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Source: Radio New Zealand

Associate Transport Minister James Meager hasn’t ruled out tweaking the current regional infrastructure package to help struggling airlines through the current fuel crisis.

Later this month, Air Chathams will reduce flights into Whakatāne by 45 percent, Whanganui by 22 percent and Kāpiti by 10 percent, as the price of jet fuel doubles, with chief excutive Duane Emeny telling RNZ’s Checkpoint that the aim was to cut costs without doing long-term damaged to the market.

“There’s no real point in operating the services, if we can’t even cover the direct cost,” he said.

The government is already working with regional airlines struggling to make ends meet, offering up to $30 million in loans, and Emeny claimed that assistance was needed more than ever.

Meager has heard the cries and seems prepared to explore how the funding criteria can be changed during crisis.

“I take Duane’s point about maybe modifying the fund,” he told Checkpoint. “It’s not something we’ve looked at yet, but given the ongoing fuel crisis, it’s certainly worth considering what flexibility there is under the existing fund conditions.

“We’ve got to be careful stewards of taxpayers’ money, but at the same time, our airlines are under significant pressure through no real fault of their own. There’s a set of circumstances outside of most people’s control, so I think officials will look at what flexibility we have under the current criteria.”

The government has already allocated funding to Golden Bay Air and Meager confirmed most of the other regional airlines had also lodged applications, which were being processed by a group of regional development ministers.

Meager anticipated the applications would drain the current funding pool.

“We’ve been pushing quite hard, given the ongoing fuel price volatility, to get some support out the door,” he said. “There are a handful of applications still to be decided on… I would be hoping within the next couple of weeks.”

So far, Air Chathams has not proposed cuts to its service to the Chatham Islands, where it is the sole provider.

“We know Air Chathams has a particularly unique set of circumstances,” Meager said. “They’re the only airline that serves the Chatham Islands and from I’ve seen in the information they’ve provided, they make a strong case for support.

“I take on board some of the issues they’re dealing with, which mean they have to make some decisions around routes, and I’ve made sure we’re looping in local MPs and local councils to make sure we’re providing any support we can.”

Meager conceded suspending interest on the loans was a consideration.

“I know, under some of the loans distributed under other pots of the regional infrastructure fund, there have been periods where no interest has incurred or deferred payments,” he said. “That’s the kind of thing we can look at the flexibility in the existing concessionary loans.

“I’d have to leave that over to the officials and treasury to keep an eye on what’s good financial practice, but beyond that, there are other things we can look at. What are the other cost pressures they’re facing?

“Can we do something within our own regulatory systems to make it easier for them to operate and what are the other avenues of support we can provide?”

Air New Zealand has also had to reduce schedules during the fuel crisis, but Meager confirmed it was not eligible for the regional airline support.

He insisted none of the smaller airlines were currently at risk of going under, despite their hardships.

“I have been talking to them about how they are going and I am concerned that the longer this crisis goes on, the harder it is going to be,” he said.

“We will need to look at what other steps and interventions that we might take should it come to that point – I don’t think we’re at that point.

“Supply of jet fuel is pretty good, price is a concern, but we’ve seen some signals over the past couple of days that prices may start to ease.

“We’ve got to keep a close eye on it and respond accordingly, as situations change.”

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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/2026/04/09/hope-for-struggling-regional-airlines-during-fuel-crisis-associate-transport-minister-james-meager/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Upwards of 200mm of rain could fall in 18-24 hours in some areas when Cyclone Vaianu makes its way over the North Island, according to Chris Brandolino of Earth Sciences.

Exactly where the centre of the storm will pass is yet to be determined, but Brandolino told RNZ it was likely to be somewhere in the zone “east of Auckland down toward the Eastern Bay of Plenty.”

Brandolino said he was focused on where the centre will pass because on the eastern side of the centre is where the biggest “wind-impacts” will be.

“Where that centre travels is quite critical because if it moves further west, i.e. over the mainland North Island, then those higher winds can cover more real estate. If the centre of the ex-tropical cyclone moves farther east, then everything too is shifted further east.”

Along with high winds, Brandolino said an intense amount of rain will fall.

“There will be a lot of rain in those areas, 100, 150 maybe upwards of 200 millimetres of rain that’s going to fall on very wet soils and it’s going to fall in a very short period of time. We’re talking within 18 to 24 hours, so that speaks to the rain intensity.”

But Brandolino cautioned the impacts will also be felt outside of that area.

“But I do think areas from the eastern part of the North Island, the upper North Island, they appear to be most likely to receive the highest impacts such as strong wind, damaging wind, very heavy rainfall, large ocean seas, and large swells.”

Brandolino also said high tides could cause damage during the storm, and to watch for coastal erosion and coastal inundation.

Another area of concern for Brandolino was heavy rain and wind on already wet soil.

“The wind coming from an unusual direction, likely to be the northeast to southeast in that sort of corridor, at least for a while or initially. Those high wind gusts coming from a somewhat unusual wind direction on top of wet soils, that does heighten the odds for impacts such as power cuts, tree damage, things like that.”

Brandolino said while there were some similarities with Cyclone Gabrielle, Vaianu has not interacted with another weather system, as Gabrielle did, and the system is moving much faster.

North Island authorities get ready for Cyclone Vaianu

Authorities across the North Island are preparing for a potentially life-threatening storm that could cause flooding, power cuts, slips and road closures leaving communities cut off.

Cyclone Vaianu is currently forecast to reach Northland late on Saturday night then spread across the rest of the island – but the fast moving storm should clear on Monday, MetService said.

Update on TROPICAL CYCLONE VAIANU

The Tropical Cyclone Warning Centre at MetService is keeping a close eye on Tropical Cyclone Vaianu as it makes it way towards New Zealand.

It is expected to make landfall on the northeast coast of New Zealand at approximately midday on… pic.twitter.com/2jWloToB5N

— MetService NZ (@MetService) April 9, 2026

MetService has put the entire North Island under a strong wind watch on Sunday, while heavy rain watches are in place for much of the top and middle of the North Island starting late on Saturday.

The agency was still working out which regions would bear the brunt of the weather, but it was “highly likely” that the current wind and rain watches would be upgraded to warnings, it said.

“The combination of damaging winds, heavy rain and coastal inundation makes this a multi-hazard, potentially life-threatening event.

“The locations of the most severe impacts associated with Cyclone Vaianu, such as power outages, falling trees, flooding, slips, road closures and isolated communities are highly dependent on the cyclone’s track.”

Warnings Update – TROPICAL CYCLONE VAIANU

Strong Wind Watches for the North Island (Sat – Mon)
Heavy Rain Watches for the North Island (Sat – Sun)

As clarity in the forecast increases, it is highly likely that Severe Weather Warnings for both severe… pic.twitter.com/AnhpOychsh

— MetService NZ (@MetService) April 8, 2026

MetService urged people to keep an eye on the forecast.

Civil Defence, council officials, lifeline utilities and emergency services were closely monitoring the cyclone and preparing for its potential impact.

Gisborne Mayor Rehette Stoltz said people should make the most of having a couple of days’ warning to plan ahead.

She encouraged people to look out for whānau and neighbours, and stock up on supplies including enough food for a couple of days in case they were cut off.

There was “unease and worry” in the community, she said.

“I think we are all sleeping with one eye open the next 24 hours until we know which way this cyclone is going to come.”

Land in the region was already unstable, and State Highway 2 in the Waioweka Gorge south of Ōpōtiki was blocked off following a slip.

Further south, Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the town was hoping for the best and preparing for the worst, which could including being “lone soldiers”, cut off from Gisborne to the north and the rest of Hawke’s Bay to the south.

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council opened the Tukituki river mouth, Nūhaka river mouth and Waihoratuna lagoon mouth as a precaution, and was monitoring other river mouths including maintaining the Wairoa bar.

Tauranga City Council said it had set up a response team to assess the situation and carry out routine checks.

A spokesperson said it had been a challenging start to the year with multiple bouts of extreme weather, and people may be feeling unsettled.

Whakatāne District Council said it was closely monitoring Cyclone Vaianu and emergency response planning had been activated.

Whakatāne District local controller Nicholas Woodley said while there was still uncertainty around the cyclone’s exact path, the message was clear: prepare now.

Council crews were already responding to the effects of 24 hours of heavy rain including downed trees and surface flooding, he said.

“We are dealing with two things at once,” Woodley said in a statement.

“There’s the immediate impact of the current wet weather, and the need to plan ahead for what Cyclone Vaianu could bring on top of that. That combination increases the likelihood of impacts escalating quickly.”

Prepare a ‘no power plan’, lines company says

Lines company Powerco was putting extra crews on standby, said its head of network operations Mark Dunn.

“It’s important to remember though, that in severe weather events it takes time to reconnect all customers affected by outages.

“This is because it’s dangerous for our crews to climb poles in high winds so, for their safety, they may not be able to fix faults until the weather calms.”

Road closures and downed trees could also make it difficult for crews to reach and assess damaged equipment, he said.

For that reason, people should come up with their “no power plan”, said Dunn.

That included charging devices, having spare batteries and torches, a supply of emergency water, and topping up gas for barbecues or camp stoves.

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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/2026/04/09/upwards-of-200mm-of-rain-could-fall-when-cyclone-vaianu-hits-north-island/

Source: Radio New Zealand

Madleine CarrWhite, Massey Journalism Student

Northland communities are again bracing for the arrival of wild weather, only a couple of weeks after heavy rain and wind devastated parts of the region.

Cyclone Vaianu is set to touchdown in Northland this weekend, with authorities across the North Island preparing to withstand the potentially life-threatening storm.

Residents, businesses and growers across parts of Northland are now preparing for the Cyclone and what it might mean for their homes and livelihoods.

The organising efforts of Northland’s west coast

The Hokianga area – located on Northland’s west coast – was hit particularly hard by heavy rain and wind that struck the region in late March.

Whirinaki Trust chair Ruth Tautari has been organising the recovery effort for her community, told RNZ a number of evacuation centres were being stood up around Hokianga.

“We’ve just been going around Whirinaki, just giving everyone an update on the storm itself… just making sure that they are prepared, whether they have water in their tanks, making sure they’ve got the essentials they need to keep them going in the event that we get cut off for a couple of days with no power and no roading.” she said.

Tautari said many whānau were still dealing with the affects of recent flooding leaving them feeling “anxious”.

“We had six homes that were completely lost… the water went through and those whānau had to evacuate. We’ve got three whanau that are currently in temporary accommodation and the other three whānau are living with their whānau all outside of Whirinaki at the moment.” she said.

“The rest of the whānau in Whirinaki, they’ve just been going through re-establishing their access ways like roading, their sanitation, their septic tanks and removing all of the rubbish that got pushed down into their whare and just trying to get back to some sense of normal reality.”

As the cyclone bears down, a series of service hubs – called Rai ki te Rai – have been set up across the North. Tautari said welfare agencies and hauora organisations would be present.

“We’ve also got some of the teams from the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development to at their temporary accommodation services that they provide, but also a lot of mahi from the civil defence teams from Northland Regional Council and the whānau Far North District Council are coming up.”

“It’s quite heartbreaking to watch whānau go through it over again and just watch the stress come when the rain gets heavier, knowing that they could have to move from their whare but also that they could have to go through the whole situation again, removing silt, waters going through our marae and just the toll it takes, not just physically, but a lot of mental and emotional tolls.” she said.

‘It’s not an easy time’

Former Ngāti Hine Forestry Trustchief executive and Green MP Hūhana Lyndon has been up North helping with the recovery effort. She told RNZ that the region now had to quickly switch it’s focus from recovery to readiness.

“The weather is comparable to Cyclone Gabrielle and touch down as early as lunchtime Saturday, whānau are now gearing up to brace and prepare for impact.” she said.

“We already have a stressed rohe or district from the last storm, it’s not an easy time”

Lyndon said she was in regular touch with local and central government, as well as marae and community members.

“There’s been a lot more response and pace by which people are moving now that we know that it’s coming, and the size and scale of what it could be.” she said.

“We’ve gone through Cyclone Gabriel, we’ve seen it, we’ve recovered from it. But it’s coming again, and it’s coming with significant impacts to Northland.”

Lyndon said marae were key parts of the region’s resilience infrastructure and should be resourced properly.

“We don’t have solar, we’ve got gaps in generators, we’ve got whānau who are cut off. They cannot get across to their home, and culverts are out. We need, sparkies, we need to be checking that are waterlocked… we are getting there, but unfortunately we’ve got a storm coming so it’s a bit of recovery as well as preparedness that’s going on right now.” Lyndon said.

Storms frieghtening for growers during prime harvest

The owner of a Wairoa business says everyone in the town is just hoping for the best.

Dianne Downey’s lime growing business was devastated after a nearby river burst it’s banks in 2024.

She is part of a class action lawsuit lodged against Hawke’s Bay Regional Council after many homes and businesses were flooded, with questions being asked about whether the river bar crest should have been lowered ahead of the weather event.

Downey said this latest storm was frightening for growers across the region.

“I’ve got pickers out there flat out picking at the moment because I just don’t want to lose all our fruit, we’re in prime harvest and all these growers around here are, so it’ll be the worst thing in the world if it all went pear shaped for us right now.”

Hawke’s Bay Regional Council said work was underway to maintain the lowered crest of the Wairoa bar to mitigate flooding.

Metservice has forecasted heavy rain and gale winds for Wairoa and surrounding rural areas on Sunday.

East Cape businesses getting geared up

Businesses in Hicks Bay say their community is resilient in the face of weather events.

RNZ spoke to businesses in Hicks Bay, where storms had badly hit the community at the start of the year.

One business told RNZ that there is no panic ahead of Cyclone Vaianu’s anticipated landfall this weekend.

A supermarket says people are getting extra supplies to prepare but aren’t getting more than what they need.

The store clerk says they want to stay open as long as it is safe so that they can be available to the community.

Retailers say the community is preparing to be self-sufficient, having learnt from the storms at the beginning of the year which caused roads to close and cut locals off from the rest of the motu.

A business owner says locals are getting used to living with severe weather events.

Cyclone Vaianu is expected to reach Northland late on Saturday night.

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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/2026/04/09/northland-shifts-form-recovery-to-readiness-as-cyclone-vaianu-approaches/

Source: Radio New Zealand

In a bid to learn more about one of New Zealand’s smallest frogs, researchers have come up with a novel way of tracking them.

The Hochstetter’s frog measure three-to-four-centimetres, and researchers developed tiny backpacks that are perfect for the native frogs.

Associate Professor Stephanie Godfrey supervised the study which took place in the Coromandel, and told Checkpoint the backpacks contained transmitters that weighed 0.5 of a gram, and were tricky to get on.

“It’s a matter of very gently trying to just wrap the little harness around their waists and then tighten it gently with a cotton thread.

“We use tiny backpacks because they are tiny frogs.”

The study shed some light on the movement of the endangered frogs, and was the first time such research had been carried out due to the challenge of finding transmitters that are small enough.

“It’s been really hard to get good insights into their movements because it’s hard to track a tiny frog.”

But even though the frogs are tiny, they are still susceptible to a common human problem.

“The main thing we noticed is that they did develop these little small abrasions just around their hip joints where the harnesses were resting… a little bit of chafe.” Godfrey said.

But overall, Godfrey said the frogs did “did pretty well with the backpacks”.

The transmitters had a “pretty short” battery life, but Godfrey said the longest they managed to track a frog was 16 days.

But they were able to record some interesting movements.

“We saw that their biggest movement during the period of our study was almost 17 metres, which is a long way for a three-to-four-centimetre frog.”

The researchers also found out more about their habitat and where they like to live.

“We found that they like living in banks of sort of creek banks. They like living under rocks and they tend to sort of stick around the same place for a while before getting up and moving elsewhere.”

The research will help with the protection of the frogs in the future.

“The main reason for collecting this data is to try and just understand a bit more about how much space they need when we’re protecting them. So when things like developments are happening or we want to translocate them.

“It’s really important to know what habitat they’re using, how far they move, so that we can put in measures to protect them and ensure there’s sufficient habitat and of the right type.”

Godfrey said there are even smaller trackers, that weigh 0.17 of a gram, and would allow the frogs to wear the harness for longer, and was hopeful more research could be carried out on the frog’s movements.

“The goal of improving the way the backpacks sit on these frogs is to enable us to track them for longer. They tend to sit tight in the same place for a long time. If we only track them for a week or two weeks, we might not fully capture the entire area that they’re using.”

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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/2026/04/09/tiny-backpacks-because-they-are-tiny-frogs-researchers-track-one-of-nzs-smallest-frogs/

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Department of Conservation has decided against taking action against a sand mining company over allegations it disturbed protected stony corals, citing insufficient evidence.

The complaint arose from dredging carried out by McCallum Brothers in the Pākiri temporary sand extraction area, north of Auckland, in 2025.

The company has since stopped sand mining at Pākiri but is applying for a fast-tracked resource consent to take sand from Northland’s Bream Bay instead.

DOC launched an investigation after Pākiri resident Damon Clapshaw contacted the department alleging McCallum Brothers had continued dredging after ecological consultants discovered stony corals in the area in March 2025.

Dredging ended when the protected coral was formally identified three months later.

Wildlife crime team lead Dylan Swain said DOC had investigated two alleged breaches of the Wildlife Act 1953.

He said the act made it an offence to “take or disturb absolutely protected marine wildlife without authority”.

It was also an offence to fail to report accidental or incidental death or injury of marine wildlife.

Swain said the investigation had now been completed.

“Although corals were identified in the area, there is insufficient evidence to prove stony corals were disturbed by the company. Therefore, we will not be pursuing enforcement action.”

Swain said DOC had notified the company and the person who brought the information to the department’s attention.

Earlier, Clapshaw told RNZ he believed DOC should have been notified of the discovery of stony corals straight away, and he was concerned coral may have been disturbed in the months between its discovery and the cessation of dredging.

McCallum Brothers chief operating officer Shayne Elstob said the company would not comment on DOC’s decision while its Bream Bay sand-mining application was being processed by the fast-track expert panel.

The company is seeking consent to mine up to eight million cubic metres of sand 4km offshore in Bream Bay – 150,000 cu m per year for the first three years, and up to 250,000 cu m per year for the next 32 years.

Meanwhile, it has been revealed that the expert panel’s decision on the sand-mining application is due on 1 October.

In a memo published to the fast-track website, associate panel convener Helen Atkins said she had appointed a three-person panel to consider the application, which had been received in full on 17 February.

The panel would be chaired by environmental lawyer Catherine Somerville‑Frost and would start work on 13 April.

Comments from invited parties would be accepted from 28 April, and the decision documents were due on 1 October.

The proposal has sparked protests in Bream Bay, including a gathering of about 700 people at Ruakākā Beach last month.

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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/2026/04/09/doc-decides-no-action-needed-against-mccallum-brothers-sand-mining-in-pakiri/