Power in immigration bill ‘invokes images of ICE’, critics say

April 28, 2026

RNZ / Nick Monro

Advocates are concerned the government is taking New Zealand down a path to US-style crackdowns on overstayers and asylum seekers.

Submissions on the immigration enhanced risk management amendment bill close on Wednesday.

Government documents show the justice ministry raised concerns that children without residence would have no recourse to the immigration and protection tribunal, leaving them with inadequate ways of challenging deportation.

It noted the potential conflict with convention on the rights of the child, while the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE) pointed to the ability to other avenues, such as apply for a visa for those unlawfully in New Zealand.

Currently overstayers or people with convictions could appeal deportation to the immigration and protection tribunal where their success depended on having ‘exceptional’ humanitarian circumstances, which were weighed against any public interest factors.

Under the proposed changes, overstayers whose last visa was as a visitor, or any temporary migrant who commits a crime, would lose that right.

Recent successful appeals against deportation that would miss out on a tribunal hearing under the new regime included a 17-year-old boy adopted as a baby and a 75-year-old man married to a New Zealander. Rejected appeals included a man who indecently assaulted his employee and a man with Fragile X syndrome, deemed to likely impose high demand and costs on health services.

Immigration lawyer Stewart Dalley pointed to the number of successful appeals as a sign of how important the tribunal was in checking deportation decisions.

“[The bill] says, we don’t trust the immigration and protection tribunal to make these decisions. I want to make the decision, but I want to make the decision behind closed doors without anybody being able to effectively challenge me.

“And so you’re going to clog up the minister and you’re also going to clog up the high court with people challenging the decisions of the minister. So I don’t see where there’s any gain in this.”

Immigration lawyer Stewart Dalley. Supplied

Expanded powers

The concern about workloads was also raised in the Cabinet paper, but downplayed, with a suggestion the other avenues were either prohibitive or could also be curtailed. “This risk is mitigated to an extent through the scope and cost of judicial review. Risks associated with Ministerial intervention can be minimised through operational changes in how they are considered. MBIE will work with the Ombudsman to understand their scope in this area, as this is ultimately at their discretion.”

It also noted expanded powers for immigration officers to request identity documents could disproportionately affect Pacific nationals, and that sharing of highly sensitive personal information with unnamed government and private agencies could undermine trust.

Another move would mean asylum claimants who withdrew a claim could not later apply for a visa.

“It invokes images of ICE and invokes images of, you know, blaming asylum seekers for the other problems in society,” said Dalley. “You know, the government plans to be laser focused on the economy, but when they can’t fix that, then it’s, well, let’s blame the migrants, let’s blame the asylum seekers. It’s the lowest form of politics that there is.

“The refugee process can take 18 months, two years. People’s lives move on, things happen, you know, they fall in love, they find a good job. There are asylum seekers in New Zealand who are PhD qualified so it’s not unreasonable to think that this person might find a really good job in New Zealand and they say ‘well rather than put myself through the traumatic process of the refugee process I’ve now been offered a really highly skilled position in New Zealand which I’m qualified for so I’m going to apply for that visa and and withdraw my refugee claim’. Well, what’s wrong with that?”

Asylum Seekers Support Trust’s general manager Dawit Arshak agreed and rejected Stanford’s characterisation of New Zealand being a “soft touch”.

“I totally oppose the minister’s way of presenting these matters. In the RSU [Refugee Status Unit], her own team are working hard and they are processing these things seriously and the result would reflect that it’s not a soft touch country.”

The trust said refugees and people seeking asylum had long been used to “sow division and fear to win a few votes”.

“Overwhelmingly the people and families seeking asylum are ordinary people like you or me – teachers, engineers, shopkeepers, students – who never imagined when they packed their bags, fled their homes and crossed a border to seek safety that their lives would unfold this way.

“There are always legitimate policy debates on asylum management and systems, but the answer is not for governments to turn their back on basic human rights or grow a narrative designed to place constraints on our compassion. It is greater help with support to restore mental health, wellbeing and integration for people seeking safety who are living a life of extreme uncertainty.”

Asylum Seekers Support Trust’s general manager Dawit Arshak. RNZ / Craig Gladding

Stanford pointed out 14 asylum seekers had committed offences while in New Zealand, and wanted to see them only granted protected status – not residence, which would include access to benefits – if they were deemed to be in danger in their home country.

Sensible Sentencing Trust’s Louise Parsons welcomed changes extending the scope of deporting resident-visa holders who commit crimes, but wanted the government to go further on asylum seekers.

“If they haven’t had refugee status gifted, then they commit a crime, and we’re talking serious crime, they would be given protected person status instead of refugee status, which basically means that it’s too hard to send them back to their country because they’ll be in danger. That kind of makes no sense to me because it’s like, so we’re okay to put our residents in danger, but not them.”

In a written statement, Stanford rejected the idea she was vilifying asylum seekers, and said the law changes would mean that Immigration New Zealand could take convictions for crimes committed in New Zealand into account when making a decision on a refugee claim.

“The changes aim to help address serious criminal offending by a small number of asylum seekers so that they cannot get refugee status. This will help make New Zealand safer for everyone and the vast majority asylum seekers are very clearly not the focus of these changes.

“Currently, there are 14 known refugee claims of people who have been convicted of serious offences in New Zealand – this includes murder, serious sexual and drug offences, and arson. We want to respond to this issue to ensure New Zealand is safe and our immigration system works effectively for the future.”

On whether New Zealand was a soft touch, she said analysis showed that the system was aligned in many ways with other comparable countries. “However there are currently areas where our policy can be improved to make New Zealand safer and improve our processes. The proposals are targeted changes to address clear, specific issues – they are not a wholesale reset of New Zealand’s approach.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

What is medical tourism, and what are the risks of having surgery overseas?

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Explainer – Many New Zealanders are being lured overseas by medical tourism.

Medical tourists have been travelling to countries including India, Thailand, Mexico and Turkey for years to get weight loss surgery, cosmetic procedures and joint replacements.

Some have reported complications following surgery procedures, while others say it’s safe as long as you do proper preparation and research.

The exact number of people heading overseas for procedures each year is unknown, but medical professionals believe overseas surgery is becoming increasingly accessible to everyone.

Jackie Brown, who runs Bums, Tums and Gums.

Supplied / Facebook

?

New Zealanders are choosing to travel to countries including India, Thailand, Mexico and increasingly Turkey for medical, dental and cosmetic surgeries.

Some people choose to go independently, but there were several travel groups offering assisted medical package deals.

Travel industry veteran Jackie Brown, who runs Bums, Tums and Gums, was one of those offering deals, mainly to Mexico and India.

Brown said she would usually take a group of about six people overseas at a time.

“Everything is paid for before you go. I start a Whatsapp group two months before the trip and let them know what to pack, what to expect, how to deal with judgement from others.

“When I first started taking groups over a decade ago, medical tourism and plastic surgery was still seen as more of something the rich and the famous did, but times have changed with social media.

“People are more open now and often discuss their surgeries online.”

After the procedures, Brown said patients needed to spend at least six days out of hospital, or 10 for larger surgeries, before travelling home.

Medical tourism was a well-established practice, the New Zealand Dental Association’s chief executive Dr Mo Amso said, which he believed was mainly driven by cosmetic needs.

Moana McRae, a New Zealander living in Turkey who also ran her own medical tourism travel company, Oceanscape Group, said she had seen an increase in New Zealanders coming to Turkey for bariatric surgery in the last few years and as she had a background in travel, she launched her business.

She said with her group, rigorous pre-screening was done for all clients. Sometimes the surgeons she used did decline clients if they didn’t fit necessary requirements.

Clients completed an online screening form, then would send photos which were assessed by surgeons, and she would take care of the travel side.

She said while her clients were in Turkey, her main job was to make them feel supported and help with any language or cultural barriers.

Moana McRae, a New Zealander living in Turkey, runs her own medical tourism travel company, Oceanscape Group.

Supplied / Facebook

What are the risks?

Waikato bariatric surgeon Dr Rowan French said he worried about the way medical tourism was being marketed online as it seemed to be targeting Māori and people in low decile groups.

“They target people who are less likely to ask specific questions which need to be asked.”

This was especially true for weight loss surgeries like a gastric sleeve or bypass, as French said about 50 percent of those he operated on in New Zealand were Māori.

Some immediate risks were true for surgery anywhere, French said, including bleeding, but flying soon after a surgery carried a heightened risk of a person developing deep vein thrombosis (DVT), a serious blood clot.

President of the NZ Association of Plastic Surgeons Dr Michelle Locke warned a DVT or pulmonary embolism could cause a person to become seriously ill or even die.

Major surgery along with a long-haul flight increased this risk, she said. When she was doing elective surgery, she advised people not to travel long-haul for six weeks.

Amso said medical tourism was a “buyer beware” situation, as it was hard to know the clinical calibre of overseas providers.

“Most patients expect New Zealand level care and compliance, but every country has its own compliance landscape.”

Most dental clinicians in New Zealand would have come across dental work done overseas that needed revision, he said.

Anyone set on having dental work overseas, should check credentials of the clinicians and verify their qualifications and meet beforehand even if it was on Zoom.

“Dentistry is invasive and can be irreversible.”

For example, Amso said veneers, sometimes known as “turkey teeth”, involved shaving the teeth down heavily to clip on false ones, while in New Zealand veneers were far less invasive and the aim was to take away as little of the teeth as possible.

French said as a bariatric surgeon, he had dealt with people needing revisions after overseas surgeries.

In one case, he had a patient who had been given the wrong operation, he said.

He’d also recently removed the gallbladder of a woman who previously had a gastric sleeve in Turkey and became pregnant five months later.

After a gastric sleeve, French said patients were told to wait a year before trying to conceive, but she told him she had not been told of the risk.

Most people who had surgery overseas would make it back safely, French said, but “people were taking a risk”.

Plastic surgeon Dr Zachary Moaveni said surgery was not a single event, but a process that included assessment, the procedure itself and structure follow-up.

He’d seen complications including bleeding, poor scarring and people unsatisfied with the overall look of a cosmetic procedure which only became apparent weeks later when a patient was already back home.

“Patients are sometimes reassured concerns will settle, and while this can occur, it is not always the case. At that point, access to the original surgeon is limited and responsibility for care can become unclear.”

Brown said on her tours, she’d only had one person get sick while overseas following a surgery but put it down to the client not listening to instructions.

“She hadn’t brought her medication for high blood pressure with her and was in her hotel room eating chocolate and vaping despite having Type Two diabetes.

“She became sick, so I spent an extra week with her in hospital until she was well enough to go back to New Zealand.”

She said it was important anyone debating overseas surgery did their research as the market of medical tourism was now oversaturated with companies.

“I would make sure the tour guide has accreditation, insurances and knows the health system in the country.”

Moaveni said patients needed to think carefully about who would take responsibility if something went wrong.

That included who was responsible for follow-up care once back in New Zealand, how accessible is the surgeon and what is the plan if revision surgery is needed.

“It is also critical to understand revision surgery is not simply a second attempt. It is almost always more complex, more expensive and less predictable than primary surgery.

McRae said she had seen complications occur and would never recommend someone have surgery overseas independently.

“I’m shocked some people think they can navigate it independently. Many people I encounter who do that do it for a cheaper deal.

“Research is not Facebook groups; it’s not social media influencers.”

McRae said medical tourism wasn’t inherently unsafe, but the pathway mattered.

She said the safest pathway was pre-approval by a licensed surgeon before travel, full medical screening and agreed treatment plans, use of internationally accredited hospitals, complication insurance and clear ownership of aftercare.

“When structured properly medical tourism can provide access to high-quality care, when it’s not, that’s where problems arise.”

What are people getting done?

Bariatric surgery was the main thing McRae was seeing in Turkey, partly because she said dental work and aesthetics needed a lot more personalisation.

Brown said New Zealanders were choosing to have all sorts of surgeries overseas, but the most frequent ones she saw were weight loss surgery, “mummy makeovers”, loose skin removal, orthopaedic surgeries and face lifts.

Moaveni said in terms of plastic surgery, patients were generally more discerning about who they saw for any procedure done to their face, so the more commonly marketed procedures overseas included breast surgery, tummy tucks, weight loss surgery, liposuction and hair transplants.

Why do people do it?

Affordability was the main driver behind medical tourism, Amso said, noting there was a big difference in prices for things like dental implants.

Brown said in India, someone would be able to have a full face-lift for about $12,000, up to $20,000 in Thailand and up to $40,000 in New Zealand.

She said hip replacements could also be done in India for about $12,000 compared to between $20,000 and $40,000 if going private in New Zealand.

It also meant people didn’t need to wait for years on the public waiting list, she said.

Brown herself had a facelift in Thailand in 2014, which led her to beginning her own business to take other people overseas.

Most of Brown’s clients were women over 40, she said.

McRae said more people were choosing overseas surgery as social media had made it look possible for people.

“It’s accessibility, affordability, desperation. Not always about the cost.

“Social media influencers play a big part in it.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Here’s how much sellers are cutting house prices

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

How much are house sellers willing to move on their asking prices? RNZ

How much are house sellers willing to move on their asking prices?

About $30,000, if new data from Realestate.co.nz is anything to go by.

The real estate listings site said sellers who reduced their asking price in the first quarter of this year did so by an average $33,212.

Regionally, Coromandel recorded the largest average drop, with sellers trimming $72,049 from their original asking prices.

Wellington followed at $51,841, while Northland, Central Otago/Lakes District, and Auckland rounded out the top five with average reductions of $39,353, $38,774, and $37,975, respectively.

In total, the combined asking price of properties was reduced by $54.7 million in the quarter.

But that is a smaller drop than has been seen in the past, which spokesperson Vanessa Williams said could indicate that sellers’ expectations were closer to buyers’ from the outset.

In the first quarter of last year, the average drop per listing was $37,393. The year before, it was $42,864.

‘I think that it’s promising to see that that is dropping over time. We started pulling this data about two years ago and at that time we were having well over $100 million drop in a quarter of the asking prices, so it certainly has come down in terms of the total number, and it’s also come down at a per property basis as well.”

She said there was a lot of uncertainty in the market, given the potential for interest rates to rise, geopolitical tensions and the election later this year.

Williams said when the number of listings increased, you could expect to see more vendors dropping their price in response to increased competition, but that had not been the case in the first quarter of 2026.

“More listings would normally mean more discounting, but that’s not the case this quarter. The data tells us that sellers are reading the room and pricing their properties closer to what buyers are willing to pay.”

She said the national average asking price had been flat for about three-and-a-half years, which could indicate prices were as low as they would go.

“The reality of it is, there is just a bottom to every market, despite what laws of supply and demand happen, it feels like about $850,000 nationwide is sort of what people expect or will pay for a property here in New Zealand. I mean, three-and-a-half years is a long time to have that stable national asking price.”

Nationally, 4.9 percent of all listings were reduced in the first quarter.

Manawatu/Whanganui had the highest proportion, at 12 percent, followed by Northland at 11 percent.

At the other end of the scale, Auckland and Canterbury recorded the lowest levels, with just 2 percent of listings reducing their price.

“What this shows is that conditions can vary significantly across the country,” Williams said.

“In some regions, sellers are still needing to adjust more often, while in others, pricing is more stable. Ultimately, it reinforces that getting the price right from the start is key.”

Sign up for Money with Susan Edmunds, a weekly newsletter covering all the things that affect how we make, spend and invest money.

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

Emma Twigg remains on track for historic Olympic feat

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Emma Twigg at the 2026 NZ Beach Sprint Championships. supplied / Rowing NZ

Champion rower Emma Twigg has taken another step towards completing a unique double at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.

The 39-year-old won the final of the women’s open single at the New Zealand Beach Sprint Championships at Orewa Beach near Auckland.

Twigg is aiming to qualify for the Olympics when beach sprint rowing makes its Games debut in two years. That would make her an Olympian in two forms of rowing.

She is a former Olympic gold and silver medalist and in 2025 she won the solo women’s event at the World Beach Sprint Championships in Turkey.

It was a battle of the veterans in the final, with Twigg beating fellow 39-year-old Erin James by nine seconds.

James, who rowed with Twigg at the 2003 Junior World Champs, returned to the sport last year after a 17-year break.

Twigg meanwhile appears set to pursue selection for the next Olympics.

“We’ve got qualification next year, there’ll be a continental qualifier and then world champs will be a qualifier as well. Then we start looking at what’s going to happen in terms of prioritising boats for selection as we head into an LA format… It’s going to get spicy.”

Cambridge’s Matt Dunham won the men’s open single against Waikato’s Seb Fulton and was feeling it afterwards.

“I had to race my guts out to go toe-to-toe with Seb. Man, the whole field’s just getting better and better.”

Dunham is also hoping to win selection for worlds and eventually make the team for Los Angeles.

He and James rowed the mixed double in Turkey last year, where they finished inside the top 16.

Twigg and Dunham beat James and Michael Brake in the final of mixed open double.

“I love that I can just push as hard as I bloody can and give Matt and Erin a challenge… as long as I can hold my own and Twigg does her thing like the legend she is, that raises the standard for our whole team,” Dunham said.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Black Caps fall to record-chasing Bangladesh in T20 opener

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Bangladesh’s Shamim Hossain. MUNIR UZ ZAMAN / AFP

Bangladesh have achieved their highest successful home run-chase to beat the Black Caps by six wickets in the first T20 international in Chattogram.

New Zealand scored 182 for six with the home side reaching their target with two overs to spare.

Tawhid Hridoy hit an unbeaten half century off 27 balls, while Shamin Hossain hit 31 off 13 balls to get Bangladesh home.

Earlier, opener Katene Clarke scored his highest score in T20 internationals with 51, while Dane Cleaver also scored a half century and Nick Kelly made 39 in New Zealand’s innings.

However, New Zealand probably should have got more from their middle-order and a score of 200 would have been more competitive.

Ish Sodhi took two wickets in the Bangladesh innings.

Kelly, who was captain for the game with Tom Latham injured, thought their score wasn’t bad.

“Yeah, I thought 180 was a pretty competitive total on that surface. At the halfway mark, we thought we might have been just above par. So, we were happy with 180, but unfortunately, it wasn’t enough,” Kelly said afterwards.

“They came out with some good intent, and once the batters were in, they were able to play their shots.

“Our execution probably wasn’t quite where it needed to be today. Their hitting ability tonight was nice. I think they had eight or nine sixes while we were around the four to five mark, so that was probably the main difference.”

Game two of the three-game series is also in Chattogram on Wednesday.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Calls for NZTA boss to front up over SH3 closures

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Awakino Gorge slip on State Highway 3. Supplied / NZ Transport Agency

Local government leaders in areas affected by the closure of State Highway 3 are calling for an urgent meeting with the Transport Agency boss over “ongoing and unacceptable disruptions” to the northern corridor between New Plymouth and Te Kuiti .

A massive slip in the Awakino Gorge closed State Highway 3 on 18 April and it is not expected to reopen until 2 May at the earliest.

The gorge been closed seven times by weather-related incidents over the last 12 months.

In an email – which copied in leaders in Taranaki, Waitomo, Ruapehu, Ōtorohanga and Waipa – New Plymouth mayor Max Brough urged NZTA chief executive Brett Gliddon to front up in Taranaki inside 10 days, and to visit affected areas and discuss options.

“Given the scale of the impact and the level of concern across the region, the Mayors and Chairs collectively consider it critical that this discussion takes place as a matter of priority,” Brough said.

“Our strong preference is to convene the meeting in New Plymouth, followed by a site visit to the affected areas, and then conclude with a targeted discussion on options and next steps. We are requesting a meeting within 10 working days.”

Brough said repeated closures following weather events continued to have a significant and compounding impact on communities, businesses and regional connectivity.

“These issues are not new and the ongoing disruptions reinforce the need for urgent collective action.”

In a statement, NZTA said Gliddon was happy to meet regional leaders.

NZTA chief executive Brett Gliddon. RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Waitomo mayor John Robertson said the consequences of regular road closures were significant.

“The impact’s huge. The impact for New Plymouth businesses, there’s a lot of trucks that go, if you like, Auckland, Hamilton, New Plymouth. So for New Plymouth it kind of isolates them in a way.

“If the bypass routes were good, then that wouldn’t have such an impact, but the first bypass route is down the Forgotten Highway (State Highway 43). That was closed as well by the severe weather event. And so it is a road (SH3) that needs serious expenditure on it so that it is more sustainable for us.”

Robertson said the leaders wanted a road that could withstand weather events.

“We really asking for NZTA to invest in working through that to find out how we can get a road that is sustainable through these events. It is difficult, we know, and it would be very costly.

“We’ve got the work being done on Mount Messenger which is another part of that state highway. That’s probably an $800 million investment by the Crown. This one? Well there is certainly 10s of millions of dollars that’s needed to get this part of the road right.”

A sign advises SH3 is closed. RNZ / Robin Martin

Roberston wasn’t sure if an Awakino Gorge bypass was the answer.

“Look, there is talk, or always has been, as to whether that route, when it was put through a century ago, was put through in the right place. Some say that there was talk about going out to the west, so along the coast, but that would be massively expensive.

“And, so again, there needs to be some options put on the table and NZTA is the organisation of government that needs to put some thinking into this.”

Waka Kotahi responds

In its statement, Waka Kotahi said it was acutely aware of the impact the closure of the Awakino Gorge had on communities who relied on access and businesses surrounding this stretch of State Highway 3.

“Our crews are making good progress as they work towards being able to open this stretch of road to traffic later next week.”

State Highway 3. Supplied/NZTA

It said crews had been excavating a bench on the hillside, which is about 50 metres long.

It will be sloped on an angle back into the hill to capture falling debris.

The Transport Agency Waka Kotahi said it had met with the Taranaki regional mayors regarding the closure and was keeping them updated on progress towards reopening.

“We’re aware of the letter sent by regional mayors in both regions and our CEO Brett Gliddon has confirmed he is keen to meet with the mayors. A date for a visit in May is being finalised.”

NZTA said in the meantime its focus and priority was on getting SH3 safely opened and access restored. Crew have to clear 12-16,000 cubic metres of material that came down in the biggest slip.

Its work crews were simultaneously clearing culverts, drains and other smaller slip sites near the big slip.

“Once the work has been carried out and the road safely reopened, the meeting and focus can turn to longer-term resilience.”

Ghost town

Last week, businesses in the small South Waikato settlement of Mōkau on the west coast of the North Island described it as a “ghost town” and “dead as a doornail” due to the closure of the Awakino Gorge.

Local butcher Bryan Lester told Morning Report he only served three customers on Wednesday between 7am and 3.30pm.

The Mōkau Butcher, Bryan Lester, says there’s no point opening when Awakino Gorge is closed. RNZ / Robin Martin

Fellow local and owner of Nic’s Latte and Grill, Nic Phillips, echoed Lester’s sentiments.

“There’s nobody on the road”, Phillips told Morning Report.

“It’s a terrible situation that we’re in.”

With no traffic and no customers, Phillips decided to close her caravan on Thursday.

“Unfortunately for us, the Awakino Gorge is the choke point for this. You know, when those rocks come down, that’s it, we’re done, and there’s no way north for any traffic, you know.

“We are fighting Mother Nature. So what do you do, you know?”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Parent prosecuted over child’s school absence as part of government’s truancy crackdown

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Associate Education Minister David Seymour. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The government is taking a parent to court over their child’s chronic absence from school as part of the truancy crackdown heralded by Associate Education Minister David Seymour.

Seymour last year promised the government would be tougher on non-attendance using “coercive power” including prosecution.

He said it was not changing rules, but ramping up enforcement.

Seymour has now told RNZ at least one prosecution was “ongoing” which he said showed he was serious about the crackdown.

“The truth is that a lot of people want to get to school, but if you’re a ‘won’t’ rather than a ‘can’t’, then we are going to throw the book at you, because you’re not just letting down yourself, you’re letting down your child and their future,” he said.

The Ministry of Education confirmed the case was before the courts, so it could not comment on that specifically – nor could Seymour.

Ministry data showed the last prosecution was in 2022, and before that, 2019.

It said parents and caregivers had a legal responsibility to ensure their child attended school, and prosecution was a last resort.

“It is only considered after other support and options have been tried, and where there is clear evidence that parents or caregivers are not meeting their responsibility to make sure their child attends school.”

When a parent is referred to the ministry for condoning truancy, staff decide whether to prosecute, and it was then a matter for the courts.

The ministry set up an attendance prosecution unit last year to deal with serious cases.

Parents could be fined up to $300 for a first offence and $3000 for a second or subsequent offence.

The ministry did not prosecute parents of students who were genuinely engaging with the school, or those who were absent because of chronic illness or health conditions associated with a disability.

Data released last week from term one this year showed 68.6 percent of students attended school regularly, the highest figure for term one since 2020.

But it was still four points below the 2019 pre-Covid figures.

Seymour said there would need to be “sustained work” to continue the positive trajectory.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Our Changing World: A taste for science

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christina Roigard and Dr Roger Harker Wara Bullot

Follow Our Changing World on Apple, Spotify, iHeartRadio or wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Entering the sensory booths at the Bioeconomy Science Institute’s consumer testing facility is an odd experience. It’s quiet – not completely silent, but definitely dampened. When I visit it’s kind of dark, the illumination in the room has a red tinge.

Christina Roigard, team leader in the health and consumer sciences team said it’s a room with limited external influences, “So people can come in and really experience the product they’re tasting. It’s a unique environment.”

The coloured lighting helps mask the colour of the product being tasted, so people don’t see something green, for example, and expect it to be sour.

Sensory booths where consumers test food, like kiwifruit, have limited external influences so testers can focus entirely on taste. Zespri

“You might have seen some lovely red kiwifruit come to the market in the last couple of years and as we’re going through the process of finding the right one to put to market, we want consumers to really focus on the flavour and the texture and not be too distracted by the exciting gorgeous colours they’re seeing,” said Roigard.

Interpreting taste

The studies done here at the consumer testing facility have been refined over time.

Principal scientist Dr Roger Harker said back in the 1980s, when the team was first set up, they had expert tasters who were screened to be sensitive to flavours and had good vocabulary to explain their taste experience.

“Then you went through and trained them on a set of samples, almost like you were expecting people to be little machines,” he said.

But he says new methods, like the CATA (Check All That Apply) questionnaires which have largely been developed here in New Zealand, mean testers can now be more representative of the general consumer.

He said with this method, “We get really precise information just from general people.”

While we talked a lot about fruit, the team do consumer testing on a wide variety of products, like cheese, wine and fish. 123RF

Flavour worlds

“People live in their own flavour worlds,” said Roigard, “How they experience flavour and aroma differs depending on who you are. It doesn’t mean you will like or dislike something more than another person but just that your experience is genuinely different.”

With this in mind, consumers are asked to rate the food they’re tasting with a ‘just about right scale’.

And this means that while a new fruit, for example, might not have been to the group’s taste, if it was just about right it can be fed back to the growers or breeders and they can make decisions based on that.

“We know with fruit especially there’s some variability that happens anyway,” said Roigard.

Future fruit

One of the exciting parts of the work being done by Roigard and the team is finding future fruit flavours.

Because they don’t yet have an actual piece of fruit, they use essences created by colleagues within the flavoromics team at the Bioeconomy Science Institute to test on consumers.

Scientist David Jin is heavily involved in this work and looking at how to make the experience for testers more like the real thing.

David Jin is working on enhancing the tasting experience for consumers testing new flavours. Wara Bullot

They do this with things like making consumers look at an image of the fruit before drinking the essence and adding texture to the liquid so there is something to bite into, kind of like a miniature version of a boba tea.

“We try to build different layers around that drink. Imagine like several different layers of bubbles around it,” Jin said.

Cart before the horse?

While it might seem strange to pick the taste you want before you have even grown the fruit, Roigard says the flavour profiles are there – they might just not be in a perfect package.

“It may be a fruit that doesn’t look particularly good, but it tastes amazing. Or it doesn’t store particularly well but it has these flavour attributes,” she said.

So if consumers like the flavour, they can help the growers decide if it’s worth focusing on breeding those fruits with other more beneficial attributes.

“There’s a couple [of essence flavours] that we think would be so exciting if there was a fruit that tasted like this,” said Roigard.

Sign up to the Our Changing World monthly newsletter for episode backstories, science analysis and more.

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

Concerns legal loophole is allowing landlords to run underground boarding houses

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

[s ] Auckland Council inspected 38 illegal lodges last year and all but nine opted to change their rental agreements.

Auckland Council inspected 38 illegal lodges last year, including a 24-bedroom complex on Auckland’s North Shore. 123rf

There are concerns a legal loophole is allowing landlords to continue running underground boarding houses.

Auckland Council inspected 38 illegal lodges last year and all but nine opted to revert to whole household rental agreements or have a single tenancy agreement with one of the occupants.

Among them, a 24-bedroom complex on Auckland’s North Shore – four homes each with six bedrooms with their own bathrooms and a rumpus room that was used as a sleeping area.

Each bedroom was numbered, the kitchen and lounge were shared, and until recently the landlord sublet the rooms.

Milton Cassidy lived nearby and notified the council last year.

“My only concern as a person living in this area … is the safety of the residents. It appears that if it’s not classified as a boarding house they don’t need to have these fire emergency evacuation proceedures, sprinklers and things like that.”

Council documents showed only domestic fire detectors were installed but boarding houses were required to have more fire safety measures.

“The council, they said to me that it’s definitely a boarding house. Now all of a sudden it’s not a boarding house, something’s not right.”

Council’s compliance manager, Adrian Wilson, confirmed the houses were supposed to be five bedroom family homes, but the landlord was using them as boarding houses.

“The addresses in question were all consented as five-bedroom family homes, however the owner was using them as boarding houses in that each room was rented on an individual tenancy agreement,” he said.

Auckland Council compliance manager, Adrian Wilson. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

There were four homes within the two addresses.

“Each address had 12 sleeping spaces and up to eight tenants. The occupants were unrelated and living at the premises for various lengths of time,” Wilson said.

“Under the Building Act, there are specific requirements predominantly related to fire safety that must be met once a boarding house exceeds five people.”

The council issued the owner with options to comply – if the owner continued operating a boarding house, it could have required a resouce consent.

Instead, the landlord reverted to a single tenancy agreement and reduced the number of people living there.

Wilson said if the number of boarders did not exceed the five permitted per household then that was lawful and no longer classed as transient accommodation.

“Where individual rooms are rented separately in a boarding house situation, there is no link between the occupants which increases the risk in an emergency,” he said.

“This is why systems are required such as fire separation between rooms and smoke/fire alarms depending on the layout of the property.”

A property under one tenancy was expected to have a link between the residents, either a family or group of friends flatting.

“In an emergency such as a fire, they are more likely to ensure everyone is alerted and gets out of the building.”

Property lawyer Joanna Pidgeon. Supplied / White Lynx Photography

Property lawyer Joanna Pidgeon said it may be a legal loophole of sorts for landlords.

“It does seem that the landlord has used a back-door way of providing accomodation by constructing a head tenant in a flatting situation which doesn’t accurately reflect the nature of the tenancy.”

One-tenancy agreements were designed for households of family members or friends flatting, where the people know each other.

“It doesn’t change the nature of the fact that the property does not meet what would usually be required in a building housing these sorts of tenants.”

Pidgeon said tenants in more transient accommodation would be better served by individual tenancy agreements.

“It means that these vulnerable people are open to exploitation in terms of being flatmates with no rights rather than having direct rights under the legislation from the landlord.”

The landlord of the North Shore properties declined to comment, except to say the matter had been resolved.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Disappointment and belief for Phoenix goalie going into finals

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Vic Esson is playing finals football in her first season with the club. www.photosport.nz

Wellington Phoenix goalkeeper Vic Esson says it “cut deep” that the team does not already have silverware this season.

The Phoenix finished the A-League season in second place and will play Brisbane Roar in a two-legged semi-final kicking off this weekend.

After seven seasons in Europe, including three seasons in Glasgow where she won five trophies, the shot stopper knows what it takes to be a winner and she felt the Phoenix let an opportunity slip this season.

“Since we were so close to first, and I think we had the ability to take first place for the regular season, it definitely cut deep that we weren’t able to do that.

“But here we are in a position where we can try and win some silverware and as we lead up to the semi-final I think we’ve just got to knuckle down and know that we can win this thing.

“We’ve really just got to believe in ourselves.”

Losses to Central Coast and to Western Sydney late last month left Esson “not a little bit, actually a lot disappointed”.

The defeats were “the nail on the coffin” for the Phoenix and ultimately handed Melbourne City a third consecutive minor premiership for finishing top spot after the regular season.

Despite the Football Fern’s disappointment it was the best finish ever for the Phoenix.

When Esson signed with the Phoenix at the start of the season, Bev Priestman had yet to be officially announced as head coach but Esson liked the vision of the club and the competitiveness of the A-League.

Esson cemented her place in goal this season, starting 19 of the team’s 20 games, and was key to the Phoenix claiming the best defensive record in the league.

“It’s very transitional, so it is exciting for a goalkeeper because it keeps you on your toes,” Esson said of the A-League.

“I think as the season’s gone on, I’ve probably gained more consistency amongst my performances, I’d say.

“Hopefully we can continue that on and finish the season on a high.”

Esson was quick to point to it being a team effort in defence.

“We defend from strikers all the way back to the goalkeeper and we pride ourselves in our defence.

“I don’t know what the stats are for shots conceded, but I think they’d be pretty good in our favour, that’s a credit to the defence, especially in our blocking shots and denying opportunities. That’s huge because once it gets past the defenders, anything can happen.”

Lucía León of the Wellington Phoenix celebrates. Elias Rodriguez / www.photosport.nz

The Phoenix overcame an injury-hit first half of the season to push on in the second half and now be within reach of a first Grand Final appearance.

“I look back at some of the earlier losses we had in the season and we’ve been able to flip it and make sure that we didn’t turn that into a losing streak.

“There’s a decent amount of talent in the room. We all know we can play football.

“We’ve had good games and bad games this season, but I think the games where we have really dominated are the games which everyone’s applied themselves to the principles that we want to play by.”

Esson experienced finals football in Scotland, with success, but many of her team mates have not been playing for trophies in club football before.

Wellington Phoenix coach Bev Priestman. Marty Melville / PHOTOSPORT

She said Priestman’s knowledge gained from coaching at Football World Cups and Olympics would be crucial when the pressure of finals hit.

“We’re very lucky with Bev, she’s been in some very high performance environments and high stress environments. So she definitely lays down the foundation for us for what to expect and what’s to come and trying to help us to perform at our best.

“There’s leaders in the team, for sure, who try and bring the group along with them but I think we’re in a good position with Bev and what she’s done in the past.”

The Phoenix are away to Brisbane in the first leg of the semi-final on Sunday and host the second leg at Porirua Park on 10 May.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Tom Phillips: Police reject koha for officer injured in Marokopa shooting

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police at the location of one of the campsites just off the Te Anga Road near Waitomo where Tom Phillips and his children had been hiding. Dean Purcell/New Zealand Herald via Getty Images

The elder sisters of the abducted Phillips children have revealed that police declined a donation to the officer injured in the fatal shootout with fugitive father Tom Phillips.

The funds had been raised via a Givealittle page set up in October 2022 as a reward for information leading to the safe return of the children.

A post on the Givealittle page said that since the children were located their whānau “have been working behind the scenes to distribute the funds raised”.

“Our whānau had hoped to make a koha to the police officer that had been injured during the events on September 8th 2025, but after discussions with New Zealand police they said they did ‘not want to create a precedent for this to happen again’ and could not accept the money for the police officer.”

The constable was shot in the face with “a high powered rifle” when Phillips’ quadbike was spiked and came to a stop, after fleeing the scene of a burglary in Piopio.

The $5000 raised would instead be donated to the organisation that supported the initial search at Kiritehere Beach.

“We will now be distributing the Givealittle funds to LandSAR, to show our whānau appreciation for the volunteer work LandSAR did during the September 2021 search and the continued help that they provide to people nationwide”.

In a statement to Mata, police said they were “touched” by the offer, but declined it in line with police’s gifts, discounts and hospitality policy.

Detective Senior Sergeant Andrew Saunders said “the policy is in place to prevent any perceptions about conflicts of interest”.

In 2020, following the fatal shooting of police officer Matthew Hunt who was killed in West Auckland during a traffic stop, a Givealittle fund was set up by a fellow officer and raised $58,678 in 21 days.

Members of the public, schools and private businesses contributed to the fund that was sent to the Police Families Charitable Trust, on behalf of Matthew’s family.

Mata asked police why this Givealittle could not also have been sent to the police Families Charitable Trust, police said it would be up to the donor if they wanted to pursue making a donation through the Police Association (which is entirely separate from police).

Police were unable to confirm if the injured office was informed about the intended donation.

At the time of the shooting he was described as being critically injured in the incident and requiring multiple surgeries.

Earlier this year an Official Information Act request by Mata revealed police had contacted a film crew who were producing a documentary about the abduction for Netflix before notifying the children’s mother and the Phillips family about the shooting. Police described this as “very regrettable”.

Seven months on from the fatal shoot out, Mata also asked police what progress, if any, had been made on identifying any individuals who may have assisted Tom Phillips while he was on the run.

Police said at the time, Phillips had been receiving outside help during his years on the run before he was killed.

Police are yet to respond.

The Givealttle post thanked those who had donated and acknowledged their continued support of the whānau.

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Government shouldn’t wait to loosen heavy vehicle restrictions, Transporting NZ says

By Evening Report -

April 28, 2026

Source: Radio New Zealand

Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih. RNZ / Phil Pennington

Transporting New Zealand says the government needs to loosen restrictions for heavy vehicles without delay.

Four changes are being worked on in case of a move up to Phase 2 of the national fuel plan.

This included allowing more weight on some trucks to facilitate fewer trips, allowing normal licences for heavy electric utes, relaxing time and access restrictions for over-dimension vehicles and removing some restrictions on the routes that over-dimension vehicles could travel.

Transporting New Zealand chief executive Dom Kalasih said loosening the weight restrictions would unlock extra productivity in the applicable and save several million litres of diesel.

“You could actually avoid around 10 million kilometres of heavy travel.”

He also welcomed proposed changes to rules around over dimension vehicles but said heavy haulage was a speciality area and would affect fewer vehicles.

He urged government ministers not to wait until Phase 2 to take action.

“It can be picked up straight away. The vehicles we’re looking at, they’ve got spare capacity.

“We shouldn’t be waiting for things to get bad before we actually do things that make sense.”

Transport Minister Chris Bishop (L) and Regulation Minister David Seymour. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

On Monday Regulation Minister David Seymour and Transport Minister Chris Bishop said submissions were being developed so they could be quickly implemented if the government moved to Phase 2 of its response.

“We are still in Phase 1 of the National Fuel Response Plan, but we don’t want a repeat of the Covid-19 lockdowns. Doing the work to boost fuel efficiency now helps ensure we can stay in Phase 1 for as long as possible, causing the least disruption to Kiwis,” said Seymour.

Bishop said concerns over weight restrictions were widespread in the freight sector.

“In the short term, even small increases in permitted loads could reduce the number of trips needed, saving time, lowering costs, and reducing fuel use,” Bishop said.

“We need to balance that with safety and network impacts, but there are sensible changes we can make that will lift productivity without compromising standards.”

Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

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

Government shouldn’t wait to loosen heavy vehicles restrictions, Transporting NZ says