Hicks Bay locals are worried how their businesses will survive after being cut off for weeks.Supplied
Hicks Bay locals are worried how their businesses will survive after being cut off for weeks of the peak tourism season and still facing a major clean up.
On Thursday, three weeks since heavy rainfall and flooding brought down multiple slips, closing the road between Pōtaka and Te Araroa, the section of State Highway 35 from Pōtaka through to Hicks Bay and around to Te Araroa reopened.
The road which will open daily between 7am and 7pm is still in a fragile state with reduced speed limits and traffic management in place.
Maree Brownlie, who owned the Twilight Coffee Garden, said the biggest immediate positives of having the road reopen was reconnecting friends and family between Te Araroa and Hicks Bay.
She said it also meant locals now had access back to local shops and schools.
She was not so convinced the road reopening would have business booming with some still in clean up mode following the floods.
“It’s not going to make a great deal of difference to small business there, particularly over the summer.”
She said the road was currently not really fit for town cars to drive on either.
With peak season nearly over, Brownlie said most tourism was unlikely to return until next summer.
“This will be another year that’ll be difficult for businesses around the 35.”
“[For] small businesses, like myself, it’s going to be, can you hang in there till next summer?”
Brownlie said since Covid there had been many catastrophes in a row for the community.
“It’s been really hard for everyone on the 35 to keep their head above water, basically, literally.”
Damage at 35 Eat Street.Supplied
One of those businesses in clean up mode was 35 Eat Street which was based in Te Araroa Holiday Park.
Owner Nina McClutchie said her caravan had suffered water damage and silt had surrounded the premises.
She expected it would not be open for another four to eight weeks.
“We’re facing a really huge clean-up here.
“Tourists are not going to come here, we feel, for quite a while until they see, a substantial clean-up that’s happened.
McClutchie said the impact on her business was “massive”.
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A Police Association survey of almost 6000 officers put the quit figure at 57 percent.
Police bosses say a survey showing almost 60 percent of officers have considered quitting in the last year is not a pressure point that can be used in pay negotiations.
“I understand the job of our frontline teams is as dynamic and complex as it is, that gives our people pause for thought on certain days,” said chief people officer Leigh MacDonald.
“But … we don’t necessarily see it as a result of them leaving the organisation.”
Asked if the 57 percent figure was worrying, he said, “Yeah, absolutely.
“Their results are consistent with our own feedback … It is something that we’ve been focused on for quite some time, particularly the context of, you know, the wellness and looking after our frontline people.”
The survey that heard from 5800 officers was a regular one done heading into pay negotiations, but MacDonald did not think it was a point of pressure the association could use.
However, the association’s president Steve Watt said its members were saying “they’re under-appreciated, they’re under-supported, they’re over-stretched, they’re underpaid”.
“It’s disappointing to hear the police refer to attrition being at 4.5 percent. We agree with that attrition rate. However, what we’re concerned about is why there are so many officers that are considering leaving the job,” Watt told RNZ.
“This shouldn’t be ignored. It needs to be listened to and understood, and then actions put in place to try and turn that tide around.”
Police Association president Steve Watt.RNZ/ Phil Pennington
The association online newsletter said just over 57 percent of respondents said understaffing had affected them over the past year, around “operational capacity strain, continued staffing gaps, stressful workloads and diminished quality of service”.
Watt said in the newsletter that police had spent more than twice as much on recruitment marketing last year as the previous year but that could not solve the problems, such as of the Far North having to keep on tapping Whangārei to plug chronic staffing gaps.
But MacDonald said, “Actually, we’ve done very, very well in our recruitment.”
The frontline hit a record 10,496 when new graduates went on the beat this month, and would add another 300 later in the year. Police had been told by the government to hit 10,700 by November last year but undershot.
MacDonald said the Police Commissioner was investing heavily on improving staff welfare. The volume of people accessing tools and wellness advisors was stable, he added.
Police trusted the pay bargaining process, he said.
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A friend found 18-year-old Kishan Patel with his car on top of him.123rf
A coroner says the accidental death of a teenager while repairing his car highlights the risks associated with undertaking vehicle maintenance beneath a raised vehicle without appropriate safety precautions.
Eighteen-year-old Kishan Atit Patel went to his neighbour’s home on 25 September 2025 to borrow a jack and other tools to change the oil in his car.
“It appears that Kishan was accustomed to repairing his own car,” Coroner Ian Telford said in his report.
“The neighbour advises that he also provided advice about the appropriate equipment required to jack the vehicle safely before Kishan left.”
Patel was found later that afternoon by a friend who had gone around to see him after not being able to contact him on his cellphone.
“He found Kishan under the car, with the car on top of him,” the report said.
“After jacking the car up, he raised the alarm, although he was relatively certain that Kishan had died. Nevertheless, resuscitation was started until the ambulance staff arrived and took over.”
Telford said Police, who also attended the death, reported that the trolley jack had been positioned beneath the front bumper of the vehicle.
“Photographs show that the bumper buckled under the weight of the car, which caused the vehicle to become unstable and fall onto Kishan,” Telford said.
Police advised the coroner that there were no suspicious or untoward circumstances surrounding the death.
Telford agreed with the opinion of the pathologist that performed the post-mortem that Patel’s death was caused by blunt force injuries of the head and torso
He found the death to be accidental and said it highlighted the “well-recognised risks” associated with undertaking vehicle maintenance beneath a raised vehicle without appropriate safety precautions.
“Trolley jacks are designed for lifting vehicles only at manufacturer-specified jacking points and are not intended to support a vehicle’s weight without additional, stable supports. Incorrect placement or reliance on a jack alone may result in instability and sudden collapse, as occurred in this tragic case,” he said.
“The Motor Industry Training Organisation advises that vehicles must be supported by properly rated stands before any work is undertaken beneath them and that people should never work under a vehicle that is supported only by a jack.”
Telford said the death underscored the importance of using appropriate, purpose-designed equipment, following manufacturer instructions, and ensuring vehicles were adequately supported before any person positioned themselves underneath.
In concluding the inquiry, Telford also offered his condolences to Patel’s family and friends.
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Minister for Social Development Louise Upston.RNZ / Mark Papalii
A state abuse survivor is sickened she may have to repay welfare supports that kept her afloat while she was waiting for ACC compensation.
It comes as a lawyer and researcher flags his concerns the government is not meeting its own standards set in the Regulatory Standards Act.
The coalition, with Labour’s support, is changing the law so the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) can legally claw back payments once someone has been backpaid for an ACC claim.
The government has made the case the amendment will clarify the law and uphold fairness, ensuring people were not double-dipping on different supports for the same time period.
Survivor Victoria Bruce had since contacted RNZ to express her shock she and other survivors would be caught up in this change.
Bruce was currently applying for ACC’s Loss of Potential Earnings (LOPE) payments – weekly compensation payments available to anyone unable to work due to a mental injury arising from childhood sexual abuse.
The solo parent said she had also, over the years, claimed supplementary welfare supports from MSD like accommodation supplements and the winter energy payment.
“It isn’t about double dipping, not at all. Hardship support keeps you afloat when you’re struggling, but compensation recognises permanent injury and lost earning capacity.
“They essentially serve two different purposes, and treating them as interchangeable turns this concept of redress, of compensation, into an accounting exercise instead of real, genuine restoration.”
The minister in charge Louise Upston had made it clear that historic claims payments were unaffected by this change.
But Bruce said many survivors like herself would still find themselves in debt once MSD clawed back welfare payments when they had been paid out by ACC.
“It will be an absolute shock. I travelled to Wellington with my daughter, stood shoulder to shoulder in the government public apology and I did feel hopeful,” she said.
“I did feel that it was a turning point, that it was an apology, an attempt to set things straight and so in good faith, I engaged with the processes.
“I came forward, I lodged my historic claim with MSD, as I was requested to. I engaged with ACC, as suggested. I’ve been very open about how this abuse in care as a young child affected me and I feel I’ve engaged in full good faith.”
Bruce said it was a “disbelief” that the government would be pushing through legislation that was going to “damage” people.
“Not only damage people, but financially cripple people who are already emotionally crippled. It’s pretty sickening.”
Upston’s office said the minister expected MSD would continue to engage constructively with clients around their individual circumstances and explain the next steps and any obligations.
‘The government is not meeting its own standards’ – lawyer
Lawyer and researcher Warren Forster.RNZ / Ian Telfer
Lawyer and researcher Warren Forster said the coalition’s approach to the law change, prompted by a signficant High Court decision, was problematic.
Late last year, Justice Grice ruled MSD could not require people to pay back welfare supports once they had been back-dated compensation from ACC.
“They’re basically saying, we’re going to have retrospective legislation; we don’t like what the court did so we’re just going to insert this really complicated bit of law that no one can actually understand, and the effect of that’s going to be we get to ignore the court decision.”
Forster said he also had concerns the government’s law change would not meet its own standards of good law making, set out in the Regulatory Standards Act.
“They can’t have it both ways. If they want to have a set of standards about making law they can but they need to follow them.
“It’s completely inconsistent to say there’s one set of rules when we’re making law that we like and there’s another set of laws when we’re making laws that we don’t like so there needs to be consistency here and we have a very vulnerable group of people.”
He added the change was also unfair.
“Everyone who’s in this position has a disability and they’ve been denied ACC help for a long period of time, months, years, decades, and they’re not in a position where they can fight against MSD or ACC,” he said.
“They’re stuck in a system and they’re not getting rehabilitation that they actually would have been entitled to, they’re not getting the help that they should have got from ACC, and when it comes time to try and fix this what they’re saying now is, well, actually, we’re going to claw back everything we can.
“The law doesn’t actually say you have to pay that out of someone’s entitlement. If ACC wants to repay MSD, it can, but it shouldn’t be at the expense of the person who’s injured and has been stuck in that system, fighting.”
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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adewumi Badiora, Senior Lecturer, Department of Urban and Regional Planning, Olabisi Onabanjo University
Nigeria is urbanising at a remarkable speed. Some of the world’s fastest growing cities are in the west African country.
With the current rate of urbanisation, Kano, Ibadan, Abuja and Port Harcourt will surpass the 10 million inhabitants mega city threshold by 2050. According to United Nations estimates, Lagos will be the largest city in the world by 2100, accommodating more than 88 million people, up from the present population of about 25 million.
The rapid urbanisation and other issues, such as climate change, limited public finance and extreme poverty, are putting pressure on the government to provide better basic public infrastructure, especially in informal settlements.
Street lighting is one area of public infrastructure where there is a clear need, and potential, for improvement.
Street lighting plays a crucial role in public safety and security, and it promotes inclusive social and economic development by boosting local commerce, street businesses and community engagement.
Conventional grid-based street lights and other technologies like LED lights powered by solar energy have been installed in parts of Nigeria but are still lacking in many cities.
I have been researching various aspects of urban and community safety in Nigeria, particularly in the country’s south-west. I currently lead the African Cities Research Consortium safety and security domain action research in Lagos.
I co-authored a recent research report about the condition of street lights in Lagos. I interviewed 17 key informants in a bid to understand the provision, challenges, quality and impact of street lighting in Africa’s foremost mega city. Respondents included residents and community associations, state agencies, private sector companies, and nongovernmental agencies.
We found that street light provision by the state has been orientated towards elite neighbourhoods, while households in disadvantaged settlements have less access.
Nevertheless, low-income communities across the city have come together to drive progress. They have enabled residents to achieve some level of street light infrastructure in their neighbourhood by working with the local government, civil society organisations and NGOs.
We argue that solutions will only be found through inclusive engagements that push against established approaches to infrastructure development.
Multiple paybacks of street lighting
Research was conducted in three selected communities: Ilaje-Bariga on the Mainland, Brazilian Quarters on the Island and Ajegunle-Ikorodu in the peri-urban area. The three communities have either past or ongoing street light projects being delivered via sponsorship or collaboration between the Community Development Association, state or nonstate institutions.
Economic and social benefits were particularly prominent. Residents feel safer going out after dark when streets are well lit, while workers feel safer walking to and from their homes early in the morning and at night.
Businesses on newly lit streets have seen increased revenue as a result of vendors and traders being able to operate for longer after nightfall.
A previous case study established that extending trading times beyond daylight hours could add tens of thousands of working hours daily to the economy.
A respondent commented: “Policing work is now better in the night and we do not need to rely on battery-powered torchlight while on street patrol or checks.”
Another added: “We used to have cases of robbery, but the street light makes everywhere lit like daytime … the hoodlums are no longer able to perpetrate their act.”
Hurdles of street light provisions
Some obstacles remain, however. Our research uncovered many reasons as to why street light projects are not long-lasting or are unsuccessful. Limited budgeting and politically driven procurement are key challenges.
We found that the high costs and limited state budgets mean that certain areas of the city are prioritised and other areas neglected. The ruling class receives more political and economic support.
Across the three communities researched, the average cost of installation of one solar street light pole is US$200-800, compared to US$1,150 for a conventional grid powered streetlight. The difference in operating costs is where the economics of solar powered, compared to conventional, street lighting becomes most compelling.
Politically driven procurement spotlights the need to favour cronies on the selection, awarding and implementation of street light infrastructure. Projects are awarded in favour of individuals (usually party members and not necessarily an expert) in exchange for political support.
The lack of technical expertise at the local and state levels remains a critical barrier, according to our study. This is displayed in poor procurement processes, infrastructure maintenance issues and inefficient use of limited public funds.
Because of corruption, the full value of project allocation is rarely received by suppliers. As one respondent explained: “In most cases, the money allocated for projects does not get to us. There are bottlenecks here and there that will drain off most of the project fund.” This leaves limited capital to deliver quality infrastructure and streetlight projects are poorly delivered or abandoned before completion, for want of funds.
Other street lighting projects are abandoned because succeeding regimes refuse to continue predecessor projects.
There is also the challenge of vandalism and theft involving street light equipment. There have been situations where “area boys” – Lagos street gangs – restricted street light installation and where equipment parts were stolen.
Overcoming the obstacles
The solutions can only be found through inclusive engagements. Our study recommends the following steps:
Involve a wide range of players, particularly local communities, in planning and delivering street lighting.
Build an enabling environment for private-sector-led renewable solutions and investment in sustainable lighting technologies, such as LED lights.
Create a robust regulatory framework to produce sustainable lighting technologies locally.
Improve state budget and investment funding for street lighting.
Develop capacity in the public sector to plan, design, finance and deliver projects.
Support low-income neighbourhoods and informal communities.
Separate political, personal interests from good governance and ensure transparency in the procurement process in practice.
So far, the large-scale initiative involving the deployment of over 22,000 solar street lights has engaged with residents in areas like Ikotun, Alausa, Ketu, Kosofe, Marina, Lekki and Surulere. Community feedback on the safety and environmental benefits has been integrated into the project. The project adopted LED lighting, which is more cost effective and energy-efficient.
Fiji’s former Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama and ex-police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho are out on bail after appearing in court, charged with inciting mutiny.
The pair appeared for a first call before the Suva Magistrates Court yesterday and were granted bail under strict conditions.
Magistrate Yogesh Prasad also issued a stop departure order, meaning they cannot leave Fiji.
The state requested time to provide a full set of disclosures to the defence and the matter was adjourned until March 5.
Prosecutors allege that in 2023 the two encouraged senior military officers to arrest and overthrow their commander, Ro Jone Kalouniwai.
They are alleged to have spoken with high-ranking military officers during a meeting and “grog session” in July that year at Bainimarama’s Suva home.
Bainimarama also faces a second charge relating to text messages he allegedly sent between January and July 2023 to Brigadier General Manoa Gadai urging him to take command.
Night behind bars The long-serving former prime minister, who is also a former head of Fiji’s military, spent Wednesday night behind bars with Qiliho before their court appearance.
Former police commissioner Sitiveni Qiliho . . . did not answer questions from journalists after being arrested. Image: ABC/Lice Movono/ RNZ
They were arrested, handcuffed and driven to Totogo police station following lengthy questioning that day.
The Opposition leader Inia Seruiratu said the timing of their arrest suggested it was politically-motivated.
The former FijiFirst MP claims Bainimarama is still a threat to Sitiveni Rabuka’s coalition government.
“Political opponents, of course Bainimarama and [Aiyaz Sayed-] Khaiyum and a few others are a big threat to the current government.
There may be political reasons behind this because of the elections in 2026.” Seruiratu said.
Opposition leader Inia Seruiratu . . . timing of their arrest suggested it was politically-motivated. Image: FB/Parliamentary Opposition Chambers/RNZ
Party rebranded The opposition leader has rebranded the deregistered FijiFirst party and set up a new political party, People First, to contest the general election.
Seruiratu said he had hoped Bainimarama would back the new party, but he did not.
He still believes Bainimarama has political currency.
“Although people may think they [Bainimarama and Sayed-Khaiyum] are just minor players, they can be involved to some extent, given their past achievements and popularity. They still have support, they still have sympathisers, Seruiratu said.
RNZ Pacific has sought comment from military spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Eroni Duaibe and the government’s information director Samisoni Pareti.
Fiji Labour Party leader Mahendra Chaudhry . . . questioning why it took the government so long to deal with the allegations. Image: Fiji Labour Party/RNZ
Serious allegations Fiji Labour party leader, Mahendra Chaudhry is questioning why it took the government so long to deal with the allegations.
“The charges and allegations are serious. If such attempts were made to incite mutiny, they should have been investigated much earlier and disposed of, rather than coming right toward the end of the term of the current government.”
Seruiratu added that their arrest reflects well on Fiji.
“No-one is above the law, this is the rule of law in action. Of course everyone, regardless of who you are in society, is answerable to the law and it is happening in Fiji right now.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
From curbing protests to controlling what can be said in Australia, state and Federal Labor governments are becoming authoritarian. Next in line is the thought police entering campus. Nick Riemer reports for Michael West Media.
ANALYSIS:By Nick Riemer
In December, the NSW Labor government gave itself the power to ban street marches for an indefinite period. We saw what that meant on February 9 as violent police charged, maced, beat and arrested protesters against Herzog’s visit.
In January, the federal ALP introduced new hate speech laws, which confer unprecedented discretion on the government to criminalise speech and groups to which it objects.
Now, in a further stride down its authoritarian road, the federal government is reported to be proceeding with plans for “political training” for Australian university staff.
Academic and unionist Nick Riemer . . . “The reforms threaten to fundamentally alter the character of Australian society, which will become more autocratic, more racist, less rational and less free.” Image: MWM
According to several recentreports, the federal government has agreed that “antisemitism training” will be a “key” area in which universities’ response to antisemitism will be assessed.
University employees will, apparently, be required to undergo indoctrination in the ideology of the pro-Israel lobby, which identifies Zionism and Judaism and treats critics of Israel as likely antisemites.
The training will involve “understanding of Jewish peoplehood, their attachment to Israel and identity beyond faith” — the characteristically unclear phrasing of the government’s Special Envoy to Combat Antisemitism, Jillian Segal, who is responsible for the “Antisemitism report card” plan.
The thought police Compulsory training in a political ideology befits a police state, not a notional democracy — a status that NSW Premier Chris Minns, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and the rest of the political establishment are undermining like none before them.
Amidst the uproar over Israeli President Isaac Herzog’s visit, the move has not had the discussion it deserves. Requiring university staff to undergo “training” in the ideology of Israeli apartheid is as unacceptable as it would have been to require training in that of South African apartheid or Hindu supremacism.
Compulsory training in any particular ideology — Zionism, fascism, liberalism — is a body blow against university independence.
Segal’s plan has been roundly criticised by the progressive side of politics, including by Jewish organisations, but has the support of the entire Zionist establishment and the major parties.
Stopping free inquiry The plan was originally devised in mid-2025, but was put on hold after Segal was discredited by revelations of her family’s connections, through generous donations, with the far-right, anti-immigrant group Advance.
Now, the ALP appears to be implementing it. Under the obligatory cover of combating antisemitism, the training is clearly intended to further attack genocide opponents in higher education.
The measure shows a flagrant contempt for the basic role of universities in a supposedly liberal society — the necessary cliché that the campus is a place where controversial ideas can be expressed and discussed, no matter what powerful political actors they alienate.
Academic freedom is an ideal, not a reality, but it is still an essential principle of true intellectual work.
The extent to which it is observed is an indicator of the overall state of democracy in a country.
Little is currently known about how the antisemitism training will work in practice. Segal’s blueprint is — no doubt intentionally — extremely vague.
Regardless of the form it takes, the training is designed to elevate anti-Jewish hate above all other kinds of racism as especially deserving of redress — what other form of racism has its own training? — and to enforce Zionists’ chauvinistic insistence that they are the only Jews worthy of the name.
Both intentions are profoundly racist.
How the training will be assessed is also unclear. We have no knowledge of what the consequences would be for the many university staff who will refuse to participate in Zionist indoctrination. We also have no inkling of the size of the financial penalties against non-compliant universities that Segal, in full Trumpian mode, wants to apply.
To the right of Trump The current US administration has already mandated widespread student training designed to vilify Palestine solidarity as antisemitic. The Australian proposal of something similar for university staff puts Albanese and his government to the right of Trump.
The government has appointed Greg Craven, the former VC of the Australian Catholic University, as the political commissar responsible for the training and other elements of Segal’s “report card” process.
Craven has pooh-poohed the idea that cracking down on anti-Zionist speech could constitute any threat to civil liberties. The issue, he writes, is fundamentally one of “national defence”.
Albanese’s new hate speech laws, for example, are needed because our current legal and constitutional arrangements
are based on the assumption that our commonwealth faces no deadly external or internal threats.
Read that again. We are, Craven thinks, essentially at war. This means that we have to be the ones to suspend the basic democratic norms we love so much, because otherwise the jihadists will do it for us.
He sees pro-Palestinian critics of the hate speech laws as spreading “morally bankrupt intellectual effluent”.
“A couple of decades’ house arrest for Louise Adler,” he writes, is “appealing”. This is kind of right-wing trolling that, in 2026, equips someone to be entrusted by the ALP with the future of academic freedom in Australia.
University leaders can’t be trusted Mass defiance of the training is the only feasible response. University authorities certainly cannot be trusted to push back. They have made it clear that they are perfectly willing to turn their institutions into Zionist propaganda mills.
Universities Australia welcomed Segal’s recommendations when they were first made in July; the supine Group of Eight has not raised a peep of protest against the political training proposal.
The training will, however, pose serious headaches for university managers. But, far from protesting, they might even welcome the opportunity to discipline Palestine-supporting staff, who are usually also at the forefront of union and other progressive campus activism.
Last year’s gratuitous purge of academics at Macquarie University disproportionately targeted Palestine supporters, union activists and women.
As decades of their imposition of cuts and austerity in the sector show, many vice-chancellors and their deputies are more than ready to sacrifice higher education wholesale, at any price. Their rewards are the prestige and salary that come with a career in senior university management.
In this year’s Australia Day honours, Professor Annamarie Jagose, the provost of the University of Sydney, was rewarded with an Order of Australia medal for “service to tertiary education”. She was far from the only university executive to get a gong.
Awarding this honour, at this moment, to the second-highest office holder at Sydney, which has led the way in its repression of anti-genocide activism, is not anodyne, and it is hard not to read it as a federal
reward for the university’s readiness to politically and ideologically serve the cause of genocide.
Police state on campus Not content with feting Israel’s bomb-signing terrorist-in-chief, Albanese is also destroying the notional independence of the university system, imposing a political standard to which teaching and administrative staff must conform, and delivering campuses into the hands of a far-right lobby that is milking the 2025 atrocity at Bondi for all it is worth.
After Bondi, no authoritarian bridge seems too far for the ALP and Coalition. Crossing dangerous new frontiers in political repression will be the principal legacy of Anthony Albanese and his Labor colleagues.
Their reforms threaten to fundamentally alter the character of society, which will become more autocratic, more racist, less rational and less free.
Everyone who supports the reckless and bankrupt Labor Party is accountable.
During the genocide, universities have played the role of being a testing ground for repressive policies that were soon rolled out more widely.
Before the NSW government restricted street protests, Australian vice-chancellors restricted them on campus. The federal government’s hate speech laws were prefigured by crackdowns on anti-Zionist or pro-Palestinian expression in universities.
Under their supposedly “liberal” leadership, campuses have consistently trialled the next features of the Australian police state. Once Zionist political training has become established in universities,
there is nothing to stop it from being rolled out more widely.
Nick Riemer is a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney and academic vice-president of the university’s National Tertiary Education Union branch. A long-time Palestine activist, he is the author of Boycott Theory and the Struggle for Palestine. Available here. This article was first published by Michael West Media and is republished with permission.
The unprecedented flooding at Whāngaimoana Beach has laid-waste Mellisa Tipene’s veggie garden.
The small settlement on Wairarapa’s south coast became a lake when a trickle of a creek burst its banks on Monday, infiltrating low-lying homes and leaving behind a layer of smelly sludge.
What was Mellisa Tipene’s garden.Mellisa Tipene
Having lived there for 11 years, Tipene said the place was great, when it was not flooded, but right now she just wanted to “sell up and leave”.
Torrential rain earlier this week caused havoc across Wairarapa, knocking out power and cutting off access to rural and coastal settlements, with hundreds isolated on the south coast after floodwaters took out two bridges.
The bridge over the Turanaganui River on Lake Ferry Road reopened on Wednesday night and access was restored at the ‘Banana Bridge’ over the Hurupi Stream on Cape Palliser Road on Thursday afternoon, with restrictions.
Although residents in Whāngaimoana were no longer trapped, many were still there when RNZ visited on Thursday – getting stuck into the clean-up.
Flood-hit kūmara due to be harvested at Matariki will now go to the pigs.RNZ / Mary Argue
After being unable to work for days, both Tipene and her partner Jason Statham were forced to take another day off to sort the mess.
“We haven’t stopped since we flooded. When it nearly came inside we moved all the furniture higher, and then realised it was subsiding and brought the furniture back.
“We’ve been in here [the garage] for two days. We’re like, furniture removals.”
The Lake Ferry bridge repair.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Statham said they just needed to finish the job.
“The last thing we want to do after a day’s work is deal with this. So, we just thought bugger it, we get today, get it sorted and then we can start normal tomorrow.”
He said the water came up quickly, one minute they were “good as gold” the next it was like looking out on a lake.
The septic tank overflowed into the floodwaters, destroying Tipene’s labour of love – the garden.
“We’re just going through cleaning up, pulling it all out because obviously you can’t eat it. We had kumaras, potatoes, kamokamo, pumpkin, carrots – all of it – tomatoes, and now it’s all gone.”
Adam Mazzola’s home was half a metre underwater in some parts during the peak of Monday’s flooding.Adam Mazzola
The water stopped just shy of entering the home, but neighbour Adam Mazzola was not so lucky.
The creek which was still low on Sunday night rose quickly the next morning, and before he knew it water was entering the 100-year-old, low-lying bach.
Flooding at Adam Mazzola’s home.Adam Mazzola
“From 7-8am … it just thumped through and it probably raised up 4-500mm.
“I think they had about 450mm [of rain] in the Aorangis … so everything kinda came from [the] east.”
He said the house was “written off” and he and his 13-year-old son were currently staying at a farmhouse in Pirinoa.
Damage at Adam Mazzola’s home.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
A Givealittle page to raise funds for Mazzola said his home had been hit by a “catastrophic flood” leaving it unliveable.
“Sadly living in a coastal area means insurance … won’t come to the party which sucks.”
Adam Mazzola looks at damage to his home.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
It said Mazzola was “an incredibly generous person” who was always there for others, and now needed help.
Mazzola told RNZ living at the coast came with the risk of flood and oddly, the last major one hit on the same day 22 years ago – 16 February, 2004.
Whāngaimoana resident Terry Shubkin says the response from agencies during and after the storm has been amazing.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Terry Shubkin, another resident of Whāngaimoana Beach Road, said she bought her place a year before the 2004 floods.
“We were told they were a once-in-a-50-year storm, it seems to be much more frequent now.”
Shubkin thought about half of the properties on the lower section of the road had been flooded and inundation depended on whether the home was raised, or not.
“The ones that got flooded, it’s been pretty bad. So we’ve ranged from a couple inches to – I’ve heard stories of at least a foot of water going through the house.
“At least one house I’ve been into you can see … the mud that’s leftover, because it’s really disgusting muddy slime that goes up about a foot of the furniture.”
The repair to Hurupi Bridge.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Shubkin said the response from agencies during and after the storm had been amazing.
“We’ve had Civil Defence out here since Monday doing door-knocking when it was really bad. We’ve had EMO (Emergency Management Office) on the phone with us a couple of times a day.
“We’ve had Search and Rescue come bring us cookies, we’ve had food drops, medicine drops. Red Cross came out here earlier today, so we’ve been well supported.”
The community, like many others around Aotearoa in the wake of severe weather, had also rallied.
“That’s the silver-lining. You realise what a good community we have out here,” she said.
This week we pressed the rewind button on the Pauline tape, back to Hanson maxing out with inflammatory statements about Muslims, attracting a blaze of publicity and widespread outrage.
Or, given One Nation’s surging polls, have we pushed the fast forward button, to when Hanson’s party joins the big league? The March 21 South Australian election, followed by the Farrer byelection for Sussan Ley’s seat, will provide clues.
Hanson told Sky on Monday, “I’ve got no time for the radical Islam. Their religion concerns me because of what it says in the Quran. They hate Westerners and that’s what it’s all about. You say, ‘Oh well, there’s good Muslims out there.’ I’m sorry, how can you tell me there are good Muslims?”
She subsequently only partially qualified her blanket condemnation of Muslims.
Her extreme comments left Barnaby Joyce, her new recruit, uncomfortable. They also brought notable pushback from prominent Nationals senator Matt Canavan. The Liberals and Nationals will be going head-to-head against One Nation in Farrer. They will need to take it on robustly.
Hanson is exploiting rifts in Australia’s social cohesion while tearing further a fabric in its poorest shape in recent memory. As the Muslim community this week entered Ramadan, with threats made to the Lakemba Mosque, Hanson’s outbursts will make the security agencies even more nervous.
The Middle East conflict took a big toll on our cohesion. The Jewish community suffered attacks amid soaring antisemitism, culminating in the horrific Bondi massacre. Incidents against Muslims increased. Demonstrations divided the public. Many Australians are on edge. Tensions have escalated, tolerance has plummeted.
We see this in the blow up over the so-called ISIS brides and their children, who want to come to Australia.
The debate isn’t new. It stretches back to the prime ministership of Scott Morrison, and the repatriation of a handful of children. Morrison condemned the parents for a “despicable” act in putting them in harm’s way, but said “the children can’t be held responsible for that”.
The Coalition, eyeing voters lost to One Nation, is demanding the brides and their families never get here. Asked about the children, Liberals admit their situation but say it is their parents’ fault.
For his part, Anthony Albanese has now toughened his rhetoric, declaring, “My mother would have said if you make your bed, you lie in it”.
“Shut the door!” says Taylor, offering to support fresh legislation if necessary. The keep-them-out chorus will play well with many people, especially in the present climate. The women joined terrorists fighting against Australia’s interests and values.
Moreover, there are increasing questions about how honest the government has been in what it said and did in reacting to lobbying to get them home. It still has much to answer.
But on the substantive issue, these are Australian citizens and as such are entitled to come to Australia. (Though there are legal provisions for exclusion orders on security advice and the government has taken that route with one person. There are also some other legal loopholes in relation to granting passports).
Australia claims the right to demand that countries should take back their citizens when we deport them under our laws. Legislation was passed last year to potentially penalise those that refuse to do so.
In the same way, Australia should recognise its obligations to accept its own citizens, however much it mightn’t want to do so. This goes beyond legality – it is also a moral responsibility.
But, the critics shout, they pose a risk. To a degree perhaps, including because some of the older children may have been radicalised. But whatever risk there might be is one that could be managed. The cohort is fewer than three dozen. Women who have broken Australia’s law by their actions should be charged when they return; the others, including minors where necessary, should be monitored by police and ASIO. It’s not ideal but if you admit the moral argument, it’s the price we pay.
It’s against the background of today’s hyped-up community feeling that Angus Taylor will craft an immigration policy that, presumably, he will release ahead of the Farrer byelection. Devising the policy will be harder than his slick slogan condemning the government’s policy – “numbers too high, standards too low” – as he is pulled between good policy and populist politics.
The policy has two dimensions: the size and composition of the intake and the issue of ensuring people accept and fit with Australian “values”.
The government already has migration numbers coming down. Net overseas migration was 306,000 in 2024-25, compared to 429,000 a year before. The budget projected 260,000 in 2025-26. The opposition wants it lower.
But it is tricky when it comes to the details. Cutting the permanent skilled migration intake would be bad for business and the economy – although the points system seems totally out of whack, when people get points for characteristics that have nothing to do with their likely economic and social contribution to Australia.
Reducing those on temporary visas is also difficult. The care economy and many businesses rely heavily on these workers. Are there too many students? Perhaps – but universities need their fees: in 2024 they provided more than a quarter of their revenue. Education is also a huge export industry. What about backpackers? But how would many farmers cope without them? There are multiple stakeholders Taylor’s policy will have to consider in slicing numbers.
The “values” side of the policy will be even harder. A draft policy prepared in the Ley office proposed designating regions where terrorist organisations have sustained control, banning people coming from them for a period. Home affairs and immigration spokesman Jonno Duniam says this is not part of the policy now being worked on.
Whatever the scope for toughening the scrutiny for migrant entry, permanent residency and citizenship, ensuring people have the right values is an elusive quest. One of the Bondi shooters came from India decades ago and was an Australian citizen; his son, who faced court this week, was born an Australian. There are no guarantees, and sometimes it’s a matter of vigilance.
The values people arrive with are important, but values need constant reinforcement, in all parts of society, including through the education system and the political system.
As part of this, a lot more political attention should be paid to our multiculturalism which is at risk of a serious unravelling. Multiculturalism requires social licence and among some Australians that is diminishing before our eyes.
Community-led cleanups are continuing in flood-damaged Banks Peninsula, but nagging frustration remains over the response from local authorities.
The peninsula was still under a state of emergency as efforts to restore access to isolated properties continued, almost 72 hours after the region was hammered by a merciless storm.
Although State Highway 75 had reopened and telecommunications restored, some properties remained cut off with multiple local roads still blocked.
The Christchurch City Council’s response teams were using helicopters to get into areas inaccessible by road.
A total of seven local roads remained shut with another eight roads restricted to residents and emergency services.
RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Helicopters could be regularly seen and heard over Okuti Valley on Thursday.
Meanwhile, business owners previously cut off were getting on with the recovery, helped by overdue sunshine and 28 degree temperatures.
Little River Campground owner Marcus Puentener said this week’s flooding was the worst he had seen in 30 years.
Two days earlier he awoke to the nearby Okuti River pouring through the campground, washing away an on-site bridge and leaving a trail of debris.
Puentener said a task-force of volunteers would help with the clean up in the coming days.
Little River Campground owner Marcus Puentener.RNZ / Nate McKinnon
“We’ve got our services up and running again. We’ve got toilets, showers and kitchen area all usable, so we are open,” he said.
“However the drive into the camp is a bit rough. We’re mainly looking at ground works at the moment, clearing the river, putting shingle down on the drive to make it a little bit safer for people to drive in.”
Assistance with the clean up was needed with the campground on Okuti Valley Road due to host multiple events, including a wedding in two weeks.
Although community support for affected property owners remained a prominent feature, the response from authorities had room for improvement, Puentener said.
Damage in Little River.RNZ / Nate McKinnon
“People have got water, people have got food, that’s the main thing. But people are trapped in their properties,” he said.
“This is where it gets slightly frustrating. We’ve had a lot of clip boards and not many foot soldiers on the ground. The clipboard-to-digger ratio is all wrong.”
The resilience of Okuti Valley locals had been bolstered by a community-led emergency radio network to communicate during emergencies when power, internet and cell coverage was down.
Okuki Valley Rd resident Rennie Davidson said the nearby community hall stored essential supplies, including a generator, batteries, gas canisters, a cooker and first aid kits.
Rennie Davidson.RNZ / Nate McKinnon
“Some of the older people in the community find the ability to communicate really reassuring, that we are working as a community and we are,” he said.
“We’ve just been organising water for someone’s toilet that can’t flush. There’s a whole heap of stuff that we can do which doesn’t cost a lot of money, but supports people that otherwise might be struggling.”
The network was self-organised into eight “clusters”, arranged by location.
The community was still largely reliant upon Civil Defence during significant weather events, Davidson said.
Dave Harvey, who lived on State Highway 75 in Coopland east of Little River, admitted he was one of “the lucky ones”.
Apart from a snapped tree that protruded over his next door’s neighbours section, he mostly evaded the brunt of the deluge.
“We had a bit of inundation in the shed. Other than that this whole valley survived pretty well. Obviously I’m devastated for the neighbours further down the river who have been gravely impacted.”
Council local controller Anne Columbus said roading crews had been prioritising known communities to restore roading access to those affected.
“With the reinstatement of communication channels on the Peninsula [on Thursday], we are now starting to form a clearer picture about the damage to properties and infrastructure,” she said.
“The assessment of damage will continue over the next few days as our ground crews gain access to affected areas.”
Two rubbish skips had arrived in Little River, which residents could use to dispose any flood-damaged waste.
A Lower Hutt man whose family was forced to flee their home when a large slip fell away from beneath the building says they will be “left with nothing”.
Aaron Pahl said time appeared to go into slow motion when a 10 by 30 square metre expanse of his back yard slid away on Monday – leaving the deck and the rear foundation hanging exposed.
“I was outside and I heard it start cracking, like all the trees just start cracking and crunching. So I pretty much screamed out to my kids ‘get your arses up here now!’ and I watched the whole thing just slide down the bank,” Pahl said.
Pahl said nearly 16 years of saving and hard work had gone down the drain as he, his partner and three children salvaged what they could from the building and sought advice as to what options they had following the slip.
“I don’t see a light. I don’t know, I honestly don’t know. I wouldn’t wish this on anybody man. It’s just like another test, I guess, but it’s not one that I was in any shape or form prepared for,” Pahl said.
The view from Stokes Valley painter Aaron Pahl’s house after a slip left the house uninhabitable on Monday morning.Supplied
The family’s home was issued with a dangerous building notice following the slip.
Pahl said he’d been told re-stabilising his property with retaining walls could take years but demolishing the home would exhaust practically all of his insurance for property.
“The reimbursement from my insurance company would be enough to cover the remainder of my mortgage and then the demolishing fee.
“I was talking to one of the engineers and he’s like ‘if they were to demolish it you’re looking at a couple of hundred thousand dollars. There wouldn’t be much left from that’.
Stokes Valley painter Aaron Pahl says he shouted to his children to get to safety when a large slip fell away from the base of his home – leaving the house uninhabitable -on Monday morning.SUPPLIED
“I’ve worked for the last 16 years to provide this for my family. To get to where I am today and I’m literally going to walk away with nothing. It’s just painful,” Pahl said.
Pahl said his insurance company had agreed to provide just under $12,000 in an accommodation supplement but the money was only likely to house his family for the next three or four months.
Until they could find a place the family of five – with two pets – were staying at Pahl’s father in law’s three bedroom home in Featherston.
Pahl said he was hugely grateful but the small space and extra distance to work and his children’s schools were adding to the family’s burdens.
“It’s added three hours plus a day just to get the kids to school and get myself to work and get my wife to work and it’s breaking man. The two younger one’s are sharing a double bed. They had their own rooms and stuff at home and they’ve just been crammed into a room and ‘that’s where you sleep’,” Pahl said.
He said he’d barely slept since the slip and – while he had some friends he could talk to – the events of the last week were weighing heavily on his shoulders.
“I work for myself and I’ve not been able to work since this happened because I’ve had so much to deal with and [I’m] just watching everything just crumble.
“I’ve got some really good friends and they’re always there to lend and ear. But I still feel like this is my problem and I’ve got to deal with it. I’ve always been that type that is like ‘you carry the shit that’s on your shoulders mate’. I’m tradesman that’s what we do,” he said
Pahl said the family had started a give-a-little page under the heading Help Support Our Family After Stokes Valley Landslide.
“I didn’t want to at first. I didn’t want to ask but, it’s like, if we don’t we’re absolutely screwed. They always say it’s going to get worse before it gets any better but I don’t see any light at the end of the tunnel,” Pahl said.
Firefighters are at the scene. (File photo)RNZ / Nate McKinnon
The number of patients being treated at an industrial site in Levin has risen to 22.
Hato Hone St John ambulance, police and Fire and Emergency were called to Hamaria Road at around 6:30pm, after a chemical incident.
Firefighters set up decontamination gear at Alliance Group’s meat processing plant after reports of a gas leak.
Five ambulances, three rapid response units, two operations managers and a St John Major Incident Support Team were called to the scene.
A fire crew from Otaki has also been called in to help Levin firefighters and a specialist fire unit arrived from Palmerston North.
A spokesperson for Alliance Group confirmed processing at the plant had suspended after a chemical incident at the site led to a “gas reaction”.
St John says while it’s not yet know whether any of the patients is badly injured, no one has been taken to hospital yet and no further ambulances have been requested.
Source: Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS)
Australians are paying more for cover. But the funding flowing to patient care is not keeping pace with the real cost of delivering surgery.
Over the past three years, more than 400,000 Australians have downgraded from top-tier (“gold”) hospital cover to lower levels of insurance. Many policies now come with exclusions, meaning patients discover they are not fully covered when they need treatment.
“Bronze”, “silver” and “gold” labels hide huge differences in exclusions, excesses and clinical coverage, meaning two people on the same tier can face wildly different bills. Australians need real transparency and standardisation so consumers can compare value and know what they’re actually paying for before they need surgery.
At the same time, insurers are returning a smaller share of premiums directly to care than in previous years. Industry data shows benefits paid as a proportion of premiums are sitting in the mid-80% range – down from around 88% historically.
RACS welcomes legislation introduced this week that would ban “product phoenixing” – a practice used by some private health insurers to rebrand or replace policies in ways that drive up premiums without delivering additional value to consumers. But wider reform is needed.
RACS believes Australians deserve stronger guarantees that the vast majority of every premium dollar goes to patient care.
Surgeons are also dealing with a system where:
Medicare rebates have not kept pace with inflation for decades. private health insurers pay different benefit amounts for the same procedure, sometimes differing by hundreds of dollars. Surgeons are forced to work across dozens of varying fee schedules to reduce patient gaps. no-gap payments have failed to keep up with rising healthcare costs for decades.
When Medicare and private insurance benefits fall behind the real cost of operating theatres, staff, equipment and compliance, the shortfall does not vanish. It is either absorbed by hospitals and doctors or passed on to patients. This funding gap is the key driver behind rising out-of-pocket costs. RACS recognises the need to improve the affordability of specialist care. At the same time, we understand many surgeons are already prioritising their patients’ needs at personal financial cost and are struggling to keep up.
Fee reform is a two-way street
If government expects fee restraint, then Medicare must be properly indexed and insurers must ensure a higher proportion of premiums go directly to clinical care. RACS supports a minimum 90% payout ratio so Australians can be confident their premiums are funding treatment, not overhead.
Transparency measures such as the Australian Government’s mandatory Medical Costs Finder system can help patients understand fees. But transparency alone will not fix an underfunded system.
Private healthcare plays a critical role in keeping pressure off the public hospital system. If private surgery becomes financially unsustainable, waiting lists in the public sector will inevitably grow.
Australia delivers strong surgical outcomes by international standards. That system has been built on high standards and a functioning public–private balance. Rising premiums must translate into real value for patients – not reduced coverage and higher out-of-pocket costs.
RACS stands ready to work with government and insurers to modernise Medicare, improve consistency in insurer payments, and ensure patients are not left carrying the burden of a funding model that no longer reflects the real cost of safe surgical care.
Robert Walters identifies New Zealand’s key labour and salary trends for 2026
Auckland, New Zealand, 19th Feb 2026 - 2026 will be a year of strategic hiring, increased pressure on salaries, and rising workforce mobility across New Zealand, according to new research from global talent solutions partner Robert Walters.
The findings come from its latest Salary Guide, which surveyed over 2,300 white-collar New Zealand professionals across 12 different industries.
Shay Peters, CEO, Robert Walters Australia & New Zealand: ”The New Zealand labour market is showing a renewed sense of optimism, but caution remains. Businesses are hiring again, skills shortages persist, and employees are carefully weighing where they work, what they earn, and whether to relocate. This combination is reshaping the workforce: organisations face pressure to attract and retain talent, address capability gaps, and balance pay with cost-of-living concerns, while employees are increasingly strategic about career moves and mobility. How companies respond now will have a direct impact on productivity, growth, and their ability to secure and retain the talent they need for success in the future.”
Key labour market trends
Hiring rebounds, but jobseekers remain cautious after 2025 turmoil
Market confidence is gradual but strengthening, with 76% of New Zealand businesses planning to hire in 2026, up from 66% in 2025.
Hiring demand varies regionally. Canterbury leads hiring intent at 78%, followed by Auckland (75%) and Wellington (72%).
Despite this uplift in business confidence, employee mobility has cooled. 53% of New Zealand professionals are considering a role change this year, down from 63% in 2025, suggesting a more cautious workforce.
Shay comments: ”Hiring intent has increased since last year, signalling that businesses are ready to move forward. However, employees are taking a more considered approach. From conversations we’ve been having with job seekers, we know the unstable condition of the 2025 labour market is making people concerned about job prospects in 2026. Economic uncertainty over the past year has made many professionals very risk-aware. The labour market is gradually rebalancing, rather than surging.”
Rising relocation trends are creating a borderless workforce
Mobility remains a defining feature of the New Zealand workforce. 58% of professionals are open to relocating for work.
Interest varies regionally. In Auckland, 64% would consider relocating, compared with 53% in Wellington and 51% in Canterbury.
Australia is the most attractive destination, with 65% naming it as their top choice. Domestically, 54% would consider relocating within New Zealand. Internationally, 23% would consider moving to the UK and 21% to Europe.
The primary drivers of relocation are higher salaries (71%), better job opportunities (65%), lifestyle changes (53%), and cost of living (38%).
Interest in Australians relocating to New Zealand has increased this year to 17% (up from 2% in 2025).
Shay comments: ”The strength of interest in Australia underscores how interconnected the two labour markets have become. For many professionals, relocation is no longer aspirational, it is a strategic financial and career decision.
New Zealand employers must recognise that they are competing not just locally, but internationally. Organisations that create compelling career pathways, competitive remuneration and flexible work models will be better positioned to retain talent in an increasingly borderless market.”
Salary growth remains modest as cost-of-living pressures persist
In 2025, 57% of New Zealand professionals received a pay rise, although most increases fell within the modest 2.5%-5% range, limiting their real impact.
67% of New Zealand businesses intend to offer salary increases in 2026, while 56% of professionals expect one.
42% of employees feel underpaid, but 83% of employers believe salaries are keeping pace with the cost of living, highlighting a perception gap.
Salary dissatisfaction varies regionally. In Canterbury, 46% of professionals do not believe their salary matches the cost of living. In Auckland this stands at 42%, and in Wellington 39%.
Shay comments: ”As businesses come out of last year’s restructures, organisations have an opportunity to reassess remuneration. Where salary increases are not feasible, employers must focus on career progression, flexibility, and skills development. It’s no secret the movement of New Zealand talent to Australia is well underway. Dissatisfaction around pay is a high retention risk, especially as overseas markets actively target New Zealand talent.”
Skills shortages squeeze productivity across key sectors
Skills shortages remain critical, with 81% of New Zealand employers experiencing gaps over the past year.
Regional pressure varies, with 52% of Auckland employers reporting shortages, followed by Wellington (49%) and Canterbury (39%).
The most acute gaps are in industry-specific expertise (52%), digital and technology capability (37%), and leadership skills (31%) - these areas closely linked to productivity and organisational performance.
Hiring challenges are compounded by unsuitable applicants (62%) and a lack of formal qualifications (53%).
Shay comments: ”Skills shortages are a severe productivity issue. When capability gaps persist, delivery slows and growth opportunities are missed.
New Zealand organisations must take a long-term view, investing in leadership development, digital capability, and structured workforce planning. Skills gaps directly impact productivity and growth, and with more talent continuing to move to Australia, this challenge will intensify unless decisive action is taken now. Waiting for the market to correct itself is no longer a viable strategy in a competitive global talent landscape.”
AI adoption accelerates, but concerns remain
AI integration is gaining momentum. 86% of New Zealand businesses are actively promoting AI, and 70% of employers say AI skills are important.
Adoption at employee level is already high, with 69% using AI in their roles. However, 51% express concern about AI’s future impact on their job.
Shay comments: ”New Zealand businesses are embracing AI at pace, but adoption must be matched with transparency and training. The fact that over half of employees are concerned about AI’s future impact highlights the importance of clear communication and structured upskilling.
At the speed AI is developing, it’s critical that soft skills like leadership, collaboration, and problem-solving are not lost but actively encouraged alongside new technology.
Done right, AI can increase efficiency, boost productivity, and complement human talent, supporting the goals outlined in New Zealand’s 2025 AI Strategy for a productive, future-ready workforce.”
About the Salary Guide: The Robert Walters 2026 Salary Guide provides a comprehensive overview of hiring intentions, salary trends, skills shortages, and workforce mobility across New Zealand. With insights from over 2,300 respondents, the guide highlights how businesses and employees are navigating an evolving labour market shaped by cost-of-living pressures, technological adoption, and mobility opportunities.
About Robert Walters:
With more than 3,100 people in 30 countries, Robert Walters delivers recruitment consultancy, staffing, recruitment process outsourcing and managed services across the globe. From traditional recruitment and staffing to end-to-end talent management, our consultants are experts at matching highly skilled people to permanent, contract and interim roles across all professional disciplines.
White plastic appears to pose a particular hazard for penguins, new research from the University of Auckland has found.
University of Auckland research fellow Dr Ariel-Micaiah Heswall tested plastic colour preferences of king and gentoo penguins at Kelly Tarlton’s Sealife Aquarium in Auckland.
She found the 46 gentoo and 23 king penguins interacted far more often with white plastic than other colours, possibly because white reminds them of prey, eggshell or their own feathers.
Penguins are known to eat plastic bottlecaps, so red, blue, black and white caps were used in the experiment.
The seabirds chose white almost twice as often as black, and about 45 percent more often than red or blue.
White plastic could be a “sensory trap” for penguins, because it might lure them with a colour that appeals to their senses, but has harmful consequences when they eat it, says Heswall, from the University’s Faculty of Science and Centre for Climate, Biodiversity and Society – Ngā Ara Whetū.
Previous studies have found more white and clear plastics than other colours in the guts of seabirds in New Zealand and internationally.
Some scientists have suggested that’s because white and clear plastics make up the bulk of the millions of tonnes of plastic floating in the ocean.
However, Heswall’s new research shows penguins select white plastic, even when it’s not more plentiful than other colours.
A study she published in June last year showed white and clear plastics were most often found in the guts of 13 species of North Island seabirds.
Yellow and gold plastics were the next most commonly found inside the seabirds.
While red and green plastics were widespread on Auckland beaches, they were less often found in the seabirds’ guts.
Plastic was found inside all 19 of the Buller’s shearwaters they examined.
“It’s a big problem, but at least we’re beginning to understand it better,” says Heswall.
Putting a lid on the production of white and clear plastics could reduce the threat for many seabird species, she says.
The penguins showed least interest in the black bottlecaps and seldom pecked the blue ones.
“Generally, black plastic is least often found inside most species of seabirds internationally.
“There needs to be more research, but if manufacturers replaced white plastics with black, that could potentially make a big difference for seabirds,” Heswall says.
Globally, 28 percent of seabirds are classified as threatened and seven percent are critically endangered.
Eating plastic poses risks of starvation, as plastic can fill or obstruct the birds’ gut.
Sharp plastics can puncture the gut, but soft plastics, such as balloons, are more likely to result in immediate death for seabirds, Heswall says.
Microplastics can leach into seabirds’ blood streams, changing hormone balances and sometimes causing plasticosis, a disease marked by chronic inflammation and scarring in the digestive tract.
Heswall says the penguin experiments were carefully designed to avoid stressing the birds or posing a risk of plastic being swallowed.
Even though the penguins were free to move around the enclosure, some chose to interact with the plastic caps in all but three of the 41 trials.
Two or three times, the penguins responded to the bottlecaps with courting or reproductive behaviours, flapping their wings and bowing repeatedly.
“It was quite funny to watch.
“The penguins sometimes tried to rotate and turn a bottlecap, a behaviour they typically only display with their eggs.”
Having grown up in Brunei, Heswall only discovered the wonders of seabirds when she moved to New Zealand ten years ago.
“I had no idea of the diverse world of shearwaters and petrels, let alone that New Zealand was the seabird capital of the world.
“I fell in love with seabirds during my university studies,” says the 28-year-old.
Overall drug detections rise nationally, cocaine detections up 148%
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, 19 February 2026 – The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA), New Zealand’s largest workplace drug testing provider has launched its Q4 Imperans Report, a quarterly workplace drug trends report. The report empowers New Zealand employers to engage in proactive workplace risk management. It provides them with an analysis of drug and alcohol usage trends, combining results from across the country.
In Q4, 4.01% of screens conducted by TDDA indicated the presence of drugs (Q3: 3.75%).
Cannabis remains the most prevalent substance detected in workplace drug testing, although detections eased in many regions following a Q3 peak.
ATS detections were up nationwide in Q4, representing a modest quarter-on-quarter increase. Cocaine detections, while remaining comparatively low overall, jumped 148% from the previous quarter.
Among all positive TDDA results, the most prevalent substances detected were:
· Cannabis: present in 67.5% of positive tests, down 3.6% from 71.1% in Q3 2025.
· ATS, including methamphetamine: present in 24.5% of positive tests, up 1.2% from 23.2% in Q3 2025.
· Opioids, including oxycodone: present in 18.6% of positive tests, up 0.02% from 18.6% in Q3 2025.
· Benzodiazepines: present in 2.9% of positive tests, up 0.7% from 2.2% in Q3 2025.
· Cocaine: present in 3.7% of positive tests, up 2.2% from 1.5% in Q3 2025.
The data points to three broad shifts in substance use patterns nationwide. Increasing regional divergence in amphetamine-type substances (ATS), easing THC (Cannabis) detections after a Q3 peak, and a concerning rise in cocaine, significantly in Bay of Plenty, Auckland West and Waikato.
“We warned employers in previous quarters that cocaine use was increasing across the nation, and Q4 data shows that this trend nearly doubled over the festive season,” says Glenn Dobson, CEO of TDDA. “This increase was particularly evident in Bay of Plenty, Auckland West, and Waikato. Businesses in the Bay of Plenty area need to take action immediately, as cocaine detections, which barely registered previously, rose to 9% of positive tests. Cocaine causes overconfidence, reduces focus and concentration, correlates with bad judgement and causes erratic behaviour. If you’re doing business in an affected region, employee education and testing are immediately advised. There’s significant risk for businesses with heavy machinery, you don’t want your workers operating chainsaws while on cocaine.”
Regional highlights
TDDA tracks regional fluctuations in substance use to help employers better manage workplace safety risks through targeted testing, education, and early intervention.
Drug Detection Rate in Auckland West, Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
Q4 data shows that drug trends are increasingly diverging by region, rather than moving in a single national direction. ATS recorded sharp increases, particularly in Auckland West, Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, Northland, Southland, and Wellington, while easing in some areas including Canterbury, Manawatū-Whanganui and Taranaki. At the same time, cannabis detections declined in many regions after peaking in Q3, although some areas, including Gisborne and Canterbury, experienced a bounce-back. Opioids use also increased across multiple regions, especially in Otago, Taranaki, Tasman and Wellington, reinforcing the need for closer monitoring.
“What this data reinforces is the need to stay proactive,” says Dobson. “As the year gets underway and businesses recruit, onboard new staff, or adjust workforce needs, clear expectations become critical. Fit-for-purpose substance use policies, supported by pre-employment testing, regular testing programmes, and ongoing training and education, help organisations manage risk early and prevent issues from arising on the job.”
Recommendations
“When growth in detection continues across successive quarters, or when drug trends change significantly, it’s a signal employers shouldn’t ignore,” says Dobson. “As summer months continue past the holidays, the priority is stopping trends from becoming established behaviours in your workplace. That requires clear expectations through policy, consistent testing, and early intervention, particularly as people move into new roles or return to work after long weekends.”
TDDA recommends that companies review and update substance use policies at the start of the year, ensure pre-employment testing is clearly embedded into recruitment processes, and maintain regular and random testing programmes. Employers are also encouraged to invest in training and education, so managers feel confident identifying when testing is appropriate, particularly following extended leave periods or during onboarding.
With people moving between roles and workplaces, a proactive approach to policy review, pre-employment testing, and workforce education can help employers reduce risk, protect their people, and maintain safe workplaces throughout the year.
Methodology: Tests from 27 sterile clinic locations and over 60 mobile clinics throughout New Zealand were used. All tests were taken between 1 October and 31 December 2025. Data from preemployment, post incident, regular and random testing has been combined. Testing methods included urine and oral fluid screening. Data is reported into, anonymised, and aggregated using TDDA’s Imperans system, a bespoke IT platform for testing services, data recording, and reporting. It represents a snapshot of drug trends across Australasian workplaces and industries.
Total figures on testing volumes or testing results by industry and region are commercially sensitive.
TDDA drug tests screen for amphetamines; benzodiazepines; cocaine; methamphetamine; opiates and opioids; cannabis; and synthetic drugs.
About the Imperans Report
The Imperans report addresses an information gap for business. Government organisations like ACC and WorkSafe publish incident reports, but they do not quantify when substances are a factor. Reports build businesses’ understanding of substance use patterns regionally and temporally so that they can anticipate and reduce workplace risks. TDDA provides over 250,000 tests every year.
About The Drug Detection Agency
The Drug Detection Agency (TDDA) is a leader in workplace substance testing with more than 300 staff, 90 mobile health clinics, 65 locations throughout Australasia. TDDA was established in 2005 to provide New Zealand and Australian businesses with end-to-end workplace substance testing, education and policy services. TDDA holds ISO17025 accreditation for workplace substance testing in both AU and NZ. Refer to the IANZ and NATA websites for TDDA’s full accreditation details. As members of the National Drug and Alcohol Screening Association (NDASA) and the California Narcotic Officers Association (CNOA), TDDA closely follows and acts on global drug trends.
A jerry-rigged backyard invention has turned into sizzling hot property for a retired farmer turned entrepreneur.
Alan Dyer has worked out a way to brown sausages evenly, ensuring they don’t roll around on the barbecue.
Using piece of wire, he shaped a device that keeps snags in place while they brown and then helps to roll them all over in an orderly fashion to crisp up the reverse side.
And so, the Sossbosser was born.
Having refined the culinary accessory, it’s now attracting international attention.
Dyer told Checkpoint that coming up with the Sossbosser was a light bulb moment.
“When I first had that unruly sausage floating around the barbecue, misbehaving, and I fashioned this U shape out of a piece of number 8 wire, yeah it was quite a ‘gotcha’ moment to see that renegade rollaway finally under control.”
Dyer said he got annoyed that he couldn’t put the sausage where he wanted it to go because it kept rolling back onto the side that was already cooked.
After he promoted the device on social media there was some international interest, he said.
After appearing on a Chicago TV channel and with the help of some viral videos, the number of people ordering Sossbossers skyrocketed, he said.
“At one stage there we had to actually shut the website down because we couldn’t handle it and I was a bit concerned about taking money off people and not being able to provide them with product … but anyway we got through that.”
One of the videos “baited the Aussies a bit”, he said.
“We told them, you know we’ve invented this and we invented the flat white and we invented a few other things and they kind of took a bit of umbrage at that.”
But that worked out because people engaged with the post and it ended up getting several million views, he said.
To cook a good sausage you need to cook it slowly so that it hardly sizzles at all and to cook it gently all the way around so it’s totally brown, he said.
“Do not pierce the skin because you want to retain all that juice in there, I mean that’s the flavour that the butcher’s gone to all that trouble to put in there.”
There should be no white stripes or “zebra sausages”, he said, because that meant they were only semi-cooked.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Children in Ukraine have endured an average of about 4,000 hours of air raid alarms – equivalent to over 5.5 months of constant alerts – since the start of full-scale war in February 2022, with constant fear of attacks taking a severe toll on their mental health, Save the Children said. [1]
Parents and Save the Children staff report that children are anxious and worried, while some children have developed gastrointestinal disorders due to stress. The last quarter of 2025 saw an uptick in the duration of alarms, coinciding with an intensification of the conflict in recent months, further compounding psychological pressure on children and families already living under prolonged strain.
Children in the frontline areas and in the Kyiv region have been hardest hit in the past four years, facing 7,000 hours of air raid alerts – equivalent to around 9.5 months, according to analysis of official alert data on sirens.[2] This means some children have spent nearly a full year of their lives under the sound of sirens.
Air raid alerts, warning civilians of a missile strike or shelling threats, can sound multiple times a day. When a siren sounds, children and families must decide whether to take cover in basements, cellars or subway stations with little or no access to water, electricity or heating. Many families, however, exhausted by years of alerts, are increasingly choosing the less safe option of sheltering in hallways or bathrooms away from the building’s exterior, illustrating the deep fatigue civilians face after years of constant danger.
Sirens, which can last from a few minutes to several hours or longer, frequently keep children home from school, and an estimated 50% of alerts [3] happen in late evening or at night, robbing many children of consistent sleep and a sense of safety.
Anastasiia, 8-, fled with her family from their hometown in Zaporizhzhia regionto Zaporizhzhia city when full-scale war broke out. Like many children in frontline areas, Anastasiia- has learned to live with nights regularly interrupted by explosions from drones and missile attacks. When the air raid alert sounds at night, the family goes to the corridor where the children sleep on mattresses until it becomes quiet again – a routine that has become disturbingly normal for many families.
“It is constant emotional strain. Adults feel it, but children feel it more deeply. The nervous system is exhausted,” said Anastasiia’s mother, Veronika-. “When children hear an explosion, they worry, they get nervous.”
Save the Children, together with local partner organisation Posmishka UA, operates a Child Friendly Space where children can take part in educational activities, play and receive psychosocial support, offering rare moments of stability, learning and emotional relief.
Yana-, who works at the Child Friendly Space,said there are children there who have developed gastrointestinal disorders and children who are frequently ill.
“All this, of course, is psychosomatic, due to the fact that the child is constantly in this nervous state and their body is trying to protect them as best as it can,” she said.
Four years of war in Ukraine has made living in this state of constant distress a “new norm” for many children. Research by Save the Children in 2024 found that over four in 10 children were suffering from psychosocial distress, with some children developing speech defects and uncontrollable twitching, while others have terrible nightmares and even scream in their sleep. [4] A study in 2025 found that four out of five people surveyed experienced high levels of stress, predominantly due to the war [5], underscoring the nationwide mental health crisis affecting both children and adults.
Sonia Khush, Country Director for Save the Children in Ukraine, said:
“Four years of full-scale war in Ukraine have shattered children’s lives and ripped away their childhoods as they’ve been forced from their homes and schools, lost loved ones and lived in fear as air raid alerts, drones and explosions consume the world around them.
“Children in Ukraine, especially those who live near the frontline, are under constant stress because of air raid sirens both day and night. For some children, the only world they have known is one filled with air raid alerts that disrupt their sleep, interrupt their learning, stop their play, and signal constant, life-threatening danger day after day.
“Despite playing no part in the war, children are paying the heaviest price, including damage to their psychological wellbeing. All parties to the conflict must immediately cease attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure, including homes, schools and hospitals, and end grave violations against children.
“We also need to ensure support for children’s recovery and mental health to address many of the unseen impacts of war that, if not addressed, can leave wounds that last well into adulthood. Sustained international funding is critical to ensure children affected by the war receive the protection, care and opportunities they need to rebuild their lives, and to prevent a generation from carrying the invisible scars of conflict for life.”
Save the Children has been working in Ukraine since 2014. Since 24 February 2022, the children’s rights agency has dramatically scaled up its operations, supporting children and their families with access to essential supplies and services. Save the Children has reached over 4.7 million people – including around 1.9 million children – in Ukraine in the last four years, delivering lifesaving aid, education, protection and mental health support
Notes
[1] Data on the duration of air raid alerts taken fromhttps://air-alarms.in.ua/en,a source which aggregates alarm alerts, from official sources. Data in this press release includes official alerts only. Since the duration and frequency of alerts differ greatly by area, we used a weighted average taking into account latest populations estimates from the UN to calculate an average alert time since February 2022 across the 23 regions and Kyiv city for which alert data is available fromhttps://air-alarms.in.ua/en,
[2] Calculation is a weighted average based on population for the following regions: Donetsk, Kharkiv, Sumy, Dniprov, Zaporizka, Kherson, Odessa, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv and Kyiv region.
[3] Based on analysis of alerts with a duration that fell between 9pm and 7am fromhttps://air-alarms.in.ua/en, provided to Save the Children on 29 January 2026.
It comes just weeks after it was revealed the NZ government has been inbackroom talks with the US Trumpadministration over a minerals deal, which includes vanadium, found at TTR’s desired mining site off Taranaki.
“They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result,” says Greenpeace Aotearoa’s Juressa Lee.
“The courts have said no, iwi have said no, thousands of New Zealanders have said no, and now even the Government’s own Fast-Track panel has declined it. Yet here is Shane Jones, doubling down with $80 million of taxpayer money to try to breathe this destructive, failed industry back to life.”
In 2024, TTR withdrew from the EPA process right before new Fast Track legislation was announced by the government, allowing them to apply.
“In the same moment that TTR realises their Fast Track dreams are over, we’ve got the NZ government desperately finding a way to make their project a reality,” says Lee.
“We have to ask: is TTR’s withdrawal today a genuine exit, or just a tactical retreat knowing the government is orchestrating a 6th bite at the cherry?
“Is it planning to re-apply to the now amended and “even more favourable” Fast-Track, hoping the Government will appoint a more obedient panel next time, while the government uses its new slush fund to pave their way with infrastructure?
“It seems as though the Government is actively coaching mining companies on how to bypass the very processes that are meant to vet them.””If this is the case, we certainly hope TTR submits a new application rather than the same one it has flogged for a decade and we’ve beaten down at every step of the way.”
On Thursday, TTR released news that they had officially withdrawn from the Fast Track process, after they were given a draft rejection decision earlier in February. The Panel ruled that seabed mining in Taranaki could harm threatened species like pygmy blue whales and penguins, and could not be safely managed, and that economic benefits don’t outweigh the risks.
On the same day, Shane Jones and Winston Peters announced $80 million dollars earmarked for critical minerals projects in the Regional Infrastructure Fund.
“By funneling $80 million into these projects, Shane Jones and Christopher Luxon are laying the red carpet for overseas mining giants to treat New Zealand as a low-standard extraction zone that services US interests,” says Lee.
“This $80 million belongs to the people of Aotearoa for real infrastructure, like renewable energy, not as a consolation prize for mining companies who can’t get their projects past a basic environmental assessment.”
“So who are these mining projects for? It sounds as though they are designed to pander to the wants of the Trump administration, and are not in the best interests of New Zealanders.”
“Iwi, environmentalists, community groups, and ocean protectors have been fighting for decades. Any attempt to start seabed mining in Aotearoa – whatever avenues or work around mining companies try to use – they will face strong resistance.”
The New Zealand Defence Force has combined its maritime and air assets to conduct a search and rescue operation for two men drifting in a wooden boat 105 nautical miles south of Tonga.
The two men were located by a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P-8A Poseidon yesterday morning and were then recovered on board the Royal New Zealand Navy’s HMNZS Canterbury last night.
The P-8A had been en route to conduct maritime surveillance operations for illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing in the South West Pacific when it was diverted to conduct the search for the missing boat.
Maritime New Zealand’s Rescue Coordination Centre requested the aircraft crew search for the boat after it was reported overdue.
The crew on board the 11.5-metre wooden boat named Mysterious Wonder were reported to have left Tongatapu, Tonga on 8 February. Authorities were notified on Tuesday that the vessel was missing.
The P-8A crew flew to Fiji to base overnight before starting the search Wednesday morning. They found the boat at 10.15am. The call then went out to HMNZS Canterbury to rescue the men and bring them to safety.
Commander Wayne Andrew, the Commanding Officer of HMNZS Canterbury, said the ship launched a sea boat, rescuing the two men late yesterday evening.
“This was an excellent combined effort to locate and rescue the crew members,” he said.
“The P-8A crew did a fantastic job locating the vessel in a large search area about 105 nautical miles south of Tonga. We were fortunate to be in a position to be able to assist the two men.”
HMNZS Canterbury recently completed a successful trip to Tokelau supporting Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Cindy Kiro to mark the centenary of New Zealand administration of Tokelau. The ship was en route to the Kermadec Islands before it turned around to assist with the rescue.
The two men were flown to Tonga this morning on a RNZAF NH90 helicopter embarked on HMNZS Canterbury.
The ship will today resume passage to Raoul Island, to assist MetService and Earth Sciences New Zealand personnel to carry out upgrade and maintenance tasks of critical weather, tsunami and volcano monitoring equipment and facilities.