Source: Radio New Zealand

A large blaze that’s torn through recycling facility in the Auckland town of Waiuku is being treated as suspicious.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it was called to the incident about 11pm on Monday, and found nearly 5000 square metres of plastic on fire.

Six shipping containers were also on fire.

Fire and Emergency said 16 fire trucks were in attendance at the peak, and the fire was contained as of 5am Tuesday morning.

The fire was not yet fully extinguished, however, and seven trucks were still at the scene.

The police said a scene guard remains in place and they will examine the scene later today.

Residents in the vicinity are asked to stay indoors and keep doors and windows shut, if possible.

“We also advise people in the affected area to wear a face mask or cover their nose and mouth with clothing if going outside for essential reasons,” said FENZ.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been found dead after a fire in the Auckland suburb of Mount Roskill overnight.

Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Darvill said they were called to a fire on Katavich Place just before 2am on Monday.

When the fire was put out a body was found.

He said the death is being treated as unexplained, police enquiries are continuing and a scene guard remains in place.

A neighbour said her husband heard a loud scream and saw smoke coming from the backyard of a house.

She said forensic people wearing boiler suits had been coming and going from the property for much of the early morning, but they have since left.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland BMX club’s canteen has been destroyed after a fire it believes was deliberately lit.

Police said emergency services were called to the blaze at Waitākere BMX club on Glen Road in Rānui just before 2pm on Monday.

The club has posted photos of the canteen on Facebook, which show the standalone container-like structure blackened inside and out.

“Hours of volunteer work go into keeping the Waitākere BMX Club running, providing a place for riders of all ages to enjoy the sport and community we’re so proud of,” it said on Monday evening.

“The canteen is a major source of income that helps fund everything we do, and now, not only have we lost that income, but we face the challenge of fundraising for repairs, replacements, and putting in endless volunteer hours once again because of this act of destruction.”

The club said a “dedicated team of volunteers” had been working most of the day to get the club ready for the new season, making the fire “even more heartbreaking”.

“To see all that effort undone so quickly is gutting.”

The club said it has footage of the fire being lit, which it has handed to the police, who are investigating.

“Despite this setback, we want to assure our members and families that club nights will continue as planned.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Gynaecology services have been overwhelmed by thousands of referrals via the cervical screening programme since self-testing was introduced two years ago, pushing out wait times for all patients.

Northland gynaecologist David Bailey said many women skipped cervical screening when it involved the discomfort of a smear test using a speculum.

“But when they are offered the chance just to have a swab test, which they can do themselves, then suddenly a lot of people are getting screening who haven’t been screened for years, and many of them may have had untreated abnormalities for a long period of time,” he said.

“So we’ve been flooded with referrals for colposcopy which has completely overwhelmed the service, and I’m sure the same thing has happened elsewhere.”

The new cervical screening programme has been incredibly successful in boosting coverage, particularly for Māori (for whom it’s up 19 percent) and for Pacific women (whose participation is up 34 percent).

Overall, screening coverage has increased in the last two years from 66.9 percent to 74.7 percent. The target is 80 percent.

Women who test positive for the Human Papillomarivus (HPV) need a colposcopy: a physical examination of the cervix to check for abnormal cells or cancer.

In Northland, the gynaecology service has been forced to shift clinics for people with general gynaecology problems to doing colposcopies instead.

“Because these people are all being referred as possible cancers, they all have to be prioritised.

“So you get a flood of a large number of people who become ‘urgent’ and overwhelm the system.

“And this was entirely predictable because we knew what happened overseas, we knew what happened when there were pilot studies here – but they went ahead and launched the programme with no additional colposcopy resource.”

This was contrary to good screening practice, and the complete opposite to what happened with the bowel screening programme, he said.

“In that case, they did not roll it out in Northland until they had the capacity in place to provide the colonoscopies they knew they would need.”

Dr Bailey said he and his colleagues had been pushing for managers to take staffing and service size seriously for years.

“This is what frustrates us so much – we’re in this situation where things have been building up for years.

“Now that the problem has hit (and this was entirely predictable that this was going to happen) we’ve got this unmanageable backlog, and suddenly people are saying ‘We’ve set a national standard and we want this fixed by Christmas, or by June 30’. It’s not real world.”

Specialists in Northland had been doing extra sessions in the evenings and weekends, and drafted in GPs to help out.

They also plan to train specialist nurses to do routine colposcopies.

However, Dr Bailey said even if they got more staff, they would not arrive before next year.

Meanwhile, the pressure was unrelenting.

“When we receive a referral for somebody who should be having a colposcopy for a high-risk HPV screening, they should be seen within 30 days.

“Currently our wait time for seeing these people is seven months.”

Nearly half of high-risk cases wait too long

Health NZ data shows that in the three months to the end of June, only 55.3 percent of women who tested positive for the two highest risk strains of HPV were being seen within 30 days of referral.

The clinical director for screening programmes, Dr Jane O’Hallahan, said modelling suggested there would be some increased demand.

“But nevertheless we did not imagine it would be to this level.”

When monitoring showed wait times increasing, Health NZ took action, she said.

The government recently announced $900,000 was earmarked for an extra 1650 colposcopies during the next year.

“We have been addressing this, it’s absolutely important that women who test positive for HPV have access to specialist colposcopy services. So this has been a high priority for us to look at these waiting lists and address this issue,” O’Hallahan said.

Overall, about a third of women who were referred for all types of colposcopy were currently waiting longer than clinical guidelines, she said.

However, it varied between regions: with 38 percent overdue in Northland, 15 percent overdue in Midland/Te Manawa Taki, 21 percent overdue in Central/Te Ikaroa, and 26 percent overdue in South Island/Te Waipounamu.

When asked whether it was acceptable that colposcopy referrals had pushed out wait times for other gynaecology patients, Dr O’Hallahan admitted it was “a constant juggle” for specialists and services with competing demands.

“But nevertheless the colposcopy service is an important one and the districts are very skilled at working to ensure that women get the right service.”

Health NZ was looking at ways to “increase capacity to see more patients and faster”, Dr O’Hallahan said.

“We acknowledge it can be distressing for patients when they have to wait to be seen for colposcopy appointments.

“We are working to address this and expect to share more details on that in due course.”

“We’ve failed” – women’s health expert

The director of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine/ the National Centre for Women’s Health Research, Professor Bev Lawton, who is based at Victoria University, said multiple experts in the field – including her own institution – had warned Health NZ of the looming capacity problem.

“I think we failed in a sense – we did not put in the capacity, the extra appointments that we knew we would need. It’s not as if we didn’t know.

“And it hasn’t happened. So we have to ask, what is the solution? And it’s investment.”

Professor Lawton said however the current peak will pass from the end of next year, because women only need a test every five years.

“But for those women out there who haven’t been seen in a timely way, please ring up, check on your test and see what’s happening. We need to bring more diagnostic capacity into our hospitals to be able to deal with the volume.”

Professor Lawton said long-term, it was hoped the programme “will do itself out of a job”, as vaccination wipes out HPV and early detection and timely treatment eradicate cervical cancer.

“It’s the three pillar approach. Currently we are doing really well on screening, but we’ve got work to do on vaccination and treatment.”

About 80 percent of people are exposed to HPV over their life-time.

Currently only 58 percent of 15-year-olds are fully vaccinated against HPV, which not only causes cervical cancer, but a range of other malignancies in both genders, including penile cancer, anal cancer and throat cancer.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A popular Auckland mountain bike park is closed for two days after a rider’s death.

On Monday evening, a representative from Woodhill Mountain Bike Park took to social media to announce the death.

“We are very sad to share that a rider has passed away at our park today. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.”

In the post, the representative said it would remain closed for the next two days, reopening on Thursday.

“We are also taking this time to support our staff and our riding community.

“Thank you for your understanding, patience, and care.”

In January 2024, the park also closed after a rider died.

At the time, police said medical assistance was provided but the person who fell from their mountain bike died at the scene.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Lawyers for a judge accused of disrupting a New Zealand First event want clarity over the legal test which will apply at her judicial conduct hearing.

A judicial conduct panel is looking into the behaviour of Acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken.

She is accused of interrupting a New Zealand First function at the exclusive Northern Club in Auckland last year in November, allegedly shouting that leader Winston Peters was lying.

Judge Aitken has argued she did not shout, that she did not recognise Peters’ voice and did not know it was a political event.

A bid she made for a judicial review of the decision to hold the Judicial Conduct Panel was dismissed in April of this year at the High Court in Auckland.

‘What is the test’

Under the District Court Act, a Governor-General can, on the advice of the Attorney-General, remove a Judge from the office on the grounds of inability or misbehaviour.

The Judicial Conduct Panel will consider Judge Aitken’s behaviour at a hearing in February next year. It will determine facts, and write a report to the Attorney-General including about whether the removal of the Judge is justified.

The panel is comprised of former Court of Appeal Judge Brendan Brown KC (who is the chair), Justice Jillian Mallon, a sitting Court of Appeal Judge, and Sir Jerry Mateparae, the former Governor-General.

In a preliminary hearing on Monday, counsel for Judge Aitken, David Jones KC, told the panel it was essential to know what the specific legal test for misbehaviour was.

“We are asking you to state the test, in advance of the hearing.

“You have to have something to aim at, you have to have something to establish.

“And here we have the difference – for example – between misconduct and misbehaviour, and we have to know how aggregious that has to be, in order for the contemplation of removal to be considered.”

Jones KC said it was essential to understand the legal test before the hearing took place, because it could affect the arguments or context the evidence is presented in at the hearing.

“You have a situation where if you have a test, and you know that you have to satisfy that test, or special counsel has to satisfy that test, then evidence can be adduced – potentially from experts to say – ‘look this is certain behaviour but it doesn’t get to this point, or it does’, or whatever.”

He said it was even more important these issues were nailed down in what he described as a “political context”, referring to how the report from the Northern Club was leaked to the media.

Jones KC said the hearing would need to establish Judge Aitken knew of the political context when she spoke – not what she, as a judge, ought to have known.

He said the political dynamic was critical to the hearing that would take place.

“If, for example, the people in the room… were a group of law students, or were from a book club, or whatever, and somebody said something as the words were spoken, and heard by the Judge, and she said something, would we be here? My submission is we wouldn’t.”

Special counsel Jonathan Orpin-Dowell, who is one of two lawyers presenting the allegations of misconduct to the panel, said the question of what the Judge knew or should have known when she spoke needed to come out in the evidence in the hearing.

He said parliament didn’t intend to set out a specific test for judicial misbehaviour.

Orpin-Dowell said the District Court Act lays out the grounds for removal as inability or misbehaviour.

He referred to Ministry of Justice advice to the 2004 select committee considering the law setting up the judicial panel, which aimed to avoid any potential misbehaviour from being excluded.

He said thresholds of misbehaviour come down to specific facts and situations.

“The panel isn’t a permanent court, or even a permanent tribunal, it’s an ad-hoc panel set up to deal with a particular reference about particular conduct, from a particular Judge, and it follows from that, that whether removal will be justified in any case is necessarily a question of fact and degree.”

Both lawyers referred to a previous case involving Justice Bill Wilson, where it found misbehaviour was conduct that “fell so far short of accepted standards of judicial behaviour as to warrant the ultimate sanction of removal”.

This is the third Judicial Conduct Panel that has been established since the law establishing the body was passed in 2004.

Elements of discussion in Monday’s preliminary hearing have been suppressed.

The panel is expected to file a decision on Monday’s application by the end of this week.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Mānuka, rimu, ponga, kōwhai, harakeke, tōtara – we can probably all name a few of the commonly found New Zealand terrestrial trees and plants. But what about those that are out of sight and out of mind – on the bottom of our lakes and slow-moving rivers?

There are more than 75 species of native freshwater plants in Aotearoa, but they are disappearing.

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How do we know? Well, 19th century botanist accounts are one piece of evidence, says Mary de Winton.

“Back in the 1800s they had, you know, a huge raft of plant species growing right across the bed of the lake.” Today some of the same lakes are completely bare.

Mary is a freshwater ecologist with Earth Sciences New Zealand in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. She’s often diving in freshwater environments for science, and across her 40-year career she’s seen changes herself.

“We’ve seen a lot of lakes that have lost their vegetation over the last four decades. I can think of five in the Waikato off the top of my head that I’ve actually seen both in their vegetated state and in a de-vegetated state several years later.”

Pest fish, invasive weeds, high sedimentation rates, reductions in water quality – the challenges facing our freshwater ecosystems are numerous. For plants, lack of light can be a big issue, says Mary. “The water itself gets very murky, either from algal blooms or from suspended sediment. And when you get those kinds of environments, there’s very little light that’s getting down to the bottom where the plants are growing. And if you lose those plants, it’s incredibly hard to get them back again.”

That’s why a team at Earth Sciences New Zealand, in collaboration with local iwi and international researchers, began a project to investigate how native plants might be given a ‘helping hand’.

Inspired by roll-out turf, the stuff you might use on a lawn in a new build, the team investigated ways to grow plants in a type of matrix that could then be rolled out on the lakebed and left there.

For the ‘RotoTurf’ project to work, they needed their matting to be biodegradable, but also robust enough to stay together long enough for the plants to grow to a decent size. After trying a range of materials, they decided that wool and muka (the fibres from harakeke/flax) matting were the two most promising. Alongside the matrix trials, they also investigated which plants would be best suited to grow in the matting and be transplanted into a partially degraded lake. Milfoil and native pondweed came out on top as the most likely candidates.

To test their RotoTurf design the team ran trials at Lake Ohinawai. The turf was unrolled on the lakebed in December and left there until August to see how the plants went through the seasons. They were also surrounded by a plastic mesh cage, to keep pest fish, like koi carp, out.

After eight months the plants were still there, growing right to the surface, says Mary. The milfoil seemed to be doing particularly well.

A three-year funded project, RotoTurf has since wrapped up. Now there is some interest in the design from iwi groups and other agencies who are keen to return plants to their lakes.

But for proper restoration RotoTurf alone will not be enough, says Mary, without also addressing the lakes’ underlying water quality issues.

“The best candidates… are those that have already had some works undertaken in the catchment…. some intervention for the nutrient and sediment loads, that have had some riparian planting around the edge of the lake… that gives any kind of in-lake restoration the best chance of success.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Housing advocates say boarding houses are not appropriate for people with complex mental health or addiction needs and are calling for national data to be collected showing where people are discharged to after a hospital stay.

It comes after a woman raised concerns about the appalling conditions of a lodge her adult son was discharged to, following three weeks in an acute mental health unit in Auckland.

Lisa Hawkeswood said her son Jack lasted three days in the lodge before pleading to live with her because he hated his accommodation, which had blood on the carpet and other tenants were trying to get him to do drugs.

Tragically, he died in a suspected suicide after moving in with her.

Housing First Auckland programme manager Rami Alrudaini said vulnerable people need safe housing and good supports in place.

“What happened is totally unacceptable – no person who is vulnerable or needing support should be released into an unsuitable living situation,” he said.

“Across the housing sector, we continue to hear consistent anecdotal reports of people being discharged from acute mental health care into unstable or unsafe accommodation, including boarding houses. While these stories are deeply concerning, there is no comprehensive national data of where people are discharged to or the outcomes that follow.”

Health NZ earlier said its practice is not to discharge people to homelessness, but there is no reliable data on where people are sent to.

“What we do know is that the gap between acute care discharge and access to safe, supported housing is a critical failing in our system. Boarding houses are not appropriate for people with high mental health or addiction needs. They are not a substitute for adequate, stable housing with wrap-around support,” Alrudaini said.

“We need urgent cross-agency action and better data so we can fully understand the scale of the issue and design policies and deliver solutions that keep people safe. We can and must do better as a country. It is critical we make urgent system and data improvements now.”

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a report in June which monitored the mental health and addiction system.

It found there had been no change over five years in the proportion of people accessing mental health and addiction services who were homeless – in the 2023/2024 year six percent of specialist mental health and addiction service users were homeless.

Changing Minds engagement and insights manager Megan Elizabeth said everyone had a right to safe and secure housing, and there needs to be greater availability of housing for people experiencing substance abuse or mental distress.

“On the face of it, taking someone from an inpatient setting and putting them into a boarding house to avoid homelessness is a good measure but it is only part of the picture,” she said.

“The bigger question is not should this individual have been discharged to a boarding house but should they have been discharged into the community without a really comprehensive support for their wellbeing around them.”

Elizabeth said people needed to be discharged and supported into accomodation that is safe for their wellbeing and their situation.

“A roof over your head is only one element of wellbeing, you need to feel safe, you need to be able to progress your wellbeing journey in an environment that is supportive of your wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, the Mental Health Act is being repealed and replaced as part of the response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in Faith-based Institutions.

The Mental Health Bill, if passed, will replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Three months after fainting and waking up paralysed, a Canterbury teenager is still searching for answers as to what caused the episode.

Angel Dagcutan has now regained mobility, but the episode has her concerned it may repeat in future.

Angel was only days away from her 18th birthday when she was struck by a flu-like illness in August.

She felt lethargic – even just moving felt draining, she said.

The illness also caused physical pain, especially in her head.

Then she started hallucinating.

“My head started spinning, like it was going round and round,” Angel said.

“Then the mail van came to drop off some things. I saw the mail van but then I started seeing it turn into different things. I saw it as a white van, then into an ambulance.”

Then she fainted.

“I just remember black and hearing noises, and feeling pain on my head. But I wasn’t sure if it was my headache at the time or because I fell.”

Her older brother David Dagcutan said he heard the noise as Angel collapsed and rushed into the room.

“She was on the ground and my mum was assessing her and calling her name, which was quite a terrifying experience,” he said.

“I didn’t know what was happening and I thought it might be serious condition because it’s never happened before.”

David said his sister was unconscious for several minutes and he was worried she might die.

When she regained consciousness, she was unable to speak or move.

“She tried to speak but it was gurgled and all like jumbled,” David said.

Angel said she awoke to her brother performing CPR and she tried to tell him to stop as the pressure was painful, but the words would not come out.

“I wasn’t scared, I was just mainly confused as to why this was happening and what they were doing,” she said.

“Nothing made sense to me at the time.”

Her family called emergency services and an ambulance arrived, but that was not the end of the teenager’s troubles.

“When we were about to leave, the ambulance had a flat tyre so they said we have to get the helicopter in,” she said.

On board was Canterbury Westpac Rescue Helicopter paramedic Libbie Faith.

“This patient was a bit of a puzzle about what was going on,” Faith said.

“We kept reassuring her, we kept monitoring her, testing her, seeing what was happening, and we knew she had to get to hospital pretty quickly.”

As the hours rolled on in hospital, Angel said she started to worry that she would never walk or talk again.

“I couldn’t feel anything,” she said.

“Any needle they would take for tests, I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t move. I just couldn’t feel anything so I wasn’t really in pain. I was just confused.”

Another round of tests were carried out early the following morning and Angel was finally able to push her hands and feet back against the resistance of the doctor.

It was only slight at first but she said she had since fully recovered her strength and her ability to speak.

A battery of tests was carried out, including an ECG.

However, Angel said the doctors were stumped as to what caused the episode.

“Physically it’s behind me but psychologically it’s always going to be a little thing that lives in the corner of my mind because I do think about it every now and then – how they never figured out what was wrong and how my heart suddenly stopped and why I got paralysed and why I fainted,” she said.

“There’s just these questions that keep coming back.”

However, the episode had highlighted to her and her family – who lived in rural North Canterbury – the importance of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

“Living this far out, it’s so important to have the helicopter service available,” Angel said.

“The helicopter got to me so much faster than anything else could have. I really appreciate the paramedics involved who helped me. They were amazing and made a terrifying experience seem not so daunting.”

Faith said situations like Angel’s were why the rescue helicopter was so important.

“The helicopter is there to provide care for patients in rural, remote communities,” Faith said.

“That’s their lifeline and where we are best utilised as well – a time-critical patient that needs to get to hospital from a rural, remote community.”

Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa would be raising money for the Canterbury Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a new helipad in Hanmer Springs at the Night for Flight on 28 November.

Entry to the pool would be $10 with live music, food and raffles on offer and all proceeds going to the rescue helicopter.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Fossil fuel companies were given privileged, insider access to confidential drafts of legislation during a two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban, RNZ has found.

Internal documents show how the sector repeatedly lobbied Resources Minister Shane Jones to dilute New Zealand’s clean-up rules for ageing oil fields – rules brought in to protect taxpayers after the 2019 Tui Oil Field collapse left the state burdened with a $300m bill.

Some of the oil executives meeting with Jones had been closely involved in the Tui disaster, but were invited to confidential briefings anyway.

“That shows an extraordinary sense of self entitlement from the oil and gas industry,” said Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman. “That these same companies and same individuals are back in the room demanding that a loophole in the law be reopened so that the taxpayer has to pick up the bill once again for their mess – it’s really striking.”

Jones says the consultation was a normal – and integral – part of the legislative progress, and officials wanted to make sure the law would work. The lobbyists said the same.

Jones engaged closely with industry – including OMV, Todd Energy and Methanex – meeting them frequently, sharing in-house updates on his amendment bill, and signalling progress before the public or even Cabinet had seen the proposals.

Officials also ran closed-door workshops with industry ahead of ministerial decisions, circulated draft policy “in confidence”, and incorporated several company requests directly into the working text. In one briefing, officials noted OMV “intend to convey their thanks for the changes”, even though the legislation was not yet public and had not been signed off by Cabinet.

A political ‘over-reaction’

The briefing papers, released to RNZ under the Official Information Act, show the lobbying began as soon as the coalition government was formed in late 2023.

Jones, a New Zealand First MP and self-described champion of industry, entered office vowing to repeal the 2018 offshore exploration ban, but soon signalled he wanted a bill that went further.

Industry, led by Energy Resources Aotearoa (ERA), sought a comprehensive package of regulatory and financial support to boost investor confidence.

Its central argument was that Labour-era reforms – including the 2018 offshore exploration ban and the 2021 decommissioning regime – were a political “over-reaction” that spooked investors and “dramatically increased New Zealand’s reputation for sovereign risk”.

In meetings, letters and emails throughout 2024 and 2025, the sector framed the Labour-era, climate-focussed rules as a threat to national stability. It urged the government not only to lift the ban, but also to make laws protecting them against future policy shifts, to promote the sector, and to provide tax breaks incentivising drilling.

“If we are to stave off energy shortages we believe the changes made to the Crown Minerals Act since 2018 should be repealed, and urgently,” ERA wrote in a January 2024 letter to Jones.

Officials, meanwhile, warned ministers of the climate impact. Reopening exploration and boosting gas supply is expected to increase emissions by around 14.2 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, putting significant pressure on the next two emissions budgets.

The strongest lobbying focused on “decommissioning liability” – the hundreds of millions of dollars required to dismantle offshore structures and plug ageing wells. After the Tui collapse, the former government introduced strict rules requiring companies to fully fund this work, hold financial security, and – crucially – made former permit holders automatically liable if an operator collapsed. Directors could face criminal penalties in extreme cases.

The industry wanted those protections weakened across the board, labelling the regime a “gross overreach”.

“The dramatic regulatory over-reaction in the wake of the financial collapse of the Tui operator was an attempt to eliminate risk, without consideration of the costs borne by permit holders,” an ERA letter said.

ERA argued that trailing liability was “unnecessary”; that requiring companies to plan for full removal of infrastructure was too expensive; and that criminal liability for directors would scare off “quality candidates”.

‘Some companies may push back’

Despite the sustained pressure, officials warned Jones that parts of the industry’s decommissioning wishlist were “inconsistent with international practice”, noting the UK and Australia have broader trailing liability rules than what Jones was proposing. During a select committee process considering Jones’ replacement bill, submitters noted there was a loophole, which meant industry could avoid trailing liability altogether.

In an amendment paper to the Crown Minerals Bill, released in November 2024, officials moved to close that loophole and also tighten the law – extending liability to controlling shareholders as well as prior permit holders.

“Some companies may push back on the proposal – especially given the change comes at a late stage in the Bill’s development,” officials wrote in a warning to Jones.

They were right: Industry hated the changes, and launched a revolt. The ERA called it “piercing the corporate veil” and said liability should never be automatic.

The documents reveal officials’ response to the backlash was swift. They developed an alternative model – one that replaced automatic liability with ministerial discretion – and confidentially discussed it with Todd and OMV, who indicated the approach was an “improvement.”

By then, the companies had already had been granted significant insider access during the formation of the bill. In March 2024, for example, the ERA was given confidential pre-consultation on the options being considered to amend the decommissioning regime.

But this time, officials went further. Officials shared the draft Amendment Paper with the companies, including OMV, for feedback on the “workability” of the complex discretionary liability provisions.

OMV’s feedback resulted in officials clarifying the drafting to confirm the guarantee was limited to “unmet costs” or a “proportion of those unmet costs”, reducing the scope of potential liability OMV would face. OMV then thanked the officials, and Jones.

Officials promised to keep engaging industry as they finalised the policy and prepared the Cabinet paper.

The end result

On 31 July 2025, a 25-page Supplementary Order Paper, released 5pm the night before Parliamentary debate, revealed the final state of the proposed law. Industry didn’t get everything it wanted: Criminal liability for directors remains for the most “egregious” failures; and calls for government underwriting of exploration were not fully met.

But both the key tenets were there: the bill overturned the ban and replaced automatic trailing liability with ministerial discretion. Under the amended Crown Minerals Act, the resources and finance ministers can now decide case-by-case whether former operators must pay at all.

Ministers are also empowered to require, vary or waive outgoing financial guarantees, and Cabinet agreed to restore a promotional purpose to the Act and adopt a more flexible approach to financial securities.

Iwi and environmental groups were not consulted on the final draft.

Greenpeace’s Russel Norman said it made sense that the oil and gas lobby would be focused on decommissioning rules given the state of the country’s aging wells.

“The main next game for New Zealand oil and gas is going to be the cost of decommissioning those fields, which is going to be very high, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “What they’re wanting to do is either get out of that liability or reduce it as much as possible.”

ERA chief executive John Carnegie rejected that, saying the industry’s input on decommissioning had focused on “making sure the regime is clear, robust, and workable”, and making sure it was done safely, protected the environment, and with certainty.

Carnegie acknowledged it had been “extremely focused” in its efforts to see improvements made to the new law. He said there had been lasting damage caused by the 2018 exploration ban.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the level of access granted to the oil and gas companies during the legislative rewrite was “insane.”

“The question the minister could have asked was ‘how do we get the best solutions for New Zealanders and our environment?’ but instead he just asked one of the most unscrupulous industries on the planet to help draft our laws.”

Labour’s energy spokesperson Megan Woods – who introduced the 2021 law changes around commissioning as a minister – says Jones was putting the interest of oil and gas companies before the interests of the taxpayer.

“Shane Jones caved. As a minister he did not stand up for New Zealanders,” Woods said. “He is showing legislation to a very narrow group of people who have a clear vested interest, rather than consulting widely.”

But in a statement to RNZ, Shane Jones says the consultation was a normal – and integral – part of the legislative progress, and officials wanted to make sure the law would work.

“Feedback from industry on the draft Amendment Paper focused on the highly technical details, as opposed to the policy itself,” the statement said. “The final result is legislation which protects the Crown, while enabling industry investment in much-needed gas and oil exploration.”

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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

More than 60 firefighters tackled a large fire at a recyling facility in Waiuku overnight.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it was called to the incident around 10.55pm on Monday, and found a large area of plastic on fire – measuring 100 x 50 metres.

Six shipping containers were also on fire.

FENZ said 16 fire trucks were in attendance at the peak of the fire, which was contained as of 5am on Tuesday morning.

The fire was not yet fully extinguished, however, and seven trucks were still at the scene.

Residents in the vicinity are asked to stay indoors and keep doors and windows shut, if possible.

“We also advise people in the affected area to wear a face mask or cover their nose and mouth with clothing if going outside for essential reasons,” said FENZ.

The cause of the blaze is unknown.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Authors of a new report into university marking predict ‘A’s will soon be the most common grade awarded.

Think-tank, The New Zealand Initiative, analysed grade data from the country’s eight universities between 2006 and 2024.

Senior research fellow, Dr James Kierstead said the results showed that while A grades had risen, B and C grades had shrunk and that the most common grade – B – could soon be eclipsed.

“It’s about to be an A. The As [are] catching up with the Bs, basically. The Bs are going down and the As are going up as a proportion of all grades awarded.

“If current trends continue, I wouldn’t be surprised if actually this year A was the most common grade at New Zealand Universities.”

According to the report, ‘Fifty Shades of Grades: Grade Compression’, As had risen from 22 percent of all grades in 2006, to 36 percent in 2024 – an increase of 64 percent.

It said the expansion of As had crowded out other grades, resulting in a decline in the variety of grades awarded.

Kierstead said the study built on one published in August that focused just on A grades and pass rates.

He said factors that could contribute to higher marks had been ruled out, including more women (who tended to achieve higher grades), the ratio of staff to students, and smarter highschoolers.

He said it was also unlikely that better teachers were responsible for the current trend.

“The teaching would have to get a lot better because students are performing worse by international benchmarks at secondary school.

“So the teaching would have to be so good that not only is it making up for that … It’s taking worse students and taking them to a level that’s better than before.”

Kierstead said while it was unlikely to be intentional, academics had strong incentives to grade higher and believed the trend was in response to two main pressures that should be mitigated – class size and funding, and student feedback on teachers.

“If they don’t give out good grades there’s a risk that their student numbers will fall, and the main component of funding at New Zealand universities is the number of students you have in your class.”

He said student feedback forms had also become an important factor in assessing promotions, and during job cuts.

Kierstead said no one benefitted from a system where grades weren’t a reliable indicator of performance – it didn’t motivate students to work hard, and “shortchanged” those who did.

He said he’d also spoken to employers who had stopped relying on the university transcript to assess candidates, and were now conducting their own tests.

“They get all these job applications with students with stellar grades and then they start interviewing people, and some are good and a lot of them aren’t very impressive at all.”

Kierstead said if nothing was done to curb ‘grade inflation,’ New Zealand would find itself in the same position as universities in the United States, where A grades became dominant in the 90s and there was a perception that grades were given out “too cheaply”.

He said the rise in A grades in the US undermined public trust in higher education.

“What we’re trying to say with this research is: Beware, pay attention, wake-up New Zealand universities … this is about to be you.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Warning: This story discusses suicide.

The funeral for “three beautiful angels taken too soon” in a house fire in the Manawatū town of Sanson is being held this morning.

August, 7, Hugo, 5, and Goldie Field, 1, died on 15 November in what’s being treated as a murder-suicide.

Their father, 36-year-old Dean Field, also died in the fire at the family home. He is suspected of murdering the three children before dying by suicide.

The children’s funeral is being held at Crossroads Church in Palmerston North on Tuesday.

“Please wear bright colours,” a funeral notice said.

The notice described the children as “three beautiful angels taken too soon”, and said they’d be sadly missed by their families and everyone who knew them.

It also said they’d be united in Heaven with their big sister Iris, who was stillborn.

In a statement released late last week, the children’s mother Chelsey Field said Iris’ ashes were lost in the blaze. The family’s dog Marlo also died.

“This incident has left me heartbroken and devastated. My children did not deserve this,” Chelsey Field said.

She acknowledged emergency service workers and thanked the public for their support – a Givealittle page set up to support her had raised almost $400,000.

The statement also painted a vivid picture about August, Hugo and Goldie.

August would have turned eight on Thursday and was going to celebrate the milestone with his friends.

He was described as joined at the hip with his brother Hugo, who had made a flying start to school this year.

The boys also loved their younger sister, Goldie, who Chelsey Field said was “my special little girl I had waited so long for”.

“Her first words were ‘hi’ and ‘dog’. She even said ‘Marlo’ the dog’s name before she said ‘Mum’.”

Police finished their scene examination last week and handed the property back to the family.

They said it could take some time before they get answers about what happened.

Where to get help:

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
• What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
• Healthline: 0800 611 116.
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.

Family Violence

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

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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 shake-up to local government is imminent, as the government works to introduce its Resource Management Act replacement to Parliament by Christmas.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told National party members there would be a “very serious shake-up coming” to local government alongside the upcoming RMA reforms.

“Watch this space,” he said.

Luxon later told media there would be “major reform coming” and the government wanted to “radically simplify” local government, but he would leave the details to RMA reform minister Chris Bishop and local government minister Simon Watts.

“I’m just signalling very strongly that, and it’s not a surprise in my conversations I’ve had with local government leaders as well, that this is a country that has so many layers of management and government that actually it’s stopping us from getting things done,” Luxon said.

“It’s hard and difficult decisions, but I’m sorry, we have to keep changing the way we run the country to make it simpler and easier to get things done.”

Earlier this year, regional development minister and New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones told a forum there was “less and less of a justifiable purpose” for keeping regional government once the RMA reforms went through.

In July, Bishop told councils to halt work on district plans until the new RMA legislation took effect.

Watts has also been tasked with bringing policy options for rates caps to Cabinet by the end of the year.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Heart Kids is warning it has no part in an event claiming to be fundraising for the charity.

In a social media post, it said a charity motorcycle ride, scheduled for Saturday 28 March 2026 in Morrinsville, was being advertised as fundraising for Heart Kids NZ, but it was not involved in organising or promoting this event.

“As we have no oversight of the fundraising, we cannot guarantee that any funds raised will be received by Heart Kids NZ,” it said in the post.

The charity said that earlier this year, the organiser ran a similar event promoted as supporting Heart Kids NZ, but despite “extensive and continued follow-up”, it had not received any money raised.

“We were deeply concerned when this event was brought to our attention [on Monday] – especially hearing that supporters from our heart community are purchasing raffle and event tickets at a significant cost, expecting Heart Kids NZ to receive the funds.”

Heart Kids said it was an incredibly disappointing situation.

“Like many charities, Heart Kids NZ is working hard in a very tough funding environment, and we know how tight things are for families and communities right now.

“People give in good faith believing their support is going directly to charity, and we want to make sure that trust is respected.”

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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 world’s largest expedition race is returning to the South Island after a two-year hiatus, and some of the youngest competitors are a group of past and present students from Motueka High School.

Godzone Chapter 12 will see teams of four hike, bike and paddle through remote parts of Marlborough for up to nine days, covering up to 700 kilometres, in a test of navigation and survival.

As is the custom, competitors will not know anything about the course, until the night before it starts.

Motueka teenager Louie Burger has been adventure racing since he was at intermediate school. The 17-year-old was the youngest competitor in the MAGNIficent adventure race at the start of the year and when he heard Godzone was making a comeback, he wanted to get in on the challenge.

“People often describe adventure racing as type 2 fun, so a lot of the time it is kind of a bit s**t while you are doing it and then afterwards you look back on it and you think it was awesome, in recovery you have a bit of reflection and think, actually that was pretty epic.”

Burger convinced former school mate Tide Fa’avae, 19, they should enter a team in the and have joined Leo Easton, 18, and Nika Rayward, 19, as the AWS Legal Motueka team.

The four were part of the team that won the five-day Hillary Challenge, a high school endurance race, in 2024.

“I think the goal is just to have a great time, we are super great mates so we hope there isn’t going to be any clashes out there with each other,” Burger said.

Tide Fa’avae grew up around adventure racing with her parents Nathan and Jodie heavily involved in the sport. Nathan is a seven-time Godzone champion and the couple founded the women’s adventure race Spring Challenge.

The youngest of three, Tide represented New Zealand at the Junior World Orienteering Championships earlier this year. She is the first of her siblings to tackle Godzone.

When she asked her dad if he thought she could do it, he told her it was a big commitment, she would have to train hard and she should take time to think about it.

“He was definitely supportive, but he wasn’t pushing me to do it or not do it, it was my decision.”

Nathan Fa’avae said there was nothing quite like Godzone, a non-stop endurance event of epic proportions and he didn’t actively encourage young people to do it, but said he was happy to support those who were up for the challenge.

He retired from expedition length adventure racing in 2023, after winning Godzone Chapter 11 in Southland with Team Avaya, and has been mentoring the Motueka team for the 2025 event – as they juggle study, work, life and training.

“If you don’t go into these races with a reasonable amount of training then they are not enjoyable and it is probably a bit unfair on your team and I think it is actually quite hard on your body so I said, if this is something you want to do, you have to be real about it and be willing to put in the training because if you are not, I’d encourage you not to do it.”

He helped the team develop a training plan, which they all said was achievable and he said he’d simply provided guidance from there.

“While it’s their first Godzone, they’re no strangers to doing big pack adventures in the mountains, in the Southern Alps, so in many ways, some of their skills are going to lead perfectly into it and I think they’re just going to have a lot of fun. They’re a good bunch of kids. They enjoy being together and they do collectively have an amazing amount of experience in the outdoors given their ages.”

This year’s Godzone will be his first as a keen spectator.

“They’re hugely challenging, but they’re also really rewarding and it’s just something really special that you can do with a group of people that will reflect back on for years to come or even the rest of your life.”

One of the biggest challenges, a concern shared by each team member, will be dealing with the lack of sleep.

Year 13 student Leo Easton said sleep deprivation was the biggest unknown for him.

“I’m excited, it’s another limit to push, I guess but I haven’t done any expedition length adventure races so I’m a bit more unsure about how my body will cope.

“You have to back yourself to make the right decision even though you’re not really functioning properly and I just think that’s really hard, you just need to really have the skills to trust yourself.”

Nika Rayward has been fitting training in around studying outdoor education at Tai Poutini Polytech on the West Coast since finishing school last year.

She said Godzone was going to be the hardest thing she had ever done.

“I’m most worried about sleep and just getting really tired, I just don’t really know exactly what I will be like in that situation because I’ve never been in it before and then night nav, navigating when it’s dark when you are really tired.”

Despite the challenge that lay ahead, she was looking forward to an adventure with her mates.

“We all know we’re going to go out there and we’re going to do as much as we can, we’re going to go as hard as we can and try our hardest to finish the full course.”

Godzone Chapter 12 kicks off in Marlborough on Friday.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The family of Te Anihana Pomana has criticised police for announcing they found a body before formal identification.

Te Anihana Pomana, also known as Ani Anderson, went missing August 21, after leaving Sky City hotel in the early hours of the morning.

On Monday police announced a body they believed to be Pomana was found on Saturday in dense bush in the Pukekohe area.

In a post on social media, whānau criticised the release going out.

“The media releases were done without official confirmation with formal identification, whānau hadn’t got the chance to inform many close to Te Anihana. Apologies to anyone that has had to read and find this information out in this manner,” the post said.

What did the release say?

In a media release on Monday, police said they were making enquiries after a body was found in the search for Te Anihana Pomana on Saturday.

“At around 7.43pm police were notified a body was located in dense bush in the Pukekohe area,” the release said.

“Formal identification is yet to take place; however it is believed to be the body of Te Anihana.”

Police said an investigation into the circumstances of the death were underway and a post mortem was expected to be carried out in due course.

“Her family have been notified of this development and are being provided support.”

Police have been approached for further 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

An enchanted Santa experience became more of a nightmare for one Auckland mum, after she discovered the Terms and Conditions would allow the business to use any photos taken of her children for its advertising or social media.

Enchanted Christmas in Auckland’s Newmarket boasts 180 decorated Christmas trees, hundreds of thousands of lights and decorations, along with photo opportunities with Santa Claus and the Grinch.

The owners of Enchanted Christmas have told Checkpoint they are now removing the term from their website and if they include any families in their posts or advertising, they will ask them to opt in.

But scientist and mum Michelle Dickinson was put off after reading the terms and conditions, that she believed ignored children’s digital privacy and the risks of artificial intelligence.

Dickinson told Checkpoint like any other parent, she was hunting for a Christmas experience her family could enjoy.

“Enchanted Christmas has done an amazing job of using influencers and trying to get people to buy tickets and it looked amazing, so right before I bought my tickets I just checked the Terms and Conditions.

“I read it says very specifically Enchanted Christmas reserves the right to use photos taken by our team and our photographer for advertising purposes and on our social media platforms.”

She said after reading the clause, she was put off the experience.

“There’s no opt out there, there’s no discussion of where my child’s pictures would be stored, how long for, where they might be shared, what might protect them.”

Dickinson said most of her concerns were not with Enchanted Christmas’ use of the photos, but instead how they could be used once they were online.

“My concerns are very evidence based, I work in artificial intelligence every day and we have published papers now that have shown that images of especially children in horrible places on the internet are being combined with artificial intelligence for not great uses.

“We know that they’re being added to AI Digital humans and avatars, so you don’t have the rights to your face or your child’s face anymore. And we know we’re highly at risk in New Zealand because we don’t have an opt out policy of children’s faces on social media being used for AI training.”

Currently New Zealand has no binding laws when it comes to Artificial Intelligence.

Dickinson said this was something she wanted to see change.

“I would love to see better policies here that really protect us – I think New Zealand is one of the most vulnerable countries in the OECD when it comes to our children’s faces and AI training.”

She said she just like putting a seatbelt on her kids, she wanted to keep them safe online too.

“I feel like they should choose whether or not they want a digital footprint, so I’m waiting for them to be old enough to choose that. My children do not have a digital footprint, their faces are not online.

“Remember that your children are cute now, but they’re going to grow up to be adults and everything that is online can never be removed and AI can never unlearn.”

Enchanted Christmas told Checkpoint, in addition to removing the term from their website, they have not used any images without permission, and respect the privacy of people and especially children.

The creators of Enchanted Christmas said clause was included in their terms and conditions because they could not be sure that visitors would not post photos and video featuring other attendees.

Those posts could be liked, shared and potentially be used in collaboration with “Enchanted Christmas” on social media platforms, which may be seen as advertising.

They said they also wanted to be able to use photos from the opening night in advertising, and other images taken onsite could be used in workshops.

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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 trial of a man accused of murdering a promising 17-year-old Taranaki rugby league player has heard the men were would-be sheep rustlers who fell out ahead of the fatal attack.

Rakai Jacob Thompson, 26, appeared in the High Court at New Plymouth charged with the murder of Te Omeka Pairama Akariri-Buckley on 30 July last year in Waitara.

Before proceedings got underway, an associate of the Akariri-Buckley family performed a karakia in front of a public gallery filled with supporters of both men.

Thompson – who entered court on crutches, wearing sweat pants and a black T-shirt – sat with this head bowed through most of the proceedings.

Crown prosecutor Jacob Bourke told the jury on the night of 30 July the men had been involved in an almost comical sheep rustling mission with Te Omeka’s older brother Don and another man.

Don was like a brother to Thompson, said Bourke.

After failing to rustle sheep at two locations and arguing about the use of a light bar on the ute they were using, the men returned to Akariri-Buckley’s home in Bell Block where Thompson became increasingly agitated.

After further arguments about mislaid car keys, Thompson returned home to Strange St in Waitara.

Bourke said Thompson was still upset when he removed a motorbike – owned by the Akariri-Buckleys – from his garage, and parked it on the driveway.

He then messaged the brothers telling them to come and pick up the bike because he did not want anything more to do with them.

Bourke said when the brothers arrived, Te Omeka went to get a helmet from the garage, so he could ride the bike home.

Thompson – armed with a boning knife – told Te Omeka not to enter the garage.

The men argued and Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley “got in Thompson’s face” before they got into a scuffle.

During the scuffle the teenager was stabbed twice. Once in the left side of his chest – which penetrated his heart – and another blow in his side which pierced his left kidney.

Te Omeka ran a short distance, before collapsing alongside the ute.

Thompson and Don Akariri-Buckley laid Te Omeka out together and tried to staunch the bleeding while another person called 111.

Emergency services were called to the property on Strange St about 12.45am.

Bourke said Thompson told police who arrived at the scene he had stabbed Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley, but it was in self defence.

The teenager was taken to hospital in a critical condition, but died from his injuries.

Bourke said, in a later interview with a detective, Thompson said he did not mean to stab Te Omeka, and had done so accidentally when he pushed him away after being rushed by the brothers, only later to say he had stabbed him intentionally.

Thompson said he only had the knife because he had been preparing food.

Defence counsel Nathan Bourke told the jury Te Omeka Akariri-Buckley’s death was a tragedy, but not a murder because Thompson did not want him to die.

He said Te Omeka was like a little brother to Thompson and, as a young father who had lost his own brother in an accident, there was no way he meant to kill the teenager.

This was not a whodunnit, Bourke told the jury, as the facts were not in dispute and Thompson did not deny stabbing Te Omeka.

Bourke said Thompson got sick of the arguing, being picked on and wanted to make a clean break with the Akariri-Buckley brothers and his way of doing that was returning the motorbike.

Thompson was the Akariri-Buckley’s “punching bag”, “whipping boy” their “little bitch”, he said, and Thompson had the knife because he feared what the brothers might do to him when they arrived to get the motorbike.

Bourke said what happened was that Thompson was assaulted after he yelled at Te Omeka not to go into the shed.

“He was being punched repeatedly in the head, he was knocked to the ground, and in the brief few seconds that followed, he reacted and he stabbed Te Omeka.

“We don’t shy away from this. We embrace it. It shows this for what it is. Mere seconds, Rakai acted on instinct and in fear … it wasn’t premeditated, it wasn’t calculated. He acted on instinct.”

Bourke said what Thompson did immediately afterwards was telling. He tried to help Te Omeka, stem the blood flow and offered to drive him to hospital.

His actions did not equate to murderous intent, the defence counsellor said.

The trial before Justice Jason McHerron and a jury of eight women and four men has been set down for two weeks.

The prosecution intends to call 19 witnesses.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Part of a massive petition calling for an urgent fix for the health system never made it to Wellington, where the petition was presented last week.

A plea has gone out to help find the missing sheet after the petition – containing 90,000 signatures – was delivered to Parliament by the group Patient Voice Aotearoa.

The petition was launched in Buller in September 2024, before it was sent out around the country for more signatures to be added.

The vast majority of the signatures made it to Wellington last week, but not those collected in South Westland.

Christine Blair, who is part of the Buller Health Action Group, said an event was held in Hokitika to gather signatures late last year.

Westland Mayor Helen Lash then offered to take one of the petition sheets to collect more signatures around South Westland – and that was the last time the sheet was seen.

Lash said her recollection of what happened was not great, as it was so long ago.

“It was signed by quite a few people then someone said ‘well, I’ll get it down to here’, and that was it,” Lash said.

She would like to hear from anyone who saw the petition being passed around, so they could start to figure out where it was last seen.

She said it had several hundred signatures the last time she saw it.

Christine Blair said the Buller Health Action Group and Patient Voice Aotearoa really wanted the sheet found so that South Westland was included in the historic petition.

“Mayor Lash was very enthusiastic and said ‘I’ll get this around the area and we’ll get this sheet filled’,” Blair said.

“We know it hasn’t come back to us, and we just think its not right for the people of Westland to have signed into this idea of the Buller Declaration and then their voices not being attached to the master document.”

Blair said anyone who thought they had the sheet should get in touch through the Patient Voice Aotearoa Facebook page and she would be happy to arrange to get it transported to Wellington.

But time was running out.

The petition is now sitting with an MP in Wellington, but they can only add signatures for another week until Tuesday 2 December, and then it will be lodged in the House and no more signatures can be added.

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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 rainbow sand art toy sold at various discount stores nation-wide is the latest coloured sand product to be recalled over concerns about asbestos.

MBIE confirmed this afternoon that the product was being recalled because some samples had tested positive for asbestos.

It is the latest sand toy to test positive, after concerns over several other products were raised earlier this month. Students at about 40 schools were forced to stay home.

The sand art toys in the latest recall were sold at the following retailers from June to November:

• Two Dollar Things stores nation-wide
• BG International Trading Ltd T/A Charlotte World
• BH Mart Ltd T/A 123 & More
• Siyara Limited T/A @Two.5 Discount store
• Fraser Brothers Ltd
• Dollar Star Gisborne
• Woo NZ Ltd

The products can be identified by the following product codes, found on labelling on the outer packaging above the barcode:

• 21065
• 20468
• 20536
• 20535
• 20537
• 20538

Craft sand also recalled

MBIE have also recalled Craft Sand 380g following proactive testing on coloured sand products.

About 500 units have been sold at discount stores across New Zealand. A list stores and product identifiers for affected products can be found on the Product Safety Website.

MBIE advises people stop using the products immediately and follow the relevant advice for safe containment and disposal.

Tremolite – a naturally occurring asbestos – had been found in samples of sand during lab testing. Asbestos contamination had been found in similar products in Australia.

MBIE said if anyone has used the latest products to be recalled, there was no need for urgent medical attention.

“You can call Healthline free anytime on 0800 611 116 anytime to discuss any health concerns you may have. Healthline can advise if you, a child or a family member needs to see a healthcare professional for review.”

Four recalls have now been issued for coloured sand products in total. They are:

• Rainbow Sand Art Toy- sold at various discount stores nationwide
• Craft Sand 380g – sold at various discount stores nationwide
• 14 piece Sand Castle Building Set and Blue, Green and Pink Magic Sand – sold at Kmart
• Educational Colours – Rainbow Sand and Creatistics – Coloured Sand – Various Colours – sold at a number of retailers including Paper Plus, Hobby Land, NZ School Shop, Office Products Depot, Discount Office, Acquire, and Qizzle.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Another person has been arrested in the Pukehinau Flats shooting investigation, after police stopped the man for speeding.

Earlier this month, police were called to the flats after a shot was discharged towards a man.

The man was not injured by the shot, however was injured after he jumped from a second-floor balcony to escape the offender.

A 34-year-old woman was arrested and had since appeared in court.

A 22-year-old man has now also been charged in relation to the shooting after he was stopped for speeding by police in Palmerston North.

He was arrested for being in possession of a shotgun.

Wellington CIB have since charged the man in relation to the shooting at Pukehinau flats.

Police said they were not seeking anyone else in relation to the shooting.

The man is due to appear in the Wellington District Court in December, charged with discharging a firearm with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and aggravated robbery.

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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 mother of a man who died after being pepper sprayed in Mt Eden Prison says they have lingering questions about what happened.

Corrections officers have gone under the microscope before the Coroner’s court today after the death of 26-year-old Caleb Moefa’auo.

He went into cardiac arrest shortly after being pepper sprayed by an officer in 2022.

His family have been seeking answers since his death, with the second phase of a coronial inquest into what happened beginning in Auckland on Monday.

Justine Lauese, Moefa’auo’s mother, sat at the back of the courtroom in the Auckland District Court with her family, wearing pins that said “Justice for Caleb”.

She read a statement to the court at the beginning of the inquest’s second phase.

“We love Caleb so deeply, and even though he cannot stand here with us, we stand here for him, for his dignity, his voice, and for the gentle hope that meaningful change can come in his name,” Lauese said.

Moefa’auo was sent to Mt Eden prison after allegedly assaulting a fellow patient at Tiaho Mai mental health unit. He was then placed in the prison’s Intervention and Support Unit at the end of 2021.

In April 2022, he was in a stand off with prison guards over a bathroom towel.

Moefa’auo was pepper sprayed and taken back to his cell, where he went into cardiac arrest and died shortly after.

Lauese told RNZ it had been a long, difficult journey to get answers.

“Honestly, it’s very distressing, mentally and physically it’s been very, very hard,” she said.

“We have details, but they don’t make sense to us. There’s just that constant ‘what happened’, ‘why was this done’, ‘why wasn’t common sense used’.”

She wanted clarity around her son’s death, and a change from the prison system.

“We want their processes changed, that information shared, the systems they use, we want to see specialised training especially for the Corrections officers, especially in the [Intervention and Support unit],” Lauese said.

“We don’t want to see people like Caleb fall through the cracks.”

The prison officer who sprayed Moefa’auo was charged with assault, but found not guilty by a jury.

The jury was not told that Moefa’auo had died, after the fact was deemed prejudicial.

Coroner Heather McKenzie thanked Caleb’s mother and family, adding that their presence in court was important.

“Having Caleb’s family here really gives him a voice, and I am very grateful for you again having the courage to be almost the first person to stand up in court this week and speak to us,” she said.

McKenzie said this part of the inquest would focus on what happened at the time of Moefa’auo’s death.

“A few months ago, in the first part of the inquest, we heard a lot of policy evidence, and it can be easy in that setting to lose sight of the emotional toll, and also the events that happened on the day, but this week is the sharper end of things.”

For Lauese and her family, it will be about answering lingering questions.

“We just want answers, we want clarity, we want them to be transparent and we do want accountability,” Lauese said.

“We know that no one can be found guilty, but the accountability is through change, real change, effective change.”

The inquest continued this week.

Prison under significant pressure at time, staffer says

Earlier on Monday, a person who cannot be named, said the prison was facing significant pressure at the time Moefa’auo died.

“At the time of Caleb’s death, [Mt Eden Prison] was experiencing significant staffing and procedural challenges, compounded by the pressures of operating under stringent Covid-19 protocols,” they said.

“Access to the (Intervention Support Unit) by external professionals was also restricted to minimise the risk of Covid-19 transmission within the wider prison population.”

The staff member said those constraints were particularly acute in the context of Mt Eden’s role as a remand facility.

“The high turn over and complex needs of the remand population placed additional strain on staff and systems, making it increasingly difficult to maintain consistent oversight and therapeutic support.”

Prisoners in the ISU were not allowed to take towels into their cells, as it posed a risk to themselves, they said.

“One towel is provided for showering, and can be replaced if required for drying, but must be returned immediately after use, prior to individuals returning to their cell.” they said.

They said several reviews had been initiated in the wake of Moefa’auo’s death, and that lessons had been learned.

These included monthly training, informed by identified gaps across the site, continued reinforcement of best practice, and including health as a priority, as well as additional training for staff to stop and check on prisoner welfare when using force.

The Corrections staff member was questioned by the lawyer representing the officer acquitted of assaulting Moefa’auo, Lily Nunweek, who raised concerns about the level of experience of those involved.

That question was not answered, however, with Correction’s lawyer suggesting it was better directed at the staff themselves.

Under later cross-examination from counsel assisting Coroner Rebekah Jordan, the staff member admitted officers in the ISU needed more support.

“All the staff in there have a focus to support the men in that unit, and they do a really, really good job,” the staff member said.

“Do they have the right training for being in there? No, we don’t give them psychological training […] in my opinion no, we don’t give them enough training.

“Even now. The training that we sourced for them was done off our own back.”

The Corrections staff member told Coroner McKenzie they wanted to see specialist training from staff, including understanding mental health triggers.

“They’re not psychologists, they’ve never trained to be psychologists, and, for me, Mt Eden holds a lot of complex prisoners, with a lot of mental health – I don’t like saying issues – with a lot of mental health, really, prisoners that have got a lot of mental health stuff going on,” they said.

“And it’s becoming more and more common that we’re finding prisoners coming into the system now that are diagnosed more with mental health illnesses, and I’d like to see more training in that area for the staff.”

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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 major street in central Auckland was closed for almost three hours today after a window fell from a multi-storey building.

Two fire trucks were called to Wyndham Street shortly after 1.30pm when a window fell from an upper floor.

Fire and Emergency and police blocked the road while a team of commercial abseilers secured the windows.

They have now left the scene and the road has reopened.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Surprisingly spread-out levels of ‘forever chemicals’ have been found in many kinds of whales in New Zealand waters.

Man-made PFAS chemicals are common in consumer products and impact human health, and new trans-Tasman research has looked at how whales and dolphins have been exposed to them.

Massey University Professor Karen Stockin – who led the study – says her team expected that it would be crucial where a whale spent its time, but it was not.

“While we might expect a sperm whale offshore to have less exposure to PFAS and therefore accumulate less than an inshore Maui dolphin, that did not at all in the modelling prove to be the case.

“Instead, what proved to be the case is your sex, if you’re male or female, your stage in life,” said Stockin.

Species feeding mid-water – like false killer whales and common dolphins – were just as exposed to PFAS as coastal Māui dolphins or deep-diving species like beaked whales.

Newly first-born whales had the highest levels due to “offloading” by their mothers of their own accumulated PFAS. Males had higher levels than females, also due to such offloading.

The new data raised questions about how whales were being exposed to the 14,000 different types of the per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, and concerns about the impact on the ocean.

“Really the biggest alarm bell for me is the fact the ocean of course is the final sink… that’s where it all goes,” and life on land depended on the oceans, said Stockin.

They looked at Massey University’s tissue archive of 127 stranded toothed whales and dolphins from 16 species, eight of which had never been examined like this for PFAS levels before.

It was “the most comprehensive snapshot of PFAS in NZ marine mammals to date”, said Massey.

PFAS has been linked to some cancers, high cholesterol and reduced immunity in humans.

It could be one reason why first-born whales of some species were known to be the most likely to die, Stockin said.

Auckland’s Dr Shan Yi was now working to develop models to test health impacts on animals.

Stockin’s team was also intrigued that its assumption whales were getting most of their PFAS from food might not hold water. They could be exposed in many ways, including through the water itself on their porous skin, when they return to breathe on the surface water. Another project was looking at that possibility.

“This confirms that PFAS are everywhere in the marine environment, and we still don’t fully understand their impact, especially on predator species like whales and dolphins,” said Louis Tremblay, an ecotoxicologist at the Bioeconomy Science Institute, which – along with the University of Wollongong, University of Technology Sydney, and University of Auckland – helped with the research.

PFAS spread quickly in water and bioaccumulate in organs.

Contamination around NZ defence bases came from firefighting foam that has been banned. It sparked the building of a new water scheme outside Ohakea in recent years, but there has been little research since then in this country into the levels in groundwater or other water, even though PFAS legal action and clean-ups remain big business in the US and Europe.

Stockin said for New Zealanders, the level of PFAS in whales might suggest it is in the kaimoana people eat at levels, and they might want to understand more about.

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