Friday 27th of February 2026 03:05:57 PM
Page 124

House badly damaged by fire in Wellington’s Karori

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Hildreth Street house has been severely damaged. Bill Hickman / RNZ

A home in the Wellington suburb of Karori has been heavily damaged by fire on Thursday evening.

A woman is being treated for smoke inhalation but a firefighter at the scene on Hildreth Street said all other occupants had been accounted for.

Eight fire trucks responded to the fire. Bill Hickman / RNZ

Central Fire Communications shift manager Chris Dalton said the fire was well involved when firefighters arrived and work to extinguish it was well underway.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) responded to the fire quickly and there was a truck already in Karori at the time, he said.

Eight vehicles in total responded to the fire, he said.

RNZ understands three people were in the building when it caught fire and were alerted by locals. A neighbour said the fire grew to a huge blaze in under 10 minutes and she rushed outside fearing the flames would spread to her home.

A member of the family who lived at the address said they were trying to get in touch with other family members to find a place to spend the night but their cellphones were still in the smouldering structure. However locals in area were also checking on the family to ensure they had a place to stay.

The firefighters were beginning to leave the scene at about 6.50pm but Hildreth Street remained closed to traffic.

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Black Caps v West Indies second test – day two

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Justin Greaves celebrates with Roston Chase after his wicket of Devon Conway on Day 2 of the 2nd cricket test match between New Zealand and West Indies at the Basin Reserve. Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz

The Black Caps and West Indies are locked in a tight tussle in the second cricket test in Wellington.

Having bowled the West Indies out for 205, the Black Caps lost 10 wickets on day two and managed a lead of just 73.

Surviving until stumps on day one, Tom Latham didn’t last long on the second morning, castled by Kemar Roach for 11.

It could have been further success for the Windies, but dropped on 29. Devon Conway went on to bring up a half century from 87 balls.

Kane Williamson joined Conway in the middle and the pair took the total past 100 from, 30 overs before Williamson lost his offstump on 37 to the bowling of Anderson Phillip.

Rachin Ravindra was removed by Kemar Roach for five, with Devon Conway’s luck running out shortly after as Justin Greaves had him strangled down the leg side for 60.

Phillip snagged his second when Daryl Mitchell edged one to Tevin Imlach while Mitch Hay passed 50 in his first test just before the tea break.

However, Hay did not last long after the resumption, caught on the deep square leg boundary by Roach for 61.

Glenn Phillips threw his wicket away with a wild slog off Roston Chase, offering an easy catch for Phillip with Jacob Duffy coming and going for 11.

After Blair Tickner dislocated his shoulder trying to stop a boundary late on Wednesday, the pace bowler was unable to take part on day two as the final pair of Zak Foulkes and Michael Rae chipped in a 16-run partnership before the Black Caps were dismissed for 278 for nine.

In reply, the West Indies lost both John Campbell and Anderson Phillip to find themselves 32 for 2 at stumps, still 41 runs behind.

The series is all square at 0-0 after the dramatic draw in Christchurch.

Play is set to resume at 11am.

Follow the action as it happened on day two:

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Newmarket Business Association calls for government help to deal with crime

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Westfield Newmarket in Auckland. File picture. RNZ / Katie Doyle

Two years on from setting up its own security service a popular Auckland shopping precinct says it has slashed crime in its area, but it is appealing to the government for help with some people who are still falling through the cracks.

In the past year the Newmarket security team has recovered more than $170,000 of stolen product, dealt with 88 breaches of tresspass orders and 416 repeat offenders.

One person was involved in dozens of separate incidents.

The most stolen items in order are groceries, followed by clothing and then alcohol.

Newmarket Business Association chief executive Mark Knoff Thomas told Checkpoint there had been some very positive results.

The association initially had one security guard and one part-time camera operator when it started in 2023, but there are now five full-time security guards and one camera operator who are operating 24/7.

Knoff Thomas said they work very closely with the police which had helped considerably.

Three years ago crime in Newmarket was at another level with smash and grabs and ram raids, he said.

Nationally it seemed that a lid had been put on those types of crimes, he said.

“But retail theft is still bubbling away and I mean it’s costing New Zealand $2.6 billion a year.”

The Newmarket Security Team had dealt with 416 repeat offenders in the last year and Knoff Thomas said that was for a range of things including retail theft and anti-social behaviour.

There are about 30 schools in the surrounding area and many students use public transport and pass through Newmarket, he said.

But sometimes young people do make dumb decisions and offend, he said.

A different approach was taken to juvenile offending and the association did what it could to try and get them back on track, he said.

“With kids we try and intervene where we possibly can, try and get parents involved, try and get schools involved and see if we can kind of head them off in a different, in a more positive trajectory with some success.

“And there are some kids who you know they also go down the bad pathway and then we see them back years later as adults and they’re still reoffending.”

Some adults seemed to be falling through the cracks and not getting the support they needed despite some very good work by some agencies such as the New Zealand police, he said.

His group had been working with a range of other business associations to try and address the problem, he said.

“Trying to say ‘hey let’s fix this because this has been a problem for a very long time across multiple governments and we need to find a sustainable solution which is going to deliver some better lifestyles for these people who aren’t getting the help that they need.’”

One person who Knoff Thomas believed was falling through the cracks had been involved in 33 incidents.

Most of the time they were a lovely person but there were times when they behaved inappropriately in public when under the influence of alcohol or drugs, he said.

The person was in a cycle of being trespassed, arrested, processed and then released, he said.

“There really doesn’t seem to be a solution for someone like this person to give that person the help that they actually need in a sustainable way so they can actually have a better quality of life.”

A number of people were in that position and unable to access services they needed, he said.

Knoff Thomas said it was understandable that businesses would want to move on someone who was creating problems and potentially detering customers.

But the other side was where that person should go.

“These are questions which we’re looking at. There needs to be a linked together multi agency approach where services work in step and they’re not working in silos which they have done historically, they’re working together in unison and linking, holding hands, pulling this person through the steps that they need into a solution.”

Major issues include housing, mental health, health and may need to involve Ministry of Social Development and police, he said.

Long term solutions are needed when dealing with this type of reoffending and it needed bi-partisan agreement in government, he said.

“It needs to be coordinated and agreed upon, a multi agency approach which goes through time and not just through one political cycle.”

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

High meth levels in water lead to Mongrel Mob arrests

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Two gang members and an associate have been arrested in Hawke’s Bay following a six- month investigation into high levels of methamphetamine in wastewater.

Police executed five search warrants across the region and Hastings on Wednesday as part of Operation Tukutuki.

They found a quantity of methamphetamine, cash, a 3D-printed firearm and stolen property.

Detective Inspector James Keene said wastewater testing showed meth had an increasingly strong grip on parts of Hawke’s Bay.

“The element of surprise is vital, especially when organised crime networks are involved, so we went hard and early.

“Several warrants were executed simultaneously to reduce the people in this network tipping others off.

“We’re continuing to investigate, and we expect to lay more charges against the people who have been arrested.”

Three men, aged 39, 42 and 57 – two of which were patched Mongrel Mob members and the other an associate – appeared in the Hastings District Court on Wednesday, facing multiple charges of possession for supply, supply and conspiracy to supply methamphetamine and cannabis.

Keene said it was believed local gangs were pumping the drug into the area and were not worried about the damage they were inflicting.

The operation took six months, police said, not ruling out further arrests.

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Positive Ageing mobilises after council scraps aged working party

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Mayor Max Brough. LDR /Te Korimako o Taranaki

New Plymouth’s Positive Ageing group has issued a call to arms over the council’s decision to scrap its Aged and Accessibility Working Party.

The working party is being disestablished under new Mayor Max Brough’s committee structure.

Positive Ageing is calling on members of Age Concern, Grey Power, Enable Taranaki and the Taranaki Disability Information Centre to join it at a council meeting 18 December to support a motion to retain the working party.

Spokesperson Gordon Hudson said a slim majority of the newly-elected councillors are keen to see this long-standing council committee scrapped.

“Not to save the minimal cost of having such a committee, but simply put, because the older adults and all those with disabilities in our community do not warrant the hassle of being recognised, respected and treated as people whose voice is important to them.

“Let’s rein in the ageist attitude of a little more than half the city councillors – good people that they are – they somehow cannot see the value of inclusion over exclusion, of respect over disrespect.”

Aged and Accessibility Working Party chair in the previous term and councillor Sam Bennett tried to get the new committee structure deferred at an extraordinary council meeting this week, but was voted down.

He was now expected to move a motion to retain the working at next week’s meeting.

At the meeting, Brough suggested the new Public Engagement Committee would set aside 30 minutes during its meetings to listen to issues related to age and accessibility concerns along with other interest groups.

“They will have an opportunity to have input into the decision-making process rather than reviewing decisions that have already been made.

“And there are internal working groups that work with outside interests and the intent has always been that there would be space for the aged and disability community in this area.”

Brough said this would be explained at next week’s meeting and he was happy to listen to deputations on the subject.

But that was cold comfort to Hudson.

“Let’s support the idealism and the realism of those councillors who do support the reinstatement of this committee.

“One thing is for sure, if this committee continues to be disestablished – it will be a very long process to re-establish it. It may be even gone forever.

It will be a decision that the current council will regret for a long time to come.”

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Local councils need to be doing more to prepare for flooding, report shows

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

A government report has found local councils need to be doing more to prepare for flooding and to mitigate the risks it poses to communities.

In a report tabled in parliament today, the Auditor-General found flood risk was not consistently understood nationwide.

It looked at how two councils, Tasman District Council and Waikato Regional Council, mitigate flood risks from rivers and other waterways and found both need to carry out more work to make better-informed decisions about intended levels of service for mitigating those risks.

Auditor-General Grant Taylor said appropriate planning, investment, and monitoring could reduce the impact of flooding.

“Communities need confidence that council flood defences are in the right places, built to the right standards, and properly maintained.”

The report made four recommendations, that the Tasman District Council prepare a framework to prioritise the maintenance and capital work needed for its flood protection infrastructure and prioritise improvements to its asset management processes.

It also recommended that both councils improve their understanding of flood risk, including by assessing the full impact of potential flooding for a range of flooding scenarios and improve their engagement with the public to ensure that their communities understand flood risk and the extent of flood protection in their regions.

The report said flooding was New Zealand’s most frequent natural hazard and its impact could be significant, disrupting critical services like roads and hospitals and energy and wastewater infrastructure.

It also caused disruption to livelihoods and in worst cases, loss of life.

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

The report said the recommendations in the report were relevant to all councils that were responsible for flood protection infrastructure, in order to mitigate flood risks effectively.

Report comes of the back of Tasman’s worst flooding in decades

The Tasman District experienced back to back storms in June and July, described as the worst in 150 years, that caused damage to farms and rural properties, with land lost to swollen rivers, crops inundated with silt and fences washed away.

More than 60 roads were closed due to flooding, landslips and fallen trees and hundreds of homes were assessed for damage with a small number deemed unliveable.

The repair bill after the floods is estimated at $48 million, with around three quarters of that covered by insurance payouts or government contributions, leaving just over $11m in costs to the council.

Of the total costs, an estimated $20m will be spent on the river network.

Office of the Auditor-General manager of performance audits Evaan Aramakutu said one of the weaknesses identified in Tasman was the council’s understanding of the condition of its flood protection infrastructure and the lack of a regular schedule of inspections.

“Waikato had a pretty systematic approach to inspecting all of their assets and updating their asset information around the condition. If they got a bit of wear and tear, would that affect their performance? Tasman didn’t have that, or not to the same extent as Waikato, so they tended to rely on the age of their assets or observations they’ve made when they’re out in the field to make decisions about renewals or maintenance work.”

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

Aramakutu said both councils had a good understanding of where flooding was likely to occur in their regions, but more work was needed to quantify the damage and the potential costs associated with it, to inform the spend on providing protection.

He said there would always be a trade off between the cost of flood protection and the risks it protected against, so councils needed good understanding of the community’s priorities and individuals needed clear information about what was protected and what wasn’t, so they could be prepared.

The Office of the Auditor-General would check back in with both councils around a year after tabling the report, to see what progress had been made on its recommendations.

Recommendations welcomed by councils

Both Tasman District and Waikato Regional councils welcomed the reports findings.

Tasman District Council said since the audit began last October and following the flooding in June and July of this year, it had begun a comprehensive overhaul of its asset information on data and information collection/management processes.

Flooding was the most common natural hazard the district had to deal with.

Tasman weather – Riwaka, Motueka RNZ/Mark Papalii

“While our current intended levels of service for our flood protection infrastructure are largely based on the design standard that the stopbanks were initially built to, we remain focused on ensuring long – term resilience and protection for our river and floodplains to continue benefiting those who live and rely on them.”

The council had taken steps to further inform the community, including release of a natural hazards map viewer and updated natural hazards information about flooding on its website.

It undertook community engagement on a natural hazards issues and options report earlier in the year to seek community views to inform work on the review of the Tasman Resource Management Plan’s natural hazards provisions.

Since 2024, it had reinstated annual community Rivercare meetings across the district to discuss river management activities, including flood protection. The most recent meetings were held in mid-November.

“At the core of our future objectives is a safe and resilient river network, delivered sustainably and in close collaboration with landowners.”

Waikato Regional Council chair Warren Maher said it had already progressed projects that addressed several of the report’s recommendations.

“We could do more,” he said. “The question is how much more can be done at a time when the central government has imposed rates capping, affordability is an issue for our communities, and significant changes are proposed to the structure of regional government.”

The council’s flood protection and land drainage assets include floodgates, pump stations, spillways and channels, as well as 620 kilometres of stopbanks, most of which are in the Waihou-Piako and Lower Waikato, some of which were developed in the 1960s. They are all supported by a network of automated rain gauges and river level/flow recorders.

The council estimates it will cost $2.9 billion over the next 50 years to operate, maintain and renew its flood infrastructure.

Maher said the report should give communities comfort the council was doing a good job when it comes to the management of flood protection assets, while at the same time providing direction for the ongoing understanding of flood risk.

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Christchurch couple jailed for operating a $4 million Ponzi scheme

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Alexander Kokouri Tuira and his former partner Aroha Awhinanui Tuira were sentenced at the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A Christchurch couple have been jailed for operating a Ponzi scheme that defrauded 55 investors of nearly $4 million.

At the High Court at Christchurch on Thursday, Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira was was sentenced to six years, four months and the court ordered he must serve 45 percent of his sentence before being eligible for parole.

His former partner Aroha Awhinanui Tuira was sentenced to five years, two months imprisonment.

The couple had earlier pleaded guilty to two representative charges of obtaining by deception.

The pair targeted Māori communities over seven years between 2014 and 2021, paying some investors with funds raised from others, and spending the rest on themselves.

Thomas Alexander Kokouri Tuira, known as Alex. File picture. LINKEDIN

Between May 2014 and May 2021, the pair deceptively obtained $3.9 million through 106 transactions.

“They presented themselves as experienced, well-connected investors who could deliver returns for clients, when in reality they did not invest funds or operate an investment business,” the Serious Fraud Office said in a statement.

Many of the victims of their offending had limited prior experience in investing and the pair developed close personal relationships with investors before exploiting them.

SFO director Karen Chang said Ponzi schemes caused lasting harm to victims who lost not just their money but potentially their trust in others.

“The guilty pleas meant those affected were spared the stress of a trial, and today’s sentences hold the offenders to account for the significant harm they caused.”

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Do the All Blacks need more coaches, or fewer?

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Analysis – Even in the increasingly chaotic environment of rugby coaching, the news that Jason Holland has returned to the Hurricanes feels odd. Holland was the head coach in Wellington from 2020-23, before leaving to take up an assistant coach role with the All Blacks. His departure from Scott Robertson’s set up sees him back at the Hurricanes, albeit in an office down the hall as Clark Laidlaw is the head coach now.

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    • It said a bit that not only Holland, but Leon MacDonald gave up head coaching roles to be All Black assistant roles. They’re not alone either, John Plumtree followed the same route as Holland out of the Hurricanes to an ultimately unsuccessful stint in Ian Foster’s set up, and while Foster himself is probably the best example of someone going from helming a Super Rugby side into an assistant coaching job with the All Blacks, the history of those making that transition isn’t great.

    Jason Holland Photosport

    Because really, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from an employment point of view. Despite Holland’s well-earned reputation as an easy going personality, he went from being the loudest voice in the room to one who had to wait for his turn to speak. Just how the dynamic will work between Holland and Laidlaw will be interesting, but right now the Hurricanes have bigger issues to worry about off the field.

    The wider dynamic is worth having a look at too, because there is no certainty Holland will be replaced in the All Blacks or simply folded into the other coaches’ responsibilities. It’s understood that Robertson is looking at candidates, but one of the main issues in the job market right now is just who is available.

    Then, now and comparing coaching set ups

    Scott Robertson and Rassie Erasmus. ActionPress

    That’s because an awful lot of the people that may well be All Black assistant coaches are already employed. One of Robertson’s great strengths during his time at the Crusaders was the ability to assemble heavyweight coaching groups, to which he’d delegate the day to day running of the team, but that was Super Rugby.

    Test rugby isn’t an environment for staff to learn on the job, so Robertson needs proven performers at test level like other teams have assembled and probably more than what he’s got right now. The common historical perception among New Zealand rugby followers is that too many cooks spoil the broth, but one look at the All Blacks’ main opponents reveals a completely different story.

    Rassie Erasmus currently has eight coaches on his staff, including Tony Brown, and it’s strongly rumoured that Jacques Nienaber will rejoin the Springboks sometime before the next World Cup.

    England have eight coaches as well, with the most notable development lately being former rugby league great Kevin Sinfield focusing on individual skills and the kicking group. Really that’s a role Robertson should be looking to add to his group, especially since both of the aforementioned teams are picking players out of kick-heavy domestic competitions.

    Closing the gap

    Will Jordan competes for the ball with Tane Edmed. Daniel Carson/Photosport NZ

    The addition of a dedicated skills coach would very much help close the gap in an area that has become a somewhat problematic one for the All Blacks. Super Rugby Pacific’s incentivisation for the running game has been fantastic for the competition as a product and long may it continue, but it does come at the cost developing kicking and high ball skills.

    That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, with the business end of this year’s competition seeing a big change in approach, culminating in a tense but ironically dour final. But this is more about exposure and repetition of those core skills overall, given that the average young outside back coming through the New Zealand school, club and domestic system would’ve fielded far less bombs than his South African or English counterpart.

    There’s a conversation to be had about coaching philosophy in general around the country, but the pressing concern is for that gap to be closed, and this is a situation where the job market is a bit richer. Rugby isn’t the only sport that deals in high kicks and skills related to it, so potentially Robertson can look across the Tasman and find someone in the NRL or AFL.

    It’s that sort of compromise that needs to be reached, especially since part of Robertson’s appointment in the first place was his ability to bring what he needed to his staff and work on overall strategy. That second part is what he’s certainly been trying to do with the All Blacks, but it only works if he gets the first part right and the team is winning.

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    The House: MPs’ week begins with an RMA shakeup precursor

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    RMA folio Bill McKay

    While many people ease into Christmas, head to drinks, write cards and mentally check out, in its penultimate sitting week of 2025 Parliament is doing the opposite.

    This is one of MPs’ busiest weeks of the year.

    Ten new bills across different portfolios were introduced, a matching number for Santa’s reindeer (including Rudolf). Probably the most high-profile of them were three comprising the surprise arrival of the government’s major shake-up of the Resource Management Act (RMA).

    News of the legislation’s arrival at Parliament took place during an lock-in event reminiscent of Budget Day, in which the government gave opposition MPs, officials and the media a couple of hours to familiarise themselves, before releasing a full outline of its RMA reform plan at 1pm.

    The RMA is to be replaced by two new laws – one focused on development planning and one on the natural environment.

    Those two bills were introduced this week, but the government opted not to progress them under urgency this week to give “members a good chance to digest them”, Minister for RMA Reform Chris Bishop said.

    Those two bills are moving through the default legislative process, so they won’t pass until a few months into next year. They aren’t scheduled to take effect until 2029.

    To bridge the three-year gap and provide some certainty in the interim, the government began urgency with a third, RMA related bill – the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill.

    “At the moment, consent holders face an unnecessary burden,” Bishop told the House on Tuesday.

    “Many of them are required to renew resource consents under the current system, even though the new system will be in place; that will streamline processes. It’s our view that that is inefficient and unnecessary. So these are temporary yet urgent changes that will avoid uncertainty, stress, and cost.”

    The third bill extends resource consents that are due to expire before the new RMA regime is passed (end of 2027), and it reinstates and extends recently expired consents in cases where a replacement application has already been lodged.

    The RMA was originally passed in 1991 by the fourth National government and was, at the time, internationally novel. More than 30 years later, there’s general agreement that reform is needed. Where political parties’ ideas deviate is how those changes should look.

    Because the opposition hadn’t had much time to delve into the details of the extension bill, their grievances on the bill included the use of urgency.

    “Minister Bishop and Simon Court have been very, maybe ‘collaborative’ would be too strong of a word, but they’ve involved us at some points along the way in the resource management development. I want to give them credit for that.” said Lan Pham, Green Party spokesperson for RMA.

    “What was really disappointing with this was not having any heads-up about it at all. That would have been a really basic thing to do, right? If this is so important and urgent to the transition, just let us at least know about it, right? Then we can actually understand it.

    “The fact that we’ve just got this bill, literally an hour or two before it goes through all stages in urgency, is absolutely unacceptable.”

    Governing party MPs seldom speak for long in the current Parliament, but under urgency they get very terse. This bill was set down for all stages under urgency, and coalition backbench contributions were barely elevator-pitches. Opposition MPs filled their allotted speaking times.

    After a long evening in the Committee of the Whole stage, with Opposition MPs happy to slow proceedings, the Resource Management (Duration of Consents) Amendment Bill eventually passed all stages about an hour into Wednesday morning. It’s likely to be signed into law next week.

    To listen to the audio version of this story, click the link near the top of the page.

    RNZ’s The House, with insights into Parliament, legislation and issues, is made with funding from Parliament’s Office of the Clerk.

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

    In-form Breakers target top four at NBL mid-point

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Breakers forward Sam Mennenga aims for the basket. Photosport

    At the halfway point in their Australian NBL season, the NZ Breakers have turned around a shaky start to be in the play-offs picture.

    After losing four games to start the season, and seven of their first nine, the new-look Breakers struggled to keep pace with the competition.

    The Breakers still have a losing record – seven wins, 10 losses – but are on their longest winning streak of the season with three victories across the last two rounds.

    Sitting in sixth on the ladder, the Breakers are currently holding the final spot for the end of season play-in tournament. But a lot can happen over their remaining 16 regular season games.

    Import guard Izaiah Brockington has now found his rhythm in his first season in the NBL. The 26-year-old said he felt more comfortable and confident four months in and was in the best physical shape he had been “in some years”.

    Brockington believed the team chemistry off the court was now on show on the court and where each player fit in the team jigsaw was clearer.

    “I feel like we play better when I’m aggressive and when I’m another player that the defence has to worry about. We got Parker [Jackson-Cartwright] out there drawing so much attention, Sam [Mennenga] who is playing great down low, so I’m just going out there and making us really hard to nail down because we have so many options.”

    The former G League player said “vibes were high” during the winning run but he warned that they could not let that turn into “complacency”.

    “We’re only at the halfway point of the season and we’re only just barely in the play-offs so just not being satisfied with having a couple of wins under our belt, really coming for those top four teams,” Brockington said.

    Brockington felt the Breakers did not get the credit they deserved across the Tasman.

    “If guys want to come out lackadaisical against us in the beginning we’ll just jump on them and show them why they shouldn’t.”

    On Saturday, the Breakers are away to another of the in-form teams of the competition, South East Melbourne Phoenix.

    The Phoenix had the opposite win-loss record to the Breakers with 10 wins and six losses so far and were among the leading teams in both in offence and defensive statistics.

    Coach Petteri Koponen said the Breakers’ stats were also worth taking note of.

    “The last 13 games we have been one of the best defences in the league and that’s the key,” Koponen said.

    “Especially how we want to play, when we get stops we get to the open court and we can be dangerous and we need to keep taking pride in that.”

    Izaiah Brockington of the Breakers LUKAS COCH/PHOTOSPORT

    `

    While the Breakers struggled offensively early in the season Koponen, a former shooting guard, believed the team needed to keep shooting.

    “First part of the season we didn’t shoot the ball really well and in our last games we were able to make some threes which obviously helps in this game when you can put the ball in the hoop.

    “We keep working, we keep grinding and we know it’s a long way to go but we’ve been competitive a long time and now I’m just happy we were able to take those wins and we try to keep building on that.”

    Koponen had noted “sloppy” behaviour earlier in the season and after a couple days off he saw hints of it again so had urged the players to keep the right mindset.

    “We can’t afford that, we have to have the same mentality every time we step on the floor and we can’t lose that and I think the last games we found that and we can’t fool ourselves that we are better than we are.

    “Every game from now on is so important and the league is so tight we can’t lose our focus.”

    Coming into a run of away games during the festive period, which meant the Breakers would not be playing at home again until the new year, a focus on the “boring stuff” would be important if the Breakers were to continue “stacking up the wins”.

    Someone who had plenty of experience playing for the Breakers while the rest of the country was in holiday mode was former captain Tom Abercrombie.

    Abercrombie, who retired at the end of the 2023-24 season after a 16-year professional career with the club, had his No.10 playing singlet retired by the Breakers at practice on Thursday.

    The Auckland native is still involved with the club behind the scenes and he gave the current playing group a pep talk about the commitment needed at this time of year and how during a time when it was easy to be distracted by festivities that it separated the players that really wanted success.

    Breakers captain Reuben Te Rangi would have the potential added distraction of a new baby boy this Christmas after his partner gave birth to their second child this month.

    “It’s going to be tough, my partner’s family is going to be over as well so it’ll be all hands on deck. It’s always hard going away but I’ve done it so often that it doesn’t really feel like Christmas.”

    After the Phoenix, the Breakers play in Cairns on 19 December, Brisbane on 22 December and Tasmania on Boxing Day.

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

    ‘Tough on crime’ policies are causing Indigenous people to die in custody

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney

    When a First Nations person dies in custody, it sends shockwaves through families and communities. The trauma of losing a loved one adds to a sense of despair that First Nations lives are expendable, that no one is held to account, and that nothing changes.

    In 1991, the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody investigated the crisis that had unfolded since 1980. It called for immediate and radical change to end the scourge of Aboriginal deaths in custody.

    But that was more than 30 years ago. There have been 600 deaths in custody since then.

    This week, data from the Australian Institute of Criminology revealed the safety of First Nations people in custody is worse than ever. There were more First Nations deaths in custody in 2024–25 than any year since 1979–80.

    It’s a grim statistic that was entirely avoidable. But so long as politicians and the media continue to rely on the assumption that being “tough on crime” makes communities safer, First Nations deaths in custody will continue to spiral.

    From bad to even worse

    The figure of 33 deaths in custody is almost double the average number since 1989–90. This amounts to 29% of all deaths in custody.

    The rate of First Nations deaths in prison custody per 100,000 of the relevant population was more than 25 times the rate for non-Indigenous people. For police custody, it was 21 times the rate for non-Indigenous people.

    Of the 33 deaths, 26 occurred in prisons, six in police custody, and one in youth detention.

    Almost half (42%) of First Nations people had not been convicted or sentenced. This is the equal highest number of unsentenced deaths in custody ever recorded.

    For those in police custody, five (83%) died during the process of detaining the person, including one as a result of a police shooting.

    Why are First Nations deaths in custody increasing?

    Increases in imprisonment directly drive increases in deaths in custody.

    The royal commission warned that if numbers of criminalised First Nations people rose, then deaths in custody will also rise. As such, a substantial proportion of its recommendations addressed the need to reduce penal interventions in the lives of First Nations people.

    Yet, First Nations people are the most imprisoned in the world. In 2025, there has been a record number of First Nations people in prison, at 17,158. This accounts for 37% of imprisoned people.

    Driving the increases are tougher bail laws, resulting in more people on remand who are unsentenced.

    There has also been a push to harsher sentences, including as a result of higher maximum sentences, the expansion of mandatory minimum sentences and the introduction of standard non-parole periods.

    These changes are driven by “penal populism”, in which governments and the media respond to isolated crime incidents by generating public fear and introducing tough-on-crime measures to garner electoral support.

    Yet crime rates have remained steady, and the number of offenders proceeded against by police has declined since Australian Bureau of Statistics began its records in 2008–09.

    From these data, we can deduce those apprehended by police are more likely to be arrested, denied bail, convicted and sentenced to custody for longer periods.

    The burden of tough-on-crime policies and practices falls most heavily on First Nations people. They are over-policed and over-criminalised.

    Adding to this burden is the burgeoning of police numbers to unprecedented levels, expanded police powers and weaponry, and persistent and unaddressed systemic racism within police cultures.

    Consequently, the use of police force toward First Nations people far exceeds that of other groups.

    Defying the evidence

    Very few of the 339 recommendations of the royal commission have been implemented since it was released.

    Instead, many have been defied by state and territory governments, with all jurisdictions showing upwards trends in deaths in custody, but especially NSW, which has the highest overall prison population.

    Increasing punishment of First Nations people flouts the recommendations to reduce police apprehensions, use of remand and prison sentences.

    It’s not only the statistics released this week. There are countless stories of the inhumane conditions and suffering of First Nations adults and children in prison.

    It all reveals that, as a nation, we have gone backwards.

    One rare recommendation that has been universally implemented is the custody notification service. This requires police to contact an Aboriginal legal service whenever a First Nations person is taken into custody.

    It is arguably a key reason for the dramatic decline in deaths in police cells. Further implementation of the recommendations would likely result in similar positive outcomes.

    What should be done?

    Studies indicate the need for more investment in protective factors, such as First Nations-led and community-based programs, services and accommodation. We are currently working on more research in this space.

    This needs to be matched with accountability of institutions and officers responsible for deaths in custody. The Anti-Racist Action Plan of the Northern Territory Police, for example, is a step in the right direction.

    We need whole of government approaches to turn the tide away from increasing imprisonment to promoting strong communities through First Nations reintegration and self-determination.

    The issues facing First Nations people are social issues, and their solutions are not found in incarceration. Australian governments consistently demonstrate that they can find housing, food, jobs and programs for First Nations people in prison. They simply fail to provide these resources when people are not in prison.

    This contradiction exposes the deep structural dysfunction at the heart of our systems, and the profound neglect that drives First Nations people into the penal system. The cost is increasing deaths in custody and social, emotional and cultural harms to First Nations families and communities.

    The Conversation

    Thalia Anthony receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Brett Sentance does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. ‘Tough on crime’ policies are causing Indigenous people to die in custody – https://theconversation.com/tough-on-crime-policies-are-causing-indigenous-people-to-die-in-custody-271829

    Businesses on busy road suffering as shops barricaded by roadworks for a year

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Barriers surround the front of Avi’s Pies and Patisserie which the owner says has severely impacted business. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    Behind a sea of road cones, diggers and traffic chaos, businesses on a busy Auckland road are crying out for help.

    Shop owners in Grey Lynn say they have been struggling to stay afloat since a year-long roadwork project began on Great North Road in January.

    With access often cut off and shops hidden from view, one business is surviving off loans, while another said times are the toughest they have been in 23 years, including during Covid.

    High metal fences surround the frontage of Avi’s Pies and Patisserie.

    It is part of the Great North Road Improvement Projects, aimed at making the busy road more accessible for pedestrians and cyclists.

    Despite the project’s end date being set for later this month, one morning this week a digger sat unmanned, the road was quiet and the work looked far from complete.

    The bakery’s owner, Raj Singh, said it has been this way for months now.

    Owner of Avi’s Pies and Patisserie Raj Singh says his business has been impacted so badly that he’s surviving off loans. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    “The foot traffic has dropped down, people can’t see if we are open or closed because of the machines in front of our shop, barriers, everything.”

    Since the roadworks appeared in front of his shop in October, he said sales have dropped by around 40 percent.

    Since everything is baked fresh on site, if product isn’t sold it can’t be kept, meaning most days he finds himself throwing out countless pies.

    He has even had to take out multiple loans in order to pay rent on the shop after being denied compensation by Auckland Transport.

    “When the sale is not going it’s hard to pay staff, and for me I’m not taking any salary because when I earn some money, I just buy the food for my bakery and make it.”

    Singh said Auckland Transport has told him works will done by Christmas, but after multiple delays he does not feel confident.

    “I took the loan because I was thinking for two months, I can survive with no one helping me, they will be gone, nearby Christmas, before Christmas, but they’re not so now I have to keep asking the loan company can you help me a little bit more so I can survive for another two months.”

    Fences and cones have been a feature outside Avi’s Pies and Patisserie for months now. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    The last thing Singh wants to do is close the doors on his dream business that he only opened last year, but he fears if things don’t wrap up soon, it could come to that.

    “Maybe I will close the business then, because it’s a financial hardship, I already took so many loans for surviving, now I don’t know how it will go because I asked the council, I asked AT, I asked the landlord for compensation to help me for a couple of months until the roadworks are gone.”

    Down the road, Steven Joeng from the Newton Fish and Chippery is also feeling the pinch.

    The roadworks have been constant outside his shop since June.

    “The last two or three months business has been so so bad. Especially during lunchtime, I think I’m losing business by 50 to 60 percent.”

    Earlier in the year high fences surrounded his shop, completely blocking it from view.

    “I’ve been here for 23 years and it’s the worst thing that’s ever happened. Covid is not that bad, this is worse than Covid in terms of the business, in terms of the sales.”

    Owner of Alloy Wheel Repair Ashley Ghillam can’t count how much money the business has lost as a result of the roadworks. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    Joeng is frustrated at the slow progress of the project and said many businesses on the street have reached out to Auckland Transport in hopes of a helping hand.

    “We emailed Auckland Transport to see whether we can get some compensation, even a little bit to cover the loss, and their feedback to us is that this is not their responsibility. Their responsibility is to look after the road so it’s safe for everyone, I said this is not the case, safe or not safe, this is a case of I’m losing so much business because of this project.”

    Across the road from the chippy, the owner of Alloy Wheel Repair, Ashley Ghillam said he was forced to close his business for a week while work was done in front of their driveway.

    “It has certainly affected the business with people not being able to access the business, half the time they couldn’t even get into King St. I don’t know what it has cost us, but it’s definitely had an impact on the business, and on staff. The yard was out of action for a week, so there’s a week’s rent gone, about $1700.”

    No compensation was offered by Auckland Transport to cover the losses.

    Owner of Charlie Boys Coffee Company Nick Meng says the roadworks have been a disaster for business. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    Further up the road, owner of Charlie Boys Coffee, Nick Meng said if it hadn’t been for a loyal group of regulars, his business would have struggled to pull through.

    The roadworks first popped up outside Meng’s café in March, and for two months a high fence completely blocked the café from view.

    “It was disaster, there were no people all day,”

    Like many other businesses, Meng is frustrated by the lack of parking available during the construction.

    He said this cut out an entire portion of their customer base.

    “The reason we survived is because this a long running café, it’s been here for 15 years… because the regulars support us we can survive.”

    The Newton Fish and Chippery has seen up to a 60 percent drop in business since construction began outside the shop in June. RNZ / Evie Richardson

    He said they were told work would occur on their section of the road for two months, but nine months later, cones are still scattered outside the storefront.

    In a statement, Auckland Transport said construction has been ongoing since January and they plan to have the road resurfacing done by 19 December, however work may be delayed by bad weather.

    They said everything possible is being done to maintain access to businesses, including allowing parking in areas where we are not working directly outside of, and providing information about the project and who to contact with any issues they have.

    Work is now taking place overnight to allow for more extensive road closures.

    Given the agency provided the necessary communications prior to and during construction, AT said there is no justified claim for compensation.

    Mayor Wayne Brown, who has frequently decried the excessive use of road cones and lane closures in the city, was unavailable to comment.

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

    Proposal to remove mana whenua voice at Napier City Council fails

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Napier City Council. RNZ / Tom Kitchin

    A proposal from new Napier Mayor Richard McGrath to remove mana whenua voices and voting rights in the council’s standing committees for the next council term has failed.

    It was an at times tense council meeting, with a packed public gallery, including members of local iwi Ngāti Kahungunu.

    During the last triennium, there were two Nga Mānukanuka o te iwi representatives – representing a mana whenua voice – on each of the council’s four standing committees, under McGrath’s proposal those two representatives would be removed..

    Councillor Graeme Taylor asked what is the fundamental reason for making the change from the previous triennium.

    “For me it comes down to… having elected members who have sworn an oath to the city of Napier and to uphold the Local Government Act. As a rule we attend all the workshops, all the pre work, the induction process,” McGrath replied.

    McGrath said it was a new committee structure that was being appointed rather than anyone being removed.

    Deputy Mayor Sally Crown also questioned the proposal, saying the issue was one of partnership which means valuing the knowledge of councillors and mana whenua equally.

    “So what the proposal in my mind today is, it’s a demonstration of gross misjudgement and disrespect not of just our mana whenua but also of our elected members a key part of leadership is to bring people along with you and I’ve heard from elected members that they themselves have been blindsided by the proposal that was presented.”

    Councillor Shyann Raihania asked for an amendment to the proposal, which included Ngā Mānukanuka o te Iwi appointments remaining on all standing committees as specialist, voting members with full speaking rights.

    She also requested the Mayor to engage with Ngā Mānukanuka o te Iwi members as mandated mana whenua representatives and return with a revised Terms of Reference, including options analysis and legal advice.

    McGrath said he would speak against the amendment raised by Raihania.

    “While I understand the partnership and representation side of things Māori will still have many opportunities throughout our council,” he said.

    He was then interrupted by a someone in the crowd, who asked “What are you afraid of?”

    “It’s nothing to do with afraid,” McGrath replied.

    The amended proposal was put to a vote and passed with six votes in support and four against, with two abstentions.

    When the result of the vote was announced there was applause from the gallery, which then broke into a rendition of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi.

    Napier City Council Voting Tally

    For: Whare Isaac-Sharland, Sally Crown, Keith Price, Ronda Chrystal, Shyann Raihania and Graeme Taylor.

    Against: Craig Morley, Nigel Simpson, Richard McGrath and Roger Brownlie.

    Abstained: Te Kira Lawrence and Greg Mawson.

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

    Coalition strains over stewardship land shake-up

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Conservation Minister Tama Potaka. RNZ / Mark Papalii

    The Conservation Minister has re-classified swathes of stewardship land on the West Coast of the South Island.

    Tama Potaka is making some of the changes through an ‘order in council’ process that legitimately circumvents Cabinet sign off.

    New Zealand First’s deputy leader Shane Jones conceded Potaka holds the power to do so, though he disagrees with the decision.

    “We are a pro-extractive, pro-mining, pro-development, pro-jobs party,” Jones told RNZ.

    Stewardship land is public conservation land that has not yet had its natural and historic values assessed.

    Potaka outlined how 80 percent of the West Coast’s land would be treated.

    Key changes include:

    • Six proposals referred to the New Zealand Conservation Authority (NZCA) to consider the suitability of adding 4298 hectares of land to existing national parks.
    • 63 proposals for disposal investigations, covering up to 3352 hectares of land.
    • 151 proposals for protection under the Reserves Act covering 192,973 hectares of land, including historic and scenic reserves.
    • 157 proposals for protection under the Conservation Act, including increased clarity through classification as conservation parks, and additional protections for ecological areas.

    Potaka said the changes were the most significant reclassification since DOC’s inception in 1987.

    “The vast majority of areas will finally have the accurate classification as they deserve, reflecting their conservation and cultural values.

    “Existing rights on stewardship land – such as concessions for tourism activities, mining, and grazing licences, for example – can continue.

    “Reclassifying this land will deliver more certainty on land use options for our tourism, farming, mining and hunting sectors. New concessions will be easier to obtain.”

    Potaka said the new classifications would provide certainty and clarity for those operating on these areas.

    “I am particularly excited about the creation of the 181,000ha Tarahanga e Toru Historic Reserve, which recognises the significance of the area for Poutini Ngāi Tahu, alongside protecting the extensive natural and recreational values.

    “The reserve does not result in a change in ownership, decision making, or joint management and public access remains the same.”

    New Zealand First’s deputy leader Shane Jones. RNZ / Mark Papalii

    New Zealand First wants ‘unfettered development’ – Shane Jones

    Jones said New Zealand First had a long standing remit that a lot of stewardship land should be taken off the Department for Conservation and “opened up for unfettered development.”

    “It was only shoved in DOC in 1987 because people were too lazy back there to find a better home for it.

    “Obviously we’re pro-mining, pro-extraction and this decision never went through Cabinet so it’s fair to say that it’s not aligned with the party stance on stewardship land.”

    However, Jones acknowledged Potaka was entitled to make the changes.

    “Technically speaking, I’m advised that Tama has the total authority under the DOC Act. As you know, I don’t like DOC, and I’ve been invited to take these more fundamental concerns to the next election.

    “I accept you can’t get your way every time, but know this from me, we are a pro-extractive, pro-mining, pro-development, pro-jobs party.”

    On some of the land going to iwi control, Jones said Parliament was not the place to speak to his concerns in this area.

    “I understand Ngāi Tahu would like to expand their footprint and that’s rational and I don’t want to get into a war of words with Ngāi Tahu. I like to leave that kōrero to the marae, but I do feel that DOC is taking far too long to issue concessions and entitlements and rights and we need to grow the economy.”

    ACT leader David Seymour said the government had to work within the reality of the Ngāi Tahu settlement that did provide for some claim on the divestment of public land.

    “We’ve supported a wider deal that allows a lot more activity. I think that’s a good thing. If it also comes with transfer to iwi, we’ve had a history of treaty settlements for a long time.

    “Sometimes some public land goes to Māori, probably not the way I would do it if I could start New Zealand 180 years ago but it’s where we are.”

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

    Christmas comes early for fans of speed reductions

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Some 80km/h sections are being reduced to 50km/h for Christmas. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

    New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) is pumping the brakes and reducing speed limits on several sections of a popular holiday route in time for Christmas.

    Four sections of State Highway 25 will drop to 50km/h from 80 or 70km/h.

    Waka Kotahi said there were 982 submissions on the speed review in the Coromandel region, and the majority saw benefits in lowering the speed limits.

    It said the new speed limits will kick in ahead of the summer holiday peak.

    Almost two kilometres of SH25 between Thames and Tararu is going down to 50km/h. Linda Davidson owned a bed and breakfast on that stretch, and told Checkpoint the current speed limit of 70km/h created noise issues.

    “It’s too loud for us. The roads along here, because they’re old miners’ cottages, they’re really close to the road… when cars are going past at 70km/h, it’s just outrageous.

    “It’s so loud that if it was a party, it would be shut down.”

    Despite her B&B having double glazing, she said there were still problems.

    “In peak times particularly, people complain about the noise.”

    Davidson said the noise got so bad in busy periods she had to close the B&B between Christmas and New Year’s.

    She said after seeing multiple accidents and many close calls, she was confident the reduction would make a significant difference.

    “There’s a big reserve across the road from us and it’s really popular, when people are coming out of there it’s really unsafe, people come around the corner and hit people coming out of the reserve.”

    “It means that we can open up our windows in summer, easy to get in and out of our properties and safer on the road for everyone.”

    Davidson said she felt great about the change and hoped it would help keep the “gobsmackingly beautiful” area safe for residents and visitors.

    Three other 1km stretches of SH25 will also have speed limits reduced.

    Two sections of road near Kūaotunu will drop to 50km/h from 70km/h. A 1km stretch at Wharekaho from near Leah Road to near Harbour Lights Terrace will also be reduced from 80km/h down to 50km/h.

    A section of State Highway 1 near Lake Taupō was also getting a speed reduction – a short section of road either side of Motutere Holiday park dropping from 100km/h to 50km/h.

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

    More focus is needed on childhood sexual abuse to combat Australia’s suicide problem

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Wyles, PhD candidate and Research Fellow at the Disrupting Violence Beacon, Griffith University

    Kian Mousazadeh Unsplash

    One person dies from suicide every 40 seconds according to the World Health Organisation.

    In Australia, men are three times more likely to die by suicide than women.

    The Australian government states about 64% of people who die by suicide had a recorded mental or behavioural disorder.

    Much is being done to improve Australians’ mental health and reduce suicides. However, there has been little focus on the impact of often unspoken experiences of childhood.

    Our new research
    explores the intersections of men, suicide and child sexual abuse.

    The danger of adverse childhood experiences

    Suicide Prevention Australia’s latest report highlights the substantial impact of childhood trauma.

    It has found more than 60% of Australian adults have experienced one or more adverse childhood experiences. These include things like bullying and bereavement but also maltreatment such as neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse.

    Australians who have experienced multiple adverse childhood experiences are significantly more likely to have attempted suicide or self-harmed in the past year.

    When it comes to more extreme maltreatment, around one in three women and one in five men have experienced child sexual abuse, according to the Australian Child Maltreatment Study.

    The burden of child maltreatment

    Childhood abuse and neglect are the leading risk factor in the burden of disease in Australia.

    They contribute substantially to the years of healthy life lost due to suicide and self-inflicted injuries in both men and women according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare.

    A 2024 study analysing the burden of mental disorders and suicide attributable to child maltreatment in Australia concluded:

    child maltreatment accounts for more than 184,000 years of healthy life lost through mental ill health and 1.8 million cases of mental health problems could be prevented if exposure to child maltreatment was eradicated.

    A roundtable in Canberra was recently convened with attendees from multiple sectors. It discussed the lack of attention to suicidality and its link to child sexual abuse within relevant national plans and policy frameworks.

    What our research found

    We analysed 47 recent studies in international peer reviewed journals on child sexual abuse and suicidality in adulthood.

    Many studies
    highlight the lifelong impacts of adverse childhood experiences on adult survivors’ mental health and suicide risk.

    In a quarter of the studies identified we found a clear and direct link between child sexual abuse and suicidality.

    Several studies reported child sexual abuse was, over and above other forms of maltreatment, linked to suicidality. This included being strongly linked to suicidal ideation, self harm, suicide attempts and death by suicide.

    Often there were intersections with other adverse childhood experiences that had a cumulative impact on suicide risk in adulthood.

    Research also points to specific cohorts of child sexual abuse survivors who have higher risk of suicidality, such as:

    This evidence suggests survivors’ risk of suicide increases significantly if they are then exposed to additional trauma in adult life.

    Men and child sexual abuse

    There are several factors that potentially differentiate men’s experience of child sexual abuse from women.

    Male survivors:

    Other research shows male survivors can struggle with shame and stigma, with some adopting a hypermasculine persona in which they display risk-taking and aggression.

    This research aligns with the experience of those who access support through Survivors and Mates Support Network, one of Australia’s leading organisations for male survivors of child sexual abuse.

    The organisation runs groups to assist men by breaking down social isolation, providing support and connection. It states 75% of the men involved in its programs reported a reduction in their thoughts/feelings of suicide.

    Despite the compelling statistics linking adverse childhood experiences and particularly child sexual abuse to suicide, investment in specialist services for male survivors to address this national tragedy is sadly lacking.

    Current responses focusing just on mental health fail to address the complex set of intersections involved.

    Education and awareness-raising, and health promotion campaigns should be a priority.

    Policy and practice need to address impacts of child sexual abuse that intersect with suicidality, along with mental health, social disadvantage, substance abuse, violence and other risk-taking behaviour.

    Urgent action is needed to save lives.

    The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Craig Hughes-Cashmore, CEO Survivors & Mates Support Network, contributed to this article.

    Patrick O’Leary receives funding from Survivors Mates Support Network (for a research project examining the intersections of child sexual abuse, suicidality and violence) and the Australian Research Council.

    Paul Wyles and Tracy Wilde do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. More focus is needed on childhood sexual abuse to combat Australia’s suicide problem – https://theconversation.com/more-focus-is-needed-on-childhood-sexual-abuse-to-combat-australias-suicide-problem-270803

    Do the All Blacks need more coaches, or less?

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Analysis – Even in the increasingly chaotic environment of rugby coaching, the news that Jason Holland has returned to the Hurricanes feels odd. Holland was the head coach in Wellington from 2020-23, before leaving to take up an assistant coach role with the All Blacks. His departure from Scott Robertson’s set up sees him back at the Hurricanes, albeit in an office down the hall as Clark Laidlaw is the head coach now.

  • The one thing everyone’s missing in the All Blacks coaching situation
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    • It said a bit that not only Holland, but Leon MacDonald gave up head coaching roles to be All Black assistant roles. They’re not alone either, John Plumtree followed the same route as Holland out of the Hurricanes to an ultimately unsuccessful stint in Ian Foster’s set up, and while Foster himself is probably the best example of someone going from helming a Super Rugby side into an assistant coaching job with the All Blacks, the history of those making that transition isn’t great.

    Jason Holland Photosport

    Because really, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense from an employment point of view. Despite Holland’s well-earned reputation as an easy going personality, he went from being the loudest voice in the room to one who had to wait for his turn to speak. Just how the dynamic will work between Holland and Laidlaw will be interesting, but right now the Hurricanes have bigger issues to worry about off the field.

    The wider dynamic is worth having a look at too, because there is no certainty Holland will be replaced in the All Blacks or simply folded into the other coaches’ responsibilities. It’s understood that Robertson is looking at candidates, but one of the main issues in the job market right now is just who is available.

    Then, now and comparing coaching set ups

    Scott Robertson and Rassie Erasmus. ActionPress

    That’s because an awful lot of the people that may well be All Black assistant coaches are already employed. One of Robertson’s great strengths during his time at the Crusaders was the ability to assemble heavyweight coaching groups, to which he’d delegate the day to day running of the team, but that was Super Rugby.

    Test rugby isn’t an environment for staff to learn on the job, so Robertson needs proven performers at test level like other teams have assembled and probably more than what he’s got right now. The common historical perception among New Zealand rugby followers is that too many cooks spoil the broth, but one look at the All Blacks’ main opponents reveals a completely different story.

    Rassie Erasmus currently has eight coaches on his staff, including Tony Brown, and it’s strongly rumoured that Jacques Nienaber will rejoin the Springboks sometime before the next World Cup.

    England have eight coaches as well, with the most notable development lately being former rugby league great Kevin Sinfield focusing on individual skills and the kicking group. Really that’s a role Robertson should be looking to add to his group, especially since both of the aforementioned teams are picking players out of kick-heavy domestic competitions.

    Closing the gap

    Will Jordan competes for the ball with Tane Edmed. Daniel Carson/Photosport NZ

    The addition of a dedicated skills coach would very much help close the gap in an area that has become a somewhat problematic one for the All Blacks. Super Rugby Pacific’s incentivisation for the running game has been fantastic for the competition as a product and long may it continue, but it does come at the cost developing kicking and high ball skills.

    That’s not to say it doesn’t happen, with the business end of this year’s competition seeing a big change in approach, culminating in a tense but ironically dour final. But this is more about exposure and repetition of those core skills overall, given that the average young outside back coming through the New Zealand school, club and domestic system would’ve fielded far less bombs than his South African or English counterpart.

    There’s a conversation to be had about coaching philosophy in general around the country, but the pressing concern is for that gap to be closed, and this is a situation where the job market is a bit richer. Rugby isn’t the only sport that deals in high kicks and skills related to it, so potentially Robertson can look across the Tasman and find someone in the NRL or AFL.

    It’s that sort of compromise that needs to be reached, especially since part of Robertson’s appointment in the first place was his ability to bring what he needed to his staff and work on overall strategy. That second part is what he’s certainly been trying to do with the All Blacks, but it only works if he gets the first part right and the team is winning.

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

    Weather: Large hail, torrential rain forecast as thunderstorm warning issued for South Island

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Hail at Dunedin Airport. Supplied

    Thunderstorms are forecast to bring torrential rain and large hail to the South Island.

    MetService has issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Otago on Thursday afternoon.

    The forecasting agency said the thunderstorms are moving quickly towards the east, and could be accompanied by torrential rain and large hail.

    It warned torrential rain could cause surface or flash flooding about streams, gullies and urban areas, and make driving conditions extremely hazardous.

    “Large hail can cause significant damage to crops, orchards, vines, glasshouses and vehicles, and make driving conditions hazardous,” it said.

    Pictures from Dunedin Airport showed the tarmac was blanketed in hail.

    Hail at Dunedin Airport. Supplied

    A storm watch is also in place for the Canterbury Plains, Canterbury High Country, North Otago, and Clutha until 10pm on Thursday. As well as up north for, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Taupō, Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay.

    It comes after much of the country experienced sweltering heat over the weekend, with temperatures in the high 20s or even early 30s.

    MetService said on Thursday there was a reprieve from the heat on the way, with temperatures across the country heading back down towards normal.

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

    Hawke’s Bay community moves to highest level of water restrictions

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    123rf.com

    The Central Hawke’s Bay beach community of Kairakau has just been put under the highest level of water restrictions.

    Central Hawke’s Bay District Council chief executive Doug Tate said it wasn’t a decision they made lightly.

    “It became a necessary move due to the inability to extract enough water from the bore and the spring – the water sources for Kairakau.”

    He said due to the lack of water, the bore is only able to draw approximately a tenth of its consented take and, at this rate, it would take almost three days to refill the reservoir.

    The council is investigating whether there are any other underlying causes, but suspects the current dry conditions are the main problem.

    “We’re having to use tankers to maintain the supply, until the issue is resolved. That’s why we’re having to take such urgent action and implement Level 4 restrictions. We need everyone to work together to reduce water use and share the message in Kairakau,” Tate said.

    The Hawke’s Bay region has been sweltering under 34 degree temperatures this week, and some areas have had just half the average rainfall for this time of the year.

    The council is asking Kairakau residents to:

    • ONLY use water outside for emergencies – no washing boats, cars, houses etc
    • If you have a pool, don’t top it up.
    • Conserve water wherever you can.
    • Don’t use your dishwasher. Wash your dishes by hand and use that water elsewhere.
    • Limit how much you use your washing machine.
    • Don’t rush to flush the toilet – if it’s yellow, let it mellow.
    • Limit your showers to two minutes only.
    • Check out water saving tips for other ways that you can save water.

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

    NZX ends year ahead of where it began

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Top picks for the year included Sanford, A2 Milk, dairy co-operative Fonterra and apple and pet food exporter Scales. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

    The New Zealand Exchange Top 50 Index is ending the year slightly stronger than where it started, with a few out-performers more than offsetting weakness in others.

    Harbour Asset Management portfolio manager Shane Solley’s top picks for the year included seafood company Sanford, speciality milk company A2 Milk, the dairy co-operative Fonterra and the apple and pet food exporter Scales.

    “Over the year, certainly the New Zealand share market performance has improved,” Solley said.

    “People are seeing the market is getting this earnings recovery, but we will want to see confirmation, and so a lot of investors will be watching for the December period results that should come through in February, just to confirm that momentum.”

    Generate investment specialist Greg Smith said the dairy sector had been particularly strong, with A2Milk’s share price up about 60 percent and Fonterra’s 40 percent, while Fletcher Building rose 25 percent, despite having had a difficult time over the past few years.

    “It’s had its fair share of problems in recent years, but investors seem to be seeing some light there on a number of fronts and also the fact that it is a name that should benefit as the economy turns around.”

    He said an easing in interest rates, as well as a notable increase in building consents.

    “Could make for a much better 2026 for Fletchers and others in that sector.”

    Solley said the second half of the calendar year had seen some big swings in the economy, as large cuts to the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate helped improve the outlook for a number of businesses.

    “But really that first half of the year, we were rolling through negative earnings downgrades, and so that’s been a real battle for the market. If I look over the full year, there’s a couple of themes that come through.

    “The share prices that have done better are Tower and Turner’s Auctions, with really strong franchises that could deal with that slower economy.

    “Businesses like Fonterra, Sanford, A2Milk, Scales – great businesses run by people who are really focused on improving returns.

    “We’ve also had some really strong infrastructure franchises with purchasing power. Channel Infrastructure, Napier Port – they have got some great growth opportunities, so the markets rewarded them.

    “And then finally, over the full-year period, we’ve seen Tourism Holdings, for example, with merger and acquisition activity.

    “But we’ve actually seen some of these domestic improvement names start to come back up the list of the best performers over the last six months – Oceania, Heartland Group, Freightways, Sky TV – and the market has rewarded that.”

    Solley said a number of companies with exposure to the domestic economy have had a tough time, but so have technology companies such as Gentrack and Vista, and some big names, including Meridian, Spark, SkyCity, EBOS and Meridian Energy.

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

    Waikato trio accused of copper thefts

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    In recent years there have been reports of copper being stolen. Supplied

    Three people have been arrested following an investigation into ongoing thefts of copper.

    They were arrested after raids in rural Gordonton and Cambridge, Waikato. Two were women, aged 37 and 50, and a 44-year-old man.

    They will appear in Hamilton District Court next week, charged with burglary.

    Police said they became aware of a commercial property in Frankton, Hamilton, which had been repeatedly targeted by thieves.

    An investigation found 200kg of it had been on-sold in Auckland.

    “This investigation highlighted the importance of quality, multi-layered security systems on commercial premises including CCTV, alarm systems and outer perimeter measures,” police said in a statement.

    In recent years there have been reports of copper being stolen from power poles, rail bridges and a hospital.

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

    School caused ‘major drama’ by speaking out about mouldy lunches – David Seymour

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

    A Christchurch school caused a big drama by talking to the media about mouldy school lunches before waiting for investigation findings, David Seymour says.

    Haeata Community Campus has been at odds with New Zealand Food Safety and school lunch provider Compass Group about how the mince and potato meals came to be served to children on 1 December.

    NZ Food Safety investigators concluded the most plausible explanation was a mix-up at the school and there were no food safety risks associated with the School Lunch Collective supplier Compass Group.

    The rotten food served to students at Haeata Community Campus. Supplied / Haeata Community Campus

    Associate Education Minister David Seymour said it was unfortunate the food safety watchdog first heard about the problem from the media rather than the school.

    “I just wish this hadn’t been necessary. If everyone had just kept a cool head and no-one had run off to the media and they’d gone through the proper process putting child safety number one and child education number two, then this report would have been issued and and no one would have heard much about it,” he said.

    “This shouldn’t have been made a major drama and a beat-up.”

    New Zealand Food Safety made a number of recommendations following the investigation, saying improvements to tracing and reporting processes would reduce the risk of a repeat.

    Overall, Seymour said the the school lunches programme was a “triumph”.

    “We’ve had, what is it, two weeks now of talking about 20 lunches when there wasn’t actually an issue,” he said.

    “I acknowledge that there were serious challenges in term one because a subcontractor basically went bankrupt and stopped supplying the lunches. That was a real crisis but we actually fixed it really quickly and we haven’t had any problems since then,” he said.

    “The healthy school lunches programme is almost half the cost of Labour’s programme and the number of meals that get rejected or sent back every day is the same as Labour’s programme. So I would say half the cost, same quality.”

    Haeata Community Campus principal Peggy Burrows said the school would review NZ Food Safety’s report alongside its own internal investigation.

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

    Store worker assaulted by group in aggravated robbery in Otangarei

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    RNZ / Angus Dreaver

    A store worker has been assaulted after an alleged aggravated robbery in Otangarei on Wednesday night.

    A group of men armed with non-firearm weapons entered the building on William Jones Drive about 7.25pm, police said.

    The worker was attacked and received minor injuries.

    Police said the offenders appeared to have stolen cash and cigarettes before fleeing on foot towards Taraire Crescent.

    “This type of violent behaviour is unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” Whangārei CIB Detective Senior Sergeant Shane Pilmer said.

    “The victim thankfully didn’t require medical treatment, but is understandably shaken up.

    “We are now working hard to hold those responsible to account.”

    Pilmer thanked members of the public who had already provided information, but police were urging anyone else who may have seen or heard anything to come forward.

    Police would also like to speak to anyone who may be offered cigarettes for sale cheaply.

    Pilmer said the public could expect an increased police presence in the area while enquiries were carried out.

    Anyone who witnessed the incident, or who has information regarding it can contact police by calling 105 and quoting file number 251210/5639.

    If you wish to give information anonymously, please call Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for December 11, 2025

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    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on December 11, 2025.

    The social media ban is just the start of Australia’s forthcoming restrictions – and teens have legitimate concerns
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Woodley, Lecturer and Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University There has been massive global interest in the new social media legislation introduced in Australia aimed at protecting children from the dangers of doom‑scrolling and mental‑health risks potentially posed by these platforms during their developmental years The platforms’

    How to handle teen ‘big feelings’ as the social media ban kicks in
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christiane Kehoe, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne Maskot/Getty Watching your teenager grieve the loss of their social media account can be confronting. Many are genuinely distressed or struggling with the change, and many parents are unsure how to respond. Australia’s social media ban, which

    Higher speeds lower productivity: what the data shows crash delays really cost Auckland
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Another morning, another crash on one of Auckland’s major roads. Traffic isn’t moving. Drivers sit in their cars rehearsing reasons for being late again. Radio hosts offer the usual advice: leave earlier and find

    Netflix is buying Warner Brothers. Is this the end of the cinema?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Burke, Associate Professor and Cinema and Screen Studies Discipline Leader, Swinburne University of Technology Jametlene Reskp/Unsplash The world’s dominant streaming service, Netflix, has announced its planned acquisition of Warner Bros with a deal valued at US$82.7 billion (A$124.5 billion). The acquisition has provoked criticism from film

    Politicians bank on people not caring about democracy – but research shows we do
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adele Webb, Research Fellow, Democracy and Citizen Engagement, Centre for Deliberative Democracy, University of Canberra The Citizens’ Assembly/X Across the world, democracies are grappling with a widening gap between citizens and those who govern. Australia is no exception. Increasingly, people feel politics is something done to them,

    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard quit Spotify in protest, only for an AI doppelgänger to step in
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wellett Potter, Lecturer in Law, University of New England Getty/Pedro Gomes/Redferns Imagine this: a band removes its entire music catalogue off Spotify in protest, only to discover an AI-generated impersonator has replaced it. The impersonator offers songs that sound much like the band’s originals. The imposter tops

    If social media for kids is so bad, should we be allowed to post kids’ photos online?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University Jordan Siemens/Getty Images As Australia’s ban on under-16-year-olds having certain social media accounts kicks in this week, debate on whether it’s a good idea or even legal rages on – both at home and overseas. Yet barely acknowledged in

    The Golden Spurtle dives into the world of competitive porridge making with heart and humour
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Thompson, Lecturer in Theatre, Australian Catholic University Umbrella If you were scouting about for a feature documentary subject, porridge might not be the first thing you’d think of. That is, unless you were Australian opera and theatre director turned documentary film maker, Constantine Costi, who has

    Millions of hectares are still being cut down every year. How can we protect global forests?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Dooley, Senior Research Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne David Clode/Unsplash, CC BY Ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Belém last month, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva urged world leaders to agree to roadmaps away from fossil fuels

    Private hospitals are in trouble. Here’s what this means for public hospitals – and taxpayer dollars
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Scott, Professor of Health Economics and Director, Centre for Health Economics, Monash Business School, Monash University Every other week there seems to be more bad news for private hospitals. The sale of Healthscope, hospital and maternity ward closures, and fights with private health insurers about funding,

    The toy aisle is still full of gender bias. Here’s how to navigate it these holidays
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sadaf Sagheer, Marketing Academic, RMIT University Getty Images Parents the world over have begun the task of negotiating Christmas lists written by their children. But buying the right presents for kids can feel like a minefield, with an ever-growing list of choices and factors to consider. Among

    The year’s best meteor shower is about to start – here’s how to see it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland Peak of the Geminids in 2017. Dai Jianfeng/IAU OAE, CC BY Where many other meteor showers are often over-hyped, the Geminids are the real deal: far and away the best shower of the year, peaking on December 14–15 in

    From violence to sexism, the manosphere is doing real-world harm
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Humanities and Social Sciences, Monash University There’s a lot of debate around the extent to which the manosphere is playing out in young people’s lives and relationships. Some suggest claims about its malevolence are misplaced. Others think just because something happens on the

    Year 12 results are being released. What if you don’t want to share your ATAR with friends and family?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Penny Van Bergen, Associate Professor in the Psychology of Education, Macquarie University Cottonbro Studio/ Pexels For the class of 2025, the next week may be particularly nerve wracking, as ATAR or Australian Tertiary Admission Rank results are released online. Victoria is the first state to release results

    How charitable are Australians? 3 charts show how much we give
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Myles McGregor-Lowndes, Emeritus Professor, Faculty of Business & Law, Queensland University of Technology For Australia’s charity sector, December is the critical frontline month of the year. Demand for social services reaches its peak, with people who are hungry, homeless, friendless or victims of family violence all requiring

    Number of Indigenous deaths in custody at record high
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Australia recorded in 2024–25 the largest number of Indigenous deaths in custody since 1979–80, when monitoring began under the National Deaths in Custody Program. In the 2024–25 year, 33 of the 113 deaths in custody were Aboriginal or Torres Strait

    Can smart greenhouses bring back food production in cities?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera Xia, Lecturer in Design and Urban Technology, University of Sydney Sydney, like many other Australian cities, has a long history of urban farming. Market gardens, oyster fisheries and wineries on urban fringe once supplied fresh food to city markets. As suburbs expanded, many farms in and

    Why is Trump so obsessed with Venezuela? His new security strategy provides some clues
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Juan Zahir Naranjo Cáceres, PhD Candidate, Political Science, International Relations and Constitutional Law, University of the Sunshine Coast Two centuries ago, US President James Monroe declared the Western Hemisphere off-limits to European powers in what would became known in history books as the “Monroe Doctrine”. The proclamation

    Cowbois reimagines Hollywood’s Wild West – with a wonderful queer twist
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Cummings, Lecturer in Singing, University of Sydney Alex Vaughan Music and theatre can bring into the world places and stories that exist only in the imagination. Can music and theatre also change hearts and minds? This question is at the heart of Cowbois, a new music

    As the population ages, the RBA’s interest rate policy is no longer fit for purpose
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Denny, Adjunct Associate Professor, University of Tasmania Yan Krukov/Pexels An extensive government review of the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) in 2023 made 51 specific recommendations to enable “an RBA fit for the future”. But the narrow terms of reference confined the review to an economic

    ‘Clowns to the left, jokers to the right’: Willis-Richardson debate in doubt after ultimatum

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Finance Minister Nicola Willis (left) has challenged her predecessor Ruth Richardson. RNZ/Reece Baker/Supplied

    Finance Minister Nicola Willis and her 1990s predecessor Ruth Richardson are now debating when and where to hold their promised debate.

    Willis is refusing to favour a specific media outlet, while Richardson gave her opponent an ultimatum to agree to the showdown on NewstalkZB by 5pm.

    The Finance Minister this week challenged Richardson – the chair of the Taxpayers’ Union group – to “come out of the shadows” and debate on the country’s finances after the TPU launched a campaign criticising the government’s finances.

    Richardson first laughed off the request, but later agreed.

    Labour said the debate was a “sideshow”, and the Public Service Association union said it was a “false flag” operation aimed at making Willis appear more moderate.

    But after Willis said she was happy to debate “anytime, anywhere”, the debate going ahead may depend on whether the pair can agree on a time and a place.

    “My proposal is that we hold it here at Parliament next week,” Willis told reporters on Thursday when heading into Question Time, “and that we do do it after the half-year update as Richardson has suggested”.

    She said that was so that all media could attend.

    “I’m an equal-opportunity person, I think it’s fair that all of your journalists get a go at recording the debate so that as many New Zealanders as possible can listen to it.”

    Minutes later, Richardson put out a media release giving Willis an ultimatum to agree by 5pm to debate her on Newstalk ZB/Herald Now.

    “Enough with the dilly-dallying. You laid down the gauntlet with ‘any time , any place’, and we have come back with the offer. Take it or leave it.

    “We know you’re trying to negotiate with a taxpayer-funded, left-wing website – when the offer on the table is the largest broadcast audience in New Zealand … you have until 5pm or we’re out.”

    The dispute over a venue came after the TPU sent fudge out to newsrooms across the country, insinuating Willis was “fudging” the numbers.

    Willis denied that outright.

    “Not at all, the numbers are all set out very clearly and we will update them again next week. We do full revelation of the numbers,” she said.

    “The simple fact is that spending as a proportion of GDP has been lower under our government than it was under the last because of the significant fiscal savings that we’ve made, $43 billion of savings so far.”

    Asked about the fudge, she said that if the TPU spent as much time on savings ideas as they did on fudge design, they could make a useful contribution to public debate.

    “We reduced spending as a proportion of the economy. We also, I’d point out to the Taxpayers’ Union, reduced taxes – not only for all working New Zealanders but for businesses making investments in growth.”

    She noted parties on the left were proposing more tax, with Labour advocating for a capital gains tax and the Greens and Te Pāti Māori calling for a wealth tax.

    Asked about the PSA’s claim about the debate being a stunt, Willis replied: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. I’m stuck in the middle and that’s where New Zealand is too.”

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

    Nine illegal gambling operations in Auckland found ‘hiding in plain sight’

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    Source: Radio New Zealand

    The venues are believed to have offered unlicensed poker games. [dl.maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com] CC0 Public Domain

    The public is being urged to stay alert after nine alleged illegal gambling venues were uncovered in Auckland raids.

    The venues are believed to have offered unlicensed poker games in breach of the Gambling Act.

    Equipment including poker tables, chips, cash, cryptocurrency and electronic devices were seized.

    “These operations can be illegal commercial ventures hiding in plain sight,” Vicki Scott, director gambling, Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) said.

    She warned people to check if a venue was legal before engaging in any gambling activities.

    “Patrons are often unaware that by participating they are engaging in illegal activity and have no protection if things go wrong.

    “Illegal gambling operators are predatory, and we are seeing some offer credit to participants which can result in significant debts being incurred.

    “Illegal gambling can lead to financial harm, gambling addiction, and exposure to criminal activity. It also undermines trust in legitimate operators and community fundraising efforts.”

    Scott also warned venues against hosting illegal activities – whether willingly or unknowingly.

    “If you’re a venue operator, you need to know what’s happening in your space – turning a blind eye is not an option.”

    Investigations were ongoing.

    Where to get help:

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

    Person seriously injured in Lower Hutt

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Police are investigating. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

    Police are investigating after a person was found with serious injuries at a property in Lower Hutt.

    Emergency services were called to the Epuni address around 5am on Wednesday.

    A police spokesperson said one person was taken to hospital in a serious condition, where they remain.

    They said the investigation is ongoing.

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

    The social media ban is just the start of Australia’s forthcoming restrictions – and teens have legitimate concerns

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Woodley, Lecturer and Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University

    There has been massive global interest in the new social media legislation introduced in Australia aimed at protecting children from the dangers of doom‑scrolling and mental‑health risks potentially posed by these platforms during their developmental years

    The platforms’ methods so far for verifying young people’s ages have shown mixed effectiveness.

    The Australian Christmas period may be interrupted with cries of “I’m so bored without Insta”, but the Australian government is not done yet. New measures are scheduled to come into force before the new year, which will include further restrictions on content deemed age-inappropriate across a range of internet services.

    What are the new restrictions?

    While families grapple with the social media ban, Australia is about to dial up the volume on increased measures to further regulate the internet through the impending industry codes. These will eventually be implemented across services including search engines, social media messaging services, online games, app distributors, equipment manufacturers and suppliers (smartphones, tablets and so on) and AI chatbots and companions.

    Over the Christmas break we’ll start to see hosting services (and ISPs/search engines) that deliver sexual content including pornography, alongside material categorised as promoting eating disorders and self-harm, start to impose various restrictions, including increased age checks.

    However, there are concerns the codes may result in overreach, affecting marginalised communities and limiting young people’s access to educational material. After all, big tech doesn’t have a great track record, particularly in terms of sexual health material and associated educational content.

    How will it work?

    From December 27 (with some measures coming in later), sites delivering content that fall under the new industry codes will be required to implement “appropriate age assurance”. How they will do this is largely left to the providers to decide.

    Age checks will likely be administered across the internet through various age-assurance and age-verification processes to limit young people’s access.

    While much of the media coverage has focused on the social media ban, the industry codes have been much quieter, and arguably more difficult to understand. Discussion has focused on the impact and extent of the code with little focus on the very people that the changes are designed to impact: young people.

    The quiet voices

    Our new research explores the view of Australia’s teens on various age-verification and age-assurance measures – views that don’t appear to have been fully taken into consideration by policymakers.

    Teens believe governments and industry should be “doing more” to make online spaces safer, but are sceptical about age verification measures. Unsurprisingly, consistent with other research, teens confess they will find ways around the ban, such as the use of VPNs, borrowed ID or using images of adults to overcome age verification and assurance measures. Biometric measures such as facial identification have also shown concerning racial, gender and age bias.

    Miles, 16, told us:

    There are nifty little ways around it. […] I think that’s one thing that all kids have, [a] knack to kind of — there’s a little thing, “oh I can get ‘round it, it’s a bit of fun”[…] There will be loopholes that people will find, there’ll be younger generations finding little knickknacks [VPNs] there’ll be ways around.

    Much like adults, teens held concerns around the privacy and security implications of age verification.

    Some measures require personal data to be either validated or processed by third-party companies, potentially outside Australia. Users are expected to trust such companies despite data being a highly valuable commodity in the modern age.

    Previous research has indicated scepticism around the safety of allowing third parties to host such personal data. This raises justified security and privacy concerns for all Australian users – especially following the recent Discord data leak that disclosed photos used for age verification of Australian account holders.

    Even research by the office of the eSafety commissioner itself indicates teens are tech-savvy and likely to bypass restrictions.

    In the United Kingdom (where on the day of implementation, one VPN platform saw a 1,400% surge in uptake, minors are now using unstable free VPNs to overcome Ofcom’s age-assurance measures to access blocked pornographic content. While functional for the end-user, their use leaves them susceptible to sensitive personal data leaks and phishing, further compromising their safety.

    Such concerns are exacerbated by uncertainty over the kind of data being captured by third parties and government bodies, (particularly if digital ID or temporary digital tokens are to be used as a measure in future). For teens, this possibility was of particular concern when considering access to online sexual content as the new rules come into force. As Miles told us:

    What you’re consuming I think is a little bit too far. I think there are certain limits and prying into people’s personal sexual lives is a little bit too far [capturing] personal sexual interests and viewings.

    Teens note that by restricting access to content, the government may actually be making the desire to access content more enticing too. Some may even see it as a challenge to find ways around the restrictions. Tiffany, 16, told us:

    [I] don’t know if they [restrictions] actually work that much ‘cause I feel like where people lock something or disallow something it makes [them] want to look at it more, and see it more, so I feel it’s more incentive.

    More relevant measures than age

    Interestingly, some teens suggest that maturity would be a better measure of emotional and cognitive readiness for content than age. Tiffany put it this way:

    [because] some people, they could be 13 or 14, and they could act much older than they are, and have an intellectual level much higher than their age, and then some people could be that same age, but their intellectual level is much younger. So, there’s a big variation in people’s personalities and their lives and how they think.

    However, they conceded this would be very difficult to measure.

    Teens were supportive of protections for younger children consistent with New Zealand research. Levi (pre-teen) said:

    There’s probably a certain age that’s too young to see certain things like violence or sexually explicit content like pornography.

    However, they also argue that for older teens there may be benefit to accessing both sexual content and social media for educational purposes, particularly for sexual information.

    Teens argue that independence and autonomy is key in these crucial years of development as emerging adults. Tiffany said

    [Teens] can’t really be their own person if somebody doesn’t have trust in them and let them have their own independence. It’s a necessity for somebody to be able to grow into their own person.

    Many participants stressed they are able to self-regulate. Arguably, teens will inevitably access content, whether it be social media or sexual content online, and benefit from chances to build these skills.

    What lessons need to be learned?

    Such measures often overlook young people’s fundamental rights, including their sexual rights, and policymakers need to consider the views of young people themselves. Until recently, these views have been strikingly absent from these debates but represent valuable contributions that should be appropriately considered and integrated into future plans.

    Findings indicate there is a growing need to separate older teens from children in policy. Teens also overwhemingly recognised education (including digital literacy and lessons relating to sexual health and behaviours) in offline and online spaces as powerful tools – that should not be withheld or restricted unnecessarily.

    Giselle Woodley receives funding from the Australian Research Council for her research, the Australian Human Rights Commission, as an expert advisor on the “on your terms” consent survey, and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation for guest speaking at events concerning children and young people’s online safety.

    Paul Haskell-Dowland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. The social media ban is just the start of Australia’s forthcoming restrictions – and teens have legitimate concerns – https://theconversation.com/the-social-media-ban-is-just-the-start-of-australias-forthcoming-restrictions-and-teens-have-legitimate-concerns-271754

    How to handle teen ‘big feelings’ as the social media ban kicks in

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    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christiane Kehoe, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne

    Maskot/Getty

    Watching your teenager grieve the loss of their social media account can be confronting. Many are genuinely distressed or struggling with the change, and many parents are unsure how to respond.

    Australia’s social media ban, which started this week, means teens under the age of 16, have lost accounts to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

    These are the platforms they relied on to talk to friends, find support, follow interests, or decompress after school.

    While some teens feel relieved or not fussed, many are feeling sad, worried, powerless, helpless, disappointed or angry.

    These aren’t signs of entitlement. They’re signs your teen may need support.

    A mixed bag: here’s what more than 17,000 teenagers think of the ban.

    Why losing social media hits some teens hard

    There’s a neurological reason why the loss of social media can hit teens so hard.

    Adolescence is a period of enormous social, neurological and emotional change. Teen brains are wired for peer connection, and their brains become more sensitive to feedback from their peers. Meanwhile the brain regions responsible for impulse control, managing strong emotions and long-term planning are still developing.

    When teens say losing social media feels like being “cut off”, they aren’t being dramatic. Their neurological systems are reacting to a loss of social reinforcement.

    Connect and validate their feelings

    If your teen is upset, the instinct might be to justify the government’s decision or to explain why life offline is healthier. However, advice lands badly when a young person feels unheard. Teens often perceive even well-meaning advice as criticism.

    Accepting their feelings about the changes helps validate their experience. You can say:

    Feeling angry or sad makes total sense. I know you used those sites to stay connected with your friends.

    Losing your account feels huge. It’s a big change to deal with.

    Then pause and listen.

    Or you can sit with them without saying much. Some teens prefer parents to just listen sympathetically.

    Supporting your teen doesn’t mean you agree with their perspective. It means you’re acknowledging their emotional reality. When teens feel understood, they become more open to talking – and eventually, to problem-solving.

    The first two weeks may be the toughest. Some teens may experience grief and withdrawal-like symptoms: boredom, anxiety, irritability, restlessness and a powerful urge to “just check once”.

    Help teens understand these reactions are normal. Social media platforms are designed to keep users hooked.

    Understand the ‘why’ together

    It might help to explore the governement’s concerns about social media with your teen – but not as a lecture. The ban isn’t about social media being inherently bad, but about how platforms are designed.

    You can talk about algorithms maximising engagement using the same mechanisms as gambling to encourage dependence and addiction. Or you can talk about how feeds are personalised to keep users scrolling for longer.

    Ask your teen what they think about these concerns. This isn’t about convincing them the ban is right, but developing their awareness of how digital platforms work. This prepares them for use when they’re older.

    Help teens rebuild what social media gave them

    To support your teen, it helps to understand the function social media played in their life. Was it to:

    • connect with friends?
    • find community around a niche interest or identity?
    • share creative work, or find outlets for self-expression?
    • de-stress after a busy day?
    • know what others are talking about?

    Once you understand this, you can help them find alternatives that genuinely meet their needs. They might be able to maintain:

    • connection by organising a get-together, make FaceTime calls, join clubs, or have group chats on allowed platforms
    • creativity by finding other outlets such as photography, video-making, music, writing, art, or gaming communities with safe age settings
    • relaxation by reading, exercise, podcasts, nature time, shows you can watch together.

    Many teens won’t immediately know what they want to try. They may need time and space to have their feelings first. Once they are ready, inviting them to brainstorm a few options (without pressuring them) can help.

    Problem-solve together, notice efforts

    Once emotions settle, gently shift to collaborative problem-solving. You can ask:

    What’s been the hardest part this week?

    How could we help you stay connected in ways that are allowed?

    What would make this change even a tiny bit easier?

    Let your teen lead. Young people are much more likely to follow through on strategies they helped design.

    Even small signs of coping deserve acknowledgement. You can say:

    I can see you’ve been finding other ways to talk to friends. That takes maturity.

    I’m proud of how open you’ve been about how you’re feeling.

    But if something doesn’t work, treat it like an experiment. You can say:

    OK, that didn’t help as much as we hoped. What else could we try?

    Check in later

    For teens, losing social media isn’t simply losing an app. It can feel like losing a community, a creative outlet, or a place where they felt understood.

    Keep an eye out and offer opportunities to check in with how they are going. This ensures teens don’t navigate this transition alone or become secretive – and that your relationship remains a source of support.

    The eSafety Commissioner website explains why the rules were brought in and how they will work; youth mental health service headspace has seven tips for navigating the social media ban; the Raising Children’s website explains how teens use technology for entertainment; tips for digital wellness and how to draw up a “contract” for use of a child’s first phone are also available.

    Christiane Kehoe is a co-author of the Tuning in to Teens parenting program. Proceeds from dissemination of the program provide funding for development and research of the program. Program authors and the University of Melbourne are distributed royalties from proceeds of manual sales. Christiane is affiliated with the Parenting and Family Research Alliance and is Deputy Editor of the journal Mental Health & Prevention.

    Elizabeth Westrupp receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is affiliated with the Parenting and Family Research Alliance, Editor-in-Chief of Mental Health & Prevention, and is a registered clinical psychologist.

    – ref. How to handle teen ‘big feelings’ as the social media ban kicks in – https://theconversation.com/how-to-handle-teen-big-feelings-as-the-social-media-ban-kicks-in-271726

    Higher speeds lower productivity: what the data shows crash delays really cost Auckland

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    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Another morning, another crash on one of Auckland’s major roads. Traffic isn’t moving. Drivers sit in their cars rehearsing reasons for being late again. Radio hosts offer the usual advice: leave earlier and find an alternative route.

    It happens so often we barely notice anymore. But the costs add up fast, and they’re far bigger than a few delayed meetings.

    Auckland had 34,628 reported crashes between 2022 and 2025. The “road toll” conversation typically stops at the obvious costs: injuries, deaths, emergency response. But it misses a lot.

    A new analysis puts the true figure at NZ$9.23 billion over those three years (roughly 2% of Auckland’s $157 billion economy), including nearly $200 million that never enters the policy debate.

    Transport agencies already put dollar figures on crashes. The New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) uses official methodology covering the usual: medical bills, lost productivity, property damage and the statistical value of a life. One fatal crash amounts to $15.2 million.

    But buried in the technical reports is an additional cost category that most policy discussions ignore: network disruption.

    False economies

    Crashes on major roads hit more than just the people involved. Thousands of other drivers get caught in the delays that spread across the network.

    Traffic engineering consultancy Flow Transportation Specialists recently worked out these network delay costs for Auckland Transport for the first time.

    Using GPS travel time data and traffic counts, researchers tracked how crashes create congestion that extends far beyond the crash scene and persists long after vehicles are cleared.

    A multi-vehicle crash on Auckland’s motorway network generates between $1.4 million and $3.5 million in network delay costs. Even a serious crash on an arterial road can cost $26,000 to $37,000 in lost time across all affected road users.

    When applied across Auckland’s crash data, network delays add roughly $195 million to the region’s crash costs, a 2.2% increase over conventional estimates.

    These costs matter to the debate over the current government’s rollback of its predecessor’s speed reductions. The claim is that moving traffic faster will boost productivity and grow the economy.

    But there’s a problem with this logic. It counts time saved from higher speeds as pure economic gain, while ignoring the time lost when those higher speeds increase crash frequency and severity.

    Drop speeds from 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) to 30km/h and pedestrian deaths in crashes fall from 80% to 10%. Faster speeds involve less time to react and longer stopping distances, meaning more crashes.

    And higher speeds mean worse crashes that take longer to clear. A fatal crash can shut a road for hours. At 110km/h, there is more debris, longer investigations and longer queues compared with the same crash at 100km/h.

    Productivity isn’t about speed

    Transport agencies worldwide, including the NZTA, follow a “safe system” approach to road safety. The argument is that humans make mistakes, and road design should stop those mistakes from becoming deadly. Speed management sits at its core.

    Rolling back speed limits moves New Zealand outside this evidence-based framework. It prioritises theoretical time savings over documented safety benefits, creating a false economy where minutes or even seconds saved in normal traffic come at the cost of hours lost, and billions spent, when crashes inevitably occur.

    The crash cost estimates come with a few caveats. Flow Transportation Specialists developed their analysis with just four case-study crashes. Minor crash costs on major roads are extrapolated guesses rather than measured data.

    And the methodology doesn’t account for vehicle operating costs during delays, cancelled trips, schedule reliability impacts and emergency vehicle delays. The true network delay figure is probably higher.

    But even these conservative numbers run to hundreds of millions, costs that don’t show up when agencies decide which projects get funded. Underestimate crash costs by 3–10% and safety upgrades start losing cost-benefit battles they should win.

    Crashes and consequent delays slow cities more than speed limits do. Productivity comes from fewer crashes and predictable journeys, not from letting people drive faster until something goes wrong.

    Next time you’re sitting in traffic behind a crash, consider the actual bill: emergency response, medical costs, lost work hours, property damage. Now add the network delay costs hitting thousands of other drivers.

    Rolling back speed limits means choosing to ignore those hidden costs.

    Timothy Welch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Higher speeds lower productivity: what the data shows crash delays really cost Auckland – https://theconversation.com/higher-speeds-lower-productivity-what-the-data-shows-crash-delays-really-cost-auckland-271734

    Netflix is buying Warner Brothers. Is this the end of the cinema?

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Burke, Associate Professor and Cinema and Screen Studies Discipline Leader, Swinburne University of Technology

    Jametlene Reskp/Unsplash

    The world’s dominant streaming service, Netflix, has announced its planned acquisition of Warner Bros with a deal valued at US$82.7 billion (A$124.5 billion).

    The acquisition has provoked criticism from film fans, the creative community and the United States government, including concerns for the future of filmgoing. News of the acquisition was also followed by a hostile bid (a bid that goes directly to shareholders, not the board), from Paramount Skydance.

    Jane Fonda described the Netflix deal as “catastrophic”, saying it “threatens the entire entertainment industry”.

    Since emerging as the global leader in streaming, Netflix has avoided acquisitions while its competitors have bought up legacy assets, like Amazon’s purchase of MGM in 2022. Rather than buy existing intellectual property, Netflix sought to build new brands such as Stranger Things and Squid Game.

    However, it is rare that a 100-year archive like Warner Bros – which ranges from Looney Tunes cartoons to Emmy-magnet The White Lotus – would come up for sale. The deal would bolster Netflix’s library and save expensive licensing costs. There’s no need to pay for ten seasons of Friends if you own the company.

    The acquisition raises questions on the consolidation of streaming services. But one of the most immediate concerns is the impact on filmgoing.

    Do we still go to the cinema?

    Cinema attendance has been falling since the rise of global streaming. This decline was exacerbated by the pandemic: 2025’s global box office will be down 13% from pre-COVID times.

    Netflix occasionally releases films in a handful of theatres for extremely limited runs to qualify for awards such as the Oscars, which require a cinematic release. But Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has repeatedly stated Netflix’s priority is at home rather than theatres.

    While blockbusters from the Warner Bros studio like Batman and Minecraft are likely to still be released in cinemas under the new super-company, original and mid-budget films may not get the same opportunity.

    Ironically, the proposed deal is coming at a time when Warner Bros is having a very successful run of auteur-led films in theatres, such as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

    Commenting on the deal, Sarandos said Netflix would look to make the time between films being exclusively in cinemas and available at home more “consumer friendly” – meaning the company will look to have short cinema runs and a quick pivot to streaming services.

    Theatrical windows have been shrinking. The original Top Gun is often credited with starting the home video revolution when it sold a then-record 2.9 million VHS cassettes in 1987, but that was ten months after it had been a hit in cinemas.

    Even in 2010, when the Walt Disney Company sought to shorten the home video release window of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland to 12 weeks, the British theatre chain Odeon threatened not to exhibit the film. Today, blockbusters like Wicked can fly to premium video on demand in a few weeks.

    Many theatrical films earn the majority of their box office in the first two weeks of release, and so longer exclusive windows are arguably a case of diminishing returns. However, this doesn’t always hold true.

    Earlier this year, Warner Bros’ vampire movie Sinners opened modestly in cinemas. But the film sustained its audience over several weeks on its way to becoming the highest grossing original film at the US box office in years, taking in over US$260 million (A$390 million).

    Cinephiles argue original films like Sinners need time to find a cinema audience, and the film’s many musical and horror setpieces are amplified by the communal experience of the theatre.

    Challenges ahead

    Skydance is also looking to add the studio to its growing portfolio, after its recent purchase of Paramount.

    Skydance owner David Ellison has demonstrated his commitment to cinemas by promising Paramount will release 30 films in theatres a year with “healthy traditional windows”.

    The deal will also come under regulatory scrutiny due to antitrust concerns. It unites top streamers Netflix and HBO as well as the film studio, removing a significant buyer from the market. Such anti-competitive rationale was used under the Biden administration to successfully block the proposed merger of book publishers Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster.

    One note of optimism is that Netflix has recently demonstrated a willingness to deviate from its founding principles. When the streaming service first launched, it positioned itself in opposition to broadcast and cable television by dropping all episodes of a season at once, not streaming live content or sport, and shunning advertising. Netflix has rolled back these three tenets in recent years in response to the shifting marketplace.

    Perhaps the service’s stubborn refusal to embrace filmgoing is another long-held principle it will abandon if audiences are eager.

    New research shows young people are craving in-person entertainment, still a novelty for digital natives.

    This appetite for experiences has fuelled the recent success in cinemas of A Minecraft Movie, Taylor Swift concert films, and KPop Demon Hunters sing-along – months after it was originally released on Netflix.

    If cinema’s reassert themselves as a lively communal space, perhaps this is one experience the newly diversified Netflix will buy a ticket for.

    Liam Burke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Netflix is buying Warner Brothers. Is this the end of the cinema? – https://theconversation.com/netflix-is-buying-warner-brothers-is-this-the-end-of-the-cinema-271518

    Fire sends smoke billowing near Wellington Airport

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Smoke can be seen coming from the hill at the southern end of the airport’s runway. RNZ/Lucy Emson

    There are reports of a fire near Wellington Airport.

    Smoke can be seen coming from the hill at the southern end of the runway.

    Police say an officer has seen it and called it in.

    RNZ has contacted Fire and Emergency for information.

    More to come…

    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

    Politicians bank on people not caring about democracy – but research shows we do

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adele Webb, Research Fellow, Democracy and Citizen Engagement, Centre for Deliberative Democracy, University of Canberra

    The Citizens’ Assembly/X

    Across the world, democracies are grappling with a widening gap between citizens and those who govern. Australia is no exception.

    Increasingly, people feel politics is something done to them, not with them or for them. Many believe the system no longer represents their interests or responds to their needs, and that it serves powerful actors rather than the public good.

    Australian attitudes echo a broader global trend. People are increasingly questioning a model of democracy that reduces their role to voting every few years and leaving the rest to elected representatives. They’re seeking deeper ways to contribute, especially on complex, long term issues, such as responses to the climate crisis.

    This isn’t a rejection of democracy as an ideal. It’s a loss of faith in how democracy is being practised. People don’t feel heard.

    Surveys have recorded this frustration for several years. Yet they rarely ask the crucial follow up question: if people are unhappy with the way democracy is working, what changes do they want to see?

    Our new report released today asks this question. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 4,200 adults, it shows Australians don’t want less democracy, they want a more meaningful one. They want democracy that listens, responds, and creates genuine opportunities between elections, for people to have a say in the decisions that shape their lives.

    Democracy through discourse

    A common assumption is that people are too apathetic, distrustful, or busy to get involved in politics.

    Our findings call this assumption into question.

    We found strong support for a more “talk-centric” model of democracy. Nearly one in two Australians (48%) say the best way to make political decisions in a democracy is through dialogue with citizens and affected groups.

    Only 9% think decisions should be left to elected representatives without public input.

    On a similar note, Australians show more trust in their fellow citizens than is often assumed. More than a third (36%) say they would trust a group of everyday people, brought together to deliberate, to produce sound recommendations on their behalf.

    This sort of initiative is called deliberative democracy. Rather than treating democracy mainly as a contest of votes, these processes complement elections by creating spaces for informed public discussion.

    They bring together everyday people – often by random selection – to learn about an issue, hear from experts and stakeholders, deliberate with one another, and develop recommendations.

    But would people actually be a part of it?

    Survey respondents showed a strong willingness to participate in these sorts of forums. When asked if they’d be likely to take part if invited, 56% said they would. This points to an unmet demand for more direct and meaningful ways to contribute

    That demand was strongest among the people often written off as “disillusioned”. Among those dissatisfied with democracy, 63% said they would be willing to participate in a deliberative forum.

    National deliberation on Housing organised by AMPLIFY in February 2025.

    Among those who distrust government, the figure is 59%.

    People also saw deliberative processes as a sign of good political leadership. More than half (54%) view deliberative forums as evidence politicians are responsive – that they value the ideas and experiences of ordinary people.

    Who’s standing in the way? Politicians

    So given the public appetite, could deliberative democracy innovations work in Australia?

    Australia already has a rich, if uneven, history of experimentation with deliberative engagement, particularly at the local and state level.

    But at the national level, politics continues to rely mostly on elections and elite parliamentary deliberation.

    By contrast, Ireland’s national citizens’ assemblies on issues from marriage equality to climate change show how deliberation can tackle complex and contested policy questions where legitimacy depends on structured public input.

    Parliamentary committees and their inquiry processes also offer promising spaces to expand the opportunity and capacity of citizens to scrutinise parliamentary deliberations.

    The main barrier to deliberative democratic reform is not citizen apathy. It is the reluctance of political elites – especially federal politicians – to trust citizens and to see them as capable partners in tackling hard problems.

    Without that confidence, political leaders are unlikely to champion reforms that genuinely shift power towards the public, even when the evidence shows they can improve decision-making and legitimacy.

    Promising signs for the future

    The Department of Home Affairs’ recent Strengthening Australian Democracy report highlighted deliberative practices as one way to improve citizen engagement and democratic resilience.

    The first national Guidebook for Deliberative Engagement, produced by the University of Canberra’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy, was recently commissioned by the New South Wales and federal governments to support agencies across Australia in designing and running these processes effectively.

    Australians are not calling for the replacement of elections or the discarding of representative institutions. They are asking for a democracy that listens between elections.

    Delivering that will require political leadership willing to pilot, scale and normalise new ways for citizens and decision-makers to work together.

    The public appetite is there. The question is whether our institutions and political actors are ready to catch up.

    The Conversation

    Max Grömping receives funding from the Australian Research Council via DP220100050 ‘Public Interest Advocacy in Australian policymaking; and DP230101777 ‘Mapping & Harnessing Public Mistrust’.

    Adele Webb and Emily Foley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Politicians bank on people not caring about democracy – but research shows we do – https://theconversation.com/politicians-bank-on-people-not-caring-about-democracy-but-research-shows-we-do-271106

    King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard quit Spotify in protest, only for an AI doppelgänger to step in

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wellett Potter, Lecturer in Law, University of New England

    Getty/Pedro Gomes/Redferns

    Imagine this: a band removes its entire music catalogue off Spotify in protest, only to discover an AI-generated impersonator has replaced it. The impersonator offers songs that sound much like the band’s originals.

    The imposter tops Spotify search results for the band’s music – attracting significant streams – and goes undetected for months.

    As incredible as it sounds, this is what has happened to Australian prog-rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

    In July, the band publicly withdrew its music from Spotify in protest at chief executive Daniel Ek’s investments in an AI weapons company.

    Within months, outraged fans drew attention to a new account called “King Lizard Wizard”.

    It hosted AI-generated songs with identical titles and lyrics, and similar-sounding music, to the original band. (And it isn’t the first case of a fake Spotify account impersonating the band).

    A Reddit post with the title 'Spotify now features AI band clones', with more than 3,000 upvotes.
    Fans have taken to social media channels to vent their frustration over the King Gizzard imposter.
    Reddit

    The fake account was recommended by Spotify’s algorithms and was reportedly removed after exposure by the media.

    This incident raises crucial questions: what happens when artists leave a platform, only to be replaced by AI knockoffs? Is this copyright infringement? And what might it mean for Spotify?

    As an Australian band, King Gizzard’s music is automatically protected by Australian copyright law. However, any practical enforcement against Spotify would use US law, so that’s what we’ll focus on here.

    Is this copyright infringement?

    King Gizzard has a track called Rattlesnake, and there was an AI-generated track with the same title and lyrics.

    This constitutes copyright infringement of both title and lyrics. And since the AI-generated music sounds similar, there is also potential infringement of Gizzard’s original sound recording.

    A court would question whether the AI track is copyright infringement, or a “sound-alike”. A sound-alike work work may evoke the style, arrangement or “feel” of the original, but the recording is technically new.

    Legally, sound-alikes sit in a grey area because the musical expression is new, but the aesthetic impression is copied.



    Read more:
    Taylor Swift’s Father Figure isn’t a cover, but an ‘interpolation’. What that means – and why it matters

    To determine whether there is infringement, a court would examine the alleged copying of the protected musical elements in each recording.

    It would then identify whether there is “substantial similarity” between the original and AI-generated tracks. Is the listener hearing a copy of the original Gizzard song, or a copy of the band’s musical style? Style itself can’t be infringed (although it does become relevant when paying damages).

    Some might wonder whether the AI-generated tracks could fall under “fair use” as a form of parody. Genuine parody would not constitute infringement. But this seems unlikely in the King Gizzard situation.

    A parody must comment on or critique an original work, must be transformative in nature, and only copy what is necessary. Based on the available facts, these criteria have not been met.

    False association under trademark law?

    Using a near-identical band name creates a likelihood of consumers being confused regarding the source of the AI-generated music. And this confusion would be made worse by Spotify reportedly recommending the AI tracks on its “release radar”.

    The US Lanham Act has a section on unfair competition which distils two types of liability. One of these is false association. This might be applicable here; there is a plausible claim if listeners could reasonably be confused into thinking the AI-generated tracks were from King Gizzard.

    To establish such a claim, the plaintiff would need to demonstrate prior protectable trademark rights, and then show the use of a similar mark is likely to cause consumer confusion.

    The defendant in such a claim would likely be the creator/uploader of the AI tracks (perhaps jointly with Spotify).

    What about Spotify?

    Copyright actions are enforced by rights-holders, rather than regulators, so the onus would be on King Gizzard to sue. But infringement litigation is expensive and time-consuming – often for little damages.

    As Spotify has now taken down the AI-generated account, copyright litigation is unlikely. The streaming platform said no royalties were paid to the fake account creator.

    Even if this case was successfully litigated against the creator of the fake account, Spotify is unlikely to face penalties. That’s because it is protected by US “safe harbour” laws, which limit liability in cases where content is removed after a platform is notified.

    This example demonstrates the legal and policy tensions between platforms actively promoting AI-generated content through algorithms and being “passive hosts”.

    Speaking on the King Lizard incident, a Spotify representative told The Music:

    Spotify strictly prohibits any form of artist impersonation. The content in question was removed for violating our policies, and no royalties were paid out for any streams generated.

    In September, the platform said it had changed its policy about spam, impersonation and deception to address such issues. However, this recent incident raises questions regarding how these policy amendments have translated into changes to the platform and/or procedures.

    This is a cautionary tale for artists – many of whom face the threat of their music being used in training and output of AI models without their consent.

    For concerned fans, it’s a reminder to always support your favourite artists through official channels – and ideally direct channels.

    The Conversation

    Wellett Potter is a member of the Copyright Society of Australia and the Asia Pacific Copyright Association.

    – ref. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard quit Spotify in protest, only for an AI doppelgänger to step in – https://theconversation.com/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-quit-spotify-in-protest-only-for-an-ai-doppelganger-to-step-in-271735

    Reports of bee swarm in downtown Auckland

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Auckland Council are investigating what appears to be a bee swarm. Supplied

    Auckland Council staff are investigating an insect swarm in the central city this afternoon.

    A member of the public alerted council at about 12.15pm to a swarm on the corner of High Street and Shortland Street.

    In a video seen by RNZ, a swarm of what appears to be bees can be seen buzzing in downtown Auckland.

    Auckland Council has confirmed it is investigating.

    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

    Firefighters hand Tongariro National Park back to DoC

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    The fire started on Monday, a month after a large blaze. RNZ / Dan Jones

    Firefighters have left Tongariro National Park and handed it back to the Department of Conservation (DoC) following a blaze earlier this week.

    The fire began on Monday, just a month after a blaze covering almost 3000 hectares ripped through the park.

    By Tuesday, the fire had been contained.

    Fire and Emergency said thermal imaging drone flights found no fire activity or hotspots overnight.

    Assistant Commander David Brown said the last firefighters left on Thursday morning, but the organisation would be ready to respond to any flare-ups.

    “The maunga and the whole national park is a precious area with so many environmental and cultural values that any fire has a big impact.

    “Fortunately, we were able to deploy firefighters and aircraft swiftly to get on top of the fire and contain it to a relatively small area in comparison with what was burnt last month.”

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

    Police had no grounds to pepper spray man and push into his home, watchdog says

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    RNZ / REECE BAKER

    Hawke’s Bay officers had no legal grounds to pepper spray a man and force entry into his home, the police watchdog has found.

    The incident happened in July last year, when seven officers went to arrest the man for breaching bail.

    When police arrived at his Flaxmere home, he tried to shut the door on them but was pepper sprayed and they forced their way inside.

    The man then barricaded himself in a room and threatened to kill himself with a piece of glass. Later, he was shot with sponge rounds and tasered before police arrested him.

    The Independent Police Conduct Authority said the use of pepper spray, and going into the man’s house without a warrant, was unlawful.

    But shooting him with sponge rounds and tasering him was justified.

    The watchdog has recommended staff training, and that police fix the man’s broken door.

    Police have acknowledged the report’s findings.

    The report

    The Independent Police Conduct Authority [IPCA] launched and investigation into the incident following a complaint from the man’s mother.

    It said the man, referred to in the report as Mr Z, had strict bail conditions and was facing several criminal charges including presenting a firearm, assault, and resisting police.

    When police arrived to arrest Mr Z at his Flaxmere home shortly after 8pm on 14 July 2024, he denied breaching bail and tried to shut the door on them.

    Several of Mr Z’s young children were at home at the time, as were other family members who began filming on their phones, it said.

    The tussle with the door broke two glass panels and Mr Z was pepper sprayed in the face before barricading himself in a bedroom.

    The officers initially followed him into the house, but then retreated outside and called to him through the bedroom window to surrender.

    At this point, the report said Mr Z went to the front door and held a shard of broken glass to his neck and yelled: “You just want me to f****** kill myself!”

    The officers called out to him to stop, but when he didn’t, one officer fired a sponge round which hit Mr Z in the groin and he ran back to the bedroom.

    The officers followed him into the house, but when they couldn’t get through the bedroom, they broke the bedroom window from the outside due to concerns that Mr Z would seriously harm himself.

    Mr Z threw a full can of drink at the officers, striking one on the hip. The officers responded with another sponge round and taser through the window, both of which incapacitated him and he was arrested.

    Findings and recommendations

    It said the officers mistakenly relied on a section 7 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, which allows officers to enter a home without a warrant if they suspect a person is unlawfully at large.

    It said because Mr Z was still inside his home, officers did not actually effect an arrest at his door.

    “Consequently, police had no power to enter the house without permission and had no legal option other than to withdraw and apply for a warrant.”

    The IPCA found the police had unlawfully entered Mr Z’s home, however it said subsequent entries were justified because they believed Mr Z was at immediate risk of self-harm.

    Because Mr Z had not been arrested, the report said the use of pepper spray on him at the door was unlawful.

    However, it found the officers were justified in shooting Mr Z with sponge rounds and a taser to prevent him from self-harming.

    The watchdog said there was a widespread misunderstanding among police of section 7 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, and the powers available to them arresting someone for breaching bail.

    It recommended written guidance on the scope of the law and further training for frontline staff.

    The report also said police should implement a system that allows officers to obtain a warrant outside of court hours and recommended police repair the damage to the door at Mr Z’s mother’s house.

    Police response

    Police acknowledged the report’s findings and said it was working with staff to understand their obligations.

    It said officers had spoken directly with the family and were making arrangements to repair damages.

    Acting Assistant Commissioner Keith Borrell said the police would consider the practicality of implementing the IPCA’s other recommendations, in particular, a system for obtaining a warrant outside of the court’s opening hours.

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

    If social media for kids is so bad, should we be allowed to post kids’ photos online?

    By -

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

    Jordan Siemens/Getty Images

    As Australia’s ban on under-16-year-olds having certain social media accounts kicks in this week, debate on whether it’s a good idea or even legal rages on – both at home and overseas.

    Yet barely acknowledged in this debate is what happens when a child doesn’t have an account, yet their entire childhood is still documented online. Should this be permitted?

    “Sharenting” – when parents share their children’s lives online – entered the dictionary a few years ago. Awareness of potential risks has been increasing, but many parents still routinely share pictures and videos of their children online.

    Sharenting is widespread and persistent. A review of practices over the past ten years describes that parents commonly share details such as children’s names, dates of birth, birthday parties, milestones (birthdays, school achievements), health info and photos. This produces a “digital identity” of the child long before they can consent.

    And it’s not just parents. Dance schools, soccer clubs and various other community groups, as well as family members and friends, commonly post about children online. All contribute to what’s essentially a collective digital album about the child. Even for children not yet old enough to have their own account, their lives could be heavily documented online until they do.

    This challenge moves us well beyond traditional approaches to safety messages such as “don’t share your personal details online” or “don’t talk to strangers”. It requires a deeper understanding of what exactly safety and wellbeing for children on online platforms looks like.

    A passive data subject

    Here’s a typical sharenting scenario. A family member uploads a photo captioned “Mia’s 8th birthday at Bondi beach!” to social media, where it gets tagged and flooded with comments from relatives and friends.

    Young Mia isn’t scrolling. She isn’t being bullied. She doesn’t have her own account. But in the act of having a photo and multiple comments about her uploaded, she has just become a passive data subject. Voluntarily disclosed by others, Mia’s sensitive information – data on her face and age – exposes her to risks without her consent or participation.

    The algorithm doesn’t care Mia is eight years old. It cares that her photo keeps adults on the app for longer. Her digital persona is being used to sustain the platform’s real product: adult attention. Children’s images posted by family and friends function as engagement tools, with parents reporting that “likes” and comments encourage them to continue sharing more about their child.

    We share such posts to connect with family and to feel part of a community. Yet a recent Italian study of 228 parents found 93% don’t fully realise the associated data harvesting practices that take place, and their risk to the child’s privacy, security and image protection.

    A public narrative of one’s life

    Every upload of a child’s face, especially across years and from multiple sources, help create a digital identity they don’t have control over. Legally and ethically, many frameworks attempt to restrict commercial data profiling of minors, but recent studies show profiling is still happening at scale.

    By the time a child is 16 – old enough to create their own account – a platform may already have accumulated a sizeable and lucrative profile of them to sell to advertisers.

    The fallout isn’t just about data; it’s personal. That cute birthday photo can resurface in a background check for future employment or become ammunition for teenage bullying.

    More subtly, a young person forging their identity must now contend with a pre-written, public narrative of their life, one they didn’t choose or control.

    New laws aiming to ban children from social media address real harms such as exposure to misogynistic or hateful material, dangerous online challenges, violent videos, and content promoting disordered eating and suicide – but they focus on the child as a user. In today’s data economy, you don’t need an account to be tracked and profiled. You just need to be relevant to someone else who has an account.

    What can we do?

    The essential next step is social media literacy for all of us. This is a new form of literacy for the digital world we live in now. It means understanding how algorithms shape our feeds, how dark design patterns keep us scrolling, and that any “like” or photo is a data point in a vast commercial machine.

    Social media literacy is not just for kids in classrooms, but for parents, coaches, carers and anyone else engaging with kids in our online world. We all need to understand this.

    Sharenting-awareness campaigns exist, from eSafety’s parental privacy resources, to the EU-funded children’s digital rights initiative, but they are not yet shifting the culture. That’s because we’re conditioned to think about our children’s physical safety, not so much their data safety. Because the risks of posting aren’t immediate or visible, its easy to underestimate them.

    Shifting adult behaviour closes the gap between our concerns and our actions, and the reality of children’s exposure to content on social media.

    Keeping children safe online means looking beyond kids as users and recognising the role adults play in creating a child’s digital footprint.

    The Conversation

    Joanne Orlando receives funding from NSW state government.

    – ref. If social media for kids is so bad, should we be allowed to post kids’ photos online? – https://theconversation.com/if-social-media-for-kids-is-so-bad-should-we-be-allowed-to-post-kids-photos-online-271387

    White Ferns spinner Eden Carson to miss World Cup title defence

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    Eden Carson of New Zealand celebrates with teammate Georgia Plimmer after defeating South Africa during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final 2024. Francois Nel/Getty Images

    White Ferns off-spinner Eden Carson will undergo surgery on her right elbow and is expected to be sidelined for six months, ruling her out of the team’s T20 World Cup title defence.

    Carson sustained a partial ligament rupture in her elbow during the team’s training camp in Dubai ahead of this year’s Women’s 50 over World Cup and managed the injury throughout the tournament.

    The recovery timeline means she will not be available for the remainder of the home summer nor the White Ferns title-defence at next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June and July.

    With the injury affecting her bowling arm, head coach Ben Sawyer said they had opted for surgery.

    “We’re all really gutted for Eden,” Sawyer said.

    “The team has a big six months ahead and I know how difficult it was for her to make the decision to go through with the surgery now, but I fully support it.

    “It’ll obviously be a huge loss for the team not having Eden available, especially for the T20 World Cup where she played a big role for us last year.

    “At just 24-years-old she’s still got a long career ahead so it’s important we look forward and prioritise getting her back on the park and fully fit.”

    New Zealand will next host Zimbabwe in February and March for three T20s and three ODIs in Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin.

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

    Wellington’s City to Sea bridge saved from demolition – for now

    By -

    Source: Radio New Zealand

    People on Wellington’s City to Sea bridge. (File photo) RNZ / Pretoria Gordon

    Wellington city councillors have saved the City to Sea bridge from the bulldozers for now, while planning continues on its future.

    The CBD bridge was slated for demolition, but the works were paused while Wellington City Council awaited the outcome of the government’s earthquake-prone building review.

    Councillor Nureddin Abdurahman filed a notice of motion for the council’s city strategy and delivery meeting today to revoke decisions made by the last council in December last year to knock the bridge down.

    Following the government’s latest review council officers would now investigate options to save the bridge which they would bring back advice to councillors in February.

    It was estimated last year it would cost at least $85 million to fully strengthen the structure under previous New Building Standard rules.

    Abdurahman told the meeting the notice of motion was an opportunity to show the new council listened to the public.

    “We followed the right process showing the respect for our community.”

    The decision was 14 votes in favour and four votes against.

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

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