, destabilised my family’s future, and left me with a permanent physical and emotional wound,” says the 41-year-old father, who has name suppression.
The case highlights three critical lessons that every business with machinery must act on.
Lesson 1: Lockout failures
Workers were cleaning and maintaining machinery without any method to ensure it couldn’t be turned on while they were exposed to moving parts. Some had never been trained or given proper equipment.
“Lockout/tagout isn’t optional. It’s a fundamental safety control,” says WorkSafe principal inspector, Shaun Millar.
“One worker turned a machine on while another worker had his hand inside it. That’s the nightmare scenario that proper lockout procedures are designed to prevent.”
Example of a lockout/tagout
Lesson 2: Incomplete risk assessments
French Bakery’s risk assessments identified some hazards but completely missed the crushing risk from rotating parts inside the machine involved.
“A tick-box risk assessment is worse than useless because it creates a false sense of security,” says Inspector Millar. “You need to systematically identify every way a worker could be harmed, including during cleaning, maintenance and repairs, not just during normal operation.”
Lesson 3: Training and supervision gaps
Although the business held extensive documentation, workers reported they had not seen lockout tags used, did not know where equipment was kept, and had not been trained in essential procedures.
“This wasn’t a freak accident. This was entirely preventable,” says Inspector Millar. “Every business with machinery needs to ask themselves: could this happen here? If you can’t confidently answer ‘no’, you have work to do.
“The solutions aren’t complicated or expensive. The cost of not doing it is measured in workers’ lives and livelihoods.”
WorkSafe’s role is to influence businesses and workers to meet their responsibilities and keep people healthy and safe. When they do not, we will take action. Manufacturing is one of New Zealand’s most dangerous sectors, which is why it’s a strategic focus for WorkSafe.
French Bakery was sentenced in the Christchurch District Court on 24 February 2026.
A fine of $200,000 was imposed, alongside reparations of $45,500
French Bakery was charged under sections 36(1)(a) and 48(1) and (2)(c) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015
Being a PCBU, having a duty to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, the health and safety of workers who work for the PCBU, while the workers are at work in the business or undertaking, namely carrying out maintenance on a bowl lifting machine and cleaning of a stocking hopper on the Smartline Two automated bakery production line, did fail to comply with that duty, and that failure exposed the workers to risk of death or serious injury.
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Organised crime has a long history in Australia. For more than a century, criminal groups have accumulated vast fortunes, committed countless acts of intimidation and coercion and, at times, extreme and spectacular violence.
There’s the razor gangs operating in Sydney during the 1920s, and the underbelly gangland conflict in Melbourne during the 1990s and early 2000s. Now we have the nationwide “tobacco wars”.
All of this organised crime shares something in common: it’s centred around competition for control of the country’s highly profitable illicit markets.
But if we look back at the responses to organised crime and black markets in Australia’s history, we can see governments are making many of the same mistakes now as they did a century ago.
Changing times, changing vices
While organised crime has shown remarkable continuity, the specific markets it exploits have changed over time.
Each period produces its own anxieties about the harmfulness of different behaviours. These are shaped by prevailing social norms, the familiarity or novelty of what is deemed “deviant” and the political priorities of the day. As these factors shift, so too does whether and how different goods and services are regulated.
In his recent book, Ian Shaw recounts the exploits of Squizzy Taylor. He was a flamboyant criminal in early 20th century Melbourne with a penchant for fine suits, horse racing and armed robbery.
Squizzy Taylor was one of Melbourne’s biggest organised crime bosses in the 1920s.Wikimedia Commons
Yet the most reliable sources of income for Taylor and his contemporaries were not spectacular crimes, but illicit markets, particularly illegal gambling, sex work, and alcohol, commonly known as sly grog.
At the time, each of these commodities was subject to outright prohibition or extraordinary restrictions intended to reduce harm. For alcohol, this included mandatory 6pm closure times for licensed establishments.
While restrictive regulations likely reduced overall consumption, they also ensured the consumption which continued occurred in more dangerous, exploitative and unregulated settings.
Sex workers were routinely exploited by pimps and corrupt police. Gambling continued to extract money from vulnerable participants, with debts and disputes enforced through intimidation and violence. The widespread consumption of sly grog continued in beer houses run not by licensed publicans, but by organised crime groups.
But the biggest danger remained the extraordinary profits flowing into the hands of these groups. The size and profitability of these illicit markets created powerful financial incentives that spilled over into deadly conflicts.
These affected not just gangsters fighting one another, but innocent bystanders as well.
Today, all three of these once-vibrant criminal markets are now largely regulated, but not too strictly. That doesn’t mean they are necessarily free from harm. But there is broad public acceptance that effective regulation produces better outcomes than leaving control in the hands of criminal organisations.
Regulation helps protect the safety of both consumers and suppliers. And instead of vast profits flowing into the hands of organised crime groups, they go into the pockets of legal business owners and provide a major source of income for the government through taxation.
Illicit markets in contemporary Australia
Australia continues to grapple with illicit markets where prohibition or extreme restriction remains the dominant policy response.
A 2025 Australian Institute of Criminology report lays bare the extraordinary costs of serious and organised crime. They were estimated to be up to A$82.3 billion for 2023–24.
The single most costly organised crime activity, and the greatest source of revenue for criminal groups, concerns illicit drugs. Expenditure on the five main illicit drugs – cannabis, cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA (ecstasy), and heroin – was estimated at A$11.2 billion.
Carl Williams was convicted of murdering three people as part of the Melbourne gangland wars.Joe Castro/AAP
This figure does not include Australia’s fastest growing illicit drug market, nicotine, with expenditure recently estimated to be A$7.2 billion.
As with earlier black markets, demand for illicit drugs has remained strong despite them being banned.
In the case of nicotine, recent policy changes – high levels of taxation on tobacco and the prohibition of consumer vapes – have accelerated the shift towards criminal supply. Organised crime groups now supply a dominant share of this once largely legal market.
The false promise of prohibition
Australia’s approach to managing our largest contemporary illicit markets is eerily similar to that of earlier periods in history. It’s an escalating reliance on restrictions, penalties and police powers in an effort to disrupt supply and “crush” organised crime.
This massive investment was intended to make illicit drugs more expensive and harder to obtain. Law enforcement agencies have done their best with this vast amount of taxpayer money, producing record levels of arrests and seizures year after year.
But claims that arrests or seizures “break the business model” or “put a dent in organised crime” are hollow.
In reality, illicit drugs remain just as easy to find, purity has increased, and prices for every major drug type have declined substantially in real terms.
Methamphetamine, for example, is as readily available as it was 15 years ago but at roughly half the price, once adjusted for inflation.
Turf wars over the sale of illegal cigarettes and recreational vapes have spread across Australia.Joel Carrett/AAP
These outcomes reflect research indicating that intensifying law enforcement beyond a minimal level produces sharply diminishing returns.
They also closely resemble earlier attempts to suppress gambling, sex work and alcohol through prohibition. These attempts reduced legal supply without eliminating demand and, in doing so, strengthened organised crime.
What this means for illicit markets today
Some illicit markets remain beyond the pale and can never reasonably be subject to regulation. Those that necessarily involve inflicting harm and suffering on others, such as trading in child exploitation material or stolen goods, fit squarely into this category.
But other illicit markets warrant reconsideration in light of Australia’s own historical experience. This is particularly the case for those involving widely used goods or substances consumed by consenting adults, such as illicit drugs and nicotine.
This does not mean we should throw away all legal restrictions. Regulation means control – not laissez-faire.
Completely unregulated markets are risky. They give commercial interests strong incentives to promote consumption through advertising and 24/7 delivery. There is a strong case to be made that gambling, for example, should be subject to stricter regulation than is currently the case.
At the other extreme, overly restrictive policies that generate large illicit markets provide ready access to unregulated products, enrich and empower organised crime and are highly resistant to law enforcement.
The most promising path often lies between these two positions. For example, a 2025 New South Wales government inquiry recommended the current prohibition on cannabis should be overturned in favour of decriminalisation, and that a staged process towards a legal, regulated market be considered and assessed.
Australia has confronted these dilemmas before. When widely used goods and services were pushed out of legal supply while demand persisted, organised crime flourished. When those same markets were brought into the open and subject to effective regulation, criminal influence receded.
This approach would not only help protect the wellbeing of consumers. It would also deprive the Squizzy Taylors of today – people such as the alleged illegal tobacco kingpin Kaz Hamad – of their most important source of income, thereby removing a major incentive for violence on our streets.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor and Principal Fellow in Urban Risk and Resilience, The University of Melbourne
Most people know about car safety ratings and many take them seriously when choosing a new car.
In Australia and New Zealand, safety ratings are issued by the Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), a non-regulatory, not-for-profit organisation that tests new vehicles and publishes results.
Here’s how the ratings have traditionally been determined, what is changing and what it all means for safety on our roads.
How car safety rating works
A majority of Australians say they wouldn’t buy a car that hasn’t achieved a five-star rating.
Manufacturers know this too. Those stars influence which features companies prioritise and what specifications they supply to different markets.
Yet unless you closely follow the car industry, you may not know much about what is actually tested.
ANCAP assigns vehicles a safety rating from zero to five stars based on a mix of crash tests, assessments of on-board safety features and the safety technologies built into the car.
1. Adult occupant protection. This looks at how well the car structure protects the driver and passengers in the most common crashes, assessed using crash-test dummies equipped with sensors. These tests include frontal (head-on) and side impacts, pole crashes, whiplash protection and how easy it is for emergency services to access occupants after a crash.
2. Child occupant protection. This examines how well children are protected in front and side crashes, and how built-in safety features such as seatbelts and restraint systems support them.
3. Vulnerable road user protection. This considers the risk the vehicle poses to pedestrians and cyclists, and includes tests of head and leg impact on the bonnet and bumper, as well as the car’s emergency braking system.
4. Safety assist. This focuses on crash-avoidance technology such as speed-assistance systems, lane support and autonomous emergency braking.
Vehicles receive a score for each pillar as well as an overall star rating.
To reach a given star level, cars must meet minimum thresholds across all pillars. This means the overall rating is limited by the weakest area.
Buyers’ considerations
It’s worth remembering that a safety score reflects the standards in place at the time of testing.
Rating requirements are updated every three years to encourage the inclusion of newer safety features and technologies in vehicles entering the Australian and New Zealand markets.
Buyers should check when a car was tested and which model was assessed.
It’s also important to consider the number of stars is an abstract rating – it doesn’t mean all five-star cars perform equally well in every area. Some may offer stronger crash protection, while others may be better at avoiding collisions or protecting pedestrians.
For anyone choosing between several top-rated vehicles, the detailed pillar scores can therefore be more informative than the stars alone.
Instead of the current four pillars, ANCAP will organise its assessments under a “Stages of Safety” framework (a reference to pre-, during and post-crash phases): safe driving, crash avoidance, crash protection and post-crash.
Crash testing remains part of the system but it becomes just one stage rather than the central construct.
The new approach places greater emphasis on features that help prevent crashes in the first place. This includes driver-monitoring technology and how reliably these systems work in real-world conditions – for example whether emergency braking can still detect pedestrians at night or in poor weather.
It also expands its assessment of safety features inside the vehicle by analysing issues such as whether key controls are accessible without using touchscreen menus.
More weight is also given to what happens after a crash. This includes whether electric door handles remain operable, if high-voltage batteries in electric vehicles are safely isolated and whether the vehicle can automatically notify emergency services with crash data through systems such as eCall.
What does all that mean?
While ANCAP is not a regulator, its ratings strongly influence what manufacturers supply to Australia and NZ and which cars buyers choose, meaning its priorities can shape real-world safety outcomes.
The new changes are broadly a positive step.
The main risk is, in broadening the existing framework, some areas may become less important.
Vulnerable road user protection was previously a distinct pillar and there is a chance its prominence could be diluted within a more complex system.
This matters because markets where safety ratings do not heavily emphasise vulnerable user protection – such as the United States – tend to have weaker incentives for manufacturers to prioritise it.
In recent years, the pedestrian death rate in Australia has risen despite improved car occupant safety. So, it’s important our rating systems do not lose emphasis on the risks outside the vehicle.
If safety ratings do not continue to highlight this clearly and prominently, buyers are less likely to notice it, its weight in the overall score will also decline, and manufacturers will naturally have less incentive to address it in vehicle design.
While greater emphasis on crash avoidance is welcome, crashes involving vulnerable road users will still occur. Protection should therefore continue to be clearly visible in ratings and a key criterion.
One alternative approach might have been to retain the existing pillars and build on them – for example by adding a fifth pillar, or expanding the current framework to include “safe driving” while integrating other new elements into the existing categories.
People with hip and knee osteoarthritis are advised to wear “appropriate footwear” to minimise their pain.
Does that mean heels are out? Does it matter if you wear runners or something a little stiffer? How about using insoles?
Our research, including our latest clinical trial published today in Annals of Internal Medicine, provides some answers.
We show that stable, more supportive shoes aren’t necessarily the best option, despite what you might have heard.
What is osteoarthritis?
Osteoarthritis is a condition that affects the tissues in and around a joint, including bone, cartilage, ligaments and muscles. It is more common in older people, and people with excess body weight. It causes joint pain and stiffness, and can lead to disability.
There are many causes of osteoarthritis, but excessive force inside the joint when someone is walking is thought to play a role. Excessive joint forces can also increase the chance of osteoarthritis worsening over time.
Shoes are our connection to the ground and can influence how forces are transmitted up the leg during every step. Some shoe features are particularly important.
Shoes with higher heels increase joint forces. For example, shoes with six-centimetre heels increase knee forces by an average 23% compared to walking barefoot.
Some shoes come with supportive features, such as insoles that support the arches. Other supportive features include being made with a stiffer material in the sole or heel.
But biomechanical research shows shoes with these supportive features actually increase knee force by up to 15% compared to shoes without them. Arch-supporting insoles also increase knee force by up to 6% when added to shoes.
So, are flatter, flexible shoes without stable supportive features – such as ballet flats – better for knee and hip osteoarthritis?
Not necessarily. We also need to look at people’s pain.
What we found
Our biomechanical research from 2017 in people with knee osteoarthritis showed flat flexible shoes reduced knee forces by an average 9% compared to stable supportive shoe styles.
This suggests flat flexible shoes could be better for osteoarthritis. To find out, we conducted two clinical trials to look at people’s pain levels.
They were randomised to wear different types of flat flexible shoes, such as flexible ballet flats, or different types of stable supportive shoes, such as supportive runners. People were asked to wear their shoes for at least six hours a day. After six months we measured the change in hip pain when they walked.
We found flat flexible shoes were no better than stable supportive shoes for reducing hip pain.
These findings differ to those from our 2021 clinical trial in 164 people with knee osteoarthritis. In that trial, we found wearing stable supportive shoes for six months reduced knee pain when walking by an average 63% more than wearing flat flexible shoes.
It’s unclear why findings differed between the knee and hip. But it might be because joint forces are higher in knee compared to hip osteoarthritis, and so there may be greater potential for stable supportive shoes to reduce knee forces, and therefore knee pain.
In both trials, more complications, such as foot pain, were reported by people who wore flat flexible shoes. This might be because these shoe styles provide less protection for the feet.
So which shoes should I wear?
For people with knee osteoarthritis, stable supportive shoes are likely to be more beneficial than flat flexible ones.
For people with hip osteoarthritis, neither shoe type is better than the other for improving hip pain.
But for all older people – including those with hip and knee osteoarthritis – it is sensible to avoid ill-fitting shoes, as well as shoes with high or narrow heels, due to an increased risk of falls.
For younger people with knee or hip osteoarthritis but who are not at risk of falls, it may still be advisable to avoid high heels given their potential to increase joint forces.
Who should you talk to?
If you are concerned about your hip or knee osteoarthritis, talk to your GP or other health-care provider, such as a podiatrist or physiotherapist.
