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Source: Radio New Zealand

Northcote College will shut for a week after a fire destroyed one of its buildings on Friday.

In a post on Facebook, the college said it had “been advised by the Ministry of Education and specialist contractors to close the school for the safe demolition and removal of the fire damaged building which includes some asbestos cladding”.

The school will be moving to online learning from Monday 23 February to Friday 27 February.

Students and whānau have been urged to check emails for further information.

The fire broke out about 12.15pm on Friday afternoon, and smoke could be seen billowing from the school’s sports pavillion, a large wooden hall with a high pointed roof.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the first call about the fire came in at 12.17pm, during a one-hour strike by the Professional Firefighters Union (NZPFU).

It took the volunteer Silverdale crew about 17 minutes to arrive at the school.

Northcote College principal Vicki Barrie said she was proud of how staff and students responded to the fire in the sports pavillion.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/northcote-college-to-close-for-a-week-after-fire-destroys-building/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Chorus said it has located the fault that has knocked out internet services to nearly 7500 customers in West Auckland.

The Chorus outage is impacting Te Atatū, Henderson, and Massey – with people unable to access the internet via their fibre connections since 5.30am on Saturday.

The fixed-line telecoms and infrastructure company said several copper and fibre cables had been damaged.

It said the repairs are complex, due to multiple cables and the location of the problem, and it is not expected to be restored until Sunday.

Chorus said repair crews are working as fast as they can

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/chorus-locates-fault-in-west-auckland-internet-outage/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Emergency services are at an address in the Christchurch suburb of Bryndwr, where a number of people have been hurt after being attacked by dogs.

Several police cars and ambulances were at the scene on Bevin Place, as well as a Christchurch City Council animal management vehicle.

An RNZ reporter at the scene said a woman was being attended to by paramedics, and another person was on a stretcher and being put into an ambulance.

Ambulance operator Hato Hone St John said three people were injured – two were taken to hospital, one critical and one serious, while the third was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Police later confirmed two dogs at the property were being restrained, and would soon be taken from the property.

“There is no ongoing risk to the public, and a scene examination will be carried out,” Acting Superintendent Ash Tabb, Christchurch Metro acting area commander, said.

Police said they were notified about 2.45pm, and there was no ongoing risk to the public.

More to come.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/three-injured-in-dog-attack-in-bryndwr-christchurch/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A serious crash south of Thames has closed State Highway 25 in both directions.

Police were alerted to the two-vehicle incident near the Orongo Corner at about 2.30pm.

Initial indicators were that there had been serious injuries, police said.

Diversions were in place, and the road would remain closed some time while emergency services work at the scene.

Police are advising motorists to avoid the area, and expect delays.

Crash blocks Glenorchy-Queenstown Road

Meanwhile, a crash has blocked Glenorchy-Queenstown Road at Mount Creighton.

Police said the crash involved a single motorbike and was reported to emergency services at about 2pm.

The road is blocked in both directions and no diversions are available.

It is expected to remain closed for some time, and motorists should avoid the area, police said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/crash-blocks-sh25-in-both-directions-south-of-thames/

Source: Radio New Zealand

National’s conservation spokesperson Tama Potaka says the party will campaign on further restricting commercial fishing in the Hauraki Gulf.

Legislation brought by the coalition government last year, established 12 high protection areas (HPAs) where a range of activities, including most commercial and recreational fishing, are prohibited, and five sea floor protection areas.

At the time, the opposition criticised the government for a late-stage amendment allowing commercial ring-net fishing operators exclusive access to two of the HPAs.

In a statement on Saturday, Potaka acknowledged that had “caused widespread concern from the hundreds of thousands of users of Auckland’s key recreational waterway”.

Maungakiekie-based Labour MP Priyanca Radhakrishnan said at the law’s introduction that Labour would reverse the carve-out, if elected.

“Despite the environment select committee unanimously recommending to this house that the bill be passed with no substantive change, at the 11th hour, because of some active lobbying of the minister of oceans and fisheries, we saw this government cave to that pressure and they have chosen to water down the protections in the original bill.

“Labour, in government, will reverse the change that allows ring-net fishing in those HPAs.”

Now, Potaka said National would also look to reinstate a total ban on fishing in the HPAs if re-elected.

“A further decision, to allow bottom trawling in some designated trawl corridors in the Gulf has also been controversial, so we will review that also.”

He wanted a consistent approach to the protection of the gulf, that struck a balance between serving the needs of recreational users as well as commercial.

“At the heart must be the health of the Hauraki Gulf. It is Auckland’s playground and the centrepiece of some of New Zealand’s most iconic aquatic events.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/national-to-campaign-on-review-of-controversial-hauraki-gulf-commercial-fishing-rules/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Emergency services are at an address in the Christchurch suburb of Bryndwr.

Several police cars and ambulances were at the scene on Bevin Place, as well as a Christchurch City Council animal management vehicle.

An RNZ reporter at the scene said a woman was being attended to by paramedics, and another person was on a stretcher and being put into an ambulance.

Ambulance operator Hato Hone St John said three people were injured – two were taken to hospital, one critical and one serious, while the third was treated for minor injuries at the scene.

Police said they were notified about 2.45pm, and there was no risk to the public.

The exact nature of the incident was not yet known.

More to come.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/emergency-services-attend-incident-in-bryndwr-christchurch/

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Taranaki exhibition is giving a voice to native species including tuna (eels), iinanga and kooaro (whitebait), and piharau (lamprey), revealing the rhythms of life beneath the surface of New Zealand’s freshwater streams and rivers.

Whiria ko te iwi tuna opens on 28 February at the Govett-Brewster Art Gallery in New Plymouth.

A four-year collaboration by artist collective Toiaa Taiao – Tihikura Hohaia, Alex Monteith and Maree Sheehan immerse audiences in the world of Te Whanganui, a central Taranaki stream, through evocative underwater footage and delicately recorded soundscapes, inviting audiences to experience the waterway as a living, communicating presence.

The project aimed to bring attention to ongoing legislative failures that enabled the exploitation of waterways and undermine hapū authority in enacting kaitiakitanga.

“This project marks the first time the voices of tuna from Te Whanganui have been recorded and made audible as voices in their own right,” said Maree Sheehan, a composer and sound artist recognised by the Royal Society of New Zealand as Māori researcher of the year in 2024.

“By amplifying these submerged communications, Whiria ko te iwi tuna positions tuna not as passive indicators, but as active agents speaking for their own sovereignty.”

A newly published essay by Rachel Buchanan (Taranaki iwi, Te Ātiawa, Taranaki Whānui ki Te Upoko o Te Ika), supported and extended the exhibition.

The essay situated the work within “a whakapapa of care and protest” in Taranaki, honouring generations of hapū and community-led efforts to protect waters from industrial ruin, and affirming the inseparable relations between Taranaki’s waters and its people.

Also opening on 28 February is Pause, act, void, event, a dynamic exhibition of beloved and newly acquired works from the Govett-Brewster collection.

Anchored by a spectacular room-spanning work by Debra Bustin, last seen at the gallery in 1982, the exhibition also featured works by Billy Apple, D Harding, Ralph Hotere, Corita Kent, Tom Kreisler, Ziggy Lever & Lucy Meyle, Peter Peryer and Pauline Rhodes.

Both exhibitions were on until 19 July 2026.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/taranaki-exhibition-gives-voice-to-native-species/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Bargaining over pay and conditions has stretched into its second year for nurses and senior doctors, while bargaining for junior doctors is just beginning.

The collective agreement for senior doctors with the Association of Salaried Medical Specialists (ASMS) expired in August, 2024.

Nurses, too, through the New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO), have been in bargaining for nearly as long, with their negotiations beginning in September 2024. Both unions have held strikes.

Health New Zealand confirmed that in 2025, three offers were made to senior doctors and two to nurses, which were all declined.

“We are continuing to work with ASMS and NZNO in good faith and have already held several bargaining dates in 2026 with more planned in the coming weeks,” said a HNZ spokesperson in a statement.

In September, [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/498384/employment-relations-authority-asked-to-step-in-over-senior-doctor-pay-dispute

Health NZ called for the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) to step in] and force doctors into a contract, saying the union had breached the obligations of good faith.

An employment law specialist told RNZ at the time it was an unprecedented move for the public sector.

In November, with the union against it, the ERA declined to step in, saying there was a high bar to meet and there had been no serious and sustained breaches of good faith.

“The parties are a distance apart but it is not unusual in bargaining for a lot of progress to be made in a short time, even after a long period of little progress,” said authority member Nicola Craig at the time.

ASMS chief executive Sarah Dalton told RNZ on Friday the gap between the parties was smaller than ever, but still not fully closed.

“I do believe the gap has been closing, and we’re not wildly far apart, but the most recent position they put to us – which was not a formal offer but a position – was still short of what our executive believes would be enough to take something back to our members.”

“I hope that we will settle sometime during the course of this year, but in order for that to happen, Health New Zealand needs to bring more to the table.”

It is an option that union members have during bargaining,” she said. “So potentially that could happen, [but] that is not our plan at the moment.”

One of the two junior doctors’ unions – Specialty Trainees of New Zealand (STONZ) – had just entered bargaining already, and the other – Resident Doctors Association (NZRDA) – had begun pre-bargaining talks, with formal bargaining set to begin in June.

STONZ executive director Kate Clapperton-Rees told RNZ: “Our focus in these negotiations is on claims that recognise and value our Resident Medical Officers, and on securing improvements that will help attract and retain more doctors in Aotearoa New Zealand.”

NZRDA senior advocate Melissa Dobbyn said they were currently working through more than 200 pages of responses from members about issues and concerns.

“We will be looking at improving supports for RMOs during key transition points on the pathway from medical school to completing training as an SMO, including examinations, moving hospitals, and promotion from house office to registrar.”

A spokesperson for health minister Simeon Brown said in a statement: “The minister greatly values the senior and junior doctor workforce and looks forward to negotiations for both concluding.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/nurses-and-senior-doctors-bargaining-stretches-into-second-year/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Student Volunteer Army (SVA) has deployed 40 volunteers from the University of Canterbury to help clean up Banks Peninsula.

A state of emergency was declared in the region on Tuesday, after it was hammered by nearly six times the average monthly rainfall in just 48 hours.

The request for volunteers came from Civil Defence on Friday night.

Despite the academic year beginning last Monday, SVA president Johann Torres was overwhelmed by how many signed up.

“We’ve only just come back to uni so it’s quite, you know, it’s nice that we have so many volunteers quite mobile straight away and very keen to help.”

The SVA will be working alongside other groups, such as Taskforce Kiwi, focusing on clearing silt from properties.

“We’re working quite closely with Civil Defence and some other volunteer groups like Taskforce [Kiwi] and we’ve essentially gotten a list of properties that we’re going to work on.

We’re focusing mainly on shovelling and wheel-barrowing silt from properties who have been affected by the quite recent flooding.”

Although State Highway 75 and telecommunications had been restored residents were still busy cleaning up the damage to homes and businesses.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/40-student-volunteers-part-of-banks-peninsula-clean-up-crew/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The professional body for social workers says a surge in diagnosed work related concussions at Oranga Tamariki is deeply concerning.

Figures released to RNZ reveal the number of head injuries suffered by Oranga Tamariki staff while at work had increased by 80 percent in the past five years.

Oranga Tamariki said there were 157 work-related concussions between January 2021 and December 2025, suffered by 146 staff members.

It declined to reveal where those head injuries took place, citing privacy concerns.

Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers chief executive Nathan Chong Nee said employers had an obligation to keep employees safe.

“We stand alongside our members, the complexity and risk in their mahi are increasing, and safety must be treated as non‑negotiable,” he said.

Chong Nee, who was a registered social worker, said he knew the reality of walking into volatile situations.

“Keeping tamariki and whānau safe starts with keeping the people who serve them safe.”

The association would be seeking assurance from Oranga Tamariki on what action would be taken, he said.

“We expect action that protects kaimahi and, in turn, the tamariki and whānau they serve.”

Public Service Association national secretary Fleur Fitzsimmons said concussions suffered by Oranga Tamariki staff were a symptom of youth residences under too much pressure.

“The facilities are not fit for purpose, we have an unsafe staffing mix, double shifts are too common, and there are roster gaps. There’s a whole range of issues contributing to this and Oranga Tamariki needs to get to the bottom of what’s going on and stop it,” she said.

“Oranga Tamariki needs to look into all these factors and others to make sure that this aggression towards Oranga Tamariki workers stops.”

Oranga Tamariki said it took any injury sustained at work extremely seriously, and placed particular emphasis on ensuring the safety and wellbeing of staff following potential head injuries.

Deputy chief executive of people, culture and enabling services Nicholas Pole said its staff deserved to come to work every day and know they were safe, and any instances where that wasn’t happening was unacceptable.

“We are currently reviewing all concussion injury incidents and once that is complete, we will have a better understanding of what has led to this increase,” he said.

Pole said Oranga Tamariki had become more vigilant in the recording and monitoring of all injuries to staff, which could have led to an increase in recordings of concussions.

It was progressing a programme of work focused on strengthening how it prevented, identified, and supported head injuries in the workplace.

This would include improving reporting processes, guidance for leaders and staff, and ensuring wrap-around support to anyone who experienced such an injury, he said.

“Our Youth Justice Residences are an area where staff are at higher risk of a concussion due to the complex nature of the work and the dynamic environment, and they will be supported through the above programme of work.”

Pole said Oranga Tamariki also engaged a third-party health and injury-management provider.

“This provider proactively contacts any staff member who reports a head injury, regardless of whether an ACC claim is lodged. During this initial engagement, the staff member’s needs are assessed, and referrals made for specialist concussion services and wellbeing support, when required,” he said.

“Staff concerned about their safety at work are encouraged to speak with their manager and work with the Oranga Tamariki Health and Safety team to ensure they have what they need to undertake their roles in a safe manner.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/02/21/surge-in-work-related-concussions-at-oranga-tamariki-deeply-concerning-social-workers-body-says/