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Source: Radio New Zealand

Travel agents say they are fielding queries from panicked travellers who think they might be caught out by new United Kingdom passport rules.

From 25 February, expat British and Irish dual citizens are required to use their British or Irish passport to enter the UK, or pay more than NZ$1300 for a ‘certificate of entitlement’ to use in their New Zealand passport.

Alternatively, they can pay about NZ$1100 to renounce their citizenship.

Previously, dual citizens have been able to visit the UK on a New Zealand passport, more recently with an ETA, an electronic online declaration costing about $37.

Tori Keating, managing director of Queenstown travel agency xtravel, said the rules had left “an awful lot of people quite confused”.

“I actually had a client book her trip to the UK to visit family and friends for the 25th of February literally the day before the announcement came out. So she had to get herself a passport. She only had a four week turnaround for her passport to come through, but now the turnaround time is extending out as literally hundreds of thousands of people are trying to organise passports for trips that they have pre-booked this year,” she said.

To start the passport process, people had to track down their birth certificate or apply for one in the UK, she said.

“That gets sent over, then you have to send it back so that you can actually do your passport application,” she said.

Auckland visa consultant Thelma Lorence, of Visa Assist, said she too had been inundated with questions about the change.

She was trying to find out how it would affect people on a cruise ship travelling around the world, who boarded last month and were due to arrive in the UK after the deadline.

“It’s thrown a huge curveball for those who may be caught out,” she said.

The British High Commissioner has encouraged people to use an online tool to check if they have British citizenship.

Lorence said a key point of confusion was whether people entitled to apply for a UK passport needed to apply, including children and descendants of citizens.

“Nowhere does it say you must now apply for a British passport to come to the UK. Nowhere is that in black and white. But there won’t be any case studies until after the 25th of February,” she said.

Dunedin travel agent Rosann Connolly-George, of Vincent George Travel, said about a third of her clients heading to the UK this year had already been in touch, worried they would be affected.

Some were thinking about avoiding the UK altogether, she said.

“A couple of our clients are actually rethinking about going into the United Kingdom and focusing more on the European side of things – which is a real shame for the tourism there,” she said.

UK border system goes digital

The new passport rules were part of what British High Commissioner Iona Thomas called a broader shift towards a more streamlined immigration and border-control system.

The UK government was rolling out a fully digital system, replacing physical documents with online records of immigration status and digital travel permission.

Disability advocate Blake Forbes said he was concerned about what that could mean for people who were “digitally isolated” and less computer-savvy, including elderly people and those with disabilities.

“I would like to see them just keep those more non-technological options for a little bit longer,” he said.

Earlier, the British High Commission said it had put out notifications last year to make people aware of the change.

Thomas said she was sorry dual citizens were finding the new passport rules hard to adjust to.

Dual citizens warned to sort passports well ahead of travel

Dual citizens who did not have travel plans should still be aware of the change, Keating said.

“It’s no longer going to be enough to be able to get into the UK urgently with a New Zealand passport, even if you try and say that you didn’t realise you had the citizenship, you don’t want the citizenship. All of the processes, all of the steps need to have been taken before you can actually board the plane. And in fact, you won’t even be allowed to board the plane if you don’t have your UK passport or your Irish passport,” she said.

“Being prepared right now gives you more flexibility to be able to move quickly if needed.”

People with queries should not rely on AI or social media for answers, she said.

“Start with the British consulate, or the Irish consulate,” she said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/30/panicked-travellers-fear-getting-caught-out-by-new-uk-passport-rules/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Damage in the Wairata Valley following torrential rain on 16 January that brought down slips on SH2, closing the Waioweka Gorge.

Several families living in the Waioeka Gorge in Bay of Plenty remain isolated, two weeks after dozens of slips came down.

The landslides have closed kilometres of State Highway 2 – the main route between Ōpōtiki and Gisborne and helicopters have been taking supplies to the cut-off locals.

Even before last week’s storm laid waste to North Island communities – families in the Waioeka Gorge were isolated.

On Friday 16 January, torrential rain brought down multiple slips on SH2, trapping around 40 motorists, who had to be evacuated by helicopter.

On the family farm in the Wairata Valley, Rebecca Redpath said the rain was relentless.

“It was just coming down in sheets … you often get heavy rain, but it doesn’t last, and this just lasted, and lasted, and lasted.”

The nearby creek turned into a roaring torrent as boulders came crashing down, she said.

The damage to the gorge road, meant her in-laws Bob and Mary Redpath – who were away – had to be helicoptered to their home.

Bob Redpath said while they had had floods in the past – the damage had never been this extensive, and the bird’s-eye-view from the chopper was sobering.

“We’ve had nothing this complete. Every creek, every little spring has blown out.

“It was just so much rain – 160mm in two hours – and y’know, nature can’t deal with that.”

Mary Redpath said in her 47 years on the farm, she’d never seen anything like it, with streams rerouted 10 metres away from their original course.

“It’s … totally mindboggling.”

She said they were lucky the deluge came at a time when no one was out on the farm and in danger from rushing water and slips.

“Because we would never expect this to happen. Tracks here on the farm – you’ve got to scramble over rocks and debris and trees.

“The whole land has just slipped away in places that it’s never slipped before and washed out all these fences, and it’s like, ‘Where do you begin?’”

Bob Redpath said the ongoing gorge closure, had meant their farmstay operation has come to a grinding halt.

“This is our prime part of the season, so we have had people booked right through … to autumn.

“We’ve had to ring people and say, ‘Look, you’re on standby but it doesn’t look like you’re going to be able to get in here, so very sorry, we’ll have to try that again another day.’”

But, he’s philosophical about it.

“Yeah, it is rough. But hey, you live in a wild place like the Waioeka Gorge occasionally these things jump out and bite you in the bum.”

Rebecca Redpath said the impact of the road’s closure went well beyond her family, and she was just hopeful they would be able to drive out this weekend in time for her children to start school in Hawke’s Bay, next week.

NZ Transport Agency regional transport services manager Mark Owen said crews were working overtime to reopen the section of SH2, but it was a huge job.

“Unfortunately, there’s been massive damage in there, so again crews are working away, beavering away at each end – they’re doing a full assessment.”

He was hopeful they could provide a timeframe for opening later this week.

“The good news, is that we think the road will probably be okay, but we’ve got massive slips that have come down … so we can clear and get a lane but then we’ve actually got to stabilise the hill as well.

“Then once the river recedes we then need to determine whether we’ve got any under-slips where the river may have scoured into the highway,” Owen said.

“Teams are working, we’ve got all the expertise that we need, it’s just going to take some time.”

Ōpōtiki mayor David Moore said up to 30 people were living in the gorge, which ran through both Ōpōtiki and Gisborne districts.

He said the council’s civil defence teams had been working together since its closure.

“There’s people who’ve been in and out for medical appointments. There were some people that were in there that needed to get out and people that needed to get in.”

Moore said Ōpōtiki town was lucky to dodge the severe weather that ripped across the North Island last week, but the damage on the outskirts – especially on the highways – had been significant.

“It’s caused a lot of damage in the Waioeka Gorge, which is our main arterial route, transport route – lifeline for Gisborne.

“[It’s] one of three roads to Gisborne, and all three roads are out now.”

SH35 from Ōpōtiki to Gisborne around the East Coast is closed in sections following torrential rain on 21 January, and SH38 which links the regions via Lake Waikaremoana is also shut.

“There’s a massive monetary cost, but that’s nothing compared to the tragedies that are playing out, the devastation to homes and the community on the SH35.

“The alternative route to Gisborne now is through SH5 – it’s a beautiful drive but it’s a very long drive and will add a lot of time and expense.”

Moore said when the Waioeka Gorge shut on 16 January, the alternative around SH35 added about five hours travel time between Ōpōtiki and Gisborne.

He said trucks took SH5 which added at least three hours to the travel time, joining the East Coast just north of Napier.

Moore anticipated it would be months until SH2 through the gorge returned to what it was, and said once that was done the focus should shift to the future.

“Whether we like it or not these weather events are happening more frequently. I was a beekeeper for 21 years so I do understand the weather.

“I know the Waioeka Gorge very well, so I’ve been in a weather event like that up there and it came out of nowhere.

“This is what’s happening so we have to make these roads as resilient as we can.”

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/30/bay-of-plenty-families-remain-isolated-two-weeks-after-waioeka-gorge-slips/

Source: Radio New Zealand

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Source: Radio New Zealand

There are concerns divers are plundering one of New Zealand’s famous shipwrecks. Are they treasure-hunting pirates, or just amateur souvenir-seekers?

Concerns have been raised over the summer that the historic contents of a shipwreck off the Mahia Peninsula are being plundered by divers.

The site where the alleged theft is happening is that of the S.S. Tasmania, a grand passenger steamer that went down in a fierce storm in 1897 after hitting rocks off Table Cape.

On board was a suitcase full of jewels, carried by a distant relative of the famous Rothschild family. It was that treasure that prompted diving pioneer Kelly Tarlton to buy the wreck, and in the 1970s he managed to recover about 250 rings and other items encrusted with rubies, opals, sapphires and diamonds.

But it was only a fraction of the loot, and the rest – more than half of what went down – is still there.

That may well be the allure of diving the wreck but the experts all agree that what’s left will remain lost. Storms, shifting currents and sludge from land clearances have literally muddied the waters.

Now the site of the wreck is targeted by fishers going after the prize species that gather there, but some divers are believed to be after crockery and other bits of history they can lay their hands on.

One expert however doubts there’s any looting going on.

Garth MacIntyre owns the property closest to the wreck at Mahia. He’s been diving and exploring shipwrecks for 50 years, and counts Kelly Tarlton among his mentors.

The ship site is “dived regularly by numerous recreational divers, and probably predominately spear fishermen who free dive over the wreck,” he says.

“The wreck in its own right acts like an artificial reef and draws in a lot of fish life. It’s a spectacular dive when the conditions allow you to dive it. It’s a great location.”

But he says if you’re keen enough to explore an old wreck for its potential treasure, you’re probably going to be spending more money setting up your operation than you’ll gain from any plunder.

“It’s a passion – you’re not going to get rich out of it,” he says.

For him, it’s more about the history and the stories of those who were on board.

“We don’t have an old history here, so we know most things about the wrecks that have gone down, in terms of their design and probably what they’re carrying,” he says.

“But it’s still a real buzz and a real thrill to be able to try and find these wrecks and document them – you know, video record them. There’s so much great technology out there now to relay that to the general public, and that’s what keeps driving me and this small group of people who are endeavouring to find these deep water wrecks or revisiting the shallow water wrecks.”

Today on The Detail, MacIntyre also talks about the laws governing diving around shipwrecks, and who has salvage rights.

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LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/30/the-treasures-in-the-tales/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Westport locals are using brokers or specialist insurers as standard insurance in the flood-prone town becomes more difficult or expensive to get.

RNZ reported on Thursday that AA Insurance had temporarily stopped offering new home insurance policies in Westport because of the town’s flood risk.

However, Westport residents said that while AA Insurance was the only company to publicise its policy, many others were also refusing to take on new customers.

Life-time local Glenys Elley lives on a 10-acre lifestyle block on the outskirts of town, close to the Buller River but not in a flood area.

She was quoted nearly double her previous premium, after her broker was unable to secure a new policy for her in 2024.

“We had comprehensive insurance, we had total replacement. [In] 2023, we paid $4700 for our insurance,” she said.

“My broker rang and he said, ‘Glenys, I just can’t get any reasonable insurance for you.’ And I said, ‘Oh, really?’ And he said, ‘$8500.’

“And I said, ‘You are joking.’”

After calling insurers herself, Elley was able to get a quote from specialist rural insurer FMG, for a lower premium than her existing policy.

“I had a great experience with them, and they’ve been great.”

Elley is not the only one – FMG was recommended by locals in Facebook community pages as among the few insurers still reliably offering new policies in Westport.

Jonathan Cleland, head of underwriting at FMG, told RNZ, “we have a limited risk-appetite within urban areas, given our focus on supporting rural and provincial areas”.

“For areas of heightened natural hazard, including flood risk, FMG takes a case-by-case approach considering individual client circumstances aligned with our underwriting risk-appetite.”

Taryn Sweyt and her partner ended up going through a broker to secure insurance for their first home, which they will move into next month.

The house – a 1950’s bach-style property – is at Carters Beach, a part of town the couple had always wanted to live in.

“Being able to hear the ocean all the time, being able to walk over to the beach and go for a swim, we know a lot of people who live at Carters Beach so you can wander round to each others’ houses easily.”

Carters Beach is low-lying and has had problems with erosion, but the house was on higher land, had not experienced flooding, and the vendors had an insurance policy, Sweyt said.

It was a surprise, therefore, when right before going unconditional they discovered that none of the major insurers would let them take out a policy.

“As soon as you put the postcode in, it says, ‘We’re no longer accepting insurance quotes’,” she said.

They even contacted the vendor’s insurer to see if they could transfer the policy, but were turned down.

“We thought, things have been kind of too good to be true, maybe this is the thing that makes it not happen.”

At their lawyer’s suggestion, they contacted a broker – a former cricket teammate of her partner’s – who was able to secure them insurance that afternoon.

It had been “an interesting experience”, Sweyt said.

“The postcode is associated with flooding but where the property is, yes it’s near the beach, but a lot of places in New Zealand are, and it’s never had flooding before.”

Monitoring data published by Treasury in recent years has shown that insurers are starting to hone in on flood-risk areas, charging elevated premiums and removing some online availability.

Experts have warned that insurance will become prohibitively expensive or impossible to get at all for some properties as the risk from climate change-driven weather events continues to rise.

Westport has been repeatedly flooded over time, escalating in recent years. A 2021 flood left more than 100 homes uninhabitable.

Last March, Buller District Council endorsed a flood protection plan that includes opening up lower-risk land away from the existing town for development, building 17 kilometres of stopbanks and improving flood warning systems.

West Coast Regional Council chief executive Darryl Lew said on Thursday that two sections of stopbank had been completed.

But long-time Westport real estate agent Charlie Elley – Glenys Elley’s brother-in-law – said many residents felt there had been limited progress.

It was unsurprising that AA Insurance had decided to pause new policies, he said.

“I think the insurance companies have had to make this decision, and they have included in their statements that when things improve, they will reassess.”

Charlie Elley said problems with getting affordable insurance stretched back years, to when insurers started to use flood mapping.

“Even without floods, some of our premiums around town went up then, and that’s back in about 2005.”

The issue escalated after the 2021 flood, though.

“[Home buyers] tended to first up seek properties that weren’t affected. Then after that, and the rebuild of the houses that were affected took its course … people started to look at those properties, and then they started to get a few questions over their ability to get insurance.”

More recently, insurers seemed to be affected by “postcode insurance syndrome”, he said.

“It soon became obvious that there was a trend or a change … and now they’ve come out and announced it, [but] it was already being implemented.”

Nowadays, he often advised buyers to ask the seller for their insurance information so that they could request a policy transfer.

“We say it might cost you a little bit more, but it’s better than a total outright rejection.”

There had also been “a shift in loyalty” away from the traditional insurers to others with more leeway, he said.

“And we’ve now got an insurance broker in town offering to do what they can to get insurance for anybody. So, you know, where there’s a need, then there’s a market and somebody will probably meet it.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Gil Elliott fears his daughter’s murderer may kill again if given a chance at freedom.

Clayton Weatherston was a 32-year-old economics tutor at Otago University, who had taught and had been in a relationship with honours student Sophie Elliott.

The 22-year-old had left Weatherston and on 9 January 2008 was packing up her life to move to Wellington to take up a job at Treasury.

Weatherston arrived at her family’s home in the Dunedin suburb of Ravensbourne armed with a knife.

He stabbed her to death so viciously the knife broke and Weatherston also used a pair of scissors in the frenzy.

At trial he tried to blame the attack on Sophie, claiming the partial defence of provocation.

Her death shocked New Zealand and Weatherston’s antics at trial outraged the nation, leading to the partial defence of provocation being abolished by statute.

Gil Elliott said while Sophie’s death was 18 years ago, it felt like little time had passed at all.

“The 18 years just seems to have gone by in a flash, quite honestly,” Elliott said.

“It won’t have for him, no doubt. It’s probably been a bit of a grind for him, but too bad.”

Now Elliott was facing the possibility of Weatherston being released on parole.

The now 50-year-old murderer would appear before the Parole Board for the first time on Friday.

“We don’t have Sophie – it’s terrible to think about it,” Elliott said.

“She was such a lovely person too and she was absolutely innocent. There was no reason for him to do what he did to her.

“He didn’t just kill – he butchered her. I mean 216 times, seven blunt force injuries, he must have bashed her as well. And then to mutilate her when she was dead.”

Weatherston had not acknowledged his guilt or offered an apology in his 18 years behind bars, Elliott said.

He was a narcissist and a danger to society, Elliott said.

“He’s not necessarily going to be in there forever and a day. I mean, that’s the problem with our system – he eventually probably will get out.

“So he didn’t get a life sentence, did he? He got denied his freedom for 18 years, but it hasn’t cost him a cent.

“It’s cost our family a hell of a lot in emotional harm and financial harm as well. The taxpayer forked out all this money to give him a trial, allow him to appeal, and then lock him up.”

Elliott said he feared Weatherston had parallels to Paul Wilson, who was also known as Paul Tainui.

Wilson spent more than 16 years behind bars for sexual assault and murder.

After being released on parole he raped and murdered another innocent woman.

Elliott met with the Parole Board on Thursday and raised Wilson’s offending.

“I reminded the Parole Board of that particular case,” Elliott said.

“I’m sure they don’t need to be reminded – they let him out.

“Corrections didn’t keep a close eye on him … and he murdered again.

“There’s no reason why Weatherston couldn’t do exactly that same thing. So I said to them ‘I just hope that if Weatherston gets out, he’s not another Wilson’.”

Weatherston’s chances of parole were remote at this time, but Elliott said he was still concerned about the narcissistic killer being released – no matter how small the possibility.

He told the Parole Board if Weatherston was released he should have conditions on where he could live and visit.

“We don’t want him to be in Dunedin. We don’t want him to be in Christchurch – we’ve got family here. We don’t want him to be on the West Coast – we’ve got relations over there. We don’t want him to be in Auckland because we’ve got relations and family in Auckland. We don’t want him to be in Whangārei as well.

“So, facetiously, I suggested they send him to the Auckland Islands.”

Steeling himself and preparing for Weatherston’s parole hearing had been draining for himself and his family, Elliott said.

“It’s been emotionally draining, quite honestly,” he said.

“I wrote a written submission and sent that in about two months ago, along with a lot of other people [who] have sent in written submissions.

“So it’s almost re-victimisation. My two sons … they wouldn’t come to the hearing because they … just couldn’t go through that again.

“I did.”

He told the Parole Board to decline parole and impose a postponement order, so Weatherston could not seek parole for several more years.

“The thing about it is it was Sophie that got the life sentence and our family,” Elliott said.

“But he didn’t because he can get out one day.

“He got 18 years because he defiled Sophie after she was dead.

“But, theoretically, he can be released.

“I’d hate to actually meet up with him. I really would.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Teaching Council says it will investigate whether mandatory reporting obligations were met over allegations involving a priest now convicted of sexually abusing boys, with its disciplinary process set to examine the actions of “everyone involved”.

It comes after RNZ revealed that the Society of Mary was made aware of allegations against the priest nearly 20 years ago. The religious order was unable to verify the allegations from the anonymous complainant, but removed him from public ministry and enacted a “safety plan”.

RNZ reported on Wednesday that Fr Rowan Donoghue had pleaded guilty to six charges, five of which are representative, including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

• Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

In response to questions from RNZ, a Teaching Council spokesperson said any situation where a young person had been harmed or made to feel unsafe was “deeply distressing”.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected by this case. No child or young person should ever feel unsafe at school.”

In general, the council did not comment on complaints or mandatory reports that had been made to the council.

“However, given the level of public interest, we can confirm that we have been working closely with New Zealand Police since early 2025 in support of their investigation into offending by Mr Donoghue.

“The legal requirement for mandatory reporting to the New Zealand Teachers Council (now the Teaching Council) relating to the dismissal, resignation under investigation, serious misconduct, competence concerns, or specified convictions of teachers was first inserted into the Education Act 1989 by the Education Standards Act 2001 to protect the safety of children and young people in our education system.”

Now the criminal process had concluded, the council’s professional disciplinary process would resume.

“This process will include consideration of whether obligations have been met to report conduct or competence concerns to the council that were known at the time, and appropriate action depending on the findings.”

Asked who the disciplinary process would look at, the spokesperson said the council would “look into the actions of everyone involved”.

“We are committed to ensuring the safety of children and young people and the quality of teaching in our education system, and we encourage anyone who has concerns about the conduct or competence of a formally registered teacher to reach out to us.”

In response to questions from RNZ on Wednesday, the Society of Mary confirmed an anonymous complaint of a sexual nature was made against Donoghue in 2007.

“The Society of Mary sought to investigate the complaint, but was unable to gain sufficient information to verify the allegations. Even so, the Society of Mary determined that Donoghue should be removed from public ministry, with a safety plan enacted. That has stayed in place since that time.”

The society was not aware of the allegations to which Donoghue entered guilty pleas until police laid charges, the spokesperson said.

“Our first thoughts are with those who came forward and described what happened to them. We extend our apologies to them, and will seek to do so personally at an appropriate time. We deeply regret the hurt or harm caused.”

The society was “committed to ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of all people in Church settings”.

Asked whether police were told, the spokesperson said the complainant was “encouraged to contact the police”.

St Bede’s College rector Jon McDowall told RNZ on Wednesday the details outlined through the court process were “deeply disturbing”.

“As rector, it makes me feel sick to think that young people entrusted to an adult’s care were abused in this way. I am deeply sorry that this happened to them, and my thoughts are with the victims and survivors who continue to live with the impact of that harm.”

McDowall said the school had worked openly with police throughout the process.

“We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities should any further information come to light.

“Abuse has no place at St Bede’s – past, present, or future. The College has an established policy in place to respond and support victims of historical abuse, alongside safeguarding policies and practices to protect the wellbeing and safety of students today. Our focus remains on providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community.”

McDowall extended an open invitation for victims in the case, and others who may have been impacted, or anyone with concerns to contact him directly.

He earlier told RNZ the school was “formally notified” of the allegations by police and had “worked openly with them since that time”.

“We hold victims and survivors in our thoughts and remain focused on providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community – past, present and future.”

In early 2023, police were contacted about the allegations of sexual abuse by Donoghue in relation to his time at St Bede’s College.

St Patrick’s Silverstream rector Rob Ferreira told RNZ the school had not been made aware of any allegations of abuse in care while Fr Donoghue worked at the school between 1982 to 1992.

“We have not had any inquiries from the police either.

“We operate according to clearly set out guidelines and best practice and you should note that our primary concern is the wellbeing of our students. Given that – our protection of the privacy and any other rights of survivors of abuse and other individuals would be paramount.”

He said the school had informed the community that Donoghue’s name suppression had lifted.

St Patrick’s College Wellington rector Mike Savali confirmed to RNZ that Donoghue was on the college staff from 2003 to 2007.

Where to get help

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

If you have been abused, remember it’s not your fault.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

As floodwaters recede and damage assessments continue after last week’s deadly storms, scrutiny is turning to whether New Zealand is prepared for the next disaster – and how it will pay for it.

One long-term economic analysis shows New Zealand has developed a pattern of spending heavily after disasters strike, while investing comparatively little upfront to reduce future risk.

“Our key problem is that we tend to respond to every disaster in an ad hoc way,” said adaptation expert Professor Bronwyn Hayward, from Canterbury University. “And we’re treating every disaster individually.”

Treasury flagged the same issue in 2024, warning there is an 80 percent chance New Zealand will experience another Cyclone Gabrielle-scale event within the next 50 years, and describing extreme weather as a repeat and growing fiscal risk for the Crown, rather than a one-off shock.

Despite those warnings, funding and planning for climate adaptation has been scaled back by the current government – even as recovery bills have climbed well over $1b following Cyclone Gabrielle, the Auckland Anniversary floods and last year’s Tasman floods.

Experts say the bill will only continue to rise as climate change worsens, unless the nation makes urgent changes to how it funds climate adaptation.

“You end up paying six times more for emergency repair than you would if you’d actually planned ahead and planned the upgrades or planned a city,” says Emily Mabin Sutton, chief executive of the Climate Club, a group that organises climate action. “Basically – we can brush our teeth each day or get a painful root canal…and at the moment we’re going to the dentist screaming.”

The government has argued resilience investment continues, but through mainstream infrastructure and regional funding rather than ring-fenced funds.

Deadly storms and mounting recovery costs

Heavy rain triggered widespread flooding, evacuations and landslides across parts of the North Island last week, including Bay of Plenty, Northland, the Coromandel and Tai Rāwhiti. In Mount Maunganui, six people were killed when a landslide struck a campground after intense rainfall destabilised steep hillsides. Two more died in a slip in nearby Papamoa, and another in Northland when his car was swept down a river.

Cabinet approved $2.2 million in immediate recovery funding, including for the marae which opened its doors to evacuees. Further support is expected as damage estimates are finalised. Gisborne District Mayor Rehette Stoltz estimated the damage caused to her region alone during last week’s storms will cost $21.5m to fix.

The money has already been criticised as “not enough” by opposition parties, who say there needs to be more funding for resilience, not just recovery.

“Aotearoa New Zealand needs to get out of the pattern of crisis and response. We know that climate change charged weather events are going to become more frequent and more extreme, and we need to plan accordingly,” said Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick.

Since its election in 2023, the government has removed or reduced most forms of dedicated climate adaptation and resilience funding.

In Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nicola Willis ended the ring-fencing of Emissions Trading Scheme revenue for the Climate Emergency Response Fund. The government also dismantled a $6 billion national resilience fund created after Cyclone Gabrielle, arguing resilience spending should instead be assessed through standard Budget processes.

At the same time, scientific capacity has been reduced. NIWA has confirmed job cuts affecting climate modelling, physical oceanography and marine science roles, while the government discontinued Te Ara Paerangi – Future Pathways, a programme intended to strengthen the science system supporting long-term climate risk assessment.

Planned adaptation actions quietly discontinued

The policy framework intended to guide climate adaptation has also been scaled back.

When the Ministry for the Environment released the first National Adaptation Plan in 2022, it was intended to translate climate risk assessments into practical decisions about where and how the country builds, protects infrastructure, and supports communities facing growing hazards.

At the centre of the plan were tools designed to help governments and councils move beyond ad hoc responses to extreme weather. These included guidance for central government policymakers on incorporating climate risk into decision-making, updated methodologies for local climate risk assessments, and a framework for councils to identify when areas should be protected, redesigned or retreated from as risks escalate over time.

An official addendum table published in January 2025 shows much of that work has since been stopped, leaving decisions about rebuilding and upgrading exposed assets largely to existing regulatory and funding settings.

Economic and social adaptation measures were also discontinued, including work on income insurance and welfare reforms intended to support communities facing climate shocks, as well as targeted support for Māori small-business resilience and sector-specific adaptation initiatives in areas such as tourism.

Swarbrick said the fact funding for Māori resilience had been cut was “gutting”.

“That would have enabled more investment in building that resilience, as opposed to what [the government] are doing right now, which is patting iwi Māori on the back and simply reimbursing them.”

While national direction on natural hazards remains in place through planning instruments, the National Adaptation Plan was intended to provide the tools, standards and coordination needed to act on that direction.

Mabin Sutton said the cuts had real-world impacts for communities wanting to make decisions about their futures.

“Over 65 percent of New Zealand’s population in major infrastructure sits within 5 kilometres of the coast. And we haven’t got a map yet of where is the most risky place to live or the safer places to live.”

The new plan

The government says it has not abandoned climate adaptation. In October 2025, the Ministry for the Environment announced a National Adaptation Framework, setting out 16 initial actions focused on improving coordination across agencies, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and establishing principles for adaptation planning.

It will also develop new national hazard datasets, and a requirement for councils to develop adaptation plans for priority areas.

But that framework does not include a dedicated funding mechanism, and it does not reinstate many of the delivery tools discontinued from the first National Adaptation Plan.

One of its central initiatives – a national flood-mapping programme – is not expected to produce its first public outputs until 2027, while decisions on cost-sharing have been deferred until the next parliamentary term. The Climate Change Commission has warned that the lack of clarity about who pays for adaptation remains a major barrier to progress.

The weighting towards crisis response was last year captured in economic analysis commissioned by insurance company IAG, which examined central government spending on natural hazards over time.

The report found spending had increased but is dominated by post-event recovery, highlighting that recovery spending following events such as Cyclone Gabrielle and the Auckland Anniversary floods ran into the billions of dollars, while investment aimed at reducing future exposure remains comparatively small and episodic.

Sapere Research Group, which completed the report, found severe weather events requiring large-scale Crown intervention are occurring more frequently. It also noted that central government increasingly acts as the funder of last resort, particularly where homes, infrastructure and communities remain exposed to known flood and landslip risks.

The insurance sector is also beginning to reflect those risks from climate more explicitly. This week, AA Insurance confirmed it had temporarily stopped offering new home and landlord policies in parts of Westport because of flood risk, citing elevated exposure.

‘Significant fiscal cost’ must be shared, government says

When questioned about the funding cuts this week, the government said resilience investment continues, but through mainstream infrastructure and regional funding.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said climate and resilience spending should be assessed through standard Budget processes rather than ring-fenced funds. Finance Minister Willis has cited flood protection works, stopbanks and transport upgrades as evidence resilience investment is ongoing, arguing such projects should compete alongside other infrastructure priorities.

Climate Change Minister Simon Watts told RNZ that adaptation involves “a significant fiscal cost” that will need to be shared across society over time.

“The work we are doing with the National Adaptation Framework will give us an enduring system that prepares New Zealand for the impacts of climate change, while keeping costs to our society as low as possible,” Watts said in a statement to RNZ.

“Our approach is about making sure people have the right information to make the right decisions. This will allow people and businesses to plan ahead and make decisions that lower risk and boost resilience.”

Watts said the government’s framework included shifting spending towards reducing risk before climate-related events like floods or storms happen.

He pointed to funding available through the $1.2b regional infrastructure fund, including $200m ring-fenced for flood protection, but has said councils will need to develop adaptation plans and then work with central government and other stakeholders on how costs are met.

Meanwhile, the latest climate projections indicate New Zealand is already around 1.1C warmer than in the early 1900s, and could be up to 3C hotter by the end of the century if global greenhouse gas emissions are not rapidly reduced.

Scientists say that warming will increase the frequency and severity of floods, landslides, storms, heatwaves and droughts, while also placing growing strain on emergency response systems, public health, insurance availability and government budgets.

Hayward said the stakes were clear. “Children that have been born in 2020 and since will face over four times the number of extreme events in their lifetimes than any of us who were 55 in 2020 will ever experience in our remaining lives,” she said.

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

LiveNews: https://nz.mil-osi.com/2026/01/30/deadly-storms-expose-growing-gap-between-disaster-recovery-and-climate-preparation/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Angela Amohanga walked into the vigil ground with six sombre black balloons in tow.

Each of them carried the name of a victim of Mount Maunganui’s deadly landslide a week earlier.

“I just wanted to do a tribute for an occasion that none of us liked, I think it’s touched many people,” she said.

The names were inked in gold especially to remember Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, who has been described as a hero for waking up other campers.

“So, got the gold, you know, hearts of gold, I’ve got a heart of gold and I just wanted to pass it on to them and especially their families,” Amohanga said.

“I can only imagine what they’re going through … I know if it was me, I would want to be in there, getting my family out.”

Through tears, she spoke of a feeling of devastation.

It was the same as what many of the thousand or so people at the vigil were feeling.

For seven long days there has been a sense of heaviness across Mount Maunganui, and it was hoped the vigil could lift a little of that weight.

Angela Armer said it was important to come for a sense of connection.

“It’s affected a lot of people and you just feel that everybody’s been affected by it,” she said.

“It’s been a very emotional week, it really has, and all we can do is just imagine what the parents are going through and the families, you know.

“It goes deep for a lot of people.”

Relatives of victims were slowly guided and welcomed onto the grounds after attending an earlier, private ceremony with emergency workers.

Older people from the community were asked sit in seats next to them in a show of support.

“We all feel for the ones that have gone and their family,” another attendee, Liz, said.

She too was visibly upset.

“It’s so close to home, it could have been one of us or one of our family.”

Sitting on the ground next to her was Joy.

“I’ve climbed it and been around it many, many times and I feel for what’s happened down here is such a tragedy to our little Mount,” she said.

“And I feel for everybody that’s here and it’s quite emotional.”

She described the turnout as incredible.

“We’ve got a beautiful night for it too,” she added.

The service progressed as the sun went down and the light faded.

It was scheduled so most of it was to simply be together, the speeches made up only a small part.

Many stood with their arm around the person next to them.

Angela, sitting with Joy and Liz, said people were trying to feel a bit more normal.

“We expected a lot of people to be here because a lot of people do feel for what has happened at the Mount,” she said.

“And I think a lot of people, there’s nothing that we can do about it so we come together to support each other in this strange feeling that we have.

“And everybody has this feeling of loss… I don’t know what it is, it’s a human thing, isn’t it? Getting together to mourn and pay respects.”

The air was pierced with waiata with singing from Te Wharekura o Mauao and performer Ria Hall.

Six names were also read out – Lisa, Måns, Jacqueline, Susan, Sharon, and Max.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale also acknowledged 10-year-old Austen Richardson and his grandmother Yao Fang, the victims of another slip in Pāpāmoa.

“One week ago today, tragedy struck our city and it changed our lives forever, we stand here tonight in solidarity with the families that devastatingly lost their loved ones.”

He said the community deeply felt their grief.

“It has been a hard week for everyone and it is bringing your loved ones home that has got us all through,” Drysdale said.

The mayor also paid tribute to volunteers and emergency workers who he said were continuing to work tirelessly.

“Tonight is about processing the tragic events of last week, it’s about supporting each other, it’s about sharing experience and hoping that we can start the recovery.

“Just thank you to the families for your strength.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the families were going through unimaginable grief.

“And those first three days since that landslide occurred at the Mount Maunganui campground, every New Zealander, I’m telling you, was hoping for a miracle that I spoke to up and down this country,” he said.

“And we were then devastated to receive the news that we’d all been dreading, and that was a particular cruelty that in this awful event, there were families that had actually just been celebrating a Kiwi summer at an awesome Kiwi campground.

“And I want to say to the families, though I know it does not ease your grief or your pain or your suffering, I want you to know that New Zealand is with you, we grieve with you, every one of us stands with you at this very difficult and challenging time,” he said.

“We can’t take away your pain, but we can carry some of its weight for you and alongside you.”

Work at the base of Mauao was ongoing and Police said workers were expected to be there for some time.

Stephen Ireland, also at the vigil, had made a point of going to one of the re-opened cafes.

“It was quite good, but it was a pretty quiet, sort of subdued atmosphere, I guess.

“Having a coffee and then, because those diggers were just working there next to us, basically, and the trucks pulling the dirt out, it’s pretty surreal.

“Unbelievable, really.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Convicted double-murderer Scott Watson is due to appear before the Parole Board again on Friday, in his latest bid to be released from prison.

Watson was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999 for murdering Ben Smart and Olivia Hope in the Marlborough Sounds after an 11-week trial involving about 500 witnesses.

The Blenheim friends, aged 21 and 17, were last seen stepping off a water taxi onto a stranger’s yacht in the early hours of 1 January 1998 after a New Year’s Eve party at Furneaux Lodge. Their bodies have never been found.

Watson, 54, had always maintained his innocence and had now spent more than 27 years behind bars.

It was now accepted that Hope and Smart died in circumstances that amounted to murder at the hands of the lone man with whom they boarded the yacht on which they were last seen.

The key issue at trial was whether that man was Watson.

Watson became eligible for parole in June 2015 but his denials had been a factor in why parole had been declined four times so far.

His fifth attempt in March last year was abandoned after the Parole Board ran out of time to hear from Watson, his family and an independent psychologist.

The Court of Appeal turned down a bid to quash Watson’s murder convictions last year.

The appeal focused on the use of photo montages shown to witnesses ahead of the original trial and the reliability of forensic testing used to show two hairs found on Watson’s boat belonged to Hope.

An almost 300-page decision released last September by Justices Christine French, Patricia Courtney and Susan Thomas found there was no miscarriage of justice in relation to the hair evidence or the identification of Watson by water taxi skipper Guy Wallace.

The court was satisfied Watson’s trial was fair and the jury’s guilty verdicts followed the crown presenting a compelling case.

It was Watson’s fourth attempt to appeal his convictions.

The first application to the Court of Appeal in 2000 was dismissed then an application to the Privy Council for special leave to appeal was declined in late 2003.

An application for the exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy – a special avenue for criminal cases to be reopened where a person might have been wrongly convicted – was declined in 2013.

Watson made a second application for a royal pardon in November 2017 and in 2020 the Governor-General referred the question of his convictions to the Court of Appeal to determine whether a miscarriage of justice had occurred with the hearing held in 2024.

Timeline

• 1999: Scott Watson is convicted of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope
• 2000: The Court of Appeal declines to recommend a second trial
• 2003: The Privy Council declines to hear the case, saying there are no grounds for further appeal
• 2009: Watson petitions the Governor-General for a Royal Prerogative of Mercy pardon (on the basis Ros McNeilly and Guy Wallace no longer believed they had identified the right person)
• 2013: Then-Justice Minister Judith Collins advises Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae that Watson’s application for a royal pardon should be declined on the basis of a report by Kristy McDonald QC that found there was no “fresh evidence” to consider
• 2015: Watson is denied parole for the first time
• 2017: A second application for a Royal Pardon is made (by convicted murderer Brian McDonald) centring on the reliability of evidence of the two blonde hairs found on Watson’s boat Blade. The application is declined
• 2020: Then-Justice Minister Andrew Little announces Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy has referred Watson’s case back to the Court of Appeal. He appears before the Parole Board for the third time
• 2021: A fourth attempt at parole is declined
• 2025: Watson appears before the parole board for a fifth time (after two adjournments May and November 2024) but the hearing runs out of time

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Cost pressures and delays face the billion-dollar-plus overhaul of emergency communications technology systems that had let down first responders in previous disasters.

The Public Safety Network project was recently rated top of the ”Top 10 reported cost pressures by value” in a freshly released (but dated) Treasury report.

Its main contractor missed a contractual milestone triggering a briefing last August by police, which runs the project.

It was one of four high-risk investments that made the agenda at the first few meetings of the new Infrastructure and Investment Ministers Group last year, an OIA response said.

Meantime, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is working to get its own five-year emergency response systems overhaul underway this year, three years on from Cyclone Gabrielle, though it still depended it said on securing Budget funding.

The cellphone part of the three-part Public Safety Network has been delivered already but not the bigger digital radio part – which requires work on 500 hilltops and other spots – and most of the $1.8 billion budget remains unspent.

The delay has pushed the radio rollout in the final regions from this year to next.

That was not among the Top 10 delays that Treasury told ministers about in its Quarterly Investment Report to June 2025, the latest that has been made public.

The government agency in charge, Next Generation Critical Communications or NGCC, has said it could not scrimp on testing to ensure it all worked every time.

“The safety of [30,000] emergency responders and the public they serve depends on it.”

‘Hugely challenged’

The network would combine new technology across cellphones, digital radio and alert devices to protect and prioritise them for police, fire and ambulance first responders.

It had been designed to overcome the sorts of blackouts that plagued them when Cyclone Gabrielle took out power to hundreds of cellphone towers.

First endorsed by Cabinet in 2020, the project had spent just a sixth ($308 million) of its budget by last June, the date of Treasury’s latest available quarterly investment report (QIR).

The $100m appropriated for the project in Budget 2025 was easily the highest among those initiatives that got higher funding than planned.

Tait Systems took over full charge of it in 2024 when Kordia reduced itself to subcontractor status.

“In addition to delays caused by the vendor change, the project is one of the largest P25 [a type of standard] land mobile radio networks in the world under construction and is hugely challenged by the remoteness of many of the 500 sites required and New Zealand’s geography and weather,” NGCC told RNZ this week.

“Timing delays in the NGCC” have featured in police reports about financial impacts, such as how they spent $70m less on property and plant last year than expected.

Tait had still to acquire over 200 of the 500 sites needed for the radio network. Almost 100 were ready for testing and 61 were being built, with Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury best covered so far, covering 60 percent of the population.

“All except two Auckland sites are now in the build stage.”

Over 20,000 radio terminals were being put into vehicles, stations and buildings. This was “well underway”, said NGCC.

On the cellphone front, there were now 27,000 connections linked to the stronger network.

The project was not upgrading the fraught 111 emergency call system; police were looking afresh at that separately.

Treasury refused to release the police briefing about the contractual milestone miss on commercial grounds.

In 2024 MPs were told that “vendor issues” that might hold the project up had been resolved.

Treasury also blanked out exactly how much cost pressure the Public Safety Network project was under, though its report gave a total of $70m in cost pressure across the Top 10.

The quarterly reports detailed Cabinet efforts to get a better steer on big projects from agencies whose business plans have often been found wanting. They charted where the biggest and highest risk projects were at, but for public purposes gave only a dated view as they were typically released when they were already six months old.

Big jobs ahead

Cyclone Gabrielle marked the start of three years that have featured more storm inquiries with findings that the country’s emergency comms were still not good enough, a scrapping of Labour’s efforts to overhaul emergency management laws in favour of new efforts, and a struggle to deliver big, complicated technologies.

The National Emergency Management Agency had entered the fray with a five-year programme.

It could begin on that this year said NEMA, though that depended on more policy work, legislation and “availability of new funding through future Budgets”.

It was working on “the evidence base and business cases” to get it going, NEMA told RNZ this week.

The operational systems side of this was rated a “high-risk” investment in the quarterly report. It had been due for a Treasury ‘Gateway’ review late last year to check the quality of its project planning.

Among what it might deliver was a National Warning System and a Common Operating Picture or COP to let police, fire and ambulance all see the same picture of what was happening in real time.

COPs have been talked about as essential but missing by storm investigators for many years.

Tait Systems declined to comment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An invasive seaweed described as the world’s worst marine pest has mysteriously died off on a massive scale in Northland and the Hauraki Gulf.

Fast-growing caulerpa blanketed huge areas of seabed around the Bay of Islands and Aotea Great Barrier after it was first discovered in 2021, sparking grave concerns for marine ecosystems and the ability of future generations to gather kai moana.

However, since last summer, locals have seen the pest make a dramatic retreat.

At this time last year, Ōmakiwi Cove, where caulerpa was first found in Northland, was smothered in a dense, knee-high mat of weed.

Now Ngāti Kuta kaitiaki Rana Rewha said it was difficult to find any caulerpa on the bottom of the cove.

Biosecurity NZ pest management director John Walsh said the die-back – or biomass reduction, as scientists preferred to describe it – was first noticed off Aotea Great Barrier.

“We got Niwa on the job to confirm what was happening and try to identify some causes. They confirmed, yes, indeed, die-back was occurring, and it was significant. Some places where we had 90-100 percent coverage, it had virtually disappeared.”

Later, the same thing happened in the Bay of Islands, starting after Cyclone Tam in April last year.

“It’s likely that the cyclone triggered the phenomena,” Walsh said.

“We know that there was a whole lot of disturbance and sedimentation. Sediment settled on top of the caulerpa, starved it of sunlight, and contributed to the dieback. But there’s probably other things that play as well.”

In the meantime, Controlled Area Notices, which banned fishing and anchoring in certain areas, would remain in place, and divers would continue to check the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Islands.

Walsh warned against assuming the problem was over.

“It may well grow back. We don’t know. Over the course of the last few weeks, we’ve seen some indications of regrowth. It’s not very much. It may be early stages. We may see a return of those carpets so we’re keeping a pretty close eye on it.”

Walsh said the community group Conquer Caulerpa Trust was also continuing its survey work, and was successfully killing patches of caulerpa using mats and chlorine tablets.

Another initiative to mechanically remove the pest from large areas of seabed was ongoing.

Working with MPI and the Northland Regional Council, Russell man Andrew Johnson had developed a barge-mounted suction dredge to hoover up the weed from the sea floor.

The next stage would be to attach his dredge-head to a remotely-operated underwater vehicle that could be controlled from the surface.

The vehicle, which resembled an underwater tractor, was currently being shipped from Scotland.

Walsh said the suction dredge was designed for tackling large carpets of caulerpa, which had largely vanished, but work would continue to develop the machine in case they returned.

He did not think the initial response to the caulerpa invasion had been an over-reaction.

“When we saw these multi-hectare carpets appearing, it was very, very concerning … I think people are right to be cautious about making assumptions that if the caulerpa has disappeared, it’s going to continue to be that way. We’ve got a window to breathe, that’s awesome, but it may well grow back. We don’t know.”

Rewha suspected changes in water temperature or storm sediment played a part in the weed’s decline.

“The storm we’ve had just now confirm whether or not it’s the sediment, because we’ve had literally thousands of tonnes of sediment pour into the Bay of Islands.”

Rewha also said it was too soon to assume the threat was over, because in the past week he had seen new growth on rocks at Ōmakiwi Cove, and a large new patch off Urupukapuka Island.

“So we are definitely being cautious. We’ve got our guard up because we’ve seen what it’s done in the past, how it’s just taken off just and carpeted everything over about 30 hectares within three months.”

Rewha said hapū concern over caulerpa stemmed from its threat to traditional food sources.

After Cyclone Tam dumped an estimated 500 tonnes of caulerpa at Ōmakiwi and nearby beaches, local hapū led a massive clean-up to stop the weed spreading around the Bay of Islands in the next storm.

Professor Barry Scott, a member of Aotea Great Barrier’s Tai Tū Moana steering group, said seasonal variation and caulerpa’s reproductive cycle were other possible factors in the weed’s decline, though unproven.

He described what had happened as recession, not die-back, because dying seaweed was not visible – it had simply vanished.

Kaumātua had told him of places around Aotea where caulerpa was “practically crawling up the wharf” two years ago, and now could not be found.

“No one really knows what’s occurring here. There’s clear evidence that some of these storms, like the one in Ōmakiwi, have changed the sea bed. I think the disappearance of it there is closely linked with the storm, and that may also be the case in some of the bays on Aotea.”

However, Scott said the weed had also receded at the Mokohinau Islands, where the water was “crystal clear” and sediment was not an issue.

“So there are a lot of unanswered questions. It’s really intriguing. I’m perhaps less alarmed about it now than I was, but sure as hell, this beast will be back.”

Scott said Aotea and the Bay of Islands had taken very different approaches to dealing with the invasive weed.

In the Bay, MPI had adopted a “big-tech” strategy, funding the development of a suction dredge designed to remove caulerpa from large areas of sea bed.

Scott, however, did not want to see such methods used at Aotea.

“Where the ecosystem is thriving, where it’s protected, it’s the most resistant to caulerpa. So our push is to do as much as we can to protect ocean ecosystems. Kina barrens, or places where there’s been dredging, they are prime sites for caulerpa to take hold.”

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