Source: Radio New Zealand

The High Court has ruled Canterbury’s regional council erred when it allowed farms to discharge nitrates and other pollution without resource consents, but stopped short of ordering it to change the rule.

The decision comes as the region grapples with increasing levels of nitrate in its waterways, and the effects on human and environmental health.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) asked the court to quash a regional plan rule which allowed some discharges from farming – such as nitrates and phosphorus – to be classed as permitted activities (not requiring resource consents) but the judge found too much had time had passed since the plan went into force.

The judgement, released on Monday, confirmed the council’s rule making fell short of the law and went to the heart of Canterbury’s current nitrate crisis, ELI research and legal director Dr Matt Hall said.

Council’s rule making found lacking

Justice Mander found the regional council, Environment Canterbury, failed to properly consider and apply section 70 of the Resource Management Act (RMA) when it included the rule allowing some farming nutrient discharges as permitted activities.

Section 70 requires consideration of a number of points, including whether a rule could have any significant adverse effects on aquatic life.

The rule – rule 5.63 (Incidental Nutrient Discharges) – had “cemented the conditions for ongoing intensive farming even as nitrate pollution was already mounting”, Hall said.

ELI argued the rule breached the RMA, was unlawful and outside the council’s power.

By permitting discharges without adequate evidence the farmers would not breach minimum pollution standards, the rule removed a key safeguard, green-lighting further intensive farming in catchments already under stress, and locking in higher pollution loads, Hall said.

The organisation sought the removal of the rule, as well as other declarations about the law, but the court declined.

The RMA has clear prohibitions on the type of rules that can be included in plans in relation to fresh water, and the council “was not able to show how it stepped through the requirements of Section 70 or provided any reasons for why it deemed that Section 70 was met”, Hall said.

The court found records from the council’s regional plan hearings did not demonstrate it had sufficient evidence to conclude certain severe effects, including significant adverse effects on aquatic life, were not likely to arise from the rule.

Justice Mander noted the council had been “put on notice” during the hearings, given “clear controversy and competing professional views expressed by expert witnesses” on the health of the region’s waterways, and potential impacts of nutrient discharge, putting questions about the plan’s compliance with section 70 “clearly in play”.

‘Systemic failings’

Hall said it was “extremely concerning” the council did not meet the law in its planning process, something that had been found to differing extents in other ELI cases.

Llast year, the High Court ruled the council unlawfully granted a discharge consent to the Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd (ALIL) irrigation scheme, quashing the consent. Earlier this year, it found ECan made a material error of law in granting a consent to the Mayfield Hinds Valletta (MHV) irrigation scheme, but declined to overturn the consent.

“We’ve taken three cases now that relate to ECan decision making. And each of those cases, to different degrees, show problems with how ECan has applied to law, and this is in the context of a systemic failing … of environmental outcomes.

“In this case, the court’s been clear ECan did not discharge its statutory responsibility. To me, that’s a very important message for ECan to properly take on board, and in any new legal framework that has to be completely front of mind – for the regulator to be totally on top of its legal responsibility.”

Delays and accountability

While the court’s finding the council failed to consider the RMA when including the rule would normally make the rule subject to review, due to another part of the RMA – section 83, which only allows challenges to a regional plan in the three months after the plan becomes operative – too much time had elapsed, the court found.

ELI argued that rule applied to procedural issues rather than substantive ones, such as in this case.

“Even though the rule was made 12 years ago, it remains in force and it is central to the nitrate crisis people across Canterbury are experiencing today.”

“The court has found there’s been a failure to abide by a clear provision in the Act. So if that is the law as it stands now, that essentially once you’ve been through the Schedule 1 [plan-making] process and the plan’s been made, it can’t be challenged even if there are fundamental areas of law [at stake], that’s concerning and it’s something we will be examining quite closely,” Hall said.

The council submitted the proceedings came almost eight years after it approved the regional plan, and any changes would have significant consequences for those who had relied on the rule, including potentially requiring farmers to go through lengthy and expensive resource consent processes.

It told the court there was “no evidence” of any causal impact from the rule being included or that its continued application would result in environmental damage.

Neither party knew how many people could be affected, because those currently relying on the rule to discharge nutrients do not need to apply for consent.

In his decision, Justice Mander found section 83 barred ELI’s challenge, but even if it had not, the proceeding centred on “an administrative decision made some 10 years ago about a rule that formed part of a highly detailed and complex regulatory scheme which largely no longer applied” because the council had since added specific sub-regional rules for at-risk catchments.

Hall said where limits were in place there needed to be work done to ensure they were met.

“We have to actually change some of the activities on the ground which are contributing, and in many cases, have already surpassed those limits, in red zones in Canterbury. We can’t keep a situation going where the council has limits that are clear and part of the law, but it’s not actually changing the activity or setting the framework…

“We can’t ignore reality, biological and ecological reality.”

He said while the ruling was fairly technical, it boiled down to accountability – “holding regulators to account and implementing the existing law, and here the court’s found a failure to do that.”

According to the most recent Stats NZ data, Canterbury has the largest amount of irrigated agricultural land (480,000 hectares) in the country, and accounted for 70 percent of the country’s total dairy farming irrigation.

The council’s most recent annual groundwater testing showed nitrate increasing in 62 percent of 300 test wells.

In September, the council narrowly voted to declare a nitrate emergency.

RNZ has approached the regional council 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

Uncovering he mystery behind eel breed has proven to be a difficult task, but passionate scientists are far from calling it quits.

Senior lecturer at AUT, Dr Amandine Sabadel is a chemist, ecologist, environmental scientist and an eel expert.

She told The run home to Christmas that tracking technology has helped scientists find the first clues as to how and where eels spawn but there is still more to go in understand the process and location.

“In New Zealand, we have two-slash-three visitors… we have the shortfin, and we have the longfin eels. But we also have, from time to time, the Australian longfin that comes visit our shores.

“The suspected thing is that there is a big spawning event, so they gather in a place that they know where to go.”

However, she said they are still unsure how eels know where to go.

After the spawning event many eggs are hatched quickly, and the baby eels are only a few millimetres in length.

They then start growing and growing as they make their way back to New Zealand.

Dr Sabadel’s interest lies specifically in the mystery of where the eels go throughout this process.

She said while they can currently track eels using satellite tags, the technology cannot track live and must be pre-programmed.

“This is an issue, because the eels are actually diving very deep when they’re doing their migration… it can be to thousands of metres.

Although the trackers can stand the pressure, they can’t transmit meaning they have to be pre-programmed, which can cause issues.

“They can detach from time to time, or the eel can be predated,” Dr Sabadel

Spawning, unlike migration, happens around 100 to 140 metres in the sea, however there are still difficulties.

“You’re not going to see like a big cloud of egg material at the surface. So, you can’t satellite track it.”

“Tracking has given us the first clues, because over the years now, we have kind of a direction.

She said many research cruises from Japan have already been catching very small eels but are yet to catch the New Zealand longfin, which she says is the “holy grail’ of eel research.

The research Dr Sanabel is doing in her lab looks at indirect clues left behind by eels like DNA that the shed in the water

“We’ve narrowed it down to kind of three different places. So, we think that there is two spawning sites for the shortfin, and we believe that there’s one that goes to Australia, and one that goes to New Zealand.”

She said in general conditions for eels in New Zealand could be better, with pollution having a major impact on their environment.

“We have a problem with pollution of the rivers, obviously, that doesn’t make a suitable habitat for them.

“Even if they are very resilient animals, the health of our river is very important, and we should really think about this and looking at the type of pollutants, we put in them.”

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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 Far North town has received a very welcome Christmas present – running water for the first time in more than two months.

Residents of Kāeo, about 30km north of Kerikeri, have lived under a boil-water notice for more than a decade, but in October the town water supply stopped completely.

After 30 days with no running water in the town, Taumata Arowai, the national water authority, stepped in and ordered the Far North District Council to take over the privately-owned water supply.

Kāeo resident Anna Valentine said the taps started working again on Tuesday evening for the first time in 67 days.

“It’s an absolute relief. It was so nice to just see the water flowing again.”

Valentine said her family would now be able to celebrate Christmas without worrying about water, and she would be able to resume the cooking school she ran from her home.

She had been unable to run her business while there was no running water.

Valentine said a number of options for the town’s water supply had been canvassed, but reviving the treatment plant was the best possible outcome.

“Especially for the businesses here and places like the museum. It doesn’t have holding tanks or anything, so the ladies that volunteer there have been bringing water from home so they can flush the toilets this whole time.”

Valentine said she had been kept up to date by the council as work to restart the treatment plant progressed.

“Once they got into the plant they just had to do a bit of fixing and cleaning.”

She was grateful to Zap Water, the company contracted to top up water tanks and fill containers from a tanker truck parked daily opposite the Four Square.

Valentine said the town’s boil-water notice remained in place for now, with Taumata Arowai giving the council until March to bring the supply up to standard.

While she was thankful an end was in sight to the town’s water woes, it should not have been allowed to drag on for more than a decade.

“It’s been way too long worrying about the water for all these years, but significantly over the last few months. It’s taken a lot of emails and a lot of work to get people to listen and do something about it, and I’ve taken quite a bit of flak online for it. So I’m very happy for that all to be over – but I feel like people need to be held to account for letting this town down for so long.”

Kāeo’s water scheme supplies about 30 homes and businesses, as well as public facilities such as the toilets and memorial hall, along State Highway 10, the town’s main street.

The town supply was originally owned by the Far North District Council but was sold to Doubtless Bay Water in 2000.

Doubtless Bay Water exited in 2008, saying the scheme was no longer viable.

It was bought for a nominal sum by Wai Care Environmental Consultants, which owned and operated the water supply until Taumata Arowai’s intervention in November.

In August RNZ revealed Wai Care operator Bryce Aldridge had been trespassed from the treatment plant, which was on private land on School Gully Rd.

The land owner said he issued the trespass notice after he had not been paid rent for seven years. Aldridge said he had a document proving he did not have to pay rent.

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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 High Court has ruled Canterbury’s regional council erred when it allowed farms to discharge nitrates and other pollution without resource consents, but stopped short of ordering it to change the rule.

The decision comes as the region grapples with increasing levels of nitrate in its waterways, and the effects on human and environmental health.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) asked the court to quash a regional plan rule which allowed some discharges from farming – such as nitrates and phosphorus – to be classed as permitted activities (not requiring resource consents) but the judge found too much had time had passed since the plan went into force.

The judgement, released on Monday, confirmed the council’s rule making fell short of the law and went to the heart of Canterbury’s current nitrate crisis, ELI research and legal director Dr Matt Hall said.

Council’s rule making found lacking

Justice Mander found the regional council, Environment Canterbury, failed to properly consider and apply section 70 of the Resource Management Act (RMA) when it included the rule allowing some farming nutrient discharges as permitted activities.

Section 70 requires consideration of a number of points, including whether a rule could have any significant adverse effects on aquatic life.

The rule – rule 5.63 (Incidental Nutrient Discharges) – had “cemented the conditions for ongoing intensive farming even as nitrate pollution was already mounting”, Hall said.

ELI argued the rule breached the RMA, was unlawful and outside the council’s power.

By permitting discharges without adequate evidence the farmers would not breach minimum pollution standards, the rule removed a key safeguard, green-lighting further intensive farming in catchments already under stress, and locking in higher pollution loads, Hall said.

The organisation sought the removal of the rule, as well as other declarations about the law, but the court declined.

The RMA has clear prohibitions on the type of rules that can be included in plans in relation to fresh water, and the council “was not able to show how it stepped through the requirements of Section 70 or provided any reasons for why it deemed that Section 70 was met”, Hall said.

The court found records from the council’s regional plan hearings did not demonstrate it had sufficient evidence to conclude certain severe effects, including significant adverse effects on aquatic life, were not likely to arise from the rule.

Justice Mander noted the council had been “put on notice” during the hearings, given “clear controversy and competing professional views expressed by expert witnesses” on the health of the region’s waterways, and potential impacts of nutrient discharge, putting questions about the plan’s compliance with section 70 “clearly in play”.

‘Systemic failings’

Hall said it was “extremely concerning” the council did not meet the law in its planning process, something that had been found to differing extents in other ELI cases.

Llast year, the High Court ruled the council unlawfully granted a discharge consent to the Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Ltd (ALIL) irrigation scheme, quashing the consent. Earlier this year, it found ECan made a material error of law in granting a consent to the Mayfield Hinds Valletta (MHV) irrigation scheme, but declined to overturn the consent.

“We’ve taken three cases now that relate to ECan decision making. And each of those cases, to different degrees, show problems with how ECan has applied to law, and this is in the context of a systemic failing … of environmental outcomes.

“In this case, the court’s been clear ECan did not discharge its statutory responsibility. To me, that’s a very important message for ECan to properly take on board, and in any new legal framework that has to be completely front of mind – for the regulator to be totally on top of its legal responsibility.”

Delays and accountability

While the court’s finding the council failed to consider the RMA when including the rule would normally make the rule subject to review, due to another part of the RMA – section 83, which only allows challenges to a regional plan in the three months after the plan becomes operative – too much time had elapsed, the court found.

ELI argued that rule applied to procedural issues rather than substantive ones, such as in this case.

“Even though the rule was made 12 years ago, it remains in force and it is central to the nitrate crisis people across Canterbury are experiencing today.”

“The court has found there’s been a failure to abide by a clear provision in the Act. So if that is the law as it stands now, that essentially once you’ve been through the Schedule 1 [plan-making] process and the plan’s been made, it can’t be challenged even if there are fundamental areas of law [at stake], that’s concerning and it’s something we will be examining quite closely,” Hall said.

The council submitted the proceedings came almost eight years after it approved the regional plan, and any changes would have significant consequences for those who had relied on the rule, including potentially requiring farmers to go through lengthy and expensive resource consent processes.

It told the court there was “no evidence” of any causal impact from the rule being included or that its continued application would result in environmental damage.

Neither party knew how many people could be affected, because those currently relying on the rule to discharge nutrients do not need to apply for consent.

In his decision, Justice Mander found section 83 barred ELI’s challenge, but even if it had not, the proceeding centred on “an administrative decision made some 10 years ago about a rule that formed part of a highly detailed and complex regulatory scheme which largely no longer applied” because the council had since added specific sub-regional rules for at-risk catchments.

Hall said where limits were in place there needed to be work done to ensure they were met.

“We have to actually change some of the activities on the ground which are contributing, and in many cases, have already surpassed those limits, in red zones in Canterbury. We can’t keep a situation going where the council has limits that are clear and part of the law, but it’s not actually changing the activity or setting the framework…

“We can’t ignore reality, biological and ecological reality.”

He said while the ruling was fairly technical, it boiled down to accountability – “holding regulators to account and implementing the existing law, and here the court’s found a failure to do that.”

According to the most recent Stats NZ data, Canterbury has the largest amount of irrigated agricultural land (480,000 hectares) in the country, and accounted for 70 percent of the country’s total dairy farming irrigation.

The council’s most recent annual groundwater testing showed nitrate increasing in 62 percent of 300 test wells.

In September, the council narrowly voted to declare a nitrate emergency.

RNZ has approached the regional council for comment.

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

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A New Zealand law professor is calling for the United Kingdom’s role to be considered when it comes to compensation for villagers impacted by the sinking of Manawanui last year.

The New Zealand navy vessel was surveying the south coast of Upolu when it struck the Tafitoala reef, caught fire, and sank on 6 October 2024.

Former Samoa Prime Minister Fiame Naomi Mata’afa confirmed the New Zealand navy vessel was surveying the south coast as part of security for the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting (CHOGM) and King Charles, who was staying at a nearby resort.

New Zealand paid $6m in compensation to the Samoa government for the sinking but Professor Paul Myburgh from Auckland University of Technology (AUT) said what Manawanui was doing on the south coast of Upolu needed to be considered.

“We know that it was, had basically been called in aid to survey that reef by the UK government so I would be interested to know what the UK government thinks its ethical and legal duty is towards those villagers. Basically if they had not made that request to the New Zealand navy this whole incident would never have happened,” Myburgh said.

Letters released under the Official Information Act (OIA) show Samoa’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested SAT$10 tala – NZ$6 million – be paid by the New Zealand government following the sinking.

Pacific security expert Dr Iati Iati from Victoria University questioned whether New Zealand should be the only country paying compensation for the sinking of Manawanui.

“Given that Manawanui sank exactly around the same time that CHOGM was going on, it drew a lot of attention to Manawanui that perhaps they didn’t want to have drawn to it. It drew a lot of attention to the fact that there could be other actors involved other than New Zealand and Samoa.”

The wreck of Manawanui remain on the Tafitoala Reef and Samoa’s Marine Pollution Advisory Committee was expecting a wreck report in the coming month.

Professor Myburgh said even with the removal of “immediate dangers for example from fuel” the wreck continued to impact the environment.

“And what is particularly concerning here is that the local villages are totally dependent on that area for their food, for their livelihoods so I think that in that context that payment of that amount should be seen as being very much on the lower end of the scale,” he said.

The British High Commission and the UK’s Foreign Office were 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

The Transport Agency is urging drivers to plan ahead for a safe summer road trip, as several accidents have snarled Auckland traffic on Christmas Eve.

It warned more cars on the road, tired drivers, and people driving on unfamiliar roads can all add up.

It encouraged everyone to check that their car was safe before heading off – and to avoid speeding, drive sober, and to watch for signs of fatigue. Also to drive to the conditions, which could change quickly, and to check the weather forecast before leaving home.

As for where the traffic will be…

Christmas Day

There is predicted to be some traffic in the North Island on 25 December, based on the Transport Agency’s data from previous years.

It will be busy on Auckland’s State Highway 1, from Manukau to Bombay, between 9am and 6.30pm.

It will be the heaviest between 10am and 1pm.

Further down, between Puhoi and Wellsford, it will be busy from 10am to 2.30pm.

In Waikato, it will be slow from Tīrau to Karapiro between 10.30am and 12.30pm.

On State Highway 2, from Pōkeno to Maramarua, the peak will be from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

In the Bay of Plenty, it will be busy from 10.30am to 12pm between Tauranga and Katikati on State Highway 2.

As well as on State Highway 29 in Kaimai, west of Tauranga, from 8.30am to 10.30am.

Down to the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, it will be a slog on State Highway 1 between Taihape and Waiouru from 10am to 3.30pm.

And from 10am to 12.30pm in Ōhau.

In the Wellington Region, it will be busy between Peka Peka and Ōtaki from 10.30am to 12pm.

There is only one place where Christmas Day traffic is predicted in the South Island, and that is on State Highway 1 between Ashburton and Christchurch from 8.30am and 10am.

Boxing Day

There is expected to be a lot more congestion on 26 December – on both the North and the South Island.

Beginning from State Highway 1 in Northland’s Kawakawa, in the Bay of Islands area, it will be busy for an hour from 2pm to 3pm.

And from Kaipara Flats to Pukerito from 9.30am to 1.30pm.

It will also be busy on Auckland’s State Highway 1, from Manukau to Bombay, between 9am and 6pm.

The heaviest period will be from 10am to 11.30am.

And between Puhoi and Wellsford from 9.30am to 4.30pm, with the heaviest period between 11am and 2.30pm.

In Waikato, it will be slow from Tīrau to Karapiro – once again – between 10am and 6pm.

On State Highway 2, from Pōkeno to Maramarua, it will be busy from 9am to 2pm.

And from 12pm to 1pm between Paeroa and Waihi.

In the Bay of Plenty, it will be busy from 10am to 3.30pm between Tauranga and Katikati on State Highway 2.

As well as on State Highway 29 in Kaimai, west of Tauranga, from 8am to 2.30pm.

In the Manawatū-Whanganui Region, it will be slow between Taihape and Waiouru from 10.30am to 4pm.

The heaviest period will be between 12pm and 3pm.

And from 9.30am to 5.30pm in Ōhau.

In the Wellington Region, it will be busy between Peka Peka and Ōtaki from 10am to 12.30pm, and from 4.30pm to 5.30pm.

In the South Island, it will be slow from 10am to 12pm on Canterbury’s State Highway 1 in Waipara, north of Christchurch.

From 1pm to 2.30pm in Kaikōura.

South of Christchurch, there will be traffic to Ashburton between 8am and 1.30pm.

And from 8am to 2.30pm on State Highway 1 in Timaru.

On State Highway 79 in Geraldine for a short period of time between 12pm and 1pm.

For even less time on State Highway 7 in Lewis Pass – between 12pm and 12.30pm.

And last, but not least, on State Highway 6 in Queenstown from 11am to 3pm.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

[xh Multiple hospitalisations due to synthetic drug use

A warning has been issued after multiple people were hospitalised in the last day after using synthetic drugs.

High Alert, a drug watchdog, said the cases had been linked to synthetic cannabis in the Auckland region with multiple hospitalisations reported in the last 24 hours.

A spokesperson said there had been a wider trend of increased harm related to synthetic drugs across the country in the last few months but the sharp increase in hospitalisations was a serious concern.

It wasn’t yet known which synthetic cannabinoid was responsible for the hospitalisations. High Alert said further analysis would be done by PHF Science (formerly ESR).

Extreme caution was needed if consuming synthetic drugs, the spokesperson said, especially in the Auckland region.

“If you or someone you know takes this substance and starts to lose consciousness or stops breathing, call 111 immediately.”

Synthetic cannabinoids could vary in strength, High Alert said, and what was a safe dose for one may be a fatal dose for another.

It was often diluted and sprayed onto plant material which led to different concentrations, which made it harder to predict how strong the effects would be.

People who had taken the drugs could collapse, foam at the mouth or experience temporary paralysis.

Effects could be made worse if use with alcohol or other drugs or medications, if a person was unwell or was experiencing mental distress.

Synthetic drugs were usually described as white, off-white or yellow/brown powders that were dissolved and sprayed onto dehydrated plant material and smoked, High Alert said, and there was often a chemical smell that was noticeably different from cannabis.

Anyone who did chose to use synthetic drugs should make sure not be alone and test a small amount first to see how it affected them.

Drugs could be tested for free at confidential drug checking services such as ones run by KnowYourStuffNZ, the New Zealand Drug Foundation and DISC Trust.

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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 after the death of a man in Hamilton last week.

Police were called to a home in Lake Crescent at 6.15pm on December 18, where they found two people seriously injured.

One of the inured, 55-year-old Jason Poa, also known as Jason Tipene, died at the scene.

Police said a 21-year-old man was arrested in Chartwell on Christmas Eve and charged with murder.

He would appear in the Hamilton District Court on Boxing Day.

Police said no one else was being sought in relation to the death.

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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 who evacuated due to a scrub fire near the Hawke’s Bay village of Fernhill have been allowed to return to their homes.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson told RNZ there’s now one fire truck monitoring the scene, and the fire investigators have left.

The blaze broke out near Hastings on Tuesday, destroying multiple buildings.

Three firefighters experienced heat exhaustion, and one was transferred to Hawke’s Bay Hospital as a precaution.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Camera on continuous record

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A template of every shopper

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

But the activities were more than just for the children.

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

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

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

Manktelow fully understood the appeal of the community.

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

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

“We do one parent one language.”

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

This was not what he would have expected.

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

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

What had been the most surprising element so far?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ōtorohanga mayor Rodney Dow, agreed.

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

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

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

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

Though Macindoe was expecting a very special arrival this Christmas.

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

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Several accidents have snarled Auckland traffic on Christmas Eve.

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

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

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

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

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

The driver of the car was not seriously injured.

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

A scene examination is ongoing at the property.

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The boy was fine, police said.

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

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

More to come…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

Watercare agreed to give that money to 10 affected farmers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It came at the peak of the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schollum and Hill urged people to take fire bans seriously.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

Police expect the death to be referred to the Coroner.

Local iwi have placed also a rāhui on the area.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas indoors?

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Day forecast:

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

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

Source: Radio New Zealand