Saturday 21st of February 2026 01:19:57 PM
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Dirtbike dangers raised as 3yo suffers facial injuries after father crashes in Northland

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Dirt bikes have become a menace on some New Zealand streets. Photo / File Coopersgrl / Reddit

A three-year-old child has suffered severe facial injuries after his father crashed while doubling him on a dirt bike in Northland, police say.

The crash has highlighted the danger of dirt bikes being used on city streets – and an alarming trend of riders taking young children for high-speed joyrides, almost always without helmets.

Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong, area prevention manager for Mid North police, said the Kaikohe crash involved a three-year-old boy and his father.

The child was seriously hurt and the 22-year-old rider was facing child welfare and driving charges.

Armstrong said the child was being doubled at the time of the crash.

He was unable to say more given that the case was now before the courts.

RNZ understands the child’s injuries included a broken jaw and facial lacerations.

Dirt bikes were a problem in Kaikohe in particular, but there were also regular incidents in Whangārei – including the death of a rider in March last year – and in Auckland, where a group of about 40 bikes sped across fields where children were playing sport on 1 February.

“A big problem is the fact that a lot of these bikes are not warranted. They’re not registered, they’re not roadworthy. The riders themselves are not licensed, and some of the driving behaviour is just dangerous, reckless and unruly,” he said.

Senior Sergeant Clem Armstrong, of Mid North police, says dirt bike riders are putting children in serious danger by taking them joy riding on city streets. RNZ / Peter de Graaf

“There’s no consideration for members of the public and other road users, and it’s just a huge safety concern for us. I’ve seen first-hand people who have been seriously hurt, and the absolute last thing we want is for somebody to lose their life as a result of this sort of stuff.”

An alarming trend involved riders taking young children as passengers.

“A lot of the bikes that we come across, they don’t have brakes, they don’t have tread on the tyres. So there’s just so many risks, ultimately it will lead to more people being seriously hurt.”

A Kaikohe resident, who did want to be named for fear of retribution, said dirt bikes tore past his home frequently.

They created noise and nuisance and the riders put themselves at risk by pulling wheelies in traffic, but it was the danger to small children that made him “deeply, deeply anxious”.

“Parents, mothers and fathers alike, will take a little, tiny baby for a ride down the street, and the child is sitting in front of them, with no restraints,” he said.

“They’re doing at least 50k, if not more, and the child thinks it’s an absolutely wonderful thing. But they have no idea what would happen if they suddenly hit something. They would just go flying like a bag of cement and have to be scraped off the road 20 metres ahead.”

That has already happened with the severely injured three-year-old, he said.

“That still hasn’t stopped them. You still see it. Those small children don’t have an opportunity to say, ‘No, this is dangerous, and I don’t want to do it’. And parents are giving them what they think is a good time.”

Armstrong said no particular age group was involved, and many of the riders fancied themselves as experts.

“A lot of them, in their own minds, believe they’re really good riders, but a lot of the time they’re actually poor. They don’t have the knowledge or experience, and they haven’t gone through any sort of proper learning.”

Armstrong said police took the offending seriously and would hold people to account through the courts, with tools such as CCTV used to identify offenders.

Bikes could be impounded for 28 days up to six months.

Any rider signalled to stop should do so, because fleeing could lead to charges of dangerous driving or failing to stop.

Consequences for those who stopped could be less severe, such as education.

Armstrong said thrill-seeking was often their motivation, and many had no access to bike tracks or other places to ride so they took to streets and footpaths.

“They may think it’s a fun thing to do, but it’s not fun when we’re dealing with seriously injured people, especially kids,” he said.

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

Concerns about increased ‘nangs’ use in Hawkes Bay being aimed at young people

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Cartridge of nitrous oxide, also called laughing gas or nangs, can cause serious health problems. AFP/ GARO

A significant jump in the recreational use of nitrous oxide, or nangs, has community leaders worried, with claims big canisters of the gas are being marketed to children.

Nitrous oxide is a colourless gas, known as laughing gas, which is used as a painkiller in medical and dental procedures.

It is also used in catering to make whipped cream.

If inhaled recreationally nangs can have dangerous long-term side effects like nerve damage in the brain and spinal cord.

Under the Psychoactive Substances Act it’s illegal to sell the product for recreational use.

In recent weeks, dozens of the discarded canisters have started turning up in the Hawke’s Bay prompting a crisis meeting.

Stewart Whyte of Te Taiwhenua o Heretaunga called the hui and told Checkpoint they were made aware of the issue through a retailer in the area.

“We just got a contact through one of the retailers here that actually works with oxygen bottles for dive supplies and things like that… and he had collected quite a few apple bins [worth] over a short period of time.”

A 1.6 litre cannister of nitrous oxide. Photo / File Supplied

Whyte said the largest canisters they had found had been around the size of a large thermos flask.

“They’re marketed in such a way that they’re very colourful and obviously aimed at young people. They certainly don’t look like industrial canisters for making whipped cream.”

While medical grade nitrous oxide is mixed with oxygen, Whyte said these canisters are purely nitrous oxide, making them extremely dangerous.

“These big canisters, I believe, have about 300 hits within each one.”

Whyte is worried the problem is bigger than what anyone is anticipating.

“It seems to me that it’s gone under the radar for quite a long period of time. I think the use of this particular substance though has spiked. Certainly the evidence of the empty canisters turning up at this company would be evidence of that.”

“There are huge side effects, quite dangerous to people’s health for the use of this product. So it is quite concerning.”

He said with evidence that nangs have contributed to fatalities on the roads, it is clear the gas is already affecting whanau.

“There is impacts already that can evidence people have been seriously hurt, the nervous system’s damaged, people have been blacking out for 30 minutes or longer,”

“While it might be a short-term, 30-second hit for a young person, what we need to do really quite clearly and quickly is to inform our community that these products are out there and at the moment they’re readily available through retail outlets with very little law to protect our young people from the danger that they present.”

A meeting with community leaders was held two weeks ago to discuss the issue.

Whyte said leaders landed on a two-step approach to addressing their concerns.

“One is educating and informing our community of the danger of this particular product. The second one is to try and get our retailers together that are offering this product to see if there’s a willingness for them to not supply it.”

“That would be the best outcome that we could achieve.”

He said they also want politicians to look at the law around selling nitrous oxide, banning it from dairies and vape stores, and making it available only from licensed premises that deal in catering.

“I think that would be the logical next step, but it’s a longer-term project.”

“There’s no reason for them to be in a dairy.”

Whyte said their number one priority is to spread awareness within the community, something that he said he has already seen rising.

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

Yes, One Nation’s poll numbers are climbing. But major party status – let alone government – is still a long way off

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrea Carson, Professor of Political Communication, La Trobe University

Recent polling has delivered a spike for the anti-immigration party One Nation, triggering media speculation that Australian politics is on the cusp of a populist realignment.

The latest Newspoll had Labor on 33%, One Nation on 27% and the Coalition on just 18% of primary votes, which constituted both an historic high for One Nation and an all-time low for the Coalition.

Headlines tell us Pauline Hanson’s party is “soaring”, with some analysts asking if she could lead the country or emerge as opposition leader amid a populist uprising.

Yet, the evidence for either of those happening is thin. For a start, it relies on mid-term polling following a landslide victory for Labor in the 2025 election – in other words, is shows one in four Australians would currently vote for One Nation.

A 27% primary vote is certainly a notable boost for Hanson’s party. But framing it as a pathway to One Nation leadership misreads what is fundamentally a Coalition-induced problem. Here are several reasons why One Nation’s support is likely to hit a ceiling.

Historically, One Nation’s limited electoral success has been mostly in Queensland (22.7% first preference in the 1998 state election) and upper houses, where it currently holds four Senate seats out of 76.

Even then, the two One Nation senators contesting the 2025 election were well below quota on primary votes and relied heavily on Coalition preference flows to leapfrog rivals in the WA and NSW count. It was as much about a Coalition preference deal as a One Nation success story.

Australian prime ministers emerge from the lower house (the brief exception was John Gorton), where One Nation has virtually no presence beyond the defection of former National party leader, Barnaby Joyce. Turning a poll spike into a One Nation government would require Hanson (or Joyce) to contest a lower house seat, sustained national support across diverse issues, and a leap from niche anti-immigration messaging to broad policy appeal.

Mid-term polls, especially those not counting undecided voters, often reflect protest sentiment rather than durable electoral momentum. Excluding undecided voters fails to show the degree of voter volatility, especially this far out from a full-term election due in 2028.

Labor’s primary vote has also softened, taking on heavy criticism for its response to the Bondi massacre, and with interest rates rising again and renewed mortgage pain, it too is not immune to a mid-poll protest vote.

Governments (and opposition parties) can suffer mid-term slumps without translating into election losses. Only a year ago, polling pointed to a one-term Labor government and a Coalition victory. Five months later, Labor secured an unprecedented 94-seat win and Liberal leader Peter Dutton lost his own seat.

As former British Prime Minister Harold Wilson, once quipped: “A week can be a long time in politics”, so too with early polling and the final ballot.

One Nation’s recent boost is framed as a rise in right-wing populism tapping into a wave of global anti-immigration sentiment.

But there’s no denying voter frustration with Liberal–National infighting. Sussan Ley’s weakened leadership, with Angus Taylor openly canvassing for her job, has created openings for protest from disaffected Coalition supporters. A quarter of voters at the last election had already moved away from the major parties leading to the rising tide of the independents, particularly the teals, at the expense of former (moderate) liberal heartland seats like Kooyong in Victoria.

Twice in nine months, the Coalition partnership has imploded. It has been patched back together again now, but few see this as a solid arrangement, and most expect an imminent leadership spill in the Liberal Party.

While dismayed National voters could switch to One Nation and follow Joyce, it would put a handful of National seats in play at best. This is especially so given the Queensland version of the party, the Liberal National Party, remains a united single entity against the federal Labor government.

Further, the likelihood of moderate Liberals agreeing to a One Nation–Liberal Coalition replacing the Nationals, is fanciful. Liberal member for Flinders Zoe McKenzie dismissed this notion last week.

Geography and candidate quality further limit Hanson’s prospects. Australia’s population is concentrated on the east coast, where One Nation’s support is uneven, and weak in major cities. Some commentators suggest current polling and high profile recruits such as Cory Bernardi could see upcoming state elections produce lower house One Nation representatives. Even so, state voting patterns are not good predictors of federal election outcomes. Queensland is a good example of that.

One Nation has long struggled to recruit candidates capable of surviving media scrutiny and upholding parliamentary responsibilities. Since the party’s inception until 2023, out of 36 One Nation representatives at state and federal level, only seven have lasted long enough to face re-election. The party’s history of candidate controversies – think of Hanson’s falling-outs with Mark Latham, Fraser Anning and David Oldfield – have been a drag on the party.

Structural factors reinforce these limits. Preferential and compulsory voting systems favour parties with broad public appeal, making it hard for niche-issue parties like One Nation to translate short-term polling attention into seats.

Hanson’s decades-long focus on immigration, cultural threat, and elite betrayal grabs media attention. She is a shrewd political communicator whose polling narratives and immigration rhetoric reinforce one another, driving visibility and public engagement. For example, a Sky News clip of Hanson headlined “Polling higher than the Liberals” currently has 272,000 views. Another segment on immigration, framed around claims that migrants “don’t want to assimilate”, has drawn 180,000 views.

Yet, the party’s message amplification should not be confused with persuasion. These are the same anti-migration themes Hanson has promoted since the 1990s, with limited success in expanding her electoral base. They ignore immigrants’ vital roles in Australia’s health and regional workforces, and in Australian society more generally.

While anti-immigrant sentiment has risen in the wake of the horrific Bondi terror attack, issue salience fluctuates. The most important issues closer to polling day are typically broader, such as cost-of-living pressures, housing affordability, health and aged care. And the next election is still two years away.

For now, the polls tell us more about voter frustration, volatility and media incentives than about who will govern Australia in 2028.

Andrea Carson receives funding with colleagues from the Australian Research Council to study political trust.

Finley Watson receives funding through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship.

– ref. Yes, One Nation’s poll numbers are climbing. But major party status – let alone government – is still a long way off – https://theconversation.com/yes-one-nations-poll-numbers-are-climbing-but-major-party-status-let-alone-government-is-still-a-long-way-off-275086

Homicide investigation launched after ‘much-loved’ grandmother found dead at worksite

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

A homicide investigation has been launched after the discovery of a woman’s body at a worksite in Hawke’s Bay last week.

On Tuesday, police were called to a property on Taihape Road in Omahu, near Hastings after a body was found.

She has since been identified as Sharlene Smith, aged 64, from Rotorua.

“We continue to support her loved ones at this extremely difficult time,” detective inspector James Keene said.

“Our early enquiries have established that this was a tragic and avoidable death of a much-loved mother, grandmother and sister, and we are determined to find answers for her whānau,” detective

inspector James Keene said.

Keene said a committed team were investigating, but was also calling for the public’s help.

Police are appealing for sightings of a white Mazda 3 2005 sports hatch on 30-31 January within the Taihape Road/Omahu Road Fernhill area.

Anyone who may have witnessed any other suspicious activity in the area during that time period are also encouraged to contact police.

People can get in touch through the 105 service, quoting reference number 260203/9739.

You can also share information anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

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

Watch: Taranaki’s Liquefied Natural Gas import facility expected to save New Zealanders millions

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government says a Liquefied Natural Gas import facility in Taranaki will save New Zealanders about $265 million a year.

Energy Minister Simon Watts on Monday announced a contract was expected to be signed by the middle of the year, with construction finishing next year or early 2028.

Watts told media the facility would provide Kiwi’s “greater security and peace of mind”.

“As a government we are taking swift and decisive action”.

While Luxon said it would “provide a reliable back-up source.”

“I’m sorry, we are going to be investing in energy and electricity in this country.

“We need to get rid of the dry risk,” Luxon told reporters on Monday.

Watts would not confirm whether power prices would be cheaper next winter.

“I’m not going to guarantee, based on the advice I’ve been given the benefits outweigh the costs.”

The opposition party was briefed on the decision, Watts said.

A factsheet supplied by the government said the infrastructure costs would be paid for through a levy on electricity of between $2 and $4 /MWh.

The facility was expected to cut future prices by at least $10/MWh, and curb an expected 1.25 percent reduction in Gross Domestic Product from higher energy prices.

While an exact location for the import facility was yet to be determined, all the shortlisted submissions were in Taranaki, Watts said.

Procurement started in October in response to the independent Frontier report, which the government largely rejected.

The report said developing an import facility would make no economic sense if it was used only for firming, when generation is low.

Watts said the government would design an import model bringing in “large shipments only when needed”, and would later become a “fuel source for industrial, commercial and residential users”.

The factsheet said modelling from MBIE had shown the LNG import facility would “effectively cap gas prices”.

MBIE also modelled four other options for cost, timeliness, impact on energy prices, flexibility and wider impacts – but LNG imports were found to achieve lower electricity prices at relatively low capital cost.

Options modelled included a new thermal generation plant to run on coal or biomass; a combination of new and converted ‘peaking’ plant, that would run on diesel; a combination of a new unit at the Huntly power station, new and converted peaking plants, and a demand response; or a combination of LNG importation and refurbishing the Taranaki Combined Cycle plant.

“Other options, including renewable projects, were considered but not advanced due to a range of factors such as expected time to construct, feasibility of generating power reliably on the required scale, and effects on electricity market incentives.”

How did we get here?

Luxon in August 2024 said New Zealand was in an “energy security crisis”, with Winstone and Oji Fibre mills blaming power prices as they began consulting on closures, and NZ First’s Shane Jones accused the gen-tailers of profiteering.

He announced “urgent” actions including an independent review of the sector and removing regulatory barriers for an LNG import facility, which Cabinet agreed to consent.

At that time, a timeframe of winter 2026 was expected.

The government largely rejected the recommendations of the review carried out by Frontier Economics, with sector players including Simon Bridges criticising a lack of bold action.

“It would make no economic sense to develop an LNG import terminal to meet just dry year risk as the large fixed costs would be spread over a relatively small amount of output,” the Frontier report said.

“If an LNG terminal is contemplated as a last resort to provide NZ with a secure energy system, this should be considered as part of a wider gas supply strategy for communities and industrial users where gas is the most economic source of energy.”

Watts at the time said the government would begin procurement the following week and expected to have the facility up and running by winter 2027.

An earlier report in July for the four major gen-tailers Contact, Meridian, Genesis and Mercury – as well as gas company Clarus – found it could take three to four years to set up an import facility at costs ranging from $200m to $1b.

RNZ In-Depth’s Kirsty Johnston in November reported the response from “almost every corner – other than the gas industry itself – was a collective groan”, with sector commentators calling it a “band-aid” solution that “doesn’t make logical sense”.

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

Scene guards in place after Christchurch man stabbed

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Scene guards are set to remain in place overnight in central Christchurch. RNZ / Cole Eastham-Farrelly

A scene guard will remain in place in central Christchurch overnight as police continue to investigate a serious assault.

Detective Sergeant Caroline Johnson said police were called to a property on Fitzgerald Avenue at around 12:20pm on Monday, where a man was found in a critical condition, with injuries consistent with being stabbed.

“A scene examination, and police investigation, is ongoing.

Scene guards will remain in place overnight – as this occurs, there will be increased police visibility in the area.”

Police also reassured the public that there was not believed to be a threat to public safety.

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District Court Judge Ema Aitken says she did not shout when disrupting NZ First event at exclusive club

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Source: Radio New Zealand

District Court Judge Ema Aitken at the Judicial Conduct Panel on Monday. Finn Blackwell / RNZ

A lawyer has told a Judicial Conduct Panel removing a judge is done to protect the judiciary, as the inquiry into acusations a District Court Judge disrupted a New Zealand First event begins.

Judge Ema Aitken was appearing before a Judicial Conduct Panel in Auckland on Monday, accused of disrupting a function at Auckland’s exclusive Northern Club in 2024.

She was accused of shouting that NZ First leader Winston Peters was lying.

Judge Aitken said she didn’t shout, didn’t recognise Peters’ voice when she responded to remarks she overheard and didn’t know it was a political event.

Presenting the allegations of misconduct to the panel, Special Counsel Tim Stephens KC said the panel was responsible for reporting on the Judge’s conduct, finding the facts, and ultimately recommending if the Judge should be removed.

Special counsel Tim Stephens KC (left) and Jonathan Orpin-Dowell (right). Finn Blackwell / RNZ

He noted it would not be up to the panel to remove the Judge.

“Whether to remove the Judge is a decision for the acting Attorney General and not the panel,” Stephens said.

“But the attorney is only able to remove the judge if the panel concludes that consideration of removal is justified in the panel’s opinion.”

Stephens said the removal of a judge was not a disciplinary matter.

“It’s not a punitive or disciplinary measure,” he said.

“Rather, its function is protective, it protects public confidence in the judicial system, it protects the impartiality and integrity of the judiciary.”

It came down to a matter of fitness for office, Stephens said.

The Judicial Conduct Panel, (right to left) Hon Jillian Mallon, Hon Brendan Brown KC and Sir Jerry Mateparae. Finn Blackwell / RNZ

He spoke about the legislative history and grounds that formed the basis for considering removal of a judge, including existing legislation from Australia.

“My overall submission in terms of the law is that the panel may form the opinion that consideration of removal is justified,” Stephens said.

“If that’s met, the panel may form that opinion, if the attorney, acting lawfully and in accordance with the purposes of the Act, could conclude that removal was an available outcome.”

The Panel was yet to hear from Judge Aitken’s lawyer.

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

School bus catches fire in Mangawhai

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / REECE BAKER

A school bus has caught fire just south of the township of Mangawhai.

All 20 children on board and the driver are safe, police say.

The bus caught fire near on Mangawhai Road near the intersection with Carter Road.

Did you see the fire? Get in touch or send pictures to iwitness@rnz.co.nz

The road is closed until the scene is cleared.

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Basketball; Breakers bring in new CEO, Troy Georgiu, after 11 months

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Source: Radio New Zealand

New Breakers ceo Troy Georgiu supplied

Former Perth Wildcats chief executive officer (CEO), Troy Georgiu is crossing the Tasman to take on the same role with the New Zealand Breakers.

The Breakers CEO role had been vacant since the basketball club brought in new owners in March.

Georgiu has a 20-year legacy in the NBL and the club said in a statement his mandate was to make the Breakers “the NBL’s premier sporting organisation, on and off the court”.

Starting with the Wildcats in 2002, Georgiu served as commercial manager for a decade before leading the club as CEO from 2017 to 2022.

Georgiu was on board with the Wildcats when the team secured back-to-back NBL championships in 2019 and 2020 and was “instrumental in maintaining the club’s legendary 35-year finals streak while delivering record-breaking membership and commercial revenue”.

His professional profile sent out by the Breakers highlighted his work as a brand revitalisation expert in “building and protecting much-loved sporting brands, ensuring they resonate with fans while meeting rigorous profitability standards”.

Following his tenure in Perth, Georgiu transitioned into business advisory.

Breakers Chairperson Marc Mitchell said Georgiu was a “world-class executive who understands the unique intersection of community, brand, and winning”.

“After conducting a global search Troy emerged as our first choice and we are excited to bring in a proven executive of his calibre.

“Our goal is to make the Breakers the top sporting brand in New Zealand, and Troy is the leader to help us get there.”

Georgiu said he understood the importance of the Breakers to basketball in New Zealand.

“I am honoured to lead this next chapter for a club that is a cornerstone of New Zealand sport. My focus is on building a front office that is as high performing as our team on the court.

“We want to grow the club, engage our fans more deeply, and ensure the BNZ Breakers compete for Championships every year.”

Georgiu will oversee all aspects of the club’s business operations.

Dillon Boucher is the president of basketball operations, overseeing all aspects of basketball and performance and his role remained unchanged as Georgiu joined the club immediately.

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New poll predicts hung Parliament

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ

Neither the right or left bloc would be able to govern if an election were held today, according to the latest Taxpayers’ Union-Curia Poll.

The Labour Party has dropped 0.3 points to 34.1 percent, while National dropped 0.2 points to 31.3 percent.

New Zealand First dropped 1.4 points to 10.5 percent, while the Greens jumped 2.6 points to 10.3 percent.

The ACT Party dropped 0.3 points to 6.7 percent, while Te Pāti Māori dropped 0.1 points to 2.9 percent.

The combined projected seats for the centre-right bloc was down 3 seats to 60, while the combined seats for the centre-left block rose 3 seats to 60.

On these numbers, there would be a hung Parliament.

For parties outside of Parliament, TOP was on 1.4 percent (+0.7 points), NZ Outdoors and Freedom was on 1.2 percent (+0.6 points), Vision NZ was on 0.4 percent (+0.1 points), and New Conservatives were on 0.1 percent (-0.2 points).

Cost of living remained the most important issue, jumping 7.4 points to 34.9 percent; the highest result since May 2024.

The economy more generally sat as the second most important issue on 12.0 percent (-2.8 points), followed by health on 9.2 percent (+0.4 points).

The poll was conducted by Curia Market Research Ltd for the NZ Taxpayers’ Union. It is a random poll of 1000 adult New Zealanders and is weighted to the overall adult population. It was conducted by phone (landlines and mobile) and online between Sunday 1 February and Tuesday 3 February 2026. It has a maximum margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent.

Curia is a long-running and established pollster in New Zealand. In 2024 it resigned its membership from the Research Association New Zealand (RANZ) industry body.

Polls compare to the most recent poll by the same polling company, as different polls can use different methodologies. They are intended to track trends in voting preferences, showing a snapshot in time, rather than be a completely accurate predictor of the final election result.

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ASB, Kiwibank last of the major banks to hike longer term rates

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The changes bring ASB and Kiwibank into line with all other major banks. SUPPLIED

Fast changes in wholesale interest rates have seen ASB and Kiwibank become the last of the major bank lenders to hike their longer term fixed home loan rates.

ASB’s increases range between 10 to 20 basis points for loans fixed between 1 and 3 years, while Kiwibank has made adjustments to its 2 to 5 year rates. Both banks have shaved a little off their six month offering.

The changes bring ASB and Kiwibank into line with all other major banks, which have also bumped up rates in recent weeks.

ASB chief economist Nick Tuffley says the switch from talk of cuts to possible interest rate hikes in the Reserve Bank’s latest outlook has compelled markets to adjust pricing.

“We’ve seen for 2 year rates, a good 50 basis point increase in wholesale rates and nearly 60 for the 3 year, since the Reserve Bank’s statement last year, so to date the moves we’ve seen with mortgage rates aren’t really keeping up with that yet.”

Nick Tuffley says all banks are seeing similar impacts on their funding costs, leading them to pass on the increases to borrowers.

“I think the key message for people is that period of really low interest rates, super low interest rates, has gone, but the market’s settling into a reality of the cash rate’s likely to be on hold for most of this year, but we’re past the lows now,”

While tough for borrowers, savers will benefit from higher term deposit rates across the board, with banks looking to attract funding. Term deposit rates beyond the 9 month mark have had a significant adjustment, up anywhere between 5 and 35 basis points.

“Not too long ago, you could get a 2 year mortgage for not less than 4 and 4.5 percent,” says Nick Tuffley.

“Now you can put money on deposit for two years at 4% percent so quite a catch-up.”

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

Man appears in court after woman’s body found at Raumati Beach home

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A homicide investigation is underway. (File photo) RNZ / Richard Tindiller

A 24-year-old man has appeared in court charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, after a woman was found dead in a Kāpiti Coast house.

Police were called to the Matatua Rd address in Raumati Beach at 1.15am on Monday.

A homicide investigation was underway, and police were considering further charges against the man.

He appeared in Porirua District Court on Monday afternoon, and was due back in court in early March.

His name was suppressed.

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Wellington mayor Andrew Little wants ministerial inquiry into Moa Point sewage plant failure

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Mayor Andrew Little. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Wellington’s mayor is hopeful the government will back his calls for an inquiry into the Moa Point sewage plant failure.

Mayor Andrew Little is meeting with Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on Monday, where the sewage facility will be a focus of conversation.

It flooded last week, destroying much of the plant’s electronics and sending raw sewage into the nearby south coast.

Wellington Water’s chief executive has warned nearby beaches may be shut for months.

Little told Midday Report there was large public interest in the failure, meeting the level of a government inquiry.

“Given the range of parties involved… in order to have a genuinely cohesive, independent review, I think a ministerial inquiry is needed,” Little said.

“That allows the inquiry to have the powers to get the right information and give us an accurate assessment about the causes of the failures.”

Little hopes discussions with Luxon are constructive.

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

AA Insurance: More customers come forward with vehicle value changes

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

More AA Insurance customers say they’ve encountered strange changes to their vehicles’ value when their policies renewed.

RNZ reported at the weekend that one woman, Nicki, was upset that the value of her 24-year-old Subaru had increased two-and-a-half times when the policy renewed this year.

AA said it relied on an independent third-party data provider to provide vehicle values. “From time to time, this provider updates their methodology and data sources to ensure the valuations reflect the most accurate and up-to-date market conditions.

“When this happens, customers may see changes, either increases or decreases, in their proposed agreed values at renewal. We encourage customers to get in touch if they would like to discuss their proposed value or agree on a different value with us.”

One man who contacted RNZ said he had a 2003 Subaru Forester insured with AA Insurance that had an agreed value in 2024 of $6500.

“Last year, 2025, AA decided it should be only $2700, a sudden and completely unexpected 58 percent drop in agreed value. I was unable to find any data to support that valuation, complained, and eventually got a helpful staff member who explained that they use a third-party Australian service to value cars. I requested an agreed value of $6000. Fine.

“Now, this year. I have just received an insurance renewal notice with an agreed value of $9900, a whopping 3.67 times the agreed value they pushed one year ago, and, bizarrely, 10 percent more than I paid for the car 11 years ago. Once again I have been completely unable to find any data to support that valuation, and around $6000 to $7000 seems a reasonable agreed value range.”

Another said there seemed to be “something odd” going on.

“I’ve had a 2006 Audi A6 for six years, at the last renewal AA reduced the value of the car to about a third of my estimated value, without highlighting this at the time. I found this underhanded. This meant I was paying about $900 to insure a car for a maximum payout of $1500, with a $500 excess. They refused to raise the value.

“I had the same issue insuring a 2007 Audi A3, they’d only cover it for half what we paid.”

Consumer NZ insurance expert Rebecca Styles said insurers would usually offer the option of either market value or agreed value for car insurance.

“If people aren’t happy with the agreed value, they could shop around.”

She said it could be possible to find another insurer that took a different view.

Financial Services Complaints Ltd, an ombudsman service that deals with complaints that cannot be resolved between financial services providers and customers, has previously said it is important that people read their policies and understand the cover they have.

It has dealt with a number of cases where people have been upset at what insurers were willing to pay for their vehicles.

In one case, a man bought a specialist vehicle that he believed was insured for $39,000.

In late 2023 the vehicle was destroyed and he was upset to find the insurer would only pay $24,000.

He said his insurance broker had not made it clear he only had market value cover. FSCL investigated and said it was hard to see how well this had been disclosed to him.

The brokers offered to pay the difference between the market value of the car and the amount he would have received if it had been insured for agreed value. The policy said this would be market value plus 20 percent, or $4800.

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

Watch live: Taranaki’s Liquefied Natural Gas import facility expected to save New Zealanders millions

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government says a Liquefied Natural Gas import facility in Taranaki will save New Zealanders about $265 million a year.

Energy Minister Simon Watts on Monday announced a contract was expected to be signed by the middle of the year, with construction finishing next year or early 2028.

A factsheet supplied by the government said the infrastructure costs would be paid for through a levy on electricity of between $2 and $4 /MWh.

The facility was expected to cut future prices by at least $10/MWh, and curb an expected 1.25 percent reduction in Gross Domestic Product from higher energy prices.

While an exact location for the import facility was yet to be determined, all the shortlisted submissions were in Taranaki, Watts said.

Procurement started in October in response to the independent Frontier report, which the government largely rejected.

The report said developing an import facility would make no economic sense if it was used only for firming, when generation is low.

Watts said the government would design an import model bringing in “large shipments only when needed”, and would later become a “fuel source for industrial, commercial and residential users”.

The factsheet said modelling from MBIE had shown the LNG import facility would “effectively cap gas prices”.

MBIE also modelled four other options for cost, timeliness, impact on energy prices, flexibility and wider impacts – but LNG imports were found to achieve lower electricity prices at relatively low capital cost.

Options modelled included a new thermal generation plant to run on coal or biomass; a combination of new and converted ‘peaking’ plant, that would run on diesel; a combination of a new unit at the Huntly power station, new and converted peaking plants, and a demand response; or a combination of LNG importation and refurbishing the Taranaki Combined Cycle plant.

“Other options, including renewable projects, were considered but not advanced due to a range of factors such as expected time to construct, feasibility of generating power reliably on the required scale, and effects on electricity market incentives.”

How did we get here?

Luxon in August 2024 said New Zealand was in an “energy security crisis”, with Winstone and Oji Fibre mills blaming power prices as they began consulting on closures, and NZ First’s Shane Jones accused the gen-tailers of profiteering.

He announced “urgent” actions including an independent review of the sector and removing regulatory barriers for an LNG import facility, which Cabinet agreed to consent.

At that time, a timeframe of winter 2026 was expected.

The government largely rejected the recommendations of the review carried out by Frontier Economics, with sector players including Simon Bridges criticising a lack of bold action.

“It would make no economic sense to develop an LNG import terminal to meet just dry year risk as the large fixed costs would be spread over a relatively small amount of output,” the Frontier report said.

“If an LNG terminal is contemplated as a last resort to provide NZ with a secure energy system, this should be considered as part of a wider gas supply strategy for communities and industrial users where gas is the most economic source of energy.”

Energy Minister Simon Watts at the time said the government would begin procurement the following week and expected to have the facility up and running by winter 2027.

An earlier report in July for the four major gen-tailers Contact, Meridian, Genesis and Mercury – as well as gas company Clarus – found it could take three to four years to set up an import facility at costs ranging from $200m to $1b.

RNZ In-Depth’s Kirsty Johnston in November reported the response from “almost every corner – other than the gas industry itself – was a collective groan”, with sector commentators calling it a “band-aid” solution that “doesn’t make logical sense”.

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

Bad Bunny brings out Lady Gaga as surprise guest in Super Bowl halftime show

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny turned the Super Bowl into a giant street party, delivering his hits on one of the world’s biggest stages – and becoming the first-ever halftime show headliner to sing only in Spanish.

Anticipation was high for the 31-year-old’s set, amid rampant speculation about whether he would use his platform to renew his criticism of President Donald Trump’s administration in front of tens of millions of viewers.

Just a week ago at the Grammys, where he won the coveted Album of the Year prize, Bad Bunny made a searing statement about Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown, earning cheers for saying “ICE out” from the stage.

Puerto Rican singer Bad Bunny performs during Super Bowl LX Patriots vs Seahawks Apple Music Halftime Show.

AFP / Patrick T Fallon

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

Lake Taupō’s harbourmaster issued warning to teenager for boat fire

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Lake Taupō 123rf

Lake Taupō’s harbourmaster has issued a warning to a teenager in charge of a boat that caught fire just before Christmas.

The 14-year-old leapt in the water off Kinloch and multiple boats and a helicopter spent about an hour rescuing him.

Police at the time said that without a lifejacket he was “lucky to survive”.

They also said it was “incredibly frustrating” given the bylaw restrictions on people under 15 driving boats.

The harbourmaster said they talked to the owner of the boat about the age limit and asked for an incident report.

“After consideration, the harbourmaster did not issue an infringement to the operator of the vessel (14-year-old). The harbourmaster took an educational approach and gave a warning.”

The rescue was marked by police first cancelling a chopper that was good to go, then almost half an hour later – after volunteer firefighters had motored out to look at the burning boat – calling it in to find the boy who had floated at least a kilometre away.

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Japan’s rock star leader now has the political backing to push a bold agenda. Will she deliver?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer in International Studies in the School of Society and Culture, Adelaide University

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has delivered her Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) a landslide victory in the parliamentary elections she called shortly after taking office.

Now that she has consolidated her power in Japan’s legislature (called the Diet), the big question is what she will do with it.

Since her ascent to the prime ministership in a parliamentary vote in October, the ultra conservative Takaichi has upended the normally staid Japanese political system.

She has connected with younger voters like no other Japanese leader in recent history with her savvy social media presence, iconic fashion sense and diplomatic flair. (In a literal rock-star moment, she showed off her drumming skills in a jam session with South Korea’s leader.)

Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae and South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on the drums together.

Takaichi has cannily taken advantage of the honeymoon phase of her leadership by calling a snap election to gain more power in the Diet before there’s a dip in her popularity.

However, voters will now expect to see a return on their investment, and Takaichi faces the much more daunting task of delivering on her promises. Improving living standards in a country with a rapidly shrinking workforce and ageing population without mass immigration will test her political skills much more than winning an election.

An unlikely election victory

Although Takaichi’s LDP has been in government for most of Japan’s post-war history, it has recently experienced a string of poor election results.

In 2024, it lost the lower house majority it held with its then-coalition partner, Komeito, after a series of corruption scandals. Then, last year, the coalition lost its majority in the upper house, leaving the government hanging by a thread.

The party began its remarkable turnaround following then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s resignation in September in the wake of those electoral setbacks.

Many pre-election polls predicted a sizeable victory for the LDP and its new coalition partner, Nippon Ishin (the Japan Innovation Party). Takaichi also received a boost with an endorsement from US President Donald Trump. Although the Japanese public views Trump unfavourably, they also know the US is their ultimate security guarantor against China, in addition to Japan’s largest export destination.

Nevertheless, there were some doubts about whether Takaichi’s popularity, particularly among younger voters, would translate into votes.

In the end, her electoral gold dust rubbed off on the rest of her party. Despite freezing temperatures and record snow in places, the LDP has been comfortably returned to office with a vastly increased majority in the lower house. The coalition now has a two-thirds super-majority, which means she can override the upper house to push through her legislative agenda.

A more assertive posture on China?

Since becoming prime minister, the hawkish Takaichi has taken an assertive position towards China.

In November, she angered Beijing by saying Japan could intervene militarily to help protect Taiwan in the face of a potential Chinese invasion. This resulted in vicious Chinese attacks on Takaichi that continued into the new year.

While the Japanese public is divided over whether to come to Taiwan’s aid in any conflict with China, there is now strong support for Takaichi’s pledge to increase the defence budget to 2% of GDP by this March, two years ahead of schedule.

In December, the Cabinet approved a 9.4% increase in defence spending to achieve this objective, focusing on domestic production and advanced capabilities (cyber, space, long-range strikes).

In response to rising threats from China, North Korea and Russia, Takaichi’s government also plans to revise Japan’s core security and defence strategies this year.

Economic woes front and centre

As much as defence matters, Takaichi will ultimately be judged by the public when it comes to economic policy.

The public is increasingly concerned about rising inflation and stagnant wages leading to falling living standards.

A vivid illustration of this: the price of rice has doubled since 2024, hitting a new high last month. Public anger over rising rice prices even brought down the farm minister last year.

Inflation has been above the Bank of Japan’s 2% target for 45 straight months. And though nominal wages have recently picked up, real incomes have been decreasing for the last four years.

Takaichi has made tackling the cost of living a priority. She has vowed to suspend Japan’s 8% food tax for two years. And last year, her government announced a massive US$135 billion (A$192 billion) stimulus package, including subsidies for electricity and gas bills.

However, these policies will increase the government’s budget deficit, adding to the country’s already sky-high public debt levels.

And last month, Japanese government bond prices collapsed after Takaichi called the election, with the markets predicting a LDP win would result in looser fiscal policy and higher government debt.

The Bank of Japan is unlikely to intervene to support the bond market in any future crisis, which will leave the government with higher borrowing costs, further increasing public debt.

Japan also faces enormous challenges related to its shrinking population and workforce.

It is too early to know whether Takaichi has the answers to these challenges. But she now has the power, authority and freedom to boldly pursue her policy agenda. Now she will need to deliver the kind of change the electorate expects.

The Conversation

Adam Simpson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Japan’s rock star leader now has the political backing to push a bold agenda. Will she deliver? – https://theconversation.com/japans-rock-star-leader-now-has-the-political-backing-to-push-a-bold-agenda-will-she-deliver-274015

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for February 9, 2026

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ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 9, 2026.

Forget grand plans. These small tweaks can add meaning to your life
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trevor Mazzucchelli, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Curtin University Quốc Bảo/Pexels The start of the year often comes with attempts at big life changes that we’re hoping will make us feel more grounded, fulfilled or in control. Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to change careers, move overseas

Rebuilding after a disaster is a long road. Lismore’s businesses offer hope for others
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Etheridge, Director, The Living Lab Northern Rivers, Office of Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Education Impact), Southern Cross University “Right – flood’s on. Get ready.” That’s what Jody Cheetham has told her staff the last two times she’s watched the river rising, following after heavy rain

‘I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up’: even passive suicidal thoughts are a worry. Here’s how to respond
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maddison Crethar, PhD Candidate, Youth Mental Health, University of the Sunshine Coast Rian A. Saputro/Unsplash Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15 to 49. Approximately one in eight Australians have seriously considered suicide. These numbers highlight why it’s crucial to understand the different

Outcry on Saipan after ‘Free Palestine’ mural vandalised – arrest made
By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent More than 11,000 km separate the Northern Mariana Islands from Gaza and Israel. But the conflict has landed sharply on Saipan after the vandalism of a “Free Palestine” mural has sparked community anger, an arrest, and a wider debate over free speech, protest, and

Why are new tea towels worse at drying dishes than older ones?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Van Amber, Senior Lecturer in Fashion & Textiles, RMIT University Anna Shvets/Pexels There’s a peculiar ritual in many kitchens: reaching past the crisp, pristine tea towel hanging on the oven door to grab the threadbare, slightly greying one shoved in the drawer. We all know that

Landslides are NZ’s deadliest natural hazard. Why does it still tolerate the risk?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Robinson, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury New Zealand Herald/Dean Purcell/Getty Images The recent deaths of eight people in two New Zealand landslides has left the public searching for answers. Some questions will be technical, about what failed and why. But one should surely

One Nation surges to new high as Coalition slumps to record low in latest Newspoll
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Newspoll, Redbridge and Morgan polls all have One Nation second behind Labor, with the Coalition third. However, there are no Labor vs One Nation two-party estimates. A

More Australians are international sports fans, especially the NFL. Are local leagues threatened?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Karg, Professor, Deakin University Australian sport fans have long shown interest in international leagues. Australian fans watch and stream the United States’ National Basketball Association (NBA) games at one of the highest rates outside of North America. When it comes to the US’ National Football League

Is Australia’s terrorism definition still fit for purpose?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Keiran Hardy, Associate Professor, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University With the alleged attempted bombing at Perth’s Invasion Day protest now declared a terrorist act, the release of coronial findings into the Bondi Westfield stabbing, and ever-growing fears around hate crime and extremism, there’s a difficult question to

Why scrapping a key health promotion agency makes little economic sense
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jaithri Ananthapavan, Associate Professor in Health Economics, Deakin University Mariusz Zając/Pexels News the world’s first independent health promotion agency – Australia’s own VicHealth – is to be abolished has been called “incomprehensible” and “a disaster” that places democracy at risk. VicHealth is the agency that’s been behind

Big bills, ‘fur babies’ and administering a good death: reflecting on ethics in veterinary medicine
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics; Deputy Director, Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, The University of Melbourne Mikhail Nilov/Pexels Vets are regularly accused of various failures: overcharging clients, neglecting patient care, and rushing pets and owners through appointments. Criticism can also come from vets themselves.

Worried AI means you won’t get a job when you graduate? Here’s what the research says
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lukasz Swiatek, Lecturer, School of Arts and Media, UNSW Sydney August De Richelieu/ Pexels The head of the International Monetary Fund, Kristalina Georgieva, has warned young people will suffer the most as an AI “tsunami” wipes out many entry-level roles in coming years. Tasks that are eliminated

How cutting the capital gains tax discount could help rebalance the housing market
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jago Dodson, Professor of Urban Policy and Director, Urban Futures Enabling Impact Platform, RMIT University Capital gains tax is once again the subject of parliamentary debate, with Treasurer Jim Chalmers declining to rule out options for reform. Along with negative gearing, the capital gains tax discount has

How watching videos of ICE violence affects our mental health
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Larissa Hjorth, Professor of Mobile Media and Games., RMIT University The recent murders of Minneapolis residents Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good are drawing renewed attention to the activities of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. While they are not the only people to have

Troops without a seat – the Gaza ‘Board of Peace’ and Fiji
COMMENTARY: By Jim Sanday When peace is being designed, Fiji is not invited into the room. When peace needs enforcing, Fiji is asked to send soldiers. That uncomfortable reality is exposed by the emergence of US President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” for Gaza. While New Zealand was formally invited to join the Board

View from The Hill: will disastrous Newspoll trigger Taylor challenge to Ley, despite Coalition patch-up?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Sussan Ley and David Littleproud on Sunday announced an 11th hour patch up of the federal Coalition that the Liberal leader hopes will hold off an early challenge from Angus Taylor. But on Sunday night it was doubtful whether re-forming

Herzog’s visit to Australia builds conflict not social cohesion
By Wendy Bacon On the eve of his Australian tour, Israel’s President Isaac Herzog faces huge opposition to his visit. In a “National Day of Protest”, hundreds of thousands are expected to march in 30 cities around Australia, including every state capital city tomorrow evening. Herzog’s visit has been opposed by Green Party and several

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for February 8, 2026
ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on February 8, 2026.

Four injured after two-vehicle crash in Twizel

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The crash happened at the intersection of State Highway 8 and Lake Ohau Road. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Four people have been injured in a serious crash near Twizel in South Canterbury.

The two-vehicle crash happened at the intersection of State Highway 8 and Lake Ohau Road at around 1:45pm on Monday.

Police say two people have serious injuries and two others have minor injuries.

People are being urged to avoid the area.

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

Forget grand plans. These small tweaks can add meaning to your life

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trevor Mazzucchelli, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, Curtin University

Quốc Bảo/Pexels

The start of the year often comes with attempts at big life changes that we’re hoping will make us feel more grounded, fulfilled or in control. Maybe you’ve decided it’s time to change careers, move overseas or run a marathon.

But lasting meaning rarely comes from dramatic reinvention. It’s shaped by what we do, consistently. Behavioural science tells us meaning is constructed one reinforcing action at a time.

In other words, meaning isn’t something you discover after a long search. It’s something you build, one small, worthwhile action after the other.

So how exactly does all this work? And what types of worthwhile actions are we talking about?

The meaning of meaning

In psychology, “meaning” refers to the sense that life is coherent, purposeful and connected to what you care about.

People who experience more meaning tend to report better wellbeing, lower stress and depression, and greater resilience when life becomes difficult.

When meaning is low, people can feel unanchored or adrift, even if nothing is going objectively “wrong”.

Life tends to feel meaningful when we spend time doing things that matter to us and that offer some sense of reward. This is not necessarily excitement, but a quiet feeling of “that was worth doing”. Helping a friend, learning something small, progressing a task, or sharing a moment of connection can all leave us more grounded and alive.

These experiences are examples of positive reinforcement – behaviours that give something back, such as energy, pride, satisfaction or connection. Over time, these small rewards strengthen the patterns that help life feel purposeful.

By contrast, when we mainly act to avoid discomfort – cancel plans, withdraw when anxious or overwhelmed, delay tasks that matter – we get a moment of relief, but lose access to the experiences that enrich life.

A more helpful pattern is to take small steps even when motivation is low. Sending the message, starting the job or stepping outside are small beginnings that often spark the satisfaction or hope we were waiting for.

Why one-off boosts don’t last

The hedonic treadmill helps explain why one-off, feel-good moments rarely create lasting meaning. Psychologists use this term to describe our tendency to quickly return to our usual emotional baseline after positive events.

We adapt quickly to pleasurable things and events: buying something new, ticking off a goal, going on a short holiday. A burnt-out worker might feel better after a weekend away, but the effect fades as soon as Monday returns.

Special moments are still valuable. They create memories and punctuate the year. But they don’t change our lives unless paired with small, consistent shifts in everyday routines, setting boundaries, and the ways we invest in our relationships.



Read more:
What you do every day matters: The power of routines

Meaning depends on diverse sources

Wellbeing is more stable when supported by a range of small, ongoing sources of reinforcement. If all your sense of purpose rests on work, one relationship, or a single pursuit – like sport – then stress in that single area can shake your wellbeing.

But when meaning draws on several domains – friendships, learning, creativity, physical activity, contribution, family, nature, spirituality – you have more points of stability.

The encouraging part is meaning doesn’t depend on perfect motivation or major life changes. It’s shaped by small behaviours you can start at any time.

So what actually works?

These three research-backed steps can help build more meaning into your life.

1. Look back before moving forward

Before setting goals, reflect on the previous year. Ask:

  • what am I proud of or grateful for?

  • what lifted my energy or sense of purpose?

  • what drained it?

  • what did I avoid that actually mattered?

This helps you recognise which behaviours, relationships and routines quietly sustained you, and where your portfolio may have become too narrow.

2. Pick two or three areas that matter to you

Meaningful change rarely comes from grand resolutions. A steadier approach is to choose two or three life areas that matter – improving health, deepening a relationship, learning something new, contributing to community life, or strengthening parenting routines – and identify one small, realistic action in each. The aim isn’t to overhaul everything, but to gently broaden your sources of reward.

Schedule only the first step: a short walk, reading a page, sending a message, writing a paragraph, practising for five minutes. Early on, the greatest achievement is simply starting, no matter how small.

Be kind to yourself. Illness, stress, fatigue and competing demands will disrupt your plans. What matters is returning, gently and repeatedly, to the behaviours that reflect who you want to be.

3. Arrange your environment so the right behaviours are easy

Use cues to help you start. Lay out walking clothes the night before, keep your journal on your pillow, put reminders where you’ll see them.

Reduce friction. Keep essentials in predictable places, move distractions out of sight and maintain a workable space. The goal is to make meaningful behaviour smooth and frustration-free.

Anchor new habits to old ones:

  • read a page before your morning coffee

  • stretch before checking emails

  • journal for three minutes before brushing your teeth.

These pairings shift the burden from willpower onto routine.



Read more:
Forming new habits can take longer than you think. Here are 8 tips to help you stick with them

The Conversation

Trevor Mazzucchelli has received funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Health and Medical Research Council, and is a member of the Parenting and Family Research Alliance. His perspective is informed by his academic work as a clinical psychologist and researcher specialising in behaviour change, wellbeing and parenting. He has no financial conflicts related to this article and does not endorse any specific program, product or organisation.

– ref. Forget grand plans. These small tweaks can add meaning to your life – https://theconversation.com/forget-grand-plans-these-small-tweaks-can-add-meaning-to-your-life-271616

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says government ‘unqualified’ to lead city’s economic recovery

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Mayor Wayne Brown wearing a cap with the word ‘Rates’ on it. (File photo) Supplied

Auckland mayor Wayne Brown says the government is unqualified to lead the city’s economic recovery and should leave it to local council.

The comments came as Brown again renewed calls for a bed levy tax, despite the government’s opposition to the move.

A suite of events were set to be held in Auckland throughout the year, as major infrastructure projects neared completion.

The long-delayed International Convention Centre was finally due to open on Wednesday.

The new International Convention Centre. (File photo) New Zealand International Convention Centre

Construction of the Convention Centre began back in 2015 and was initially supposed to take 38 months, but had been plagued by a budget blow-out and legal wrangling.

“We’ve been waiting for such a long time. [Convention centres] are hard to make money out of.

“I understand it’s booked up pretty well, so it will bring in conventions and it will be part of the tourist offering. But that whole tourist thing is a bit of a question for us.”

The New Zealand leg of SailGP also returned to the waters of Waitematā Harbour this weekend.

Brown told Morning Report both events were a positive for the supercity.

“Those are two good things on this week, that’s for sure,” he said.

“It’s a big year really when you think about it.

“The Polo finals and the Blues and Chiefs are playing shortly. There’s a lot of sport,” he said.

Another long overdue milestone, the City Rail Link was also due to be completed later this year.

The Ocean Race, formerly known as the Round the World Race, was scheduled to return to the City of Sails in 2027.

Brown wasted no time pointing to the small matter of the Election, another major event pertinent to Auckland residents, he said.

“If you don’t win Auckland, you don’t get to be the government.”

Brown had long campaigned for a bed tax on visitors to help fund destination marketing and events.

He again expressed his desire for the scheme.

“The government can’t bring itself to do that yet, so that they’re raiding tourists at the border. And then central government will tell us how we spend on things, which is something we don’t like.

“All these big events want some money up front. And if we have the bed night levy we will have the money up front.”

Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston, said a bed tax was not something she was pursuing this term.

“Our government has already announced a number of initiatives to boost tourism and events across New Zealand and in Auckland, including our $70 million major events and tourism package and a regional tourism boost announcement which invests in campaigns to market New Zealand (and Auckland) to overseas visitors.”

Upston said the government was firmly focused on growing the economy, including the Auckland economy, and tourism and major events remained integral to that.

“I recognise there’s been an interest in bed tax and am also aware of Wayne Brown’s recent comments.”

In response to Auckland’s lagging economy and high unemployment rate, the mayor said “it had its own ideas”.

Council-led initiatives such as the Auckland Innovation & Technology Alliance showed the council was better suited than the government in driving investment into the city, Brown said.

“Economic development; we’ve decided that council will lead this, because the government doesn’t quite know how to do that.”

When asked if he felt the government had dropped the ball, he replied “they hadn’t didn’t pick it up”.

“They’re not quite sure where it is/ There’s a lot we can do ourselves as well. Instead of them initiating things, we just want them to help with what we’re going to initiate.

“There’s too much centralised decision making in this country.”

Minister for Auckland, Simeon Brown said the government was focused on rebuilding the economy and Auckland was central to that.

“That’s why we’re fast-tracking major infrastructure like the $200 million Port of Auckland extension and incentivising business investment through Investment Boost and our Going for Growth agenda.

“The opening of the International Convention Centre and the City Rail Link later this year will further lift jobs and economic activity.”

Simeon Brown said business confidence in Auckland was at its highest in over a decade.

“GDP is up 12.1 per cent on 2019, labour force participation is 72.8 per cent, and CBD office vacancies have fallen for the first time since 2022 – a clear sign businesses are backing the city again.

The Mayor and Auckland Council would be wise to focus on keeping costs down for Aucklanders.”

Supporting a rates cap last week would have been a good first step, Simeon Brown added.

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Christchurch couple fight to keep more than $200k cash they found in the ceiling of their home

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police said the money was likely the proceeds of crime. (File photo) Unsplash

People will be discouraged from doing the right thing if a Christchurch couple who found more than $200,000 in the ceiling of their house do not get to keep any of the money, a court has heard.

The couple, whose names are suppressed, found the mystery money sealed in plastic bricks tucked in insulation at their property in 2021.

They reported the cash to the police who said the money should be forfeited because it was the proceeds of crime, probably from drug dealing.

At a High Court hearing on Monday, the couple’s lawyer Mike Lennard said they should keep the money because they had no part in any criminal activity and withholding the cash would discourage other people reporting similar finds to police.

“It will send a message to people in my client’s position, don’t cooperate with the police, don’t tell the police, just spend it. Just pay cash for your groceries for the next few years,” he said.

Lennard told the court homeowners get the “good and the bad” when they buy a house.

He said the Proceeds of Crime Act had a number of aims, including deterring criminal activity, but his clients had not broken the law.

Police lawyer Klaudia Courteney said the money was tainted by criminal activity and should therefore be forfeited to the Crown.

She said the case differed to occasions when someone found a wallet in the street, handed it in and later received the money if it remained unclaimed.

Courteney said the couple were immediately concerned the cash was a result of criminal activity and reported it to the police because of safety concerns.

“They weren’t just being good citizens. They were very concerned that it involved criminal activity and they were worried about who might turn up,” she said.

Courteney said police searched the property and installed security alarms because of the safety concerns and changed access to the attic so it was no longer accessible from the outside.

She said it was clear the couple thought the money was from criminal activity and therefore tainted.

Justice Osborne observed in a number of other countries when people had found drug money a percentage of the cash could be returned to them.

If the couple had not handed the money in then the police would have nothing, he said.

“It seems to me odd for the commissioner (of police) to take the position of an absolute no, there is no opportunity for relief, when there is a real public good here,” he said.

Justice Osborne reserved his decision.

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Rebuilding after a disaster is a long road. Lismore’s businesses offer hope for others

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Etheridge, Director, The Living Lab Northern Rivers, Office of Pro Vice Chancellor (Research and Education Impact), Southern Cross University

“Right – flood’s on. Get ready.” That’s what Jody Cheetham has told her staff the last two times she’s watched the river rising, following after heavy rain in Lismore in northern New South Wales.

In February and March 2022, record rain and floods inundated Lismore, killing five people.

The floods caused major damage to 1,400 homes, 656 commercial and industrial properties, schools, sewer and water treatment facilities. Three out of four businesses were hit.

Cheetham is the chief executive of Multitask, a local disability services provider. Like so many in Lismore, home to 44,000 people, Multitask lost “absolutely everything” in those floods. But they and others in Lismore now have plans in place to stop that happening again.

As communities across Australia rebuild from a summer of fires, heatwaves and floods, we need more examples of how small businesses and communities can recover.

That’s why we spent the past year working on (Not) Business as Usual, a new report and video case studies being launched today. They capture how Lismore is preparing for the next time disaster strikes.

Trial and error over years

One of the lessons from our research is that recovering from a disaster isn’t perfect or fast. Even when you think you’re prepared, you have to learn through trial and error.

That’s been true for Cheetham and her team at Multitask, who have had two practice evacuations of their five buildings in the centre of town since 2022.

“The first one wasn’t that good. We didn’t have the equipment, didn’t have the boxes, so the trial runs have been really important,” Cheetham says.

Multitask has also looked at practical steps to make any future flood recovery faster, easier and cheaper.

For example, after having to deal with mud-caked, flood-damaged facilities in 2022, they’ve stripped back their building interiors to more easily cleanable materials, such as a stainless steel kitchen. They’ve also moved electrical power points above flood level.

Different versions of what Multitask has done can be seen as you walk around Lismore today, from the local library to a furniture business to the region’s music conservatorium. It’s rebuilt with fully waterproof walls and a new goods lift, so even its biggest instruments, such as pianos, can be moved to higher floors.

Rebuilding for the next flood

“We can’t eliminate the risk, but we can minimise the impact,” says Bruce Parry, Summerland Bank’s community and sustainability manager.

The bank was founded in 1964 in the Northern Rivers as a customer-owned bank. It made an early commitment to rebuild in Lismore. But it’s done so with the lessons of the 2022 floods in mind.

“You can’t hold the flood out, the water is going to get in. It’s what you do when that happens that is important,” Parry explains. “We’ve done a lot to make sure the materials we have used can either be removed, or can go under the water, under the flood, and then hosed out.”

Repeating past mistakes is costly

Beyond what businesses can do to recover on their own, our project also sought to find out what infrastructure improvements would minimise future flood impacts in Lismore.

After talking to around 40 business and service organisations, their number one priority was needing electricity to get back to work.

Damage to electricity networks hits communications, electronic payment systems, storage and distribution of perishables, water supply, sewerage, and transport.

Business leaders were frustrated it took six weeks in 2022 to get power restored to the central business district.

They were even more frustrated that the overhead poles and wires delivering electricity into their shops – all run from centralised power supplies, many of which were knocked out by flood debris further away – were rebuilt exactly the same way.

Their message to government and electricity providers is simple: with the power back on, we can get on with business. So why aren’t you making sure our power supply is more resilient than before?

But small businesses shouldn’t have to go it alone. Becoming more resilient to power outages during a disaster is best done at a community scale.

This challenge and other ideas we discussed – such as building storage and temporary business operations on higher ground – are resource intensive. It’s helped having Lismore City Council and NSW Reconstruction Authority staff at the table for these conversations, as those solutions would require government support.

Our report and video case studies will be released at a flood plan workshop hosted by Business Lismore today. Events such as this represent the latest incarnation of something we need more than ever: sharing local knowledge and experience for others to learn from.

The Conversation

Dan Etheridge receives funding from the NSW Reconstruction Authority to support projects through Living Lab Northern Rivers related to recovery and reconstruction from the 2022 floods and ongoing disaster adaptation. The work of LLNR explored in this article was funded by a private foundation.

Caitlin McGee receives funding from various governments for research projects related to climate resilience, and received a grant from the Energy Consumers Association in 2022 to develop an energy resilience toolkit for communities.

– ref. Rebuilding after a disaster is a long road. Lismore’s businesses offer hope for others – https://theconversation.com/rebuilding-after-a-disaster-is-a-long-road-lismores-businesses-offer-hope-for-others-271935

Media Council dismisses four complaints against RNZ

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

The Media Council has found that four complaints against RNZ did not have sufficient grounds to proceed.

In the first, the chief executive of United Flower Growers, Pete Brown, complained about the article Auckland florists say industry ‘in shambles’, plagued by resentment, published on September 15, 2025. The story reported florists facing difficulties relating to the state of the economy and a raft of changes made by their key supplier, United Flower Growers.

The article was based on comment from five florists, and included responses from Brown on behalf of UFG.

The Council noted that a feature of this complaint was Brown’s concern about RNZ’s decision to grant anonymity to the florists. He challenged that on the basis that two florists spoken to by RNZ had told him they were prepared to be named. This was disputed by RNZ.

The Council said it was in no position to consider this issue as it had no information to establish with any certainty what the florists and reporter agreed to. “Besides, the granting of anonymity in these circumstances is a matter of editorial discretion. That is appropriate and not a matter for second guessing by the Media Council.”

Beyond that the Council was not convinced there was sufficient foundation for complaint about this article. The complainant cited Principles (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance but there was no evidence that the article was inaccurate. As for fairness and balance, Brown was given the opportunity to respond and key points made by him were reported, albeit at the tail of the article.

“This sort of investigative reporting is supported by the Council,” the judgment said.

***

In the second case, Martin Broadbent complained about a series of articles published between November 17 to November 22, 2025, on the problems caused by feral cats and the decision to allow them to be targeted as predators.

Broadbent complained that RNZ’s reporting on feral cats and Predator Free 2050 blurred the legal distinction between feral and stray cats, thereby misleading the public and undermining animal welfare protections under the law.

RNZ firmly rejected the suggestion that it was blurring the categories. The term feral was widely used and was included in Predator Free 2050’s list of species. It argued the first story in the series clearly explained the difference between companion, feral and stray cats.

The Council agreed the first article spelt out precisely how feral and stray cats were defined and two other stories in the series also defined the word feral to make it clear they are not referring to strays. On that basis it saw nothing to support a claim that this was of “an orchestrated blurring of categories that misleads the public into believing all unowned cats are “feral” and subject to lethal control.”

The Council ruled there was nothing to show the reporting breached Principle (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance.

***

In the third case, RNZ published an article on November 23, 2025, titled Israeli airstrikes kill at least 20 people in Gaza, local medics say. This was a Reuters news agency report and was based on information provided by medics and witnesses to the airstrikes. It also included comment from the Israeli military and Hamas, who accused each other of violating a truce which was agreed to six weeks earlier.

Eric Mattlin complained that the story breached Media Council Principles (1) Accuracy, Fairness and Balance; (4) Comment and Fact; and (7) Discrimination and Diversity. He argued: “The article demonstrates a pattern of asymmetrical attribution with uncritical adoption of Israeli military claims, and a lack of context that affected how readers understood the events being reported. This article concerns an ongoing and highly controversial international conflict involving profound power asymmetries. While balance does not require false equivalence, it does require that significant perspectives and relevant context be included.”

In response, RNZ rejected the complaint and sent Mr Mattlin its language guide to the Middle East Conflict, which explained why it used such terms as ‘militant’ and ‘hostage-prisoner’. It added that RNZ had broadcast and published hundreds of pieces over the past two years, providing a wide range of views and the historical context behind the conflict.

The Council noted that RNZ and all other major New Zealand news outlets rely on international news agencies for most of their world news. Agencies like Reuters report for a wide and diverse international audience which requires coverage to be even handed.

The Council considered this story to be a fairly typical news report from Gaza. In accordance with standard journalistic practice it identified where information was obtained, and comment about the alleged ceasefire breaches was attributed to the Israeli military and Hamas. It also provided brief background on how the Gaza war started two years earlier.

Dealing with the complaint about terminology, the Council refered back to its decision on Mr Mattlin’s earlier complaint (No.3725) which stated: “The Council notes RNZ and other New Zealand media outlets are reliant on overseas news agencies for their coverage of the conflict, and it would be risky or possibly even a breach of RNZ’s agreement with those agencies to change the terminology used.”

The Council noted the story cited in this latest complaint was one of many that have been published on the Gaza War. “This is a long and complex story which has been reported extensively, and it is impractical to expect every report to cover all the context and background. It is clear that balance has been provided over time.”

The Council saw no evidence of bias or that the coverage and terminology was unfair or asymmetrical.

***

In the fourth case, Radio New Zealand (RNZ) published an article on December 22, 2025, Winston Peters makes u-turn on Chorus debt sell-off. The story was about the NZ First leader Winston Peters reversing his previous opposition to the Chorus debt sell-off, which in turn would clear the way for the Government to proceed with a plan to sell about $650m in interest-free loans that Chorus owes the government.

Hector O’Brien complained that the comment – “The Government does not have an (equity) stake in Chorus” – was factually incorrect as the Government-owned holding company National Infrastructure Funding and Finance Ltd had around 61.6 percent of shares in Chorus.

RNZ said the article was correct. The Government did not have an equity stake in this privately owned company. However, it was owed debt by Chorus, more specifically Ultra-Fast Broadband securities. It said the word “stake” had been used in a previous report, but this was updated in this story to make it clear that the Government had no equity or ownership in Chorus.

The Council noted that the line was taken directly from the December 17 press statement in which Infrastructure Minister Chris Bishop said: “It is important to note the government does not have an equity stake in Chorus and the securities involved are not ordinary shares.”

It further noted that NIFFCO is not listed as a major Chorus shareholder. Rather, it is shown through official documents and ministerial statements that the company was used to provide Government loan finance to Chorus.

In the circumstances no inaccuracy was shown, nor any unfairness.

All judgments can be found here: Media Council – Search

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Man sexually abused by priest ‘appalled’ police weren’t notified by church

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Former St Bede’s College Friar Rowan Donoghue arrives at the Christchurch District Court for an appearance on January 28. Nathan McKinnon / RNZ

A man who was sexually abused by a priest says he’s “appalled” police were not notified the priest had admitted abuse to leaders of his religious order nearly 20 years ago.

He said he expected authorities to be told of all other members of the order who admitted child sex offences.

RNZ earlier revealed Fr Rowan Donoghue had admitted six charges including indecent assault on a boy aged 12-16, indecent assault on a boy 16 and over and sexual violation by unlawful sexual connection.

The offending related to four boys who were boarding at St Bede’s College in Christchurch between 1996 and 2000.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

In response to questions by RNZ, a Society of Mary spokesperson said a complaint alleging offending by Donoghue was received by the priest via an anonymous Hotmail account in October 2007.

“He advised Society of Mary administration and in a conversation with leaders of the Society of Mary, Donoghue admitted that he was guilty of abuse but could not identify the complainant.

“He was removed from his ministry as a priest immediately. This permanent removal from ministry and subsequent ongoing monitoring has continued to the present day.”

The spokesperson said the society reached out to the anonymous emailer “encouraging him to identify himself” and make a complaint to the police so the matter might be properly investigated, and so that he might receive appropriate support.

“Those attempts to connect with and support the victim, made over many months, were unsuccessful and so no complaint could be made by the Society to the police.

“Donoghue was sent for a six-month programme to Encompass, an institute in Australia that provided professional risk assessment and therapy for those accused of sexual abuse.”

One of the men who was sexually abused by Donoghue at St Bede’s College said he was shocked by the revelations.

The offending happened at St Bede’s College. (File photo) Google Maps

“I’m appalled to hear an admission from the church/Society of Mary, that they not only knew about Rowan’s offending, but also had a direct admission of guilt from him too.

“And instead of notifying authorities, chose to send him for ‘re-education’. It shows, as an organisation they are wholly complicit when it comes to their members having offended against children.”

The man said he expected authorities “to be told of all other members who admitted child sex offences”.

Detective Senior Sergeant Karen Simmons earlier said police were unable to comment on processes of other organisations and their decision making and whether they decide to call the police but that police encouraged people to do so if they have information they believe could be relevant to any investigation or suspected offending.

St Bede’s College rector Jon McDowall earlier said the details outlined through the court process were “deeply disturbing”.

“As rector, it makes me feel sick to think that young people entrusted to an adult’s care were abused in this way. I am deeply sorry that this happened to them, and my thoughts are with the victims and survivors who continue to live with the impact of that harm.”

McDowall said the school had worked openly with police throughout the process.

“We will continue to cooperate fully with the authorities should any further information come to light.

“Abuse has no place at St Bede’s – past, present, or future. The college has an established policy in place to respond and support victims of historical abuse, alongside safeguarding policies and practices to protect the wellbeing and safety of students today. Our focus remains on providing a safe and supportive environment for all members of our community.”

McDowall extended an open invitation for victims in the case, and others who may have been impacted, or anyone with concerns to contact him directly.

In early 2023, police were contacted about the allegations of sexual abuse by Donoghue in relation to his time at St Bede’s College.

St Patrick’s Silverstream rector Rob Ferreira said the school had not been made aware of any allegations of abuse in care while Donoghue worked at the school between 1982 to 1992.

“We have not had any inquiries from the police either.

“We operate according to clearly set out guidelines and best practice and you should note that our primary concern is the wellbeing of our students. Given that – our protection of the privacy and any other rights of survivors of abuse and other individuals would be paramount.”

He said the school had informed the community that Donoghue’s name suppression had lifted.

St Patrick’s College Wellington rector Mike Savali confirmed Donoghue was on the college staff from 2003 to 2007.

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Former Air NZ boss, Greg Foran to be CEO of US retail giant Kroger

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Former Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Former Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran is headed back to the US retail scene with a report that he will be the new chief executive of US retail giant Kroger.

The Wall Street Journal reported he will be named as the new chief executive of Kroger after the previous chief executive was dumped for unacceptable personal conduct.

“Kroger officials have said they wanted to look for a candidate outside the walls of the company’s downtown Cincinnati headquarters who could bring a fresh perspective to the grocer,” The Journal report said.

Kroger operates supermarkets, grocers, jewellery, and hypermarkets with food and pharmaceutical retail sites in its own name and through various US state and regional brands.

It’s regarded as one of the big four US retailers with a turnover last year of about NZ$245 billion, with close to 3,000 outlets, and more than 400,000 staff.

Before his five year tenure at Air New Zealand Foran ran the US operations of retail giant Walmart in which he had a reputation as a demanding boss, who paid attention to customer service and product quality, resulting in increased sales through the group.

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Doctor apologises after not telling patient bone graft came from dead donor

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Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

A man who received a bone graft did not realise until four months later it had come from a deceased donor, a Health and Disability Commission report says.

He was upset, saying it was against his cultural and religious beliefs.

Deputy Health and Disability Commissioner Vanessa Caldwell said his doctor failed to inform him who and where the tissue was coming from and therefore breached his right to give informed consent.

The man, who is Māori and known as Mr A in the report, had surgery on his wrist in July 2015.

Bone tissue was transplanted, but he did not find out until a post-surgery review in November that it had come from a deceased donor.

“Mr A told [the doctor] he was upset about this as it was against his cultural and religious beliefs and that he wished he had been told about this before surgery,” the report said.

The doctor could not remember the exact conversation he had with the man beforehand, but acknowledged it was clear he had not properly explained the process, the report said.

He told the commission it had been difficult to communicate with Mr A at times because of his distress, trauma and chronic pain, so standard “fulsome discussion” on the procedure did not happen.

He said he had not been aware of the man’s ethnicity.

The report said the consent form the patient signed did not say the donor tissue would come from another person and there were no records of it being explained.

Caldwell said even if there were challenges with communication, it was the doctor’s responsibility to make sure their patient had the information they needed.

If that could not be achieved, consideration should be given to not proceeding, she said.

The doctor had offered an apology.

He told the commission he had changed the way he worked to make sure he was aware of his patients’ cultural and religious beliefs and made sure he was clear with them about where donor material comes from.

Culturally safe care was fundamental, the report said.

“The use of donor material does have significant implications for people of different ethnicities, cultures and faiths and it is important to acknowledge the cultural implications the inadequate information had on Mr A as a Māori man,” Caldwell said.

“Adequate disclosure of the the allograft process, specifically that bone tissue was to be received from a deceased person would have ensured sufficient time to undertake cultural processes which would make this an acceptable procedure to undergo and that the correct tikanga and kawa were engaged.”

Caldwell would work with Health NZ as it developed a national policy on informed consent for bone grafts.

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‘I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up’: even passive suicidal thoughts are a worry. Here’s how to respond

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maddison Crethar, PhD Candidate, Youth Mental Health, University of the Sunshine Coast

Rian A. Saputro/Unsplash

Suicide is the leading cause of death among Australians aged 15 to 49. Approximately one in eight Australians have seriously considered suicide.

These numbers highlight why it’s crucial to understand the different ways suicidal thoughts – also known as suicidal ideation – can show up in everyday conversations.

Researchers once assumed people move along a single continuum from early thoughts to more concrete plans and actions. However, recent research suggests there are substages within this continuum, and people might flip-flop between different types of suicidal thoughts.

Suicidal thoughts can be active or passive. But what’s the difference, and how should we respond when we hear loved ones talking this way?

Passive versus active

Passive suicidal ideation involves thinking about death or not wanting to live, without intention to act and engage in suicidal behaviour.

These thoughts can sound like:

I don’t want to live, but I don’t want to die.

I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up.

My life is not worth living.

I don’t want to be here, but I don’t want to be dead.

I wish I could just disappear.

Everyone would be better off if I wasn’t around.

Active thoughts, in contrast, include thoughts about ending one’s life with some degree of intent or planning. These thoughts can sound like:

I’m having thoughts about how I would end my life.

I’m going to kill myself.

But the two categories are not always clear cut.

Researchers have tried to group related questions to reveal core themes of suicidal thinking but have struggled to articulate an exact distinction between passive and active ideation.

Research published in 2023 found some thoughts – such as “I wish I were dead” or “maybe I should kill myself” – may represent both active and passive ideation.

Passive and active thoughts often co-occur and each independently predicts suicide attempts.

Recognising the signs

These thoughts can be difficult to recognise – in yourself, or in a loved one.

People may not openly express them, or may not know how to put these thoughts into words and ask for help.

Regardless of whether thoughts are passive or active, certain patterns suggest increasing risk.

Warning signs include:

  • thoughts becoming more frequent or intrusive
  • increased hopelessness or despair
  • creating plans to end one’s life or preparing to act, and
  • engaging in risky behaviour.

There may also be behavioural changes, such as:

  • shifts in sleep and eating habits
  • withdrawing socially
  • losing interest in hobbies
  • irritability
  • decreased academic or work performance, or
  • a person putting their affairs in order.

More than two thirds of people who die by suicide do not engage with mental health professionals in the year prior to their death.

This underlines the crucial role of friends, family and peers.

What should I do if I hear someone talking this way?

First, thank the person for trusting you. Then get curious, listen more than you talk and identify patterns in what they are describing.

Ask about the frequency, intensity and controllability of their thoughts, and whether they are doing anything to prepare to act on them.

Asking about suicide does not put the idea in someone’s head.

Ask questions such as:

How long have you been having these thoughts?

When do these thoughts occur?

How would you rate the intensity of these thoughts?

Do you have a plan to act on these thoughts?

Importantly, passive thoughts are not “safer thoughts.”

They are often a warning sign the person is in significant distress and may move into more active planning if they do not receive support.

Talking about suicidal thoughts can reduce stigma and encourage people to get help.

The National Australian Suicide Prevention Strategy 2025–2035 recognises the importance of a whole-of-community response to suicide prevention, with specific emphasis on laypeople recognising and responding to suicidal distress.

The Black Dog Institute provides a four-step guide for suicide prevention that can help structure your response.

First, directly ask if they are having thoughts of suicide.

Second, listen and take what they are saying seriously, and check their safety to ensure there is nothing they can use to harm themselves.

Third, get help. If someone’s life is in immediate danger, call 000, call a helpline such as Lifeline (13 11 14), or take them to the emergency department; if they are not in immediate danger, help them make an appointment with a GP or psychologist or call a helpline.

Fourth, follow up and check on the person. Let them know you care about them and ask how often would be appropriate to check in with them.

Of course, suicide is complex. Warning signs are not always apparent in the moment. If you have lost someone to suicide, please know you are not responsible for their death. Their decision was shaped by many factors beyond just one person’s control.

No feeling is final

Crisis does eventually pass. While it may not feel possible in the moment, remind the person that things will not stay this way forever and that help is available.

Passive or active, thoughts of suicide are a sign of deep distress.

When we notice and respond with calm curiosity, compassion and practical support, we may help save a life.

If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

The Conversation

Maddison Crethar reports financial support via an Australian government Research Training Program (RTP) Scholarship.

Daniel Hermens receives funding from the Commonwealth government’s Prioritising Mental Health Initiative and the Queensland Mental Health Commission.

– ref. ‘I wish I could fall asleep and never wake up’: even passive suicidal thoughts are a worry. Here’s how to respond – https://theconversation.com/i-wish-i-could-fall-asleep-and-never-wake-up-even-passive-suicidal-thoughts-are-a-worry-heres-how-to-respond-274741

Outcry on Saipan after ‘Free Palestine’ mural vandalised – arrest made

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By Mark Rabago, RNZ Pacific Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas correspondent

More than 11,000 km separate the Northern Mariana Islands from Gaza and Israel.

But the conflict has landed sharply on Saipan after the vandalism of a “Free Palestine” mural has sparked community anger, an arrest, and a wider debate over free speech, protest, and safety in a small Pacific island community.

The mural, painted on private property in the village of San Jose and associated with the grassroots group Marianas for Palestine, was defaced last week.

Police intervened and arrested a 45-year-old man on charges of criminal mischief and criminal trespass.

The incident has triggered strong reactions locally, highlighting how global conflicts can reverberate even in remote Pacific communities.

Ponce Rasa, the property owner who spoke publicly following the incident, said the past week had been overwhelming but expressed confidence in the legal process.

“We’re doing fine,” Rasa said.

Community thanked
“I just want to thank the community, my friends and my family for the outreach of support. We’re just continuing to push through with the ordeal and hopefully the judicial system takes its course — and I have faith in that.”

The mural was created by Marianas for Palestine, a group that says the artwork is intended as a humanitarian appeal rather than a political provocation.

One of the group’s organisers said the message was rooted in concern for civilian suffering in Gaza.

“Strip away all the context, and at the very core, children are getting murdered every day. There is a genocide going on in Gaza,” said Marianas for Palestine’s Salam Castro Younis.

“And so the mural stands for a plea for humanity – that we should stand up against this and we shouldn’t live in a world that allows that to happen.”

He said the vandalism went beyond property damage and should concern the wider community.

“This individual’s actions – to trespass and vandalise that mural and to show his support for a genocidal apartheid state – speaks volumes,” said Younis, whose father was originally from Palestine.

Vandalism suspect booked
“We’re a small island community, so we should all be concerned.”

The vandalism occurred on private land, and community members assisted police in locating the suspect, who was later detained and booked. Authorities have said the case remains under investigation.

The mural’s organisers say its imagery – which includes local and regional symbols – was meant to highlight shared struggles and global interconnectedness, not to import conflict.

“It was really heartfelt to see all the responses online and the actions people took,” Younis said.

“It gives hope that even here, on a small island, people are seeing the truth.”

Rasa said the incident underscored the importance of respecting local laws and community norms.

‘Enjoy the culture’
“San Jose is a small village, and Saipan is a small community,” he said. “People come here to enjoy the culture and the history of the island.

“But to come here and do whatever seems to please you is not law-abiding.”

“That’s how we become a civil society,” he added. “We look out for one another.”

The man arrested in connection with the vandalism later issued a public statement defending his actions as an exercise of free speech and disputing the trespass and vandalism allegations.

Police, however, confirmed he was arrested on February 2 and charged with criminal mischief and criminal trespass.

He was detained at the Commonwealth’s Department of Corrections.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Why are new tea towels worse at drying dishes than older ones?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rebecca Van Amber, Senior Lecturer in Fashion & Textiles, RMIT University

Anna Shvets/Pexels

There’s a peculiar ritual in many kitchens: reaching past the crisp, pristine tea towel hanging on the oven door to grab the threadbare, slightly greying one shoved in the drawer.

We all know that old faithful dries dishes better, even if we can’t quite explain why. It seems counter-intuitive – shouldn’t brand new towels, fresh from the packaging, outperform their worn-out predecessors?

Yet here we are, instinctively choosing the frayed over the fresh.

This isn’t just kitchen superstition. There’s genuine science behind why your tea towels actually improve with age, and understanding it might change how you think about all your household textiles.

The science of soaking it up

Tea towels are typically made from cotton or linen fibres, chosen specifically because these natural cellulose fibres are inherently hygroscopic, or water-loving.

But fibre type alone doesn’t determine how well your towel performs. A textile’s absorption is the result of a complex interplay between fibre, yarn, fabric structure, and any finishes applied during manufacturing.

Textiles absorb and hold water in two key places: within the fibre structure itself, and in the spaces between fibres and yarns. This is why fabric structure matters so much.

Think about bath towels – when was the last time you used a smooth, thin one? Bath towels are typically thick terry pile construction with lots of small loops on the surface. These loops dramatically increase surface area, allowing water to be easily wicked into the fabric.

The loops on terry fabric are what makes bath towels so absorbent by trapping moisture in the fibres.
Lindsay Lyon/Unsplash

Tea towels come in various constructions: plain weave, twill weave, waffle cloth, or terry. Plain weave towels – the kind you see with printed designs – require a smooth surface for clean, crisp screen printing.

Waffle cloth, which looks exactly as its name suggests, has a three-dimensional texture that makes it incredibly effective. Like with terry towels, this structure increases surface area and enhances water absorption.

Why old beats new

So what makes your battered old tea towel superior to its pristine replacement? Three key factors are at play.

Silicone finishes. Many brand-new textiles arrive coated in silicone softeners that provide softness and wrinkle resistance, making them appealing on store shelves.

But here’s the catch: these same finishes are often water resistant. Your brand new tea towel may literally have a water-repellent coating. The fix is simple – always wash new tea towels in hot water before first use.

The impact of laundering. Fabrics undergo significant changes during their first several washes – typically up to six cycles. During manufacturing, whether knitted or woven, fabrics are held under tension. Washing causes the yarns to relax in what’s called “relaxation shrinkage”, reverting to their natural, tension-free state. Industry typically tolerates up to 5% shrinkage.

Here’s where it gets interesting: while your tea towel’s dimensions may shrink slightly, its mass stays the same, meaning the fabric becomes thicker and denser. In waffle weave towels, this shrinkage can make the three-dimensional texture more pronounced, increasing surface geometry and absorption. This phenomenon has been documented in terry bath towels, as well.

The geometry of a waffle cloth makes it really absorbent.
022 873/Unsplash

Fabric ageing. Repeated washing and drying causes minor surface damage that actually improves performance. Small fibres gradually raise up from the fabric surface, creating a fluffier, “hairier” texture.

Really smooth tea towels aren’t very absorbent because water struggles to wet the surface – it can almost bead up due to the contact angle between water and the smooth fabric.

But as washing raises more fibres off the surface making a “rougher” textile, the contact angle decreases, making the fabric easier to wet. Waffle fabrics, with their irregular surfaces, are inherently more absorbent from the start due to favourable contact angles.

In short: washing leads to more surface texture, leading to better absorption.

Not just tea towels

The real revelation here isn’t just about tea towels – it’s about how we think about textiles in general.

That “worn in” feeling we associate with our favourite bath towels, tea towels and even bed linens isn’t just nostalgia. Many of our home textiles are genuinely performing better after repeated laundering, having shed their factory finishes and relaxed into their true structure.

So before you send your old tea towels off for recycling to replace with new ones, remember: those frayed edges and faded patterns represent months of your towel becoming exactly what it was meant to be.

And when you do buy new household textiles, wash them at least once before using to remove any residual finishes.

Rebecca Van Amber is a chartered member of The Textile Institute.

– ref. Why are new tea towels worse at drying dishes than older ones? – https://theconversation.com/why-are-new-tea-towels-worse-at-drying-dishes-than-older-ones-271852

Landslides are NZ’s deadliest natural hazard. Why does it still tolerate the risk?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Robinson, Senior Lecturer Above the Bar, University of Canterbury

New Zealand Herald/Dean Purcell/Getty Images

The recent deaths of eight people in two New Zealand landslides has left the public searching for answers. Some questions will be technical, about what failed and why.

But one should surely sit above the rest: why do we keep accepting the human and financial cost of this risk?

While it might be assumed that earthquakes or volcanic eruptions are Aotearoa’s deadliest natural hazards, landslides have claimed more than twice as many lives – approximately 1,800 – as both combined over the past 200 years.

They remain such an insidious and under-appreciated hazard because they cause deaths relatively frequently, but typically only in small numbers. Being one of the most fatal New Zealand landslides since 1846, last month’s tragedy at Mount Maunganui was a stark exception.

A useful analogy is our tolerance for car crashes versus aeroplane crashes. Road deaths in New Zealand kill hundreds of people each year, one by one, with little national reckoning. The 1979 Mount Erebus air disaster, in which 257 people were killed in one afternoon, forever changed aviation policy and remains part of the country’s collective memory.

In natural hazard terms, landslides are car crashes; earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are aeroplane crashes. Yet, with climate change driving heavier rainfall, it’s worth asking whether this is a danger we should be comfortable to continue living with – and paying for.

Since 2010, central government has incurred about NZ$19 billion in costs associated with natural hazards, but 97% of that has gone on response and recovery, with just 3% on reducing risk and building resilience. In practice, New Zealand keeps paying for disasters after they happen, rather than spending to stop them happening in the first place.

A hazard hiding in plain sight

The risk of landslides, specifically, is managed through a complex mix of laws, led by the Resource Management Act (RMA). It largely falls to territorial authorities, which can restrict new developments but, due to land use rights, are more constrained with existing buildings even if at high risk.

There have been some successful attempts to change land use rules, but they have been few and far between. It remains to be seen what effect the latest reforms to the RMA will have.

Recent disasters have also exposed gaps in how local councils, emergency services, central government agencies and insurers respond to events, with unclear responsibilities and slow information flows. This underscores the need for a more joined-up response to events such as floods and landslides, as a high-level inquiry recommended in 2024.

On top of all this is the need to gain a clearer national picture of the hazard. Past landslides indicate where failures are most likely: steep slopes, weak rock, wet soils and sparse vegetation, particularly where forestry was recently cleared. But outcomes also depend on subtler factors such as slope shape and aspect.

We also know landslides come in different shapes and sizes, which determines how far they travel and how much area they can threaten. In New Zealand, the most common type are shallow slides, typically one to two metres deep and involving only the top layer of soil.

Despite their size, these slides can be highly dangerous, carrying hundreds of tonnes of debris at high speed. Their paths are not always straightforward: wet landslide debris can behave like a liquid, following channels in the landscape and travelling for kilometres.

While scientists’ understanding of landslides has improved markedly over recent decades, important gaps remain. Because landslides are highly localised, they demand detailed local knowledge. But New Zealand’s inventories are still patchy, particularly in Northland and the Bay of Plenty, and existing local studies are often hard to access or compare.

This also makes it harder to understand precisely what climate change means for national landslide risk.

Although a warming climate is already driving more intense and frequent storms, emerging research suggests future landslides will mostly increase in areas already prone to them, rather than spread into entirely new regions. Even so, uncertainty in these projections remains high.

The cost of living with risk

To paraphrase New Zealand’s former prime minister Sir Geoffrey Palmer, if you want natural hazards, you’re in the right place in Aotearoa. Managing the ever-present threat from landslides, earthquakes, volcanoes, flooding, tsunamis, liquefaction and wildfire is a daunting responsibility. But it’s a job we expect our authorities to do, all while running other services and keeping our rates and taxes as low as possible.

With the cost of landslides mounting, we might expect that when local authorities identify actions to reduce risk that could save money in the long run, these efforts would be welcomed by central government. Instead, they are often met with a phrase we have become too familiar with: we are in a “fiscally challenging environment”.

That may be. But it is also true that the costs associated with natural hazards are only likely to increase. The cheapest time to invest in resilience is now.

When it comes to landslides, we need to consider whether repeated fatalities from a known and worsening hazard are something we are prepared to tolerate. Aeroplane crashes have always been unacceptable to us, but the 2019 Ministry of Transport Road to Zero strategy suggested deaths in car crashes were becoming intolerable as well.

Perhaps now is the time to take a similar approach to landslides. With an election looming, political parties have a chance to put forward credible plans to reduce natural hazard risk or, better still, to agree on a non-partisan path that builds resilience for the long term.

Tom Robinson receives funding from the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and the Natural Hazards Commission.

– ref. Landslides are NZ’s deadliest natural hazard. Why does it still tolerate the risk? – https://theconversation.com/landslides-are-nzs-deadliest-natural-hazard-why-does-it-still-tolerate-the-risk-275206

Black Ferns star signs with Hurricanes for Super Rugby Aupiki

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Renee Holmes. www.photosport.nz

The Hurricanes Poua have signed Black Ferns fullback Renee Holmes ahead of the Super Rugby Aupiki season.

Holmes joins the Poua after two seasons with the Chiefs Manawa in what is a homecoming to the Hurricanes region for the Gisborne-born-and-raised fullback.

“I’m super excited to be joining this team. I love the culture and the vibes, the style of rugby the Poua play, and I’m excited about the opportunity to chase the Hurricanes’ first-ever Super Rugby Aupiki title. I cannot wait to be a part of it,” Holmes said.

“I’m also super excited to work under Trigs (Poua head coach Hayden Triggs), I’ve heard nothing but good things and I can already feel his passion for this team and I’m looking forward to seeing where he can help take my game.”

New Zealand’s full back Renee Holmes (R) celebrates scoring a try during the Women’s Rugby World Cup third-place match against France, 2025. ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP

The 26-year-old goal-kicking Holmes brings plenty of domestic and international pedigree to the Poua.

Formerly a New Zealand age-grade representative in football, taekwondo, and ultimate frisbee, Holmes made her first-class rugby debut as a teenager with Hawke’s Bay in 2017.

She has since forged an impressive playing career, which includes a Rugby World Cup title with the Black Ferns on home soil four years ago, a 2023 Super Rugby Aupiki championship with Matatū, and Farah Palmer Cup success with Waikato in 2021.

In total, Holmes has made 29 test appearances and scored 199 points for the Black Ferns since making her debut for the side against the New Zealand Barbarians in 2020.

She featured prominently during last year’s World Cup campaign in England, and has won both the Pacific Four Series twice and the Laurie O’Reilly Cup four times while representing the Black Ferns.

In addition to her time with Hawke’s Bay and Waikato, Holmes has also played provincially for Bay of Plenty, and will embark on her fifth Super Rugby Aupiki campaign next year after two seasons each with the Chiefs Manawa and Matatū.

Triggs is thrilled to welcome a player of Holmes’ calibre to his side.

“The club is excited to provide a homecoming of sorts to a Gisborne-born talent in Renee,” Triggs said.

“The more I shared the vision for the club and the team to Renee, the more there was a shared enthusiasm about what the future holds for the Poua.

“Signing Renee is a big step in re-shaping the Poua programme. She is a humble, kind person, a dedicated athlete, a world-class competitor, and is the type of player we want our next Poua players to see and replicate for future squads.

“We are also driven to develop her game and leadership in the club, both on and off the field, to find a new ceiling in her game.

“As a team and a club, we can’t wait to see Renz in a black-and-yellow jersey uniting and exciting our Hurricanes fans in Super Rugby Aupiki 2026.”

The remainder of the 2026 Hurricanes Poua squad will be announced at a later date.

Super Rugby Aupiki has shifted dates this year. Previously played through March and April, it will now take place between June and August, with the draw yet to be confirmed.

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

Senior navy officer allegedly encouraged junior officer to kiss them

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Judge William Hastings presiding over the trial of a senior Navy officer, for their conduct during an overseas operation in Fiji in 2023.  RNZ/Lucy Xia

A senior navy officer is facing a Court Martial over their behaviour during an operation in Fiji in March 2023, where they allegedly encouraged a junior officer to kiss them.

The hearing is sitting at the Devonport Navy Base in Auckland.

The military prosecutors have charged the senior officer with behaviour likely to prejudice service discipline.

Judge William Hastings has declined an application for interim name suppression, saying that the threshold for extreme hardship for the defendant and undue hardship for their family members hasn’t been met.

However, the defendant’s name cannot be published yet pending an appeal.

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

PM Christopher Luxon says US president Donald Trump should apologise for ‘racist’ Obama post

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Source: Radio New Zealand

File photo. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said US President Donald Trump’s social media post was racist. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The prime minister says US President Donald Trump’s social media post – depicting his predecessor Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as apes – is racist.

The AI-generated video was among 70 messages Trump posted on Thursday night, US time.

It was later deleted, and the administration blamed a staffer after initially defending the post.

Speaking to TVNZ’s Breakfast, Christopher Luxon said Trump should apologise.

“Yeah, look, I think he should,” he said.

“I mean I think when he was asked I think he said he condemns it but the reality is I saw coverage of it, I lived in the US for eight years in North America, and I’m well aware of what that trope is all about.

“It was racist, and it’s right that it’s been removed. As to whether he apologises for it that’s ultimately for him, but I would’ve thought you’d want to.”

Some Republicans have joined Democrats in decrying the post and calling for an apology.

Trump has not yet apologised.

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

One dead after crash involving truck and trailer in rural South Auckland’s Buckland

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The driver and sole occupant of the truck died. (File photo) RNZ / Richard Tindiller

The driver of a truck and trailer has been killed in a crash on a rural road in South Auckland’s Buckland.

The crash happened on Logan Road in Buckland just after 7.30am on Monday, police said.

It involved one truck and the sole occupant died at the scene.

How the crash happened was being investigated by police, a spokesperson said.

At this stage the road remained closed while police examined the scene.

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

Early-stage angel investment in start-up businesses grows for first time since 2021

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Nearly twice as many new businesses were recieving investment last year. (File photo) Unsplash/ Declan Sun

Early-stage angel investment in start-up businesses saw positive growth in the amount of capital invested last year, for the first time since 2021.

Angel Association chief executive Bridget Unsworth said new deals attracted 8.6 percent more capital overall, with nearly twice as many new businesses receiving investment.

Deal activity rebounded strongly with a 34 percent increase in the number of deals completed to 167 from 125 in 2024, but with a conservative a 2.7 percent increase in capital to $13.9 million.

Unsworth said it appeared more investors were keeping dollars in reserve for follow-on investment, with the average investment per angel investor down 8 percent to $12,446 from $15,100 in 2024.

“Yes, the cheques are slightly smaller, but more companies are getting seeded,” Unsworth said.

She said the number of angel investors with a portfolio of five or more growth businesses rose 14 percent from 12 percent in 2024.

“I think it’s positive in that we’re seeing diversification across all the sectors,” she said.

“For a long time, software was 50 percent of all the capital that was committed. We’re seeing it spread more evenly across multiple sectors.”

She said deep tech, which focused on ground-breaking technology, was attracting more investment, with an increase of 22 percent over a rolling five-year average to $6.6m from $4.4m the year earlier.

“In a global environment shaped by climate solutions, national capability, and advanced technologies, this trend positions New Zealand well, provided capital and specialist expertise remain aligned,” she said.

“So all in all I think it is it is really positive in terms of how our market is evolving.”

Unsworth said the highlight of the year was a 34 percent increase in the number of active angel investors over the past year to 455 from 328 in 2024.

“We have got great investors coming into the space that are bringing not only their capital, but their breadth of expertise.”

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

One Nation surges to new high as Coalition slumps to record low in latest Newspoll

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

Newspoll, Redbridge and Morgan polls all have One Nation second behind Labor, with the Coalition third. However, there are no Labor vs One Nation two-party estimates.

A national Newspoll, conducted February 5–8 from a sample of 1,234, gave Labor 33% of the primary vote (up one since the previous Newspoll three weeks ago), One Nation 27% (up five), the Coalition 18% (down three), the Greens 12% (steady) and all Others 10% (down three).

This is a record high for One Nation in any poll and a record low for the Coalition. But last week’s Redbridge and Morgan polls had One Nation leading the Coalition by seven and 4.5 points respectively. On current polls, One Nation is beating the Coalition into second place.

In a single-member electoral system like the House of Representatives, the consequences for a major party that falls to third would be brutal. On current polling, the Coalition would struggle to win ten of the 150 House seats.

As the Coalition is no longer second, no Labor vs Coalition two-party estimate was released by Newspoll. None of the three polls in this article have released a Labor vs One Nation two-party estimate. A late January YouGov poll gave Labor a 57–43 respondent-allocated preference lead over One Nation.

Analyst Kevin Bonham has Labor vs Coalition and Labor vs One Nation two-party aggregates using 2025 Senate preference flow data. He has Labor leading One Nation by 54.1–45.9 and the Coalition by 54.3–45.7. With the massive drop in the Coalition vote since the last election, this method may not be reliable.

Anthony Albanese’s net approval improved one point to -10, while Sussan Ley’s net approval slumped 11 points to a new low of -39, the worst for a major party leader in Newspoll since Labor’s Simon Crean in 2003. Albanese led Ley as better PM by 49–30 (51–31 previously).

This graph shows Albanese’s net approval in Newspoll since he became PM in 2022, with a smoothed line fitted.

Amid the Coalition’s turmoil, Labor will be relieved this poll was not worse for them after the Reserve Bank raised interest rates last Tuesday.

One Nation’s poll surge and a potential Labor vs One Nation contest

Before the December 14 Bondi terrorist attacks, One Nation had already surged from 6.4% at the last election to the high teens in polls. I believe this reflected frustration from right-wing voters with Labor’s landslide at the election and the perceived weakness of Ley’s leadership.

The Bondi attacks played into One Nation’s anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim themes, sending it into the 20s, just behind the Coalition. The Coalition split on January 22 has resulted in One Nation overtaking the Coalition on primary votes. The Coalition reformed yesterday, but the damage may already be done.

If One Nation replaces the Coalition as the main right-wing party at the next election, I believe Labor has advantages. While One Nation leader Pauline Hanson’s net favourability surged 16 points to -3 in the Redbridge poll below, she hasn’t yet come under media and Labor scrutiny for her policies. If One Nation is seen as a potential government by the next election, they will receive far more scrutiny.

One Nation is further to the right than the Coalition. An important reason for Labor’s landslide was that the Coalition was perceived as too close to US President Donald Trump. With Trump at -51 net favourable with Australians in the Redbridge poll, it will be difficult for a pro-Trump party to win.

The next Australian federal election is due by May 2028, before the next US presidential election in November 2028.

Redbridge poll has One Nation seven points ahead of Coalition

A national Redbridge and Accent Research poll for The Financial Review, conducted January 22–29 from a sample of 1,003, gave Labor 34% of the primary vote (down one since the last Redbridge poll in December), One Nation 26% (up nine), the former Coalition parties 19% (down seven), the Greens 11% (down two) and all Others 10% (up one).

No Labor vs One Nation two-party estimate was provided, with Labor leading the Coalition by an unchanged 56–44 using 2025 election preference flows.

Albanese’s net favourability was down 11 points to -10, while Ley was down 12 to -32. Albanese led Ley as preferred PM by 37–9 with 34% for neither (41–12 previously).

While both Albanese and Ley slumped, Hanson’s net favourability surged 16 points to -3 and Barnaby Joyce’s net favourability was up eight points to -19.

Liberal leadership aspirants Andrew Hastie and Angus Taylor were respectively at an even 16–16 and 17–13 unfavourable, while Nationals leader David Littleproud was at 27–13 unfavourable. Donald Trump was at 67–16 unfavourable.

Morgan poll: One Nation now leading Coalition

A national Morgan poll, conducted January 26 to February 1 from a sample of 1,401, gave Labor 30.5% of the primary vote (steady since the January 19–25 Morgan poll), One Nation 25% (up 2,5), the Coalition 20.5% (down two), the Greens 12.5% (down 0.5) and all Others 11.5% (steady).

There was no Labor vs One Nation two-party estimate. Labor led the Coalition by 56–44 using respondent preferences, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition. By 2025 election flows, Labor led by an unchanged 54.5–45.5.

The four January Morgan polls have had One Nation and the Coalition going in opposite directions. One Nation was at 15% in the first poll, then 21%, 22.5% and 25%, while the Coalition began at 30.5%, then 24%, 22.5% and 20.5%.

Morgan also released demographic breakdowns from its four January polls. Compared with November to December, Labor led the Coalition in all states, regaining a 51–49 lead in Queensland. Labor’s biggest lead was in South Australia (61–39), which holds a state election on March 21.

Labor led by 56–44 with women and 52.5–47.5 with men. They led by 65.5–34.5 with those aged 18–34, 58–42 with those aged 35–49 and 51.5–48.5 with those aged 50–64. The Coalition led by 58–42 with those aged 65 and older.

One Nation’s support was highest in New South Wales at 25.5%, beating its traditional strongest state of Queensland (24%). Their support by age peaked with those aged 50–64 at 27%.

Adrian Beaumont does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. One Nation surges to new high as Coalition slumps to record low in latest Newspoll – https://theconversation.com/one-nation-surges-to-new-high-as-coalition-slumps-to-record-low-in-latest-newspoll-274839

Call to levy services to keep financial mentor sector viable

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Fincap, the organisation that represents financial mentors around the country, has made the proposal to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Financial mentors say organisations that benefit from their services should be willing to pay a levy.

Fincap, the organisation that represents financial mentors around the country, has made the proposal to the Finance and Expenditure Committee.

Forty-four financial mentor services lost funding in the latest round and Fincap spokesperson Jake Lilley said they are increasingly having to ask staff to take pay cuts or work as volunteers to be able to continue operating.

“We’ve had a lot close,” he told RNZ’s Nine to Noon.

He said it was a concern that the industry was also losing experienced people who knew how to navigate the complex situations that clients would seek help with.

But demand for their services has increased, and Lilley says many organisations rely on their services, including KiwiSaver providers who often suggest people making a hardship application seek help from a mentor.

Lilley said while financial services providers would have their own hardship teams, there were usually limits to what it was appropriate for them to discuss with clients. Financial mentors could look at people’s situations as a whole.

“You can get into a situation where the loudest creditor is the one who is paid when someone hasn’t got the assistance to look at the situation as a whole.”

He said some mentors said it took eight hours of their time to help a client with a KiwiSaver hardship withdrawal application.

Telecommunications and power companies also benefited from mentors’ work, he said.

David Baines, of Christchurch’s Kingdom Resources services, said his organisation lost funding in 2024.

“We were in a situation where government funding provided about 80 percent of our total income.” he said.

Of 11 staff, two became volunteers and four reduced their income, he said. But he said Kingdom Resources still received referrals from government agencies, even though funding had been stopped.

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

Graham Parks named NZ Cricket interim boss

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Graham Parks. photosport

New Zealand Cricket has confirmed Graham Parks will take charge as its interim chief executive until a full time replacement is found for Scott Weenink.

Parks, who has been NZC’s chief venues and events officer, has agreed to provide a stopgap as CEO, taking over from Catherine Campbell, who has acted as designated CEO since Weenink’s departure in December.

A statement from NZC said: “Graham is a long-serving member of our senior leadership team; has the skillset required for the assignment, is up to speed on current projects and events, and shares the trust and goodwill of NZC staff, members and stakeholders.

“Catherine Campbell will lead the Venues and Events function during this period.”

While Parks will continue to be based in Lincoln, he has agreed to split his time in Auckland to liaise more closely with NZ’s personnel and stakeholders.

NZC said it will advertise for the CEO role within the week and hopes to annouce the successful candidate by early April.

Scott Weenink. photosport

Weenink announced he was stepping down a week before Christmas following months growing concern that the board and the chief executive were no longer on the same page.

Weenink cited fundamental differences with key stakeholders over the long-term direction of the game and a potential change to structure of T20 cricket.

Sources told RNZ Weenink had been “fighting for his survival” since November amid a power struggle related to the domestic game.

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

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