Source: Radio New Zealand

A Rotorua man has rallied about a dozen young people to give their neighbourhood a festive spruce-up.

Thomas Peato, a youth mentor at Waiariki Whānau Mentoring, and local rangatahi gathered once a week through December for a full day of maintenance work, he told RNZ’s The run home to Christmas.

They mowed the lawns, trimmed the berms and cleared the roadside rubbish, including takeaway packaging and tyres.

Peato said he was born and raised in the suburb of Fordlands, which is a low social-economic area and looked a bit rough.

“It needed it and I believe that a healthy environment helps mould a happy mind and a happy mind helps mould a happy environment,” he said.

“I just wanted to get in position and get momentum going to uplift and clean the area for our people.”

He said the idea started about 10 years ago. Peato and his friends and relatives started to help cleaning the streets until the Covid-19 pandemic happened.

They have been trying to get the programme off the ground since and finally made it happen a month ago.

Peato said they noticed that on the third or fourth time when they were cleaning the streets, local residents started to get behind it, doing their lawns on the same day, for example.

“We also had some locals dropping us off drinks and ice blocks and all that kind of stuff too, so it was good, really uplifting for the community,” Peato said.

The group will consider if they will keep it going next year once the holiday period was over.

The teenagers helping him grew up in similar backgrounds to him, from loving families but low social-economic areas, and the experience would give them confidence.

Peato said it was often hard for these young people to get into employment partly due to the background they came from and he also wanted to start some sustainable businesses to help employ them.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hot laps with Formula 1 driver Liam Lawson has raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer research.

Lawson’s pit-stop from the racing circuit to drive laps in Cromwell drew thousands of motorsport enthusiasts and drive to survive fans to the Central Otago circuit on Tuesday.

Highlands Motor Park chief executive Josie Spillane – who planned the event after losing her friend Louise Scott-Gallagher to breast cancer – said the day was more than just racing.

“Liam’s generosity in giving us his time helped us raise crucial funds for Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, ensuring her [Scott-Gallagher’s] legacy continues to drive real change. We’re overwhelmed by the community’s support.”

Lawson got behind the wheel of supercars including the Aston Martin Vulcan – the only one in the southern hemisphere – and the Porsche GT3, offering rides to passengers during a silent auction.

The contributions from sponsors, bidders, and donors saw the Vulcan hot laps alone raise more than $32,000.

Scott-Gallagher’s husband Craig Gallagher, said Lawson’s racing and the amount of money raised was impressive.

Lawson said he was happy to support the cause, having known Spillane a long time, and was also keen to drive the Vulcan.

” I can’t believe how many people were here, and how much money was raised for Breast Cancer.”

Highlands Motor Park said proceeds from the auctions and donations would directly benefit Breast Cancer Foundation NZ’s efforts in research, awareness, and patient support.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A report into facial recognition systems used on shoppers shows teenagers are the worst offenders for threatening supermarket staff.

Foodstuffs South Island is trialling facial recognition in three Pak’nSave supermarkets in Christchurch.

Its Privacy Impact Assessment said it would not be used on vulnerable people or minors under age 18.

However, the report also said that across its South Island network of stores, six out of 10 of the top offenders were under 18.

“While six out of the top 10 offenders are minors across the FSSI store network, no minors or vulnerable people will be included in the watchlist during the project,” said the 26-page report recently made public.

RNZ asked what percentage of serious threatening behaviour incidents were being committed by minors at its supermarkets, but the company did not say.

Foodstuffs SI had justified the move into facial recognition in part by pointing to an “escalating level of serious threatening behaviours by repeat offenders in FSSI supermarkets [that] poses a significant risk to the health and safety of staff and customers in-store”.

The company said the preponderance of teenagers among offenders did not undermine its expectation that adult-only facial recognition was a good way of combating the issue.

“Excluding minors does not reduce the usefulness of the trial,” said a spokesperson.

“Its purpose is to assess whether facial recognition technology can help our teams identify adult repeat offenders who have previously been involved in serious incidents, so they can step in early to prevent further harm. The trial is also helping us understand the operational impacts and processes involved with using facial recognition in our stores.”

It had identified 206 repeat offenders at 38 stores in 32 suburbs in the last year involved in over a thousand events, the privacy assessment said.

“We’re seeing increasing levels of serious, threatening and violent behaviour in our stores from repeat offenders across all different age groups.”

Camera on continuous record

The three-month trial began in October at its Pak’nSave stores in Redwood and Sydenham, and its New World St Martins.

The software integrates with a camera that is continuously recording images.

In an earlier trial in some North Island Foodstuffs stores, the system scanned 226 million faces to raise 1742 alerts, with 1200 of those confirmed on watchlists.

A watchlist only had on it people who had previously been violent, threatening or aggressive in their stores – and were then categorised in one of two ways: ‘Extreme Threat’ and ‘High Risk’. A match with someone’s template had to be 92.5 percent accurate for it to be flagged at which point two trained store members would check it and decide what to do next, said Foodstuffs South Island.

“This may include observing the person, contacting Police, or intervening to ask them to leave the FR Store – if it is safe to do so,” said the chain’s website.

Facial recognition was a proportionate response because North Island supermarket trial had been effective at reducing serious threatening behaviour, the privacy assessment said.

The North Island trial was assessed by the Office of the Privacy Commissioner that concluded, “While the level of privacy intrusion was high because every visitor’s face is collected, the privacy safeguards in the trial reduced it to an acceptable level.”

The tech must only be used with robust processes including human checks, it said.

“FRT systems have potential safety benefits, but they also raise significant privacy concerns.”

A template of every shopper

The privacy assessment for the current South Island trial showed Foodstuffs was using IT systems from an Australian firm, Vix Vizion, which scored highly for accurate facial recognition in 2022, and Auckland company Auror.

Auror is a big player in vehicle licence plate recognition but earlier said it had avoided facial recognition till a few months ago because the technology had not been accurate enough at the time.

Its product, Subject Recognition, had a module and person of interest lists that could not be accessed by police, whereas police access its licence plate system hundreds of times a day.

Like Subject Recognition which Auror has begun offering stores, Foodstuffs’ trial runs on a system that created a temporary biometric template of every shopper at the three test stores, then dumped it if there was no match to a watchlist, the privacy assessment showed.

A detection was stored within the Auror platform for seven years, though the image itself would be deleted the same day, said the assessment.

“All personal information collected and stored within the FRT System, including the watchlist, is stored in Microsoft Azure Australia (by Auror Limited within the Auror Platform) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) NZ/Australia” by Foodstuffs.

The company said before starting the trial it engaged with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner, or OPC. The OPC would be getting “high level” monthly updates.

Facial recognition relies on biometrics, like a person’s face or fingerprints.

The office’s biometric processing privacy code came into force on 3 November so does not apply to the supermarket trial.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Seven-year-old Zakhar Manktelow has just met Ded Moroz and wrote him a wishlist.

“I wrote snowman, snow globe, Nintendo Switch, and Super Mario Kart game for the Nintendo Switch.”

Ded Moroz, which means Grandpa Frost, is the Santa known in Russian cultures. Zakhar, born to a Russian mother and a Kiwi father, was yet to see snow.

But that did not stop him from reciting a 14-line poem in Russian. He explained what it meant in English.

“When you are waiting for Christmas, then it comes, then you get all your presents, and you build a snowman.”

While it is too hot to snow in Auckland during the Christmas season, a group of Russian-speaking parents like Zakhar’s mum Valentina Manktelow, were keeping the language and the traditional celebration alive for their children.

Plunket’s Russian playgroup had been gathering once a week for a year-and-a-half after Justyna Szarek, Plunket’s community services coordinator, started talking to some Russian-speaking parents who attended the Meadowbank playgroup.

“One thing that’s really amazing about the Russian community is that they keep their language very strong.”

Born in Poland and raised by Ukrainian and Polish parents in Canada, Szarek said her mother kept the tradition for the family.

“We always had two Christmases, we had the 24th of December and January 6th and 7th. We had two sets of presents, two sets of dinners.”

Despite growing up away from her homeland, Szarek said she tried to pass on the tradition to her children, although not entirely successful.

“For example, on the 24th of December, we are not supposed to eat meat. It’s very hard to do that with a meat-eater in the family, but we try as hard as possible.”

Keeping the playgroup filled with activities was Daria Barbashina, who was a mother of two young daughters, and the volunteer coordinator at the playgroup.

“Because my parents they don’t speak English or any other languages, and I want my kids to be able to connect with them.”

Barbashina said speaking at home was not enough in keeping the language alive, so the playgroup community played a critical role.

A meet-up at Plunket’s toy-filled site organised by Barbashina was usually scheduled with story time, sing-along time, arts and crafts, and water play.

But the activities were more than just for the children.

“The kids would not celebrate (festivals) this way when they grow up because it’s from our childhoods. Many of the parents say it reminds them of their childhood when they were in kindergarten.”

At the Christmas celebration, Barbashina’s husband volunteered to dress up as Ded Moroz, who wears a long coat, long beard, has long hair and a magic stick.

“The dress is different too. Grandpa Frost has a long coat, long beard, long hair and has a magic stick. Just because Russia is a very cold country.”

Manktelow fully understood the appeal of the community.

Every month, the mother of two drove 45 minutes from Pukekohe to join the playgroup.

Married to a Kiwi, Manktelow had a strategy to keep the language alive for her children.

“We do one parent one language.”

She only spoke Russian to her children, while her husband only spoke English to them.

“Even when we are in an English-speaking environment, I only speak Russian to my boys and if I want their friends to understand what I was saying, I translate that again to English for them.”

She hoped by keeping the language alive for her children, they would be able to understand the Russian culture in the future.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Waikato region had a sweep out of its leaders following this year’s local body elections, replacing 70 percent of its mayors.

The region stretches from the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula in the north, to parts of Taupō in the south, and from Awakino in the west to Waihi in the east. One city, nine district and a regional council manage the area.

RNZ caught up with the seven new mayors to see how the first few months had gone and what the election result meant for the priorities of the region in the new year.

Several of the mayors were recently elected but not new to politics. In fact, Matamata-Piako district mayor Ash Tanner was the district’s mayor from 2019 to 2022 when he retired from politics.

That retirement didn’t last. But, returning to council, he said he had been surprised by how engaged the elected members are, particularly those new to the council.

“We’ve got about a 50-50 split of new and returning councillors, and the new ones have really stepped up. They’re asking pertinent questions and showing a strong level of commitment,” he said.

This was not what he would have expected.

“Usually, when new councillors come on board, you don’t get a lot out of them for the first 12 to 18 months while they get their head around how everything works. We’ve got a really good team developing, and I’m feeling really encouraged. It’s going to be a great three years.”

Before becoming mayor, Taupō mayor John Funnell told the Waikato Times he had barely set a foot in the council chamber and admitted he had a lot to learn.

What had been the most surprising element so far?

“The pace and breadth of the work, together with a full engagement calendar, and early ministerial conversations, has been energising and a reminder of how closely people watch council decisions,” he said.

Waikato district mayor Aksel Bech had been deputy mayor of the district in 2019 to 2022 and had served two terms as a councillor. He said he came to the job with a clear understanding of the community’s expectations but that the government’s rapid move on regional councils had been the real surprise.

“I don’t disagree with the intent of the changes but must say the pace is intense on top of other reforms, but it reflects an unavoidable truth: local government in its current form is broken and a full reset rather than a fix is probably the right call,” he said.

Waipā mayor Mike Pettit had come to the job through a traditional pathway – serving time on his local Cambridge community board, then as a ward councillor, and now as mayor.

He said the government’s recent announcements had not been surprising to him, though he was surprised by some of the details included in the proposed changes.

“I see these changes as opportunities to be embraced. Much of it fits into what I talked about during the campaign: rates alone won’t be able to fund some of the larger amenity projects our community is looking for. We’ll need to think outside the box – and that’s what excites me,” he said.

The region had one mayor who knew both central and local government – former MP and now Hamilton City mayor Tim Macindoe.

He said the central government proposals for local government reform would have far-reaching implications for Hamilton and the wider region.

“Council is working hard to understand the details and implications of these proposed changes to assess the likely impacts for both future operations and governance arrangements, and to be ready to respond appropriately,” Macindoe said.

But while he thought it would be challenging, it was not impossible.

“There will be big trade-offs and some hard choices to make. Partnerships with central government and the private sector will be essential to achieve the right balance of financial prudence, and care and vision for our city, for both current and future residents. I will be liaising closely with the other mayors and chief executives in the region on these matters.”

Despite the amount of central government intervention in local government so far, and the turnover of mayors, new Thames-Coromandel district mayor Peter Revell said the immediate priorities for his district and the region had not changed much since the election.

“We campaigned on making a difference for our ratepayers and that is what must happen,” he said.

“Always working for the best for the Coromandel district’s people remains the priority – no matter what the reform environment.”

Ōtorohanga mayor Rodney Dow, agreed.

“The priorities of the district remain the same as when the election was held. At that time, I believed – and still believe – that council needs to focus on its core services, central government needs to avoid imposing unnecessary bureaucracy on local government, and we need to find ways other than rates to pay for the things that make our communities special.”

A previous councillor, he said the role of mayor came with greater local exposure.

“When I was a councillor, I didn’t often have people comment to me about council matters, but since becoming mayor I now receive a lot more feedback – mostly positive,” he said.

After a busy few months, the mayors planned to use the summer and Christmas break as a chance to rest, spend time with family, and travel within and outside the region.

Though Macindoe was expecting a very special arrival this Christmas.

“We are especially looking forward to the arrival of our third grandchild who is due just after Christmas – the very best “present” any grandparent could wish for,” he told RNZ.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Several accidents have snarled Auckland traffic on Christmas Eve.

A key Auckland road was reported blocked after a pick-up truck hit several vehicles.

It was on New North Road in Kingsland near the intersection with King Street, at 12.20pm. Five people were assessed but there were no serious injuries.

The crash was blocking the road in both directions and drivers are being urged to avoid the area.

Households in an Auckland suburb were also out of electricity after a power pole was damaged by a crash.

The single-vehicle crash happened just after midday near the intersection with Blockhouse Bay Road and Matata Street in Blockhouse Bay.

The driver of the car was not seriously injured.

Road closures are in place and people are asked to avoid the area if possible.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Department of Conservation has reopened several huts near the Whanganui River where police have been searching for Mitchell Cole.

Mitchell Cole is a person of interest in an investigation into the deaths of his parents, Brendon and Trina Cole, in the farming community of Ruatiti on the 13th of December.

DOC closed two major trails in the neighbouring Whanganui National Park, as well as several huts along the route, while police scoured the area last week.

Central District Commander Superintendent Dion Bennett said the huts were reopened on Monday.

“The huts came to the attention of Police during extensive ground and aerial searches last week. When DOC was informed several huts were near the search area, it made the decision to close them while our activities were occurring,” Bennett said.

“We have remained in contact with DOC and appreciate their support during the operation.”

But he said Mitchell Cole still hadn’t been found, and finding him was a top priority.

“Cole is considered dangerous and anyone who sees him should call 111 immediately,” Bennett said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An Otago businessman who founded the country’s biggest ski area is being remembered as someone who shaped his local community over many decades.

Wānaka farmer and entrepreneur John Allandale Lee died peacefully on Sunday surrounded by family,

He was seen as a key figurehead in the economic takeoff of the Cardrona Valley

Lee’s family confirmed the 89-year-old’s passing in a statement on Wednesday.

A second-generation Waiorau farmer, Lee grew up in the tough alpine clime of the Cardrona Valley’s Pisa Range.

“In the late 1960s, the population of Cardrona was in decline, and as things were looking bleak, John got creative – all with the goal of bringing life back to the valley.”

Lee and his wife, Mary bought the historic Cardrona Hotel in 1970 and Mt Cardrona Station a year later.

The couple would spend the following years developing a ski area at Cardrona.

Cardrona Alpine Resort was opened to the public in 1980 and now stands as New Zealand’s biggest ski area.

The Southern Hemisphere Proving Grounds came to life during the development of the Snow Farm in 1984.

The Lees then supported their youngest son Sam in the development of freestyle skiing and snowboarding mecca, Snow Park, in the early 2000s.

Lee was said to be instrumental in saving the Cardrona Hotel from ruin after a local recluse purchased the building during the 1960s, and left it to deteriorate.

“From helping to re-establish the Cardrona Valley as a destination in its own right,, to the bustling Wānaka ski industry, to the cheeky Cardrona Bra Fence – John’s legacy is extensive. Many in the Cardrona and Wānaka communities can trace their careers, homes and livelihoods back to John’s passion to bring a vibrant life to this area,” the Lee family said.

In 2015, Lee was made companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business and tourism.

He was survived by wife Mary, children Rachael, Joanna and Sam, and grandchildren Louis, Regan, Olivia, Anton, Hana, Matthew, Archie and Heidi.

Lee was to be farewelled at a private ceremony on Wednesday.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died after a house fire in New Plymouth early on the morning of Christmas Eve.

Emergency services were called to a property on Trelawney Crescent around 2:30am on Wednesday after reports of a house fire, and a person was found deceased, police said.

A scene examination is ongoing at the property.

Police will work alongside Fire and Emergency NZ to determine the circumstances of the fire.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A teenager was left swimming for his life in Lake Taupō while rescue helicopter calls were delayed by police, RNZ has learned.

Police stood down a rescue helicopter crew that had rapidly assembled after a burning boat was spotted in Lake Taupō on Sunday evening.

The crew quickly spotted a 14-year-old boy who had leapt from the boat and threw him a life-ring.

RNZ inquiries show the chopper was told it was not needed just after 7pm – then told that it actually was about half an hour later.

The boy was rescued an hour after police were first alerted.

He was by that time a kilometre from the burning boat, swimming without a lifejacket.

Police’s initial statement on Monday said he was lucky to survive.

The boy was fine, police said.

RNZ made inquiries after becoming aware of questions being asked locally about how long it took the chopper to get there.

Police released timestamps today showing they confirmed the boy was missing at 7.19pm.

More to come…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Five people have been injured after a crash involving a truck in Waikato.

Emergency services were called just before midday to State Highway 25 in Hauraki.

Three people have been seriously injured and a further two people sustained moderate injuries.

The section is closed near the intersection with Hauraki Road and diversions are in place.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Just over six months after little spotted kiwi were reintroduced to Nelson’s Brook Waimārama Sanctuary, breeding has begun and the first chick has hatched, just in time for Christimas.

In May, 41 little spotted kiwi, also known as kiwi pukupuku, were translocated from Kapiti Island to the fenced sanctuary in Nelson.

Brook Waimārama Sanctuary ecologist Robert Schadewinkel said they had been hopeful the birds would breed this season. Little spotted kiwi typically lay eggs between July and January, with an incubation period of 65 to 75 days.

The male birds do the incubation work and Schadewinkel said of the 10 male birds fitted with transmitters, five were visiting the same burrow, which had indicated they were breeding.

Trail cameras had been set up near those burrows, to catch footage of chicks when they emerged.

“I checked the half a dozen trail cameras and there we were, this chick just popped up in the corner of the camera,” Schadewinkel said

“It was an absolutely delightful, joyful moment. I couldn’t hope for anything better than that just before Christmas.

“It’s an amazing Christmas gift to all of us, to all the Brooklyn Waimārama Sanctuary volunteers, staff, but also the whole of Whakatū Nelson,

Schadewinkel said it was emotional seeing footage of the first fluffy kiwi chick wandering around in the bush and it reinforced all the hard work that had gone in to ensure the sanctuary remained pest free and a suitable habitat for the birds.

“I’m pretty confident this is certainly not the only one but whether we’ve got five chicks or 11 chicks or 20 chicks in the sanctuary, who knows, but we know they’re breeding, we know they’re happy, we know they’ve found a new home and they’re loving it.”

Sanctuary chief executive Chris McCormack said the arrival of kiwi chicks was a Christmas treat.

It had been the vision of the sanctuary’s original founders to re-introduce kiwi to the area, after a decades long absence.

McCormack said having the kiwi establish themselves so soon after translocation showed there was plenty of food in the sanctuary for them.

“We hope in the future that we could probably get to a capacity of 300 to 350 in the sanctuary. Still years to come, of course, but it’s just magic that we’ve got eggs already.”

Several months after the kiwi had settled in, the sanctuary had begun night tours and over a thousand people had taken a guided tour between July and November.

Visitors often heard kiwi calling to each other, with some lucky enough to have close encounters.

McCormack said on a recent tour he led, they stopped to see the gloworms and had turned their torches off, when one visitor became agitated by something on the ground.

“I turned my red head torch back on, and there we were, a kiwi right at her feet, it jumped in the bushes, and then we watched it jump back onto the boardwalk then disappeared into the night. Then straight after that, it decided to come back for another check of these humans and turned around and disappeared back into the night.”

McCormack said the encounter left him speechless. He usually warned visitors that seeing kiwi was like finding a needle in a haystack.

For the first time, night tours at the sanctuary will continue into the summer months to allow visitors to the region to experience the wildlife after dark.

McCormack said kākā and mohua were the next bird species they hoped to translocate into the sanctuary.

Kiwi pukupuku were thought to be functionally extinct in the South Island until a chance discovery on the West Coast earlier this year.

In July, a female kiwi pukupuku was found in the remote Adams Wilderness Area, for the first time in 50 years.

Kiwi pukupuku are extremely vulnerable to introduced predators. Until now, it was believed they only survived in offshore islands and fenced predator-free sites.

Despite years of searching, the last known sighting of a kiwi pukupuku on the mainland was in 1978.

The Department of Conservation is gathering information to work with Kāti Māhaki ki Makaawhio (a distinct hapū of Ngāi Tahu and Ngāti Māmoe) to explore the future protection and management of the birds.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Watercare has fulfilled a promise to give another $1 million to beleaguered oyster farmers north of Auckland after a catastrophic sewage failure.

It’s after an initial $1m was given last month after the spill obliterated crops in late October.

Watercare agreed to give that money to 10 affected farmers.

It said the second tranche is so it can give support them while an independent assessment on losses is still being done.

Watercare has previously said it expects that assessment to be finalised in the new year.

Confirmation of the second payment comes days after oyster farmers expressed their frustration, desperation and said they were losing faith.

Farmer Tom Waters said he had only been able to farm for about six weeks of this year and bills and debts had mounted with little time to harvest.

He had already twice considered closing the doors of his business.

“This year’s been diabolical, I wouldn’t even be in business if it hadn’t been for lovely people who had donated and kept me going,” he told Checkpoint on 18 December.

The overflow was a power surge combined with monitoring and alert systems failing.

More than 1000 cubic metres of sewage overflowed, contaminating thousands of oysters in the Mahurangi River and stopping harvesting for nearly a month.

It came at the peak of the season.

“This incident should not have happened,” Watercare chief operations officer Mark Bourne said on Wednesday.

Oyster farmers have faced ongoing contamination problems for several years, but Watercare said the October spill was unique.

The payments go toward losses directly caused by that overflow and not other historical losses caused by the likes of weather or consented overflows

“These matters are governed separately under environmental consents and regulatory frameworks,” it said.

Watercare said it will be contacting farmers individually and confidentially to discuss the outcomes of the loss assessment once it is finished.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The scrub fire near the Hawke’s Bay village of Fernhill – between the township and the Ngaruroro River bridge – is almost fully out, Fire and Emergency says.

The blaze is fully contained and 95 percent extinguished, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

Overnight, crews with a pump truck and a tanker monitored the site for any potential flareups.

Fire and Emergency said one crew with a tanker is monitoring the area today, extinguishing the last few remaining hotspots.

The blaze broke out near Hastings on Tuesday, leaving one person hospitalised and multiple buildings destroyed.

Three firefighters experienced heat exhaustion while working on the fire. Two were treated at the scene, and one was transferred to Hawke’s Bay Hospital as a precaution.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand is liaising with them and their families.

The fire also forced people living in and around the Farmhouse Lodge accommodation from their homes.

Fire and Emergency said it was still unclear when evacuated residents might be able to return home.

State Highway 50 at Fernhill reopened on Wednesday morning after it was closed due to the fire.

The New Zealand Transport Agency said the road is under stop-go traffic management near Omahu Road.

Motorists are being told to expect delays around the Fernhill area.

Fire and Emergency Assistant Commander Jason Hill told RNZ earlier today firefighting would resume this morning.

“Crews will be looking to bring the fire to a point where it’s 100 percent controlled, so that means there is no chance of it burning outside of the containment lines, whether the wind picks up or not,” he said.

“We still have multiple pockets of fire burning within the perimeter.”

A fire investigator would also begin looking into the cause of the fire, Hill said.

He said two homes, multiple sheds and some machinery had been destroyed.

When crews arrived, flames fanned by strong winds were running up the hill, threatening multiple buildings, Hill said.

Firefighting efforts were hampered by gusts of up to 90 km/h, which meant they could not call on helicopters, leaving ground crews to tackle it.

Dawson Bliss, who owns Farmhouse Lodge, said the fire was burning on his property.

A tenant alerted him to smoke billowing up the hill and when he went to investigate, it appeared an old bus was on fire on flat land near the Ngaruroro river.

“I rushed down there and got close to it and had extinguishers and so forth, but it was just too ablaze to try and get close enough,” he said.

Bliss did not know when he and his tenants would be able to return to the property.

On Tuesday he told RNZ he was feeling okay, but “later on it might be worse, when we take stock of the situation”.

Fire and Emergency said Civil Defence had helped evacuees to find a place to stay overnight.

Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said it was distressing for those impacted by the fire – and it was a stark reminder of how dangerous the region’s hot, windy summers could be.

Schollum and Hill urged people to take fire bans seriously.

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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 police dog seriously injured after falling into scalding geothermal water is finally getting to enjoy retirement after months of recovery – just in time for Christmas.

Teo was being gradually eased back from seven years of patrol work when she fell as soft ground gave way during a search and rescue operation in Rotorua.

She suffered severe burns, primarily to her hindquarters, and it was touch-and-go whether she would make it.

Teo received three weeks of critical care from vets and nurses at Massey University Veterinary Teaching Hospital.

Three months later, handler Constable Adam Johannsen said Teo’s road to recovery had been up and down.

“She’s missing fur from being shaved through her treatment, so she looks scruffy as hell, but she’s very much in the realm of being fully recovered and back to her normal self,” he said.

The pair graduated as an operational team in 2018. Teo won the award for best new operational dog in her first year and in 2024 they were awarded Auckland City District’s Murray Morrisey Award for operational excellence.

“She’s got a big heart and probably hasn’t been the hardest dog in terms of her apprehensions, but with her tracking she just gives that extra 10 percent,” Johannsen told the TenOne police magazine.

In one instance, following a family harm incident, Teo tracked the person for 3.5 kilometres and found him hiding on a building site in a portable loo.

“She’s had a few good catches like that. I believe it’s a result of her search-and-rescue work giving her that extra fitness and extra tracking ability.”

Tracking and finding people in search and rescue work had likely saved lives, he said.

“She’s quite a remarkable dog and just doesn’t give up.

“She’s looked after me and saved me once or twice too.”

There had been “incredible” support during her recovery from colleagues and members of the public.

“People have been phoning stations to see how she’s doing, and someone even stopped me in the street the other day to ask if it was Teo with me.”

Teo was officially fully retired on the day of her accident.

“Every day she’s trying to jump in the back of the van to come to work with me,” Johannsen said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A body has been recovered near Thames on and is believed to be a person that went missing in Coromandel waters two days ago.

Duty Inspector Neil Faulkner said at around 6.10am on Wednesday, police received reports of a body being located on the beach by a member of the public near Thames Coast Road, Kereta.

“A formal identification is yet to take place, but police believe it is the man who was reported missing on 22 December, near the Waikawau boat ramp.”

Emergency services had been searching for the man after reports of him getting into difficulties in the water and going missing.

One person had made it safely to shore and reported that a second party was still in the water.

Police expect the death to be referred to the Coroner.

Local iwi have placed also a rāhui on the area.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s one more sleep until Christmas, and whether celebrations will be out in the sun or shifted indoors depends on where you are in the country.

Forecasters are predicting a mixed bag of weather on Christmas Day, with warm temperatures for some, and rain for others.

MetService meteorologist Dan Corrigan told RNZ for many places, Christmas will be “good barbecue weather”.

He said Wellington through to Waikato and Hawke’s Bay will continue to see warm weather.

It has been a scorcher for Hawke’s Bay, with Hastings recording the country’s highest temperature on Tuesday, reaching a maximum of 33.4C at about 2.30pm.

While the warm temperatures are set to continue into Christmas, they aren’t expected to be as high as Tuesday and Wednesday.

“We are looking at temperatures in the high 20s, not the 30s,” Corrigan said.

He said a heat alert has been issued for people in Napier and Hastings.

“For people that are more vulnerable, its a heads up to keep hydrated and stay in the shade.”

While Wellington will be warm on Christmas, Wellingtonians can expect the usual windy weather the city is known for.

In the South Island, Christchurch is forecast to receive the warmest weather of the south on Christmas with a high of 26C. Nelson and Marlborough are also expected to receive nice, warm weather.

Further south, cold air sitting about the lower South Island is expected to bring cooler temperatures, with Queenstown forecast to receive a high of 16C – 10C lower than Christchurch.

Christmas indoors?

Some places around the country may have to shift their Christmas celebrations indoors due to rainy weather.

Corrigan said there is a band of rain in the far north of the country that could bring persistent rain to places like Kaitaia and Bay of Islands.

He said previous modelling was bringing that rain band further south to Auckland, but many Aucklanders will be pleased to know that is looking less likely.

If there is rain in Auckland on Christmas, it is most likely to be brief showers in the second half of the day, he added.

The wettest weather is expected to be on the West Coast, along the main spine of the Southern Alps. Further south, Otago and Southland may experience spots of rain.

Christmas Day forecast:

• Auckland: High of 24C, low of 17C
• Tauranga: High of 24C, low of 16C
• Hamilton: High of 24C, low of 13C
• Wellington: High of 20C, low of 16C
• Christchurch: High of 26C, low of 11C
• Dunedin: High of 19C, low of 10C
• Invercargill: High of 18C, low of 7C

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fire has destroyed a home and left one person injured in the Christchurch suburb of Mairehau.

Up to four crews were called to Kellys Road shortly before 5am on Wednesday to find the single-storey property well ablaze.

Fire and Emergency said the fire encroached onto the next-door unit, causing minor damage.

A person has been taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

One crew is still there, dampening down hotspots.

A fire investigator is heading to the scene this morning.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Nelson nurse says he is living in fear as he tries to stop the deportation of his autistic child.

Immigration New Zealand has denied 5-year-old Aidhan Nithin a pathway to live in New Zealand, after finding he is likely to impose significant costs or demands on health and education services.

The decision has prompted a rally, two petitions and two unsuccessful requests for Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk to intervene.

The boy’s father, Nithin Mankeel, said he was pleading officials not to separate the family.

“It’s really heartbreaking. I don’t know how, mentally, I can cope, if that’s going to happen,” he said.

Mankeel moved to New Zealand from India in January 2024, followed by his wife and son later that year.

He works as an elder care nurse, and his wife Aparna Jayandhan Geetha works as a senior healthcare assistant.

Mankeel, whose job is on Tier 1 of INZ’s Green List, applied for the straight-to-residence pathway, listing his family members as secondary applicants.

INZ sought more information about Aidhan’s delayed speech abilities, leading to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and global developmental delay.

The agency then invited the family to submit further evidence to support a medical waiver, Mankeel said.

“I’ve consulted many doctors, psychologists and GPs, the latest GP reports state that he’s improving once he started kindergarten … he’s doing a lot of things independently,” he said.

After months of back-and-forth with INZ, Mankeel said he was told all three visas would be declined unless he withdrew Aidhan’s name and applied separately for a different visa category.

Mankeel did that; his and Geetha’s visas were approved in June, while Aidhan’s application for a new visitor visa was declined in July.

INZ found Aidhan was likely to impose significant costs or demands on health and education services, which under new rules introduced in March, meant he could not be granted a visa.

“His status is now unlawful because he doesn’t have any valid visa … so there’s a liability of deportation,” Mankeel said.

“I was really, really shocked.”

Appeals blocked, family seeks discretionary route

The family lodged an appeal to the independent Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds, but it was not accepted as it was submitted after the statutory 42-day timeframe.

They also appealed to Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk, who under the Immigration Act 2009 has the power to intervene in exceptional cases.

Penk declined that appeal, and declined to consider a second appeal from Nelson MP Rachel Boyack on the basis there was no new extenuating or compelling information.

INZ confirmed it was reviewing a Section 61 request lodged by the family, a discretionary application that allows people unlawfully in New Zealand to seek a visa under the Immigration Act 2009.

If approved, it could restore Aidhan’s lawful status, it said.

The agency said it would not take any compliance action while it assessed that request.

MP and residents call for compassion

Boyack described the situation as “deeply unfair”.

“You can’t recruit essential health workers into New Zealand and then deport their child. If Aidhan is deported, then the family will leave as well. And that will be a massive loss for Nelson,” she said.

She said she had received countless emails from people who worked alongside Mankeel, were cared for by him, or were family members of people he cared for in their final days.

All of them spoke highly of his work as a nurse, she said.

“Nurses have said he’s the best healthcare professional they’ve worked alongside. I just can’t understand how a minister could read all of this evidence from members of the community and not look at it, you know, in a holistic way and look at what the benefits would be for Nelson in allowing this whole family to stay.”

The community would continue fighting, she said.

More than 4000 people have signed a petition asking officials to rethink the decision.

A second petition is calling on the House of Representatives to abolish the Acceptable Standard of Health immigration requirements.

Earlier this week, a rally was held in central Nelson to support the family.

“It was organised at the very last minute and had around 200 people turn out,” Boyack said.

Immigration New Zealand: Health rules must be applied consistently

INZ deputy chief operating officer Jeannie Melville said applicants assessed as likely to impose significant costs on health and education services could not be granted a waiver, “regardless of family circumstances or occupation”.

The requirements were designed to balance individual cases with the sustainability of the country’s health and education systems, she said.

The agency clearly advised Mankeel of the implications of withdrawing Aidhan from the original application, “including the impact on future visa applications”, she said.

“We understand the challenges faced by Mr Mankeel and his family; however, immigration health requirements are very specific and can only be waived through ministerial intervention. The granting of residence to Mr Mankeel and his wife was based on the critical need for healthcare professionals in New Zealand, as reflected by their inclusion in Tier 1 of the Green List. All secondary applicants must still meet the health criteria for their visa category,” she said.

The agency acknowledged the concerns raised by the family, local representatives and community members.

“INZ carefully considered all information provided, including evidence of parental support and Aidhan’s integration into his community. However, immigration decisions must be made in line with the Immigration Act and associated instructions. These rules help keep decisions consistent, while protecting the future of New Zealand’s health and education services. We recognise this is a difficult outcome for the family and will continue to engage with them to manage the process compassionately.”

Mankeel said he and his wife had given up everything to make Nelson their home.

He said his elderly parents in India would not be able to care for Aidhan, and the thought of being separated was unbearable.

“Deporting my child is like cutting off my arm,” he said.

Mankeel said the response from colleagues and neighbours and others had been overwhelming.

“We are living full of fear but I’m getting so much support from many, many different communities,” he said.

“I’m getting weaker day by day but I’m getting all this support, I’m getting the energy to push forward. We are just praying and hoping for the best.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

I need a last-minute Christmas gift. Are any shops open?

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A kororā is set to be released back into the wild in Auckland on Wednesday afternoon after two months in hospital.

The little blue penguin was being cared for by BirdCare Aotearoa after getting stuck in a metal drum near Army Bay.

The penguin, called Pingu, had an injured beak, as well as injured toes which the penguins use to climb.

It was also severely dehydrated and underweight.

BirdCare fundraising manager Dr Rashi Parker told RNZ Pingu was in a sad state.

She said the hospital had been helping the bird recover.

“Her feathers had to get waterproof so that she can actually stay warm,” she said.

“She’s got quite a bit of blubber now so she can float, but we wanted to make sure that when her feathers get wet they repel water so she doesn’t lose too much heat.”

Now that Pingu had recovered, Parker said she was set for a very special Christmas Eve release.

She said little blue penguins came to shore when they moulted, or when they were going back and forth with their babies.

“This time is very critical for these kororā,” Parker said.

“Their populations are in decline so we need to do everything we can to protect their coastal habitat.”

Parker said people should keep predators like dogs away or on leash at beaches where the penguins could be found.

“Piha, Te Henga, Omaha, Big Manly, these are all spots where small populations of kororā penguins are still hanging out, just really hanging on and hoping to survive,” she said.

“They’re already struggling in terms of feeding, so let’s not make it any harder for them, so let’s protect those habitats by keeping our dogs, our predators away from those areas.”

She urged those who came across a little blue on holiday not to rush in.

“Be very, very quiet, and just watch the bird and see what’s happening,” Parker said.

“Sometimes they might just be sitting there, hanging out, because that’s what they do particularly over moulting season. If you’re concerned in any way, if there are dogs around, if it looks like a youngster who hasn’t had parents attend to it you’re most welcome to ring the [Department of Conservation] hotline.”

The hotline number is 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire crews are battling to control a scrub blaze that broke out near Hastings on Tuesday, leaving one person hospitalised and multiple buildings destroyed.

The fire in Fernhill – between the township and the Ngaruroro River bridge – also forced people living in and around the Farmhouse Lodge accommodation from their homes.

Fire and Emergency Assistant Commander Jason Hill said crews had been patrolling the fire overnight, and it was contained, but firefighting would resume on Wednesday morning.

“Crews will be looking to bring the fire to a point where it’s 100 percent controlled, so that means there is no chance of it burning outside of the containment lines, whether the wind picks up or not,” he said.

“We still have multiple pockets of fire burning within the perimeter.”

A fire investigator would also begin looking into the cause of the fire, said Hill.

He said two homes, multiple sheds and some machinery were completely destroyed.

When crews arrived, flames fanned by strong winds were running up the hill, threatening multiple buildings, Hill said.

Firefighting efforts were hampered by gusts of up to 90 km/h, which meant they could not call on helicopters, leaving ground crews to tackle it.

Dawson Bliss owns Farmhouse Lodge and the fire was burning on his property, he said.

A tenant alerted him to smoke billowing up the hill and when he went to investigate, it appeared an old bus was on fire on flat land near the Ngaruroro river.

“I rushed down there and got close to it and had extinguishers and so forth, but it was just too ablaze to try and get close enough,” he said.

Bliss did not know when he and his tenants would be able to return to the property.

On Tuesday he told RNZ he was feeling okay, but “later on it might be worse, when we take stock of the situation”.

Fire and Emergency said Civil Defence had helped evacuees to find a place to stay overnight.

Hastings Mayor Wendy Schollum said it was distressing for those impacted by the fire – and it was a stark reminder of how dangerous the region’s hot, windy summers could be.

Schollum and Hill urged people to take fire bans seriously.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The New Zealand Transport Agency has commissioned an independent analysis of breath testing data to try and identify the full scale of falsely recorded tests.

RNZ earlier revealed about 130 Police staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has since halted $6 million worth of funding to Police until it was satisfied Police had met their breath test targets.

RNZ has obtained a series of weekly reports to Transport Minister Chris Bishop on the issue under the Official Information Act.

One update, from 27 October, said NZTA had identified a preferred supplier to independently analyse the breath screening test data file provided by Police.

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

“This independent analysis will identify whether any further irregularities (over and above any detected by NZ Police) are discernible.”

The 30,000 breath tests related to an algorithm that determined if a second test took place within 90 seconds of the first, whilst the distance between the two indicated a speed of more than 20 km/h.

In an update to Bishop on 13 October, NZTA said Police could not determine if any irregular testing was undertaken while officers were stationary.

“NZTA is supporting and encouraging NZ Police to identify what, if any, options exist for removing these limitations, and to look beyond current detection methods to ascertain the true scale of irregularities.”

Acting Deputy Commissioner Mike Johnson earlier told NZTA that while the algorithm had “proven effective” in identifying tests conducted while the device was in motion, “there remains limitations in detecting all forms of irregular testing, including those undertaken in specific locations”.

In a statement to RNZ, Bishop reiterated the matter was “very concerning”, and said it was important that it was resolved.

“NZTA have kept me regularly updated as the work has progressed. Independent analysis is underway, and NZTA are working closely with Police. NZTA will have more to say early next year.”

An NZTA spokesperson told RNZ on Tuesday that the independent analysis was under way and was expected to be completed early next year.

“NZTA has requested that Police provide assurance that delivery numbers for breath screening tests and the wider road policing activity measures for the 2024/25 financial year and Q1 of the 2025/26 financial year are correct.

“We are working with Police, and we expect to verify the final results in early 2026.”

Johnson earlier said in a statement that NZTA had notified Police that delivery-dependent road policing funding for the first quarter of the financial year had been paused, while Police’s investigation into irregularities in breath testing data was ongoing.

“Police is working closely with our NZTA partners to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. We acknowledge it is important the data being assessed is accurate and the activity being carried out is legitimate.

“We are confident that once the data is confirmed as accurate, the funding will be authorised.”

Police continued to deliver “very high levels of breath testing activity”, Johnson said.

“We will continue to have a high-visibility presence over the summer period.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Switching between grief and festivities

What about the stages of grief?

Can you delay grief?

What if Christmas is the anniversary of a significant loss?

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