Source: Radio New Zealand

Hundreds of people gathered in a shady grove at the Christchurch Botanic Gardens, surrounded by bird song and the hum of cicadas, to remember one of the darkest days in the city’s history.

A formal ceremony to mark the seventh anniversary of the Christchurch mosque attacks brought together loved ones of the 51 shuhada (martyrs) killed by a white supremacist terrorist on 15 March, 2019, those injured in the attacks, first responders including representatives from Police and Hato Hone St John, members of the public and politicians.

Following a moment of silence, the names of the 51 dead were read out, interspersed with the tolling of the city’s World Peace Bell following each name.

Wreaths were later laid by dignitaries, including Mayor Phil Mauger, MPs Megan Woods and Matt Doocey, Senior Sergeant Roy Appley, who led the police communications centre on the day of the attack, and St John national youth manager Kerry Mitchell.

Many attendees gathered first at the Bridge of Remembrance, as part of the Walk the Talk for Unity event, making their way from the city centre to the gardens carrying signs and 51 prayer mats.

The Sakinah Community Trust – a not-for-profit started by seven bereaved women after the attacks – organised the Unity Week events.

Chair Dr Hamimah Ahmat said the mats represented each of those killed at prayer, but the impacts rippled across the whole community, including the families and friends of those killed, and the many injured who live with the memories every day.

“We’re not just talking about 51,” she said. “We are talking about the families of the 51, we’re talking about the friends of the 51s, the neighbours of the 51s, and then not forgetting the people who were physically injured and their families, who continue to live through and go through the memory of March 15th.”

Everyone grieves differently, Ahmat said, and would acknowledge the day in different ways.

“Alhamdulillah [thank God], we are thankful that, as people grieve and heal, more and more are starting to support this kaupapa and support this idea.”

Initially, non-Muslims struggled with how to express their sorrow over 15 March, because they feared it could be culturally inappropriate or disrespectful, Amhat said. The focus on unity and bringing people together was a key part of the Islamic tradition, and the group was happy to pave the way to remembering lost loved ones even from the depths of their grief.

“It wasn’t just Muslims that were directly impacted. In many different ways, everyone – the whole of New Zealand, including people of non-faith – were also affected and impacted by what happened to this beautiful country, by a person that they did not invite.”

She said the organisation’s Unity Summit conference had talked at length about how moving the nation forward would take many hands, including the hands and voices of young people.

In the future, Amhat hoped to see Unity Week events happening around the country, not just in Christchurch.

Australian activist Robert Martin was invited, alongside Melbourne imam Alla Elzokm, to take part in the Unity Summit and speak at the unity walk.

He said his visit had been deeply moving and he had been inspired by the resilience of the community, but he was taken aback at the lack of publicity surrounding the event.

“There’s nothing – signs, TV ads, radio ads, anything about the commemoration. I can’t believe there isn’t anything.

“These poor families need something they can go to, other than just a tombstone.”

Christchurch man Nicholas Witte took part in commemorative events for the first time, and it had been a pleasure and an honour.

“I’m here with other fellow members of my community. We’re Jewish, we want to express our wholehearted support for this.

“It’s a completely authentic expression of what we believe.

“Very early on in our historic teachings, we’re told B’tselem elohim – all human beings are made in the image of God – it’s something we take completely seriously.”

Kathleen Gallagher attended to honour the lives of two lifelong friends of her sons, who were killed in the attacks.

She said the compassionate way Ōtautahi responded to the devastating attacks was the most important thing, something the world needed more than ever.

A senior adviser at Norway’s 22nd July Centre, Anne Talsnes said images of Sunday’s march were engraved in her memory.

“Walking around with those 51 mats, it will forever stay with me.”

Talsnes – whose background was in memory studies, a multidisciplinary field that examined the politics of memory, and what societies choose to remember or not – works at the centre set up four years, after the massacre carried out by Norwegian terrorist Anders Breivik in July 2011, killing 77.

There were a lot of similarities in communities that went through what our communities had gone through, she said.

Talnes said she could not yet judge how New Zealand was processing the memory of 15 March, but it stood out how the commemorations were community led and how much the faith community had taken agency over what happened to them.

“They own their own story, and they’re incredibly resilient and open-hearted.”

Norwegians had to confront many unpleasant conversations in the effort to confront the horrors of the 2011 attacks.

“We couldn’t keep just talking about the love and the unity that came out of it,” she said. “We also had to address the source and the ideology behind it, which took a long time.”

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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 batch of cheese from Goodfood Group Limited is being recalled because of the possible presence of Listeria.

Food Safety says the affected product is a 200-gram packet of Emborg Emmentaler cheese with a best before date of 5 November.

It was imported from Germany and sold at supermarkets across the country.

People are being advised to return the cheese to its place of purchase for a refund or throw it out.

Food Safety said there had been no reports of illness.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Crashes in Hastings, Rotoru, Mangaweka and Lindis Pass have left three people dead, another with serious injuries, and forced multiple highways to close.

Hastings

A crash in Hastings left one dead and closed a road.

Police said one person was found dead at the scene of the single vehicle crash near Te Mata Road.

Waimarama Road is currently closed and diversions are in place while the scene is examined.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Rotorua

State Highway 5 has been closed after a Bay of Plenty crash near Ngongotahā, Rotorua.

The crashed happened on the stretch between Western Road and State Highway 36.

Mangaweka

A motorcycle crash in Mangaweka has left another person dead and closed State Highway 1.

The crash near Manui Road was reported to emergency services just before 11am.

Police said the rider died at the scene.

The road remains closed while a scene examination is carried out. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

Lindis Pass

Another fatal crash on Sunday afternoon has also blocked Lindis Pass.

Police said they were called to the two-vehicle crash between Old Faithful Road and Omarama-Lindis Pass Road at 12:20pm.

One person died at the scene.

The road remains closed and motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible and expect delays.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

At least 700 people have staged a noisy protest at Northland’s Ruakākā Beach against a controversial fast-tracked proposal to mine up to 8 million cubic metres of sand.

The crowd included many of the region’s civic leaders, MPs, kapa haka groups and even the Waipū Highland Pipe Band.

However, high winds put paid to plans by waka ama and boating clubs to join the protest on the water.

Whangārei Mayor Ken Couper and local hapū Patuharakeke led the crowd onto the beach just after 11am Sunday.

Couper, a dairy farmer at nearby Waipū, said he wanted to help give a voice to the community, which risked being shut out of the fast-tracked consenting process.

“We are very concerned that the benefits of this proposal will not come into Northland and, in fact, the outcomes will not be good for us at all. We will suffer ecological damage to our beaches and our people are very, very concerned about that.

“We’re here to make sure our voices are heard.”

Couper said strong winds had curtailed some of the organisers’ plans and had forced the bagpipers to adapt their uniforms, but had not deterred them from heading to the beach.

“They’re really engaged,” he said. “It’s a great peaceful protest, a real testament to the Bream Bay and wider Northland community.”

The protest was organised by the Bream Bay Guardians community group, who oppose plans by Auckland company McCallum Brothers to dredge up to 150,000 cubic metres of sand per year from the seabed about four kilometres offshore.

After three years, the amount dredged would increase to a maximum of 250,000 cubic metres per year. If granted, the consent would last 35 years.

McCallum Brothers lodged an application for fast-track consent at the end of January, with the application deemed complete on 17 February.

Under fast-track rules, community groups do not have a right to be heard, but the expert panel making the decision can invite them to make a submission.

Many of Northland’s civic leaders took part in the protest. As well as Couper, they included Far North Mayor Moko Tepania, Northland Regional Council chairman Pita Tipene, councillors and Green list MP Hūhana Lyndon.

Local residents included Ethan Pirihi of Waipū, a kaiāwhina (assistant) at nearby Ruakākā School. He said this was “a big take” (cause) for his whānau.

“I originate from Patuharakeke, so I thought I’d come and tautoko [support] the cause,” Pirihi said. “I used to lay concrete in Auckland and I always wondered where all the ingredients to make concrete came from.

“Now I see it’s coming out of our backyard, I’m here to help stop it.”

Pirihi’s main concern was the potential effect of the removal of millions of tonnes of sand on sealife and kai moana.

Ruakākā accountant Nicole Butturini said sand mining offered “absolutely no benefit” to Northlanders.

“In fact, we’d be worse off, because of the detrimental effect to marine ecosystems,” she said. “It could also jeopardise far more significant long-term economic opportunities for Northland through tourism and recreation.”

Butturini said more innovative solutions were needed, rather than “unsustainably pillaging the environment”.

Far North Mayor Moko Tepania said he had come to the protest, even though Bream Bay was not in his district, to tautoko (support) the cause.

“We’ve heard the concerns of the community here, and the concerns of iwi and hapū and our cousin councillors, so why wouldn’t I come down and show support? This could have intergenerational detrimental effects on this community, regardless of district borders.

“We’re all Northlander at the end of the day and no way do I want this sand mining proposal to go ahead.”

Tepania said the protest had a “beautiful wairua” and local concerns were “very palpable”.

McCallum Brothers has been contacted for comment.

In December, Whangārei district councillors voted unanimously to urge the expert panel to allow groups, such as the Bream Bay Guardians, to have a say in the fast-track consenting process.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Twizel astrophotography enthusiast Jeff Ng says the region has seen a few auroras lately, after he captured a magnificent view on Saturday night.

The Airbnb owner with a passion for photography took the colourful photo at Lake Ruataniwha about 10.30pm.

“It wasn’t busy,” he said. “I was all alone in the dark, pretty much.”

Ng said auroras had happened “quite often lately” in the area, but some monitoring was still require to take a good shot.

Did you also capture the aurora? Send your photos to inews@rnz.co.nz

“It all depends on the sun. It’s like rain, you know, you don’t just stand there and wait for the rain.

“If it comes, it comes… so it’s similar with aurora.”

Ng had practised as a photographer for almost six years now.

“It’s a bit of a research, you know, kind of like when is the hot spot for the sun.”

Keeping track of potential auroras had become easier through online resources like Glendale App and local Facebook groups.

A former Wellingtonian, Ng was drawn to Twizel because of his hobby, moving there last June.

Twizel is located within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of two reserves in the country, with the other being in Wairarapa.

The reserve spans 4367 square kilometres, with other parts of the South Island certified as dark sky sanctuaries, including the more recent Tāhuna Glenorchy Sanctuary.

Now that Ng had settled in his new home, he said his goal was to visit the South Island’s “top spots” for more aurora shots.

“What I intend to do is have more time to travel the south, get a campervan or something, and then just travel Catlins or West Coast.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Twizel astrophotography enthusiast Jeff Ng says the region has seen a few auroras lately, after he captured a magnificent view on Saturday night.

The Airbnb owner with a passion for photography took the colourful photo at Lake Ruataniwha about 10.30pm.

“It wasn’t busy,” he said. “I was all alone in the dark, pretty much.”

Ng said auroras had happened “quite often lately” in the area, but some monitoring was still require to take a good shot.

“It all depends on the sun. It’s like rain, you know, you don’t just stand there and wait for the rain.

“If it comes, it comes… so it’s similar with aurora.”

Ng had practised as a photographer for almost six years now.

“It’s a bit of a research, you know, kind of like when is the hot spot for the sun.”

Keeping track of potential auroras had become easier through online resources like Glendale App and local Facebook groups.

A former Wellingtonian, Ng was drawn to Twizel because of his hobby, moving there last June.

Twizel is located within the Aoraki Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve, one of two reserves in the country, with the other being in Wairarapa.

The reserve spans 4367 square kilometres, with other parts of the South Island certified as dark sky sanctuaries, including the more recent Tāhuna Glenorchy Sanctuary.

Now that Ng had settled in his new home, he said his goal was to visit the South Island’s “top spots” for more aurora shots.

“What I intend to do is have more time to travel the south, get a campervan or something, and then just travel Catlins or West Coast.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Several Gull petrol stations have run dry for the second time in three days, as motorists worry about rising prices and supplies.

Petrol (91) has tipped over the $3 a litre mark in some areas because of the conflict in the Middle East.

US President Donald Trump is calling for countries to send ships to secure the Strait of Hormuz, which is effectively closed as Iran launches attacks to halt maritime traffic.

The area is critical because around 20 percent of the world’s oil consumption or 20 million barrels a day, usually pass through it.

Gull has 113 petrol stations, mostly in the North Island and said they were very busy on Sunday.

Locals said the self-serve Gull petrol station at Rosebank roundabout in West Auckland ran out of fuel on Saturday night and the Gull at Rosebank East has a sign up saying “no fuel”.

Meanwhile, the Tasman petrol station in Epsom was offering unleaded petrol at $2.72 on Saturday and had a sign on the pumps saying “no petrol containers”.

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Enterprise’s most recent assessment of New Zealand’s current fuel stock level was published on its website a week ago and said at that point, New Zealand has 52 days cover of petrol, diesel and jet fuel.

Gull responds

In response, Gull told RNZ customers continued to “flock to our stations in search of fair fuel prices”.

It said the high demand was running some of their network to run dry.

“Some of our logistics providers are struggling to meet the current 15 percent plus increase in demand.

“Gull has good levels of fuel at its terminal and is working as fast as practical with our logistics’ providers to get fuel to our sites to meet Gull’s customers increased demand,” a spokesperson said.

The fuel company said there was still plenty of fuel for everyone in Auckland the rest of the country.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Crashes in Hastings, Rotorua and Mangaweka have left one person dead, another with serious injuries, and forced multiple highways to close.

Hastings

A crash in Hastings left one dead and closed a road.

Police said one person was found dead at the scene of the single vehicle crash near Te Mata Road.

Waimarama Road is currently closed and diversions are in place while the scene is examined.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Rotorua

State Highway 5 has been closed after a Bay of Plenty crash near Ngongotahā, Rotorua.

The crashed happened on the stretch between Western Road and State Highway 36.

Mangaweka

A motorcycle crash in Mangaweka has left another person dead and closed State Highway 1.

The crash near Manui Road was reported to emergency services just before 11am.

Police said the rider died at the scene.

The road remains closed while a scene examination is carried out. Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

Lindis Pass

Another crash on Sunday afternoon has also blocked Lindis Pass.

Police said they were called to the two-vehicle crash between Old Faithful Road and Omarama-Lindis Pass Road at 12:20pm.

Initial indicators suggested there were injuries, police said.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area where possible and expect delays.

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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 new parliamentary report warns some young people are turning up to hospital with injuries after violent sex but do not realise they may have been sexually assaulted.

The issue was raised in a report by the Justice Committee, reviewing the work of the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence.

The committee said it had been told there can be a “fine line” between rough sex and sexual assault and that some young people were presenting to accident and emergency departments rather than specialist sexual assault services.

In some cases, the patients did not consider what happened to them to be rape or sexual assault.

The report said changing sexual norms, particularly among young people, were a growing concern.

Committee members were told practices such as choking and strangulation were becoming more common during sex.

However, the report warned those acts could have serious health effects.

“These practices can have severe health consequences, such as brain injury and PTSD,” the report said.

It also noted evidence shows strangulation and choking could be warning signs of future, lethal violence.

The committee heard one response could be better training for hospital staff.

The board said educating emergency department workers about the signs of sexual assault would help them identify cases that might otherwise be missed and refer patients to the right services.

New sexual violence capability frameworks are expected to be published next year to help health professionals recognise more nuanced signs of sexual assault.

Officials also wanted stronger education for young people about the potential harms of rough sex.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

It was a “rush of blood” moment when Braden Jane knocked a 19-year-old unconscious outside an Arrowtown bar.

While his victim was lying on the ground, Jane left the scene, leading police to release CCTV images of him at the pub on the evening of the incident before he handed himself in to police.

The 30-year-old project manager has now been discharged without conviction in the Queenstown District Court after Judge Mark Williams ruled a conviction of intent to injure would cause him to lose his job.

The incident has come with a warning from the judge that there was too much alcohol-related violence in the tourist town.

“There needs to be a message that violence in Queenstown will not be tolerated,” the judge said at the hearing.

Mat Woods, chief executive of Destination Queenstown and Lake Wānaka Tourism, shared the judge’s concerns.

“Violence is not acceptable in our community,” he told NZME.

“Incidents like this are always concerning.

“Our hospitality sector works hard alongside police, licensing authorities and the wider community to promote responsible behaviour and ensure the town remains a safe place for residents and visitors alike.”

A number of violent incidents involving alcohol had taken place over the past year in the city.

Those included an assault on Ballarat St in the early hours of New Year’s Day, which police are still investigating.

In September last year, an Australian tourist celebrating his 30th birthday smashed a glass in his victim’s face after they commented on his height.

In May, a man was punched in an unprovoked attack in the city centre. Police learnt of the incident while investigating a separate assault moments before in a popular bar.

At Jane’s hearing this week, the court heard he had attended a wedding in the Gibbston Valley area on December 21, 2025.

The wedding party later moved to the Fork and Tap pub in Arrowtown.

Shortly after 10pm, as Jane, his fiancee and a group of friends were leaving, the victim was standing outside the bar.

Jane had gone to the toilet and when he returned, he claimed to have heard offensive things being said to his fiancee.

“He said there were some threats being made, he told police he got angry and rushed forward,” defence lawyer Bill Dawkins submitted in court.

“He walked up two steps and hit.

“This is a case of, really, a rush of blood.”

The closed-fist punch connected with the victim’s mouth, causing him to fall backwards, knocking him unconscious.

Jane then left the scene.

The victim, who was studying at the University of Otago, had returned home to Arrowtown for the summer and had been working at a local golf course.

He was taken to hospital, where he received stitches for a split lip and had a CT scan, which showed no further signs of damage.

In his victim impact statement, he said he suffered the “most brutal” headache he’d ever had.

“He doesn’t know you, has never met you and says he does not know why you hit him with what he describes as a ‘coward’s punch’,” Judge Williams told Jane of the victim.

“It was a moment of anger, you said it was as simple as that.

“You would have been guilty of manslaughter if the person had died.”

Police circulated a CCTV image of Jane after the incident.

Jane then approached his lawyer before going to the police. He was charged with injuring with intent to injure.

The court heard Jane had apologised to the victim in writing. He was remorseful and was grateful the victim was not seriously injured.

The victim, who was not in court, was “neutral” about Jane’s application to be discharged without conviction, Dawkins and police prosecutor Dan Andrews said.

Jane was planning to move to Australia with his fiancee and worked for an international company as a project manager, which required extensive travel overseas. A conviction would likely end in him losing his job, Judge Williams said.

He also said Jane suffered “media scrutiny” after the incident as his image was circulated online.

Because of his clean record, the risk to his job and the unlikelihood Jane would reoffend, Judge Williams granted the discharge without conviction application.

However, Jane was ordered to pay the victim $5000 in emotional harm reparation.

This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Commemorations are underway in Christchurch to mark the seventh anniversary of the mosque attacks.

On 15 March 2019, Australian white supremacist Brenton Tarrant opened fire at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Islamic Centre as the congregations marked Jumu’ah – the most significant prayer of the week.

This year’s commemorations started with a walk-the-talk-for-unity event at the Bridge of Remembrance, organised by the Sakinah Community Trust, an organisation established by a number of the widows.

A service at the Peace Bell in the botanic gardens started with a minute’s silence, followed by the names of the 51 victims.

It will conclude with the laying of wreaths.

‘Showed the world strength, compassion and unity’ – PM

In a post on social media, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon paid tribute to those who lost their lives.

“Today we remember the 51 people who were killed in the Christchurch attacks, and we think of the families, friends, and communities who still live with that loss.

“Seven years ago, Christchurch, and New Zealand, showed the world strength, compassion and unity in the face of tragedy.

“We honour those who were taken from us by continuing to build a country where everyone can live in peace and safety,” the post said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Crashes in Hastings, Rotorua and Mangaweka have left one person dead, another with serious injuries and forced multiple highways to close.

Hastings

A crash in Hastings left one dead and closed a road.

Police said one person was found dead at the scene of the single vehicle crash near Te Mata Road.

Waimarama Road is currently closed and diversions are in place while the scene is examined.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Rotorua

State Highway 5 has been closed after a Bay of Plenty crash near Ngongotahā, Rotorua.

The crashed happened on the stretch between Western Road and State Highway 36.

Mangaweka

While a motorcycle crash in Mangaweka has also closed State Highway 1.

The crash near Manui Road was reported to emergency services just before 11am.

Police said initial indications suggested there were serious injuries.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Far North man Harley Ra has won one of the biggest fishing prizes in the nation after landing a 7.665 kilogram snapper in the Ninety Mile Beach Snapper Bonanza.

Ra hooked the winning fish on Saturday, the final day of the five-day surfcasting contest, earning him the $30,000 top prize for the heaviest snapper.

He also took home $2500 for heaviest fish of the day.

Ra’s last-minute catch dashed the hopes of Darin Maxwell from Ōpōtiki of becoming the first person to win the competition twice.

In the end, Maxwell had to content himself with second place and cash prizes totalling $4500 for a fish weighing in at 7.25kg.

Maxwell’s monster 12.03kg catch in 2012 remains the heaviest snapper caught in the competition’s 15-year history.

A total of 1200 fishers registered for this year’s bonanza, which has been held every March on Ninety Mile Beach, or Te Oneroa-a-Tōhe, since 2011.

Organised by Kaitāia publican Dave Collard and printer John Stewart, the event, based at Waipapakauri Ramp near the southern end of the beach, is said to be the world’s biggest surfcasting contest.

The pair stepped in to rescue the contest after its predecessor, the Snapper Classic, folded amid financial difficulties in 2009.

The annual prize pool, which includes a lucky draw for a ute, totals more than $200,000.

About 120 fish caught during the contest were auctioned off at Saturday’s Kaitāia Market, raising more than $14,000 for the Kaitāia Volunteer Fire Brigade.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire and Emergency NZ has declared a total fire ban for part of the Nelson-Tasman region from Monday.

District manager Grant Haywood has urged people not to be complacent in light of the escalating risk.

Recent rain has not had a significant impact on the underlying fire risk and Haywood said no further permits would be issued until conditions ease.

“Fires will start and spread very easily and will be more challenging for our firefighters to contain and put out in these conditions.”

“If anyone sees signs of smoke, please call 111 immediately”

This ban includes a prohibited fire season in the Coastal, Waimea and Lake Rotoiti fire zones, where all outdoor fires will be completely banned, and a restricted fire season in the Murchison zone, where outdoor fires will require a permit.

FENZ has asked anyone in the region considering an outdoor fire to check [www.checkitsalright.nz online] whether their location is covered by the total ban or the restricted fire season.

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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 crash in Hastings left one dead and closed a road and another in Rotorua closed State Highway 5.

Police said one person was found dead at the scene of a single vehicle crash in Hastings near Te Mata Road.

Waimarama Road is currently closed and diversions are in place while the scene is examined. Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Police got the call around 6:45am on Sunday morning and say they are looking into the circumstances of the crash.

In the Bay of Plenty the crash near Ngongotahā has closed State Highway 5.

It occurred on the stretch between Western Road and State Highway 36.

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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 new $3.5 billion data centre that will be built near Invercargill is being touted as the country’s first “artificial intelligence factory”, but a tech expert says New Zealand is currently “AI illiterate” and without urgent action, the country’s economic growth is at stake.

Datagrid New Zealand has received resource consent for the 78,000 square-metre data centre, which will be built in Makarewa, north of Invercargill. The company was founded by Rémi Galasso and Malcolm Dick in 2021.

“This approval is the result of years of dedication and collaboration, and we are excited about the transformative impact this project will have on Southland and New Zealand as a whole,” Galasso said.

The centre will have a dedicated substation and consume 280 megawatts of power, making it the country’s second-biggest electricity user after the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, consuming around 6 percent of New Zealand’s total annual electricity demand.

Energy-hungry data centres are a boom industry in New Zealand, with international companies keen to reduce their climate impact by using the county’s renewable electricity.

Technology expert Mark Laurence said the term “AI factory” was coined by Jensen Huang, the chief executive of American technology company NVIDIA. It describes a data centre that was built to serve AI technology, through training and inference.

AI training involved teaching a model by feeding it datasets to learn patterns, while AI inference was the application of that knowledge.

“Take ChatGPT, for example – whenever OpenAI decides to train their next version of ChatGPT, they essentially take mountains of data, give it all to their algorithms, throw it all into a data centre and that data is processed for months and months by the AI algorithm to create the next version of ChatGPT,” Laurence said.

“Every time we use one of these AI tools, like ChatGPT or Copilot, every time we type in something and press enter, that is called inference,” he said.

Laurence runs Ten Past Tomorrow, a strategic advisory and AI training company with the aim of increasing AI literacy and capability in New Zealand.

He said demand for training and inference was increasing as more people used AI tools, with New Zealand well-positioned geographically and climatically to host data centres to do that work.

“Data centres use a lot of water and because the massive computers inside them generate so much heat, they need to be cooled down as well,” he said.

“In Invercargill, the average annual temperature is around 10C, which means they can simply cool those centres with the outside air.”

The Invercargill facility is not the first large scale data centre in New Zealand. Microsoft opened a data centre in Auckland in 2024, while Amazon Web Services (AWS) spent $7.5b building a cluster of data centres in the city.

He said to illustrate what the AI factory was capable of, once complete it would have the capacity to process around 960 million ChatGPT conversations per day, which was between 5 to 10 percent of the conversations processed by the AI chatbot globally each day.

Who benefits from the data created in these centres?

Laurence said Microsoft and AWS (Amazon) were supplying output from their centres to New Zealand organisations and the public service, but output from the Datagrid centre would instead be piped offshore through a subsea cable to serve overseas markets.

Datagrid has not said who its customers will be, or how the information its centre produces will be used.

Laurence said he wanted to see a government commitment that New Zealand was able to use and benefit from the technology that centres like the Datagrid’s AI factory were powering.

Laurence said the country was at risk of becoming “AI illiterate”, and statistics showed New Zealanders were not being trained at the rate or the capability that most developed nations around the world were in terms of being able to use AI tools, which meant the country was falling behind in its ability to keep pace with the international market.

“We’re still a nation that’s using AI to change the tone of an email and summarise long documents, while the rest of the world is pulling ahead in terms of redesigning whole workflows and injecting agentic AI at the full edge of its capability.

“It’s exciting to have the infrastructure being built, particularly when it contributes to our economy but what needs to go hand-in-hand with that is national capability training programs so that we can actually harness the outputs of this infrastructure and use it to the benefit of our people, our companies, our organisations, and ultimately our economy.”

A project years in the making

Southland Business Chamber CEO Sheree Casey said the new data centre provided an opportunity for the region to broaden its economic horizons.

“Once operational, Datagrid estimates it could generate hundreds of millions annually in data service exports and add approximately $60 million to GDP each year.”

The construction phase alone was expected to create more than 1200 skilled jobs and inject around $4b into the economy.

She said Southland had a strong foundation in traditional industries, and adding a “weightless export” sector, where the region delivers digital services globally-could be a natural complement.

Transpower said it was confident the national grid could meet the energy needs of the new data centre.

Executive general manager of grid development Matt Webb said while the centre required a big load, there was a lot of new electricity generation emerging and Transpower was responsible for facilitating a balance between the two.

He said the national grid operator had been in serious discussions with Datagrid for a year or more and a formal connection application process was now underway.

Webb said there were a number of significant Southland wind projects going through the consenting process, along with solar projects.

Transpower expected 1300MW of new projects (generation and battery storage systems) to be commissioned in 2026, increasing capacity by around 13 percent.

Webb said having a confirmed electricity load of that size gave investors confidence in renewable energy investments.

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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 single vehicle crash in Hastings has caused serious injuries and closed a road near Te Mata Road.

Police got the call around 6:45am on Sunday morning and have said initial indications show there are serious injuries.

Waimarama Road is currently closed and diversions are in place.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A single vehicle crash in Hastings has caused serious injuries and closed a road near Te Mata Road.

Police got the call around 6:45am on Sunday morning and have said initial indications show there are serious injuries.

Waimarama Road is currently closed and diversions are in place.

Motorists have been advised to avoid the area.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has died after an incident involving a motorised bike on a beach near Whanganui Airport.

Emergency services were called to the area off Airport Road at about 4:40pm on Saturday.

Police said the person was confirmed dead at the scene.

Investigations into the circumstances of the death are ongoing.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire crews are responding to a blaze at a car wreckers in Ngongotaha near Rotorua.

Police said people should avoid Wikaraka Street while emergency services deal with the fire.

Thick smoke was drifting through the area.

Police said residents nearby should stay indoors and keep windows and doors closed.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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