Source: Radio New Zealand

A state of local emergency has been declared for the small town of Ōhura in the Ruapehu District due to heavy rain.

The National Emergency Management Agency is warning that life-threatening flooding is possible.

It is urging residents to prepare to evacuate from low-lying areas near Mangaroa Stream and other catchments.

A Civil Defence Centre is available at the Memorial Hall on Ngarimu Street.

Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group said it was responding to flooding across the region, caused by the heavy rain.

“We’ll know more once daylight allows us to assess the impacts, but roads will be closed.”

An emergency mobile alert was sent to the people of Ōhura early this morning, notifying them of the need to prepare to self-evacuate, it said.

“Six residents of Ōhura self-evacuated, with the Ōhura Memorial Hall opened as a Civil Defence Centre.”

The Ōhura River had hit very high levels, with stormwater and drainage systems reaching capacity, it said.

“River level modelling from Horizons Regional Council indicates flood protection assets will need to be deployed in Whanganui township.

“We’re asking everyone in the region to take care today, as more rain is forecast.”

It was reminding people not to not wait for official warnings if they saw rising water.

“Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater.

“Remember, never try to walk, swim, drive through or play in floodwater.”

Warnings, watches in place

Elsewhere, emergency operations staff in Lower Hutt were monitoring river levels throughout the night after heavy rain battered the city on Saturday

An orange heavy rain warnings remains in place for Bay of Plenty east of the Whakatāne River from 6am to 4pm Sunday.

Heavy rain watches are in place from 6am to 8pm Sunday for Auckland south and west of Warkworth and for Gisborne north of Tokomaru Bay.

A rain watch is also in place for South of the Rakaia River, excluding Mackenzie Basin, from 7am to 1pm Sunday.

State Highway 58 in the Wellington Region, between Pāuatahanui and State Highway 2 interchange, was still closed.

While in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region – State Highway 3 from Mokau to Piopio, and State Highway 43 between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, was also closed.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A state of local emergency has been declared for the small town of Ōhura in the Ruapehu District due to heavy rain.

The National Emergency Management Agency is warning that life-threatening flooding is possible.

It is urging residents to prepare to evacuate from low-lying areas near Mangaroa Stream and other catchments.

A Civil Defence Centre is available at the Memorial Hall on Ngarimu Street.

Manawatū-Whanganui Emergency Management Group said it was responding to flooding across the region, caused by the heavy rain.

“We’ll know more once daylight allows us to assess the impacts, but roads will be closed.”

An emergency mobile alert was sent to the people of Ōhura early this morning, notifying them of the need to prepare to self-evacuate, it said.

“Six residents of Ōhura self-evacuated, with the Ōhura Memorial Hall opened as a Civil Defence Centre.”

The Ōhura River had hit very high levels, with stormwater and drainage systems reaching capacity, it said.

“River level modelling from Horizons Regional Council indicates flood protection assets will need to be deployed in Whanganui township.

“We’re asking everyone in the region to take care today, as more rain is forecast.”

It was reminding people not to not wait for official warnings if they saw rising water.

“Head for higher ground and stay away from floodwater.

“Remember, never try to walk, swim, drive through or play in floodwater.”

Warnings, watches in place

Elsewhere, emergency operations staff in Lower Hutt were monitoring river levels throughout the night after heavy rain battered the city on Saturday

An orange heavy rain warnings remains in place for Bay of Plenty east of the Whakatāne River from 6am to 4pm Sunday.

Heavy rain watches are in place from 6am to 8pm Sunday for Auckland south and west of Warkworth and for Gisborne north of Tokomaru Bay.

A rain watch is also in place for South of the Rakaia River, excluding Mackenzie Basin, from 7am to 1pm Sunday.

State Highway 58 in the Wellington Region, between Pāuatahanui and State Highway 2 interchange, was still closed.

While in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region – State Highway 3 from Mokau to Piopio, and State Highway 43 between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, was also closed.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A state of local emergency has been declared for the small town of Ōhura in the Ruapehu District due to heavy rain.

The National Emergency Management Agency is warning that life-threatening flooding is possible.

It is urging residents to prepare to evacuate from low-lying areas near Mangaroa Stream and other catchments.

A Civil Defence Centre is available at the Memorial Hall on Ngarimu Street.

Elsewhere, emergency operations staff in Lower Hutt were monitoring river levels throughout the night after heavy rain battered the city on Saturday

Orange warnings for heavy rain were in place for much of the North Island including: Taranaki, King Country, west of Taupō – until 9am Sunday; the Bay of Plenty east of Whakatāne starting from the early hours of Sunday until 4pm; as well as the Tararaua Range, Kāpiti Coast, Wellington and the Hutt Valley, until 1am Sunday.

Wellington was expected to bear the brunt of it after two thunderstorms on Saturday morning inundated homes, closed streets and caused slips around the region, but the weather dispersed more than originally forecast in the evening.

However, teams in Lower Hutt had been on standby watching the Hutt River, Waiwhetu stream and Black Creek in Wainuiomata overnight in case levels continued to rise or risk breaking their banks.

State Highway 58 in the Wellington Region, between Pāuatahanui and State Highway 2 interchange, was still closed.

While in the Manawatū-Whanganui Region – State Highway 3 from Mokau to Piopio, and State Highway 43 between Whangamōmona and Taumarunui, was also closed.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people have been rescued from rough waters, clinging to their kayak 5.7 kilometres off Stanmore Bay Beach.

Maritime police were called in on Saturday afternoon after the pair failed to show up at Manly Beach after leaving from Mahurangi earlier.

One of the group contacted police after growing concerned as conditions deteriorated with rough seas and 15-20 knot winds.

Police Coastal Master Senior Constable Trevor Proctor said they immediately initiated a search, issuing a mobile phone locate to the missing kayakers and tasking the Police Eagle helicopter, to search the coastal area between Mahurangi and Manly.

“The missing person wasn’t answering texts or calls so we managed to locate the kayakers by polling their phone.”

Police found them in the water, holding onto their kayak unable to get back in because of rough seas. Both were wearing lifejackets.

Coastguard then retrieved the pair and no injuries were reported.

Senior Constable Trevor Proctor said this was a positive outcome and showed the importance of wearing a lifejacket, but suggests more than one form of communication is taken when on the water.

“If you’re relying on a mobile phone, store it in a waterproof bag or case.

“These simple precautions can make a critical difference in an emergency.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The president of the Police Association says he’s heard “anecdotally” of reports that staff have been threatened in regards to police’s code of conduct amid a police pay bargaining campaign.

Steve Watt said members had a right to be part of a union and to campaign for what they believed they deserved.

“Any indication that them advocating for what they deserve would result in punitive measures is really disappointing and goes against the good faith bargaining.”

It comes after police pay bargaining campaign stickers were put up inside the Dunedin Central police station, despite the district’s top cop telling staff not to.

On Wednesday, the association issued a press release which said that for the first time in its 90-year history it was driving a pay bargaining campaign that included “active and visible advocacy from a workforce that is legally forbidden to strike”.

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

Bargaining starts on 1 May. The campaign slogan is “Repay the Risk”.

On Friday, RNZ was supplied a photo of a sticker with the slogan that had been put on a window in the Dunedin Central Police Station.

A day earlier the Southern District Commander Jason Guthrie emailed staff about a memo that had gone to staff about the bargaining campaign.

He said it was clear that while staff could “advocate and engage with campaigning”, they could not “alter or diminish our professional standards throughout this period”.

This meant that any non-branded police material such as stickers and ribbons were not permitted on uniforms, or any police assets such as equipment, vehicles or buildings.

He said he was aware that campaign stickers had been placed in multiple locations in at least one station in the district. The stickers would be removed, he said.

“My expectation is that any other stickers on NZP assets (including but not limited to buildings, walls, doors, laptops, vehicles, uniforms) are also removed forthwith and do not reappear.”

In an interview with RNZ Watt said Guthrie’s email was “highly disappointing”.

“What we’ve got to remember is that we’re dealing with a workforce that cannot strike.

“They have very limited ability to express themselves when it comes to pay rounds, so an ability to do small things like put stickers on phones, put stickers on notebooks, wear wristbands is just a symbolic gesture that they’re supportive of you know their rights to participate in union activity so to stifle a workforce that can’t even strike to do just the basics of campaigning was really disappointing.”

The reaction from police so far suggested the campaign was “clearly having an impact”, Watt said.

The fact that police could not strike was “extremely prohibitive”, he added.

“When you think of other professions that are able to strike, it gives them a massive advantage when it comes to pay negotiations. So when it comes to police not being able to strike, that hampers them in a significant way. So to be able to participate in negotiations, albeit in a very constructive way, that is legally right, they should be able to do that.”

On Thursday morning, a memo was sent to staff on behalf of Assistant Commissioner Deployment Jeanette Park.

The memo, seen by RNZ, said police had always “positively engaged” with the service organisations and had a “long history” of supporting staff in being able to advocate their position.

“This does not change.”

Park said ahead of bargaining it was “important to remind you that our values continue to be front and centre of how we operate”.

“One of those values is professionalism: look the part, be the part which requires us all to maintain standards and present a professional image to ensure our communities have trust and confidence in us.

“Stickers, decals, ribbons, clasps, lanyards or other non-branded police material are not permitted on uniforms, or any police assets such as police vehicles, equipment, buildings, office spaces and noticeboards.”

Park said it was “essential for us to maintain our professionalism to ensure New Zealanders have trust and confidence in us”.

Watt told RNZ he was “extremely disappointed” to read Park’s memo.

“What we saw out of that … was a direct attack on the pay campaign and members ability to participate in that because the reality is is there are a number of other non-compliant stickers and badges that are accepted by police, but they’re specifically saying you can’t have anything that’s related to the pay round on police uniform or equipment.”

He said staff were “pretty enraged” with the memo.

“Staff are absolutely passionate about their involvement within this campaign, and they will continue to engage appropriately with the campaign and will participate actively.”

Watt said he spoke with Police Commissioner Richard Chambers earlier about the campaign.

“I was extremely collegial with him and explained that, look, it wasn’t a campaign that was designed to attack police or bring down the professional image of police.

“What we wanted to do was influence MPs, who essentially can influence the decision makers like Treasury and Public Service Commission in order to give the police a decent envelope when it comes to the pay round.”

He said he’d heard “anecdotally” reports that staff had been threatened in regards to the code of conduct.

“If that’s the case, it would be extremely disappointing at the end of the day, members have a right to be part of a union and to advocate for what they believe they deserve, and any indication that them advocating for what they deserve would result in punitive measures is really disappointing and goes against the good faith bargaining.”

He said members had been clear that they did not want to “degrade the professional nature of what they do” and said they would not be writing on cars or putting posters up in the front windows of stations.

“What they simply want to do is be able to express themselves and participate with, you know, what can be seen as professional engagement in a collective process to, you know, progress their pay and conditions.”

His message to staff was that they needed to “remain professional”.

“We will continue down a path in order to get the best outcome that we can for our members. We will continue to communicate and advocate on behalf of members in order to obtain or in order to get what is deserving for the risk that they are putting themselves at for policing,” he said.

“We’re not advocating for police staff to do anything that might get them in trouble. What we’re simply trying to do is get the best deal that we can for police … we don’t encourage staff to step outside the mark, to do anything that’s going to get them in trouble.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Emergency operations staff in Lower Hutt have been monitoring river levels throughout the night after heavy rain battered the city on Saturday

Orange warnings for heavy rain were in place for much of the North Island including: Taranaki, King Country, west of Taupō – until 9am Sunday; the Bay of Plenty east of Whakatāne starting from the early hours of Sunday until 4pm; as well as the Tararaua Range, Kāpiti Coast, Wellington and the Hutt Valley, until 1am Sunday.

Wellington was expected to bear the brunt of it after two thunderstorms on Saturday morning inundated homes, closed streets and caused slips around the region, but the weather dispersed more than originally forecast in the evening.

However teams in Lower Hutt had been on standby watching the Hutt River, Waiwhetu stream and Black Creek in Wainuiomata overnight in case levels continued to rise or risk breaking their banks.

Mud is still staining some of the streets around Stokes Valley – where residents were forced to clear mounds from footpaths, roads and driveways.

Many were surprised by the sudden downpours and dramatic impacts in such a short space of time.

Authorities said this event was a perfect example of why people should always be prepared.

Wellington Region Emergency Management Office’s regional manager Dan Neely said they knew there could be the possibility of thunderstorms but that the actual warnings came suddenly.

“Severe thunderstorms are very difficult to forecast and severe thunderstorm warnings are issued by MetService at short notice.

“Sometimes they pass with minimal impact, but as we saw today, when we had two back to back this morning, they can have significant impacts.”

MetService meteorologist Brain Mercer said this weekend the possibility of thunderstorms is embedded within the band of rain.

This means they bring heavy spells, on top of the rain already forecast.

“In these thunderstorms, there could be rainfall of between 10 to 25 millimetres per hour from an individual cell.”

But they are quite fickle.

“We can get the correct setup for thunderstorms to happen, but every thunderstorm needs a trigger, needs something in order for it to actually fire off.

“So the atmospheric conditions can be right for a thunderstorm, but you may not get that trigger.”

He said each storm might last for 30 minutes to a hour, and they tend to be very fast moving.

MetService has a team of thunderstorm forecasters who track them.

“When they develop into severe thunderstorms, and by severe thunderstorms we mean they’ve got very, very heavy rain, so falls sort of 25 to or above millimetres per hour, then we will issue a thunderstorm warning on that individual cell.

“However, each cell is quite short-lived.

“So a thunderstorm warning will be in effect for an individual thunderstorm, but that thunderstorm may not last very long.”

He said that’s why MetService issues a broader warning, saying there is a possibility of thunderstorms, because you can’t track or issue warnings that far in advance.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Mayor of Lower Hutt is encouraging people to check on their neighbours in the wake of major flooding today.

About 25 homes were evacuated in Stokes Valley.

Ken Laban said most of those evacuated had been placed with family or friends, with their welfare team working to place the remaining couple.

“Our greatest priority at the moment obviously, is the our residents making sure they’re all safe and in particular the ones who live in vulnerable situations – that are potentially living in isolated areas at the top end of George Street in Stokes Valley, a lot of our elderly who live alone.”

He encouraged residents, neighbours and families to also check on people and make sure they were ok.

Earlier, Lower Hutt deputy mayor Keri Brown is urging people to leave their homes if they see rising, unsafe waters, as there is more heavy rain forecast tonight.

The Wellington region is under a MetService orange heavy rain warning until 1am Sunday.

Brown says Lower Hutt could be in for more intense localised rain, after flash flooding in Stokes Valley this morning.

“We are asking people that they prepare if they see rising waters to leave without official warning.”

She says teams are monitoring the Hutt River, Waiwhetu Stream, and Black Creek in Wainuiomata – which all have the potential to flood.

Earlier, Wellington’s regional emergency management office says more severe weather is expected in the area this afternoon.

An Orange Heavy Rain Warning is in force for the Tararua Range, Kapiti Coast and Wellington until 2am Sunday.

Twenty-six homes in Stokes Valley and Porirua have been evacuated today.

State Highway 58 Pāuatahanui to Haywards and State Highway 59 Paremata to Plimmerton are closed, as is the nortbound sections of State Highway 2 Belmont to Haywards interchange. Eastern Hutt Road and Paekakariki Hill Road are also shut.

Authorities are asking people to stay off roads unless absolutely neccessary.

They say residents should not wait for official warnings, and to move to higher ground if they see rising water.

Porirua Mayor Anita Baker told RNZ it has been far worse than Cyclone Vaianu that hit the North Island last weekend.

Follow reports live below:

Warnings issued

These severe thunderstorms were moving towards the southeast, and were expected to lie near Wellington, offshore Mana Island, Porirua, Paekākāriki and Pukerua bay at 9.00 am and near Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt, Porirua and Wainuiomata at 9.30am.

Additional heavy rain watches and a strong wind watch are also in place as a complex trough moves over the North Island, bringing further periods of heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds.

A heavy rain watch covers the Tararua Range, the Kāpiti Coast and parts of Wellington north of the harbour from 6am Saturday until 2am Sunday, with periods of heavy rain and possible thunderstorms.

Further north, a heavy rain watch is in place for northern and eastern parts of Northland north of Whangārei from 9pm Saturday to 5am Sunday, where localised downpours may approach warning levels.

In the South Island, the Richmond and Bryant Ranges and parts of Tasman District northwest of Motueka are under heavy rain watches from 6am to 3pm Saturday.

A strong wind watch has also been issued for Wellington from 6am to 11am Saturday, with northerly winds that may approach severe gale strength in exposed places.

The National Emergency Management Agency advises that as storms approach you should:

• Take shelter, preferably indoors away from windows;
• Avoid sheltering under trees, if outside;
• Get back to land, if outdoors on the water;
• Move cars under cover or away from trees;
• Secure any loose objects around your property;
• Check that drains and gutters are clear;
• Be ready to slow down or stop, if driving.
• During and after the storm, you should also:
• Beware of fallen trees and power lines;
• Avoid streams and drains as you may be swept away in flash flooding.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An 18-year-old Taupō rider was arrested and had his dirt bike seized after speeding in residential areas and public roads.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Yardley said police had been targeting the use of off-road motorcycles on local roads.

“We’ve had numerous complaints about dirt bikes speeding in residential areas and on public roads where they’re quite simply not permitted.

He said it was multiple complaints from the public that let them to carry out several searches.

“This behaviour puts riders, pedestrians and other road users at risk.

“We will continue to take action where off-road motorcycles are illegally used on public roads.”

Yardley said while most riders were doing the right thing, it was a few that were putting themselves and others at risk.

“Riding motorcycles that are not road-legal, on public roads, is illegal and will not be tolerated.”

The man is set to appear in Taupō District Court on 26 May, on multiple charges including offending related to dangerous and unlawful riding.

Police said more arrests are likely as enquiries continue.

They said people who reported dangerous riding have been “instrumental” and encouraged the public to contact police if they see dangerous motorcycle riding.

Police should be contacted on 111 if there is an immediate risk and any non-urgent information via 105, either by phone or online.

Relevant photos, footage, CCTV or dashcam footage are also encouraged.

Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111, using reference number 260413/2316.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Forecasted rain and an unstable slip has closed State Highway 2 through Waioweka Gorge.

The Bay of Plenty, East of Whakatāne River, is under an Orange Heavy Rain Warning from 3am Sunday through to 4pm.

The Transport Agency said it will remain closed until after that weather as the Goldsmith Slip is not fully cleared.

It will likely reopen Sunday evening after the weather has passed and the road has been inspected.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are asking for help to identify a man involved in a burglary in the Auckland suburb of Glen Innes.

An investigation is underway after the occupants awoke to an unknown male inside their home on Chiltern Crescent.

Detective Senior Sergeant Rebecca Kirk, of Auckland City CIB, said it happened at around 4.30am on Friday.

“Initially it was unclear who the person was in the darkness, but it was soon apparent that the male was not known to them,” she said.

“An occupant has screamed, startling the male and he has run from the address.”

He was last seen heading towards Leaside Lane.

Police were contacted and attended the scene a short time later.

The man has been described as a Pacific Islander, around 172 centimetres or 5’8″ tall, with a horse-tail haircut.

He had a neck tattoo of a gothic or Irish clover or similar.

He was also barefoot, and wearing red and white striped candy cane boxer shorts, at the time.

Kirk was confident that description would ring a bell in the community.

“Given the state of the man’s dress, we believe it is highly likely that he is local to the area,” she said.

While the occupants had not suffered any physical injuries, Kirk said it was a frightening event.

Police are asking anyone who might know this man to contact Police on 105 using the reference number 260417/6763.

Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Torrential rain has triggered what locals say is the worst flooding seen in years across parts of the Wellington region, forcing evacuations, inundating homes and cutting roads as more downpours loom.

Twenty-five homes in Stokes Valley and one in Porirua were evacuated on Saturday morning, with most residents staying with family and friends and a small number using council facilities.

Wellington Region Civil Defence Emergency Management Group spokesperson Dan Neely said two further bands of heavy rain were expected around 2pm and again about 8pm, and urged people to stay home and avoid unnecessary travel.

He said it was difficult to predict exactly where the heaviest rain would fall, but warned already-hit areas near SH2, SH58 and SH59 were still a concern.

Streets flooded, homes inundated

In Stokes Valley, residents described rapidly rising water in what many say is the worst flooding the area has experienced in years – and in some cases, decades.

Local Eugene Grant said a manhole burst around 7.30am, blasting water more than two metres into the air and sending silt surging down the street.

“Water was basically up to our doorways… we could feel it coming through the floorboards and thought, ok, we need to get out of here,” he said.

Grant said his family tried to evacuate but found roads blocked.

The floodwaters later receded, leaving thick silt, with neighbours now racing to clean up before more rain arrives.

He said it was the worst flooding he had seen in the area in 16 years.

Longtime resident Helen Coffey said it was the worst flooding she had witnessed in more than 40 years.

“It was really quite bad, it was really frightening, because we just don’t know what’s coming.”

Nearby, Alice Odean said floodwater reached the second step of her front porch, leaving her to clear heavy silt from her driveway.

“I’m feeling angry… It’s just clean up and wait for the next round.”

Local Navneet Kant said water reached his driveway hedge and flooded his car.

Plimmerton residents battle repeat flooding

In coastal Plimmerton, residents spent the day sandbagging and clearing drains as a nearby stream overflowed, sending water into homes – in what locals said is another in a series of serious flooding events.

One property suffered damage to a garage and bedroom, with neighbours stepping in to help while the homeowners were away.

Local volunteer Damo said the stream floods “pretty much every time there’s a big storm”.

“I just thought I’d come down… try to get things cleared up and hopefully mitigate as much property damage as we can,” he said.

He said drains were often clogged, despite repeated calls for maintenance.

His mother, Irene, said she woke to heavy rain but didn’t realise the scale of flooding until later in the morning.

“These poor people… this is the second time in four to five years that they’ve been flooded out like this, and it’s not fair on them.”

Fire crews and locals worked to clear drains, helping water recede more quickly than in past events, but residents say the underlying problem remains.

Porirua mayor Anita Baker said 40mm had fallen in Plimmerton over a two-hour period, with more forecast over the next 12 hours.

More rain on the way

Authorities said the situation remains fluid, with more heavy rain forecast later in the day.

Neely urged people not to drive through floodwaters and to call 111 if their life or safety was at risk.

With saturated ground and swollen waterways, residents are being warned to prepare for further disruption as the next bands of rain move through.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hutt Valley firefighters have placed a ban on a fire truck they say broke down at a building fire on Friday.

The New Zealand Professional Firefighters’ Union (NZPFU) has issued Fire and Emergency (FENZ) with a cease-to-work notice.

This comes while a parliamentary inquiry into the state of FENZ’s fleet is beginning.

The truck went to a fire in Petone just after midnight, but its pump failed, the notice said.

The same truck’s pump failed in 2023 forcing firefighters to get out of a burning dairy.

Friday’s notice referred to “multiple faults”.

“Operators have serious concerns as to the abilities of this piece of plant and its reliability,” the union told FENZ.

“Evidence of multiple faults/issues with this appliance are detailed and recorded. We therefore believe the operation of the appliance puts workers in a position of imminent exposure to hazards and any operator is placed in a position of potential serious risk.”

Crews were happy to work with another truck if one was provided, it said, calling for immediate consultation with FENZ and a plan.

The truck was based at Seaview station which covered more of the southern Hutt Valley than before after the Hutt City station was closed five years ago with black mould.

Work safety laws allow a health and safety representative to direct unsafe work to cease.

FENZ has repeatedly said it had a fleet management plan and a replacement strategy, though it has also said it does not have enough funding for a quick overhaul of the older parts of its fleet of over a thousand vehicles.

FENZ has been approached for comment.

Fleet inquiry, changing levy

Two MPs triggered a select committee inquiry into the fleet this month after a clash with FENZ leaders at a hearing in March.

One of the two, National’s Tim Costley castigated FENZ at a committee hearing last month for multiple contradictory answers over several months about whether 30 fire trucks were on the job or not.

The trucks were ordered years ago but after some suffered cracks had to be redesigned, then FENZ chose to build them in the UK, and not all were in service yet.

“I am increasingly concerned by the fleet issues within FENZ that continue to provide more questions than answers, and by the confusing and contradictory nature of those answers,” Costley said previously.

The second MP, the Green Party’s Mike Davidson, wrote in March about truck breakdowns and how stations “like Hutt City have been closed due to asset condition and remain closed several years later. The closure of stations increases the number of people and property that reside outside of FENZ standard response time and therefore at an increased risk.”

Davidson, in his call for an inquiry, noted how FENZ officials had at select committee hearings mentioned other parties who had not had the same opportunity to be heard and should be.

Costley’s colleague and Hutt South MP Chris Bishop weighed in online, “I am v concerned about the performance of FENZ. Not our fire fighters who do a great job, but the issues around the fleet are real and the public deserve answers

However, the government in 2024 cut back the increases sought by FENZ to the insurance levy that provides nearly all its almost $800m revenue.

It then told FENZ to save $50m a year.

In response the agency last November embarked on a restructure to cut 140 non-firefighting jobs and change 700 roles in total.

It has delayed final decisions on restructuring after two unions’ challenge over the nature of the consultation was upheld.

The levy structure is set to change a lot in July and FENZ has said it has to adapt to the levy revenue becoming unpredictable for the first time since it was set up almost a decade ago.

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