Source: Radio New Zealand

Several accidents have snarled Auckland traffic on Christmas Eve.

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

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

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

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

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

The driver of the car was not seriously injured.

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

A scene examination is ongoing at the property.

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The boy was fine, police said.

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

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

More to come…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

Watercare agreed to give that money to 10 affected farmers.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It came at the peak of the season.

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schollum and Hill urged people to take fire bans seriously.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

Police expect the death to be referred to the Coroner.

Local iwi have placed also a rāhui on the area.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas indoors?

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

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

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

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

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

Christmas Day forecast:

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

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A fire has destroyed a home and left one person injured in the Christchurch suburb of Mairehau.

Up to four crews were called to Kellys Road shortly before 5am on Wednesday to find the single-storey property well ablaze.

Fire and Emergency said the fire encroached onto the next-door unit, causing minor damage.

A person has been taken to hospital in a moderate condition.

One crew is still there, dampening down hotspots.

A fire investigator is heading to the scene this morning.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Nelson nurse says he is living in fear as he tries to stop the deportation of his autistic child.

Immigration New Zealand has denied 5-year-old Aidhan Nithin a pathway to live in New Zealand, after finding he is likely to impose significant costs or demands on health and education services.

The decision has prompted a rally, two petitions and two unsuccessful requests for Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk to intervene.

The boy’s father, Nithin Mankeel, said he was pleading officials not to separate the family.

“It’s really heartbreaking. I don’t know how, mentally, I can cope, if that’s going to happen,” he said.

Mankeel moved to New Zealand from India in January 2024, followed by his wife and son later that year.

He works as an elder care nurse, and his wife Aparna Jayandhan Geetha works as a senior healthcare assistant.

Mankeel, whose job is on Tier 1 of INZ’s Green List, applied for the straight-to-residence pathway, listing his family members as secondary applicants.

INZ sought more information about Aidhan’s delayed speech abilities, leading to a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and global developmental delay.

The agency then invited the family to submit further evidence to support a medical waiver, Mankeel said.

“I’ve consulted many doctors, psychologists and GPs, the latest GP reports state that he’s improving once he started kindergarten … he’s doing a lot of things independently,” he said.

After months of back-and-forth with INZ, Mankeel said he was told all three visas would be declined unless he withdrew Aidhan’s name and applied separately for a different visa category.

Mankeel did that; his and Geetha’s visas were approved in June, while Aidhan’s application for a new visitor visa was declined in July.

INZ found Aidhan was likely to impose significant costs or demands on health and education services, which under new rules introduced in March, meant he could not be granted a visa.

“His status is now unlawful because he doesn’t have any valid visa … so there’s a liability of deportation,” Mankeel said.

“I was really, really shocked.”

Appeals blocked, family seeks discretionary route

The family lodged an appeal to the independent Immigration and Protection Tribunal on humanitarian grounds, but it was not accepted as it was submitted after the statutory 42-day timeframe.

They also appealed to Associate Immigration Minister Chris Penk, who under the Immigration Act 2009 has the power to intervene in exceptional cases.

Penk declined that appeal, and declined to consider a second appeal from Nelson MP Rachel Boyack on the basis there was no new extenuating or compelling information.

INZ confirmed it was reviewing a Section 61 request lodged by the family, a discretionary application that allows people unlawfully in New Zealand to seek a visa under the Immigration Act 2009.

If approved, it could restore Aidhan’s lawful status, it said.

The agency said it would not take any compliance action while it assessed that request.

MP and residents call for compassion

Boyack described the situation as “deeply unfair”.

“You can’t recruit essential health workers into New Zealand and then deport their child. If Aidhan is deported, then the family will leave as well. And that will be a massive loss for Nelson,” she said.

She said she had received countless emails from people who worked alongside Mankeel, were cared for by him, or were family members of people he cared for in their final days.

All of them spoke highly of his work as a nurse, she said.

“Nurses have said he’s the best healthcare professional they’ve worked alongside. I just can’t understand how a minister could read all of this evidence from members of the community and not look at it, you know, in a holistic way and look at what the benefits would be for Nelson in allowing this whole family to stay.”

The community would continue fighting, she said.

More than 4000 people have signed a petition asking officials to rethink the decision.

A second petition is calling on the House of Representatives to abolish the Acceptable Standard of Health immigration requirements.

Earlier this week, a rally was held in central Nelson to support the family.

“It was organised at the very last minute and had around 200 people turn out,” Boyack said.

Immigration New Zealand: Health rules must be applied consistently

INZ deputy chief operating officer Jeannie Melville said applicants assessed as likely to impose significant costs on health and education services could not be granted a waiver, “regardless of family circumstances or occupation”.

The requirements were designed to balance individual cases with the sustainability of the country’s health and education systems, she said.

The agency clearly advised Mankeel of the implications of withdrawing Aidhan from the original application, “including the impact on future visa applications”, she said.

“We understand the challenges faced by Mr Mankeel and his family; however, immigration health requirements are very specific and can only be waived through ministerial intervention. The granting of residence to Mr Mankeel and his wife was based on the critical need for healthcare professionals in New Zealand, as reflected by their inclusion in Tier 1 of the Green List. All secondary applicants must still meet the health criteria for their visa category,” she said.

The agency acknowledged the concerns raised by the family, local representatives and community members.

“INZ carefully considered all information provided, including evidence of parental support and Aidhan’s integration into his community. However, immigration decisions must be made in line with the Immigration Act and associated instructions. These rules help keep decisions consistent, while protecting the future of New Zealand’s health and education services. We recognise this is a difficult outcome for the family and will continue to engage with them to manage the process compassionately.”

Mankeel said he and his wife had given up everything to make Nelson their home.

He said his elderly parents in India would not be able to care for Aidhan, and the thought of being separated was unbearable.

“Deporting my child is like cutting off my arm,” he said.

Mankeel said the response from colleagues and neighbours and others had been overwhelming.

“We are living full of fear but I’m getting so much support from many, many different communities,” he said.

“I’m getting weaker day by day but I’m getting all this support, I’m getting the energy to push forward. We are just praying and hoping for the best.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

I need a last-minute Christmas gift. Are any shops open?

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A kororā is set to be released back into the wild in Auckland on Wednesday afternoon after two months in hospital.

The little blue penguin was being cared for by BirdCare Aotearoa after getting stuck in a metal drum near Army Bay.

The penguin, called Pingu, had an injured beak, as well as injured toes which the penguins use to climb.

It was also severely dehydrated and underweight.

BirdCare fundraising manager Dr Rashi Parker told RNZ Pingu was in a sad state.

She said the hospital had been helping the bird recover.

“Her feathers had to get waterproof so that she can actually stay warm,” she said.

“She’s got quite a bit of blubber now so she can float, but we wanted to make sure that when her feathers get wet they repel water so she doesn’t lose too much heat.”

Now that Pingu had recovered, Parker said she was set for a very special Christmas Eve release.

She said little blue penguins came to shore when they moulted, or when they were going back and forth with their babies.

“This time is very critical for these kororā,” Parker said.

“Their populations are in decline so we need to do everything we can to protect their coastal habitat.”

Parker said people should keep predators like dogs away or on leash at beaches where the penguins could be found.

“Piha, Te Henga, Omaha, Big Manly, these are all spots where small populations of kororā penguins are still hanging out, just really hanging on and hoping to survive,” she said.

“They’re already struggling in terms of feeding, so let’s not make it any harder for them, so let’s protect those habitats by keeping our dogs, our predators away from those areas.”

She urged those who came across a little blue on holiday not to rush in.

“Be very, very quiet, and just watch the bird and see what’s happening,” Parker said.

“Sometimes they might just be sitting there, hanging out, because that’s what they do particularly over moulting season. If you’re concerned in any way, if there are dogs around, if it looks like a youngster who hasn’t had parents attend to it you’re most welcome to ring the [Department of Conservation] hotline.”

The hotline number is 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Fire crews are battling to control a scrub blaze that broke out near Hastings on Tuesday, leaving one person hospitalised and multiple buildings destroyed.

The fire in Fernhill – between the township and the Ngaruroro River bridge – also forced people living in and around the Farmhouse Lodge accommodation from their homes.

Fire and Emergency Assistant Commander Jason Hill said crews had been patrolling the fire overnight, and it was contained, but firefighting would resume on Wednesday morning.

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

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

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

He said two homes, multiple sheds and some machinery were completely destroyed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Schollum and Hill urged people to take fire bans seriously.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The New Zealand Transport Agency has commissioned an independent analysis of breath testing data to try and identify the full scale of falsely recorded tests.

RNZ earlier revealed about 130 Police staff were under investigation throughout the country after 30,000 alcohol breath tests were “falsely or erroneously recorded”.

The New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) has since halted $6 million worth of funding to Police until it was satisfied Police had met their breath test targets.

RNZ has obtained a series of weekly reports to Transport Minister Chris Bishop on the issue under the Official Information Act.

One update, from 27 October, said NZTA had identified a preferred supplier to independently analyse the breath screening test data file provided by Police.

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

“This independent analysis will identify whether any further irregularities (over and above any detected by NZ Police) are discernible.”

The 30,000 breath tests related to an algorithm that determined if a second test took place within 90 seconds of the first, whilst the distance between the two indicated a speed of more than 20 km/h.

In an update to Bishop on 13 October, NZTA said Police could not determine if any irregular testing was undertaken while officers were stationary.

“NZTA is supporting and encouraging NZ Police to identify what, if any, options exist for removing these limitations, and to look beyond current detection methods to ascertain the true scale of irregularities.”

Acting Deputy Commissioner Mike Johnson earlier told NZTA that while the algorithm had “proven effective” in identifying tests conducted while the device was in motion, “there remains limitations in detecting all forms of irregular testing, including those undertaken in specific locations”.

In a statement to RNZ, Bishop reiterated the matter was “very concerning”, and said it was important that it was resolved.

“NZTA have kept me regularly updated as the work has progressed. Independent analysis is underway, and NZTA are working closely with Police. NZTA will have more to say early next year.”

An NZTA spokesperson told RNZ on Tuesday that the independent analysis was under way and was expected to be completed early next year.

“NZTA has requested that Police provide assurance that delivery numbers for breath screening tests and the wider road policing activity measures for the 2024/25 financial year and Q1 of the 2025/26 financial year are correct.

“We are working with Police, and we expect to verify the final results in early 2026.”

Johnson earlier said in a statement that NZTA had notified Police that delivery-dependent road policing funding for the first quarter of the financial year had been paused, while Police’s investigation into irregularities in breath testing data was ongoing.

“Police is working closely with our NZTA partners to resolve this matter as quickly as possible. We acknowledge it is important the data being assessed is accurate and the activity being carried out is legitimate.

“We are confident that once the data is confirmed as accurate, the funding will be authorised.”

Police continued to deliver “very high levels of breath testing activity”, Johnson said.

“We will continue to have a high-visibility presence over the summer period.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Switching between grief and festivities

What about the stages of grief?

Can you delay grief?

What if Christmas is the anniversary of a significant loss?

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

What were the most popular stories of the year on RNZ? They included major breaking news events, but there was also a lot of talk about laundry.

RNZ is setting audience records regularly and is now the third most popular news site in New Zealand.

In November, our digital audience was up to 1.73 million – a new record for unique audience.

RNZ has come close to matching the audience for the New Zealand Herald – 1.92 million for November – and market leader Stuff (2.17m).

Media columnist Tim Murphy of Newsroom has called RNZ’s website “the media performance of the year” and noted it is the best performing news website this year for audience growth.

That’s thanks to all of you, and we’ll continue bringing you the latest headlines and features in 2026. Here are some of the stories that you read the most, and the ones that you spent the most time with on RNZ in 2025.

What you read the most

Our most read stories included some of the year’s biggest news events, including weather storms and the final fate of fugitive Tom Phillips. But it turns out you were also really interested in tips for your laundry routine, and anything about big Lotto winners.

Here’s a list of the top 10 most read stories on RNZ for 2025. Stories without bylines were written by general news staff or our content partners:

1. Live: Marokopa dad Tom Phillips killed in shootout with police (8 September)

2. Three laundry detergents no better than water – Consumer NZ (24 July)

3. Two large retailers preparing to lay off staff as sector far from optimistic by Nona Pelletier (9 September)

4. Weather live: Gales hit Wellington, South Island (23 October)

5. Australian Tradie dies after winning $22 million lotto in NZ and descending into drug underworld (10 June)

6. She’s won Lotto, so where is her money? by Susan Edmunds (13 November)

7. Tsunami activity after 8.8 quake near Russia (30 July)

8. Thousands of bank accounts closed, transferred to Inland Revenue by Susan Edmunds (21 October)

9. How to dry laundry without a dryer when it’s cold or wet outside (3 June)

10. Daylight saving: When it starts, why we have it and how to change the time on your phone (24 September)

What you read the longest

What’s the different between “page views” and “engagement time”? They’re quite different metrics – page views count the number of times a particular story was clicked on, but engagement time counts the length of time users are actively engaged with a story, scrolling, clicking and moving their mouse, et cetera.

Both are valuable metrics and news sites like to consider both in looking at how readers dig in to their content.

Some stories that perhaps didn’t get as many page views still led the field in engaged minutes for RNZ this year, including many essential reads from our In-Depth reporting team and others.

Here’s a look at some of those stories you spent the most engagement time with:

1. In death, Olivia Podmore is finally seen by a system that failed her by Dana Johannsen (24 April)

Just hours after the 2021 Tokyo Olympics ended, elite Kiwi cyclist Olivia Podmore was found dead in a suspected suicide at her Cambridge home. Six months of harrowing coronial hearings have revealed the disturbing truth about her treatment within New Zealand’s national cycling organisation. Sports correspondent Dana Johannsen followed every day of the inquest.

2. Teen was told the crippling stomach pain she suffered was in her head – it wasn’t by Venetia Sherson (8 July)

At the start of last year, 13-year-old Amelia Turner was busy. She had started secondary school, made new friends and enjoyed hanging out with them. Today, Amelia is fed through tubes. She is bed-ridden and one leg is immobile.

3. ‘Awful error’: Two-month-old dies following overdose after pharmacy allegedly gives medication at wrong dosage by Sam Sherwood (28 July)

A two-month-old baby died following an overdose after she was allegedly given medication at an adult dosage by a pharmacy, RNZ revealed. Her grieving parents called for a law change that would make it mandatory for medication to be checked by two people before it is dispensed.

4. ‘Questions about the Marokopa Children as Tom Phillips Killed’ by Kirsty Johnston (8 September)

5. Three laundry detergents no better than water – Consumer NZ (24 July)

6. How the Silver Ferns culture clash reached boiling point by Dana Johannsen (11 September)

The shock decision to stand down netball coach Noeline Taurua marked a dramatic turning point in a months-long dispute between team management and the playing group.

7. ‘Who decided Tom Phillips was safe enough to leave alone with his kids?’ by Kirsty Johnston (12 September)

8. Crippling stomach pain was not in her head – teen has surgery in Germany by Venetia Sherson (21 October)

Following up a popular story earlier in the year, we return to the mysterious case of ailing teenager Amelia Turner and how a surgery in Germany changed everything for her.

9. Mother died in crash after boat and trailer unit from oncoming car broke free by Sam Sherwood (12 August)

A mother driving home to Auckland with her three-year-old son in the back seat was killed when a boat and trailer unit broke free from an oncoming vehicle and slammed into their car. When emergency services arrived, the little boy – who suffered whiplash and bruises – told them his mother was dead and showed them where her phone was so they could contact his family.

10. How does Jenny-May Clarkson feel about leaving TVNZ? by RNZ Sunday Morning (21 November)

As Jenny-May Clarkson signed off from TVNZ, she looked back at the cost of those predawn years and the strength she felt from her late father as she prepared to step away.

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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 serious crash involving a pedestrian has shut a road in Moera, Lower Hutt.

Emergency services were called to the crash on Randwick Rd, where a person had been hit by a car, shortly after 4pm on Tuesday.

Police said it appeared the person had been seriously injured.

Motorists should avoid the area and expect delays while the Serious Crash Unit investigates, police 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

The Department of Conservation is pleading with dog owners not to let their pets roam in nesting sites used by New Zealand’s rarest bird – the tara iti or fairy tern.

The plea comes after a series of incidents apparently involving dogs brought to shore by boaties, then left to run freely in a fenced-off area of beach at Mangawhai.

Only about 40 adult tara iti survive in the wild, and of those just 10 are breeding females.

DoC tara iti supervisor Kallan Mehrtens said the latest incident occurred on Sunday evening.

“Someone landed on the beach and allowed their dog to roam unattended, and it entered the shell patch under our fences and ran around near four of the tara iti nests where we have brand-new eggs on the ground,” he said.

“This kind of disturbance can cause our birds to abandon their nests. It seems to be getting more of an issue.”

Mehrtens said rangers were on site during the day to keep an eye on the protected area, but the offending was taking place in the evening.

When rangers followed the dog tracks they led back to the water’s edge and common landing sites for boats.

It seemed boaties, sea kayakers or even paddleboarders with dogs aboard were allowing their pets to run around on the beach and dunes, possibly to chase rabbits.

Mehrtens said only about 40 tara iti survived in the wild, so one careless dog owner could cause a huge setback to efforts by DoC, Auckland Zoo and local volunteers to help the species recover.

Tara iti made their nests in shelly parts of the beach along the east coast between Waipū and Pakiri, digging out shallow nests in the sand called “scrapes”.

Mangawhai was a critical nesting area for the birds and also where DoC had a nursery preparing tara iti fledglings for the wild.

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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 law advisor in human rights has lodged a complaint with the Ombudsman asking for an urgent investigation into the response to asbestos-contaminated play sand.

Sophie Bradwell-Pollak said there had been multiple failures which amounted to a human rights issue.

“Obviously there were initially products that were put on the recall list but as the weeks have gone on from November, more and more products have gone on the recall list.

“So I’m really starting to see a pattern that this is really widespread,” she told RNZ.

“And actually, we’re not taking a proactive enough approach given how problematic this is.

“This is in children’s products and it’s in sand that, you know, children were using to celebrate Diwali,” she said.

Bradwell-Pollak first complained to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) on 4 December but had not had a substantial response.

She said she believed that lack of response meant it should proceed to the Ombudsman.

“The personal side of it is my son’s daycare has used the sand for Diwali and they took the initiative, even though the products that they used were not on the recall list, they took the initiative to get private testing, which was great,” she said.

“And actually, they tested three different batches, three different products, used at three different daycare centres within Auckland purchased in different places and they all came back with traces of asbestos.

“They’re still not on the recall list kind of three weeks later, and that for me is absolutely shocking,” Bradwell-Pollak said.

“I think that the fact that we haven’t just done a ban, recall, ban of sale and ban of import until we know there’s no contamination is absurd.”

Her complaint centred on the decision not to recall and ban the importation sale of all coloured sand.

It also focused on what she said was a lack of timely action and lack of a cohesive and robust approaching to mitigating potential harm.

“When it comes to children especially, there’s something called the precautionary principle,” she said.

“They should have taken the initiative to – in my eyes, and I think from a human rights perspective, if we look at the obligations to children especially, but also around health – they should have banned and recalled all the products until we know it’s safe.”

Another issue was the “passing the buck” of how the contamination has been dealt with, Bradwell-Pollak said.

“I think this is raising equity issues but even if we put all that aside, if the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health and MBIE have been alerted and being given information that a product is contaminated, the fact that it’s still available in stores right now and it’s not on the recall list, I think is incredibly problematic,” she said.

“So I think that actually there’s kind of a layering of different places of failure here, but I think that actually the actions are just not swift enough.”

She said there had been nothing done to try to understand the exposure levels to children or keep records of who was exposed.

“The reality is we have a country that cares a lot about our border safety, we care a lot about our flora and fauna, we were very decisive when it came to action to close our borders for Covid-19 so the fact that we’re not doing enough to protect not only children, their families, their pets and the workers that are handling this and the ECE workers and the teachers is a huge failing all round, I would say.”

The government has a key obligation to protect the right to health and children’s rights, she said.

MBIE responds

MBIE told RNZ its response to Bradwell-Pollak was still being drafted.

“We apologise for any delay,” it said in a statement.

Its consumer protection spokesperson Ian Caplin said the ministry understood the potential presence of asbestos was concerning for parents and caregivers.

“The role of Consumer Protection, which is a business unit of the Ministry of Business, Innovation & Employment as the coordinator of the government response has been to work with WorkSafe, the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Health New Zealand Te Whatu Ora, and the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission,” he said.

“All businesses and individuals that make or sell products including retailers, online sellers, and manufacturers are responsible for product safety. Even products without specific mandatory standards still need to be safe for use and meet expectations under the Fair Trading Act 1986.”

The health, safety and wellbeing of New Zealand families was MBIE’s highest priority, Caplin 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

Police are reminding people of the importance of personal locator beacons after three men endured a cold, wet night in a gorge.

Wellington District Search and Rescue coordinator Sergeant Jonathan Westrupp said the trio had planned to float down the Hutt River in the Kaitoke Regional Park.

They set out late on Monday, travelling down river on inner tubes wearing only light clothing.

They soon found themselves trapped in a gorge with impassable cliffs on both sides as darkness descended, and were initially without signal, police said.

Eventually, the men were able to get a “glimmer of cell phone reception”, and called for help at about 7.30pm.

Police coordinated a search and rescue operation as the weather worsened, Westrupp said.

“A New Zealand Defence Force NH90 helicopter was sent, but it couldn’t get to them due to low cloud and rain setting in.”

At about 3am Tuesday, Land Search and Rescue reached the men, and provided them with much-needed shelter clothing and food, he said.

“At first light, with the aid of Wellington Rafting, we were able to get them out of there.”

The men were grateful to see rescuers, but it was an uncomfortably close call, police said.

“They were on the verge of not being able to contact anyone.

“If they hadn’t managed to find a scrap of cell phone coverage in the gorge it could have been a very different Christmas for them and their families.”

It was a reminder that people heading off on adventures this summer needed to be prepared for any eventuality, Westrupp said.

“PLBs are cheap to hire, and they’re capable of saving your life, even when there’s no cell phone reception.”

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