Source: Radio New Zealand

Metallica playing at Auckland’s Eden Park last week. (File photo) Tom Grut

A local community board has voted against having more concerts at Auckland’s Eden Park, angering a local business association.

The government wants to boost the number of gigs allowed at the venue to 12 large and 20 medium concerts a year. At the moment it was limited to six artists playing a total of 12 gigs a year.

RMA Reform Minister Chris Bishop wrote to Auckland Council with an eye on loosening restrictions on Eden Park’s operations which he said were costing hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue.

The government was now seeking feedback from the public and council on the findings.

The Albert-Eden local board has voted no to supporting that plan, which infuriated the Dominion Rd Business Association.

The association’s manager Gary Holmes told Checkpoint the decision was “economic vandalism” in his eyes.

“We’ve got business on Dominion Rd fighting to survive a rescission and here we’ve got a local board turning away $250,000 of economic stimulus for our area alone per event and they’re ignoring their own voters.

“We know over 70 percent of locals support more concerts. It’s not just out of touch with businesses but out of touch with reality.”

Holmes said the association had market view data that had shown the impact of spending over time.

“For example, when Coldplay played last year our dining revenue jumped by 25 percent.

“Because we’re competing with Sydney and Melbourne it’s crazy to turn away that kind of money due to restrictions on Eden Park.”

Holmes said the local board needed to listen to residents who wanted a “vibrant city”.

“We want to be a destination.”

Eden Park’s CEO Nick Sautner told Morning Report on Thursday morning, the national stadium was being “hampered by a bureaucracy of restrictions”.

“If I was the CEO of a toll road or a shopping centre and had 90 percent idle capacity people would be asking questions. My idle capacity is a result of our constraints and so, Chris Bishop’s initiative to implement these changes enables business to do business.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The health minister has told Health New Zealand he wants more of a focus on decision-making closer to the frontline and expects a plan by the end of the year.

Simeon Brown’s letter of expectations to chair Lester Levy sets out the government’s priorities for 2026/27 and his feedback on the 2025/26 year so far.

“It is clear to me that Health NZ is too centralised,” Brown wrote. “Too many decisions are made by people who are removed from the problems that frontline clinicians are trying to solve.

“This is causing significant frustration for local districts and stifling innovation, which could lead to efficiencies, which deliver more care for patients within the budgets, which have been set.”

Brown said he expected Health New Zealand to develop policy by 31 December, showing how it planned to devolve decision-making to regions and districts.

The government re-established the Health New Zealand governance board in July, with Levy moving from his commissioner role to chair.

On Thursday, it was revealed hospitals in Wellington were waiting up to six months for Health New Zealand approval to begin recruitment for frontline roles.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Benches are being stolen from bus shelters across Auckland but the city’s transport agency has yet to file an official report to police despite knowing about the issue for three weeks.

Auckland Transport told RNZ it was aware of benches being removed from about 65 of the city’s 3000 bus stops.

“It’s possible these benches are being sold as scrap metal. We are in the process of sourcing benches constructed from different materials making them difficult to graffiti and a less desirable scrap product,” said its manager of public transport real time and response, Rebecca Temple.

Temple said it’s unfortunate that anti-theft bolting on the seats wasn’t able to stop them being removed.

AT said in a statement that it “notified” police about three weeks ago, when it first became aware of the seats going missing.

But it said it’s yet to file a formal report.

“We have not filed a formal police report because we are still gathering information on the sites where seats have gone missing to include in a report to police,” it said.

“We have been gathering information on all 3000 bus shelters to try and understand the full extent of the issue across the network. This is due to be filed in the next day or so,” said AT.

“We work with the police daily and so lodging this complaint is just the formality not the reality. We sit together in our operations centre,” it added.

Meanwhile, a police spokesperson said they were not “immediately aware” of bus stop benches being stolen.

‘Are they just waiting for more to be stolen?’

Puketāpapa Local Board member Jon Turner said he first noticed the missing benches when going for a run down Mount Eden Road, and spotted eight missing.

Since he posted to social media, he’s received reports of others missing in Sandringham, Avondale and around Greenwoods Corner on Manukau Road.

Turner said AT should be taking action now, rather than waiting longer to make a police report.

“How long are they going to keep waiting to make a report, when the things have already been stolen?

“Are they just waiting for more to be stolen to add to the list?,” he said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire crews and helicopters are battling a series of scrub fires in Otago and Southland fanned by strong winds.

In Southland, nine trucks and two helicopters were tackling a forestry block fire near Mataura that broke out about 2.10pm.

The fire has closed State Highway 96 between State Highway 1 and Waimumu. It is expected to remain closed overnight.

In Palmerston, six trucks and three helicopters were dealing with a fire in pine trees near Goodwood.

Four crews were also called to a paddock fire in Papakaio in the Waitaki district sparked by a trampoline blowing into powerlines.

Two crews were working on a smouldering tree near Whitstone.

The wind blew three branches onto two cars in Oamaru but Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said a dog in one of the cars was not hurt.

A paddock fire that broke out on Johnston Road on the outskirts of Balclutha about 1pm has been contained.

FENZ said 30 firefighters on the ground and two helicopters with monsoon buckets were now working to put it out.

People are advised to avoid the area and said anyone affected by smoke should close their windows and doors and stay inside if possible.

Fire and Emergency had warned people to avoid lighting fires outdoors in Otago on Thursday and Friday because of warm, windy conditions.

Paid firefighters were due to strike around the country on Friday by walking off the job from 12pm to 1pm.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

By Lucy Craymer, Reuters

Analysis – A dramatic boom-bust cycle in New Zealand’s housing market has left many Kiwis and investors scarred and an economy struggling to fire, turning what was once a trusted strategy for creating wealth into a period of unease and potentially smaller future returns.

New Zealand has traditionally relied on housing as an engine of growth, but the current shakeout in the property sector has been particularly telling on the economy, dragging it into contraction in three of the past five quarters.

Two and a half years of flat to falling house prices has basically just been a heavy wet blanket on top of the economy, said ANZ chief economist Sharon Zollner.

The current gloom in the sector is rooted in more than a decade-long affordability crisis that came to a head during the pandemic, as house values soared around 40 percent to sky-high levels in an 18-month period through to November 2021, fuelled by sharply lower interest rates and government stimulus.

When the bubble burst, a combination of aggressive interest rate hikes by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand and an increase in housing supply saw prices crumble by nearly 20 percent, and as much as 30 percent in some cities.

The collapse in house prices, which are still 15 percent below their peak in 2021, has brought much-needed relief for first-home buyers but has also raised questions about future returns as low net migration, rising unemployment and the government’s tight fiscal stance depress demand.

Satish Ranchhod, senior economist at Westpac, said the market dynamics have changed as the post-pandemic building boom increased the supply of homes, while slower population growth has kept inventory high.

It does mean quite a different supply and demand balance, said Ranchhod, tipping house prices to rise 5 percent in each of 2026 and 2027, a modest uptick in the context of recent sharp falls and compared with historic rates of growth.

New normal of modest resterns?

For a generation of New Zealanders, who have enjoyed average annual returns of roughly 7 percent in housing over the last three decades, the decline in prices for three consecutive years since 2021 is unprecedented.

In fact, property values dropped in only two of the years since 1990, making investment in housing a sure bet for Kiwis and a major driver of economic growth.

That certainty of steady capital gains has been eroded by several factors, not least by unemployment at a nine-year high and slow net migration growth even as the central bank has sharply reduced rates to a 3-1/2-year low since August last year.

Analysts note that with over half of New Zealand’s household wealth tied up in property, the downturn has had a chilling effect on consumption and the economy.

Kelvin Davidson, chief economist at Cotality, said that activity had started to pick up but this was off a low level, adding that a weak economy, an overhang of listings and concerns about employment continue to weigh.

You’d probably still call it a buyer’s market, said Davidson, predicting limited house price growth next year despite an improved outlook.

That view was underscored by the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s latest forecasts released this week, with capital gains of 3.8 percent and 3.7 percent projected for next year and 2027, respectively.

While first home buyers have returned to the market, the number of houses available is higher than the historical average. Investors have also scaled back activity buyers of multiple homes are now 35.9 percent of the market, down from a recent high of 39.5 percent in 2021, according to data from Cotality.

The number of houses for sale in October was 33,588, up from 19,260 when the market peaked in November 2021, according to the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand, an organization representing the sector.

Tim Horsbrugh, a property investor with 13 rental tenancies, said a few years ago a group of investors he knew were flipping houses – the practice of buying a property at a low price and selling it for a profit after making improvements.

But not anymore, as the people that were doing it have lost money.

“Going for capital gains now is tough. Real tough,” he said. “And I don’t think people are going to be back into that market for a long, long time.”

Structural shift underway?

In an effort to shore up demand and revive the frail economy, the central bank has slashed its cash rate 325 basis points to 2.25 percent, having delivered the latest 25-basis-point cut on Wednesday. It has also eased some housing loan rules to lure back buyers.

The government campaigned on reducing house prices to improve affordability, yet the current property market downturn is putting a dampener on the economy.

Jarrod Kerr, chief economist at Kiwibank, said housing is by far the largest asset owned by New Zealanders, with two-thirds owning their own homes, and that means house price increases play a big part in sentiment.

If house prices are up, you know, 2 percent to 5 percent next year, then I’ll be saying that the economy will be climbing higher, because consumption will simply come back, Kerr said.

New Zealanders though may take some time to come to terms with a shift in the housing market.

“It’s too early to call a structural change in the housing market but there are some indications that might have happened,” said Paul Conway, chief economist at the RBNZ.

– Reuters

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The climber who died on Aoraki Mt Cook alongside guide Thomas Vialletet was American lawyer Kellam Conover.

The pair were roped together, climbing from Empress Hut to the summit when they fell from the mountain’s west ridge on Monday night.

Two other members of the climbing party who survived were flown from the mountain on Tuesday morning.

Conover was a Stanford Law School graduate who lived in Washington DC and worked for international law firm, King & Spalding.

Vialletet lived in Wānaka and was a married father-of-two, who co-owned the mountain and ski guide company Summit Explorers with his wife Danielle.

More than $90,000 dollars has been raised so far through a Givealittle page to support his wife and young children following his death.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

MetService has confirmed Thursday is officially Auckland’s hottest November day since records began.

MetService meteorologist Lewis Ferris said, for the first time in the month of November in Auckland, temperatures had surpassed 26 degrees celsius at its recording station.

“Auckland Airport reached 26.2 degrees this afternoon, which has broken its November maximum record temperature, sitting at 25.9 degrees.”

Ferris said MetService’s temperature records for the Auckland region began on 31 December 1965.

He said many parts of the country had experienced warm weather on Thursday, some exceeding 30 degrees.

“With record or near-record temperatures turning up in parts of the country, it’s not too surprising to see Auckland actually get up there as well, because a lot of these temperatures are being driven by very warm, humid air being dragged down from the north,” Ferris said.

“Auckland being closer to there, they are going to be feeling those effects and people have probably been wondering why it felt so swampy, so humid the last couple of days.

“It is that warm, humid air being dragged down, and it does look to hang around, as we make our way through the rest of this week and into next week.

“There will be some intermittent rain as well, so it is just going to make it feel a little bit more humid.”

Ferris said sea-surface temperatures to the northwest were already above average and similar windflows would likely make its way to New Zealand in the coming weeks.

“These warm, humid days could be something we see a little bit more of, as we head through December.

“Won’t be warm every day, though. You know, December is a little bit of a copout, when it comes to summer.

“There probably will be some cooler southerly air, but I think holding onto these days and thinking that they will be more of them as we make our way through December is probably not a bad idea.”

Ferris said warm, humid air did provide a good amount of low-level moisture, which could turn into afternoon showers and potentially thunderstorms.

“Conditions in the upper atmosphere aren’t always ripe for that kind of stuff, so people will need to be keeping up with the forecast to see if those showers are going to be turning up in the afternoon.

“You might think it’s a lovely day, it’s warm, let’s get out the barbecue for the evening and that could just be when some of those showers turn up.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Biosecurity New Zealand says they’ve uncovered more queen yellow-legged hornets in Auckland’s North Shore, with the tally reaching 26.

The agency said 16 of the 26 confirmed queen hornets were found with either developed nests or evidence of nesting, while seven worker hornets have been found in nests.

The queen hornets and nests were found the Glenfield and Birkdale areas of Auckland’s North Shore. 

In their last update on 16 November, 10 queen hornets, 2 workers, and 7 nests had been removed.

The agency said they continue to urge Aucklanders to keep a watch for the invasive pest. They said they’ve received nearly 4000 notifications to date.

Biosecurity NZ said they’ve also extended trapping to 5km out from where hornet discoveries have been previously made.

They said a combination of carbohydrate and protein traps continue to be used, while they’re also looking to deploy advanced tracking technology from the Netherlands to trace hornets back to their nests.

The Ministry of Primary Industries said their Technical Advisory Group (TAG) comprises independent scientific experts from countries that have successfully managed hornet incursions.

MPI said the advisory group continues to support the response ot the invasive pest, with their recommendations shaping Biosecurity NZ’s strategy.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Thirty-three kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of around $11.5 million – were seized at the Port of Tauranga on November 20.

Customs said the drugs were found in refrigerated containers on a vessel that had originated from Ecuador, and transited through Balboa, Panama, before arriving in Tauranga.

Customs officers inspected the containers after an x-ray screening of the containers and found anomalies which led to a physical inspection of the containers and their contents.

Seventeen bricks of cocaine were found in one container, and 16 in the other, hidden among legitimate goods.

Customs couldn’t confirm if the two seizures were related.

Customs’ maritime manager Robert Smith said advanced risk assessment and screening technologies, and the expertise of frontline officers are hitting organised crime groups and protecting communities.

He said Customs’ focus at New Zealand seaports is disrupting criminal networks and making it harder for organised crime to exploit our maritime border and legitimate trade supply routes and shipments.

Smith said the cooperation between Police, port companies and industry partners is “an unwelcoming and problematic environment for transnational, serious and organised crime to do business.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch reserve with views of the Southern Alps has been selected as the preferred location for the long-awaited National Erebus Memorial, commemorating the 1979 Antarctica air disaster.

Cashmere’s Cracroft Reserve has been identified by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage as the best site for the memorial, almost 46 years after the Air New Zealand scenic flight crashed into Mt Erebus, killing all 257 people on board.

Families of the victims have endured an excruciating wait for a national memorial, with some saying they had given up hope of seeing one in their lifetimes.

Two Christchurch sites were formally offered by the council as potential locations this year – Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere and the banks of the Avon River – after an aborted plan to build the memorial in Auckland.

Ministry for Culture and Heritage secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said Cracroft Reserve was a fitting place for the memorial.

“Cracroft Reserve has panoramic views over Christchurch and out to the Southern Alps,” he said. “It’s a space where both quiet moments or group gatherings can take place, it’s tranquil, green and has a beautiful outlook.

“It’s been almost 46 years since the Erebus disaster – Aotearoa’s worst civil accident. A memorial is long overdue and what I know for certain is that Erebus families deserve a memorial as soon as possible.

“Avon riverbank is also a very strong site, with many positive attributes. I’ve made the decision to retain the Avon riverbank as an alternative site in the event that we are unable to progress Cracroft Reserve.”

Leauanae said the memorial would be a place for Erebus families, members of Operation Overdue – who were involved in the recovery mission – New Zealanders and international visitors to gather, remember and reflect on those who lost their lives.

The government committed to building a memorial in 2017, but the project has been mired in controversy, protest and delay ever since.

A plan for a memorial at Auckland’s Dove Meyer Robinson Park in Parnell faced major pushback, with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens.

The plan was ultimately abandoned in 2023, after cyclone damage meant the land was unsafe to build on

In July, three potential Christchurch sites were shared with the Erebus families, via online workshops – two council-owned options (the Cracroft Reserve and Avon River sites) and the St James’ Church grounds in Harewood.

Sixty-five percent of people who responded to a survey supported building the memorial in Christchurch, with nine percent conditionally supportive and 26 percent opposed to building it in the city.

Some Erebus families preferred building the memorial in Auckland.

Leauanae said the ministry had explored 50 different sites for the memorial in the greater Auckland area over the past two years, none of which were suitable, and was recently advised that Takaparawhau in Auckland was no longer a potential location.

“I have been heartened by Christchurch’s warmth, generosity and support through the process of identifying potential sites,” he said. “Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is fully supportive of the memorial being located with Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the people of Christchurch.

“I am confident that Christchurch’s warm welcome to Erebus families, and the city’s experience and understanding of the importance of remembrance will provide the right space for this national memorial.”

Air New Zealand and Qantas began offering sightseeing flights to Antarctica in 1977. By the time the flights ended – Air New Zealand’s at the time of the Erebus disaster and Qantas in February 1980 – more than 10,000 people had taken the trip.

The livestream will start at approximately 1pm.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A Christchurch reserve with views of the Southern Alps has been selected as the preferred location for the long-awaited National Erebus Memorial, commemorating the 1979 Antarctica air disaster.

Cashmere’s Cracroft Reserve has been identified by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage as the best site for the memorial, almost 46 years after the Air New Zealand scenic flight crashed into Mt Erebus, killing all 257 people on board.

Families of the victims have endured an excruciating wait for a national memorial, with some saying they had given up hope of seeing one in their lifetimes.

Two Christchurch sites were formally offered by the council as potential locations this year – Cracroft Reserve in Cashmere and the banks of the Avon River – after an aborted plan to build the memorial in Auckland.

Ministry for Culture and Heritage secretary Leauanae Laulu Mac Leauanae said Cracroft Reserve was a fitting place for the memorial.

“Cracroft Reserve has panoramic views over Christchurch and out to the Southern Alps,” he said. “It’s a space where both quiet moments or group gatherings can take place, it’s tranquil, green and has a beautiful outlook.

“It’s been almost 46 years since the Erebus disaster – Aotearoa’s worst civil accident. A memorial is long overdue and what I know for certain is that Erebus families deserve a memorial as soon as possible.

“Avon riverbank is also a very strong site, with many positive attributes. I’ve made the decision to retain the Avon riverbank as an alternative site in the event that we are unable to progress Cracroft Reserve.”

Leauanae said the memorial would be a place for Erebus families, members of Operation Overdue – who were involved in the recovery mission – New Zealanders and international visitors to gather, remember and reflect on those who lost their lives.

The government committed to building a memorial in 2017, but the project has been mired in controversy, protest and delay ever since.

A plan for a memorial at Auckland’s Dove Meyer Robinson Park in Parnell faced major pushback, with objectors claiming it would change the tone of the gardens.

The plan was ultimately abandoned in 2023, after cyclone damage meant the land was unsafe to build on

In July, three potential Christchurch sites were shared with the Erebus families, via online workshops – two council-owned options (the Cracroft Reserve and Avon River sites) and the St James’ Church grounds in Harewood.

Sixty-five percent of people who responded to a survey supported building the memorial in Christchurch, with nine percent conditionally supportive and 26 percent opposed to building it in the city.

Some Erebus families preferred building the memorial in Auckland.

Leauanae said the ministry had explored 50 different sites for the memorial in the greater Auckland area over the past two years, none of which were suitable, and was recently advised that Takaparawhau in Auckland was no longer a potential location.

“I have been heartened by Christchurch’s warmth, generosity and support through the process of identifying potential sites,” he said. “Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei is fully supportive of the memorial being located with Ngāi Tūāhuriri and the people of Christchurch.

“I am confident that Christchurch’s warm welcome to Erebus families, and the city’s experience and understanding of the importance of remembrance will provide the right space for this national memorial.”

Air New Zealand and Qantas began offering sightseeing flights to Antarctica in 1977. By the time the flights ended – Air New Zealand’s at the time of the Erebus disaster and Qantas in February 1980 – more than 10,000 people had taken the trip.

The livestream will start at approximately 1pm.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The body of a pygmy sperm whale, found stranded at the shore of Auckland’s Orewa, has been taken to a burial site.

The Department of Conservation said the whale was about 3.5-4 metres in length and there were no obvious signs of the cause of death.

DoC said Wednesday’s stranding was the third recorded of a pygmy sperm whale at Orewa, with another previously stranding at Whangaparāoa.

The iwi of the Mahurangi peninsula area – Ngāti Manuhiri – said each stranding was significant and treated with care, and the whale had been taken to their whale urupā (cemetery).

“From a tikanga and mātauranga perspective, strandings and whale deaths are understood as tohu – indicators of environmental change or events occurring within our wider realm,” said Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust chairperson Mook Hohneck. “We observe these carefully and with respect.”

He said all bones of a whale were taonga (treasure), and each iwi and hapū had its own tikanga (customs) for caring for and managing the remains.

“For us, the care of a whale is never about one bone or one moment. It is about honouring the taonga as a whole and upholding the tikanga handed to us by our tīpuna (ancestors),” said Hohneck.

“We appreciate the support of our community and partners in ensuring these remains were treated with dignity.”

DoC Tāmaki Makaurau operations manager Olivia Kean said between 10-20 pygmy sperm whales are found stranded each year on New Zealand’s shores.

While they often occur in Mahia, between Poverty Bay and Hawke’s Bay, they also strand all around the North Island and as far south as Dunedin, said DoC.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Independent Police Conduct Authority (IPCA) says Wellington police were justified in tasering an armed man who received a serious head injury after he fell onto the road.

Police were called to reports that a man, who was armed with a blade from a pair of hedge trimmers, had trapped a woman and her baby in a bus-stop on Cockayne Road in Khandallah just after midday on 9 January.

One person who called police told operators the man – referred to in the report as Mr Z – was “out of control”.

“I’ve got a situation at bus stop 4411 on Cockayne Road. I’ve got a bleeding woman with a distraught child. I’ve got a man who’s out of control, he’s violent, he’s tearing up the bus stop,” the caller said.

The authority’s report said “a hacking sound” could be heard over the line as the man struck the bus-stop.

Five police surrounded the bus-stop and the woman was able to slip out with her child as an officer attempted to speak to the man.

As the man tried to follow the woman onto the road an officer fired their taser but the weapon appeared to have no effect.

“[The man] stopped and turned to face the officers, as though he was preparing to confront them. At this point, [he] was approximately three to four metres away from the officers, holding the bladed weapon at a 45-degree angle,” as outlined in a summary of a witness’s cell phone footage.

Officers yelled “Taser! Taser! Taser!” and the footage recorded two loud bangs as two officers fired their tasers at the man.

“In response, Mr Z became rigid and fell to the ground. His head hit the tarmac surface of the road. This interaction lasted about five seconds from the moment Mr Z started following [the woman], until he fell to the ground,” the report stated.

Judge Kenneth Johnston KC said police acted out of genuine concern for the safety of the woman and child, themselves and other bystanders.

“The video footage shows that Mr Z adopted an aggressive stance, looking as if he was preparing to fight with the officers. Communication with Mr Z was ineffective. Officers cannot be expected to use open-hand tactics against someone armed with a bladed weapon. Mr Z was using the weapon in a threatening manner. Additionally, Officer B correctly assessed that four metres could be quickly closed and locked by Mr Z, which would put the officers at significant risk,” Johnston wrote.

He said officers wasted no time in requesting medical attention for the man once he had fallen.

“Police radio transmissions record that at 12.07 pm, Officer A informed Comms that Mr Z was tasered.

“Sixteen seconds later, Comms was informed that Mr Z had sustained a serious head injury, and a request for an ambulance was made. Comms informed the officers that an ambulance had already been contacted … and was en route to their location,” Johnston wrote.

Johnston concluded he was satisfied the officers had followed police policies on taser use and were justified in their actions.

In a statement, acting Wellington District Commander Inspector Nick Thom said officers assessed the situation and responded accordingly, to ensure the safety of the public.

“Officers deployed their tasers to stop a dangerous situation evolving into something that could have been much worse. Our officers have made good decisions and the IPCA investigation supports that,” Thom said.

Shortly after the incident, Detective Senior Sergeant Tim Leitch confirmed the child was uninjured and the woman had been treated for a minor injury.

The IPCA report said the woman suffered a deep cut to her thumb when – at some point – she pushed the man’s weapon away from her.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hospitals in the Wellington region are waiting up to six months for Health NZ to give them approval to even begin recruitment for front-line roles.

Data obtained by the Public Service Association under the Official Information Act (for March to May) shows 219 recruitment requests took more than two months to be approved, 91 waited more than 20 weeks, and 45 roles applied for in March were still vacant last month.

In some cases, it took up to 30 weeks for management to approve a hiring process for critical positions, including medical imaging technologists who operate x-ray, CT and MRI equipment.

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said the Wellington data was a “disturbing snapshot” of the nationwide health workforce crisis.

“These figures show that delays in recruitment are a deliberate cost-saving tactic, driven by the government’s failure to fund the health system properly.

“There should be no barriers to filling vacancies.”

The roles requested included doctors, nurses, radiographers, administrative staff, oral health therapists, and healthcare assistants.

“Allowing such long-standing vacancies in so many areas of the health system is a recipe for burnout and eventually, even higher vacancy rates as staff quit for overseas hospitals where their skills are valued,” Fitzsimons said.

Unsafe staffing levels were a key driver for Friday’s strike by 17,000 healthworkers represented by the PSA – including allied health staff, mental and public health nurses, and policy, knowledge, advisory and specialist workers, she continued.

“Workers are sick and tired of being ignored and must again send a loud and clear message to the Government that it must listen to their concerns and make patient care a priority. Enough is enough.”

Health Minister blames Labour

Health Minister Simeon Brown said the data showed Health NZ was recruiting staff, with hundreds more doctors and about 2000 additional nurses employed since the government took office.

“However, Health New Zealand must move more quickly, and my expectation is that front-line vacancies are recruited to at pace.

“Let’s be clear – Labour’s botched merger of all DHBs into one mega-entity in the middle of a pandemic created a centralised, slow, and bureaucratic system.

“That’s why under this government, Health New Zealand is moving decision-making back to the regions, so recruitment and workforce decisions happen faster and closer to communities.”

PSA members will walk off the job on Friday for four hours, with pickets and rallies at 30 locations around the country from 1pm.

Fitzsimons said since the previous strike on October 23, the parties had attended mediation through the Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment but no settlement has been reached.

“Health NZ’s offer would mean workers go backwards. The health system is currently being held together by these workers’ good will for their patients. It’s not sustainable, not fair on workers, and doesn’t serve patients well either.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Secondary teachers are voting on a potential settlement of their troubled pay talks.

Information obtained by RNZ showed it included similar pay rises to previous offers, but provided at the start of next year rather than this year and with the removal of some clawbacks.

It would provide a 2.5 percent pay increase in January next year with a further two to 2.1 percent in January 2027 depending on salary scale step.

The offer dropped an attempt to increase the number of “call-back days” when teachers could be required to work outside of term time.

But it would remove teachers’ ability to claim for expenses for call-back days such as teacher-only days held during term time.

It would increase the value of management units paid for extra responsibilities by $500 to $5500.

The offer followed a week facilitated bargaining between the Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA) and the Education Ministry and Public Service Commission.

A PPTA statement said neither side would comment and the result of the ballot would be known by early December.

RNZ understands the union’s leadership has told members it would remain neutral on whether they should accept or reject the offer.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Hutt City Council is scrapping paid parking on Petone’s main street for Christmas.

The council will lift parking fees on Jackson Street and in the Peel Street carpark from 1 December to 4 January.

Usual time limits will stay in place to ensure fair access to parks.

Mayor Fauono Ken Laban said the move was a way to support local businesses and make Christmas shopping easier.

“Petone is one of our most loved destinations,” he said. “Free parking helps bring people in, encourages them to stay a little longer and supports the small businesses that are the heart of the community.

Laban said the December initiative was part of a wider, long-term conversation about parking.

“We are working with the Jackson Street Programme on a parking approach that supports our local economy and provides fair access for everyone.

“December’s free parking gives us space to keep that work moving, while backing our retailers at a crucial time.”

Jackson Street Programme co-ordinator Hellen Swales said the change would bring shoppers back to the centre of Petone for a crucial trading period.

“We want families to come into Petone, enjoy the festive season and spend time together.

“Free parking makes that easier, while time limits will keep things fair for everyone.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A medicinal cannabis clinic founder says hundreds of thousands of legal users could be affected by new drug-driving laws.

Police will begin testing drivers for THC – the main active ingredient in cannabis – along with methamphetamine, MDMA (or ecstasy) and cocaine in Wellington next month, ahead of the nationwide rollout of new drug driving laws next year.

Cannabis Clinic founder and chief executive Dr Waseem Alzaher told Morning Report he didn’t disagree with the need for drug testing, but wanted to see New Zealand follow countries such as Canada, Germany and the Netherlands that included impairment tests alongside saliva and blood tests.

“The overall move is a good move, but what we need to consider adding into it is impairment, because you could test posititive for cannabis but be entirely unimpaired in your functioning and that’s the elephant in the room we’re not addressing.”

Alzaher said he was advising patients to wait 12 hours before driving – ideally taking medication at night so they would be unimpaired by the morning, however, the sensitivity and accuracy of the tests remained to be seen.

“The question is, how do we manage it when we’ve got people who are being prescribed cannabis safely and are under medical supervision just like they could be for other medicines … you shouldn’t be punished or face consequences as a result of that.”

It’s thought there are around 120,000-130,000 New Zealanders being prescribed medicinal cannabis and around 400,000 using cannabis illicitly, he said.

“Everybody knows someone who’s using cannabis through illicit or legal means, and we’ve known for thousands of years this plant has lots of potential benefits for people.

“We have 60,000 people [The Cannabis Clinic’s] legally prescribed cannabis for who could face negative outcomes by being stood down and potentially fined – which they then have to appeal – even though they’re doing the right thing and have been prescribed medicinal cannabis and that’s going to be an issue for Kiwis around the country,” Alzaher said.

Returning two positive roadside saliva tests could result in a 12-hour driving ban.

Saliva tests would then be sent to a laboratory, where – if levels above legal thresholds were confirmed – would result in an infringement notice, including a $200 fine and 50 demerit points.

If a saliva test was refused or police requested a blood test, the consequences could be more severe.

If a blood sample breached the “high risk” threshold under the legislation, penalties included a $4500 fine, up to three months in prison and a mandatory six-month licence disqualification.

Infringements could be appealed via a medical defence by showing a prescription or ID card from a prescriber, and Alzaher urged medicinal patients to ensure they had one or both.

Australian researcher Dr Michael White, an adjunct senior fellow at the School of Psychology at the University of Adelaide who has researched road accidents involving cannabis, said the tests were nearly worthless when it came to picking up if someone was impaired.

“There’s a lot of research that says regular cannabis users are not impaired even if immediately after taking it so that produces … questions of justice.

“It is a scattergun approach, many people who are regular users won’t be impaired even if they test positive,” Dr White said.

The NZ Drug Foundation warned many medicinal cannabis users could be caught out, given the drug can show up even three days after use.

Others, such as senior biosciences lecturer Dr Catherine Crofts raised concerns about legal users of other drugs, such as those taking ADHD medication containing amphetamine, like dexamphetamine or lisdexamfetamine, which around half of New Zealanders taking ADHD medication currently use.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The family of Tom Phillips say they “welcome” a public inquiry into the handling of the case by authorities.

Phillips died following a shootout with police, when they were called to reports of a burglary in the early hours of 8 September, after 1358 days in the bush with his children.

Phillips shot a police officer several times during the shootout.

On Thursday, Attorney-General Judith Collins announced a public inquiry would be held into the disappearance of the Phillips children.

A spokesperson for the Phillips family released a statement to RNZ.

“We welcome any inquiry that helps ensure this never happens to another family ever again.”

Collins said the inquiry would look into whether government agencies took all practicable steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the Phillips children.

“The decision to establish a public inquiry reflects the significant public interest and concern for the children’s welfare over the almost four years they were missing.

“It is important that we establish the facts and determine whether agencies could take steps to prevent, or resolve similar situations more quickly and effectively in the future.”

The terms of reference had been developed with the privacy and welfare of the children in mind. The inquiry would therefore be conducted in private and without public hearings.

Collins said the inquiry must also respect the independence of the courts and would not include findings on judicial decisions.

The Honourable Justice Simon Moore, KC, has been appointed as the sole member of the inquiry.

The inquiry would deliver a final report with recommendations by 21 July 2026.

An injunction preventing the media from publishing certain details related to the investigation into Phillips remains in place.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Beef mince long seen as the most affordable red-meat option for households is losing that status as prices continue to surge.

RaboResearch senior animal protein analyst Jen Corkran said food prices had risen across the board, but beef mince had jumped far faster than most staples.

New Stats NZ figures showed in the year to October, overall food prices rose 4.7 percent, but the average price of a one-kilogram pack of beef mince climbed 18 percent.

Corkran said mince was now averaging $23.17 per kilo, meaning it was actually slightly more expensive than lamb chops, which sat at $22.27.

She said the price spike came down to global demand for red meat.

“New Zealand exports most of our beef, 80-odd percent, and our biggest market, actually, the most volume is going over to the United States, where their cattle herd is at sort of multi-decade lows.

“As they look to rebuild their herd, they’re short of this lean trim product, which is essentially the same as our beef mince in the supermarket and so our local retailers are having to pay more to get hold of that product because they’re competing against global buyers and that’s really pushing those mince prices up.

“What’s happening with that US beef market at the moment is directly impacting what we’re paying for mince here.”

Corkran said with mince traditionally seen as the go-to budget option for families, its rapid price climb could change buying habits.

She said mince may stay expensive for several years while the US herd recovers.

In the meantime, she expected shoppers to trade to cheaper proteins like pork and poultry, or buy less mince and bulk it out with vegetables to make it go further.

It came as high beef prices were also hitting McDonald’s New Zealand bottom line, a chain usually known for value.

Last year, McDonald’s used 6000 tonnes of locally-sourced beef for sale domestically, and it exported nearly 30,000 tonnes of it, making up around 10 percent of New Zealand’s total beef exports.

McDonald’s New Zealand’s head of impact and communications Simon Kenny said globally the chain served 70 million people a day, using 2 percent of the world’s beef.

He said price swings locally could have a material impact on the operating costs of its restaurants.

“Like everyone’s seen in the supermarkets, beef’s been one of the biggest ones,” he said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

• Thirty-seven former Lake Alice child and adolescent unit patients negotiate compensation
• They received amounts between $160,000 and $600,000
• Another 105 opted for $150,000 “rapid payments”
• Independent arbiter Paul Davison, KC, says survivors see their lives as blighted by Lake Alice.

Thirty-seven former patients of the Lake Alice psychiatric hospital’s child and adolescent unit have received individual compensation payments of up to $600,000.

The government last year announced its redress scheme for children and teens tortured with electric shocks without anaesthetic or through being injected with paralysing drugs at the unit in the 1970s.

One-hundred-and-five survivors opted to receive $150,000 rapid payments.

Another 37 negotiated their compensation.

Independent arbiter, former High Court judge Paul Davison, KC, determined the amounts these survivors received and he has released a summary of his work on Thursday.

The majority received payments between $175,000 and $250,000, but the total band of payments spanned $160,000 to $600,000, as Davison worked within a “fiscal envelope” of $8.39 million.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care found that many of the 362 children who went through the Rangitīkei unit didn’t have a mental illness, yet were still subjected to electric shocks or injected with paraldehyde.

The unit’s lead psychiatrist, Dr Selwyn Leeks, moved to Australia shortly after it closed in the late 1970s and died in 2022 without facing justice.

In his report, Davison said survivors had shown great courage and resilience in opting to negotiate their compensation.

“Recalling traumatic events and recounting them for the purposes of the torture redress assessment process has been acutely painful and difficult and serves to underscore how deeply traumatic their time at Lake Alice was for them, and how indelible their memories are of what they were subjected to.”

Davison said in determining the compensation amounts he also took into account solitary confinement and sexual abuse the survivors suffered.

Most survivors were 12 or older when admitted to the unit, but some he’d spoken with were as young as 9 when they were sent there and given electric shocks without anaesthetic or paraldehyde.

Davison said he adopted a “survivor-focused and trauma-informed approach” in generally accepting the survivors’ accounts of what happened to them, while also examining records where available and previous statements from the survivors.

“The survivors quite understandably see their lives as having been blighted by their Lake Alice experiences and how they were ill-treated and tortured,” he said.

“Whatever behavioural, psychological or mental problems led to them being patients at Lake Alice, from their accounts it appears that these problems, rather than being treated therapeutically, were aggravated and compounded by how they were tortured and ill-treated, in what was a cruel and malevolent process.

“For most of them, the opportunity to tell someone in a position of responsibility, willing to listen and acknowledge the authenticity of their account of what they were subjected to and how it has affected them, appears to have been a cathartic experience, at least to some degree.”

Erica Stanford, the lead co-ordination minister for the response to the Royal Commission, said it was important survivors had a choice between negotiation and the rapid payments.

“We know no amount of money can ever undo or fully recognise the harm and abuse survivors were subjected to,” she said.

“No government before now has acknowledged torture or apologised for it happening in New Zealand.

“In July last year, we formally acknowledged that torture occurred at the Lake Alice unit as defined in the United Nations Convention Against Torture. A specific redress scheme was established in December for survivors who were tortured at the unit to serve as an expression of our regret as to the many ways in which they were failed.”

Survivors had also received individual apologies and other support as required.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A launch caught fire in Auckland’s Hauraki Gulf this morning, near Browns Island.

Fire and Emergency were called to the incident about 8.15am.

It said the 38-foot-long launch (about 11 metres) was well ablaze, when firefighters arrived on the scene.

FENZ said no-one was injured and about eight firefighters were still working to extinguish the fire.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government has announced an inquiry into the handling of the Tom Phillips case by government authorities.

Phillips died following a shootout with police, when they were called to reports of a burglary in the early hours of 8 September, after 1358 days in the bush with his children.

Phillips shot a police officer several times during the shootout.

On Thursday, Attorney-General Judith Collins announced a public inquiry would be held into the disappearance of the Phillips children.

“The inquiry will look into whether government agencies took all practicable steps to ensure the safety and welfare of the Phillips children,” Collins says.

“The decision to establish a public inquiry reflects the significant public interest and concern for the children’s welfare over the almost four years they were missing.

“It is important that we establish the facts and determine whether agencies could take steps to prevent, or resolve similar situations more quickly and effectively in the future.”

The terms of reference had been developed with the privacy and welfare of the children in mind. The inquiry would therefore be conducted in private and without public hearings.

Collins said the inquiry must also respect the independence of the courts and would not include findings on judicial decisions.

The Honourable Justice Simon Moore, KC, has been appointed as the sole member of the inquiry.

The inquiry would deliver a final report with recommendations by 21 July 2026.

An injunction preventing the media from publishing certain details related to the investigation into Phillips remains in place.

Family’s primary campsites

Last month, police released several photos of what are believed to be the family’s primary campsites. Police had discovered two large, established and “heavily concealed structures” in recent weeks in dense bush surrounding Marokopa.

Detective Superintendent Ross McKay said inquiries to date indicated the Phillips family moved regularly between these sites, the makeshift camps near Te Anga Rd and other locations around Marokopa.

“For the last few weeks, police have been piecing together information and building a picture of Phillips’ movements.

“What is now clear is that Phillips moved regularly from coast to farm to bush in a complex manner that meant he was unlikely to be stumbled across.”

Local search and rescue staff located the new sites – one to the north of Marokopa, the other to the east – which included partially buried, semi-permanent structures concealed by large amounts of vegetation.

“Approaching Phillips in such circumstances would have been extremely dangerous.

“As we’ve said previously, we knew he had firearms and was motivated to use them.”

Investigators had removed a significant number of items from the camps, all of which would now be forensically examined.

“This is a protracted and labour-intensive exercise that forms part of our ongoing enquiries to identify anyone who may have assisted Phillips.

“We continue to make good progress and believe he was assisted by a small number of people at different stages over the last four years.”

All campsites had been cleared and police would not be releasing their specific whereabouts.

McKay earlier said the vast area in which Phillips kept the children was difficult, steep terrain almost completely obscured from all angles by dense bush.

“At various times during the operation, police specialist units such as Special Tactics Group, Armed Offenders Squad, Search and Rescue and Tactical Operations Group, were used.”

Police also had support from the New Zealand Defence Force.

“Police never stopped trying – thousands of hours were dedicated to the search,” McKay said.

“Intelligence played an important role in informing decisions and planning for possible outcomes.

“We also knew, based on previous actions and behavioural science analysis, that Phillips was unlikely to surrender easily and was prepared to put the children in harm’s way.

“The primary objective was locating and returning the children safely.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

After more than 100 years in museum exhibitions and storerooms, a carving is back at the marae it was taken from.

The tekoteko Hāmama arrived back at Rānana Marae in the Whanganui district in November, after years of petitioning to have it returned.

Dr Rawiri Tinirau helped uncover the carving’s provenance and told Morning Report it was a special day for the marae when Hāmama was returned.

“Given that the craving Hāmama has been absent from us for such a long time, it was a nice way to spend the day with each other and welcome him home.”

Hapū descendants, local iwi and members of the community gathered at the marae to celebrate the homecoming of Hāmama, which was acquired by the Dominion Museum in 1912, and had been part of the national collection for over 100 years.

Tinirau said there was some ambiguity as to whether Hāmama was taken properly.

“There was certainly some ambiguity over the tekoteko’s provenance, and if you have a look at those early records within the museum, it talked about it being a purchase from a J Thompson.

“But other than that, we were unable to uncover who J Thompson was.”

Tinirau said it was by looking through old photos that they could identify the tekoteko and match it with the marae.

Tinirau said his mum was also able to help identify Hāmama during a visit to the Dominion Museum in the 1980s when she saw some old footage of an expedition up the Whanganui River from the 1920s.

Carved in the 1870s-1880s the tekoteko is an example of the unique carving from the Whanganui region.

“Hāmama was one of our ancestors that must have been an important man because he was named as one of the significant ancestors in the Rānana block where the Rānana Marae is situated. And if you have a look at him, he definitely displays characteristics that are unique to Whanganui River carving.

“For example, he has bulbous eyes, he clutches his tongue. He has, four fingers and a thumb on each hand. His knees are slightly interlocking and facing inward. So those suggest that the carvers definitely came from the Whanganui River.”

After Hāmama was identified, Tinirau was involved in petitioning and letter writing to get the carving back to Rānana Marae, and said the museum “didn’t really have repatriation protocols” and couldn’t deal with requests at the time.

“It wasn’t until the last five or six years that we’ve reengaged with Te Papa and really pushed this kaupapa through.”

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