Source: Radio New Zealand

A family violence specialist says she is regularly contacted by women who say their abusive partner has shared custody of their kids and they wish they never left.

It comes as newly released information reveals officials shelved work to see how families in custody battles could be better screened for domestic violence.

Debbs Murray is a survivor of domestic violence and now heads Eclipse, a service that aims to prevent family violence and train those working in the sector.

She said it breaks her heart to hear from women who say their abusive ex-partners are given unsupervised custody of their children.

“I get emails from women who say I should’ve just stayed because the Family Court has allowed my children to go unsupervised to a known family violence abuser and if I’d stayed at least I would’ve had eyes on.”

Murray said every case in the Family Court needs to be screened for violence, but they are not.

She is often contacted by women who want to have a formal risk assessment conducted by an expert.

“That’s part of why I’m contacted as well, because they want someone anyone to be able to present the risk that they are experiencing into the judicial space.”

Backbone Collective advocates for survivors of domestic violence and received a raft of information from the Ministry of Justice about introducing a formal risk assessment for those embroiled in family law proceedings.

The response showed Family Court Principal Judge Jackie Moran had started the work but it had been shut down at steering committee level in 2023.

A Ministry presentation included in the official information response stated they did not know if people coming to the Family Court have experienced family violence.

Backbone’s manager and co-founder Deborah Mackenzie said that’s a big gap and puts a lot of responsibility on the court-appointed psychologists and lawyers who assess such situations.

“What we know from everything victim survivors and children have shared with Backbone is that the reports they’re giving to Family Court judges often minimise the violence and abuse or they don’t believe protective parents and children when they disclose violence and abuse.”

She said it’s putting some people – mostly women and children – at risk.

“The judiciary are making decisions that force children into unsupervised care and contact with abusive parents as a result.”

Ministry of Justice group manager for commissioning and service improvement Lance Harrison said court staff may identify risk factors informally then refer the participant to a support service that must conduct formal risk assessments.

He said family violence response training is also provided to people working in the courts.

University of Auckland associate professor of law, Carrie Leonetti, said the Family Court accepts evidence of domestic violence only from court-appointed psychologists and lawyers.

“Women go to places like Shine and they go to places like Women’s Refuge and they get an evidence based risk assessment done,” she said.

“That evidence based risk assessment says this child is not safe in the care of the other parent or it is not safe for this person to have shared legal guardianship with the perpetrator it will put them at risk and the Family Court won’t accept the evidence.”

Carrie Leonetti is also a professorial lecturer in law at George Washington University’s domestic violence programme.

At times she is approached to do risk assessments.

“I’ve had women come to me and want to contract, privately, reports from me and I’ve had to say to them they won’t take it in evidence. The court won’t consider anything an expert in domestic violence has to say they won’t even admit the evidence. They only want to hear from their court psychologist.”

She says it is out of keeping with international practice and does not have to be that way.

Leonetti believed it comes down to the Family Court’s interpretation of section 133 of the Care of Children Act – which enables the court to hire psychologist to assess a child’s best interests.

“For years not the Family Court has interpreted section 133 of the Care of Children Act to mean that they won’t take evidence from any psychologists or any social workers or any psychiatrists other than the ones that they appoint and assign to the case.”

Backbone Collective is calling for the Minister of Justice to fund and progress work to ensure victims of family violence are identified and not put at further risk in custody disputes.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

With tourism numbers back to pre-Covid levels, New Zealanders are getting ready for a swarm of tourists. Experts say tourists – local or not – should be ready for some changeable weather.

Tourists chasing the classic Kiwi summer of bright blue skies and postcard-perfect beaches are being warned to prepare for a season that could serve up everything from scorching heat to sudden downpours – sometimes in the same afternoon.

Earth Sciences New Zealand principal scientist and meteorologist Chris Brandolino warns that tourists are often unprepared for the strength and unpredictability of Kiwi weather.

“People coming from overseas, they probably don’t have a full appreciation of our weather and climate, particularly the strength of the sun – how stinking strong the sun is in December and January and how quickly you can get a sunburn … and just how quickly the weather can change once you gain altitude and put yourself in a mountainous environment, how darn quickly that can change,” Brandolino tells The Detail.

“So, I think that’s something that people [visiting New Zealand] may not fully appreciate.”

From the alpine peaks of Queenstown to the golden beaches of the Coromandel, summer favourite spots are preparing for a season that may be busier and more unpredictable than usual.

Brandolino says for those who want warmer temperatures, the upper North Island is “your best bet, but if you don’t mind a bit of uncertainty, running the risk for cooler temperatures, the South Island is the place to be”.

And he’s quick to point out, when it comes to forecasting the long-term summer holiday weather, it comes down to “one woman”.

“With these three-month outlooks, what we are trying to do is predict mother nature’s personality.

“A weather forecast? That’s mother nature’s mood, and most times if you get the personality right, the mood will be aligned with that, but there can be some days where it doesn’t.”

He strongly encourages tourists to use local weather apps daily, especially when crossing mountain passes or going hiking, due to how rapidly conditions can change.

“The mountains are notoriously difficult to forecast for; they can create their own sort of environment sometimes, it seems like.

“You can hop in your caravan … and it’s expected to be a hot day, but you get to the mountain, you start gaining altitude, and it all changes quickly. Temperatures drop fast, the wind picks up, and hypothermia becomes a real thing.”

‘People are coming again’

Tourists are encouraged to check both heat and rain – even on the same day – and to check forecasts every morning and afternoon, protect themselves from UV year-round, be cautious on mountain hikes, stay updated on road conditions, have a backup plan for any outdoor activity, and never underestimate a river, track, or coastline.

And it’s likely there will be a lot of tourists to heed this advice this summer – international tourism numbers have bounced back close to pre-Covid levels, with expectations they’ll hit the 2030 goal of five million a year and worth of $55 billion.

Lincoln University associate professor of parks, recreation and tourism Dr Stephen Espiner says grand ambitions for a tourism reset after borders were closed during Covid have not been fulfilled.

“People are coming again, they’re getting into the national parks, they’re visiting places like Tekapo and Te Anau and Milford Sound in numbers as great as before and some of those have well exceeded the pre-pandemic numbers already,” he says.

“Many of the very same impacts that were beginning to be problematic in 2019 are with us today.”

One of Espiner’s specialities is hazard management and communication, and getting the message to tourists. As the country faces more extreme weather events, he says it is an area of growing interest among councils and agencies like Department of Conservation which want to understand more about how visitors can stay safe, “whether that’s from natural hazards to do with rockfall or avalanches or to do with forest fires as we’ve seen in the media recently,” Espiner says.

DOC closes tracks and bridges if they are deemed unsafe but visitors don’t always comply with messages or warning signs. Espiner cites the popular Cathedral Cove in the Coromandel as an example.

“The track was closed for nearly two years after storm damage and the public compliance around that signage was a long way from perfect.

“People went anyway, especially locals and New Zealand domestic visitors, they make their own assessment and decide, “oh it doesn’t look too bad to me’ and they’ll have a crack anyway.

“It was certainly frowned upon by the authorities and caused some stress for those managing the place.”

Espiner says as the country grapples with more extreme weather events, getting the message out will be crucial, starting in schools and on outdoor education courses.

The sign at the site of the closed bridge or track should be the last reminder.

“It’s your last chance to convince.”

Espiner suggests push messaging has potential as a method for warning people about hazards.

“With each of us carrying a mobile device these days, there is opportunity to warn people of particular hazards, as we well know, through things like tsunami alerts and earthquakes.

“You could use similar things presumably with wildfires or with weather events.

“If you were ever going to go and do the Heaphy track and if one thing you decided to do was to sign up to some sort of push notification service, it could be very useful to you to be warned of a heavy rainfall event or a track closure or some other incident.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Over the years, Christine Fernyhough has built an extraordinary private collection of New Zealand objects, spanning everything from the 1860s through to the 1970s. Now, in her new book The Albino Kiwi & Other Rarities, she’s selected 75 remarkable pieces to showcase. Among the highlights are a rare albino kiwi specimen, cherished Maori artefacts, quirky vintage collectibles, a 10-million-year-old crab and “Molly,” the stout-legged moa.

Listen to Christine Fernyhough talk with Jesse Mulligan here.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Potential new owners for Wellington’s historic Erskine Chapel have until Thursday afternoon to put in their bids to buy the chapel.

The building which is part of the former Erskine College is being sold by developers The Wellington Company.

The French Gothic-style chapel which was built in 1929-30 is listed as a Heritage New Zealand Category 1 Historic Place and recognised in the Wellington City Council Heritage List.

The chapel sits on the site of the former Erskine College in Island Bay and was designed by John Sydney Swan.

The chapel is considered to be New Zealand’s finest French Gothic-style chapel, influenced heavily by a chapel in Alsace Lorraine, France. It features a soaring vaulted ceiling and an interior of Italian Carrara marble.

The Wellington Company purchased the buildings in disrepair in 2000.

In 2018 the Environment Court ruled the company could demolish the school buildings, but not the chapel – which had to be saved and strengthened.

It has since been restored to the tune of $7 million and is now an event space.

Venue manager Kate Spencer said the chapel had hosted all sorts of events from weddings and funerals through to a recent fashion show, Christmas parties and choir performances.

But although the star of the show, the chapel only made up part of the building.

“We also have the nunnery where the nuns lived which is next door to the chapel and downstairs we have the ballroom which was the library for the girls’ school,” Spencer told RNZ during a tour of the building.

Spencer said movies such as The Frighteners had also been filmed there.

For any potential buyer, one of the considerations will be the building’s heritage status.

Jamie Jacobs director central region for Heritage New Zealand said the building was protected in two ways.

He said it was scheduled in the Wellington District Plan as a heritage building.

Under the Resource Management Act, the site, he said was also under a heritage protection order that was held by the Save Erskine College Trust.

He said as such any major changes or work to the building would have to go through both the council and the trust.

The Wellington Company director of property Sam Hooper said there had been around 60 expressions of interest in the building since it went on sale.

“The way I’ve always sort of seen who might pick this up will be someone who either has been part of the chapel, either an old girl from the school … someone from Island Bay who’s seen it growing up, or someone who’s into events, weddings, looking, creating really cool spaces, or philanthropists who just love sort of heirloom assets.”

He said there was also opportunity for a church to take it over again.

“It is deconsecrated at the moment, but it can be reconsecrated,” he said. “We are in discussion with a couple of churches who are certainly looking at it.”

Meanwhile, in a statement the Save Erskine College Trust said it was hoping for a successful transition of guardianship.

“Erskine College remains a vital part of the Island Bay and wider community, including Erskine Chapel and the remnant Reverend Mother’s Garden. Along with Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga and Wellington City Council, we hope for a successful transition in ownership and kaitiakitanga.”

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– 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

In the balmy greenhouses of Rainbow Park Nurseries, orchids bloom in perfect rows – a picture of calm that hides how close the operation came to crisis.

The South Auckland business – which grows houseplants and trees for major retailers – has just finished a $2.5 million project to get off natural gas. An army of industrial heat pumps now feed two giant hot-water tanks, keeping the glasshouses at up to 28°C through winter nights.

Manager Andrew Tayler is blunt: without public money, it would not have happened.

“We were very lucky we got the funding,” Tayler says. “If we didn’t, we probably would have thrown waste-oil burners on the front of the boilers and walked away.”

Rainbow Park was one of the last companies to receive a major grant from the government Investment in Decarbonising Industry (GIDI) fund before new rounds were frozen and the scheme was branded “corporate welfare” by the coalition. EECA covered roughly a third of the cost – about $880,000 – with the nursery borrowing and doing much of the installation work itself.

With no local examples to learn from, the company relied heavily on the advice of suppliers and consultants – and a lot of hope.

“Bolting 32 heat pumps together and putting them into two enormous hot-water tanks… it was a leap of faith,” Tayler says. “But if we hadn’t, we’d still be in the cycle of sweating every year about the gas – are they going to supply us, what is the price going to be, how is that going to affect our business?”

Rainbow employs more than 90 people. Doubling gas prices, he says, would have “hamstrung” the business. Instead, the nursery now buys certified zero-carbon electricity and uses the savings on its gas bill to pay down the new system.

“We’d have to do what some other businesses are doing – curtailing production, turning the heat off in some compartments, maybe laying off staff, changing what we grow,” Tayler says.

“I do feel like some of the guys that didn’t have the opportunities we have will be finding it very tough.”

Since Rainbow Park switched, the bottom has truly fallen out of New Zealand’s gas market. Supplies are collapsing faster than expected. Long-term contracts have become scarce and expensive.

Factories that rely on gas now find themselves in a strange limbo – unable to secure long-term supply, facing steep price rises, but with little guidance or public funding to help them make massive, costly decisions about their energy future.

The result, energy experts and businesses warn, is a “forced transition”: a messy, unmanaged exit from fossil fuels that risks shuttering plants, hollowing out regional economies and pushing up prices for everyone else.

“Energy transitions work better when people have time to see the signals and make informed decisions,” says energy analyst Richard Hobbs, a partner at Boston Consulting group. “When shocks arrive unexpectedly and timeframes are short – that’s when you get the really bumpy situations.”

‘We’ve been backed into a corner’

In Bay of Plenty, Whakatāne Growers heats four hectares of capsicum and chilli glasshouses with a mix of coal and gas. The plan had been to get off coal and move fully onto gas – cleaner and easier to run, with captured CO₂ helping lift yields by up to 20 percent.

Instead, site manager and co-owner Michael Simpson is stuck.

A year and a half ago, the company went to renew its gas contract. Their existing supplier could not even offer one. Two other offers came back – at 40-50 percent higher prices.

“There’s two main issues,” Simpson says. “Supply – it’s never a good thing to not know how the future is going to look – and cost. Gas prices have just exploded, and no one’s had the opportunity to make the best decisions for their business. You’ve got to rush now.”

Whakatāne Growers still runs its gas boiler, but has had to dial back temperatures, focus on efficiency and lean harder on coal.

“We never really stopped using coal, but we didn’t go any further with transitioning away from it – more or less because we didn’t have any option,” he says.

The business has looked seriously at geothermal paired with heat pumps. The numbers were “insane”.

“The capital required was absolutely mind-blowing,” Simpson says. “And with electricity prices going up as well, the running costs were going to be the same, or more. You’re kind of between a rock and a hard place.”

With clear signals and a runway, he says, they could have plotted a path.

“Ten years would have been a lot. If there’d been a clear signal: ‘By this date, you won’t be able to run on gas,’ we could have planned. Instead it feels like gas prices have just exploded with little to no warning.”

Without support, many growers and manufacturers, he says, are simply absorbing the costs, passing some on to consumers and hoping something changes.

“Ultimately, if New Zealand businesses have been backed into this corner, to stay productive and operating we’re going to need some help to transition,” he says. “It’s all good and well to say you’ve got to transition. But if the capital outlay is going to kill half the businesses in the country – and the gas prices kill the other half – what are we going to be left with?”

No silver bullets here

New Zealand’s exit from gas was meant to be more orderly than this.

Under the previous government, officials had started work on a Gas Transition Plan, consulting on how to phase down gas while keeping the lights on. The idea was to map out which uses should be prioritised, when new supply would taper off, and how to avoid simply swapping gas for coal when shortages hit.

Alongside it, the GIDI fund helped pay for the hardware needed to switch: electric boilers, high-temperature heat pumps, biomass boilers, and efficiency upgrades in factories, schools and hospitals.

The goal was not only to reduce dependence on a fuel in decline – it was to cut emissions. Gas is one of the biggest sources of industrial climate pollution, and GIDI was designed to help firms shift, to help meet our climate goals.

That has now flipped: decarbonisation has become the bonus, with the driver keeping businesses running as supply worsens.

That dual purpose – climate and energy security – is what a “managed transition” was meant to balance.

The current government parked that process. It had its own plan: the idea of “market-led” transition: where the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) and price signals will, over time, make fossil fuels too expensive and clean alternatives more attractive. Ministers have argued that public subsidies distort markets, and say a market-led transition will deliver lower costs over time.

The problem is, since they made that decision none of the markets involved have been behaving the way textbooks say they should.

Gas prices for industry have already doubled on average over five years, but new supply is still shrinking and exploration is yet to restart. At the same time, electricity prices are historically high, and security margins are tightening as gas-fired stations age and new renewables lag demand.

Further, the ETS carbon price has slumped, with multiple auctions failing to clear, weakening the incentive to invest in lower-emissions technology.

“There’s enough evidence already to show that the market is demonstrably not working,” Optima energy consultant Martin Gummer says. “If the market was right, then as prices have gone up there’d be more gas coming on stream. The opposite is happening.”

In that context, a “market-led” transition risks becoming no transition at all.

And as a result, the country faces the worst of both worlds: emissions stay high while businesses face shortages and huge energy bills.

‘The bottom has fallen out of the gas market’

The scale of what might yet happen if New Zealand can not get its energy crisis under control was laid out last month in “Energy to Grow”, a report by Boston Consulting Group for the four main gentailers.

Some of the facts are now well-trodden: New Zealand’s gas supply has fallen around 45 percent in six years. Domestic production now sits below underlying demand. But BCG did future projections too, finding the gas gap is set to worsen rapidly. In one scenario, demand exceeds available gas by roughly 10 petajoules (PJ) in 2026, and double that in 2027.

Even if big users such as Methanex and Ballance curtail production or exit entirely by 2027, their 28 PJ of demand is not enough to restore balance later in the decade. The market is still short.

In a dry year, the picture is worse. Gas-fired power stations need more fuel to back up hydro lakes, soaking up any spare supply that might otherwise go to industry. BCG warns that without better planning, “industrial demand destruction” – companies shutting or relocating because they can’t secure fuel – could begin as early as 2026.

Earlier advice to ministers from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) and the Electricity Authority (EA) underlines how tight it has become. In July, officials were asked by Resources Minister Shane Jones whether New Zealand could burn more coal at Huntly so gas could be diverted to struggling factories.

On paper, yes: Huntly can run more on coal. In practice, both agencies say, doing so would push up power prices and increase the risk of shortages, especially in a dry winter. The “spare” coal units at Huntly are not spare at all; they are the emergency reserve that keeps the system stable when lakes are low or gas plants fail.

In other words – any extra gas for industry has to come from somewhere else.

“This is a serious and complex problem,” Gummer says. “You can’t just pull one lever and think it will be a silver bullet. The government has to pull all the levers it possibly can.”

Fear of the unknown: Businesses don’t know when, or how to jump

For many businesses, the result of the gas shortage has been a state of paralysis.

In a survey of 66 industrial gas users earlier this year, consultancy Optima found strong concern about future availability and pricing, with “low ability to transition in the short term”. Twenty-five percent of respondents had already raised prices to pass on fuel costs; 14 percent had reduced production; eight percent had cut staff.

Of 55 firms, 28 believed they could fully or partly replace their gas use within about three years – but only with help on consents and capital. Together, they could cut demand by about 4.8 PJ a year. The combined capital bill was estimated at $532 million; most said some co-funding would be needed to make the numbers stack up.

The remaining 23 businesses said they could not get off gas within five years and needed a longer runway of up to 15 years.

The Energy Efficiency & Conservation Authority (EECA) commissioned qualitative research with 25 small and medium gas users – coffee roasters, brewers, pet-food makers, plastics moulders, hothouse growers and others.

It found many run specialist equipment with no cheap, like-for-like electric alternative.

Transitioning often means ripping out perfectly functional gas technology, investing heavily in heat pumps or biomass boilers, and in many cases – like at Rainbow Park – paying for expensive grid upgrades just to get enough power to their site.

The single biggest barrier those businesses identified was uncertainty: about how long gas will be available, if there will be rationing, how high prices will go, whether exploration will restart, whether a promised investment into LNG will arrive, and what happens if they jump early and the government later props the gas market up.

“We never considered the risk to the business of not actually having natural gas,” one participant said. “We always expect that the price could fluctuate… But we never anticipated maybe having no gas coming from the pipeline.”

“What is the priority of the gas supply going to be?” another asked. “If supply is limited, which it already is, how is energy going to be allocated? Who gets it first? Who gets it last?”

EECA chief executive Dr Marcos Pelenur says many firms feel they are being pushed into “make-or-break decisions”: absorb higher costs, invest millions in new plant, or close.

“Gas has declined much faster than most people expected,” he says.

Crucially, however, he does not expect a return to “the good old days”.

“I think it is very likely that we will not have cheap, abundant gas,” Pelenur says. “There are businesses out there hoping gas prices will go back to what they were ten years ago. I do not think that’s going to happen.”

It is far more likely that the nation will have abundant renewable energy instead, Pelenur says.

His message is that businesses should act now on efficiency – EECA’s walk-through assessments often find 10-30 percent savings – and start planning fuel switches, even if the big projects will take years.

But without a national strategy or substantial funding, that planning sits largely on individual firms: and eventually comes back to the issue of money.

The devil and the deep blue sea

For many manufacturers, the choice is not between cheap gas and slightly dearer electricity. It is between paying hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars to replace perfectly functional gas equipment – or taking their chances and hoping the fuel keeps coming.

“Most businesses are caught between the devil and the deep blue sea,” Gummer says – unable to afford the capital cost of transition, yet unable to rely on increasingly volatile and uncertain gas supply.

“It’s painful,” one business owner told EECA’s researchers. “The economics don’t work out on our current return on investment.”

Some talked seriously about shutting rather than transitioning. Others said they are passing costs on to customers, but worry those customers will simply go offshore – a wider risk of deindustrialisation.

Major employers such as pulp and paper mills, wood processors and food plants are deeply woven into local economies. If they close, the knock-on effects hit ports, trucking firms, engineering workshops, schools and shops. Once those jobs are gone, they are hard to replace.

Green Building Council chief executive Andrew Eagles says leaving it to the market is an unnecessary risk.

“You’ve either got a considered transition or a disruptive one that will damage people’s lives – kids leave schools, people move towns, regional economies shrink,” he says. “This isn’t about abstract ideas – it’s real people’s lives.”

BCG estimates that once big users like Methanex and Ballance have exited, every petajoule of additional gas demand destruction hits GDP harder and harder – about $400m for the first PJ, up to $700m for the tenth. Losing 5 PJ could wipe out around $3b of GDP a year; 10 PJ, around $7.3b, or nearly two percent of total GDP.

By contrast, the report suggests that with about $200m of co-funding, New Zealand could displace 10-20 PJ of industrial gas use over the next decade by helping firms switch to electricity and biomass.

“$200 million is a one-off,” Hobbs says. “The cost of not managing the transition is in the billions every year. The benefits to the economy outweigh the costs by quite some margin.”

Effectively, they’re arguing to restart some form of GIDI, which co-funded dozens of projects at an effective support level of around $1.10 per gigajoule saved spread over 15 years.

RNZ asked Energy Minister Simon Watts whether the Government would consider supporting businesses with some kind of transition grant. Watts said he was “aware of the challenges” industrial gas users have been facing with increased costs and difficulties securing contracts”, and outlined several initiatives underway.

The most significant is the procurement process for a liquefied natural gas import terminal, which the minister says is intended to bolster security of supply in dry years, support electricity generation during peak periods, and “potentially act as a fuel source for industrial users”.

Alongside exploration incentives, the minister said work was underway to “remove barriers” to growing biogas and biomass as alternative fuels.

Watts also highlighted broader financing tools that businesses could access – such as bank sustainability loans – and said the Government was working to “de-risk investment in thermal fuel and capacity”, including by improving transparency in the gas market. He did not directly address further questions about demand-side support.

The path ahead

The analysts argue New Zealand does not have to chart such a difficult path.

Other countries facing gas shortages have taken a more deliberate approach both for businesses and in residential areas. When the gas crisis hit in Europe during the Russia-Ukraine war, there was a rapid push on energy efficiency, leading to major technological leaps.

In Victoria, Australia, where about 60 percent of homes use gas, the state government has moved to stop new gas connections in subdivisions and require electric hot-water heat pumps when systems are replaced.

But New Zealand has no equivalent national framework to either stop new demand locking into a fuel that is already running out, or managing the current demand.

Instead, the government has only intervened on the supply side – investigating LNG imports and putting money on the table to extend gas drilling – while demand-side tools have stalled.

“If the government is prepared to look at co-funding LNG and more drilling, they should be prepared to look at co-funding transition for industry,” Gummer says. “You need several strategies – that’s how you disperse risk.”

The experts are clear: the transition is coming any way you look at it.

They say the argument is not about pipes and boilers, or heat pumps and hot water. It is about who carries the costs and risks of an inevitable shift away from fossil fuels.

For Rainbow Park, an early grant and willing partnership from lines companies and power providers turned a looming risk into a triumph of innovation.

For Whakatāne Growers, and dozens of other firms trying to read the tea leaves, the story is very different.

“It’s pretty daunting,” Simpson says. “You’re always thinking about it. Always working on it at home. But without some certainty, there’s not much point making big investments – you don’t know what the right thing to invest in is, or when the right time is.”

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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 University of Auckland study has found that more than 10 percent of secondary school students have had unwanted sexual experiences, with rates highest among Māori and Pacific teens, gender-diverse youth, and those in the poorest schools.

The research, which has been published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, reviewed answers about unwanted sexual experiences from a representative sample of 7374 students aged 12 to 19 years from the Youth19 survey.

It found sexual violence remained widespread among teenagers in New Zealand with one in eight (12.4 percent) reporting unwanted sexual experiences.

Nineteen percent of girls, compared with 5.7 percent of boys, agreed with the question, “Have you ever been touched in a sexual way or made to do sexual things you didn’t want to do (including sexual abuse or rape)?”.

The survey found teenagers in the poorest schools were about 60 percent more likely to experience sexual violence than those in the wealthiest schools, with 15.3 percent compared with 9.4 percent.

Around 15 percent of Māori and Pacific students reported experiencing sexual violence, compared with about 11 percent of European students and around 10 percent of Asian and other ethnicities.

Meanwhile 31.9 percent of nonbinary and transgender students reported experiencing sexual violence compared with 18.6 percent for cisgender females and 5.5 percent for cisgender males.

“It is incredibly concerning that 12.4 percent of our secondary school students are reporting some type of sexual violence, and we know there are some groups who are more vulnerable,” said School of Nursing professor and Cure Kids Professorial Chair in Child and Adolescent Mental Health Terryann Clark.

The overall figure of 12.4 percent in 2019 is up from 9.5 percent in 2012 and 10.8 percent in 2007, but down from 17 percent in 2001.

Clark said addressing sexual violence was going to take a whole range of solutions including both at the family and school levels.

“This is going to take all of us,” she said.

“We need to make sure that young people are well equipped, they’ve got the right information, and we’re having explicit conversations.”

Clark said sexual violence was often difficult to talk about and disclose, and people who did needed to be believed.

“We know that, from our research, Māori, Pacific and sexually diverse young people, and poor young people, have the hardest time getting the services they need. They are also less likely to be believed or feel like people will do something.

“So, the combination of those factors means those young people are often not disclosing what has happened to them and they aren’t getting the support, treatment and care they need.”

Lead researcher Dr Rachel Roskvist, who is also a specialist GP and forensic medical examiner for people who have experienced sexual violence, said the increase between the 2012 and 2019 surveys may indicate a real rise or greater willingness to disclose.

More granular and up-to-date information was urgently needed, she 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

A seven-year-old Hamilton boy is missing after going to visit his friends on Wednesday afternoon.

Tyrese left his home on Anderson Road in Deanwell at 4pm. Police issued an ‘amber alert’ at 1.30am on Thursday.

They said Tyrese regularly walked to his friends’ houses on his own, but did not return home as usual on Wednesday, and wasn’t at the addresses of known friends. He had no nearby family members and there were no local parks in the immediate area.

Tyrese was expected to attend school tomorrow, making his absence “unusual”, police said, noting he had a medical condition that did not require medication.

They described him as 1.3 metres tall, Māori, of medium build, with brown eyes and medium-length black hair.

He was last seen wearing bright orange shorts, a black T-shirt featuring a blue dragon design on the front, and turquoise Croc shoes.

Police urged anyone who had seen Tyrese or had information about his whereabouts to contact them immediately on 105, quoting event number: P064746386.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

• People are surviving longer after cancer diagnosis – but New Zealand is not improving as fast as other high-income countries.
• Māori around 1.6 times more likely, and Pacific peoples 1.4 times more likely, to die from cancer than Pākehā /other ethnicity.
• Up to half of all cancers “preventable”: improved prevention efforts could see between 8000 and 14,000 fewer cancer diagnoses each year.

The number of New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer each year is set to skyrocket by 50 percent in the next two decades to more than 45,000.

That is according to a snapshot of the State of Cancer report over the last five years, released on Thursday by Te Aho o Te Kahu | Cancer Control Agency.

The agency’s chief executive, Rami Rahal, said the projected increase – from about 30,000 new cases this year, to over 45,000 by 2044 – underscored the need for ongoing investment to ensure the health system was ready.

“We cannot respond to this big increase in demand by doing more of the same,” he said.

“We need new and innovative ways of delivering care and preventing cancers.”

Since the first State of Cancer report five years ago, there had been “encouraging progress” in key areas of prevention, early detection and treatment, he said.

“The chance of surviving cancer has improved over the last 20 years. Smoking rates are declining across all ethnicities, and our national screening programmes are becoming more effective and accessible.

“However, much work is still needed.”

That included the need for “sustained, targeted action” on reducing ethnic disparities: Māori were around 1.6 times more likely, and Pacific peoples 1.4 times more likely, to die from cancer than people of European/other ethnicity.

“Addressing inequities must remain a system-wide priority,” Rahal said.

“Everyone in New Zealand deserves the same access to treatment and chance of cure.”

The Cancer Control Agency was currently working with the sector to update the New Zealand Cancer Action Plan 2019-2029, which was set to be published early next year.

Other findings from the report:

• Most-diagnosed cancers in New Zealand: prostate, breast, bowel, melanoma and lung cancer.
• Cancer incidence rates have dropped in the last 20 years, but only by 5 percent overall – and that decrease has levelled off over the past decade.
• ive-year net survival for all cancers has improved by 15 percent in the last 20 years – probably due to screening and advances in treatment.
• However, obesity rates, harmful alcohol consumption, poor nutrition and physical inactivity – which all increase risk of cancer – are either worse or no better than 20 years ago.
• Between 2018 and 2022, the rate for uterine cancer was over five times higher for Pacific females than for females of European ethnicity and almost twice as high for wāhine Māori.
• For breast cancer, wāhine Māori and Pacific females have a higher rate of diagnosis than females of European – rate of diagnosis among Pacific females, increasing by more than 50 percent between 2001 and 2022.

Prevention better than cure

Up to half of all cancers could be prevented by eradicating tobacco use, limiting alcohol intake and healthy nutrition, physical activity, sun protection and infection-prevention measures.

The report noted that people’s risk of developing cancer often depended on where they lived, and their levels of power, money and resources, and “access to culturally safe care”.

“For example, in many socioeconomically deprived areas – where more whānau Māori and Pacific families live – there is a higher density of fast-food and alcohol outlets, making healthy choices harder to access.”

Cancer prevention was the most “cost-effective” approach to controlling some cancers.

“As the New Zealand population ages and increases in size, along with cancer incidence, ‘treating our way out’ of the significant increase that is forecast will not be possible,” according to the report.

“Prevention must be prioritised – improved prevention efforts could see between approximately 8000 and 14,000 fewer cancer diagnoses each year.”

Currently, only one in 10 adults eat the recommended amount of vegetables and just one in 17 eat the recommended amount of both fruit and vegetables.

For children, only one in 12 eat the recommended amount of vegetables, and daily breakfast consumption is declining.

Workplace exposures to carcinogens cause nearly one-third of work-related harm and roughly 650 deaths annually from cancer and respiratory diseases.

The New Zealand Carcinogens Survey, commissioned by WorkSafe New Zealand in 2021, found that 58 percent of workers were exposed to at least one carcinogen at work, with Māori, Pacific peoples and males facing higher exposure.

The next best thing to prevention: Early detection

Almost 1600 deaths per year could be avoided if all people diagnosed with late-stage bowel cancer were diagnosed at an early or mid-stage, when it could be treated more successfully.

About half of all European and Asian people with lung cancer were diagnosed following an emergency hospital admission.

For Māori, this proportion was far higher at 68 percent and for Pacific peoples higher still (73 percent).

Palliative care also needed critical attention and much better funding, particularly given predictions that, by 2038, the number of people needing palliative care would increase by more than 50 percent compared with 2015 levels, and by 90 percent by 2068.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Public Health Communication Centre says children exposed to asbestos contained in coloured play sands should be regularly monitored to ensure the best chance of successfully treating cancers – which could take decades to emerge later in life.

Hundreds of schools have been tested – with nearly 40 forced to temporarily close – following the discovery of naturally occurring asbestos, tremolite, in coloured play sands last month.

At least nine children’s activity products containing coloured sands were recalled over the last month after testing in Australia revealed the presence of the carcinogen in products.

Illnesses could take decades to emerge

University of Canterbury toxicologist, Professor Ian Shaw, said it could be decades before any illnesses related to the exposure emerged as symptoms.

“Mesothelioma, which is the cancer which is most likely to be caused by asbestos, tends not to be diagnosed early. The reason is that you don’t notice the symptoms – they’re the sort of things that you might just pass off.

“In kids that we know have been exposed, we would then want to monitor them – say, yearly – for many years so that if they did contract mesothelioma we could detect it really early and have a greater chance of treatment success,” Shaw said.

He said testing needed to be done to better understand the risks associated with exposure to the products.

“We need to know not only how much they’re breathing in – in terms of the concentration in air – but how long they’ve been breathing it because the higher the concentration, the longer the exposure, the greater the risk.

“It’s immensely complex but it’s really important because we’ve got kids exposed and what we do know about chemicals that cause cancer is that they tend to have a greater effect in children than adults. The reason for that is that kids are growing, their cells are dividing more frequently and cancer-causing chemicals generally only affect cells that are dividing. So there’s more chance of them affecting dividing cells in kids,” Shaw said.

Shaw said not everyone who breathed in asbestos would necessarily develop cancer.

“Even if somebody breathes a whole load of it for a long period of time they might not develop cancer. We mustn’t be thinking that everybody’s going to get cancer in this case ’cause they’re not,” Shaw said.

University of Auckland professor of commercial law Alex Sims said that in order to support the monitoring of children exposed to the chemical, the voluntary Asbestos Exposure Register – which stopped accepting new entries in 2023 – should be reinstated and expanded to include people who may have suffered exposure in a wider variety of environments.

“It was mainly to do with workplaces so if employees had been exposed to potential asbestos they could be on that register and it would allow for greater monitoring.

“Australia has one and – with the coloured play sand incident – people are being told to register there.

“As we’ve seen – with the coloured play sand – asbestos issues are far broader than just employees so that would be really useful,” Sims said.

Enforcement of importing regulations lacking

Sims said importing regulations meant it was currently illegal to import products that contained asbestos without a permit but little was being done to back up the legislation.

“The problem is that there is no requirement to test products before they come into New Zealand so we’re just relying on people to test products but there’s no one checking to see whether anything has been tested.

“If people are importing things into New Zealand [and] if there’s a risk that a product could contain asbestos then testing should be carried out but, as we’ve seen, you can’t rely on importers to do this, so instead you need a government body – say, for example, MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) – to arrange for the testing and to do that at the importer’s cost,” Sims said.

Sims said consumers should consider choosing children’s products that had simpler, more natural, elements to avoid the risks associated with chemical contamination or poor manufacturing standards.

“We have product safety laws about toys – for example [you] can’t have loose batteries and other things – but we do rely on importers and suppliers following the law and they don’t always.

“When it comes to enforcement, the MBIE and Commerce Commission can’t be everywhere, it’s only when reports are made and sometimes reports come after harm’s been suffered.

“The law and the government can’t protect everybody and it’s very much up to people to take care and if you’re looking at something, just go ‘no that doesn’t look safe’ and don’t buy it. Just because it’s sitting on a shelf it does not mean to say that it’s safe.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The family of man killed by a sand dune that collapsed and swallowed him on a West Auckland beach say losing him has left a hole that nothing can fill.

In findings released on Thursday, the coroner sounded a warning to beachgoers after probing the death in August of Kane Watson.

Watson, 28, his partner and children were at Muriwai Beach on 23 August.

He had been digging into dunes and tunnelling into the sand bank, and was almost entirely engulfed by the collapsing sand.

“Only his feet remained visible as he tried to kick himself free,” Coroner Ian Telford said in his findings on Thursday.

“It was immediately clear that the tunnel created by digging had collapsed and buried him.”

His partner started digging desperately to try to get to him, and bystanders joined the effort.

Police, volunteer firefighters, ambulance crews and a rescue helicopter all rushed to the beach.

Watson, when he was finally freed, was unresponsive.

Rescuers managed to restore circulation, and Watson was airlifted to Auckland City Hospital in a critical condition.

But it became clear he could not survive his injuries despite the lengthy resuscitation and advanced medical care, the coroner said.

Watson had his breathing tube removed and died two days later surrounded by his family.

“Kane wasn’t just my younger brother, he was my first love in life,” his sister Shaquille Thoumine said in a statement to RNZ shortly before the release of the findings.

“He was the person I grew up with, the one who knew me inside and out, the one you imagine will always be there.

“Your sibling is meant to be your forever person, you expect to grow old together, to watch each other’s lives unfold,” she said.

The coroner had ruled Watson’s death accidental, and that he died from complications from cardiac arrest caused by being asphyxiated and trapped in the sand.

“The weight and pressure from the sand can also prevent the lungs from expanding properly,” Telford said.

“Without enough oxygen, the heart can stop, and once the heart stops pumping, vital organs quickly become damaged,” he said.

His findings said that this led to swelling in Watson’s brain, which then caused harm to his liver and kidneys and reduced his heart function.

“This was a tragic accident leading to the death of young man,” the coroner said.

“My engagement with his family during this inquiry has made clear just how deeply he was loved and how greatly he is now missed.”

Coroner’s warning

Coroner Telford said Watson’s death brought attention to a danger that may not be immediately apparent to some beachgoers.

“Sand dunes can become unstable without warning,” he said.

“Even small tunnels or cavities may collapse leading to serious injury or death.

“As we approach the summer season it is important that beachgoers – especially those supervising young children – are aware of these risks, avoid digging into dunes, and seek emergency assistance immediately if anyone becomes trapped,” he said.

Watson was digging in the dunes with his children before the collapse, but they lost interest and he kept digging on his own before the accident.

“Losing him has left a hole that nothing can fill. Moving through life without him is incredibly hard, because everything reminds of the bond we shared,” Thoumine said.

“He was funny, loving, protective and had the most beautiful heart. He meant everything to me, and I miss him more than words will ever explain.”

Thoumine also told RNZ their mother Arlene had been left completely heartbroken by Watson’s death.

“Kane was her baby, her best friend, and the centre of her world. Watching her grieve her son has been devastating for all of us,” she said.

After Watson’s death, University of Auckland senior civil engineering lecturer Dr Colin Whittaker called for more public education about the dangers of sand dunes.

It was crucial to realise that just because the sand was still, that did not mean it was stable, he said.

In 2023, a dune collapsed on two boys aged 12 and 14 who were also digging tunnels during a family picnic on Aotea Great Barrier Island.

Levi Sonchai Golaboski, 12, was taken off life support days later.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police records show fugitive father Tom Phillips‘ firearms licence was suspended just weeks after his first disappearance in 2021, and later revoked when he was deemed “not a fit and proper person” to hold a gun.

The information, released to RNZ under the Official Information Act (OIA), is among the only new details police have been willing to release about Phillips’ interactions with authorities ahead of a public inquiry into the case.

Phillips died on 8 September following a shootout with police, after nearly four years in the bush with his children.

The disappearance was his second – he first went on the run with the children in September 2021. His Toyota Hilux was found abandoned at Kiritehere Beach, keys under the mat, car seats in the back, parked below the high tide mark and being pummeled by waves. Authorities searched land, air and sea but found no trace.

On 30 September, Phillips and the children reappeared in Marokopa, claiming they had camped in dense bush for the 19 days they were missing. He disappeared again in December that year.

Police suspended and later revoked his firearms licence

According to the documents, police suspended Phillips’ licence on 11 October 2021 and formally revoked it on 5 January 2022. The decision was made on the grounds that he was no longer considered fit and proper.

Phillips had first received his firearms licence in 2003, and renewed it in 2013.

Police would not release any information about the reasons behind their decisions to suspend, then revoke the licence, the risk assessments that informed them, or any related notices or internal communications.

All such material was withheld under section 9(2)(ba) of the OIA, which protects information provided in confidence “or which any person has been or could be compelled to provide under the authority of any enactment”.

It is also unclear what action was taken around any firearms, ammunition or licensing materials Phillips may still have held after the revocation. Documents relating to attempted seizure or follow-up were also withheld.

The response illustrates the significant constraints on what is currently known – or can be made public – about agencies’ handling of Phillips before he spent nearly four years on the run.

Police said they were required to comply not only with active investigations into Phillips’ death and disappearance – including an ongoing investigation into whether he received outside support – but also with wide-ranging suppression orders imposed by the High Court and Family Court. Those restrictions limit the release of any information relating to the children or to court proceedings involving them.

Police said it did not want to prejudice the investigations by the premature release of relevant information.

Inquiry to examine agencies’ actions and information-sharing

The Attorney-General confirmed last month that a public inquiry would examine whether agencies “took all practicable steps” to protect the safety and welfare of the Phillips children, and whether government agencies responded appropriately and in a timely way to locate the children once they disappeared.

The inquiry was directed to inquire into the nature and extent of the involvement government agencies had with Phillips and the children, before and after their disappearance. It would also look into how Phillips obtained and maintained a gun licence, weapons and ammunition.

However, its scope would not include decisions made within the Family Court – despite the terms of reference noting there had been “extensive litigation” in that forum concerning the children, some of which remained ongoing and under appeal.

The government has directed the inquiry to “respect the independence of the courts, and not comment on or inquire into judicial decisions concerning the children, including suppression orders made in respect of the children”.

Some experts have critiqued that decision, saying the court should not be exempt from scrutiny.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Teaching Council’s governing board says appointing one of its members as interim chief executive does not breach a rule prohibiting board members from serving as CEO.

In a statement, the council said the interim chief executive Tom Gott had stepped away from his governance role and it had double-checked the legality of the move with the Education Ministry.

Gott was appointed because the council’s chief executive Lesley Hoskin was on agreed leave while the Public Service Commission investigated the council’s handling of conflicts of interest and procurement.

Sensitivity over the Teaching Council is running high because of the investigation and because of the government’s recent decision to strip the council of responsibility for initial teacher education and teachers’ practising standards, and to reconstitute its board next year so that a majority of members would be ministerial appointees.

Gott was one of six ministerial appointees on the now-12-member board and the issue of his appointment was raised with RNZ anonymously by people concerned the council was acting unlawfully.

The Education and Training Act 2020 said the council may appoint a chief executive but that person “may not be a member of the Teaching Council”.

Council chair David Fisher told RNZ it made sure Gott’s appointment was legal.

“Out of an abundance of caution and to satisfy any concerns that our decision was unlawful, prior to Mr Gott being appointed as interim CEO, the Teaching Council consulted with the Ministry of Education about the interim arrangements,” he said.

“The Ministry guided us that, in the circumstances, it was appropriate for Mr Gott to act as CEO while remaining on the Board, provided he steps back from all governance work during this time, which he has.”

Fisher said there was no co-mingling of executive and governance functions.

“Mr Gott is not attending any Governing Council meetings (other than in his capacity as interim CEO), receiving any Governing Council emails (other than emails that the CEO would receive), nor being paid for his position on the Council.

“Mr Gott will not participate in any governance decision making and has no voting rights. Mr Gott is very clear, as are we, that he is Acting CEO of the Council and as such has stepped away from his governance role.”

The Post Primary Teachers Association said it believed the appointment breached the rules and the ministry’s interpretation was incorrect.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police received a call just after midnight on Wednesday morning reporting that a masked offender brandishing a firearm approached bar staff at Quinns Post bar on Ward Street and demanded cash.

“The offender then fled on foot along Ward Street towards Heretaunga College,” Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Todd said

“Bar staff involved were shaken, but not injured, and are being provided Victim Support. There were no patrons in the bar at the time.”

Hutt Valley Police investigating the armed robbery of an Upper Hutt bar are seeking help from the public.

Police are asking for anyone who was in the Ward Street and Fergusson Drive areas of Upper Hutt at the time (before and after midnight) and saw any suspicious people or vehicles, or who has any information relating to the robbery, to come forward.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has revealed the television ads that New Zealanders complained most about in 2025.

From burnouts to bare bottoms, Kiwis had a gutful of a few well-known businesses on their screens.

Topping this year’s list for the most complained about ad was KFC’s “Colonel Hacker” with 65 considered.

The campaign included footage of the ‘Colonel’ explaining his appearance on screen.

“Hello New Zealand, I am the Colonel Hacker. I’ve intercepted your ad break, but don’t panic, this isn’t a ggglitch, it’s a gift, and hacking the prices on the KFC menu, here’s a taste of what I’ve uploaded….”

One version of the advertisement (the “splash screen”) appeared when the TVNZ OnDemand app was opened. The Colonel Hacker figure appeared and said “Hello, this is just a taste of things to come.”

Complaints ranged from that it gave the impression consumers were being hacked, it was placed inappropriately in the OnDemand app, scary for children, caused fear and glorified hacking.

The advertisers removed it after the complaints were accepted to be considered by the Complaints Board.

Next was Lotto’s “A Promise is a Promise” ad, with 48 complaints considered.

The ad begins with a man at the top of a ski run. As the camera pans out, the viewer sees the man is skiing naked. The ad then moves to a group of friends discussing how they might celebrate if they win Lotto and joking about nude skiing.

Complainants said the portrayal of a man skiing naked, with images of his bare buttocks clearly visible, was indecent, offensive, and inappropriate for younger viewers.

But the board said the nudity in the advertisement was brief and not close-up or gratuitous, and it was relevant to the story in the advertisement.

The complaints were not upheld, but that didn’t stop a further 70 people from raising similar issues.

Rexona’s “Whole Body Deodorant” received the next most with eight complaints.

Its campaign tackled the taboo of full body sweat and odour, highlighting that only a small percentage of sweat comes from the underarms.

Complaints said it was not appropriate for peak viewing time and some of the scenes were crude, sexual and in poor taste. A further complaint raised concerns the ad did not use proper terminology for body parts.

It was deemed that it did not meet the threshold to breach the Advertising Standards Code, and no further action was taken.

Rounding out the top five were BNZ’s “Payap” and Turners Group’s ad featuring Tina from Turners with complaints ranging from misleading over surcharges to offensive song lyrics.

The board did uphold a complaint about a scene showing an illegal burnout in the Turners ad, requiring that section of the ad to be removed.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Lake Rotomanu in New Plymouth will be emptied this week to allow scientists to get a full picture of the extent of a freshwater gold clam infestation.

The invasive clam Corbicula fluminea was found in the lake on 8 November, the first discovery in New Zealand outside the Waikato River.

The lake was closed to motorised watercraft days later.

The Taranaki Regional Council said the Lake Rotomanu outlet would be opened 11 December and it would take about four days for the lake to drain.

During this time the fish population would be harvested in partnership with local hapū, who would utilise as many fish recovered as possible.

Taranaki Regional Council (TRC) leads the newly established Regional Corbicula Coordination Group (RCCG) alongside New Plymouth District Council (NPDC), Ngāti Te Whiti hapū, Biosecurity New Zealand, Fish & Game, Earth Sciences NZ and others.

TRC Environment Services Manager Steve Ellis said before draining the lake the RCCG had to ensure the clams would not spread to the Waiwhakaiho River.

“Over the last few weeks we’ve carried out testing and obtained advice on the salinity and flow of the river. We are confident any clams or larvae will be quickly washed the short distance out to sea.

“Given that assurance the RCCG has asked lake owners NPDC to now empty the lake so we can get a good look at exactly what we are dealing with.”

A team from Earth Sciences NZ would next week carry out a detailed survey of the whole lakebed to determine where and how widespread the clams were, how deep they had burrowed and estimate the age of the clams present.

That information would help inform the next steps in the response. In particular, whether an elimination attempt was feasible and if so, what the treatment options were and how much they would cost.

Ellis said the financial cost of elimination was likely to be significant and at this point it was unclear how it would be funded and by whom.

“To be clear, there is no guarantee we will attempt to treat or eliminate the clams, even if it is technically feasible.

“We all want the best for the region and we’re all aware of the massive economic damage these clams can do, so we’re having those conversations as a matter of urgency. In the meantime, we’re looking forward to seeing what the lakebed survey uncovers.”

The recreational lake would need to stay empty for the summer, which Ellis said was not a decision made lightly.

“We know it’s a popular summer spot and that locals and visitors will be disappointed, but we hope they understand the reasons for it.

“The invasive clam Corbicula is a massive threat to our infrastructure, economy, ecosystems and recreational use of all the region’s waterways, so we need to act now to give ourselves the best chance of preventing long-term damage or recreational restrictions.”

Ellis said testing at Lakes Rotokare, Ratapiko, Rotorangi and the Waiwhakaiho River had not found any clams, while eDNA testing of the water had also been clear. While encouraging, that did not mean they were not present.

Boaties, jet skiers, kayakers and other lake users were asked to be extra vigilant this summer, so as not to unknowingly spread the clam or other freshwater pests. Juvenile clams produced an invisible sticky thread of mucus which attached to surfaces, like boats and recreational gear.

Lake users were encouraged to always follow the Check, Clean, Dry procedure when moving between waterways and if possible, wake boats should be kept to just one lake.

A washdown trailer was on its way to Taranaki, courtesy of Biosecurity New Zealand, and would be set up at popular lakes over the summer.

Two dedicated Check, Clean, Dry ambassadors would also be in the region to spread the message, supported by new signage, direct education with clubs and organisations and a social media campaign.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Jonathan Trubuhovich was found injured at Mt Eden prison on 29 November, assessed by on-site medical and taken to hospital. Photo: RNZ / Diego Opatowski

*This story has been updated since publication. 

The family of a man who died 10 days after allegedly being assaulted by his cellmate at Mt Eden prison want Corrections to be held accountable for any failures that led to his death.

Jonathan Peter Trubuhovich died in Auckland City Hospital on Tuesday. The 69-year-old’s death is the third homicide investigationinvolving inmates in double-bunk cells at the prison since September last year.

Lawyer of man allegedly killed by prison cellmate says it was preventable

Checkpoint10 December 2025

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A spokesperson for the Trubuhovich family says they are in “shock” at his death.

“We do want Corrections to be held accountable in any area where there has been a lapse in oversight where procedure wasn’t followed.

“This is the third one, we don’t want this to happen to another family. We don’t want Jonathan to have died without some sort of progress in Corrections.”

RNZ has obtained several documents in relation to Trubuhovich’s criminal history, which details nearly 200 convictions, mainly for shoplifting, burglary and other theft as well as convictions for assault.

He was remanded in custody to Mt Eden prison on 7 May and was due to be sentenced in the Auckland District Court on 15 December on charges of burglary by night, shoplifting and disorderly behaviour.

Court documents state the offending occurred between 1 and 6 May this year.

The burglary involved entering a person’s property about 3am on 1 May and eventually leaving with two bikes worth more than $5000.

The first shoplifting incident was on 4 May when he stole a box of condoms and a litre container of ice cream from a supermarket.

On 4 May Trubuhovich entered a Mobil petrol station and was asked to leave after causing a minor disturbance.

He returned about 10 minutes later and the store worker called police.

Trubuhovich took offence to this and punched the staffer with a closed fist in the left arm once. The victim suffered no injuries.

Then, on 6 May he stole a handbag from a Louis Vuitton store worth $4700.

The disorderly behaviour charge related to an incident where he yelled and behaved aggressively towards a bus driver and spat onto the bus doors.

Family want answers

Speaking to RNZ, a family spokesperson said they understood Trubuhovich was likely to be released at sentencing due to time served.

“We had accommodation, we had a whole lot of things set up for him which we had been trying to do. We were looking forward to him coming out so that we could house him and rehabilitate him and do all sorts of things.”

The family noticed about five years ago his behaviour changed and became more “irresponsible and erratic” and were trying to get him help.

They have a series of questions they want answered by Corrections including when he was injured.

The spokesperson said they were aware of Trubuhovich’s criminal history.

“It doesn’t reflect the person we knew, he got mouthy and lippy because he was institutionalised.

“When he was with us he was fun. He loved life, he loved his family.”

Mt Eden Corrections Facility (MECF) general manager Dion Paki earlier told RNZ that staff found Trubuhovich had been injured at 10.40am on 29 November.

He was assessed by on-site medical and taken to hospital.

“The alleged perpetrator was immediately secured and placed on directed segregation.”

In a statement to RNZ, McGilvary said Trubuhovich’s death was “entirely preventable”.

“Overcrowding in correctional facilities, driven by government policies mandating stricter enforcement against criminal activity, has resulted in historically high incarceration rates.

“This situation is compounded by insufficient oversight attributed to staffing shortages. Consequently, inmates are spending extended periods in confined spaces, increasing the likelihood of incidents.”

He said Mt Eden Correctional Facility was “currently the largest provider of mental health care in New Zealand”.

Unless additional government resources are allocated to address mental health issues-particularly within the incarcerated population-and appropriate treatment facilities are established, it is likely that similar incidents will continue to occur.”

Police have confirmed a homicide investigation is under way.

MECF acting general manager Edith Pattinson acknowledged the man’s death had been a “difficult and distressing time for his loved ones and our thoughts remain with them”.

“Police are investigating and Corrections is also carrying out a full review into this incident. An investigation by the independent Corrections Inspectorate will also be carried out. If these investigations and reviews identify areas where we need to strengthen our processes, we are absolutely committed to acting on these with urgency.

“We can confirm the victim was in a shared cell and that the suitability of this placement is part of our review into this matter. Understandably, the victim’s family will have questions they would like answered.”

Corrections had been in regular contact with the man’s family, and once the review was complete they would share the findings with them when they are able to do so.

Corrections’ review would look into what risk assessments were done such as the Shared Accommodation Cell Risk Assessment (SACRA).

RNZ earlier revealed there had been two suspected murders, both involving double-bunked cells, in nine months at the prison.

Corrections use the SACRA tool to review the compatibility of individuals before they were placed in a shared cell.

The SACRA tool identified key risk factors to consider before placing a person in a shared cell.

If a person was deemed not suitable to double bunk, a Not to Double Bunk (NTDB) alert was activated on their profile.

Corrections custodial services commissioner Leigh Marsh earlier confirmed he requested a review of the SACRA process which was under way.

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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 says the Mount Victoria tunnel has now fully reopened after a crash.

Police were called to a two-car crash on State Highway 1 in the southbound lane near the entrance to the tunnel around 2.30pm.

One person received minor injuries, a police spokesperson said.

About 3.30pm, the Transport Agency said emergency services and contractors were on site with a tow on the way to clear the crashed vehicles.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Some of the dog names registered in New Plymouth this year have been barking.

New Plymouth District Council animal services lead Kimberley Laurence says the names owners give their dogs are a reflection of how much they love their best friend.

“Who wouldn’t enjoy a night in settled on the couch with a bag of corn chips and Guacamole – the family Vizla?

“Neapolitan mastiffs are usually big dogs with large appetites, but Jelly Bean was surely named for their sweet personality. And Tui Belles Roux tells me this is a German shepherd with a lot of character.”

Laurence said other names that leapt out of the pack this year included Chicabella, Chico Chan, Gyeoul Winter and Bobo Baggins.

The five most popular dog names are much the same as last year: Bella (145), Poppy (133), Charlie (122), Luna (119) and Max (112).

Laurence said there were about 11,500 dogs registered in the New Plymouth district at the end of June.

“There were 309 dogs impounded in 2024/25 for wandering, attacks and other issues, down from 414 the previous 12 months.”

All dogs aged three months or older must be registered.

Laurence said as the weather heats up, the animal control team had some tips for keeping your dog happy and healthy during the hot summer months:

• Never leave your dog in the car – heat stroke could come on fast, even on moderately warm days. Leave your pet at home in a cool, shady spot with fresh water
• Give your dog two bowls of fresh water at home in case one tips over.
• If leaving your dog at home, give it a variety of toys to keep it from being bored and barking. Puzzle-feeders and interactive toys were great options.
• Give your dog frozen treats in a bowl or ice-cube tray. They took longer to eat so keep your dog occupied, as well as helping it keep cool on hot days.
• Be careful transporting dogs on ute trays because the surface could get very hot and burn their feet. Give them a shaded spot or pop them into a dog crate with good ventilation.
• Exercise dogs early morning or late evening when temperatures (and pavement surfaces) were cooler, and keep walks/runs short so they don’t get over-exerted in the heat. Remember: dogs could get sunburned too.
• Walk dogs on grass or dirt tracks instead of hard surfaces and be aware of how hot black-sand beaches could get – if it’d burn your bare feet, it would hurt theirs.
• Fleas and parvo were both more common in summer, so keep up with vaccinations and flea treatments.
• If your dog went missing over the summer season, check if it was in NPDC’s dog pound by calling 06-759 6060.

As well as managing the local dog population, NPDC’s animal control service attended incidents involving wandering stock such as cattle, sheep, horses and pigs.

The council also ran dog safety talks for community groups, provided advice to animal owners, investigated dog attacks, provided dogs for adoption through the dog pound, and enforced the Dog Control Bylaw.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Glen Innes locals are mourning the death of a man killed on a bus in the Auckland suburb this week.

Two passengers were stabbed on the same number 76 bus on Monday night, first in Glen Innes and later in Ōrakei.

The first passenger died from their wounds, and the other was seriously injured.

A 36-year-old man was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Auckland District Court today charged with murder and grievous assault.

By Wednesday, several flower bouquets rested outside the Fenchurch Superette in Glen Innes, where the 59-year-old victim received first aid before being rushed to hospital and later dying from his injuries.

Fenchurch Superette manager Praful Patel was in charge of the store on Monday night, and ran to help.

“I heard the commotion outside and somebody told me that somebody got stabbed and I ran out. I think I was the third or fourth person who ran out. I knew exactly who the person was,” he said.

“I ran back inside the shop, got some t-shirts, you know, because I didn’t have any towels, because he was bleeding profusely, you know, trying to stop the bleeding.”

Patel said a nurse who happened to be nearby did her best to keep him alive.

“Lucky there was a nurse that was coming to the business and the dairy here, and she was helping him out. Without her help, I think he would have died probably another 10 minutes earlier,” he said.

Patel recognised the victim as a regular customer.

“I’ve known him for about 20, 25 years. Yeah, he’s a local boy, lives up the road there. He’s got a family, he’s got a son, he’s got a daughter,” he recalled.

“He’s a real nice guy, absolutely nice guy, humble guy.”

Police arrested a 36-year-old man on Tuesday afternoon, following a manhunt.

The cordon in Glen Innes had been lifted, and residents were trying to get on with daily routines.

But local man David said he did not feel safe anymore.

“It put a shudder down my body soon as I heard about it. I thought, ‘oh my God, that’s too close, that’s too close’,” he said.

“There’s too much stabbing and people getting bloody shot and everything. It’s not safe in Auckland anymore.”

Another resident Preethy was waiting for a bus just a few metres from the scene.

While a suspect had been arrested, Preethy still felt nervous.

“I do feel unsafe travelling, but it’s just… Life goes on,” she said.

“Like, okay, yeah, they have arrested someone, but you never know, like, when a person can go crazy and attack random people. I was stunned something like this could happen here. It’s scary, yeah.”

Fellow commuter Larson felt the same way.

“Yeah, it’s awful news. I mean, it’s close to home. I catch this bus every day, and so it’s one of those things where, you know, we start thinking about other ways of commuting because, yeah, it’s just nasty.”

Larson said he felt hesitant to take the bus on Wednesday morning, but had little choice.

“My partner and I were discussing other options last night, but it’s one of those things where you kind of just have to do what you’ve got to do,” he said.

“I’m glad the police have got him, but you never know. You see some odd figures around every now and then, and you’ve always just got to keep your wits about you, I suppose.”

In Ōrakei, where a second person was stabbed and received serious injuries, one local who asked not to be named questioned the lack of mental health support in the community.

“Everybody knows that there’s no network support system set up to properly help assist people, mentally, emotionally, physically, financially, even with our wellbeing and our living. Nobody really is considering the proper way to pick up these pieces,” they said.

Patel echoed that sentiment.

He said that such an unstable individual should not have been allowed in the community.

“I’m glad that they found him, but why was he in the community in the first place?”

“How safe are you catching a public transport or the public trains or anything like that? When a person is not stable, there should be a facility where they should be getting looked after.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Plymouth readers checked out more than 667,000 books from the Puke Ariki library this year with a historical novel set during the Vietnam War topping the list of adult fiction issues – again.

Kristin Hannah’s novel The Women was issued 159 times, capturing top spot as it did last year. Not far behind was her novel The Four Winds with 112. Lee Child’s In Too Deep came in second with 140 issues.

Tumuaki Whare Pukapuka – Puke Ariki Manager, Angela Jowitt, said thriller fans couldn’t get enough of Lee Child and Freida McFadden, with multiple titles by both authors featuring in the top issues list.

“This year’s borrowing stats continue to reflect the interests of our community. So whether you’re after a gripping thriller for the beach or a cookbook to try out a new recipe, or a memoir to inspire you in 2026, our friendly team can help you find your next read.”

The non-fiction list reflected readers’ appetite for inspiration and self-improvement.

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s memoir A Different Kind of Power was the most-borrowed non-fiction title with 95 issues, followed by Mel Robbins’ The Let Them Theory (94).

Memoirs from Ruth Shaw, Jenny-May Clarkson, and Alison Mau resonated strongly with readers seeking authentic Aotearoa stories.

Jowitt said on the teen shelves, Suzanne Collins dominated the list with three Hunger Games titles making the top 10, including prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes (issued 33 times) and brand-new release Sunrise on the Reaping (50).

Holly Jackson’s A Good Girl’s Guide… series (133) and Rick Riordan’s Percy Jackson adventures (82) also proved addictive for young adult readers.

In Puke Ariki’s Discover It! children’s section, younger readers had an unwavering devotion for graphic novel adaptations of The Baby-Sitters Club (726) and Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man series (470) – proving that engaging stories and vibrant illustrations remain timeless.

Jowitt said as summer beckoned and the beach calls, Puke Ariki was encouraging Taranaki readers to borrow one of 2025’s most-borrowed titles from its catalogue for their holiday reading – all free with your library card.

“Leap into your new favourite book this summer at Puke Ariki or any of our community libraries.”

Beyond books, the New Plymouth District Council run Puke Ariki offered free wifi, research support, free events, and digital resources such as film streaming and eBooks accessible 24/7. Joining was easy and free and did not expire.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

New Plymouth’s Koha Café is the latest local crisis recovery cafe to receive a funding boost from the government.

The Koha Café – run by the Taranaki Retreat – is to receive $250,000.

Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey, who made the announcement at the café today, said emergency departments were often not the best place for people suffering mental distress.

“Many people have told me that brightly lit, busy, clinical spaces can feel overwhelming and are not always therapeutic. Crisis cafés offer an alternative. They are a calm, peer-led, non-clinical space where people can get support.

“I’ve always said the solutions already exist within our community sector, they just need the opportunity to be backed. This café is a great example. It will be run by Taranaki Retreat, which has been providing mental health support to people across Taranaki for the past 11 years.

“They are already making a difference in the community, and this new investment will help them reach even more people.

“Lived experience roles are starting to gain more traction here in New Zealand. We are better utilising peer support workers in a range of settings, including emergency departments, eating disorder services, and crisis alternatives.”

Doocey said it had been heartening to hear that they were already making a real difference.

“One worker told me that, reflecting on her own experience the peer support service is exactly what she wishes she had when she was struggling, someone who can say, I see you, I hear you, I know what you’re going through.

“Today’s announcement forms part of our mental health plan. Last month, I announced a crisis response package that includes more clinical workers in crisis assessment teams, two new 10-bed peer-led acute alternative services, and additional peer support workers in emergency departments and crisis recovery cafés.

“My focus is on delivering faster access to support, more frontline workers and a better crisis response.”

The government had committed to eight new crisis recovery cafés by June 2026, as well as boosting some existing cafés.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Health New Zealand has issued a warning for potentially toxic algae in parts of the Selwyn River.

Moderate to high cover of benthic cyanobacteria has been found in Waikirikiri/Selwyn River at Glentunnel and Whitecliffs Roads.

Health NZ said people should avoid the areas and animals should not be allowed near the river until the health warning was lifted.

Other areas of the river could also be affected and people are advised to be cautious of every low-flowing river.

Medical Officer of Health Dr Annabel Begg said the algae looked like dark brown or black mats and could produce toxins harmful to people and animals, especially dogs.

“Exposure may cause skin rashes, nausea, stomach cramps, tingling and numbness around the mouth and fingertips,” she said.

“If you experience any of these symptoms, seek medical advice urgently and let your healthcare provider know you’ve had contact with dark brown/black algal mats or water in this area.”

Environment Canterbury monitored the sites during summer and would advise the public of any changes to water quality.

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