Over two thousand new homes are planned in a new neighbourhood, named Te Awa Lakes.Supplied/Hamilton City Council
Growth in Hamilton is leading the council to consider lowering the speed limit on part of a major city road.
Up to 2,500 new homes are planned for the northern end of the city in a new neighbourhood, called Te Awa Lakes.
Hamilton City Council has asked for feedback on lowering the 80 kilometre-an-hour speed limit to 60 km/h for a 460-metre section of Te Rapa Road.
As part of the approved development, the Te Awa Lakes developer was required to install a signalised pedestrian crossing on Te Rapa Road at their cost.
Council’s Network & Systems Operations Manager Robyn Denton said the road is an arterial route in a semi-rural area; but that is changing.
“People can already see a lot of earth works in there, but they are going to see buildings and that sort of thing,” she said.
The new homes would increase the number of people walking, cycling, and catching the bus in the area.
“The whole area will get busier,” sad Denton.
The council was looking for community feedback on the lower speed limit.
It consulted recently on other speed limit changes and Denton said Hamilton residents had shown they are thoughtful and engaged when it comes to considering the impacts.
“We found that people had thought about the issues and weren’t highly emotive about it but actually put some good, reasoned thought to us which was really useful for helping us and our elected members make decisions,” she said.
Denton said change was to be expected given that Hamilton was the country’s fastest growing city.
“This is one of the many things that happen in a growth city… we’re trying to respond at an appropriate time to get the right sort of outcome for those people who are moving into that area,” she said.
Public feedback would be presented to the council’s Transport Subcommittee in late May and if supported by elected members the proposal would then require approval from the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The public had until 9 April 2026 to have their say.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Another bank has adjusted down its long-term rates, but borrowers deciding whether to take a longer term will need to weigh up a few factors.
BNZ said it was reducing its three-year rate by 10 basis points to 4.99 percent, its four-year rate by 36 basis points to 5.19 percent and its five-year rate by 40 basis points to 5.29 percent.
It comes after Westpac last week said it was trimming the same terms.
It was the first bank to move after the latest official cash rate (OCR) announcement.
The Reserve Bank indicated it expected to raise interest rates a little faster and earlier than previously forecast – but not as quickly as markets had priced in.
Wholesale markets fell as a result.
Commentators said it could be good news for borrowers and should mean a temporary end to the increases in home loan rates seen in recent weeks.
Mortgage adviser Glen McLeod, head of Link Advisory said, with longer term rates starting to come back down, he was beginning to see more interest in longer term fixed rates, but it was still a relatively small portion of clients.
“Part of my role as an adviser is to explain the pros and cons of where those rates currently sit and how suitable each option is for an individual client. I talk clients through what each rate term could mean in the current environment, where we are in the interest rate cycle, and what is likely to happen based on the best economic information available.
“From there, I look at different borrowing strategies and match them to the client’s goals. The key thing is ensuring clients fully understand the risks and what they are ultimately signing up for. Longer term rates can be appropriate in some situations, but it really depends on the person’s circumstances and risk profile.”
ANZ said in its latest Property Focus report that it was worth remembering that all rates out to two years are now below 5 percent whereas in late 2023 they were all above 7 percent.
“Given that, and our expectation that the next move in the OCR is likely to be up, we still see merit in fixing for longer at current rates, with the 18-month to three-year part of the mortgage curve likely appealing to many borrowers.”
They said four- and five-year rates were above where they expected one- to three-year rates to top out next year.
“From a pure cost perspective (that is, disregarding the value of certainty), one might only be inclined to fix for four or five years if you expect one- to three-year rates to rise above 6 percent over the next two to three years.
“That is possible, but it is not what we expect. Taking all of that into consideration, the 18-month to three-year part of the curve looks like the sweet spot, offering a good mix of certainty and low cost.”
The Government has classified recent weather events in the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, and Canterbury as a medium-scale adverse event. This enables additional support for farmers and growers in the affected regions who continue to face weather-related challenges.
“The effects of these weather events continue to be felt in these regions. Today’s announcement unlocks extra support, including tax relief, and it enables the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to consider Rural Assistance Payments and activating Enhanced Taskforce Green for affected farmers and growers,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.
“The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been working closely with local groups to identify the most affected farmers and where support is needed most, including through on-farm assessments.”
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson is encouraging farmers and growers to seek support if they need it.
“It’s important we help those farmers, growers, and rural communities now facing a lengthy clean-up.
“Farmers and growers needing assistance are encouraged to contact the Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254,” Mr Patterson says.
The Otago Regional Council is aiming to deliver an overall zero percent rates rise in the upcoming financial year.
The council has been preparing a draft annual plan which will be put up for adoption in April.
The Long Term Plan forecasted a close to nine percent increase for the same year.
Chairperson Hilary Calvert said councillors sought to keep rates as low as possible while protecting the environment and providing public transport.
“We’re confident we can deliver for Otago’s people and environment within the zero-budget increase proposed,” she said.
“Factors helping to reduce rates include cost savings and efficiencies in work programmes, extended timeframes for some work and finding alternative revenue sources.”
A directive from the government to pause planning work meant that the council would spend less than expected this financial year and would use some of the surplus to pay for work next financial year.
The average residential property in Dunedin, Clutha, Waitaki and Central Otago would see a slight rates drop, but Queenstown Lakes properties would see an increase due to a public transport rate, Calvert said.
Councillors have opted not to consult the community on this annual plan, saying no significant changes had been made to what was consulted on in the 2026/2027 year of the Long Term Plan.
Child poverty activists say families are having to make impossible decisions and go without life’s essentials following the release of new Stats New Zealand data.
The statistics agency said one in seven kids are living in material hardship, according to research conducted between July 2024 and June last year.
Child Poverty Reduction Minister Louise Upston has said reducing child poverty was a priority and that the government is making changes to improve the lives of families.
Advocates were calling for change after the latest data on child material hardship did not show a statistically significant difference compared to 2024 and 2018.
But it did show a statistically significant increase compared to 2022.
The Children’s Commissioner said the data shows there are 47,500 more children in material hardship in 2025 than there was in 2022 (169,300 compared to 121,800).
Children’s Commissioner Claire Achmad said affected kids were going without key life essentials.
“I’m talking about things like access to fresh fruit and vegetables, being able to go to the doctor or the dentist, being able to have a good bed to sleep in.
“I think we can all agree no child in New Zealand should be going without these things.”
Dr Achmad said half of the children in poverty had parents that were in work – so it was important people have pay that can lift kids out of deprivation.
She said child poverty needs to be a priority for successive governments.
“Children cannot wait for our economy to improve. Children get one chance at childhood, and we’ve got to act and get this right now.”
Child Poverty Action Group communications manager Isaac Gunson said some families were being forced to make ” impossible decisions”.
“They are paying power and rent so they can keep the lights on and keep a roof over their head, and they are going to see if there is anything for them at the foodbank.
“No one in this country should be having to make decisions like that.”
Social advocate and BBM founder Dave Letele said there needed to be change.
Social advocate and BBM founder Dave Letele.RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly
Unless support was provided, Letele said the conditions kids lived in would deteriorate.
“The New Zealand that our grandkids grow up in will be even worse. It is going to be seen more unsafe.”
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the current stats weren’t good enough.
“We want to see a reduction in child poverty, but I also have to acknowledge it has been an incredibly difficult time.”
Luxon said it was important the economy was run well for low-income New Zealanders.
Upston said reducing kids’ material hardship was a priority in the government’s child and youth strategy.
Upston said they have made a number of changes to improve the lives of Kiwi families such as the in-work tax credit and introducing their FamilyBoost policy for childcare.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Over two thousand new homes are planned in a new neighbourhood, named Te Awa Lakes.Supplied/Hamilton City Council
Growth in Hamilton is leading the council to consider lowering the speed limit on part of a major city road.
Up to 2,500 new homes are planned for the northern end of the city in a new neighbourhood, called Te Awa Lakes.
Hamilton City Council has asked for feedback on lowering the 80 kilometre-an-hour speed limit to 60 km/h for a 460-metre section of Te Rapa Road.
As part of the approved development, the Te Awa Lakes developer was required to install a signalised pedestrian crossing on Te Rapa Road at their cost.
Council’s Network & Systems Operations Manager Robyn Denton said the road is an arterial route in a semi-rural area; but that is changing.
“People can already see a lot of earth works in there, but they are going to see buildings and that sort of thing,” she said.
The new homes would increase the number of people walking, cycling, and catching the bus in the area.
“The whole area will get busier,” sad Denton.
The council was looking for community feedback on the lower speed limit.
It consulted recently on other speed limit changes and Denton said Hamilton residents had shown they are thoughtful and engaged when it comes to considering the impacts.
“We found that people had thought about the issues and weren’t highly emotive about it but actually put some good, reasoned thought to us which was really useful for helping us and our elected members make decisions,” she said.
Denton said change was to be expected given that Hamilton was the country’s fastest growing city.
“This is one of the many things that happen in a growth city… we’re trying to respond at an appropriate time to get the right sort of outcome for those people who are moving into that area,” she said.
Public feedback would be presented to the council’s Transport Subcommittee in late May and if supported by elected members the proposal would then require approval from the New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi.
The public had until 9 April 2026 to have their say.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Another bank has adjusted down its long-term rates, but borrowers deciding whether to take a longer term will need to weigh up a few factors.
BNZ said it was reducing its three-year rate by 10 basis points to 4.99 percent, its four-year rate by 36 basis points to 5.19 percent and its five-year rate by 40 basis points to 5.29 percent.
It comes after Westpac last week said it was trimming the same terms.
It was the first bank to move after the latest official cash rate (OCR) announcement.
The Reserve Bank indicated it expected to raise interest rates a little faster and earlier than previously forecast – but not as quickly as markets had priced in.
Wholesale markets fell as a result.
Commentators said it could be good news for borrowers and should mean a temporary end to the increases in home loan rates seen in recent weeks.
Mortgage adviser Glen McLeod, head of Link Advisory said, with longer term rates starting to come back down, he was beginning to see more interest in longer term fixed rates, but it was still a relatively small portion of clients.
“Part of my role as an adviser is to explain the pros and cons of where those rates currently sit and how suitable each option is for an individual client. I talk clients through what each rate term could mean in the current environment, where we are in the interest rate cycle, and what is likely to happen based on the best economic information available.
“From there, I look at different borrowing strategies and match them to the client’s goals. The key thing is ensuring clients fully understand the risks and what they are ultimately signing up for. Longer term rates can be appropriate in some situations, but it really depends on the person’s circumstances and risk profile.”
ANZ said in its latest Property Focus report that it was worth remembering that all rates out to two years are now below 5 percent whereas in late 2023 they were all above 7 percent.
“Given that, and our expectation that the next move in the OCR is likely to be up, we still see merit in fixing for longer at current rates, with the 18-month to three-year part of the mortgage curve likely appealing to many borrowers.”
They said four- and five-year rates were above where they expected one- to three-year rates to top out next year.
“From a pure cost perspective (that is, disregarding the value of certainty), one might only be inclined to fix for four or five years if you expect one- to three-year rates to rise above 6 percent over the next two to three years.
“That is possible, but it is not what we expect. Taking all of that into consideration, the 18-month to three-year part of the curve looks like the sweet spot, offering a good mix of certainty and low cost.”
The Government has classified recent weather events in the Bay of Plenty, Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, and Canterbury as a medium-scale adverse event. This enables additional support for farmers and growers in the affected regions who continue to face weather-related challenges.
“The effects of these weather events continue to be felt in these regions. Today’s announcement unlocks extra support, including tax relief, and it enables the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) to consider Rural Assistance Payments and activating Enhanced Taskforce Green for affected farmers and growers,” Agriculture Minister Todd McClay says.
“The Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) has been working closely with local groups to identify the most affected farmers and where support is needed most, including through on-farm assessments.”
Rural Communities Minister Mark Patterson is encouraging farmers and growers to seek support if they need it.
“It’s important we help those farmers, growers, and rural communities now facing a lengthy clean-up.
“Farmers and growers needing assistance are encouraged to contact the Rural Support Trust on 0800 787 254,” Mr Patterson says.
As Iranian and US diplomats meet in Geneva for crucial negotiations to avoid a potential war, opposition groups in exile are sniffing an opportunity.
The Islamic Republic faces its greatest political crisis since its inception. US President Donald Trump is threatening an imminent attack if Iran doesn’t capitulate on its nuclear program. And anti-regime protesters continue to gather, despite a brutal government crackdown that has killed upwards of 20,000 people, and possibly more.
Talk of a future Iran after the fall of the Islamic regime has grown increasingly fervent. And buoyed by cries heard during some of the protests in Iran of “long live the shah” (the former monarch of Iran), the voices of royalists in the Iranian diaspora are everywhere.
But is a return of the shah really what Iranians want, and what would be best for the country?
Supporters of Iran’s exiled crown prince, Reza Pahlavi, attend a demonstration in Toronto on February 14 2026.Kamran Jebreili/AP
What are the monarchists promising?
Iran’s monarchy was ancient, but the Pahlavi dynasty that last ruled the country only came to power in 1925 when Reza Khan, a soldier in the army, overthrew the previous dynasty.
Khan adopted the name Pahlavi, and attempted to bring Iran closer to Western social and economic norms. He was also an authoritarian leader, famous for banning the hijab, and was ultimately forced into exile by the British following the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran in 1941.
His son, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, attempted to continue his father’s reforms, but was similarly authoritarian. Presiding over a government that tolerated little dissent, he was ultimately forced out by the huge tide of opposition during the Islamic Revolution of 1979.
Now, the exiled crown prince, 65-year-old Reza Pahlavi, is being touted by many in the diaspora as the most credible and visible opposition figure to be able to lead the country if and when the Islamic Republic collapses.
In early 2025, the NUFDI launched a well-coordinated and media savvy “Iran Prosperity Project”, offering what the group claimed was a roadmap for economic recovery in a post-Islamic Republic Iran. Pahlavi himself penned the foreword.
Then, in July, the group released its “Emergency Phase Booklet”, with a vision for a new political system in Iran.
Although the document is mostly written in the language of international democratic norms, it envisions bestowing the crown prince with enormous powers. He’s called the “leader of the national uprising” and given the right to veto the institutions and selection processes in a transitional government.
One thing the document is missing is a response to the demands of Iran’s many ethnic minority groups for a federalist model of government in Iran.
Instead, under the plan, the government would remain highly centralised under the leadership of Pahlavi, at least until a referendum that the authors claim would determine a transition to either a constitutional monarchy or democratic republic.
But students of Iranian history cannot help but note echoes of the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini had promised a more democratic Iran with a new constitution, and without himself or other clerics in power.
After the revolution, though, Khomeini quickly grasped the reigns of power.
Online attacks against opponents
Pahlavi and his supporters have also struggled to stick to the principles of respectful debate and tolerance of different viewpoints.
When interviewed, Pahlavi has avoided discussing the autocratic nature of his father’s rule and the human rights abuses that occurred under it.
But if Pahlavi tends to avoid hard questions, his supporters can be aggressive. At the Munich Security Conference in February, British-Iranian journalist Christiane Amanpour interviewed the crown prince.
[embedded content]
Christiane Amanpour’s interview with Reza Pahlavi.
After the interview, Amanpour’s tough questions resulted in an explosion of anger from his supporters. In a video that has been widely shared on X, royalists can be seen heckling Amanpour, saying she “insulted” the crown prince.
In online forums, the language can be even more intimidating. Amanpour asked Pahlavi point-blank if he would tell his supporters to stop their “terrifying” attacks on ordinary Iranians.
While saying he doesn’t tolerate online attacks, he added, “I cannot control millions of people, whatever they say on social media, and who knows if they are real people or not.”
As I’ve noted previously, the monarchist movement also talks as though it is speaking for the whole nation.
But during the recent protests, some students could be heard shouting: “No to monarchy, no to the leadership of the clerics, yes to an egalitarian democracy”.
The level of support for the shah within Iran is unclear, in part because polling is notoriously difficult.
A 2024 poll by the GAMAAN group, an organisation set up by two Iranian academics working in the Netherlands, attempted to gauge political sentiment in Iran. Just over 30% of those polled indicated Pahlavi would be their first choice if a free and fair election were held.
But the poll doesn’t indicate why people said they wanted to vote for him. It also showed just how fragmented the opposition is, with dozens of names getting lower levels of support.
Would Pahlavi make a good leader? For many critics, his behaviour, and that of his supporters, call into question the royalists’ promises of a more liberal and tolerant Iran.
An Australian teenager who died after eating beef sausages on a camping trip has been confirmed as the nation’s first death from a tick-induced meat allergy.
New South Wales Deputy State Coroner Carmel Forbes today ruled Jeremy Webb died in 2022 from an anaphylactic reaction, which triggered an asthma attack.
This makes the teenager only the second person in the world confirmed to have died from “mammalian meat allergy”, after the 2024 fatal case of a man in the United States.
Here’s what you need to know about how tick bites can lead to a meat allergy.
How can ticks cause this?
In Australia, it’s mainly the bite of the eastern paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) that causes mammalian meat allergy.
The tick’s saliva naturally contains a sugar molecule called alpha-gal, short for galactose-α-1,3-galactose, a sugar not normally present in humans.
So when a tick bites, alpha-gal enters the blood stream and in some people prompts the body to produce molecules associated with an allergic response (known as IgE antibodies). So their body is “primed” for an allergic reaction, but doesn’t have one straight away.
But when a person later eats substances containing alpha-gal – meat, products containing gelatine such as lollies, or certain medicines – this can trigger an allergic response hours later.
This can range from hives, gut symptoms (such as cramping and diarrhoea), to a severe anaphylactic reaction that affects the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.
Who’s at risk? Are cases rising?
While this latest Australian case involved a teenager, mammalian meat allergy typically occurs in older age groups.
In research that colleagues and I have just concluded and will be submitting for publication shortly, we’ve found that mammalian meat allergy peaks in Australians aged 45–75.
It’s mainly the eastern paralysis tick (Ixodes holocyclus) that causes mammalian meat allergy in Australia.Alex Gofton, Author provided (no reuse)
Females are at increased risk, accounting for about 60% of cases, but we don’t know what’s driving that.
Our analysis of 11 years of data to 2025 also showed that annual case numbers remained relatively stable until 2020, but have since grown rapidly, on average 22% year on year.
By 2024, we saw 787 people nationwide testing positive to alpha-gal antibodies.
But most (we estimate about 90%) of that increase is down to greater awareness and more testing for mammalian meat allergy.
Only about 10% is due to a real increase in disease prevalence. We don’t exactly know why this is happening. But hypotheses include a run of mild summmers/wet winters leading to higher tick numbers, or greater exposure to ticks as people move to the bush or urban fringes.
In our study we saw cases from every state and territory, although 96% of cases occurred within Ixodes holocyclus endemic regions along the east coast.
What was remarkable, though, was the extreme geographical clustering of cases in specific high-risk regions.
Hinterland regions of south-east Queensland and northern NSW, the northern beaches regions of Sydney, and NSW south coast in particular had disproportionately high case numbers.
Not just allergies
Exposure to alpha-gal may have other effects, other than triggering an allergic reaction from eating meat.
We’re working with Australian Red Cross Lifeblood to analyse blood from 5,000 donors, including from high-risk communities. We’re aiming to see if exposure to alpha-gal from tick bites might put certain people at higher risk of cardiovascular disease later in life.
The hypothesis is that exposure to the alpha-gal allergen leads to low-level inflammation of the plaques associated with coronary artery disease.
But we haven’t started analysing those samples, so it’s early days yet.
A number of remand prisoners at Papua New Guinea’s Bomana Prison have been injured in a confrontation with Correctional Services officers.
Port Moresby General Hospital has confirmed to local media that nine inmates were rushed to hospital, and that two are in a critical condition.
Sources at the maximum security prison in Port Moresby told RNZ Pacific that on Monday officers conducted a standard activity in a cell block where they ordered 62 men held on remand to vacate their cells and allow a search.
The stated objective of the search was to locate contraband, specifically mobile phones.
However, the inmates allege that officers destroyed property belonging to remandees, including “essential legal and court documents, clothing, bedding, and various personal necessities”.
An injured inmate at Port Moresby’s Bomana Prison. Image: RNZ Pacific
They also claim officers misappropriated property, including food rations.
When the inmates subsequently protested about their belongings being destroyed or taken away, a confrontation resulted.
Officers responded ‘violently’ They claim officers responded violently, called in off-duty officers for reinforcement and brutally assaulted most of the 62 remandees with bush knives, iron bars and other instruments.
A source within PNG’s Correctional Services has confirmed to RNZ Pacific that a confrontation took place between inmates and officers.
Acting Correctional Services Commissioner Bernard Nepo also confirmed the incident to The National newspaper, but did not address the circumstances around the injuries.
RNZ Pacific spoke briefly with the Minister for Corrections, Joe Kuli, who said he was not aware of the incident, but that he would seek information from officials.
Port Moresby General Hospital . . . confirmation to local media that nine inmates were rushed to hospital. Image: RNZ Pacific
RNZ Pacific has sought comment from Correctional Services.
The inmates are seeking intervention by higher authorities over what they describe as “inhumane treatment” and misconduct by Correctional Services officers.
Many of the inmates are being held in prolonged pre-trial detention. Due to a backlog in PNG’s court system, some remandees wait years in prison before going to trial.
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
The arrest and charging of British-Fijian publisher Charlie Charters has pushed Fiji’s anti-corruption watchdog into fresh controversy.
Charters’ arrest by police last weekend has raised sharp questions about whistleblowers, due process, and political pressure in the Pacific island nation.
The 57-year-old appeared in the Suva Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with two counts of aiding and abetting.
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) alleges he helped an officer of the commission unlawfully release official information, which was then posted on his Facebook account, “Charlie Charters”.
In a statement, FICAC saID the first charge related to posts made between 2 November and 14 December 2025. The second related to a post on 2 February 2026.
Under section 13G of the FICAC Act, it is an offence for an officer or former officer to divulge official information without written authorisation.
[embedded content] Charlie Charters speaking outside the court. Video: FijiVillage News
Section 45 of the Crimes Act states that a person who aids and abets an offence is taken to have committed that offence and is punishable accordingly.
Stopped at airport Charters was stopped at Nadi International Airport on Saturday while travelling to Sydney.
He reportedly declined requests from FICAC officers to reveal his sources and spent two nights in custody before being granted bail.
The court imposed strict bail conditions, including surrendering his travel documents and a stop departure order.
The Fiji Independent Commission Against Corruption (FICAC) headquarters in Suva, which is at the centre of a growing legal and political dispute. Photo/Supplied
A non-cash bail bond of $2000 was set with a surety. The matter has been adjourned to March 2.
FICAC said it had not issued a public comment earlier because the matter was under active investigation.
“It would have been inappropriate and contrary to established investigative practice to discuss a live investigation while inquiries were continuing, irrespective of commentary circulating on social media,” the statement read.
“The matter is now properly before the court and will proceed in accordance with due process.”
Agency challenged But Charters’ lawyer, Seforan Fatiaki, has strongly challenged the agency’s actions.
He has publicly alleged that the arrest and detention were aimed at forcing his client to reveal his source instead of pursuing a genuine criminal investigation.
Charlie Charters’ lawyer, Seforan Fatiaki . . . claims his client’s arrest and detention have been aimed at forcing him to reveal a source. Image: PMN News
“It was made clear that Mr Charters’ arrest and detention were carried out for the sole purpose of extracting that information from him,” Fatiaki said.
“If Mr Charters will not volunteer that information, FICAC cannot lawfully use its powers of detention and arrest to pressure him into giving it.”
Fatiaki described the actions as a gross misuse of FICAC’s statutory powers, particularly the prohibition on departure from Fiji.
The case comes at a sensitive time for FICAC. Fiji’s Judicial Services Commission is reportedly of the view that the appointment of the agency’s current head, Lavi Rokoika, was not legal.
Appointed after sacking She was appointed last May after the sacking of former commissioner Barbara Malimali.
The High Court has since ruled that Malimali’s removal was “unlawful”.
Fijian Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka has sought to distance his government from the unfolding saga.
“We will not interfere [with FICAC],” Rabuka told reporters in Suva.
Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka . . . the government “will not interfere” with the work of Fiji’s anti-corruption agency. Image:/ Fiji govt/PMN
He acknowledged Fiji does not have a whistleblower policy but said it needed one. Rabuka added that questions remained about “how do we know that the whistleblower is genuine and the facts that they raised are factual”.
As the case heads back to court next week, many in Fiji and across the Pacific will be watching closely.
For some, it is about whether anti-corruption laws are being upheld. For others, it is about whether those who publish leaked information can do so without fear of being forced to reveal their sources.
Republished from Pacific Media Network News with permission.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said the settlement included an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.RNZ / Mark Papalii
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and the Crown have signed a Deed of Settlement for historical claims dating back to 1866.
Representatives from the Crown, including Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and the various hapū of the rohe gathered at Tuai to commemorate the settlement process finishing after six years of negotiation.
In a statement, Goldsmith said the settlement included an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi which caused significant harm to generations of Ngāti Ruapani.
The settlement package includes:
$24 million in financial redress;
An undivided half share of Patunamu Forestry Ltd;
Four commercial redress and two cultural redress properties; and
Approximately 12,000 hectares of land added into Te Urewera.
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana chair Kara Puketapu-Dentice said Waikeremoana, like other parts of Te Uruwera, carried a complex and deeply painful history.
“The hapū of Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera experienced invasion, displacement, and the systematic loss of land and livelihood.”
The settlement also included an apology for the Crown’s breaches, including those inflicted during its campaigns against the tipuna of Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and other Tūhoe hapū in Waikaremoana.
These included attacks on kāinga at Te Kōpani in 1866, the displacement and starvation of hapū, and the coerced acquisition of around 178,000 acres of land under threat of confiscation which left the hapū virtually landless by 1895.
Puketapu-Dentice said he welcomed the opportunity to formally acknowledge his people’s history and bring closure to a process which required them to repeatedly recount those experiences.
“It allows us to recognise the truth of what occurred, while creating space for future generations to focus on rebuilding and renewal.”
Around 3500 descendants of Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hinekura, Whānau Pani, and Ngāi Tarapāroa hapū maintain their connections to Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera, remaining centred around Waimako and Te Kuha marae.
“This settlement provides a foundation for the hapū of Waikaremoana, alongside other Tūhoe hapū, to restore their presence and strengthen their communities,” Puketapu-Dentice said.
“We have much to rebuild over the generations ahead. This settlement enables us to focus on restoring our relationship with our whenua, supporting our whānau, and ensuring that Waikaremoana continues to sustain future generations.”
In a statement, Minister Goldsmith said the long-awaited agreement acknowledges the past and looks to the future.
“It is a privilege to sign the Deed and deliver the Crown apology to Ngāti Ruapani in their rohe,” he said.
“A key feature of the settlement is the return of Crown-owned land into Te Urewera, reflecting a central aspiration of Ngāti Ruapani to restore their connection with Te Urewera.
“While no settlement can fully remedy the injustices of the past, this agreement represents an important step forward. I hope it will support Ngāti Ruapani to achieve their cultural and economic aspirations for future generations to come,” Goldsmith said.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Dave van Zwanenberg, left, and Craig Stevens.Supplied
The wives of two firefighters killed in a landslide during Cyclone Gabrielle have recounted the moment they learned their husbands had died.
Volunteer firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens were buried while responding to slips on Muriwai’s Motutara Road on 13 February 2023.
Stevens was freed from the pile but later died in hospital, while van Zwanenberg was found dead after two days of searching.
A coronial inquest into their deaths is being held in Auckland.
Van Zwanenberg’s wife, Amy, said she first heard that her husband was trapped as she was preparing to evacuate their home at about 2.45am on 14 February, several hours after the slip fell.
“I had just started to pack the car to leave when members from FENZ (Fire and Emergency NZ) arrived to tell me what had happened. They were fairly vague on details other than that Dave was missing. They were searching for him and conditions were obviously incredibly challenging,” she recounted.
“Under an hour later I was told that they had called off the search due to the severity of the conditions, high risk to search personnel and low chance of Dave’s survival.”
She said the following days were extremely difficult.
Dave van Zwanenberg with his children.Supplied / van Zwanenberg family
“We spent that night in an odd sort of horrific limbo without much hope but the distressing thought of Dave, whether alive or dead, alone in a pile of mud and rubble still waiting to be found,” she said.
“You can imagine how difficult and heart-wrenching that was to explain to our six-year-old son.”
Van Zwanenberg’s body was recovered on 15 February, two days after the slip.
“I was told at about 10.45am on the 15th of February that a body dressed in FENZ uniform had been located and later that day this was officially confirmed as Dave,” van Zwanenberg said.
“I was told I was not allowed to see or touch him, which was very hard to hear, but I was granted the privilege to go to the site and say goodbye from the outside of the undertaker vehicle. On its departure, men and women who’d been involved lined the exit in a guard of honour, an incredibly touching salute.”
Amy van Zwanenberg said she was proud of her husband’s work as a volunteer firefighter, which he did alongside working as a vet.
Amy and Dave van Zwanenberg.Supplied / van Zwanenberg family
“While adjusting to life without Dave has been very painful and my two young children are now growing up without their dedicated father, a life-long loss, they can be proud of who he was and the respect he’s been given even in death,” she said.
Steven’s wife, Lucy, echoed that sentiment.
“When Craig left [that day] both his mum Marianne and I talked about how proud we were of him being out there in the cyclone helping the community,” she said.
“I never saw him conscious again.”
Stevens died in hospital on 16 February, three days after the slip, surrounded by his family.
Craig Stevens is survived by his wife Lucy and his two children Kauri and Tai.Supplied via NZ Herald
“Finding out Craig wasn’t going to make it and then having to tell the boys they were going to lose their dad was the hardest and most distressing moment of my life,” Lucy Stevens said.
She described Stevens as a perfect husband and father.
“My six-year-old said the other day, ‘I at least needed one dad, and that one was perfect.’ The deep loss of their perfect dad and my loving husband and partner in life will remain with us forever.”
Stevens’ mother, Marianne, was visiting Muriwai from the United Kingdom when Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
Lucy Stevens read a statement written by Marianne to court.
“As a mother every fibre in your being wants to protect your child, and I was unable to do that,” she said.
Coroner Erin Woolley was visibly emotional as she thanked the women for giving evidence.
“I’m always grateful when family members have the courage to give evidence. I find it moving just listening to you so I admire you for having the ability to do that and thank you very much for doing so,” Woolley said.
The Cyclone Gabrielle inquest will move into its next phase in mid-March, with a focus on the events in Hawke’s Bay.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
On 25 February 2026, Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI) announced the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) in a surveillance trap in Papatoetoe.
In response, Biosecurity New Zealand has launched a biosecurity operation and is ramping up trapping and inspections in Papatoetoe. As a precautionary measure, legal restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly has been found (a Controlled Area Notice or CAN) will be put in place.
It is important to know that the capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. It does mean that the community needs to keep an eye out and report any sightings.
Biosecurity New Zealand has successfully eradicated 15 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland – including a recent response in Mt Roskill to eradicate a Queensland fruit fly (unrelated to this find).
The fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here.
Visit Biosecurity New Zealand’s website for the most up to date information on this response.
Changes to your kerbside collections
The affected area in Papatoetoe is divided into two zones, A and B, which have different restrictions. To check if you are in the controlled area and which zone applies to you visit Biosecurity New Zealand’s website.
These restrictions mean some changes to kerbside (particularly food scraps) collections in the area.
Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said the settlement included an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi.RNZ / Mark Papalii
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and the Crown have signed a Deed of Settlement for historical claims dating back to 1866.
Representatives from the Crown, including Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith and the various hapū of the rohe gathered at Tuai to commemorate the settlement process finishing after six years of negotiation.
In a statement, Goldsmith said the settlement included an agreed historical account and redress for historical breaches of the Treaty of Waitangi which caused significant harm to generations of Ngāti Ruapani.
The settlement package includes:
$24 million in financial redress;
An undivided half share of Patunamu Forestry Ltd;
Four commercial redress and two cultural redress properties; and
Approximately 12,000 hectares of land added into Te Urewera.
Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana chair Kara Puketapu-Dentice said Waikeremoana, like other parts of Te Uruwera, carried a complex and deeply painful history.
“The hapū of Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera experienced invasion, displacement, and the systematic loss of land and livelihood.”
The settlement also included an apology for the Crown’s breaches, including those inflicted during its campaigns against the tipuna of Ngāti Ruapani mai Waikaremoana and other Tūhoe hapū in Waikaremoana.
These included attacks on kāinga at Te Kōpani in 1866, the displacement and starvation of hapū, and the coerced acquisition of around 178,000 acres of land under threat of confiscation which left the hapū virtually landless by 1895.
Puketapu-Dentice said he welcomed the opportunity to formally acknowledge his people’s history and bring closure to a process which required them to repeatedly recount those experiences.
“It allows us to recognise the truth of what occurred, while creating space for future generations to focus on rebuilding and renewal.”
Around 3500 descendants of Ngāti Ruapani, Ngāti Hinekura, Whānau Pani, and Ngāi Tarapāroa hapū maintain their connections to Waikaremoana and the wider Te Urewera, remaining centred around Waimako and Te Kuha marae.
“This settlement provides a foundation for the hapū of Waikaremoana, alongside other Tūhoe hapū, to restore their presence and strengthen their communities,” Puketapu-Dentice said.
“We have much to rebuild over the generations ahead. This settlement enables us to focus on restoring our relationship with our whenua, supporting our whānau, and ensuring that Waikaremoana continues to sustain future generations.”
In a statement, Minister Goldsmith said the long-awaited agreement acknowledges the past and looks to the future.
“It is a privilege to sign the Deed and deliver the Crown apology to Ngāti Ruapani in their rohe,” he said.
“A key feature of the settlement is the return of Crown-owned land into Te Urewera, reflecting a central aspiration of Ngāti Ruapani to restore their connection with Te Urewera.
“While no settlement can fully remedy the injustices of the past, this agreement represents an important step forward. I hope it will support Ngāti Ruapani to achieve their cultural and economic aspirations for future generations to come,” Goldsmith said.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Dave van Zwanenberg, left, and Craig Stevens.Supplied
The wives of two firefighters killed in a landslide during Cyclone Gabrielle have recounted the moment they learned their husbands had died.
Volunteer firefighters Dave van Zwanenberg and Craig Stevens were buried while responding to slips on Muriwai’s Motutara Road on 13 February 2023.
Stevens was freed from the pile but later died in hospital, while van Zwanenberg was found dead after two days of searching.
A coronial inquest into their deaths is being held in Auckland.
Van Zwanenberg’s wife, Amy, said she first heard that her husband was trapped as she was preparing to evacuate their home at about 2.45am on 14 February, several hours after the slip fell.
“I had just started to pack the car to leave when members from FENZ (Fire and Emergency NZ) arrived to tell me what had happened. They were fairly vague on details other than that Dave was missing. They were searching for him and conditions were obviously incredibly challenging,” she recounted.
“Under an hour later I was told that they had called off the search due to the severity of the conditions, high risk to search personnel and low chance of Dave’s survival.”
She said the following days were extremely difficult.
Dave van Zwanenberg with his children.Supplied / van Zwanenberg family
“We spent that night in an odd sort of horrific limbo without much hope but the distressing thought of Dave, whether alive or dead, alone in a pile of mud and rubble still waiting to be found,” she said.
“You can imagine how difficult and heart-wrenching that was to explain to our six-year-old son.”
Van Zwanenberg’s body was recovered on 15 February, two days after the slip.
“I was told at about 10.45am on the 15th of February that a body dressed in FENZ uniform had been located and later that day this was officially confirmed as Dave,” van Zwanenberg said.
“I was told I was not allowed to see or touch him, which was very hard to hear, but I was granted the privilege to go to the site and say goodbye from the outside of the undertaker vehicle. On its departure, men and women who’d been involved lined the exit in a guard of honour, an incredibly touching salute.”
Amy van Zwanenberg said she was proud of her husband’s work as a volunteer firefighter, which he did alongside working as a vet.
Amy and Dave van Zwanenberg.Supplied / van Zwanenberg family
“While adjusting to life without Dave has been very painful and my two young children are now growing up without their dedicated father, a life-long loss, they can be proud of who he was and the respect he’s been given even in death,” she said.
Steven’s wife, Lucy, echoed that sentiment.
“When Craig left [that day] both his mum Marianne and I talked about how proud we were of him being out there in the cyclone helping the community,” she said.
“I never saw him conscious again.”
Stevens died in hospital on 16 February, three days after the slip, surrounded by his family.
Craig Stevens is survived by his wife Lucy and his two children Kauri and Tai.Supplied via NZ Herald
“Finding out Craig wasn’t going to make it and then having to tell the boys they were going to lose their dad was the hardest and most distressing moment of my life,” Lucy Stevens said.
She described Stevens as a perfect husband and father.
“My six-year-old said the other day, ‘I at least needed one dad, and that one was perfect.’ The deep loss of their perfect dad and my loving husband and partner in life will remain with us forever.”
Stevens’ mother, Marianne, was visiting Muriwai from the United Kingdom when Cyclone Gabrielle hit.
Lucy Stevens read a statement written by Marianne to court.
“As a mother every fibre in your being wants to protect your child, and I was unable to do that,” she said.
Coroner Erin Woolley was visibly emotional as she thanked the women for giving evidence.
“I’m always grateful when family members have the courage to give evidence. I find it moving just listening to you so I admire you for having the ability to do that and thank you very much for doing so,” Woolley said.
The Cyclone Gabrielle inquest will move into its next phase in mid-March, with a focus on the events in Hawke’s Bay.
Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
On 25 February 2026, Biosecurity New Zealand (MPI) announced the discovery of a single male Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis) in a surveillance trap in Papatoetoe.
In response, Biosecurity New Zealand has launched a biosecurity operation and is ramping up trapping and inspections in Papatoetoe. As a precautionary measure, legal restrictions on the movement of fruit and vegetables out of the area where the fruit fly has been found (a Controlled Area Notice or CAN) will be put in place.
It is important to know that the capture of a single male does not mean we have an outbreak. It does mean that the community needs to keep an eye out and report any sightings.
Biosecurity New Zealand has successfully eradicated 15 incursions of different fruit fly in Auckland and Northland – including a recent response in Mt Roskill to eradicate a Queensland fruit fly (unrelated to this find).
The fruit fly poses no human health risk, but there would be an economic cost to the horticulture industry if it were allowed to establish here.
Visit Biosecurity New Zealand’s website for the most up to date information on this response.
Changes to your kerbside collections
The affected area in Papatoetoe is divided into two zones, A and B, which have different restrictions. To check if you are in the controlled area and which zone applies to you visit Biosecurity New Zealand’s website.
These restrictions mean some changes to kerbside (particularly food scraps) collections in the area.
