Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Arikinui Kuini Nga wai hono i te po, the Māori Queen, has pledged to give the proceeds of the annual Turangawaewae Regatta to Māori communities impacted by severe weather events.

Ngātiwai in the North, Tauranga Moana and Te Tai Rāwhiti will receive the proceeds from the annual event, which sees thousands descend on the bank of the river at Ngāruawahia every year.

Waikato-Tainui chair Tukoroirangi Morgan made the announcement on Wednesday afternoon, following a formal welcome onto the Waitangi Treaty Grounds.

Speaking to RNZ, Morgan said the regatta was a chance for the community to celebrate culture and enjoy each other’s company.

He said the century-old gathering would now be a chance to give some relief to those affected by recent flooding.

The announcement comes off the back of a visit by Te Arikinui to Ngāiotonga Marae, a marae belonging to Ngātiwai, whose rohe was ravaged by the weather.

Morgan said the visit was a first-hand look at the degree and the level of devastation in a tiny community tucked away on the coast.

“It’s really important that people hear the stories… the stories of rescue, of struggle. As a result of that, [Te Arikinui] was driven to make this gesture of financial support.”

“People have lost their homes, people have worried about the short-term and long-term future. The best way to help is to reach out, provide some relief and some form of support – that’s exactly what the Queen is doing.” he said.

Green MP and former Ngātiwai Trust Board chief executive Huhana Lyndon told RNZ her people were grateful for the manāki.

“That announcement took my breath away.”

Lyndon said there had been ongoing support from groups all over the country, and the Queen’s announcement “demonstrates the way that we come together in times of crisis.”

Welcoming Te Arikinui onto Ngāiotonga Marae left the local “starstruck”, she said.

“Our tamariki mokopuna were there, whānau came… for myself, I’m from that rohe as well. My kainga is there and our farm was heavily impacted by the storm.”

“We’ve got significant damage and many months of work to come. So it just lifts your spirits, having that attention.”

The Turangawaewae Regatta celebrations kick off on Saturday, 21 March on the riverbank at Turangawaewae Marae.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A man has been charged with murder after the death of a woman in Clutha on 23 January.

Emergency services were called to Adams Flats Road in Crichton around 6.10pm.

A woman was found deceased, and a second person was critically injured.

Police said a man has been arrested and charged with the murder after a bedside hearing on Wednesday.

“We understand this is a distressing event for the small community,” detective senior sergeant Nik Leigh said.

“Police would like to reassure residents that officers are not searching for any other people in relation to the matter.”

Friends and co-workers named the murdered woman as Jillian Clark, who worked at Clutha Vets in Milton.

John Smart said he worked with Clark for about 30 years at different branches of the veterinarian practice. He said Clark had a keen interest in sheep health and production.

“She was a highly respected vet, it’s a hell of a shock,” he said.

The tight-knit Clutha Vets team would be heartbroken, as would farmers from Taieri to Milton, Smart said.

“I know the whole community down there will be absolutely in mourning for the tragedy of losing Jillian. She was just a great lady, a great community member, and supported the farmers in particular.”

A death notice described Clark as a much-loved family member who was tragically taken.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

When strong New Year’s Eve winds broke the cabling on an historic bridge, its future came under a cloud.

Sitting above the flat lands surrounding State Highway 56 in southern Manawatū, the former Ōpiki toll bridge will now dramatically change shape, as this week its decaying cables come down.

This will leave only the landmark’s pylons still standing.

Time has taken its toll on a bridge that for nearly 50 years cost some loose change to cross – saving motorists a lengthy trip.

For the second time in just over two years, the ageing structure has sagged into the water below.

And this week regional council officials announced the fix – removing the cabling, meaning the old bridge becomes less recognisable.

No one’s crossed since shortly after it closed in 1969 and its decking was removed, but thousands of people drive past what remains every week.

Toll days recalled

Spanning the view from Clive Akers’ living room window, the concrete towers and cabling of the Ōpiki bridge dominate the skyline – it’s a view that’s about to change.

Originally build for the family flax business in 1918, that industry’s collapse meant it instead became a private toll bridge over the Manawatū River until its closure in 1969, when the current highway bridge was built.

“Oh yes, there was a toll keeper,” Akers said.

The position was similar to a lighthouse keeper, in that the worker would live onsite and almost always be on call.

This and other parts of the bridge’s history are detailed in the book Suspended Access, written by Akers’ mother Molly two decades ago.

Akers recalled how one toll keeper was rescued by boat when the surrounding area flooded. The area still floods regularly today, which often closes the highway.

The busiest days of the week were Saturdays, when there was horse racing on.

“I remember as a teenager, when [the toll keeper] had his day off and would go to town, myself and one of my brothers or sisters would go up there and be toll keepers for half a day,” Akers said.

“We were warned of a car coming – one side there was an air pipe. When the car tyre ran over it it rang a bell in the house.”

From the other side the toll keeper would hear a car rattle the bridge’s loose boards – because a suspension bridge moves, the wooden planks couldn’t be nailed down.

In later years it cost 10 cents a trip for vehicles under three tonnes.

At night there was a barrier arm to keep vehicles out – although if a motorist was insistent on getting through, the toll keeper could charge them triple, Akers said.

While locals were happy enough to contribute to the bridge’s upkeep in exchange for quicker trips between Palmerston North and Foxton, not everyone was as impressed.

“During the 1930s the minister of public works was horrified when he came through Ōpiki and he was charged a toll to cross this bridge.

“He said, ‘Nowhere in New Zealand should there be a toll bridge.’ He told the toll keeper, ‘I’m going to have a public bridge here in the next five years.’ That never happened.”

Instead, the arrangement of a private bridge spanning the river, with public roads either side, continued for three more decades.

Akers said he was relaxed about the cabling’s removal.

“Of course, there’s not so many people now who have actually got memories of going over the bridge.

“It closed in 1969. That’s over 50 years ago.”

Tough breaks

One of the bridge’s cables, which are said to come from Waihi’s gold mines, failed in 2023 and fell into the river.

It was fixed the next year, paid for by Horizons Regional Council, which now owns the structure, but the same cable again broke on 31 December.

The bridge has a category 1 rating from Pouhere Taonga Heritage NZ and Historic Places Trust Manawatū Horowhenua chairwoman Cindy Lilburn said it was an icon.

It was significant as New Zealand’s first private toll bridge and, when built, the country’s longest suspension bridge – about 150 metres.

“It stands alone in what’s a very flat landscape and it has a certain sort of spookiness, which has been suggested for use in films, because it rises out of the mist in the morning.

“It is such a landmark.”

Lilburn said the trust had favoured a solution to ensure the bridge’s long-term survival.

“We’d like to at least have the opportunity to talk about a long-term plan.

“The reality is suspension bridges aren’t actually that difficult to build. It requires running cabling up and over, so there is the potential solution that you could put new cabling up and over and then clip the old cabling to that.”

But with the news this week that wouldn’t happen – at least any time soon – she said the trust was saddened.

The cables had contributed visually to the bridge’s status as a landmark.

“There’s a certain degree of elegance we’ve now lost,” she said.

Council general manager catchment operations Dr Jon Roygard told RNZ last week that officials were working through options to fix the latest break, while also considering a long-term solution.

Until something was done, the broken cabling remained a hazard, he said.

“It’s a stretch of the river where people can use it for jet boating or that sort of thing. I don’t think it’s a highly used area.

“We have put signs up. We really recommend caution in that area. In fact, we’d rather people weren’t in there and operating around it.”

This week, Roygard confirmed that the cabling, which was in poor condition, was coming down.

“The other cable, while it has not fallen, is in similar condition to the one currently in the river. We will remove this cable at the same time to avoid the possibility of it also falling,” he said.

“Removing both cables at the same time also helps to bring the cost of the works down.

“Doing one cable now and the other at a later date is significantly more expensive than removing both at the same time.”

He acknowledged the bridge’s history, but said the regional council also had obligations for navigational safety in the Manawatū River and for the use of public money.

Sections of the cabling would be gifted to the Historic Places Trust and the Akers family, Roygard said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Cries of “shame on you” rang out from the public gallery as Clutha councillors voted to drop an investigation into vehicle-free zones on beaches in the district on Wednesday afternoon.

The council is instead investigating beach speed limits as a means to protect the coastline and its wildlife, following complaints about drivers harassing seals and sea lions.

The review of the Vehicles on Beaches bylaw started a year ago after a group allegedly harassed a sea lion at Tautuku Beach in the Catlins.

In 2024, three sea lions were found dead with gunshot or stab wounds

Councillors opted to defer any decision-making until after October’s local elections. Then, at a workshop in December, the new council moved to cancel the beach ‘safe zone’ review.

That was formalised by a vote at Wednesday’s council meeting, where just one councillor was opposed.

Councillor Simon McAtamney said he was part of the previous council and he was still open to looking into the safe zone review.

Councillor Bruce Graham argued vehicle bans would be hard to enforce and there would always be “dickheads that are going to break those rules”.

“I can’t see any advantage of changing what we have here except for a speed limit changes… I can’t see any advantages of closing beaches or making safe zones,” he said.

Council staff said work was underway on a speed limit review covering the district’s beaches and it would be complete by October.

During the meeting, a group of residents could be seen in the back of the chamber holding a sign that read ‘Honour Your Word’.

When the council voted in favour of scrapping the review, the protesters called out “shame on you” and filed out of the council chambers.

Earlier, during public deputations, Papatowai Beach resident Keith Olsen argued the beach needed stronger protections to make it safe for all users – human and “non-human”.

The beach was home to ground-nesting birds such as oystercatchers and had a regular visiting elephant seal, he said.

Signage was not enough to prevent the dangerous use of vehicles on the beach, Olsen said.

“Just saying don’t be a dickhead doesn’t cut the mustard with the sort of people who are likely to be dickheads,” he said.

Papatowai resident Diana Noonan said some councillors had made important promises relating to the environment.

“I appeal to you today… that you remember your promises from the past and that you do not dishonour them,” she said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The High Court has dismissed an environmental charity’s claim that an emergency ban on set net fishing around Otago Peninsula didn’t go far enough to protect hoiho.

The Environmental Law Initiative (ELI) filed proceedings against Fisheries Minister Shane Jones last year, claiming the ban failed to protect hoiho from the risk of extinction.

It said the closure should have encompassed the entire northern hoiho range, including North Otago, the Catlins, Stewart Island/Rakiura and Foveaux Strait.

While the court recognised the severe risk facing northern hoiho, it found the temporary emergency closure lawful, as section 16 of the Fisheries Act gave the Minister significant discretion in establishing the parameters of an emergency closure.

Hoiho, yellow-eyed penguins, are critically endangered. The northern hoiho population, which is found in and around Canterbury, Otago and Southland, has been in sharp decline in recent years.

The court said hoiho were “priceless” and a taonga, and emphasised that their protection was essential, with the the minister required to take whatever measures are necessary to ensure the survival of the nothern hoiho population.

ELI senior legal advisor Megan Cornforth-Camden said it was important to challenge the decision, given hoiho numbers were declining and little had been done to protect hoiho at sea.

“The judgement contains some of the strongest statements written by the courts about the sustainability provisions in the Fisheries Act and how they apply to threatened species, so although ELI were not successful on the grounds of the judicial review we were very pleased with the outcome.”

Hoiho numbers have fallen by around 80 percent since 2008, with fewer than 150 breeding pairs remaining. Several factors are responsible for this collapse, one of which is commercial set net fishing. Every year the birds become entangled in fishing nets while foraging for food.

Jones initially closed the set net fishery around Otago Peninsula in September for three months, before announcing in December it had been extended for a further nine months, to September 2026, with the public to be consulted during the closure on long term protections.

Justice David Boldt said the decision to implement an emergency ban was a precursor to a set of longer-term measures that would be far more important to the long-term future of the northern hoiho.

“It is difficult to escape the conclusion that ELI, in its haste to do whatever it can to protect the penguins, has challenged the wrong decision.”

However, the court found potential economic detriment to commercial fishers could never be a justification for allowing the decline of the population to continue.

“There is no dispute that the [Fisheries] Act’s sustainability imperative extends to the need to take whatever steps are necessary to ensure the survival of the northern hoiho population.

“In practical terms, that means that if commercial fishing cannot occur in an environmentally sustainable manner – which in this context means in a way which ensures it poses no material risk to the survival of the northern hoiho – it cannot occur at all.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A child has died after being hit by a car in Springston in Canterbury.

The police say the child was walking when they were hit at about 3.30pm.

Emergency services responded but they died at the scene.

A large portion of the rural part of Leeston Road is closed while the Serious Crash Union investigates.

Leeston Road was closed and diversions were in place at the Goulds Road and Leeston Road intersection and at the Bethels Road and Leeston Road intersection.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The head of Wellington Water says about 70 million litres of raw sewage is now flowing into the sea each day.

Untreated water is leaking onto the capital’s south coast beaches due to the Moa Point Treatment Plant flooding and being turned off from early this morning.

The water company said it could take months to fully repair the sewage infrastructure.

The Department of Conservation said given the location of the sewage spill, mussels, kina, pāua, sponges, fish, and penguins could be at risk.

How long the discharge continues, the volume of effluent, and ocean current, swell and wind would determine if other species would also be at risk.

And there may be environmental impacts like algal blooms and deoxygenated water as a result of the spill, as well as bacteria, viruses, and parasites.

It said it doesn’t intend to visit the site at this time because of the risk to human health.

Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty told Checkpoint the critical question will be why the Moa Point’s outfall pipe backed up this morning.

“We need to get a camera down there to understand why that didn’t perform.”

Dougherty said Wellington Water was alerted to the issue two hours later than it should have.

“That’s one of the things I will be asking about but at the moment I don’t want that team distracted from things getting fixed.”

He guessed it would be two months before the plant was fully operational.

Dougherty confirmed an average of around 70 million litres of raw sewage was now flowing into Wellington’s South Coast.

At 4:42pm on Wednesday, RNZ saw just over a dozen people out at the South Coast.

No one was in the water other than a dog or two and there was no smell or obvious change in water colour.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An advocate for Aucklanders affected by the 2023 storms says a group of homeowners should have been advised of a move to avoid writing-off their properties.

Auckland Council will amend the buyout terms to increase funding for 13 homes at risk of future flooding or landslides to build retaining walls, move or lift the homes, to make them safe.

It means the homes can be lived in and the council will not have to pay up to $14 million buying out the properties – the homeowners have not yet been advised.

West Auckland is Flooding spokesperson Lyall Carter said some of them likely would have preferred a buyout.

“The people that are advocating on behalf of storm-impacted people, we don’t know who these people are and as far as we’re aware, these people don’t know who they are.”

He said they did not know what situations these homeowners were in.

“How far are they through this process, are they near the end of the process, do they expect to be bought out through this process? I mean, can understand why from a fiscal point of view they’re making this decision but you don’t change the rules halfway through the game.”

Carter said the homeowners should have been notified of the change before it went to councillors to vote on, on Tuesday.

“While I can understand on one hand the need to be good financial stewards, this is not the way in which you in my view that you work with victims of a weather disaster.”

As part of the buyout scheme, the council can now fund grants up to 40 percent of the property’s capital value (CV), an increase from 25 percent.

If building work exceeded that 25 percent limit, a variation could be sought to increase it or the homeowner could opt to be bought out.

Council’s recovery office said it would be contacting the homeowners with the details once the buyout terms are changed.

There are 75 Auckland properties in the early stages of having building works costed that would make them safe to live in.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A man will appear in Hutt Valley District Court in Wellington after attempting to evade police officers by jumping into the Hutt River today.

A witness took to social media to the describe seeing the man on a bicycle being pursued by police on the eastern side of the river near Ewen Bridge.

They said the man dumped the bicycle – ran into the water – and attempted to cross the river which was running swiftly at the time.

A police spokesperson confirmed officers were called to a store in High Street at 1.33pm and they arrested a 36-year-old man shortly after.

They said the man would appear charged with the burglary of items under $500 on Thursday.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Firefighters have copped abuse by motorists frustrated by the closure of the main road between Christchurch and Sumner, Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade says.

Main Road and the adjacent footpath closed near Shag Rock Reserve on Wednesday as the ridge was assessed by geotechnical engineers.

Emergency services were alerted to rocks and water falling from the cliff above the road that had also damaged a section of protective wire netting.

In a social media post, the brigade said it was saddened by the behaviour of some members of the public.

“Given recent events in the Tauranga region, we had hoped for a degree of understanding and patience from the wider public. Unfortunately, this was not always the case.

“Our volunteers were subjected to abuse from drivers being asked to take the 15-20 minute detour over Evans Pass.”

Firefighters also reported cyclists moving barriers to access the footpath despite being informed it was shut.

“Mother nature does not care if you are running late. When a road is closed, it is done so for the safety of all road users, pedestrians, and emergency service personnel,” the post said.

“To those who were understanding and co-operative, thank you. To those who were not, please do better next time.”

The Christchurch City Council said engineers had completed an assessment of Clifton Hill and found a blocked wastewater pipe caused rocks to fall.

There was a low risk of further rockfalls, a spokesperson said.

Main Road had reopened to one lane but motorists were warned of significant delays.

“Traffic is being managed via traffic lights that will be manually controlled during peak times to allow for traffic flow in and out of Christchurch. This traffic system is likely to be in place for several days while the area dries out.”

Clifton Terrace was also down to one lane and there could be further closures for repairs.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Three murderous mallards have been euthanised after preying on pūteketeke chicks in Canterbury’s Mackenzie basin.

Department of Conservation (DOC) rangers were shocked when a person sent in photos of three ducks hunting and killing freshly hatched native pūteketeke (Australasian crested grebe) chicks next to Lake Alexandrina, south of Lake Tekapo.

The pūteketeke garnered international attention in 2023 when comedian John Oliver successfully campaigned for it to win the Forest and Bird’s Bird of the Century crown.

In a press release, DOC principal biodiversity ranger Dean Nelson said staff were horrified to see graphic photos of the chicks being eaten alive, as it was unusual for ducks to prey on other birds.

“Mallard ducks usually eat plant material, with a little bit of protein from insects and snails during the breeding season,” he said.

“It was shocking to see them eating pūteketeke chicks. We went out there straight away and I observed three mallard ducks in the outlet creek where the grebe nests are.”

Nelson said the ducks were “actively scoping out the pūteketeke nests to see if they had chicks”.

“The adult pūteketeke didn’t see the danger as they don’t perceive the ducks as a threat.”

Duck behaviour of this nature was unknown to DOC’s experts, with further concern it could spread, as ducks learnt from each other, Nelson said.

“There was a case which was referenced in a research paper from a Cambridge University scientist describing how a group of mallard ducks were attacking and eating the chicks of two common bird species in Romania in 2017. It claimed this was a world first and the ducks may have been searching for a source of protein before laying eggs and nesting,” he said.

The person who raised concerns did the right thing by calling the department and taking photos as evidence, Nelson said.

“This is a great example of people taking action for nature and looking out for our vulnerable species. While some people think the pūteketeke is introduced because of its name (the Australasian crested grebe), the reality is they’re native and are classed as nationally vulnerable,” he said.

“We want the public to be really engaged with nature. People can be our eyes and ears out ‘naturing’ and that’s fantastic for us, as our rangers can’t be everywhere.”

Campers and boaties around Canterbury’s popular Lake Benmore shoreline were asked to look out for pūteketeke over the summer period last December following reports of nests being disturbed at the Ōhau C campground.

Many nests neighboured the boat ramp and spread out around the lake shore.

The pūteketeke colony had 40 to 50 nests annually for the last five breeding seasons and birds had raised their young much later than usual in the outlet creek next to Lake Alexandrina.

DOC staff had caught the three ducks in question with nets and removed them from the site and humanely euthanised them.

Staff were also heading out again on Wednesday to check no other mallard ducks had repeated the behaviour.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The state of emergency in Tai Rāwhiti has been extended following extreme weather two weeks ago.

The declaration on 21 January came as heavy rain and severe flooding swept across the North Island, battering communities on the East Coast.

Tairāwhiti Civil Defence said the state of emergency had been extended for another seven days until 11 February to keep support in place.

The declaration provides Civil Defence emergency powers including closing roads, undertaking earthworks, and entering properties.

Significant slips have cut off access to many communities, with a massive landslide on State Highway 35 separating Hicks Bay and Te Araroa.

In a recent update, the Transport Agency said State Highway 35 between the townships was now open to emergency services only.

“Roadworkers have made access across the slip at Punaruku, at the Hicks Bay end of SH35, but the road remains closed.

“There’s a lot more work to do in the area before we can open this section of the road to anyone other than emergency and lifeline services.”

The highway into Te Araroa from the south – which had been accessible by convoy only – was now open.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police say one person died after a crash on a driveway in the Wellington suburb of Miramar.

The crash which involved a car and a pedestrian happened in a private driveway on Mapuia Road last Friday.

The victim died of their injuries on Tuesday.

Police said they were continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been seriously injured after a car crash in Springston in Canterbury on Wednesday.

Police were notified of the crash, involving a car and a pedestrian, around 3.30pm.

Initial indicators were that the pedestrian had received serious injuries, police said.

Leeston Road was closed and diversions were in place at the Goulds Road and Leeston Road intersection and at the Bethels Road and Leeston Road intersection.

Motorists were advised to avoid the area and expect delays.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Teenagers taking part in a hīkoi from Cape Rēinga to the Treaty Grounds this week say they’re standing up for future generations and sending a message to the government about honouring Te Tiriti.

About 60 people, many carrying banners and flags, took part in this morning’s leg of the march through Kerikeri’s town centre.

The are due to arrive at Waitangi on Friday morning.

The six-day hīkoi combines driving, walking and running, with many participants taking turns to run the length of Ninety Mile Beach on the first day, and planning to run between the Far North towns of Moerewa and Kawakawa today.

The march is a tradition stretching back decades, with this year’s theme, Mana Mokopuna, reflected in the large number of youth taking part.

Karirikura Taipari, 16, of Ahipara, said she was doing it to support future generations.

“And to make sure our generation knows how to stand up for their rights,” she said.

Taipari said she was looking forward to bringing the hīkoi’s message to Waitangi on 6 February.

Even if the government succeeded in sidelining the current generation, they couldn’t get rid of future generations, she said.

Capri Murray, 17, of Whangape, said she hoped that their message was “coming through loud and proud”.

“We’re doing all of this walking everywhere and heaps of running, so they should be getting the message – especially since it’s not just for us, it’s for everyone.”

Her call to the country’s leaders was to “honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, because it was here before you were”.

Fifteen-year-old Kendra Matiu, from Kaitāia, said her aim was to tautoko [support] her whānau and future generations.

“It’s been really fun and we’ve been to a lot of places, and we’ve done a lot of running … that’s not really fun, but it’s cool when people support us.”

Haare Kawiti, 19, of Wellington, said he’d had experiences he wouldn’t forget, like sleeping on the ground in Kerikeri and running on Ninety Mile Beach.

“That was pretty tough … I’m doing it to celebrate our culture and uplift the tamariki out there – even though I probably still count as one,” he said.

Coordinator Rueben Taipari said the group left Te Rerenga Wairua (Cape Rēinga) on Sunday, marching through Kaitāia and Kāeo and staying overnight at Waimanoni and Kenana marae.

On Tuesday night they camped near Kerikeri’s Kororipo Pā, a hugely significant site due to be returned to Ngāpuhi next month.

Tonight they would be hosted by Ngāti Hine at Waiomio Marae, south of Kawakawa.

Taipari said no one could argue with the theme of this year’s hīkoi.

“Everybody should be thinking about a better future for their children and grandchildren. With all these fascist, racist governments, the world is in chaos. But we wanted to bring something different – to still make a strong statement, but to have a positive reason for marching.”

Taipari said many of New Zealand’s problems today would not exist if society was always focussed on future generations.

“Three generations ago, people did have that concept. They built good infrastructure, they invested taxes to make a good, strong country. But that hasn’t been happening for the past few generations, and I think that’s where the problems are. We’re not thinking about the good of society and the nation. We’re just thinking about ourselves.”

Taipari said the purpose of the hīkoi was whakawhanaungatanga, or making connections among people.

“But it’s also a physical thing to capture that mauri [life force] we bring from Te Rerenga Wairua, and connect it to every community and every tribe and every hapū that we pass through … It builds a strong movement and continues to uphold that living document of Te Tiriti Waitangi.”

Taipari said he was never concerned about the numbers taking part, but this year’s hīkoi had a particularly “intense energy” thanks to the large proportion of young people.

He was coordinating the march but rangatahi [youth] were making the decisions, he said.

“People complain about young people being on their devices all the time and say they don’t do anything. Well, I’ve seen a different energy on this hīkoi. And I’d say that’s an analogy for the future. Watch out everybody. They’re coming.”

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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 Prime Minister is due to speak to reporters after meeting with the Iwi Chairs Forum, which gave its backing to a court case against a piece of government legislation.

Minister for Māori Crown Relations Tama Potaka said the meeting was “robust” and “interrogative”, but also an “exchange.”

“There needs to be an exchange of ideas, an exchange of investigative queries, but also a sense of optimism and progress, and that’s what we’ve seen [on wednesday].”

Potaka said there were always questions around legislative frameworks and funding.

Christopher Luxon is in Waitangi with a contingent of government ministers ahead of the political pōwhiri taking place on Thursday, which he will attend.

Luxon was keen to talk to the Forum about the weather response and the economy.

But Iwi leaders are throwing their support behind a Ngāti Manuhiri court case against the government’s amendments to the Marine and Coastal Environments Act.

Treaty of Waitangi Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith said this issue wasn’t raised directly. In terms of relations between Māori and the Crown, Goldsmith said “we are absolutely positive on opportunities for Māori to thrive and succeed”.

“There’s a lot we agree on, there’s lots of things we disagree on, but there’s plenty that we can work constructively together on, so it’s very positive.”

Prior to the meeting taking place, Pou Tangata chair Rahui Papa said the key message to the government would be what strategies would they employ to bolster Māori aspirations, instead of legislation which “unpicks” te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Afterward, Tukuroirangi Morgan of Waikato-Tainui said it was a “productive” meeting, saying the iwi leaders were at a position where “we need to get stuff done”.

Despite being election year he said, work needed to continue.

“And the government needs to be conscious that actually working in a much more strategic way to complete action plans, business plans, all of the stuff that we’ve been talking to them for a long, long time should get done.”

Morgan said the Prime Minister was “very committed” to the Treaty relationship.

“We have to try and find creative ways of working with the government in the face of tough economic times, there are still opportunities, and we need to take those opportunities.”

And Aperahama Edwards of Ngāti Wai called the meeting “beneficial”.

“Some of the sensitive things that needed to be discussed were discussed. Some of the pain points that our people have been experiencing were addressed, at least given voice to, and then other matters were spoken to as well.”

Speaking to the mood at Waitangi compared to the last time Luxon was there in 2024, Edwards said there was still “a lot of pain”.

“Our people are hurting, and we’re mindful of that, but there’s also a calm here as well, and an optimism at the thought of what sort of change might be coming.”

Labour, meanwhile, is dealing with the shock resignation of Peeni Henare, who is calling time on his 12-year Parliamentary career.

Henare announced his plans on Tuesday, citing exhaustion and a desire to spend more time focusing on his family and future.

While it was known Henare would not be contesting the Tāmaki Makaurau seat, his announcement he would not be standing at all came in the middle of a joint press conference by the Labour and Green Party leadership.

He told one media platform of his plans before Labour had the chance to put out its own announcement, but Labour leader Chris Hipkins, who initially refused to answer questions about the resignation, denied the announcement had been bungled.

New Zealand First Deputy leader – and a relation of Henare’s – Shane Jones, was now questioning the circumstances around the resignation, and was planning to find out “exactly what has happened”.

As well, local government and diplomatic corps representatives were welcomed onto the Treaty Grounds with a pōwhiri for the Kiingitanga taking place this afternoon.

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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 man is in a critical condition after being shot by police in Hamilton.

About 10am, police swarmed a Hamilton street and closed off a hotel.

In Inspector Will Loughrin said police responded to reports of a vehicle driving “erratically” in Te Awamutu just before 9am.

Information suggested the driver was wanted by police in relation to other serious incidents.

When police caught up to the vehicle on Ulster Street in Hamilton, the man allegedly pointed a shotgun at police.

“Police appealed for the man to put the shotgun down, which he failed to do.

“An officer then fired two shots at the offender.”

Medical assistance was given to the man immediately before he was taken to hospital in a critical condition.

He was now in a moderate condition, Loughrin said, and his injuries were not believed to be life threatening.

“A second occupant of the vehicle was taken into custody at the scene,” Loughrin said.

“Thankfully, no police staff were injured in this incident.”

Loughrin said Ulster Street remains closed off from the Mill Street intersection and the public is urged to avoid the area.

“We want to reassure the community that there is no ongoing public safety risk following this incident.

“Police are conducting reassurance patrols around the area. The community can also expect to see an increased police presence in the coming days.”

Earlier, an RNZ reporter at the scene said police cars could be seen parked in the street and police officers were going door-to-door speaking with people.

They declined to answer questions.

Alpha Motel manager Ford McArley, inside the cordon, said he also heard something before police arrived at the scene.

“I started drilling in the rooms to put TVs on the wall and just heard what sounded like two car tyres, and didn’t think anything of it,” he said.

“And then right outside the motel, there were police everywhere.”

McArley said police weren’t saying much about what happened.

He said it wasn’t typical of the street.

“I’ve been here just about three months now, and we’ve never had the street blocked off like this,” McArley said.

Police were expected to speak to media on Wednesday afternoon.

Loughrin said a critical incident investigation was underway and the incident will also be referred to the Independent Police Conduct Authority.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Three murderous mallards have been euthanised after preying on pūteketeke chicks in Canterbury’s Mackenzie basin.

Department of Conservation (DOC) rangers were shocked when a person sent in photos of three ducks hunting and killing freshly hatched native pūteketeke (Australasian crested grebe) chicks next to Lake Alexandrina, south of Lake Tekapo.

The pūteketeke garnered international attention in 2023 when comedian John Oliver successfully campaigned for it to win the Forest and Bird’s Bird of the Century crown.

In a press release, DOC principal biodiversity ranger Dean Nelson said staff were horrified to see graphic photos of the chicks being eaten alive, as it was unusual for ducks to prey on other birds.

“Mallard ducks usually eat plant material, with a little bit of protein from insects and snails during the breeding season,” he said.

“It was shocking to see them eating pūteketeke chicks. We went out there straight away and I observed three mallard ducks in the outlet creek where the grebe nests are.”

Nelson said the ducks were “actively scoping out the pūteketeke nests to see if they had chicks”.

“The adult pūteketeke didn’t see the danger as they don’t perceive the ducks as a threat.”

Duck behaviour of this nature was unknown to DOC’s experts, with further concern it could spread, as ducks learnt from each other, Nelson said.

“There was a case which was referenced in a research paper from a Cambridge University scientist describing how a group of mallard ducks were attacking and eating the chicks of two common bird species in Romania in 2017. It claimed this was a world first and the ducks may have been searching for a source of protein before laying eggs and nesting,” he said.

The person who raised concerns did the right thing by calling the department and taking photos as evidence, Nelson said.

“This is a great example of people taking action for nature and looking out for our vulnerable species. While some people think the pūteketeke is introduced because of its name (the Australasian crested grebe), the reality is they’re native and are classed as nationally vulnerable,” he said.

“We want the public to be really engaged with nature. People can be our eyes and ears out ‘naturing’ and that’s fantastic for us, as our rangers can’t be everywhere.”

Campers and boaties around Canterbury’s popular Lake Benmore shoreline were asked to look out for pūteketeke over the summer period last December following reports of nests being disturbed at the Ōhau C campground.

Many nests neighboured the boat ramp and spread out around the lake shore.

The pūteketeke colony had 40 to 50 nests annually for the last five breeding seasons and birds had raised their young much later than usual in the outlet creek next to Lake Alexandrina.

DOC staff had caught the three ducks in question with nets and removed them from the site and humanely euthanised them.

Staff were also heading out again on Wednesday to check no other mallard ducks had repeated the behaviour.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington’s Moa Point wastewater treatment plant has been shut down and staff evacuated from the site, after an equipment failure flooded multiple floors.

Untreated wastewater is being discharged into the sea and that may continue for some time, Wellington Water chief executive Pat Dougherty said.

“This is a serious situation and we anticipate the plant will be shut down for an extended period,” he said.

Dougherty strongly advised the public to stay away from south coast beaches, and said a rāhui would be placed over the affected area.

“We will have boots on the ground today, with our customer teams distributing information about public health and advice.

“An environmental team will be undertaking water quality testing. More information will be provided at lunchtime today. This is a complex incident, and all necessary resources are being utilised,” he said.

Dougherty said it was unacceptable.

“We apologise to the public, local community and our iwi partners for the public health and environmental impact caused.”

The mechanical failure began at 1am on Wednesday.

Fire and emergency shift manager Murray Dunbar said three fire trucks responded to a fire alarm activation there about 12.40 am.

The crews reported they were unable to access the lower building due to flooding and they were going to wait for a building representative to be contacted and respond, Dunbar said.

The Moa Point problem followed two other wastewater discharge notices on Tuesday night, which were caused by heavy rain.

Partially treated wastewater was discharged into Wellington’s Karori Stream at 10.45pm on Tuesday, which flows into the sea on the south coast.

About half an hour before that, fully treated sewage was released at 10.18pm into Waiwhetū Stream in Lower Hutt, which flows into the sea near Petone beach.

Water monitoring body Land, Air, Water Aotearoa advised people to stay out of the sea for two or three days after heavy rain.

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