Source: Radio New Zealand

Cystic fibrosis drugs Trikafta and Alyftrek could become available for all children, regardless of age, with drug-buying agency Pharmac opening consultation on funding the two drugs.

Currently only funded for children aged six and over, Pharmac is consulting on making Trikafta available for all children with an eligible diagnosis, and fund a new treatment, Alyftrek.

It would also make the drug Kalydeco available for everyone with an eligible diagnosis.

If accepted, the proposal would effect from 1 April.

Pharmac said around 35 people were expected to benefit in the first year, increasing to 47 people after five years.

Associate health minister David Seymour, who holds minsterial responsibility for Pharmac, said the drugs were “lifechanging” for people living with cystic fibrosis, and their families.

“If approved, this proposal would give children access to these life changing treatments as soon as clinically appropriate. Cystic fibrosis can cause harm very early in life, so waiting to meet age-based eligibility criteria is not an option.”

Seymour said the proposal had already received significant support from the cystic fibrosis community, and showed Pharmac’s commitment to working with them.

“It is a great example of what is possible when Pharmac works alongside patients,” he said.

Australia’s Pharmac equivalent, the Therapeutic Goods Administration, approved funding for Alyftrek in November, for patients aged six and older.

Trikafta has been funded for children aged over six in New Zealand since April 2023.

Since then, parents of children younger than six have lobbied for Pharmac to extend eligibility. It was added to Pharmac’s Options for Investment List for two-to-five year olds late last year.

Pharmac’s pharmaceuticals director Adrienne Martin said over 400 people had benefitted so far.

“Cystic fibrosis starts causing harm very early in life. Funding these medicines for all age groups would help more young children with Cystic fibrosis live longer, healthier lives,” she said.

“Funding these treatments would also benefit the health system. People wouldn’t need to visit the hospital as often and they’d need less treatment.”

Consultation on the funding proposal closes on 11 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

Residents of Northland’s Ōakura Bay say they could be cut off for days after major slips obliterated the road to Whangārei.

Glenn Ferguson, who heads the local reserves board, said the road to the north had been closed since Sunday’s deluge washed out a bridge approach at Ngaiotonga.

Another 200mm of rain on Wednesday triggered a massive slip at Helena Bay Hill on the road south to Whangārei.

There were other, smaller slips between Helena Bay and Ōakura.

Ferguson said the latest slip was so big it could take days to clear, but locals were in good spirits and well prepared with plenty of supplies.

“So we can’t go north, we can’t go south. We’ve had it before, and I guess we’ll have again in the future. I think it’s just part of living in paradise out here.”

He said residents were making the most of today’s sunshine to carry on cleaning up and pumping out their properties.

Ferguson said he had checked the Ōakura Community Hall on Thursday morning to see if it had suffered any further damage overnight.

The much-used, and newly renovated, hall was hit by a slip on Sunday that smashed through the back wall, poured over the stage, and filled the hall with an estimated 60 cubic metres of mud, trees and debris.

Ferguson said water was continuing to flow through the hall, but at a reduced rate, and the slip did not appear to have worsened in the overnight rain.

An insurance assessor had inspected the building before the road closed, and now it was a case of waiting for council and EQC engineers to inspect the rear of the building where it had been hit by the slip.

“They were due here on Friday, but I don’t know when they’ll be able to get though.”

The hall would likely have to be cleared out by volunteers using buckets and wheelbarrows, but it was possible sucker trucks could at least remove the mud.

Locals were upbeat and just getting on with the clean-up, Ferguson said.

“They’re out in the sunshine, we’ve got all the pumps that we can muster, and we’re pumping sections out so people get into their garages and low-lying properties so we can ascertain what’s happened.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Repeat vandalism and theft from flood and weather monitoring stations in Taranaki is putting lives at risk, according to the Taranaki Regional Council.

The monitoring site on the Waiwhakaiho River near The Valley in New Plymouth has been vandalised three times since its installation in 2020, and twice in the last three months.

The lower Waiwhakaiho River gauge had been repaired and police were investigating the incident which occurred on 11 January at 1.20am.

Environmental data team leader Craig Pickford said the theft and destruction of monitoring equipment could seriously impact the timeliness of alerts to the public about rising river levels when the region experiences significant weather events.

“The Waiwhakaiho River is a particularly dynamic waterway and can change very quickly after heavy rainfall so we need to be able to rely on real-time data if the river is rising and could pose a threat to those living and working nearby.

“We saw last July just how fast it can change. We had to undertake repairs after a berm near Mitre 10 was washed away as the nearby gauge recorded 535m³/sec river flow.”

Pickford said the monitoring station was now being repeatedly targeted by thieves, with the most recent incident involving the door being ripped off and the loss of equipment.

“Our message to those committing these senseless acts is to stop and think about their actions, as these stations provide the crucial information we need to keep the public informed about when to get to safety in the event of a flood.”

The regional council worked with Civil Defence Emergency Management Taranaki to alert the public about potential flooding when the region experienced heavy rainfall which Taranaki rivers to rapidly rise.

Pickford said while these events were rare, TRC maintained a number of flood defence schemes and critical monitoring stations – including on the Waiwhakaiho and Waitara rivers – to protect homes and businesses in at-risk locations which had historically been prone to flooding.

“While we accept some monitoring stations are damaged by severe weather events, it’s hard to understand why anyone would intentionally put people’s lives at risk.”

Other monitoring stations had also been the target of vandalism and theft including the Waiwhakaiho station at Rimu Street and the Mangati station at SH3.

These sites were part of a region-wide monitoring network managed by the TRC which provided real-time environmental data including rainfall, river levels, wind speed, air temperature, water quality and river flow.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two unions are challenging the proposed restructure of Fire and Emergency at the Employment Relations Authority in Wellington.

FENZ is proposing to cut scores of non-firefighting jobs and make changes to hundreds of other roles while saving millions of dollars.

The Professional Firefighters’ Union and the PSA said they would argue at the ERA on Thursday they were not consulted properly.

FENZ had dumped a 265-page proposal on workers last November with just 10 days to respond, PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said.

“You can’t consult on a near-completed plan full of errors that was prepared in a process from which you completely excluded the very people the law requires you to involve,” she said in a statement.

Earlier, after union protests FENZ extended the time for feedback and delayed finalisation of the proposal from mid-December to late January.

The firefighters’ union said the restructure was “hatched secretly by a very select few, almost all with no operational experience, deliberately refusing to involve those that do the work”.

FENZ would be at Thursday’s hearing and looked forward to a productive conversation about the interpretation of the consultation clause in its collective employment agreements.

“We will continue to engage with the unions and associations through the process,” chief executive Kerry Gregory said in a statement.

The changes were aimed at enabling FENZ to respond to a rapidly changing operating environment as well as “respond to known and unknown cost pressures without asking levy-payers for more money”, he said.

“Our dedicated team does incredible work looking after New Zealand’s communities and this proposal is focused on ensuring we can continue doing that.”

The unions estimate the changes would cut 97 roles and “significantly” change 66 others, “impacting critical emergency response capability across the country”.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Several people are missing after a landslide came down on several structures at campground at the base of Mauao, Mount Maunganui.

Emergency Management Minister Mark Mitchell has confirmed a young girl was among the missing, and RNZ understands other children may be unaccounted for.

There are sniffer dogs at the scene as emergency services try to find anyone trapped in the slip at the Beachside Holiday Park,

The slip came down around 9.30am, hitting campervans, cars, tents and a toilet and shower blocked.

A Tauranga resident living near the campground said she watched emergency staff digging through the mud.

Robyn, who lives in an apartment nearby, said nobody had been found yet.

People were digging through the dirt for about an hour before stopping, she said.

She said she saw ambulances leaving the scene without anybody inside, but police were still at the scene.

Tauranga Mayor Mahe Drysdale said it was an evolving situation.

“We’re having to work through all the lists of those who are checked in… we don’t know the exact number.

“The ablution block is the biggest area of concern, but there is a campervan and tents that were around that area as well.”

A witness, Nix Jaques, was about to walk up the mountain when she heard an incredibly loud noise.

“I turned around and I could see the land coming down onto some structures,” she said

“There were some vehicles that were moved. It came down on an ablutions block – I believe there were some people in the showers – and it shifted a campervan, there was a family with a campervan.”

She spoke to a couple missing a child and tried to help in the early stages but said emergency services arrived quite quickly afterwards.

St John declared a major incident and there police, firefighters and ambulance workers at the scene.

Fire and Emergency’s shift manager Paul Radden said 40 firefighters, including urban search and rescue team, were responding.

The slip was in the south-eastern corner of the holiday park.

The Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club was being used as a triage centre and evacuation point.

The rest of the campsite has been evacuated.

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford confirmed there were people unaccounted for.

He asked members of the public to keep those impacted in their thoughts – and not to come to the area to allow clear access for rescuers.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Labour leader Chris Hipkins says the odds are against his party this year given the rarity of one-term governments – but he’s determined to buck the trend.

“Christopher Luxon has exactly 290 days left as prime minister,” Hipkins said on Thursday. “The clock is ticking.”

Speaking at a campaign event near Auckland’s waterfront, Hipkins vowed to “build the biggest grassroots campaign Labour has ever run.”

Hipkins said the election date’s announcement “truly” kickstarted the work to change the government, name checking both National and ACT in his speech. Curiously, New Zealand First escaped a mention.

The prime minister confirmed on Wednesday this year’s election would be held on 7 November, making the announcement from National’s caucus retreat in Christchurch

Hipkins told volunteers that Labour was fighting for a simple idea: “this country should work for everyone.”

He said the election would come down to a choice: “A choice between a National government led by Christopher Luxon that looks after the few at the top. Or a Labour government that works for the people who get up and actually do the hard grind every day.”

Hipkins said as prime minister, he would be sure to deliver on his promises.

“You deserve a prime minister who answers the questions, who takes responsibility,” he said. “Not one who’s more interested in what you think of his Spotify playlist than what you’re paying for your groceries.”

Hipkins said government ministers were out of touch with New Zealanders when they told them “don’t take it personally” when they lost their job.

“That’s not the New Zealand I believe in, and it’s not the New Zealand I’m going to lead.”

Hipkins said the odds were are against his party, as New Zealanders don’t often “change a government after just one term.” But he said New Zealanders “cannot afford to give Christopher Luxon another three years.”

Hipkins asked the audience who was “actually feeling” a difference when it came to the economy.

“Are you better off than you were three years ago? Are your groceries cheaper? Is the power bill easier to pay? Is it easier to see the local doctor than it was three years ago?

“Is it easier for your kids to find a job here at home than it was before Christopher Luxon became the prime minister?”

Hipkins said Luxon would ask for “more time… but more time for what?”

“More time for GP visits to hit over $100 dollars? More time for your kids to move to Australia? More time for power bills to keep climbing? More time to cut the public services we call rely on?”

Hipkins described stories he’d heard of people and families doing it tough, laying the blame squarely on the government.

“It’s because the system isn’t working for them. And that’s on this government. National, ACT and all their friends…. They don’t want to change the system.”

Hipkins concluded his speech by calling on supporters to be part of the campaign, which “won’t be won on TV or on billboards.”

“It will be won by ordinary New Zealanders talking to their neighbours, their workmates, their families.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A property reseller caught out by the falling housing market has been told to pay an Auckland couple more than $750,000 in damages, plus more than $100,000 in interest.

Robert and Margaret Smallridge took their case against Paljeet Singh to the High Court in Auckland, where Justice Tracey Walker ruled in their favour.

The couple sold their Avondale home to Singh at the peak of the property market, in November 2021, for $1.925 million. The price was significantly more than the Ray White real estate agents handling the sale had valued the property at.

He was to have a year to settle the deal, giving him time to find a new buyer and on-sell the property.

But in the interim, property prices in Auckland fell sharply. Real Estate Institute data shows that in the year to November 2022, Auckland prices were down 18 percent.

Six weeks before he was due to settle, Singh alleged that the couple had breached a clause of the agreement, which gave him access to the property to show potential buyers. He argued he could cancel the contract as a result and should get his deposit back.

But the Smallridges said they were only asked for access once and co-operated immediately. They wanted compensation for their losses.

Walker said, shortly after Singh won the auction, he engaged Barfoot & Thompson to sell the property for him.

Two weeks later, the agency put a “for sale” sign in front, to which the Smallridges objected, saying no one had consulted them.

Their son, Tom, spoke to an employee of Barfoot & Thompson, who emailed the office and told them that the sign needed to be removed, and the house occupants had not given permission for viewings.

Tom Smallridge said this meant that they were happy to give access on request but did not want regular viewings or an open home plan, as had been communicated to Singh before his purchase.

Salesperson Kapil Rana said he went to the property ask about access and was not allowed.

But the Smallridges denied this and said they would have allowed access if they were asked.

Singh told the court he had an offer from a buyer who was willing to spend more than $2.1m on the property, but who walked away because of a lack of access.

Rana said access was important to the buyer so when it could not be arranged, he asked to look for another property instead.

But Walker noted that under cross-examination, Rana agreed the buyer had walked away because Singh countersigned his offer wanting $2.45m. The buyer would not increase his offer beyond $2.155m.

“Rana also gave evidence that throughout the period through to August 2022, during which time he was telling anyone who made enquiries that the price guide was $2.3m to $2.4m, the interest in the property was low. He confirmed that no party had requested access.”

In August 2022, there was a meeting held with Ray White salespeople. One salesperson, Jason Cooper, said Singh told them he needed to reduce the purchase price to go ahead with his settlement.

His colleague, Mark Bryant, who had handled the Smallridge’s sale, said that was not something he had the authority to do and it would need to go through lawyers.

A week later, Singh and Rana visited the property to talk to the couple.

“The Smallridges insist that Singh indicated he wanted to back out of the agreement because he was unable to obtain lending,” Walker noted.

“They say that Singh appeared upset at the time. They vehemently deny that anything about access was discussed or that Mr Smallridge said that there would be no access until there was settlement.”

Singh denied telling them he wanted to back out and said his concern was only about access.

But two weeks later, he asked for access for a valuer and that was immediately granted.

In November, there was a call between Singh, Bryant and auctioneer Craig Dafroch, who had knew the Smallridges’ solicitor. He had met with her and they had decided to contact Singh to suggest a discounted sale price to ensure the settlement took place.

“Darroch’s evidence was that he explained to Singh his concerns regarding the crash in property prices and Singh’s purported cancellation,” Walker’s judgement noted.

“He advised Singh that he was dealing with motivated vendors and suggested that he should offer to settle for a reduced purchase price. He suggested starting off by seeking a $400,000 reduction in the purchase price. His evidence is that Singh had no interest in a reduced price and responded saying he had found a lawyer who would get him out of the contract.”

The Smallridges’ lawyer issued a settlement notice on 24 November, 2022, giving Singh 12 days to settle but this did not happen.

They went on to resell the property, with a much larger marketing campaign, but only received $1.13m.

That left them with a total loss of $753,803.25, including the difference between the two sale prices, the commission on the resale, marketing costs and more legal costs – offset by the $96,250 deposit they had received.

Walker said the single issue to decide was whether they had refused reasonable access, and they had not.

She said it was clear there was little interest in the property overall.

“Combined with this, the development character lessened any need to physically view the property, particularly the dwelling, even if there had been interest.”

Walker said negotiations with the one interested buyer did not stop because of access but because the price could not be agreed on.

“The issue with the ‘for sale’ sign shortly after Mr Singh purchased is immaterial… At best, it is equivocal but more likely consistent with Tom Smallridge’s recall of that conversation. While he has no recollection of using the word ‘viewings’, it is just as likely that he said his parents did not want to have any ‘open homes’ scheduled.”

Walker said there were no grounds to cancel the agreement.

Singh was told to pay damages, as well as contractual interest at 14 percent from 23 November, 2022 to the resale on 14 April, 2023, to a total of $99,604.48 and contractual interest on the net loss on resale at $268.01 per day from 15 April, 2023 until it was paid.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Several people are missing after a landslide came down on several structures at campground at the base of Mauao, Mount Maunganui.

There are sniffer dogs at the scene as emergency services try to find anyone trapped in the slip at the Beachside Holiday Park,

The slip came down around 9.30am, hitting campervans, cars, tents and a toilet and shower blocked.

A witness, Nix Jaques, was about to walk up the mountain when she heard an incredibly loud noise.

“I turned around and I could see the land coming down onto some structures,” she said

“There were some vehicles that were moved. It came down on an ablutions block – I believe there were some people in the showers – and it shifted a campervan, there was a family with a campervan.”

She spoke to a couple missing a child and tried to help in the early stages but said emergency services arrived quite quickly afterwards.

St John declared a major incident and there police, firefighters and ambulance workers at the scene.

Fire and Emergency’s shift manager Paul Radden said 40 firefighters, including urban search and rescue team, were responding.

The slip was in the south-eastern corner of the holiday park.

The Mount Maunganui Surf Life Saving Club was being used as a triage centre and evacuation point.

The rest of the campsite has been evacuated.

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford confirmed there were people unaccounted for.

He asked members of the public to keep those impacted in their thoughts – and not to come to the area to allow clear access for rescuers.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pictures have emerged of damage in Te Araroa on the East Coast.

The Emergency Minister Mark Mitchell told RNZ the area was “like a warzone”, and a group of seven were rescued from a roof in Hick’s Bay.

It remained cut off by road, with State Highway 35 is closed from Tolaga Bay to Opotiki. Okitu to Tolaga Bay has been reopened, but people are being warned to avoid any unnecessary travel.

Images from Punaruku show washed out roads, houses inundated with woody debris and brown flood water, and cars and fences buried half a metre or more in mud.

Police said seven people trapped on a roof in Te Araroa were rescued by FENZ and were being evacuated by helicopter for medical assessment.

Maree Brownlie, who ran the Twilight Coffee Garden in Te Araroa, told RNZ it was a family nearby – including their small children – who were rescued after being up on their roof for hours.

There are more than 300 homes on the East Coast, including Wairoa, without power.

From the air

Meanwhile, RNZ reporter Kate Green took off from Whakatane Airport on Thursday morning to survey the damage from above.

River levels were high, and the water was brown, with some woody debris present, snaking through the land and occasionally overtopping the banks to flood farmland on either side.

According to locals, in these parts, the damage wasn’t as bad as Cyclone Gabrielle.

But conditions meant it had not yet been possible to land in Te Araroa by midday on Thursday.

RNZ hopes to bring you news from the ground in Te Araroa on Thursday.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

There are now no MetService rain warnings in place in the North Island, but people are unaccounted for after a landslide at a Mt Maunganui campsite, the search continues for a man swept away in floodwaters in Auckland and two people are still missing after a landslide in Bay of Plenty.

The National Emergency Management Agency said the number of households estimated to be without electricity had halved from around 16,000 overnight down to about 8400 at 9.20am.

The majority of outages are in the eastern Waikato, and significant pockets in Northland, Coromandel, Bay of Plenty, and Tairāwhiti.

Restoration efforts continue with road access a limiting factor on the Coromandel Peninsula.

State Highway 2 remains closed near Paeroa in the Hauraki District and SH25 is shut in multiple places cutting off Whitianga.

MetService said the tropical low had moved away to the east but some weather warnings and watches still remain in place for the South Island, but rain would ease on Thursday.

Bay of Plenty

A large slip has come down on campervans and a shower block at the campground at Mount Maunganui in Tauranga just after 9.30am on Thursday.

Police said several people were unaccounted for and the campsite at Adams Avenue had been evacuated.

Adams Avenue is closed while emergency services work to locate anyone in the area, police said.

Bay of Plenty MP Tom Rutherford posted on social media that caravans, the toilet block, cars and tents had been affected.

At 10am on Thursday a rescue helicopter and police were at the slip.

Mount Maunganui is fully closed to the public until further notice due to large slips that have made the area unsafe.

In addition to the closure of Mauao, NZTA has also closed the State Highway 2 Eastern Link due to surface flooding.

A landslide at Welcome Bay in Papamoa has left one person with serious injuries, while two people are still unaccounted for.

Emergency Minister Mark Mitchell said a rescue and recovery operation for the missing pair was ongoing.

At 3.50am on Thursday, Defence Force personnel were brought in to rescue several people who were stuck in a car that was trapped in fast flowing water on Waitao Road in Western Bay of Plenty.

Auckland District

Police are continuing to search for a man who went missing after being swept away in flood waters at Mahurangi River, near Warkworth in Auckland.

A police-led operation ran through most of Wednesday after an emergency call was made when he went missing from Falls Road at around 7.41am.

Police said the man in his 40s from the wider Mahurangi community.

Police Search and Rescue are expected to redeploy to the area once water levels have subsided and it is safe to continue searching.

Early on Thursday morning, Auckland Emergency Management said it had received 94 calls since midday Wednesday from people experiencing stormwater and flooding issues, but said the rainfall had not been as severe as in Northland and Coromandel.

Coromandel

On Thursday morning, around 2000 people were without power in Coromandel, but access for crews to assess and repair was limited.

Coromandel Peninsula Civil Defence Emergency Controller Brian Carter said SH25 from Whitianga to Coroglen was open.

However, he urged people not to travel unless they absolutely had to.

Carter said there had been significant damage from slips on both the state highway and council networks.

SH25A is still closed, which has left Tairua isolated because of slips.

He said they would be trying to reopen the road on Thursday afternoon.

Carter said there were no known injuries yet, and he hoped it would stay that way.

Northland

Two dozen homes in Ōakura, in Northland, were evacuated on Wednesday because of the threats from landslides.

Ngātiwai Trust Board chief executive Simon Mitchell told Morning Report some of the landslides got worse overnight, and at least a dozen properties had been flooded.

A number of people were housed at local marae, he said.

NZTA says all Northland highways had reopened on Thursday morning after last night’s heavy rain with the exception of State Highway 10 at Kāeo.

The alternative route is State Highway 1 via Kaitāia.

East Coast

Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said evacuations had been underway up the coast.

Hicks Bay was flooded and the nearby bay of Onepoto was cut off, it said. A slip on the hill above Hicks Bay is pushing water through the motel, with clients moved into the restaurant for safety.

There have been pre-emptive evacuations from some streets in Tokomaru Bay, with two rescued from a Harris Street and taken to the House of Breakthrough Welfare Centre.

There are also power outages on East Cape Road.

Meanwhile, seven people were rescued by helicopter from roofs due to flooding in Te Araroa on the East Cape.

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell said in the recovery phase, they would identify if there needs to be government support.

“It’s been a very big event for us as a country, really hitting almost our entire eastern seaboard of the North Island. The good news is that everyone responded really quickly, and there was time to get prepared. That helps to mitigate and create a very strong response,” Mitchell said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow the RNZ liveblog above.

A person is seriously hurt and two others are unaccounted for after a landslide in Welcome Bay in Papamoa.

Meanwhile, Police say helicopters are being deployed to assist people trapped on roofs due to flooding in Te Araroa on the East Cape.

About 10,000 people were without power on Thursday morning, mostly in the Bay of Plenty, after a night of heavy rain.

Follow the RNZ liveblog at the top of the page for the latest updates.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Cars are being turned away on Welcome Bay Road in Tauranga where two people are still unaccounted for after a major slip.

RNZ producer Justine Murray said about eight cars were in front of her with a sign saying the road was closed.

“It’s a no-go zone for cars,” she said.

“[The slip] was about a kilometre away.”

Murray said the area was winding and hilly, with the worst of the slip unable to be seen from the cordon.

Elsewhere, residents were going about their business and the sun had come out.

“You would not think a major slip has happened, the sun’s come out at the moment and people are going about their normal day,” she said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are likely to resume their search after a man was swept away by water at Mahurangi River near Walkworth.

Fire and Emergency were called to the rescue at a river crossing on Falls Road – near the intersection with Woodcocks Road – at about 7.51am on Wednesday.

The man, in his 40s from the wider Mahurangi community, and his vehicle were washed out while trying to cross a ford on the river.

Police night shift staff conducted checks in the area overnight, but have been unable to locate the man.

A police search and rescue will redeploy to the area today once water levels have subsided and it was safe to continue searching.

An eagle helicopter was also expected to do a flyover of the river this morning.

Police were in contact with the man’s family.

“We acknowledge they must be going through a very uncertain and upsetting time while he remains missing,” Waitematā North Police senior sergeant Carl Fowlie said.

“Our thoughts are with them.”

On Thursday, a resident of the area said the crossing could be dangerous.

“When people go to drive straight, but it’s got a curve in the bridge, in the ford, that’s what gets you into danger – because the wheels go off one side, then the flow of the water will just carry them away,” Dawn Ferguson said.

Ferguson said she was devastated to hear what happened.

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown also said he was alarmed to hear of the disappearance.

About 20 people were involved in the search on Wednesday, including firefighters, police officers and whitewater rafters.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Travellers are in a tailspin after they discovered new passport rules for travel to Britain – and some are now working out if they are even be classed as UK citizens.

Passport wait times are also becoming a key concern for dual-national New Zealanders travelling soon, who need UK passports before they can fly.

For some, it’s first a question of finding whether they are in fact British citizens.

New Zealanders Heather and John Wiltshire are booked on a holiday to the UK and Europe in 10 weeks’ time – but she’s not even sure if she will get on a plane.

She has only ever had a New Zealand passport, but as she was born in the 1960s to UK-born parents, she discovered only in the last few days that she could be classed as a citizen and refused boarding.

“I was so stressed that I just felt like vomiting. It was awful,” she said.

“I was phoning travel agents. Nobody knew. Everybody was ducking for cover and saying that they were waiting to find out themselves. So this was last Saturday morning. I didn’t sleep at all on Friday night.

“I was just sick, absolutely sick to the stomach because we’re leaving in 10 weeks and I’ve spent 30k on this holiday. And I’m still beside myself because I don’t know whether I’m getting this passport or not.”

Even armed with her parents’ birth certificates, wedding certificate, and her mother’s passports, she cannot tell whether she was ever given UK citizenship, as she was born in Aotearoa.

As young children were simply added to parents’ passports in the past, she doesn’t know if that means she is now classed as British.

“I went to the UK when I was five. I assume that my mother got me a New Zealand passport – but I could have travelled on her British passport,” she said.

Getting someone on the phone to clarify the situation was “maddening”, she said, with voice options sending callers around in circles.

The Aucklander fears that travel insurance will not cover people for cancelled plans as they are expected to have kept their passports up-to-date – despite not having needed them before to enter Britain.

It was already an expensive journey, visiting family and holidaying in the UK, Portugal and Spain, with her husband John, who has Alzheimer’s. Wiltshire had already applied – and on Wednesday received back – her husband’s new UK passport: he was born in the UK, and his passport had only recently expired. Her concern is that he would not be able to navigate border controls if her passport does not land in time.

Her New Zealand passport is also in the UK Passport Office as part of the process of getting the new UK one.

“And then when you go through to apply for the British passport and it tells you what to send, they make some comment about how they can actually cancel the passport that you send. So I have to send my New Zealand passport in, and they could actually cancel it.”

Passport timeframes

The British High Commission maintains it has kept people informed of changes through social media and website updates since 2024.

It referred RNZ’s question on passport timeframes to the “Passport Office through gov.uk”. A google search of that informs customers they could “usually get your passport within three weeks”.

It may take longer than that if they needed more information, or to set up an interview.

“There are different turnaround times if you’re applying from another country,” it said, although the accompanying link does not give timeframes for applying from another country, or if someone was renewing a long-since expired passport.

An RNZ reader emailed to recount that he had a straightforward experience of the form-filling stage – a 45-minute online form, sending photocopies of his NZ passport and paying £128.

“After what had been a rather enjoyable hour or so of administration, he popped the jug on for a lovely for lovely cup of tea with a chocolate digestive biscuit or two”.

He has had a confirmation email with the address of where he should send the documents.

Another British migrant, Steve, who moved to Aotearoa 23 years ago, is travelling back to see his mother and other family in 13 weeks’ time, and feels confident he’ll get his passport back in time.

He takes issue with the British High Commission’s planning and communications strategy in the months and years leading up to the change.

“I have had no reason whatsoever to suddenly query whether I could travel on my NZ passport to the UK. Why would I suddenly think anything would have changed, or fear that my travel would effectively be cancelled? The answer is nothing – not any idea that I had to do anything more than have a valid NZ passport as I have before.

“Not having heard from a travel agent, not having heard from my airline, having no awareness whatsoever of any of this and not being a social media user. So when they say they’ve been posting it. Posting it where? Has it gone out to dual nationals? And have they made any effort to reach out to dual nationals that they know are in the country?”

Andrew Gill was 12 when he emigrated in 1968 with his parents on a British passport, which expired a decade later and has not been renewed. He, too, has travelled regularly to Britain on a New Zealand passport.

The change is due to come in on February 25, and he is booked to fly to England at the end of March. He thought all he needed was an electronic travel authority, or ETA – costing £16/$37 – but last week joined the scramble for a UK passport.

The passport has so far cost him £177/$407, with related costs and the stress of waiting for it to be issued and returned in time. The cost can vary – a standard passport renewal for a recently expired passport costs £108/$248 for an adult, not including delivery costs. The cost of family passports depends on whether the children need UK passports.

“The British government has decided in their wisdom that they’re going to segregate New Zealand citizens. If you are a New Zealand citizen with no ties whatsoever to the United Kingdom, you apply for an ETA online, you pay, and 10 minutes later it’s granted. That’s all you have to do. It’s done.

“They’re saying, if you’re this sort of a New Zealander, you get treated that way. If you’re that sort of New Zealander, you get treated another way. And that’s wrong, you know? That’s not what this country is all about to start with. And I’m surprised that our government hasn’t said anything because I’m sure that Mr Seymour and Mr Peters would be upset to hear that the British have decided that they’re going to treat us differently.”

UK tourist businesses would be unhappy to know people were being deterred from travelling, he added.

“Mum and Dad born in England, got two kids born in New Zealand, decide they want to go back to England on holiday, all of a sudden they’ve got to get four British passports. Now, how far do they go before they say, nah, we’ll go to Spain or France [instead]. We won’t bother with them, it’s too expensive. Now, what’s that going to do to the British tourist industry?”

Others would be assuming they still had the right documentation, or only needed an ETA.

“There will be other people who say, ‘Well, hang on a minute, I was there last year and they accepted it’ [my NZ passport and ETA]. You know, why do they change the rules? I can understand that they can’t get this across to everybody all at once. That’s practically impossible from a practicality point of view, but they could have done a much better job. And the other thing is that it is absolutely impossible to contact them.”

A premium phone line charged by credit card, ended with another pre-recorded message and being cut off, he said.

“I’ve also seen in some of the media articles that sometimes we’re being classified as whinging Poms. Well, I am not a whinging Pom. All I want is to be treated the same as any other New Zealander, and that’s it.”

Irish dual citizens

Not only British subjects are affected, as Irish-NZ dual citizens (Northern and Southern Ireland) will also need to use a non-New Zealand passport.

“Irish citizens do not need to apply an ETA and must travel to the UK on an Irish passport,” the High Commission said.

“People with Irish + UK citizenship can travel on either their Irish or British passport. People with Irish + UK + NZ citizenship must travel on their Irish or British passport.”

Estimates of affected travellers are difficult to make because some travellers always renew their British or Irish passports, while others are not travelling in the near future and others still will not be classed as dual citizens.

The British High Commission said UK citizens’ Aotearoa-born children would not be affected by the change if they had never applied for citizenship.

“If people have not gone through the process of becoming a British citizen, they can travel on a non-British passport and apply for an ETA,” a spokesperson said.

The statement did not say how long New Zealanders could expect to wait for their documents.

RNZ asked the British High Commission what preparations or contingencies were in place from February 25 onwards at airports, given some passengers were unaware of the changes.

It said ETA or passport checks would become part of standard pre-departure procedures from that date.

“Airlines are responsible for ensuring passengers have the correct authority to travel before boarding. If a passenger presents a passport that requires an ETA but is ineligible to apply for one because they are a British citizen, the airline may be unable to board them.

“The UK government has issued guidance to carriers through established aviation and border channels. Information has also been available on gov.uk for guidance for dual nationals since October 2024.”

They provided the following responses to emailed questions, saying travellers unsure of their citizenship status or passport requirements should check in good time.

What are the rules for people born in the UK to NZ parents who have never had a UK passport?

It depends on whether they are already a British citizen. If they are British citizens, they cannot apply for an ETA and must travel on their British passport, or [another] passport with a Certificate of Entitlement.

What are the rules for people born in New Zealand to Kiwi parents who have never had a UK passport?

If they are British citizens, they cannot apply for an ETA and must travel on their British passport or a passport with a Certificate of Entitlement.

What about people who may be eligible for UK citizenship but have never applied and are unsure if they are already citizens?

If they are British citizens, they cannot apply for an ETA and must travel on their British passport or a passport with a Certificate of Entitlement.

The statement concludes that if people have not “gone through the process of becoming a British citizen”, they can travel on a non-British passport and apply for an ETA.

“Anyone unsure of their status should seek clarification well before travel, this can be done through gov.uk.”

RNZ has asked for further comment to clarify whether a child with so-called automatic citizenship, born overseas, is also expected to travel on a UK passport.

Further information for travellers unsure of their citizenship status can be found here:

• https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-british-parent/born-before-1983
• https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-british-parent/born-between-1983-and-2006
• https://www.gov.uk/apply-citizenship-british-parent/born-on-or-after-1-july-2006

Details about the – more expensive – Certificate of Entitlement, or renouncing citizenship are in a House of Commons library explainer.

These government websites also offer advice, including fast-track and emergency documents:

• https://www.gov.uk/world/new-zealand
• https://www.gov.uk/travel-urgently-from-abroad-without-uk-passport

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Red heavy rain warnings remain in place for several regions of the eastern North Island, with at least 4 areas under states of emergency.

Flooding, slips and closed roads are widespread from Northland down to Gisborne, following days of torrential downpours and strong winds.

Follow the RNZ liveblog at the top of the page for the latest updates.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hundreds of lawn bowlers have descended on Taranaki this week for the men’s open fours competition – considered one of the largest and most prestigious club championships in the country.

More than 180 teams – including five from Australia – have entered the event, which is being hosted at 10 clubs across the province.

The Devon Hotel Taranaki Men’s Open Fours has being going for 121 years and is one of New Zealand’s oldest lawn bowl competitions.

Bowls Taranaki president Grant Hassall said that was half its attraction.

“Part of it is the history, the tradition of the event,” he said. “There’s been a lot of great players, of course, over those years that have taken part in it.

“Taranaki has built up a reputation for running a very decent tournament with good hospitality on good greens with great comradeship and excellent competition amongst some of the best bowlers in the world.”

Quartets face off over a mammoth 25 ends – considered the bowls equivalent of a test match in cricket.

“Matches take something like three-and-a-half and four hours to complete, so they’re no quick matches in that respect.

“In this competition, there are 10 hosting clubs from Urenui in the north to Stratford in the south, and there are 182 teams of four, with 57 from Taranaki, 120 from other parts of New Zealand and five from Australia.”

Dan Pullman and his Hāwera Park team were priming themselves for the day ahead, when RNZ visited the Paritūtū club in New Plymouth.

“It’s a tradition that we always start with a double whiskey and we have to have a chaser to help get it down, and especially because it’s John Kearney’s birthday today. He’s 71 today this guy here.”

Pullman said the liquid breakfast was good for his game.

“It helps me get my eye in, and then I ease off and just, you know, go with the flow.”

Tony Smith was skip for a combined quartet from Queensland.

“Aw mate, I can’t believe the hospitality here,” he said. “It’s been absolutely unbelievable and the scenery just gorgeous.

“We had a team that came across and played at a carnival at Tannum Sands, and they said, ‘Come, please’, so we did and we’re really glad.”

The weather, however, had been less than optimal.

“It’s been frigging terrible, but it’s okay. You’ve got to take it as it comes, you know.

“We’re just glad to be here.”

At 18, Wellingtonian Marshall Kenny was one of the fresh faces in the field.

“I was camping one day, and me and my family decided to go and play bowls for a bit of a laugh. I was pretty good, so some olds guys said I should join up.”

Kenny said the sport was growing in popularity with young people.

“It’s good fun,” he said. “You get to mix with older generations and get to speak to people of all ages, and I think young people are starting to enjoy it more, which is good.

“We’re getting lots more young people playing and, yeah, they should definitely join up.”

Paritūtū’s Kevin Crawford was nearing his 87th birthday and had bowled for 45 years.

“I love the game so much and I’ve had a lot of pleasure out of it,” he said. “I’ve played all over the country over the years and just absolutely love the game’

“I’ll play it as long as possible.”

He said the camaraderie of bowls was as vital as the competition.

“It’s just so wonderful to keep up and catch up with these players every year at this tournament and other tournaments. That’s the social side of it, which is very important.”

Not all the action at Paritūtū was on the greens. Celebrated bowler Barbara Batley was in charge of the kitchen.

“We have six in the kitchen working and four helping out in the clubrooms, so there’s 10 of us all voluntary,” she said. “We’re getting their morning tea ready, which consists of bread, luncheon, tomato, cheese, red onion, pickles and relish.

“The players come in, and we make a pot of tea and they make themselves a sandwiches.”

Jocelyn Stevenson and June Gledhill were buttering a mountain of bread slices. Stevenson was happy in her work.

“We’ve been here since 8.30am and we’re actually doing quite well today, because there’s usually three of us and there’s only two today.

“I just love the camaraderie, and just everybody mucking in and helping. It’s just a great club to be in.”

After already losing one day and an afternoon to rain, the Taranaki Men’s Open Fours Lawn Bowls championship is due to wrap up on Monday.

The Devon Hotel Taranaki Women’s Open Fours competition, featuring about 80 teams, will begin on Tuesday.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Plans to showcase F-22 Raptor fighter jets at Warbirds Over Wānaka have drawn condemnation from a former Doctors Without Borders worker, who says the display legitimises US military force and weapons used to kill civilians.

Two Lockheed Martin aircraft will take part in the Easter show, flown by a United States Air Force demonstration team.

Grant Kitto said a strike from a US Air Force gunship – also built by Lockheed Martin – killed his colleagues in Kunduz, Afghanistan, in 2015, at a Doctors Without Borders hospital.

Forty-two deaths were reported, including 14 staff, in what the US Air Force later conceded to be a mistake.

“US forces fired 211 shells into the hospital,” he said. “There were 105 patients in the hospital, 140 international and national staff, 80 were on duty – and the attacks took place despite the fact that the MSF [Doctors Without Borders] had provided GPS co-ordinates multiple times to the US Department of Defence and local forces.”.

The F-22 Raptors were widely considered the most lethal fighter jets ever built and putting them on show in New Zealand was not appropriate, Kitto said.

“Admittedly, they’re amazing bits of kit, but they’re amazing for the wrong reasons,” he said. “It’s not appropriate, in this day and age.

“It’s emboldening and it’s endorsing, and it’s encouraging the US forces.”

Co-director of the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Otago, Richard Jackson, said there was a difference between historic aircraft involved in conflicts “decades ago” and weapons of war still having an impact internationally.

“It seems odd that – at the moment when the United States is engaging in tremendous international aggression, attacking different countries, intervening in Venezuela to take oil, threatening to take Greenland, supporting Israel’s genocide [a description used by some international observers, but contested by the Israeli government], and so on and so forth – we would invite people from that military to come to New Zealand and display their military wares in a way that kind of celebrates the technological prowess that they have in this area,” he said.

Lockheed Martin had been accused of violating human rights and causing a great deal of harm to civilians, Jackson said.

The company did not respond to RNZ’s requests for comment, but said on its website that a respect for human rights was at the heart of its work.

“We do have to ask questions around are we encouraging, are we accepting, are we signaling our agreement with the way in which these weapons are used?” Jackson said.

“Are we glorifying them to some degree, admiring them in certain respects, without acknowledging the serious harm that they cause in many parts of the world and the misuse to which they’re often put?”

Bringing two fighter jets to New Zealand also came with an immense environmental toll, he said.

“There are huge environmental implications of this. These machines are responsible for huge amounts of carbon emissions and, at a moment when we’re beginning to really face the climate crisis, I mean, is it environmentally responsible to be engaging in these sorts of activities?”

Taking concerns to supporters

Kitto said he had written to supporters of the show to share his concerns. One of them was Christchurch Airport, which will serve as the base for the F-22 Raptors during the event.

An airport spokesperson told RNZ its role was “simply providing operational support to a flagship South Island event enjoyed by 65,000 people that injects over $40 million into the local economy”.

“In doing so, we are not endorsing any political position,” they said.

Kitto also contacted Queenstown Lakes District Council, which was one of the principal sponsors of Warbirds Over Wānaka.

Mayor John Glover wrote back, noting that the decision to provide the event with $25,000 was “specifically to support a waste contractor to reduce some of the environmental impacts”.

“That decision was made by a panel that included elected members and it is worth noting that, at the time of the application, the F22s and Lockheed Martin weren’t in the mix,” he said.

However, Glover agreed to meet with organisers that week to discuss the concerns.

“The success of the Warbirds event demonstrates its broad appeal and many would say it is not an endorsement of militarism per se, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be open to listening to other points of view or recognise that, at some point, geopolitical actions may impact social licence,” he wrote to Kitto.

“A key question for this event is how to balance a celebration of aviation, its history and a commemoration of those who have served in conflicts against the danger that the harsh realities of war are minimised or potentially morphed into a thrill-seeking experience that normalises war.”

Wānaka-Upper Clutha ward councillor Niki Gladding said being contacted by Kitto about the F-22 Raptors had shifted her perspective on Warbirds Over Wānaka.

“If we weren’t in the times that we were in, I don’t think I’d be thinking about it the same way, but given what’s going on in the States and the aggression, and the new kind of geopolitical context, it made me think about it in a different way,” she said.

Organisers respond

Warbirds Over Wānaka International Airshow general manager Ed Taylor said the F-22 Raptor was not the first modern-day fighter jet to go on show.

He said a Royal Australian Air Force F-111 and F/A-18, and a United States Air Force F-16 had featured at previous events.

“We also showcase advances in aviation technology through our Future of Aviation exhibition, and have exhibitors promoting aviation-related careers in both the military and civilian sectors,” he said.

In response to concerns about the environmental toll of the F-22 fighter jets, he told RNZ that Warbirds Over Wānaka was committed to sustainability, in part by reducing waste at the show, and encouraging public and active transport options for attendees.

“We also contribute to local organisations working on environmental and educational projects, such as local waterway planting projects,” he said.

The Raptor Demonstration team did not respond to requests for comment.

Government sign-off required

Aircraft of national air forces visiting New Zealand are subject to a diplomatic clearance process set out by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The prime minister is also required to approve the visit under the New Zealand Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act.

The ministry said that included F-22 Raptors, which would be regarded as state or military aircraft – but no requests had been lodged so far for the Warbirds Over Wānaka show.

“The ministry has not received a diplomatic clearance request from the United States for a visit by a United States Air Force F-22 Raptor.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Red heavy rain warnings remain in place for several regions of the eastern North Island, with at least 4 areas under states of emergency.

Flooding, slips and closed roads are widespread from Northland down to Gisborne, following days of torrential downpours and strong winds.

Follow the RNZ liveblog at the top of the page for the latest updates.

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

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Southland town has overcome years of disagreement over people’s privacy and public costs to proceed with new surveillance cameras.

Winton is one of several spots grappling with whether and how to roll out new, more powerful cameras that police or volunteers monitor to combat crime.

Police in the town say they are “elated” and the local business association call it a “massive relief”.

“The community has just thrown their hands in the air and said, ‘Oh, when is this ever going to happen?’,” said association president Daphne Fairbairn. “Commonsense has prevailed, thank goodness.”

The camera upgrade became a flashpoint for locals against a backdrop of community board ructions, including the ousting of the chair in 2024.

Cattery owner Dave Diack was on the previous Oreti Community Board that twice vetoed an upgrade, despite overwhelming local backing – but said it was with good reason.

“The cameras were never declined in the sense that we voted, ‘No, we don’t want the cameras’,” Diack said. “All we wanted was to have the proper privacy arrangements in place for people and to get some certainty around costs.”

They received some of that certainty with more info from a working group about a year ago, but in the run-up to the local body elections, they were still waiting for the old data protection rules around the old cameras to be overhauled.

‘Singing from the rooftops’

Now, there is a new letter of agreement on privacy between the council and police, a newly-elected board and solid backing for a $65,000 upgrade plan that goes to Southland District Council for sign-off next week.

The $65,000 covers four replacement cameras, and installation of a fifth in a new spot overlooking the playground and skate park.

“Put it this way, if I was on that board now and we had got it over the line, I would be out there singing from the rooftops that we probably would have the most comprehensive agreement with the … regional police regarding the use of the CCTV cameras,” said Diack

Board chair Margie Ruddenklau was sure it ticked all the boxes and did a favour for other towns looking at installing CCTV.

“Yes I think so, absolutely,” she said. “There was a lot of work that went in behind it.

“It was a complete update of the agreement… in regard to the information that the CCTV cameras provide around privacy.”

Last month, the public was excluded from the community board meeting that discussed the plan and will be excluded again next week at the district council for commercial reasons.

Diack hoped this did not signal any walking back on privacy or uptick in costs.

“I’m hopeful that the town has got an acceptable outcome, not only in terms of price… but also in terms of acknowledging that privacy is an issue”, although he would wait to see the details.

‘Police are elated’

Police Senior Sergeant Peter Graham began the push for new cameras in 2023.

“Police are elated the Winton community board have renewed CCTV public safety cameras,” Graham told RNZ.

The existing cameras had been “invaluable” for deterring and resolving crime, but were at the end of their life.

“I applaud the hard work of those who fought for the cameras and the current community board’s decision to make their community safer.”

Although the former community board ran out of time to fully green-light the upgrade, in November, the district council felt confident enough to put out a tender.

Fairbairn said the community would benefit hugely from the new cameras to deter and prosecute crime, including petty stuff.

The upgrade had become too political and the previous community board was “overly cautious”.

“They’ve used it for all sorts of reasons and played around with the issue for far too long,” Fairbairn said.

Another problem was that the privacy protection agreement was not kept up to date with all the new tech coming on, she added.

Security camera projects around the country have taken different approaches, but often hit problems.

In Featherston, a community patrol group received grants to install cameras, but was now struggling with the ongoing fees from a security firm to monitor them.

On the Hibiscus Coast, north of Auckland, a patrol group [. https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/580464/cameras-used-by-police-after-killings-but-who-covers-the-cost pulled out over cost complications], although the work is going ahead

Horowhenua holds itself up as a model of what is affordable. A local trust has volunteers who monitor cameras – including some new ones for spotting number plates – from a room at Levin police station.

Co-ordinator Ted Melton said Police Minister Mark Mitchell and Police Commissioner Richard Chambers were in the room after a thousand boy racers and 200 cars descended on the town last King’s Birthday, pelting officers with rocks and bottles.

The Horowhenua Community Camera Trust gave nine hours of footage to police, which the district council called “crucial”.

Fairbairn said Winton businesses were OK with camera costs impacting rates.

“It’s better to be safe.”

Funding was available to the upgrade three years ago, but costs had risen since.

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