Source: Radio New Zealand

Angela Amohanga walked into the vigil ground with six sombre black balloons in tow.

Each of them carried the name of a victim of Mount Maunganui’s deadly landslide a week earlier.

“I just wanted to do a tribute for an occasion that none of us liked, I think it’s touched many people,” she said.

The names were inked in gold especially to remember Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, who has been described as a hero for waking up other campers.

“So, got the gold, you know, hearts of gold, I’ve got a heart of gold and I just wanted to pass it on to them and especially their families,” Amohanga said.

“I can only imagine what they’re going through … I know if it was me, I would want to be in there, getting my family out.”

Through tears, she spoke of a feeling of devastation.

It was the same as what many of the thousand or so people at the vigil were feeling.

For seven long days there has been a sense of heaviness across Mount Maunganui, and it was hoped the vigil could lift a little of that weight.

Angela Armer said it was important to come for a sense of connection.

“It’s affected a lot of people and you just feel that everybody’s been affected by it,” she said.

“It’s been a very emotional week, it really has, and all we can do is just imagine what the parents are going through and the families, you know.

“It goes deep for a lot of people.”

Relatives of victims were slowly guided and welcomed onto the grounds after attending an earlier, private ceremony with emergency workers.

Older people from the community were asked sit in seats next to them in a show of support.

“We all feel for the ones that have gone and their family,” another attendee, Liz, said.

She too was visibly upset.

“It’s so close to home, it could have been one of us or one of our family.”

Sitting on the ground next to her was Joy.

“I’ve climbed it and been around it many, many times and I feel for what’s happened down here is such a tragedy to our little Mount,” she said.

“And I feel for everybody that’s here and it’s quite emotional.”

She described the turnout as incredible.

“We’ve got a beautiful night for it too,” she added.

The service progressed as the sun went down and the light faded.

It was scheduled so most of it was to simply be together, the speeches made up only a small part.

Many stood with their arm around the person next to them.

Angela, sitting with Joy and Liz, said people were trying to feel a bit more normal.

“We expected a lot of people to be here because a lot of people do feel for what has happened at the Mount,” she said.

“And I think a lot of people, there’s nothing that we can do about it so we come together to support each other in this strange feeling that we have.

“And everybody has this feeling of loss… I don’t know what it is, it’s a human thing, isn’t it? Getting together to mourn and pay respects.”

The air was pierced with waiata with singing from Te Wharekura o Mauao and performer Ria Hall.

Six names were also read out – Lisa, Måns, Jacqueline, Susan, Sharon, and Max.

Tauranga mayor Mahé Drysdale also acknowledged 10-year-old Austen Richardson and his grandmother Yao Fang, the victims of another slip in Pāpāmoa.

“One week ago today, tragedy struck our city and it changed our lives forever, we stand here tonight in solidarity with the families that devastatingly lost their loved ones.”

He said the community deeply felt their grief.

“It has been a hard week for everyone and it is bringing your loved ones home that has got us all through,” Drysdale said.

The mayor also paid tribute to volunteers and emergency workers who he said were continuing to work tirelessly.

“Tonight is about processing the tragic events of last week, it’s about supporting each other, it’s about sharing experience and hoping that we can start the recovery.

“Just thank you to the families for your strength.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the families were going through unimaginable grief.

“And those first three days since that landslide occurred at the Mount Maunganui campground, every New Zealander, I’m telling you, was hoping for a miracle that I spoke to up and down this country,” he said.

“And we were then devastated to receive the news that we’d all been dreading, and that was a particular cruelty that in this awful event, there were families that had actually just been celebrating a Kiwi summer at an awesome Kiwi campground.

“And I want to say to the families, though I know it does not ease your grief or your pain or your suffering, I want you to know that New Zealand is with you, we grieve with you, every one of us stands with you at this very difficult and challenging time,” he said.

“We can’t take away your pain, but we can carry some of its weight for you and alongside you.”

Work at the base of Mauao was ongoing and Police said workers were expected to be there for some time.

Stephen Ireland, also at the vigil, had made a point of going to one of the re-opened cafes.

“It was quite good, but it was a pretty quiet, sort of subdued atmosphere, I guess.

“Having a coffee and then, because those diggers were just working there next to us, basically, and the trucks pulling the dirt out, it’s pretty surreal.

“Unbelievable, really.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Convicted double-murderer Scott Watson is due to appear before the Parole Board again on Friday, in his latest bid to be released from prison.

Watson was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1999 for murdering Ben Smart and Olivia Hope in the Marlborough Sounds after an 11-week trial involving about 500 witnesses.

The Blenheim friends, aged 21 and 17, were last seen stepping off a water taxi onto a stranger’s yacht in the early hours of 1 January 1998 after a New Year’s Eve party at Furneaux Lodge. Their bodies have never been found.

Watson, 54, had always maintained his innocence and had now spent more than 27 years behind bars.

It was now accepted that Hope and Smart died in circumstances that amounted to murder at the hands of the lone man with whom they boarded the yacht on which they were last seen.

The key issue at trial was whether that man was Watson.

Watson became eligible for parole in June 2015 but his denials had been a factor in why parole had been declined four times so far.

His fifth attempt in March last year was abandoned after the Parole Board ran out of time to hear from Watson, his family and an independent psychologist.

The Court of Appeal turned down a bid to quash Watson’s murder convictions last year.

The appeal focused on the use of photo montages shown to witnesses ahead of the original trial and the reliability of forensic testing used to show two hairs found on Watson’s boat belonged to Hope.

An almost 300-page decision released last September by Justices Christine French, Patricia Courtney and Susan Thomas found there was no miscarriage of justice in relation to the hair evidence or the identification of Watson by water taxi skipper Guy Wallace.

The court was satisfied Watson’s trial was fair and the jury’s guilty verdicts followed the crown presenting a compelling case.

It was Watson’s fourth attempt to appeal his convictions.

The first application to the Court of Appeal in 2000 was dismissed then an application to the Privy Council for special leave to appeal was declined in late 2003.

An application for the exercise of the royal prerogative of mercy – a special avenue for criminal cases to be reopened where a person might have been wrongly convicted – was declined in 2013.

Watson made a second application for a royal pardon in November 2017 and in 2020 the Governor-General referred the question of his convictions to the Court of Appeal to determine whether a miscarriage of justice had occurred with the hearing held in 2024.

Timeline

• 1999: Scott Watson is convicted of the murders of Ben Smart and Olivia Hope
• 2000: The Court of Appeal declines to recommend a second trial
• 2003: The Privy Council declines to hear the case, saying there are no grounds for further appeal
• 2009: Watson petitions the Governor-General for a Royal Prerogative of Mercy pardon (on the basis Ros McNeilly and Guy Wallace no longer believed they had identified the right person)
• 2013: Then-Justice Minister Judith Collins advises Governor-General Sir Jerry Mateparae that Watson’s application for a royal pardon should be declined on the basis of a report by Kristy McDonald QC that found there was no “fresh evidence” to consider
• 2015: Watson is denied parole for the first time
• 2017: A second application for a Royal Pardon is made (by convicted murderer Brian McDonald) centring on the reliability of evidence of the two blonde hairs found on Watson’s boat Blade. The application is declined
• 2020: Then-Justice Minister Andrew Little announces Governor-General Dame Patsy Reddy has referred Watson’s case back to the Court of Appeal. He appears before the Parole Board for the third time
• 2021: A fourth attempt at parole is declined
• 2025: Watson appears before the parole board for a fifth time (after two adjournments May and November 2024) but the hearing runs out of time

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Cost pressures and delays face the billion-dollar-plus overhaul of emergency communications technology systems that had let down first responders in previous disasters.

The Public Safety Network project was recently rated top of the ”Top 10 reported cost pressures by value” in a freshly released (but dated) Treasury report.

Its main contractor missed a contractual milestone triggering a briefing last August by police, which runs the project.

It was one of four high-risk investments that made the agenda at the first few meetings of the new Infrastructure and Investment Ministers Group last year, an OIA response said.

Meantime, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) is working to get its own five-year emergency response systems overhaul underway this year, three years on from Cyclone Gabrielle, though it still depended it said on securing Budget funding.

The cellphone part of the three-part Public Safety Network has been delivered already but not the bigger digital radio part – which requires work on 500 hilltops and other spots – and most of the $1.8 billion budget remains unspent.

The delay has pushed the radio rollout in the final regions from this year to next.

That was not among the Top 10 delays that Treasury told ministers about in its Quarterly Investment Report to June 2025, the latest that has been made public.

The government agency in charge, Next Generation Critical Communications or NGCC, has said it could not scrimp on testing to ensure it all worked every time.

“The safety of [30,000] emergency responders and the public they serve depends on it.”

‘Hugely challenged’

The network would combine new technology across cellphones, digital radio and alert devices to protect and prioritise them for police, fire and ambulance first responders.

It had been designed to overcome the sorts of blackouts that plagued them when Cyclone Gabrielle took out power to hundreds of cellphone towers.

First endorsed by Cabinet in 2020, the project had spent just a sixth ($308 million) of its budget by last June, the date of Treasury’s latest available quarterly investment report (QIR).

The $100m appropriated for the project in Budget 2025 was easily the highest among those initiatives that got higher funding than planned.

Tait Systems took over full charge of it in 2024 when Kordia reduced itself to subcontractor status.

“In addition to delays caused by the vendor change, the project is one of the largest P25 [a type of standard] land mobile radio networks in the world under construction and is hugely challenged by the remoteness of many of the 500 sites required and New Zealand’s geography and weather,” NGCC told RNZ this week.

“Timing delays in the NGCC” have featured in police reports about financial impacts, such as how they spent $70m less on property and plant last year than expected.

Tait had still to acquire over 200 of the 500 sites needed for the radio network. Almost 100 were ready for testing and 61 were being built, with Auckland, Wellington and Canterbury best covered so far, covering 60 percent of the population.

“All except two Auckland sites are now in the build stage.”

Over 20,000 radio terminals were being put into vehicles, stations and buildings. This was “well underway”, said NGCC.

On the cellphone front, there were now 27,000 connections linked to the stronger network.

The project was not upgrading the fraught 111 emergency call system; police were looking afresh at that separately.

Treasury refused to release the police briefing about the contractual milestone miss on commercial grounds.

In 2024 MPs were told that “vendor issues” that might hold the project up had been resolved.

Treasury also blanked out exactly how much cost pressure the Public Safety Network project was under, though its report gave a total of $70m in cost pressure across the Top 10.

The quarterly reports detailed Cabinet efforts to get a better steer on big projects from agencies whose business plans have often been found wanting. They charted where the biggest and highest risk projects were at, but for public purposes gave only a dated view as they were typically released when they were already six months old.

Big jobs ahead

Cyclone Gabrielle marked the start of three years that have featured more storm inquiries with findings that the country’s emergency comms were still not good enough, a scrapping of Labour’s efforts to overhaul emergency management laws in favour of new efforts, and a struggle to deliver big, complicated technologies.

The National Emergency Management Agency had entered the fray with a five-year programme.

It could begin on that this year said NEMA, though that depended on more policy work, legislation and “availability of new funding through future Budgets”.

It was working on “the evidence base and business cases” to get it going, NEMA told RNZ this week.

The operational systems side of this was rated a “high-risk” investment in the quarterly report. It had been due for a Treasury ‘Gateway’ review late last year to check the quality of its project planning.

Among what it might deliver was a National Warning System and a Common Operating Picture or COP to let police, fire and ambulance all see the same picture of what was happening in real time.

COPs have been talked about as essential but missing by storm investigators for many years.

Tait Systems declined to comment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An invasive seaweed described as the world’s worst marine pest has mysteriously died off on a massive scale in Northland and the Hauraki Gulf.

Fast-growing caulerpa blanketed huge areas of seabed around the Bay of Islands and Aotea Great Barrier after it was first discovered in 2021, sparking grave concerns for marine ecosystems and the ability of future generations to gather kai moana.

However, since last summer, locals have seen the pest make a dramatic retreat.

At this time last year, Ōmakiwi Cove, where caulerpa was first found in Northland, was smothered in a dense, knee-high mat of weed.

Now Ngāti Kuta kaitiaki Rana Rewha said it was difficult to find any caulerpa on the bottom of the cove.

Biosecurity NZ pest management director John Walsh said the die-back – or biomass reduction, as scientists preferred to describe it – was first noticed off Aotea Great Barrier.

“We got Niwa on the job to confirm what was happening and try to identify some causes. They confirmed, yes, indeed, die-back was occurring, and it was significant. Some places where we had 90-100 percent coverage, it had virtually disappeared.”

Later, the same thing happened in the Bay of Islands, starting after Cyclone Tam in April last year.

“It’s likely that the cyclone triggered the phenomena,” Walsh said.

“We know that there was a whole lot of disturbance and sedimentation. Sediment settled on top of the caulerpa, starved it of sunlight, and contributed to the dieback. But there’s probably other things that play as well.”

In the meantime, Controlled Area Notices, which banned fishing and anchoring in certain areas, would remain in place, and divers would continue to check the Hauraki Gulf and the Bay of Islands.

Walsh warned against assuming the problem was over.

“It may well grow back. We don’t know. Over the course of the last few weeks, we’ve seen some indications of regrowth. It’s not very much. It may be early stages. We may see a return of those carpets so we’re keeping a pretty close eye on it.”

Walsh said the community group Conquer Caulerpa Trust was also continuing its survey work, and was successfully killing patches of caulerpa using mats and chlorine tablets.

Another initiative to mechanically remove the pest from large areas of seabed was ongoing.

Working with MPI and the Northland Regional Council, Russell man Andrew Johnson had developed a barge-mounted suction dredge to hoover up the weed from the sea floor.

The next stage would be to attach his dredge-head to a remotely-operated underwater vehicle that could be controlled from the surface.

The vehicle, which resembled an underwater tractor, was currently being shipped from Scotland.

Walsh said the suction dredge was designed for tackling large carpets of caulerpa, which had largely vanished, but work would continue to develop the machine in case they returned.

He did not think the initial response to the caulerpa invasion had been an over-reaction.

“When we saw these multi-hectare carpets appearing, it was very, very concerning … I think people are right to be cautious about making assumptions that if the caulerpa has disappeared, it’s going to continue to be that way. We’ve got a window to breathe, that’s awesome, but it may well grow back. We don’t know.”

Rewha suspected changes in water temperature or storm sediment played a part in the weed’s decline.

“The storm we’ve had just now confirm whether or not it’s the sediment, because we’ve had literally thousands of tonnes of sediment pour into the Bay of Islands.”

Rewha also said it was too soon to assume the threat was over, because in the past week he had seen new growth on rocks at Ōmakiwi Cove, and a large new patch off Urupukapuka Island.

“So we are definitely being cautious. We’ve got our guard up because we’ve seen what it’s done in the past, how it’s just taken off just and carpeted everything over about 30 hectares within three months.”

Rewha said hapū concern over caulerpa stemmed from its threat to traditional food sources.

After Cyclone Tam dumped an estimated 500 tonnes of caulerpa at Ōmakiwi and nearby beaches, local hapū led a massive clean-up to stop the weed spreading around the Bay of Islands in the next storm.

Professor Barry Scott, a member of Aotea Great Barrier’s Tai Tū Moana steering group, said seasonal variation and caulerpa’s reproductive cycle were other possible factors in the weed’s decline, though unproven.

He described what had happened as recession, not die-back, because dying seaweed was not visible – it had simply vanished.

Kaumātua had told him of places around Aotea where caulerpa was “practically crawling up the wharf” two years ago, and now could not be found.

“No one really knows what’s occurring here. There’s clear evidence that some of these storms, like the one in Ōmakiwi, have changed the sea bed. I think the disappearance of it there is closely linked with the storm, and that may also be the case in some of the bays on Aotea.”

However, Scott said the weed had also receded at the Mokohinau Islands, where the water was “crystal clear” and sediment was not an issue.

“So there are a lot of unanswered questions. It’s really intriguing. I’m perhaps less alarmed about it now than I was, but sure as hell, this beast will be back.”

Scott said Aotea and the Bay of Islands had taken very different approaches to dealing with the invasive weed.

In the Bay, MPI had adopted a “big-tech” strategy, funding the development of a suction dredge designed to remove caulerpa from large areas of sea bed.

Scott, however, did not want to see such methods used at Aotea.

“Where the ecosystem is thriving, where it’s protected, it’s the most resistant to caulerpa. So our push is to do as much as we can to protect ocean ecosystems. Kina barrens, or places where there’s been dredging, they are prime sites for caulerpa to take hold.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Pencils, pens, textbooks and a full uniform might seem like the basics for any school student, but many families are relying on donations to start the school year.

Several schools across New Zealand can fund parts of their school uniform through their own coffers, local community trusts and donations.

But some school principals said covering back-to-school costs means they have to make sacrifices elsewhere.

It’s that time of year… families are making trips to their school’s uniform shop and rushing to print out school stationery lists.

But for many families in Aotearoa buying back-to-school basics has never been so expensive.

Checkpoint spoke to some parents outside an Auckland primary school.

“There’s no uniform here which, I don’t know it’s kind of a good thing because there’s no uniform costs.”

“Stationery was pretty expensive, $80 for a few books and some pens. I had to Afterpay it,” another parent said.

“The stationery prices are okay same as last year but the uniforms… it’s really expensive, having two children in college, luckily my primary doesn’t wear one, but next year she will be,” said another.

“Expenses are really high, especially [with] the economy these days, it’s really challenging. We have to be really careful, [with] other bills such as rent, power and food.”

Checkpoint looked at 10 school stationery lists across different schools in Auckland.

The cheapest was for a Year One student costing $26 and the most expensive was for a Year 12 student costing over $100, not including a Bring Your Own Device such as a laptop.

Wellington’s Porirua College Principal Ragne Maxwell said if students did not have uniforms and stationery on their first day, it could deter them from going to school.

“There’s no question about it; we have people who turn up who say they won’t be able to start straight away because we can’t get the uniform yet.

“We’ll say that’s all right we’ll gift them some basic uniform and you can buy some more things when you’re able to.”

Porirua College is able to fund a significant part of their uniform costs.

But Maxwell said if schools could fund back-to-school items, it often meant they could not fund other things.

“Some of it’s charity money but some of it’s out of the school’s operational grants and we have to make choices.”

“Do we buy textbooks or do we buy uniforms for kids?”

Christchurch’s Burnside High School principal Scott Haines said when they were putting together stationery and uniform lists, costs were front of mind.

“Trying to minimise those costs where we can. Supporting families to buy only what they need, when they need it, rather than buying everything at the start of the year.

“Working with suppliers to keep pricing competitive, just before Christmas I was talking with our uniform supplier about how we can in these rising times, keep the cost down.”

Haines said Burnside High School had a hardship fund to help families with back-to-school costs.

But this money comes out of the school’s own pocket, alongside funding from community trusts.

“[It’s] a mixture of some funding that we provide ourselves and some locally raised funds, the likes international student income helps create a fund for us to support our domestic learners who might struggle to afford the things they need for school.”

George McGuinness, a Year 13 student from Auckland, runs a charity called Papers Pens Pencils, where donated stationery from schools and businesses are put into packs and given to schools across the Upper North Island.

He said the cost of stationery for him and his three siblings was a big expense.

“Scientific calculators are over $100, for me and my whole family, it ended up being $500, $600, just for stationery to get back to school.

‘Most of that in our family doesn’t even get used.”

McGuinness said last year they donated 50,000 stationery items to 26 schools.

“When stationery companies like BIC or Warehouse Stationery have left over stationery that they can’t sell, they’ll come and bring it to us so we can redistribute it.”

Parents on low incomes can apply for hardship assistance for school costs through the Ministry of Social Development.

But MSD said this grant must be paid back and they can set up repayments.

Last year, over 38,000 hardship payments were granted for school costs, adding up to over $11 million.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 1000 people have attended a community vigil at Coronation Park in Tauranga on Thursday night in the wake of the Mt Maunganui landslide.

Families of the victims, having held another service with emergency services at the base of Mauao, were there with seats set aside for them.

Older members of the community were asked to sit in other sets next to the family seats as a show of support.

Several people said it was important for them to be here to support one another as well as victims’ families. Many described a heavy feeling since the landslide a week ago today.

One woman came with black balloons with each of the victims’ names painted on in gold.

Te Wharekura o Mauao students performed Whakaaria Mai (How Great Thou Art) in both Maori and English, as while as many other songs.

Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale spoke at the vigil, and said the event had “changed our lives forever”.

“Navigating our cities through two tragedies has been a trying task,” he said.

“One week ago today, tragedy struck our city and changed our lives forever.

“We feel your grief deeply and hold you in our hearts, thoughts and prayers.”

This evening, we gather to support one another, honour those whose lives were lost, he said.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was next to speak and thanked everyone for their support for those hurting.

“I want to say to the families, New Zealand stands with you and grieves with you,” he said.

The ceremony concluded with a karakia.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 1000 people, with more expected, are attending a community vigil in the wake of the Mt Maunganui landslide.

Families of the victims, having held another service with emergency services at the base of Mauao, will be in attendance with seats set aside for them.

Older members of the community were asked to sit in other sets next to the family seats as a show of support.

Several people said it was important for them to be here to support one another as well as victims’ families. Many described a heavy feeling since the landslide a week ago today.

One woman came with black balloons with each of the victims’ names painted on in gold.

Hosted by the Tauranga City Council, the vigil was a time for the community to “come together in aroha – to support one another”, as well as say thank you to the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue working to return loved ones to their families.

The vigil will take place from 7pm at Coronation Park with a karakia at 8pm. The event is expected to conclude around 9pm.

“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.

“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”

A free park and ride service is running from Kawaka St to Maunganui Rd.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 100 people have mucked in to help clean up rubbish from Wellington’s waterfront today.

Wellington Museum’s annual Great Big Waterfront Clean Up is in its eighth year.

On average each year, the clean up usually collected around 1500 litres of rubbish.

Organiser Naiomi Murgatroyd expected this year’s total would be about the same.

In the past they’ve uncovered some interesting finds.

“We get a lot of road cones,” she said. “We’ve actually pulled Lime scooters out of the sea.”

Acrylic nails were another common find, and once she said they found a doll’s head.

Murgatroyd said Wellington was the only capital city in the world to be home to little blue penguins, some of which nest along the waterfront.

“They make their homes right in all those rocks and crevices along the waterfront here. So any time there’s any rubbish or debris or anything like that, you know, that’s something that could harm them if they eat it.”

Cecilia Tuiomanufili liked to take an active part in looking after the environment. She brought her granddaughter Layla down to the clean up to help out.

She said what she hoped to get out of the clean up was removing all the rubbish the birds could eat and to teach her granddaughter about looking after the environment.

“If we can’t live well in our environment and take care of it, how are our children supposed to know how to do that?,” she said.

“We should be showing our children this is how we do it, this is how we keep our environment clean.”

Anna Brewster is here from England on a working visa.

“I’m a guest in this country and it’s beautiful and I’ve learned a lot about the ecology and the nature and I want to help in some way and I saw the poster and thought it would be a good thing to do.”

She said most of the rubbish she picked up was plastic or aluminium, but she did make a few other finds.

“I found some bucket hats, a lot of bottles of beer, lots of condoms,” she said.

She said she also came across a lot of cigarette butts.

“Which is a shame because I feel like that’s the kind of thing people, they don’t really see it as littering, because they’ll like have a cigarette and then just throw it away because it’s kind of the done thing.”

Maggie Drawz, Cole Kasbarian and Samuel Goldsmith were visiting from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Massachusetts.

Through their school they’re partnering with local organisations to help solve social science problems and get involved in communities around the world.

They got involved in the clean up through Zelandia who is a sponsor of their project here.

“They asked us if we would like to join, and we were like, absolutely. So we’ve been here cleaning up, and we’ve enjoyed every second of it,” said Kasbarian.

Plastic, food and broken glass were among the items they cleaned up.

The group has also got some pretty nice things to say about Wellington’s Waterfront compared to back home.

“Everything is so nice around here,” said Goldsmith. “It’s much cleaner.

“People seem a lot more conscious of caring for their environment and doing what they can individually compared to back home, which is really great to see,” said Drawz.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died after a single vehicle crash in the Auckland suburb of Taupaki.

Emergency services were alerted to the crash on Nelson Road at 5.20pm.

The road is closed and diversions in place.

The Serious Crash Unit is attending.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 45,000 people have signed a petition demanding equal treatment of visitors from New Zealand’s Pacific neighbours.

At the moment they must apply for a visitor visa, provide proof of funds for the duration of their stay and could be asked to get an x-ray or doctor’s check to show they’re in “good health”.

But the petition wants visitors from six Pacific nations to be treated the same as travellers from 60 other countries – that it says are eligible for a cheaper more straight forward electronic authority to enter Aotearoa.

The petitioner, former National MP Arthur Anae, told Checkpoint’s Lisa Owen discrimination against Pacific peoples travelling to New Zealand needed to end.

“At this point of time 3.2 billion people around the world can access New Zealand direct or via Australia and be issued a visitor’s visa on arrival at the airport. The less than 16 million people of the Pacific have been denied this opportunity for far too long,” Anae said.

When challenged on the fact that people accessing the electronic authority also face barriers such as still having to have sufficient funds to sustain themselves while in New Zealand and also having to process online documentation and pay a fee Anae said they were not the same barriers put on people from the Pacific.

“We can meet those no problem. And the fees they have nothing to do in the size that we have to pay.

“All I am asking for, treat the people of the Pacific equal,” Anae said.

Anae said he wrote to the [immigration] minister and the prime minister last year describing it as a sad situation.

“I just said this question, close your eyes and put yourself in this position. Your mother’s died, your father’s died, or your brother or sister or your child, and you can’t come to the funeral.

No matter what the emergency Pacific people have to make an application and pay a fee before they can come to New Zealand, he said.

“Why are we discriminated [against] this way all the time by the New Zealand immigration office.”

Anae said he wanted to make it very clear who he thought was to blame.

“It is the New Zealand Immigration Office and the minister responsible who doesn’t give a damn about us,” Anae said.

When asked what kind of response he had had from government Anae said he had had none.

“Nothing. The minister hasn’t responded to anything I have asked in anyway at all.”

It was pointed out to Anae that the highest number of overstayers as a percentage are from some Pacific Island countries. When he was asked if he thought that was the reason why there are stricter requirements he had this response.

“That’s true, but that’s based on the few numbers that are here and taken into consideration all the other people. But the fact is, as I just said, if you made it easier for people to come and go, they don’t need to overstay.”

Anae said he intended to present his petition to Parliament next month.

“We present the petition on the 11th of February, asking for the petition to go … to Parliament so that the members of Parliament can have a conscious vote on the outcome of that.”

He said what he wanted was to have a select committee process so parliamentarians themselves could hear from people and understand how they had been treated in comparison to others.

“And they can make the decision if they think this is right or wrong.”

“I believe 95 percent of people [in] this country have no idea, no idea, how the Pacific people are treated by New Zealand immigration.

RNZ has approached the office of Immigration Minister Erica Stanford and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment for comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A pop-up clinic offering free dental care in Wairoa has been overwhelmed with demand in an area that has not had a full-time dentist for half a decade.

The clinic is a joint project between Health New Zealand, the iwi Ngāti Kahungunu and Hawke’s Bay’s Golden Apple dentists.

Patients are being prioritised according to need, and there have been a lot of them keen to get in the chair, with the clinic’s two week run almost over.

Dr Isha Woodhams of Golden Apple Dental volunteers her time at the clinic.

She told Checkpoint over the last week they had done over 100 extractions, on top of check-ups and cleaning.

Woodhams said that number of extractions was far higher than what you would see in a community that had been well serviced.

“There is a lot of unmet demand from just deferred care. So, we’re seeing a lot of patients in pain, a lot needing fillings, just basic dental care.”

The pop-up clinic has brought overwhelming demand, with some patients waiting as long as three hours to be seen.

“We have had patients booked in, but we’ve been accommodating patients that have been turning up and waiting.

“There’s quite a lot of people in pain, even some facial swellings and infections.”

While historically there had always been a dentist in Wairoa, Woodhams said due to a national shortage of dentists there had not been one in the town for over half a decade.

The Kahungunu Executive, a Māori health provider in the area has put in a weekend locum service, but it is not enough to meet demand.

The charitable trust has also recently acquired a full-time clinic with two chairs, but the challenge now is staffing it.

“We’ll be doing everything we can to help find a clinician, a long-term solution for the clinic.”

Woodhams said there were multiple factors that made it difficult for people in Wairoa to go outside of the district to access dental care.

“The region, a couple of years ago, was badly affected by the floods, and there’s very low socio-economic demographics here. So, it’s a huge barrier to leave for routine care.”

The clinic has been offering all of its services for free, something Woodhams said patients had been extremely grateful for.

“One patient misunderstood, they thought that they had to pay and they were extremely relieved. She was almost in tears when we said it was free.

“It’s extremely rewarding work… it’s a huge issue for many dentists to discuss fees with patients.

“We know that things have been tough for patients across the country, especially in the context of the last five years. So it’s a huge privilege to be able to provide free dental care and to just take cost out of the equation for the day.”

It is this feeling that has kept Woodham volunteering.

“It’s a privilege to practice dentistry and cost is a huge barrier, so practising in a context without it is just a blessing really.”

While her stint in the town is nearly over, she is hoping that a new dentist is not too far away.

“There’s huge funding in place at the moment from the Health New Zealand for a bonded scholarship scheme for health providers to come work in the regional areas, so I’m hopeful that someone will turn up soon.”

After two weeks in service, the clinic will wrap up on Friday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A putrid stench lingering in Christchurch’s eastern suburbs from the city’s wastewater treatment plant is expected to persist for at least another week.

Locals have complained of nausea and headaches and say the odour from the Bromley plant is driving them inside behind closed windows and doors.

Offensive odours have plagued Bromley and neighbouring suburbs since a fire at the plant in in 2021 but some neighbours believe the pong has become worse than ever in recent days.

The fire badly damaged the plant’s two trickling filters, affecting the quality of effluent flowing into the system.

The stench left people battling nausea, worsening asthma, sleepless nights and deteriorating mental health for months.

Christchurch City Council said recent heavy rain had affected the health of oxidation ponds and treatment plant staff were trying to improve the water quality.

Environment Canterbury said since Monday it had received 530 odour reports from east Christchurch suburbs which were likely related to the plant.

Since the beginning of this year 610 residents had reported odour issues to the regional council, it said.

In a statement, the regional council’s acting compliance manager Lauren Hamilton said it was aware “and we understand that these odours are affecting people’s daily lives in very real ways”.

Environment Canterbury continued to work with the Christchurch City Council to ensure they were “meeting their consent requirements and putting suitable odour mitigation measures in place wherever practicable,” she said.

Bromley woman Tracy Andrew said the smell was “absolutely vile”.

“The smell yesterday was the worst I have smelt it for a couple years. It woke me up, just about being sick. I have turned my HRV off as it was making the house so much worse,” she said.

Andrew said she was forced to keep doors and windows closed.

Gabrielle Barry said it was unfair that people were expected to live with the smell.

“It’s horrific it gives me and my children headaches, gets in your clothes so you can’t even hang your washing out, even with all the windows shut it somehow seeps into the house,” she said.

Another Bromley woman, who did not wish to be named, said she was concerned about her health.

“Everyday coming home from work I smell that, it’s very terrible. It smells like toilets. Hopefully the council can fix it because it’s alarming for the community,” she said.

Bromley local Sharon said the smell had been strong around Maces and Ruru Roads but it was dependent on the way the wind blew.

“I’ve had enough. For a lot of people I think that are paying their rates it’s about, ‘hey you’re charging exorbitant fees for our rates but you’re making us suffer with this putrid smell in the area’,” she said.

Christchurch City Council head of three waters Gavin Hutchison said the council expected higher-than-normal odour levels to continue for at least another week.

He said the council had received 12 complaints about the smell in the last week and 14 in total this year.

“The recent period of heavy rain has significantly affected the health of several oxidation ponds. Monitoring from this week showed a drop in dissolved oxygen levels across the system. These low-oxygen conditions create an environment where odour is much more likely to be released,” he said.

“This is different from what we’ve seen in the past. During previous wet-weather events, the additional rainfall has generally supported pond recovery, improving overall pond health and preventing odour issues. However, this time the ponds have not responded in the same way. Our staff are continuing to collect and analyse data to understand why these conditions have developed on this occasion.

“We’ve also seen increased loading to the ponds, which also put more pressure on the ponds, increasing the likelihood of odour.”

Hutchison said staff were trying to minimise the odour by using all available tools to improve the ponds’ water quality.

“We know odour impacts are disruptive and we want to reassure our community that reducing them is a priority for us,” he said.

Hutchison said work started on a new $140 million sludge plant, with construction expected to take about three years.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A community vigil is being held in Tauranga on Thursday evening to honour those missing and the lives lost following the landslide at Mount Maunganui.

Hosted by the Tauranga City Council, the vigil is a time for the community to “come together in aroha – to support one another”, as well as say thank you to the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue working to return loved ones to their families.

The vigil will take place from 7pm at Coronation Park with a karakia at 8pm. The event is expected to conclude around 9pm.

“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.

“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”

A free park and ride service is running from Kawaka St to Maunganui Rd.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has been charged with murder following the death of a woman in Pukehina in the Bay of Plenty.

The woman’s body was discovered on New Year’s day in a house in the rural area.

A 50-year-old man who was initially charged with assaulting a person in a family relationship has now been charged with murder.

Police say their enquiries are ongoing and they are asking people with information to come forward.

A second person was found dead on the property a day after the woman.

The police say the man’s death is being classed as unexplained and their enquiries are ongoing.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A community vigil is being held in Tauranga on Thursday evening to honour those missing and the lives lost following the landslide at Mount Maunganui.

Hosted by the Tauranga City Council, the vigil is a time for the community to “come together in aroha – to support one another”, as well as say thank you to the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue working to return loved ones to their families.

The vigil will take place from 7pm at Coronation Park with a karakia at 8pm. The event is expected to conclude around 9pm.

“Our community is grieving deeply. This is a time for us to come together with compassion, to honour the lives lost, and to wrap support around those who have been affected,” says Tauranga Mayor Mahé Drysdale.

“There is no right way to grieve – some may come to reflect in silence, others to stand alongside neighbours and whānau. However people choose to take part, they are welcome.

“This is a gathering of the community, where we can stand in solidarity with the families affected by this terrible tragedy. We come together to say thank you to all the emergency response workers and volunteers who continue to work tirelessly to return loved ones to their families.”

A free park and ride service is running from Kawaka St to Maunganui Rd.

What we know about the six victims of the Mt Maunganui slip

One of the victims of the deadly Mount Maunganui landslide was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee, on what would have been his 16th birthday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court on Wednesday evening, deputy chief coroner Brigitte Windley formally identified Furse-Kee after hearing evidence provided by Senior Constable Robert Stokes.

Stokes told the court his body was found on Monday, and detailed the forensic dental examination which determined his identity.

Furse-Kee’s body will now be released to his family.

On Thursday, another victim of the fatal landslide was formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20-year-old tourist.

The remaining victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, and Sharon Maccanico, 15.

Only Furse-Kee and Bernhardsson have been formally identified.

Thousands donated to landslide victims’ families

Fundraising pages set up for some of the Mount Maunganui landslide victims’ families have raised thousands of dollars, with donors paying heartfelt tribute to those trapped by last week’s massive slip.

A Givealittle page set up by Maclennan’s sister had raised almost $13,000 within 13 hours for the Morrinsville teacher’s family.

“She lost her life trying to save everyone else,” the page said.

“We cannot put a value on the loss of a loved one but any donations will make a difference and help this whanau through this extremely difficult time.”

A separate page has also been set up “In Loving Memory” of Furse-Kee, with $35,435 donated to the teenager’s family in less than 15 hours.

On Monday evening, about 100 people gathered at Auckland Domain to remember Maccanico, another Pakuranga College student and landslide victim.

Recovery efforts halted again over slip safety concerns

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following the deadly slip were paused for a second time.

In a statement, police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday.

Recovery efforts resumed at 2pm, police said.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered and work suspended.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

Independent review ordered into landslide as iwi call for answers

Tauranga City Council has announced an independent review into the events leading up to Thursday’s landslide at the base of Mauao, as local iwi Ngāi Te Rangi say they are seeking a thorough investigation into the cause of the slip.

Drysdale and council chief executive Marty Grenfell confirmed the review last Friday, describing the landslide as an incident of “local, national and international importance”.

“The landslide and its impacts on those affected and their families clearly represents a serious and significant incident,” Drysdale said.

“It is important that we have a clear and accurate understanding of the facts and events leading up to the landslide, so that we can ensure that the future safety of the community is appropriately safeguarded.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A burst water pipe has sent silt and discoloured water into Wellington’s Oriental Bay on Thursday afternoon.

At 2.30pm crews responded to a burst drinking water pipe on Oriental Parade.

Following the pipe breakage silt and discoloured water entered the stormwater system – causing it to flow into the harbour.

Welllington Water said the material was quickly contained.

The team was using a sucker truck to clean out sumps in the area to prevent further discharge, it said.

At 5.25pm, Wellington Water said the fault had been located towards the side of the road which meant that there were no traffic issues.

It expected work to repair the pipe would take several hours.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Another victim of the fatal Mount Maunganui landslide has been formally identified as Måns Loke Bernhardsson, from Sweden.

Six people died in the Mauao slip last Thursday.

At an identification hearing at Tauranga District Court this evening, coroner Louella Dunn formally identified the 20 year old tourist.

Detective Sergeant Brent Griffiths told the court the body was found on Saturday, and forensic dental examination and DNA had determined his identity.

On Wednesday, the first victim was formally identified as Max Furse-Kee. His identity was released on the same day he would have turned 16.

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui have resumed after being paused for a second time when technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Whangārei District Council has announced an emergency recovery fund for residents affected by last week’s severe weather.

Mayor Ken Couper said flood-affected residents would be supported with small grants of $1000 or $2000.

“The community spirit in the area has been nothing short of inspiring. It’s important to us that you’re not left out of pocket,” Couper said in a written statement.

“It’s been a really tough time for many in these communities and the emergency recovery fund is a small but vital part of the response.”

Community and non-profit organisations, marae and small businesses in the Hikurangi-Coastal Ward that had suffered extreme hardship would also be eligible.

Couper said the fund was around $130,000 in total and was made up from contributions from NEMA and the council itself.

The government has also announced that it will make Civil Defence payments available for people affected by last week’s weather events, in specific areas.

The payments would be for people based in Rawhiti, Ngaiotonga, Bland Bay (Whangaruru North), Punaruku, Ōakura (Whangaruru South), Mokau, Helena Bay, Mimiwhangata, Whananaki, Waioweka Gorge, Hicks Bay, and Te Araroa.

The payments would vary depending on someone’s circumstances and what they were paying for.

For example, a single person needing support for food, clothing, or bedding could receive a maximum of $400 and a couple or sole parent with three or more children could get up to $1100.

The payments could be used to help pay for some types of accommodation and assist with lost income.

The government had also provided $1.2 million towards Mayoral Relief Funds and a further $1m to reimburse marae that provided shelter and support.

It had stood up a Temporary Accommodation Service, and sent motorhomes to remote and isolated communities.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

There is a new measles case in Tauranga which is likely linked to overseas travel.

Heath NZ says the patient is believed to have contracted the disease overseas and was not thought to be infectious on their flight to New Zealand.

National Public Health Service clinical director Dr William Rainger said the person was working with health officials to identify anyone they may have been in contact with while infectious.

The person’s early symptoms started on 21 January, he said.

So far two locations of interest have been listed for Wednesday 21 January: The General Cafe in Mt Maunganui from 7.30am-3.30pm and Pak N Save Cameron Road, Tauranga from 4.15pm to 7.15pm.

Measles symptoms include: 

• an illness that begins with high fever (over 38C), cough, runny nose, and sore red eyes (conjunctivitis) 
• a rash, beginning on the face and gradually spreading down the body to the arms and legs. The rash lasts for up to one week. 

Dr Rainger said it was a highly infectious disease which could affect all age groups.

“If you have symptoms of measles, please phone ahead before visiting your doctor or healthcare provider so they can take precautions to prevent measles spreading,” he said in a statement.

“Getting immunised with two doses of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR) vaccine (after the age of 12 months) is the best form of protection against measles. ”  

The Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine is very effective in preventing measles – and it is free in New Zealand for all children under 18, regardless of immigration status, and for adults 18 years old and over who are eligible for publicly funded healthcare, that includes all citizens and permanent residents.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A 14-year-old has been arrested after a bus driver was assaulted in West Auckland.

Police were called to reports a person had been injured on a bus on Colwill Road in the suburb of Massey at about 7pm.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting said upon arrival, the alleged offender had fled on foot.

The bus driver was taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

“This was an understandably frightening ordeal for the victim and we are continuing to support them,” Detective Bunting said.

He said on Thursday morning, police arrested a 14-year-old in relation to the alleged attack.

The teenager has since appeared in Waitākere Youth Court charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, assault and possession of an offensive weapon.

“People have a right to be safe going about their business, without having to be subjected to any type of violence,” Bunting said.

“Any violent behaviour will not be accepted and those engaging in it will be held to account.”

The teenager will reappear in Waitākere Youth Court on 17 February.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Rescue efforts at Mount Maunganui following a deadly slip have resumed after being paused for a second time.

Work resumed at 2pm, several hours after it was suspended, following confirmation that the area was safe to re-enter.

“Following consultation with a number of experts on the ground, the recovery teams have been given the green light to continue with the recovery,” Detective Inspector Lew Warner said.

“While the suspension of work is frustrating for everybody involved, the correct measures must be taken to ensure the safety of everybody at the scene.”

Detective Inspector Warner reiterated the need to keep the recovery team safe.

“These people have been working tirelessly in a range of testing conditions across the last week, to bring families their loved ones back.”

Police said work was temporarily suspended just after 10.30am on Thursday after technology that had been installed to monitor land movement was triggered.

It comes a week after the slip occurred, burying six people.

Detective Inspector Lew Warner said earlier on Thursday that the safety of all staff working at the scene is front of mind.

“The systems installed are designed to trigger any potential land movements, and excess water within the scene,” Warner said.

“Geotechnical experts will now conduct a thorough examination of the area before clearance to return to work is given.

“All staff working at the scene have been withdrawn, pending further assessments.”

Warner said police would give an update when it was able to.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins got to the disaster site just as work was being halted.

Struggling for words at one point, he described a moving experience meeting workers and victims’ families.

“It’s incredibly hard for them and to the families who have been affected, some of whom I had the opportunity to speak to briefly.

“There just aren’t really any words that you can share that really express the sense of loss that is here and the commitment of the people who are working here now to do everything that they can to support those families and to bring them some comfort.”

Hipkins said everyone was doing everything they could to support those affected and working at the site, but also to protect their safety.

“It’s a very, very difficult time for the families,” Hipkins said.

“I imagine at this point, seven days on, they just need some space and so that’s what we’ve tried to do here.

“I think being here is important to, I guess, express the country’s support, but also recognising that they deserve their space.”

Over the weekend, work was halted for about 24 hours due to a potential slip occurring.

At the time, police said the victim’s families were understandably frustrated by the delay in the recovery work but they understood why it needed to happen.

Slip recovery a ‘dangerous environment’, expert says

Dr Chris Massey, an engineering geologist with Earth Sciences, told Midday Report, one of the biggest issues with digging into an area following a landslide was the potential for the land to be destabilised further.

Massey said while he was not involved with the recovery efforts at Mt Maunganui, generally with landslides there was a possibility that digging into the debris could cause a secondary slip that could kill or hurt people nearby.

“A landslide occurs when soil or rock moves from one location to another… so the key really is managing the risk to people in that lower area who are trying to excavate the debris.

“It’s a really dangerous environment.”

Monitoring a landslide was difficult, Massey said, due to their relatively small size when compared to something like a volcano.

“You need experts to understand where they are. We use different techniques – starting from space, we can monitor the movement of the ground using radar technology, we can then get closer to the ground by monitoring using UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), and aerial photography.”

On the ground sensors could be installed on the surface of the area, Massey said, which monitored movement or even instal sensors in the landslide to monitor when there was moving in the ground.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tairāwhiti Civil Defence says more than 25 military troops are expected to be on the ground in flood-damaged East Coast communities – Te Araroa and Wharekahika / Hicks Bay.

Several slips on State Highway 35 during last week’s storm has separated the townships from one another, and access into each remains restricted.

Civil Defence said it was working alongside Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Porou and the defence force to deliver emergency supplies to isolated communities on the coast, such as food, medicine, personal protective equipment, and cleaning gear.

It said the military were also providing vital information on where support is needed most.

Gisborne District Council’s Diana Dobson said medical drops were ongoing and on Thursday a doctor, nurse practitioner, and medical officer of health landed in Wharekahika / Hicks Bay – where an emergency shelter and water purification system had been set up at Hinemaurea Marae.

Speaking to RNZ from a busy Hinemaurea Marae, Ani Pahuru-Huriwai – of the Wharekahika/Potaka/Waikura flood relief team – said the community was doing well, all things considered.

“[We’re] thankful for the people that are worrying about us, we are okay, we’re very grateful for the support that we’ve been receiving from around the country.

“It has been devastating for us – heartbreaking seeing our paradise like this – but we will get through. We’re working together very well, and probably the silver-lining in all this is [that] everyone has come together.”

Pahuru-Huriwai said the focus now was on getting the community through the days ahead.

Dobson said a further 20 buildings were to undergo safety assessments in the coming days, with 14 properties red stickered and 17 given yellow stickers across Te Araroa, Onepoto and Hicks Bay.

She said internet access had been restored to all areas.

The New Zealand Defence Force has been approached for comment.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nelson Marina has received a $13 million loan from the government’s Regional Infrastructure Fund for a new service centre and a vessel hoist for marine maintenance.

The project is part of the marina’s wider redevelopment, which is estimated to take 15 years and cost $120m.

In announcing the funding in Nelson on Thursday, Regional Development Minister Shane Jones said the project would create well over 100 jobs.

“It is anticipated this part of the project will create up to 110 jobs during construction and up to 180 ongoing roles once completed, while promoting local innovation within the marine sector,” he said.

Nelson City Council, which owns the marina, will also contribute $12.89m in co-funding for the expansion.

A maximum of $10.5m will go towards the marine service centre, which includes a mix of workshops for boat building and maintenance, office space and retail shopfronts for marine-related businesses, with construction due to begin in 2027.

A further $2.4m will be used to upgrade the existing boat yard and hardstand to double its current footprint, with capacity increasing from 14 to 54 bays. It also includes the purchase of a new 110-tonne straddle lift, which has already arrived from Italy and will replace the old 50-tonne machine once a new runway is built.

Jones said Nelson’s sea-based “blue economy” added more than $350m a year in GDP to the region and employed more than 3700 people. It serves as a base for a number of industries, including fishing and aquaculture and is a popular tourism destination. Nelson is also an important centre of marine research and marine engineering.

“This investment aligns with the RIF’s priority of supporting growth through enabling infrastructure that ensures regions are well-connected and productive,” he said.

Nelson Mayor Nick Smith said the announcement followed an incredibly tough year for the region with many job losses, and it had taken several years’ work to secure the funding.

“Council has worked hand in hand with the marina to secure this government investment of almost $13 million, which will enable us to accelerate our ambitious development plans for Nelson’s Marina. It’s a great way to start 2026 and a real boost for the city’s economic recovery,” he said.

“We want Nelson to become New Zealand’s lead marine centre by growing our blue economy – the go-to place for recreational and commercial boat building and maintenance, fishing and aquaculture and for marine science and associated professional services.”

Nelson Marina Management chair Rick Herd said the investment would deliver long-term economic, social and maritime benefits.

“By improving infrastructure at the marina, we’re helping to future-proof Nelson’s waterfront and ensuring it continues to deliver value for locals, visitors, and marine operators alike,” he said.

Minister for the South Island, James Meager, said the marina upgrade was a priority for the region.

“After a tough 2025 for Nelson-Tasman, I know the creation of 110 jobs during the marina’s expansion phase and the 180 ongoing roles once completed will be welcomed by the community,” he said.

Construction is expected to start in May and be completed in mid-2028.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Conservationists expect to officially declare the Otago Peninsula possum-free soon and put more pest species in their sights.

There have been years of mahi from residents, community groups and the Predator Free Dunedin collaboration to remove the pest from about 9000 hectares on the peninsula.

A steep patchwork of backyards, gullies and bush is the last line of defence to stop them from reinvading.

More than 25,000 possums have been removed from the area over the years.

The Halo Project, a delivery partner of Predator Free Dunedin, is leading the efforts on the ground, using AI cameras, trail cameras, and possum scat detection dog, Scout, to track down any remaining survivors.

Its predator-free project manager Jonah Kitto-Verhoef said the community buy-in had been impressive and important, helping to report different sightings and granting permissions to clear predators from their properties.

“Possums don’t really care about who owns the habitat. Obviously, it will straddle several adjoining properties,” he said.

Kitto-Verhoef was also the handler for possum scat detection dog, Scout.

Scout was a crucial part of their response as he helped them to work out where they needed to invest their efforts and where they could move on, he said.

“Half the challenge is having the data confidence to make operational decisions with the speed that we need to do so the scat dog compared to every other technique, maybe bar thermal drone, is the real game changer for us to be able to move rapidly.”

Predator Free Dunedin project lead Rhys Millar said the wider project area stretched across more than 40,000 hectares including Orokunui Ecosanctuary and in the city.

“We’re now at a point where we feel confident that we can eliminate possums and we’re beginning to explore multi-species elimination operations, which will encapsulate rats, the suite of mustelids as well as possums,” Millar said.

“We’re going to likely include feral cats and also rabbits in the mix. Not that rabbits are a target species for Predator Free 2050, we believe by removing rabbits it will make the control of mustelids a lot easier.”

That included looking at which toxins, traps and tools were appropriate for the different communities and areas they covered.

Awareness campaigns and community conversations about the impact of cats and feral cats on native wildlife were already underway, he said.

Kitto-Verhoef said they were already noticing more bird life and more diversity of plants that would usually be snacked on by possums.

“We’ve got people in residential areas who are winning flower competitions with their magnolias for the first time because they’ve been browsed so heavily by possums.

“People enjoy crops of broad beans and their roses so I guess our view of success is often in a conservation lens but for some people success is being able to grow a healthy rose bush.”

It was exciting to see less pressure on the ecosanctuary’s fence and vulnerable species spilling out from Orokonui, and now that plan was to improve survival rates of native species, he said.

While he was excited to celebrate success on the peninsula, Kitto-Verhoef said he was excited for the next challenge.

Millar said they were only funded until the middle of 2027.

“Current funding uncertainties do make forward planning beyond the next two years quite difficult so it’s really important for us to prove that we can deliver.”

They might reach a time where they had to simply maintain their wins and tread water rather than expand further as it was vital not to lose the hard-won gains, Millar said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people who died in a helicopter crash near Wellington were pest control contractors working on Transmission Gully.

Both thepilot and a passenger died in the crash near Paekākāriki Hill on Wednesday morning.

The Transport Agency has now confirmed the two people were pest control contractors and Worksafe has been notified. A witness had earlier told RNZ he understood the helicopter was involved in goat culling in the area.

The Transport Agency is providing support to those affected by the crash.

Kāpiti-Mana Area Commander Inspector Renée Perkins said earlier on Thursday that a significant recovery operation took place to recover both victims from the crash site.

“Police are working to formally confirm the identity of those who were recovered, but are unable to do so at this stage of the investigation,” Inspector Perkins said.

“Our thoughts remain with their families and friends at this time.”

A witness, who was first to reach the crash, said he was checking a body for vital signs as the Westpac rescue chopper arrived.

He said he could not find any sign of life before he made the call to get clear of the aircraft.

The man said the Westpac crew soon spotted another body in thick scrub, on steep terrain some distance from the wreckage.

Cordons remain in place around the Battle Hill campground while police examine the scene.

Civil Aviation Authority investigators have completed their preliminary scene examination.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A key South Island highway is expected to remain closed for some time because of a serious crash.

The crash between a motorbike and a car happened on State Highway 7, between Hanmer Springs and Leslie Hills Roads, at about midday on Thursday.

The road is closed near the turn-off to Hanmer, so people can still head west from there, and north of Culverden.

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