ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on March 14, 2026.
‘There’s volatile times ahead’ for the Pacific, warns Barbara Dreaver By Susana Suisuiki, RNZ Pacific Waves host TVNZ’s 1News Pacific correspondent Barbara Dreaver has released a new memoir looking back at over 30 years of reporting in the region. The book, titled Be Brave, details moments in Dreaver’s career in the Pacific from covering natural disasters to coups and personal tragedies. Speaking to Pacific Waves,
War on Iran: ‘It’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media is telling the people’ Democracy Now! AMY GOODMAN: The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its 11th day. Its impact is being increasingly felt across the globe. Al Jazeera is reporting residents of Tehran overnight experienced “some of the most intense bombardment” of the war. At least 40 people were reportedly killed near the city’s Risalat Square. In Lebanon,
How the menstrual cycle can make or break an athlete’s performance Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kylie A. Steel, Senior Lecturer in Motor Learning and Skill Acquisition, Western Sydney University As soccer’s Women’s Asian Cup continues in Australia, much analysis will inevitably focus on the physical: the speed of Mary Fowler, the power of Sarina Bolden, the endurance of Yui Hasegawa and Ellie
China’s ban on fuel exports is deeply worrying for Australian air travellers Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor of Law, Deakin University Australia’s vulnerability to liquid fuel shortages and price hikes has intensified amid reports China has told oil refiners to halt all fuel exports. This adds to continued global uncertainty about the duration of the Iran conflict and its impact upon
It’s not hoarding: farmers need to buy huge amounts of diesel to keep our food secure Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Craft, Lecturer in Accounting and Personal Financial Planning, Western Sydney University Over recent weeks, Australian drivers have watched as petrol and diesel prices have soared, raising concerns about wider price shocks to come. But at the same time as urban motorists see rising prices, something else
New ban on dangerous rodent poisons is lifeline for our native animals Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Davis, Associate Professor in Wildlife Conservation, Edith Cowan University We’ve just had an epic win for our native animals, such as owls, goannas and eagles. And after years contributing to the scientific evidence on the wildlife impact of rodent poisons, it’s a day scientists like myself
The queue to get back into Wellington Central Library, after seven years, reaches around the also just-reopened Civic Square, past ongoing work at the Town Hall.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Thousands have queued – some for hours – to get back in the doors of Wellington Central Library, which reopened on Saturday, newly strengthened and renovated after being shut for seven years.
A ceremony was planned, with a ribbon-cutting, then music and story-telling performances throughout the weekend. The library, called Te Matapihi ki te Ao Nui, was open again for normal operations, from 10am Saturday.
The eye-catching building in central Wellington has been closed since March 2019, when it was deemed an earthquake risk, with significant work needed.
As the launch unfolded, former library staff member Jane Shallcrass told RNZ she never once would have expected thousands of people to be waiting outside the door for a library, but she was thrilled by the community support.
“To see the joy on people’s faces as they came up the escalator and realised the full glory of the new library, and I think to hear the music – that was really great, just wonderful. And that all these people are queuing two hours, for a library – not for a pop star or anything.”
Jane Shallcrass, at the opening.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
Shallcrass worked at the central library when the Ian Athfield-designed building first opened in 1991 (the library itself has existed since 1893). But today she was back to perform in one of the choirs, and said the $217 million bill for the library project was money well spent.
Artwork by Māori artist Darcy Nicholas in the new Wellington library.RNZ / Mark Papalii
Te Ngākau Civic Square, next to the library, also reopened on Saturday, with new landscaping, seating, play areas and water features.
Wellington mayor Andrew Little said the milestone is a positive turning point for the central city.
He said as well as books, the library contains a variety of creative spaces, including an area with 3D printers and a CNC machine.
Andrew Little, at the official ceremony on Saturday.RNZ / Samuel Rillstone
“The area of town which the library is in has been kind of boarded up and shut down and difficult to move around for some time,” Little said.
“So with all the hoardings coming down and the library opening up and a place for people to come in their hundreds, it’s really going to make a big difference to that part of town.
“We’ve now got a space – or spaces – for people to come. They can come to the library, there’s a range of things they can do here, and they can go into the square and just enjoy, relax, meet, gather, protest – do whatever they want to do. The spaces are back.”
On another side of Civic Square, Te Whare Toi The City Art Gallery, which closed for construction work in June 2024, is scheduled to reopen later this year. While facing the gallery across the square, the Wellington Town Hall, which closed in 2013 as it was deemed earthquake-prone, could reopen next year.
10 years later, Corrections officer Duane Farrell has been awarded almost $95,000 in compensation.RNZ / Kim Baker Wilson
A Corrections officer was told to “shake off” his injury following an attack by a prisoner, and was later suspended for the incident and put on trial as the accused.
It was around this time that Duane Farrell also learned his life was under threat in his work, which had not been communicated to him by his employer.
Now, almost 10 years later, Farrell has been awarded almost $95,000 in compensation and lost wages after the Employment Relations Authority (ERA) found he had been treated unfairly while working for the Department of Corrections.
According to an ERA decision, on April 20, 2017, an inmate at an Auckland prison attacked Farrell from behind while he was moving him through the prison.
Farrell told his superior officers he believed he had suffered a significant injury and asked several times for an ambulance to be called to take him to hospital.
This was denied, and he was instead taken to the medical unit, where he was told by a nurse to “shake it off” and wait in the duty supervisor’s office before he was driven to the hospital by another Corrections officer.
In June and July 2017, information came to Corrections’ attention that there was a specific safety threat against Farrell, but Farrell was not informed.
On his return to work in August, he was rostered to work in the same unit in which he had been assaulted.
He told the authority he felt this was appropriate because of his familiarity with the other Corrections officers working there, the systems and the prisoners in that unit.
But that month, Farrell identified a security risk in the unit, which he reported.
Following an assessment, the prison director arranged for him to be moved to another unit that was deemed safe, as there was a potential threat to Farrell.
Later that month, he was promoted to senior Corrections officer and relocated to another unit.
But Farrell was concerned that the reason he was moved was not properly communicated to him, and he did not understand the nature or extent of the threat against him, leaving him fearful and on edge at work.
Farrell found out at a meeting in September that there was a “level 1 threat” made against him, which meant “life is under specific threat of an act of violence from an individual or group capable of carrying out the threat”.
He “felt sick” knowing he had been allowed to return to work in a unit where he could have been attacked again and Corrections had not told him.
“Farrell’s concerns about his safety at work and Corrections’ ability to keep him safe at work were escalating,” authority member Marija Urlich said in the decision.
“He felt his trust that his employer would keep him safe at work was breaking down.”
On November 16, Farrell attended a police interview regarding the earlier assault.
He was told the charges against the prisoner were likely to be dropped and that he would instead be charged, along with two other officers, for assaulting the prisoner.
In March 2018, Farrell was working in a unit holding vulnerable prisoners when an inmate threw urine at another officer, which splashed on Farrell.
Later that month, a prisoner asked to speak with Farrell while he was on duty.
He was then spat at, which resulted in “a spontaneous use of force” by Farrell.
That action was found to be inappropriate, and he was put on non-facing prisoner duties in the gatehouse.
In April 2018, Farrell was suspended from work after police charged him with the initial assault.
A trial took place, with the Crown alleging that Farrell and two other officers attacked an inmate after he hit Farrell.
He was acquitted of the criminal charge.
Farrell returned to work in 2022, completing a refresher course, then resumed duties in his usual work location. His concerns about an adequate, safe return to work continued.
Urlich found that Corrections failed to provide information in relation to serious threats to Farrell’s safety at work during 2017 and to provide a safe system of work after the assaults and injuries he suffered.
It also failed to fairly and reasonably place him on alternative duties and fairly and reasonably consider alternatives to suspension.
“He said he felt punished for doing his job and felt he had been left out of the loop about information that was pertinent to his safety,” Urlich said.
“His understandable alarm and distress to learn the threat against him personally had been assessed by Corrections at the highest level and that this information had not been provided to him, or why, has amplified his fear of threats to himself and his family and made him feel on edge at work.”
Corrections was ordered to pay Farrell $60,000 in compensation, $25,000 in general damages and $9500 in lost earnings.
It was also ordered to pay a $4000 penalty to the Crown.
A Corrections spokesperson told NZME it was still considering the determination and its next steps.
Farrell did not respond when approached for comment.
Saving fuel could mean taking simple steps like carrying less weight, driving safely and checking tire pressure.RNZ / Dan Cook
The Automobile Association is advising people to take steps that could help save fuel as the Middle East conflict bumps up prices.
Principal advisor Terry Collins said people can use less fuel by driving safely, checking tire pressure and taking fewer trips.
“Getting the car up to operating temperature … doing all those trips in one go coming back you’re saving fuel.”
Prices have been going up because of the volatility on the wholesale market caused by the conflict in the Middle East following the US-Israel strikes on Iran.
Collins said saving on the cost of fuel can come down to taking simple steps like carrying less weight in the car.
“Don’t drive all week with extra weight unnecessary like golf clubs or other things in your car that aren’t doing anything other than sitting in there. Weight will always make you use more fuel.”
Collins advised people to take a roof rack off their car, as it will make the aerodynamics of the vehicle better.
Checking tyre pressure was also on the list to save fuel, as he said it can decrease in colder weather.
He is also urging people to use an app, like Gaspy, to find the cheapest petrol station near them.
“It’s a homogeneous product which means basically its the same where ever you get it and so buying it by the cheapest price is the best smartest thing to do.”
Since the start of the conflict the price of oil has almost doubled from where it was at the start of the year.
The ripple effects of the price increase has also been the potential for inflation across a wide range of goods and services.
Gull stations in Auckland have run out of petrol at some locations, including this one in Sel Peacock Drive in Henderson. 12 March 2026.RNZ/Calvin Samuel
Gull said 3 percent of its sites had not been able to meet the extra demand from customers when it cut prices on its regular Thursday promotion.
Emeritus Professor in Climate Mitigation and Sustainable Energy at Massey University, Ralph Sims, had previously given similar advice to drivers on saving fuel as prices spiked.
“Most people don’t understand how to drive a car efficiently. I see people accelerate to a red light and then brake heavily, and if you’re running on low tyre pressures, it consumes much more fuel,” Sims said.
He also suggested the government do a national education campaign on fuel-saving tips like avoiding heavy braking, checking tyre pressure, and taking things that add weight, like a roof rack, off their vehicle when they are not needed.
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
A select committee has released its report and recommends proceeding but suggested allowing TAB to continue taking bets on overseas races after domestic racing ends.
Greyhound Racing New Zealand is disappointed the committee made the recommendation.
Chief executive Edward Rennell said people were still in the dark and there was a lot of work left to be done with over 1000 greyhounds to be rehomed.
“We’re only four and a half months out now and there’s a tremendous lot of work and there’s a lot of uncertainty in terms of how things are going to work from 1 August and further clarity is required for our industry participants.”
“At 31 July we’re projecting there’s still going to be 1600 greyhounds to be rehomed.”
Rennell said the select committee’s outcome was not what they had hoped for.
“We felt the greyhound industry and the people that submitted clearly outlined why we didn’t believe there were grounds for closure and the tremendous progress the industry has made form a welfare perspective.”
“We were hoping after consideration of the submissions that the select committee would have reviewed the decision.”
ACT MPs have voiced strong objections to the ban, saying breeders, owners and venues deserve better treatment.
ACT MP Cameron Luxton had previously said the government should “at the very least” set up a compensation scheme.
“We’ve listened to a community that’s been misunderstood by Wellington. They’re getting a raw deal. Their property rights have been disregarded, and someone needs to stick up for them.”
In a previous statement, Racing Minister Winston Peters had said everybody had had the opportunity to have their say through the select committee process.
“This decision was not taken lightly,” he said.
“However, it was considered that the rates of dogs being seriously injured remained too high and the improvements made were not significant enough.”
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
L. Sgt. Haane Manahi DCM photographed by George Bull in 1943.George Bull
The whānau of a Māori Battalion soldier hope a new film about his exploits in Tunisia during the Second World War will see him finally receive the Victoria Cross.
L. Sgt. Haane Manahi DCM (Te Arawa, Ngāti Raukawa) joined B Company, 28th Māori Battalion shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, he fought in Greece, Crete and North Africa. It was during the North African campaign in Tunisia that he confirmed his attributes as an outstanding leader and soldier.
According to his biography on Te Ara the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, he was in a platoon from the Māori Battalion that was ordered, in April 1943, to capture and secure the Takrouna feature – a steep, rocky outcrop rising almost a thousand feet above a group of olive groves.
It was occupied by 300 Italian and German troops, who were causing havoc to the advancing Allied army. The assignment was extremely dangerous and difficult due to heavy mortar and small arms fire, and by the morning after the initial attack on 20 April, Manahi’s platoon of around 30 men was reduced in strength to 10. Manahi then led a party of three men up the western side of the pinnacle.
In order to reach their objective they had to climb some 500 feet – the last 20 feet almost sheer. After a brief fight, some 60 enemy surrendered. Manahi and his party were then joined by the rest of the platoon and the pinnacle was secured.
Donna Morrison and Anaru Grant Jr.Supplied
Dr Donna Morrison is a producer of the new film and one of Haane Manahi’s nieces.
“Having the opportunity to travel with a small group to Takrouna in 2007, it really heightens an understanding when you see the citadel that is Takrouna. It has a 360 viewpoint of any approaching enemy. It is a magnificent landscape feature that really humbles you when you look at it because it is such an outstanding feature of the Tunisian landscape,” she told Māpuna.
Morrison said only two weeks prior to Manahi’s deeds of valour fellow Māori Battalion soldier Te Moananui-a-Kiwa Ngārimu was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross for bravery, determination and outstanding leadership.
Following the battle at Takrouna, Manahi was recommended for a Victoria Cross, but was instead awarded a Distinguished Conduct Medal.
“Most pivotal and critical in this is that on the final night, Uncle Haane himself personally oversaw the bringing down of the wounded and the dead. It just tells me so much about Uncle Haane, the man. And that in itself is deserved of VC consideration,” she said.
Growing up Morrison never knew of that aspect of “Uncle Haane,” she remembers instead staying at his batch at Maketu and as her swimming coach a “hard taskmaster.”
During his lifetime Manahi did not want the VC reinstated, but once he passed in 1986 Sir Charles Bennett worked towards it on behalf of all of Te Arawa, she said.
“[Uncle Haane] didn’t want to fuss and bother. He thought everyone who went away deserved the VC. That was the man that he was.”
Although official policy did not allow for review of Second World War honours, in October 2006 Buckingham Palace agreed to present a personal letter from Queen Elizabeth II recognising his gallantry, a ceremonial sword and an altar cloth for St Faith’s Church, Ōhinemutu.
Morrison believes there is still merit in His Majesty King Charles restoring the VC to Manahi.
“The goal, albeit audacious, is something that I believe that King Charles may want to at least review.
“Perhaps the film will help to speed that process up. But I believe it is achievable with the right people, the right resources, at the right time.”
The film Sgt. Haane releases nationwide in theatres on April 23. Morrison encouraged whānau of soldiers to bring photographs of their own to the theatre as a joint commemorative opportunity.
Sgt. Haane is directed by Tearepa Kahi (Muru, Poi E: The Story of Our Song, Mt. Zion) with Alex Tarrant (The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, NCIS: Hawaiʻi, DMV) as Haane Manahi.
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
Gisborne District Council agreed to purchase land at 275 Lytton Rd for $6.65 million (loan-funded) last year, with plans for a possible Regional Transfer Station and Resource Recovery Centre.Wynsley Wrigley
Gisborne is a step closer to taking control of regional waste, but some district councillors expressed “discomfort” over the process.
Councillors voted on a preferred site for developing the regional Refuse Transfer Station and Resource Recovery Centre at a council meeting on Thursday.
The 275 Lytton Road site was the recommended option in the council report and “the strongest” according to technical and financial assessments.
However, a mana whenua group, Te Kuri a Tuatai Marae, opposed the site, which was close to their marae.
Confirming the preferred site allows council staff to move into the next planning stages, involving a detailed concept design, cost refinement and a business case.
Māori ward councillor Nick Tupara said the council had not been “the best neighbour” to Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāwhiri and Te Whānau a Iwi for some time.
Te Kurī ā Tuatai Marae representatives expressed concerns about the site’s proximity and its visual impacts and prospects of noise, odour and increased traffic, potential effects on the Waikanae Awa, and the wider historical context of waste management in the area, according to the council’s meeting report.
There were ongoing legacy matters on environmental remediation, such as the former Paokahu landfill, which had “influenced perspectives”.
“A key message from marae representatives was: ‘Why address new waste infrastructure when historic waste impacts remain unresolved?’” the report reads.
Tupara voted against the report, along with Māori ward councillors Rhonda Tibble and Anne Huriwai, and general ward councillors Debbie Gregory and Samuel Gibson.
Gregory said the report was “bittersweet” to read. It was her “dream” to see the facility realised.
“I hate to delay anything as cool as this, but in my heart I can’t say yes at this point.”
Both Tibble and Gibson said they felt the “discomfort” in their “puku”.
Delaying the project would result in foregone savings estimated at $1.5 million to $3.2m per year, which would increase over time, the report reads.
“Previous analysis identified an estimated $8.7m capital cost advantage compared with a new Greenfield facility, with further modelling confirming ongoing system‑wide benefits from council ownership.”
Gisborne’s current supply chain for waste creates “market inefficiencies, increased costs, and poor sustainability incentives”, a presentation slide read.
Residents pay $527 per tonne of general waste disposal at the Gisborne Refuse Transfer Station, compared with the national average of $220-$430 p/t.
The cost to the region is estimated to be $12m per year and was forecast to be $16m per year by 2033.
Mayor Rehette Stoltz and Māori ward councillor Rawinia Parata “hesitantly” and “tentatively” supported the paper, and deputy mayor Aubrey Ria said it had caused her much “āmaimai” (anxiety).
Mayor Rehette Stoltz.RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Stoltz said she had seen the council go “above and beyond” the Treaty compass to make sure it was not a transitional relationship.
“If we decide today to move this forward, we will do better, and we will keep the door open to focus on improving that relationship.”
Parata said she was interested in the pathways of improving, beautifying and supporting the surrounding areas.
As part of the next phase of work, the council would prioritise a governance-led “best neighbour” approach, according to the council report.
This included environmental protection and enhancement beyond minimum compliance, and design and operational controls that would minimise noise, odour, litter, traffic and visual effects.
Ria said her vote of support did not “predetermine” her decision that the final confirmation of the site was “set in stone”.
She was “willing to take the risk of the further expense” and hoped for “some progression in [council’s] kōrero with hapū and marae”.
She asked whether the transfer station would also go out for consultation with the Waste Management and Minimisation Plan, which had been adopted for consultation at the meeting.
Chief executive Nedine Thatcher Swann confirmed that the council would “use the same channels to get the information out at the same time”.
Councillor Larry Foster said he was “totally happy” to move the report, which councillor Alexander Boros seconded.
He was sure most of the community would support the decision.
“To have a facility that we can totally recycle and utilise our waste is absolutely awesome.”
Chief adviser of Māori partnerships Gene Takurua said he did not want to “challenge or disrespect” the position of marae, hapū and iwi, but did not think the council got to engage or discuss “the real kaupapa” and “opportunity at hand”.
This was because of the legacy issues that continued to impact the surrounding area, Rongowhakaata iwi and the hapū concerned.
Opportunity was provided for the marae and Rongowhakaata Iwi Trust to “sit as equal partners” and be recognised for time, effort and contribution.
“Hand on heart, I feel that we certainly aligned with our Treaty requirements and responsibilities in terms of our attempts.”
The council report states that further sites had been explored; these sites either could not support future growth, recycling and recovery initiatives, posed significantly higher operational costs, or were not suitable for the Regional Resource Centre.
The Lytton Road site was the only site within council ownership that could be progressed without significant delays, rework or additional land acquisition.
The site options were 75 Innes Street (status quo), 275 Lytton Road and a greenfields site in the vicinity of Gisborne City.
The recommended option voted on by councillors meant the council would continue to “actively invite mana whenua engagement, including opportunities to participate in design refinement, environmental enhancement, monitoring and ongoing dialogue”.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
Got questions? RNZ has launched a podcast,No Stupid Questions, with Susan Edmunds.
We’d love to hear more of your questions about money and the economy. You can send through written questions, like these ones, but even better, you can drop us a voice memo to our email questions@rnz.co.nz
No matter what mental gymnastics I do in my head and what calculators I use, I can’t work out how to maximise growth as I head towards retirement. Am I better off increasing my KiwiSaver contributions, or should I increase my mortgage repayments to minimise interest and term? It’s probably down to one’s own situation, but are there examples where one might be a better option than the other?
You’re right that it depends a lot on your own situation, and also your personality.
I talked to Rupert Carlyon, founder of Kernel KiwiSaver about this.
He points out that when you pay off your mortgage, you’re guaranteed a five percent taxfree return (or whatever interest rate you would otherwise be paying). As long as you keep paying, there is pretty much no risk that you won’t save yourself pretty significant sums of money in the long run by paying off your mortgage.
“With a KiwiSaver growth fund you may get a return of five percent to eight percent over a 10-year period,” he said.
“The returns from the market may be higher than that – though they may also be lower”.
He said you would also need to manage the downside risk. What would happen if your KiwiSaver fund did not perform as expected or lost money?
“If a member is a long term investor and plans to remain invested for at least eight to 10 years – then the probability of achieving an eight percent to 10 percent return with the KiwiSaver are higher than if they are a short term investor. If they need the money inside that time horizon – there is a significant chance of a market downturn and potentially the investment loses money – that is why the client should be in a balanced or conservative fund, and it is very unlikely that a balanced or conservative fund outperforms the mortgage over the medium term.
“If the person wants to maximise and is able to afford to take a little more risk – then potentially a KiwiSaver growth fund is the right answer. Though it depends on their time horizon and appetite for risk.”
You’ll need to weigh up how much you stand to save by paying off your home loan, what you will do once you’ve done that, and what sort of investment returns you can expect to get over the same period.
I know some people put all their money into clearing their mortgage and then plan to invest afterwards. This does reduce the amount of time you have for returns to compound, and relies also on you having the personality to actually do it.
If you can go into retirement with a mortgage-free home, that’s likely to reduce your stress quite significantly.
Can you advise me, I am getting NZ Super this year and will continue working. Which one should be secondary tax? I pay market rent and am single.
This will depend on how much you are earning from your job.
You should choose a main income tax rate for which ever income source gives you more. If you earn more than you get in NZ Super, you should have NZ Super as your secondary income. But if NZ Super will be more, you should switch your other income to a secondary tax code.
You won’t pay more tax overall for having a secondary tax code, but the addition of extra income will increase your overall tax bill which means more may need to be taxed at higher rates.
A man who was made redundant last year has been left perplexed when his employed partner was told she would need to attend a seminar on gaining employment.
Andy, whom RNZ has agreed not to identify, lost his job last June.
“As I’ve been paying my taxes I thought I would see if I would be eligible for the unemployment benefit, which I wasn’t at that time because my de facto partner of 28 years had full time employment as a chef which she has held for 14 years, fair point so it was left there.”
There are limits on how much a household can earn and still remain eligible for benefits. When someone is on JobSeeker, household income over $160 a week before tax affects eligibility.
But Andy said four months later, her hours had been cut to four days.
“So I wait four weeks, so I can offer four payslips as proof and apply again.”
He said he applied online for his own benefit, and attended an interview.
But then his partner was called in and asked the same questions, despite not seeking a benefit.
“After two hours we’re sent away to await ‘our applications to be processed’ then I get a phone call to confirm that both our applications have been accepted but because my spouse has part-time work, her benefit is classified as her main income – all $51.20 of it – her wage will be classified as her second income and taxed accordingly. She’s employed, she doesn’t want any benefit, it was my application.
“On top of that, because she is now classed as unemployed she also has to attend a seminar about what benefits she’s entitled to claim and advice on gaining employment. But, she’s very happily employed.”
He said it had created a situation where there was an extra benefit application, and she was being forced to take time off work to attend a seminar about getting work.
“We’ve actually cancelled my application because my spouse doesn’t want to be contacted by anyone regarding other employment, who knows how her current employer would react if they thought that she was looking for work. Would they believe us?”
Rena Hona, regional commissioner for the Ministry of Social Development in Northland, acknowledged it was a difficult time for the couple.
“We’re happy to help Andy with his search for employment in any way we can, and we encourage him to remain in contact with us.
“We have a wide range of support available to help people find jobs and employers across the region regularly let us know about new vacancies.”
Hona said Andy’s partner’s 24 hours a week did not meet the minimum standard for full-time employment.
“This means she would need to take reasonable steps to secure employment of at least 30 hours a week if she and Andy applied for Jobseeker Support payments as a couple.”
Hona said Andy’s partner had been told she would not be required to attend a seminar and could have a one-on-one interview instead.
“New Zealand’s social security system is built on the premise that people in a relationship share costs and support each other financially. This is why applying for Jobseeker Support works differently, and the payment rates may differ, if someone is single or in a relationship.
“If someone in a relationship applies for assistance their partner also needs to give us some information. We’re required by legislation to assess both partners’ employment status and their combined household income. We then use this information to determine what they may be eligible for and what their obligations might be. These obligations could include looking for a full-time job and keeping us updated about how that goes.”
When someone was working 30 hours a week, they would not have job search obligations.
“If people need financial assistance because they’re not working full-time, we expect them to take all reasonable steps to confirm suitable full-time employment as soon as possible, so they no longer need financial assistance. This is a longstanding principle which underpins New Zealand social security legislation.”
Chanel College Queensland, where Jason Morgan now works.Google Maps
A teacher censured for asking students inappropriate questions, including, “How long would you wait to have sex with a dead girl?”, has now been suspended from his teaching role in Australia.
Teacher Jason Morgan made multiple sexual comments to students while working as a boarding house assistant at a New Zealand school in 2023.
The Teachers’ Disciplinary Tribunal was only able to censure him, because he had moved overseas and was teaching at Chanel College in Queensland, Australia.
The tribunal decision said the Queensland College of Teachers (QCT) was aware of Morgan’s teaching background.
A former student of Morgan’s at the time of the incidents told NZME he was shocked to hear Morgan was still teaching in Australia.
“For him to be teaching again is completely unacceptable for a man who has made sexual jokes.
“I highly recommend Chanel College do change their mind as he should be terminated from teaching and any job that involves kids.”
The former student alleged that more comments were made, beyond what was mentioned in the tribunal’s decision, which made students at the time uncomfortable.
However, a Catholic Education – Diocese of Rockhampton spokesperson, who oversees the Queensland school at which Morgan was teaching, has now told NZME that he has been suspended.
“The college has recently become aware of concerns relating to one of our teachers while in a previous role at a school overseas,” the spokesperson said.
“The staff member has been suspended from all duties while the matter is being investigated.”
They said the college had notified the relevant authorities.
“The safety and well-being of our students remain our highest priority.”
A spokesperson for QCT said it could not comment on any individual’s teacher registration or matters of professional conduct.
At the time of the misconduct, Morgan was a teacher and boarding house assistant at a school that cannot be identified.
During Term 1 and 2, Morgan made inappropriate comments of a sexual nature while in his capacity as house assistant, specifically at the end of the day when they shared a “thought of the day”.
The “thought of the day” was a way to wind down students before bed.
The students said comments made by Morgan during these discussions included, “Would you have regular sex with a seven out of 10 or have a one-night stand with a nine out of 10?” and, “Would you sleep with an absolute 10 out of 10 if she was crazy as?”
The decision states he also asked, “How long would you wait to have sex with a dead girl?”
Morgan also engaged in banter and jokes with a student over several days, while other students were present.
During this exchange, Morgan told the student that he would “come on your mum’s back”, the decision stated.
After Morgan made the comment, he apologised to the student.
Later that month, Morgan made inappropriate comments in front of several students when speaking about hunting. He reportedly said, “Be careful you… boys don’t f*** [goats]”.
Morgan voluntarily resigned after the complaint. He has been approached for comment.
Leka Halasima has the tryline in sight for the Warriors against Canberra.Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Analysis: Exactly seven days earlier, NZ Warriors coach Andrew Webster sat in exactly this same seat and more or less predicted what would happen.
He was defending his decision to delay the introduction of young powerhouse Leka Halasima off the bench until after halftime of the season-opening win over Sydney Roosters.
“The day will come when Leka will play 80 minutes and I’m looking forward to that day, because it will be awesome, but he doesn’t need to do it right now,” Webster said. “He just needs to own his little time and have that impact.”
A week late, his team needed that performance from ‘Leka the Wrecker’.
Halasima had scored a try with his first touch against Sydney, but a week later, as the Warriors overwhelmed defending minor premiers Canberra Raiders 40-6, he fully lived up to Webster’s faith. Thrust into the starting line-up before kickoff through injury, he went the full distance, producing a try double and making his impact felt all around the park.
“Honestly, we were all just talking in the sheds about how proud we were of Leka,” Webster said. “He got a minute’s notice, knuckled down, scored two tries, but his tackling, his defence, his effort areas were the best parts of his game – and he did it for 80 minutes.
“Happy, super happy.”
To open their 2026 campaign, the Warriors have now put 40 points on two highly rated opponents and, while Webster insisted the Roosters scoreline was flattering, he was comfortable his team had earned every bit of their advantage over these opponents, who had a winning head-to-head historical record against them and had won their last three meetings.
This is just the fourth time the Auckland NRL club has begun a season with back-to-back wins – they have only once strung three together. In 2018, they rattled off five.
“Wins like tonight aren’t a surprise to us, but at the same time, we’ve got to get better,” Webster insisted.
Here’s what else we learned from the win over Canberra:
Best player
Halasima was originally selected to come off the interchange, probably in a very similar role to last week, but all that changed when veteran second-rower Kurt Capewell pulled up lame with a calf strain in warm-ups.
His first try came in the 49th minute, when he chased a kick into goal from halfback Tanah Boyd and dived unopposed for the touchdown.
With just over 10 minutes remaining, he propped off his left foot inside one sprawling defender, brushed off counterpart Noah Martin metres from the line and then tumbled over in the tackle of Kiwis centre Matt Timoko for his second try.
His 35 tackles were only a couple less than team-leading Jackson Ford (37) and he ran for 114 metres. After pacing the Warriors in tries last season with 13, he is already among the competition’s leaders with three in two games.
Supposedly filling in for Luke Metcalf, halfback Tanah Boyd continued to stake his claim for a fulltime role with another outstanding performance, scoring a try, kicking five conversions and a penalty, while providing two try assists.
Webster rated his showing against the Roosters as his best in a Warriors jersey – this was his second best.
Ali Leiataua celebrates his go-ahead try for the Warriors.www.photosport.nz
Front-rower Ford put in another massive effort – he was finally subbed off with five minutes remaining and was his team’s top fantasy scorer with 75 points. He led the Warriors in tackles and run metres last week, and ran for 154 metres this time.
Centre Ali Leiataua showed why he was missed last season, amid the Warriors’ midfield injuries, and may now take some unseating, when Rocco Berry returns from shoulder surgery.
After entering the game early, fullback Taine Tuaupiki was a constant threat on attack, running more than 200 metres and reminding everyone why he was so valued as Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad’s back-up – for now.
Key moment
Leiataua had already delivered a solid first-half performance, highlighted by six tacklebreaks and an assist on Dallin Watene-Zelezniak’s first try.
With the halftime score level at 6-6, he broke the contest open for the Warriors soon after the break, lurking in midfield to pick off hooker Tom Starling’s pass and gallop 50 metres for the go-ahead try.
The Warriors piled on 34 unanswered second-half points to have the Raiders totally demoralised by the closing minutes.
“That was a bonus,” Webster said of the intercept try. “We spoke about how well they offload the ball and just to stay up.
“Ali was up and made his own luck there. Awesome.”
Try of the game
So many to chose from, but how were the delightful soccer skills of lock Erin Clark in the build-up to Boyd’s try near the end?
Already up 30-6, Boyd created the opportunity with a well-taken 40-20 and then, at the end of the next set, put a kick along the ground towards the goal area.
Erin Clark and Tanah Boyd celebrate a Warriors try against the Raiders.Andrew Cornaga/Photosport
Clark overran his chase, but flicked the ball up with his heels, and Boyd was following to gather and score.
By then, everything the Warriors attempted turned up diamonds and more than a few Raiders heads went down after this audacious blow.
Injuries
Webster will be holding breath this week over an injury toll that disrupted this line-up against Canberra and may impact future selections.
Capewell’s departure was followed by five-eighth Chanel Harris-Tavita in the ninth minute, after he knocked himself out in a tackle. Fullback Nicoll-Klokstad moved to the halves and Tuaupiki came off the bench to replace him.
Captain James Fisher-Harris was also pulled from the field before halftime for a concussion check, but passed and returned to play an inspirational role in the result.
Ten minutes from the end, Nicoll-Klokstad also left the field for a test. By then, victory was safe and Webster simply slotted hooker Wayde Egan into the vacancy to close it out.
“We have something organised for every situation,” he assured. “Capey went down in warm-up with calf, so straight away, we knew that Leka was going to start.
“We knew, if we got an outside back or half injury, we would activate Taine, and Charnze would move to the halves or centre or wing.
“We had the plan and then Chanel went down, so we activated Taine, and then ‘Nuck’ went down, so we put Wayde Egan at half.”
The substitutions perfectly illustrated how administrators probably envisaged their new six-man interchange working, with teams now able to utilise specialist replacements, like Tuaupiki, off the bench, rather than playing forwards out of position among the backs.
Previously, Harris-Tavita’s injury may have caused an entire re-alignment of the backline, with Nicoll-Klokstad to five-eighth, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck to fullback, Adam Pompey to wing and Halasima to centre – or Egan stationed in the halves for most of the contest.
Kurt Capewell never made it past the warm-ups for the Warriors.Andrew Cornaga/p
“The best part was the boys were so calm and so clear during adversity,” Webster said.
Harris-Tavita is definitely out next week, so Webster must likely choose between Nicoll-Klokstad out of position or a first-grade debut for Luke Hanson.
If Nicoll-Klokstad failed his head injury assessment – and Webster had no outcome to report – the spine may include both Hanson and Tuaupiki.
Calves are tricky injuries – and trickier the older you get – so Capewell, 32, may need some time to heal. On the positive side, second-rower Marata Niukore, also recovering from a calf, played for the reserves in the curtainraiser and would be a like-for-like replacement.
Co-captain Mitch Barnett also nears a return from last year’s season-ending knee injury.
Canberra Raiders
The visitors started strongly with the opening try to fullback Kaeo Weekes, but had little else to offer for the rest of the journey.
Coach Ricky Stuart is usually the first to point the finger, if he thinks his team has been treated poorly by match officials, but this contest wasn’t close enough to blame anyone else.
“Disappointed with the result and the scoreline obviously,” he offered. “When you’re on, you’re on and when you’re off, you’re off.
“We had our chances, but they defended very well. You can’t take anything away from their defence – they scrambled well and defended well.
“That intercept, and then we made an error and they scored off that to put them 12 ahead,” Stuart identified the turning point. “With a big home crowd behind them and them on the front foot, it was going to be a big task coming back.”
After needing Golden Point to overcome Manly Sea Eagles in their season opener, the ‘Green Machine’ face another examination next week, when they host Canterbury Bulldogs, who also needed extra time to edge St George Dragons in their Vegas opener, before drawing the bye this week.
Chanel Harris-Tavita is treated for concussion, after knocking himself out in a tackle.Photosport
Tuivasa-Sheck 150th
The veteran wing had a mixed night, not at all helped by the loss of Capewell and Harris-Tavita from his edge.
He had a pass thrown behind him and another that dipped at his feet in the first half, but eventually led his team with 210 running metres.
While he couldn’t find the tryline in his milestone game for the club, RTS was caught off guard, when Boyd tossed him the ball to convert Watene-Zelezniak’s final try.
“Just hit and hope,” he winked. “I was in shock at the time, but all the boys were egging me on, so I took the role on and was surprised it went over.”
Tuivasa-Sheck kept the kick low, with a little right-to-left fade that steered it safely between the uprights.
Webster observed: “If we’d missed the top eight by two points, I was never going to forgive him.”
What the result means
Again, too early in the season to make any definitive difference on the competition table yet – but Warriors are on top and become the first team to record two victories in the new season.
After two big wins, their points differential is comfortable (+58), remembering they finished only +21 for all of last season and never ventured above +36.
[h}What’s next
Warriors travel to Newcastle Knights, who took out the 2025 wooden spoon, but have changed coaches in the off-season and won their season-opener against North Queensland Cowboys 28-18 in Vegas.
Kiwis coach and Warriors assistant Stacey Jones will have a chance to discuss Kalyn Ponga’s impending international allegiance switch with the player after the game.
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
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Polish President Witold Banka, delivering a speech in Lausanne, Switzerland in March 2024.FABRICE COFFRINI
A major World Rugby and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) investigation has resulted in anti-doping rule violations being confirmed against six players and one member of the athlete support personnel from the Georgia national rugby union team.
Launched in 2023, the investigation, named Operation Obsidian, looked into claims that players engaged in sample substitution in blatant contravention, outlined in Code Article 2.2 of anti-doping rules.
A report released on Saturday by both bodies reveals five instances where sample substitution occurred, also finding that advance notice of testing was being given to players from the Georgia national rugby union team by employees of the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency (GADA).
It also determined that doping control officers were not observing athletes notified for doping control and not witnessing urine passing, which are clear non-conformities under the rules.
“What has been happening in Georgian rugby is outrageous and will send shockwaves through Georgian sport and government, as well as the global game of rugby,” said WADA President Witold Bańka.
“I also praise World Rugby’s commitment to uncovering the facts and its willingness to work collaboratively with WADA to deliver this strong result for rugby.
“This is not the end of the story as further investigation is now going on deeper into Georgian sport.
“WADA has brought Operation Obsidian’s findings to the attention of the Government of Georgia to address the issues in the Georgian Anti-Doping Agency.
“As the next steps are being considered, clearly, WADA has lost confidence in GADA’s anti-doping program and wholesale changes must now be made by the relevant authorities,” said Banka.
WADA has also extracted samples collected from athletes of other sports in Georgia, with an expert review of the Athlete Biological Passports related to these samples now underway.
The six players, and the support personnel member, are yet to be named, with World Rugby saying the full disciplinary (results management) process has to be completed firdst.
But in a statement, the organisation says the investigation was triggered when irregularities in urine samples were identified by World Rugby’s athlete passport management programme, covering an extended period of time prior to Men’s Rugby World Cup 2023 in France.
World Rugby alerted WADA immediately and the two bodies worked closely together.
World Rugby said it took all anti-doping matters extremely seriously and was an unwavering champion of clean sport.
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
“The area of town which the library is in has been kind of boarded up and shut down and difficult to move around for some time,” Little said.
“So with all the hoardings coming down and the library opening up and a place for people to come in their hundreds, it’s really going to make a big difference to that part of town.”
In 2025, the Department of Conservation received 39 reports of the birds being killed by vehicles in the region – up from 26 birds the year before.
Dogs were the next biggest cause of reported kiwi deaths, with 29 killed in confirmed (16) or suspected (13) dog attacks.
That was also an increase on the previous year’s tally of 16 (11 confirmed, 5 suspected).
However, a kiwi expert cautioned that reported deaths may not reflect the actual numbers killed by different causes.
Kiwi Coast Mid North coordinator Andrew Mentor said the bodies of kiwi killed by cars were more likely to be seen and hence reported.
“When kiwi are killed on the road that’s obviously more available and visual, so you’d expect them to be found more easily than those that are killed by dogs in the bush – which might not be found or reported,” he said.
Roadside crosses show where kiwi have been killed by cars in Rangitane, near Kerikeri.RNZ / Peter de Graaf
DOC’s figures showed the hotspots for kiwi deaths by vehicle last year were Whangārei Heads (11), Russell-Ōkiato (7) and Rangitane-Ōpito Bay near Kerikeri (4).
Within Whangārei Heads, most deaths occurred in a small area between the Nook Road turnoff and McLeod Bay.
Rangitane, with its high density of both humans and kiwi, used to be the worst place in Northland for kiwi road deaths.
However, in recent years Rangitane’s kiwi road toll had dropped significantly.
Dean Wright, founder of the Kerikeri Peninsula Conservation Charitable Trust, put that down to greater awareness among local motorists and a highly visible billboard campaign.
Wright said the trust had identified the three worst hotspots for kiwi deaths, then put up roadside signs alerting motorists.
Some signs were lit up at night, when the birds were out and about, while others were updated with the current toll each time another kiwi was killed.
The group also placed roadside crosses anywhere a kiwi had been run over.
“When we first started recording we were at seven [kiwi road deaths] a year, but it’s been on a downward trend. We’re hoping that’s because of our signage and that this year it’s going to drop more but who knows. I guess there’ll be the odd blip, but at least the trend is going the right way.”
Deb Bayens-Wright and Dean Wright with one of the billboards Kerikeri Peninsula Conservation Charitable Trust has put up around Rangitane.Supplied / Dean Wright
One of the problems was that the speed limit in much of Rangitane was 80km/h.
“We reckon that 50km/h gives them a chance, so you’ve got time to brake if they run out in front of you. But not everyone’s going to do that.”
Collecting kiwi corpses was his “least favourite job”, Wright said.
“Someone will call and we’ll go and pick up the body off the side of the road. It’s really sad, you know, because it’s a preventable death. If you take a few more minutes to get to your destination on the peninsula, it could save a kiwi’s life.”
Wright said the reported figures likely understated the impact of dogs and stoats.
“One, the bodies are never found, and, two, if your dog killed a kiwi, what are the chances of you getting on the phone straight away and ringing DOC and telling them? Bugger all, I’d say.”
A kiwi killed in a dog attack near Russell.Supplied
By far the worst area in Northland for dog attacks on kiwi was the Purerua Peninsula in the northern Bay of Islands, with 16 fatal maulings recorded last year – 12 of which occurred in Wharengaere Bay.
Other reports put that number as high as 20 in Wharengaere Bay alone.
Two dogs were seized for roaming in the isolated bay in January this year.
Last year, three Northland kiwi were reported as being killed by stoats, a drop from four by stoats and one by a ferret in 2024.
Adult kiwi could generally defend themselves against cats with only one kiwi known to have fallen victim to a feline last year.
Other reported causes of death in 2025 included drowning (4), traps (3), natural causes (4), ingesting karaka berries (2) and trauma (4).
Deaths by trauma included being run over by a mower, crushed by a digger, and falling off a retaining wall.
Ten died of unknown causes – usually because the body was too decomposed to establish the cause – compared to 19 the previous year.
The total number of reported kiwi deaths in 2025 was 99, up from 86 the year before.
A Kerikeri conservation group has put up signs around Rangitane with the current death toll, urging motorists to take care around kiwi hotspots.Supplied / Dean Wright
Mentor said the increasing number of kiwi deaths was in part a result of extensive pest control across Northland.
With growing numbers of kiwi in some areas, more were being killed by cars, dogs and other means.
His advice for Northlanders was to take extra care while driving at night.
“Don’t assume it’s a possum on the road, it could well be a kiwi. And please tie up your dogs and be responsible dog owners,” he said.
The kiwi death data was obtained under the Official Information Act.
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
Shepherdess founder Kristy McGregor.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
With a seven, five, and one-year-old at home, and another baby on the way, life can be quite chaotic for Shepherdess founder Kristy McGregor. Living rurally on a beef and dairy farm in Horowhenua adds another layer.
It was that and a desire to connect rural women and provide a sense of community that saw her launch the Shepherdess Muster – a rural women’s retreat – first in the remote settlement of Motu in Tai Rāwhiti two years ago and most recently in Tokanui at the bottom of the South Island.
“The Muster is about just taking time for yourself and doing something for yourself,” she told Country Life.
“What you get when you come here is just a chance to have a go, have good food, have food cooked for you. When did you last get a meal made for you?”
The Tokanui Rugby Club was transformed into a rural women’s retreat for the second Shepherdess Muster, the first in the South Island.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The weekend included a wide range of workshops centred on everything from women’s health, empowerment, intimacy and relationships, and parenting.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
As McGregor explained, the Muster was a chance for rural women to choose for themselves.
“The Shepherdess Muster is three days of women coming together in a rural or remote spot and a weekend of arts, health and well-being and entrepreneurship, business development. Really just spending time together and connecting and taking a moment for yourself.”
The first event to be held in the South Island, the Muster attracted more than 200 women from around the motu to the Tokanui Rugby Club for a weekend of camping, fun and celebrating International Women’s Day.
While there was a wide range of activities on offer – everything from women’s health check-ups, intimacy workshops, beauty appointments, tattooing, Zumba, yoga and craft sessions – none were compulsory.
Tokanui farmer, mum of 4 and Shepherdess organising committee member Emma-Kate Rabbidge.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Tokanui locals Emma-Kate Rabbidge and Julie Keast were both excited to showcase their slice of paradise after nearly two years of planning as part of the event’s organising committee.
For Keast, who lived a few kilometres away from the rugby club, it was about women coming together for themselves.
“It’s really important that we hold that place for each other, and support each other and have a good time together,” she told Country Life.
Rabbidge, who lived even closer to the grounds with her husband and four children, found it odd camping in a tent down the hill over her own bed.
“But like I’ve said to a few women, you know, as soon as you walk back in the door to your home, you’re the wife and you’re the mum and you’re all the things again.
“This weekend is really about stepping away from that and taking the time out. So, yeah, I’m staying away.”
She hoped that attendees might walk away with a reignited passion for being creative or picking up a new hobby, something they could incorporate into their life back home which could help them build connection and community.
Tokanui local Sheila Smith of the Small Prophet Design Shed.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
The weekend was a great way to showcase local makers and businesses.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Sophie Green and Louise Patterson enjoy checking out the craft stall.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
For “Welsh import” Sheila Smith, who also called Tokanui home and helped start the Small Prophet Design Shed, moving to the remote Catlins was an adjustment at first.
“It was a big move from central London. That was a challenge to adjust to the slower pace – one garage, one school, one shop, and one superb design store, Small Profit Design.”
She and two other women who ran the store travelled all through Wanaka, Queenstown, and Otago doing interiors and art and furniture. She said they were passionate about promoting New Zealand-made goods and doing things themselves.
It allowed her to be more than “a farmer’s wife” and provide an outlet for her creative background. Like many rural women she wore many hats – at the Muster over the weekend Smith could also be found leading the Zumba dance sessions and early morning workouts.
She said despite some of the challenges of moving to the “end of the world”, it was one that had taught her a lot and a “good move”.
She was reminded of this the week before, during a recent burst of aurora – she could see the southern lights from her farm, Aurora Downs.
Dr Helen Paterson with the Women’s Health Bus.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Dancers dress to the theme of sparkles and sequins, enjoying the live band.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Many of the rural women spoken to by Country Life over the weekend spoke of their gratitude to live, and for some, raise their families, in beautiful parts of the country where there was space to play and potter.
But many also spoke of the time pressures and constant juggle which made it challenging to always appreciate this.
Southland sharemilker Allesha Ballard-Conway came to the Muster alone, hopeful she would make new friends and enjoy “some crafts, good food, good vibes” while trying something new.
Nearing the end of the weekend she said she had met women from all types of places doing different things and this would be her biggest takeaway from the experience.
“We literally just sat down and yarned. It was so lovely just to feel connected to women – just being inspired by all the women.”
Southland sharemilker Allesha Ballard-Conway was proud to have set up her campsite all on her own.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Louise Patterson and Sophie Green had an easier time than some setting up their inflatable tent.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
A paddock becomes a campground, with tents, trailers and all sorts of temporary accommodation.Gianina Schwanecke / Country Life
Harvest time at Big Sky Wines begins or ends with friends and neighbours in the vineyard helping to bring in the first grapes of the season.
Husband-and-wife team Kath Jacobs and Jeremy Corban started out 21 years ago, growing mainly Pinot Noir on six hectares in Te Muna Valley near Martinborough, and were both the viticulturalists and winemakers at their certified organic vineyard.
They did most things by hand, and in mid-March, under a shockingly blue sky in 26-degree heat, a clutch of neighbours and friends were lending theirs, snipping the first grape bunches from the vines.
Jeremy Corban and Katherine Jacobs harvesting grapes in their vineyard.RNZ/Sally Round
“I like this kind of ending one chapter and starting the next chapter,” Corban said.
“This is the end of the grape growing and the start of the wine making, so it’s a nice point. I like seeing the fruit come in. That’s six months work, maybe longer, and it’s just gorgeous on days like this. You know, it’s no hardship, is it?”
The couple were among 90 percent of New Zealand’s 700-plus winegrowers classified as ‘small’ – producing under 200,000 litres a year. With their own winery on site, they produced about 20,000 litres, although that varied from year to year.
Jacobs described it as a classic family-run operation.
“We try and do all the work ourselves. We’re organic. We’re living on our property. Our children grew up here.
“We love the fact that it’s really simple and compact, and we pick as much fruit in a day as we can, Jeremy and I can, process, so we’ve got a lot of friends who’ve been involved with us since the beginning.”
The pickers were treated to a nice lunch at the end – “A celebration of the time of year,” Corban said.
“We like to either do the first pick of the season or the last pick of the season with that, with friends.”
The bins of grapes are loaded into a large field container before being transported to the winery for chilling, then a light pressRNZ/Sally Round
Kate Smith was one of the stalwarts with about 20 years of picking under her belt.
“I’ve known Katherine and Jeremy for a long time. We came to New Zealand in 2005 and they’d just bought the vineyard. We’ve been helping them with the harvest almost every year since. We’re just friends, amateurs who come for a fun day and and it’s just a lovely day.
“There’s usually a good team of people here. And, you know, I always meet people that I haven’t seen before, and we have a nice chat as we go along with vines. You know, there’s a nice communal feeling. We will sit down and have a lunch together at some point.”
Kate Smith, one of the picking team at Big Sky Wines. She’s been helping with the harvest since the wine label’s beginnings 20 years ago.RNZ/Sally Round
The group were picking early harvest pinot noir, with the fruit at lower sugar and higher acid levels, for sparkling wine.
“We really like the human factor of people looking at each bunch, it’s really important,” Jacobs said.
“We’re making the best wine we can, not the most wine we can. So we really appreciate people’s actual eyeballs on the bunches.”
A small group of friends and neighbours have joined in the first pick of the season.RNZ/Sally Round
The buckets went into bins which a neighbour picked up and loaded on the back of the tractor. It rumbles slowly down the rows to the larger field bin at the end, where the morning’s harvest was collected, ready for the winery.
The fruit would be chilled down to 10 degrees overnight then lightly pressed in the morning.
“It’s quite a physical, manual process,” Corban said.
“You get good at lifting 15 kilos a lot of times, thousands of times. It also gives us another chance to make sure there’s nothing going into the mix that we don’t want.”
With a good amount in the bin, it was time for a break and the group headed off for scones, a cold drink and a chat.
“We don’t do all our harvesting like that, but it’s a nice way … at the end of the day, this whole business is about conviviality.”
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
Dancer Tennille Arthur says line dancing is for all ages.RNZ/Anisha Satya
“It’s not one that we do, because not everyone can keep up.”
She had started dancing on stage to help guide newer dancers through the routines – as practice for running private classes, which were attracting growing interest in Christchurch.
“They want more [dancers] to be able to go to weddings and parties and hen’s dos and things.”
The rise of country and country-pop into mainstream music genres had played a role in the growth of line dancing. So had social media, where algorithms had exposed a wider audience to viral line dance routines.
Pitbull’s hit song “Fireball” slotted perfectly into Linedance Christchurch’s beginner track list, which also boasted Sabrina Carpenter and Elton John.
But most importantly for Mooney, there was an appetite in Christchurch for fun fitness.
“If people are sitting at home on the couch, getting chubby, trying to work out, ‘how do I get fit?’, I’m not going to go to a gym.
“It’s too hard to run round the block, our weather isn’t conducive to evening or morning walks, but line dancing … I can give people an hour of gentle, easy exercise that just sneaks up on you.
“You’re laughing, you’re breaking a sweat, having some fun.”
You can wear whatever footwear you like for line dancing these days – though some stick to the traditional boots.RNZ/Anisha Satya
The club turned to the experienced coach again last month after Giancarlo Italiano’s abrupt departure adding another chapter to his extraordinary coaching journey.
Coaching was always Greenacre’s plan. Along with a handful of Tranmere Rovers team mates in England in the early 2000s he was part of the Professional Football Association’s pilot scheme of putting current players through their coaching badges. By the time he landed in New Zealand as a Phoenix player he had a UEFA B licence but no real outlet to use it.
Little did he know his first real head coaching job would be, what was at the time, New Zealand’s only professional team.
It is a position many coaches struggling in lower leagues could only dream of landing in their lap, but for Greenacre the unconventional rise was not always easy to navigate. He has yo-yoed between head coach and assistant roles, between the A-League team and the Reserves team in New Zealand domestic competitions.
The Englishman went from being a club legend on the field that hung up his boots somewhat prematurely in 2012 to just months later being head coach while Ricki Herbert was on international duty with the All Whites.
“If I’m really honest, I didn’t know anything, and that’s just the nature of the beast,” Greenacre said of the first time, 13 years ago, in a role he now has a level of familiarity with.
“I think in an ideal world, if you can come through the youth team ranks and develop like that, I think it’s really the best way forward.
“But unfortunately, or fortunately, my path was to go straight in at the top, which rarely happens.”
Chris Greenacre during a training session at Newtown Park in 2012.Photosport
However, being in the right place at the right time has been a theme during Greenacre’s 17 years with the Phoenix.
Whether it was scoring a crucial goal from centre-forward in one of his 84 A-League games or a timely transition to coaching.
Herbert had been the one to see Greenacre’s potential on and off the field.
Injured and frustrated with his lot at Tranmere Rovers, Greenacre arrived at the Phoenix in 2009 after a chance conversation with former Socceroo Gareth Edds.
Edds was on the radar of A-League clubs wanting to bring Aussies home and on the other side of the world Rovers players were paying attention to what the league was doing.
Despite not taking the field, due to injury, when Herbert and former Phoenix chief executive Tony Pinata visited England to check out their potential visa player, the bosses liked what they saw from the level that the Rovers were playing at and the wheels were in motion to get Greenacre from League One to the A-League.
Herbert then opened the door for the shift straight from player to assistant coach, a role that Greenacre could not turn down despite feeling like he could have played on.
Chris Greenacre celebrates scoring for the Phoenix in 2010.Dave Lintott/Photosport
“It was a bit of a risk, I think, because I’m a bit of an advocate for players to play as high as you can for as long as you can. I still say that to players now, if you can keep playing, keep playing, it’s the best place to be.
“Then coaching is probably the next best thing.
“I probably didn’t take my own advice, but felt that, hopefully, coaching was where I wanted the next part of my football journey to take me.”
Since then Greenacre has maximised his opportunities working as an assistant with four of the next five Phoenix coaches after Herbert.
Former Wellington Phoenix coach Ufuk Talay of Sydney FC greets interim coach Chris Greenacre of the Phoenix during the round 19 A-League Men match between Wellington Phoenix and Sydney FC this month.Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images
He also filled in as an interim coach after Ernie Merrick, Darije Kalezic, Mark Rudan and Ufuk Talay.
He was not an assistant to Italiano – opting instead to go back to the Phoenix academy system for professional and personal reasons.
“It was me recognising that I need more hands-on on the grass, where I’m making the main decisions, and that’s what that allowed me to do over that period of time.
“Also my daughter was about six at the time, during the Covid time, so to not travel to Australia and to spend some time with my wife and daughter was crucial as well.
“On the back of that, I’d completed my pro licence and it was a way of me to be able to put into practice the knowledge and stuff that I needed on my coaching journey at that particular time.”
After two and a bit seasons in charge, Italiano left after a big loss to their northern rivals Auckland FC last month and Greenacre, who is head of the Phoenix academy’s pro development, once again got the call from management to fill the void.
The academy operates separately from the A-League team and Greenacre had no insight into what had gone on this season before his sudden arrival with the top team.
“You never really understand what’s going on internally when you’re on the outside, even though you’re a staff member at the club.
“You don’t know what the relationship is with players and the past coach, you just see a product like you see with the fans on the weekend, so you really have no detail around what’s going on. I think the key to it for me has been trying to get around as many people as I can who were directly involved in it, not involved in it, players, to try and get a real feel as quickly as possible of where you think you might be able to improve it, keep it, steady the ship.”
Taking over with only a small number games left in the season is more about continuance rather the stamping his own style.
“The players are conditioned in a certain way of training, and you may not always see eye-to-eye in that, but you’ve got to also understand that these players are conditioned in this moment, so changing behaviours is really, really difficult instantly, and that obviously takes time, but we don’t have time.”
As a coach, Greenacre wanted to be a balance between man manager and tactician.
“I think the way the game’s evolved, certainly man management’s a really big part of that. Generations have changed, and I think generations look at the world differently.
“I think as a coach, you have to evolve like that. If you remain stuck in, as they say, old-school ways, I think you’re getting left behind. It’s really important that you evolve with the generations that you’re coaching with.”
Nurturing relationships with star players as well as those who did not make it professionally was important to Greenacre in his work with the academy and Reserves team.
“I get really proud of being involved in some of the players that have gone on to do great things and get moves and play overseas.
“I’m as much proud of some of the guys that I’ve played who haven’t made it, who I know I’ve had a really good connection and relationship with, and you still get text messages and calls even now off players that didn’t quite make it, and they appreciate that what we were trying to do in terms of helping them develop as players.”
Being tactically up to speed was also important to the 48-year-old.
“I’m sure in the next few months, years, that my beliefs and how I see the game being played will evolve again.”
Chris Greenacre and Matthew Ridenton during training in 2021.Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz
Over time Greenacre had taken the “best attributes” of some coaches he had worked with and integrated them into his own approach to coaching.
“There’s obviously coaches that I haven’t enjoyed playing under, coaches that I’ve worked alongside where I’m kind of not really a fan of what they’re doing, and even if it’s the learning from, I probably wouldn’t do that because look how this has made me feel.
“There’s a lot of people that I’ve been really fortunate enough to and proud to have worked with, whether the relationships have been great or not so much.”
The way Greenacre believed he could finally turn the recurring interim role in a permanent position was by winning. The Phoenix have six games left in the season.
Before the end of the month the club is expected to name their next head coach.
“Results give you the best chance, and instant success, I suppose, probably gives you the best opportunity.”
Being a familiar face around NZCIS where the Phoenix are based could also finally give Greenacre an edge this time.
“I think, having been in an environment for a long time, people get to see actually how you work on a daily basis, and not necessarily when you’re under the spotlight of a first-team coach, so I suppose people get to see your mannerisms and things that you do and things they may like, things they don’t like.”
Greenacre’s reputation and ability to develop sought after talent through the academy to the first team who were then sold on to Europe could be another tick on the appointment check list for a club that valued being a stepping stone in player’s careers.
“Ultimately, the powers that be make the decision, and if it’s yes, it’s great, if it’s not, it’s not, and we kind of move on, and that’s just how professional sport works.
“I do have aspirations to coach at the highest level. If that happens, great. If it doesn’t, it’s a similar role to playing. I didn’t quite make it to the Premier League, but I aspired to be there.
“Am I happy that I made a living out of the game as a player at the level I did? A hundred percent. I’ve been proud to say that I made a living out of the game.”
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
With youth unemployment three times higher than the overall unemployment rate, university graduates are struggling to find entry level work.123RF
Three years minimum to set them up for a better career – and then new graduates discover there’s nothing out there for them, thanks to our soaring jobless numbers
Dubbed ‘the job wars’ by one TikTok user, graduates are struggling to secure entry-level work thanks to a tough labour market.
Figures released by Stats NZ in February showed that the unemployment rate for 15 to 24-year-olds was at 16.5 percent, three times higher than the overall unemployment rate.
On Saturday’sThe Detail, we look at the grim realities of the job market for graduates.
Justin Tuburan recently graduated from AUT with a bachelor of communications and is still struggling to find work in his field.
He’s been living off his casual job as a security guard and says the lack of direction is taking its toll.
“I don’t know really what I am doing with my life. I don’t have this full-time job that I can see career progression and the next 40 years of what I’ll be doing.”
Tuburan said that his current casual position wasn’t meant to form his main income.
“[During university] I was also getting student loan and living costs. That’s $300 a week that I was using to pay rent or pay for public transport… trying to get that money from a job that I used during uni that was only meant to supplement my living cost and now it’s my main source of income. It’s kinda rough trying to find the hours to pay for everything.
“I’m definitely asking my parents for money every once and a while.”
Happier times could be on the horizon though, said Seek’s senior economist, Dr Blair Chapman – but graduates may need to hold out a bit longer.
“It’s good news, the labour market is picking up, job ad growth is picking up. But it can take time for that to flow to graduates,” he said.
Chapman may be getting that vibe at his work, but figures out this week show the number of people receiving Jobseeker support has risen by 5700 to 223,500 since September.
Some reports suggest that AI is cutting graduate and entry-level positions, but Chapman said whether that’s true is still unclear.
“We have seen a dramatic increase in the demand for AI-related skills but it’s not obvious that is eating into the number of those jobs.”
Professor Catherine Moran, the deputy vice-chancellor and academic at the University of Canterbury, said one sector that wants students to be up-skilled in AI is law.
Their law school completed a survey with law practices across the country and asked if students needed to have skills in AI – 92 percent of them said ‘yes’.
But is going to university to learn these skills still worth it?
Moran said getting a degree is more than just learning information.
“There can be a sense that university is all about just book learning as compared to skills learning… It’s through a degree you get deeper and deeper understanding of content.
“You’re more challenged where you’re starting to bring a whole bunch of different ideas together.”
Check out how to listen to and follow The Detailhere.
You can also stay up-to-date by liking us onFacebookor following us onTwitter.
– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
A number of people have shared their struggles of being among the “invisible unemployed”.RNZ
“We are stuck,” an out-of work stroke survivor says.
On Friday RNZ reported on the “invisible unemployed”: people who have too much to qualify for a benefit, but not enough to make ends meet. The story prompted a number of people to share their struggles.
Here are some of them.
A stroke survivor resorting to canned soup and bread
“I read your article today and cried,” said Andrew.
“Finally someone has seen us.”
Andrew was formerly the head of music at a private school. He had two strokes in November 2021 at the age of 47, leaving him unable to work.
He could not get WINZ (Work and Income) help due to his husband’s $77,000 income.
“My husband’s pay has to cover our mortgage, rates, insurance, utilities, and food. We often can’t make it through the fortnight and have to resort to canned soup and bread. There’s nothing left for rehabilitation or psychological support or emergencies. We are both exhausted.”
He recently started relief teaching one day a week, but the physical and cognitive energy it required wiped him out for days afterwards, he said.
“Working in a school is not good for my health, but I feel I have to, it’s all I can do. I have applied for hundreds of part-time jobs, but no one wants a 50-year-old ex-music teacher.”
He believed the current system only worked back in the 1970s and 80s, when one income could support a household. That was not the case in 2026, he said.
“We are stuck. Unseen, unheard, not cared about, and completely alone.”
A full-time carer fundraising for her daughter’s medical needs
Casey could not work as she was an at-home carer for her two children, who had disabilities.
She wanted to apply for the supported living payment, because she was carrying out the equivalent of full-time work.
But her husband made $90,000 – too much for her to qualify, despite it having to stretch to support their family of six.
They tried to feed the family on up to $60 a week, and did not qualify for food grants.
Casey had started a Givealittle page to fundraise for her daughter’s wheelchair and accessibility modifications to their home.
“It’s been extremely difficult.”
A solo parent
A person who did not want to be named said they left an abusive relationship with their teenage son, but they still owned a house with their former partner.
That put them over the Work and Income cash asset limit, so they could not get a benefit.
“If it wasn’t for the $172 a week from Working For Families, we would not be eating,” they said.
They earned $45,000 annually, paid $550 each week in rent, “and try as I might I haven’t got a flatmate yet”.
Their ex-partner gave them $50 a week, but that did not cover their son’s food and clothing, they said.
“My ex is eligible to get a benefit because he lives in the house we own that he refused to leave.
“It just seems ridiculous the abuser can get a benefit when the person who has to leave with children to support gets nothing and I have worked pretty much all my life.”
Social Development Minister Louise Upston said benefit thresholds were a long-standing feature of the welfare system.
The Green Party is warning that New Zealand is facing a “perfect storm” of transport disruption after the latest ferry breakdowns and cancellations left travellers stranded and freight operators scrambling to move goods between the North and South Islands.
Meanwhile, a technical fault meant that Bluebridge’s Connemara ferry was also cancelled on Thursday and Friday. Its Picton-Wellington service was scheduled to return to service early on Saturday morning.
“All customers affected by this cancellation have been automatically transferred to an alternative sailing and will receive an updated e-ticket with revised sailing and check-in time,” Bluebridge said on its website.
“If your re-scheduled sailing time doesn’t suit your needs, standby lists will be operating from each direction for affected passengers across subsequent sailings.”
Greens transport spokesperson Julie Anne Genter said that the Interislander fleet had effectively dropped from six ships to four in recent days.
On Thursday, Genter raised the issue during Parliamentary question time, when she asked acting Prime Minister David Seymour if he accepted that his government’s decision to cancel the new ferries would likely continue to cause disruptions to passengers and freight.
“On behalf of the Prime Minister, no, I don’t accept that, because there have been long-documented problems with the existing ferries,” Seymour replied.
“That does not mean that the unaffordable and unviable solution that the previous government put in place was the best answer for New Zealand. Yes, the ferries break down from time to time. Now, I’ve heard about politicians that bark at every car, but I’ve never heard of one that barks at every ferry,” he said.
Genter said the decision to cancel the contract was “irresponsible” and accused the government of creating a transport crisis across the Cook Strait by leaving New Zealand relying on an ageing fleet that was increasingly breaking down.
“We’re seeing massive disruptions to supply chains and also passengers’ ability to get between the North and South Island because yet another Interislander ferry has had to be taken offline,” she said.
‘Perfect storm’ of pressures
Genter warned that ageing ferries, rising oil prices and more severe weather were combining to create mounting pressure on the Cook Strait crossing.
“It’s a perfect storm,” she said.
“We have potentially an extended period of high and fluctuating oil prices affecting airlines, more severe weather affecting both airlines and ferries, and ageing ferries being taken offline for unplanned maintenance when there should already have been replacement ships here this year.”
She said the government’s decision to cancel the ferries previously ordered by KiwiRail meant replacements would not arrive until at least 2029.
“That’s going to mean huge cost and disruption to freight and passenger movements between our two islands until we can get replacement ferries.”
Genter accused the coalition government of refusing to acknowledge the scale of the problem.
“The government is clearly unwilling to admit that it made a mistake,” she said.
“They cancelled the ferries that were on order and the wharf upgrades that were underway. Now they need to come up with some sort of interim solution.”
Travellers stranded
British tourist Stephen Edwards, who is travelling around New Zealand with his wife, described chaotic scenes at the Picton ferry terminal on Thursday after multiple cancellations.
Edwards said he first received an email saying his Interislander sailing had been cancelled. He then booked a replacement with Bluebridge, which was also delayed and later cancelled.
“We were on our feet for three hours trying to rebook,” he said.
“You’ve never seen chaos like it.”
He said queues formed across the terminal as hundreds of passengers attempted to rebook sailings while vehicles blocked lanes waiting to board.
Eventually the couple were forced to book a hotel and return on Friday before securing a new ferry.
“We were utterly exhausted,” Edwards said.
Confusion and crowding
The couple’s friend Dave Rees, who helped drive the tourists to the terminal, said the disruption created confusion and long waits for passengers seeking information.
“It was just very crowded, people coming in all the time,” he said.
“Information was scant and had to be sought rather than given.”
Rees said the issues left a poor impression for visitors.
“It gives the impression of a very disorganised place and a place that’s kind of operating on a shoestring,” he said.
He compared the ferry route to a critical transport link.
“The Cook Strait is like a bridge between the two parts of a motorway and the bridge is forever closing.”
Businesses feeling the impact
Contract electrician Michael Casey, who regularly travels between the North and South islands for work, said ferry reliability was becoming a serious issue for contractors and freight.
“If I can’t travel, I can’t work,” he said.
Casey, who is based in Nelson but often works in the North Island, said cancellations could make it impossible to get to jobs with the tools he needed.
“You need your vehicle. I take my tools up. If I tried to take them on a plane it would be bags and bags and it’s just not economic.”
He said sailings were often booked out days in advance, making disruptions even harder to manage.
“When one ferry goes down that’s 25 percent of the market gone.”
Cleaning up the ”Cook Strait iReX mess’
The Minister for Rail, Winston Peters said the government’s record was cleaning up the ‘Cook Strait iReX mess”, while the legacy of the Greens could be seen at Moa Point.
“The previous government turned a simple ferry and port project into a $4 billion blow out, which we turned around and saved the taxpayers $2.3 billion without compromising on what New Zealanders expect,” he said.
“Two state-of-the-art ferries will arrive in 2029 to serve road, rail and passengers, while marine infrastructure in Picton and Wellington will be rebuilt without the expensive frippery introduced by the last government.”
Peters said the previous project had “Taj Mahal level” passenger buildings and sought to completely rebuild perfectly good road and rail marshalling yards to the tune of billions in total, all at the taxpayer’s expense.
“This week, the Interislander demonstrated an abundance of caution by taking the Kaiarahi out of service, as New Zealanders expect, and a replacement part arrives on Friday ahead of services resuming on Sunday,” he said.
“We have a firm expectation for high Interislander reliability, which has been near 100 percent over the past year, thanks to a significant lift in asset maintenance and management.”
The Minister said Interislander lifted its spare parts inventory following government expectations to improve reliability, and they were now responding to its query as to whether any additional parts could be added to the inventory to speed up the repair programmes.
“In the end, our focus is on freighters and families and Interislander has assured us it is prioritising freight bookings, put on eight additional Kaitaki sailings, and has offered refunds to any passengers with vehicles booked to ‘make way for freight’ which may suit some customers.”
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
Ali Leiataua of the Warriors heads for the line in the round two match against the Raiders at Go Media Stadium.Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Second-rower Leka Halasima and winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored a try double each, as NZ Warriors overpowered Canberra Raiders 40-6 at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium.
The contest was locked at 6-6 at halftime, but the home side piled on 34 unanswered points to draw away in the second half.
Halasima was a late replacement into the starting line-up, after veteran Kurt Capewell strained a calf in warm-ups, but delivered the 80-minute performance predicted by coach Andrew Webster a week earlier.
The Raiders scored first through fullback Kaeao Weekes, but Watene-Zelezniak responded and halfback Tanah Boyd slotted a penalty for the halftime scoreline.
Centre Ali Leiataua had provided the final pass for his winger’s try and had one of his own after the break, when he intercepted a pass in midfield and scampered away to spark the onslaught.
Canberra beat the Warriors twice last season, en route to the minor premiership, but had no answer in the rain at Mt Smart.
Veteran wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck couldn’t score a try in his 150th outing for the Warriors, but had the distinction of slotting the final conversion of Watene-Zelezniak’s second try.
See how the game unfolded in our blog:
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
Ali Leiataua of the Warriors heads for the line in the round two match against the Raiders at Go Media Stadium.Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz
Second-rower Leka Halasima and winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak scored a try double each, as NZ Warriors overpowered Canberra Raiders 38-6 at Auckland’s Go Media Stadium.
The contest was locked at 6-6 at halftime, but the home side piled on 32 unanswered points to draw away in the second half.
Halasima was a late replacement into the starting line-up, after veteran Kurt Capewell strained a calf in warm-ups, but delivered the 80-minute performance predicted by coach Andrew Webster a week earlier.
The Raiders scored first through fullback Kaeao Weekes, but Watene-Zelezniak responded and halfback Tanah Boyd slotted a penalty for the halftime scoreline.
Centre Ali Leiataua had provided the final pass for his winger’s try and had one of his own after the break, when he intercepted a pass in midfield and scampered away to spark the onslaught.
Canberra beat the Warriors twice last season, en route to the minor premiership, but had no answer in the rain at Mt Smart.
Veteran wing Roger Tuivasa-Sheck couldn’t score a try in his 150th outing for the Warriors, but had the distinction of slotting the final conversion of Watene-Zelezniak’s second try.
See how the game unfolded in our blog:
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
Hurricanes half back Cam Roigard kicks ahead during the Super Rugby Pacific game against the Western Force.Kerry Marshall / www.photosport.nz
After an error-ridden first 40, a disjointed looking Hurricanes side went to the sheds trailing the Force 8-5 at McLean Park.
Cue the cavalry.
Bolstered by their bench, the Hurricanes went on a rampage, notching 26 unanswered points to secure a 31-23 win which shoots them to the top of the Super Rugby Pacific table.
It was the Force who struck first through the boot of Ben Donaldon and then electric winger Darby Lancaster, standing up his opposite Bailyn Sullivan for the first try.
Cam Roigard got the Canes on the board, sniping from the base of the ruck, but it was not enough as they would trail the Force 8-5 at the break.
A Donaldson penalty opened things up in the second with another penalty before the floodgates opened, reinforcements arriving from the bench to immediate affect.
Brad Shields kicked off the scoring spree from short range, the Hurricanes going back to back courtesy of a quick tap by Roigard which sent Devan Flanders away.
Callum Harkin stretched the lead, running a superb line to cross the chalk before Warner Dearns soared into the sky to charge down a Donaldson kick, regather, and streak away.
The Force pulled a couple back through Lancaster and Jetaya Faifua, but the deficit was too great, the Hurricanes closing out their third win of the season.
Follow the blog to see how the action unfolded
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
“The Pacific is so important to the world, it is important to New Zealand and Australia and I thought, if I show it like the real stories . . . what happens behind the scenes that it just might provide, you know, share that joy really of the Pacific with people.
“I’m really concerned about the way the region is going at the moment, and I think there’s volatile times ahead and so I really decided some time ago that I wanted to record it and record, for my family as well.”
The Kiribati-born journalist also encourages up and coming Pacific journalists to report “without fear or favour”.
“When people say to you, as a Pacific journalist ‘you’re not being culturally aware’ . . . we know what’s culturally aware.
“We do and quite often people in power use it as a means of stopping you reporting.
“So you have to be really aware of the boundaries on that.”
This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.
AMY GOODMAN: The US-Israeli war on Iran has entered its 11th day. Its impact is being increasingly felt across the globe. Al Jazeera is reporting residents of Tehran overnight experienced “some of the most intense bombardment” of the war.
At least 40 people were reportedly killed near the city’s Risalat Square.
In Lebanon, the death toll from Israel’s attacks are nearing 500. About 700,000 residents have been displaced.
Earlier today [March 10], Iran reportedly fired drones toward Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and United Arab Emirates, where a large fire broke out in an industrial area home to petrochemical plants. A suspected Iranian missile also hit a residential building in the capital of Bahrain, killing one person and injuring eight others.
On Monday, the Pentagon posted online a photo of a missile with the words “No Mercy” superimposed on it. An accompanying message read, “We have Only Just Begun to Fight.”
But soon after, Trump told CBS News, “I think the war is very complete, pretty much,” he said. Trump’s CBS interview led oil prices to drop and for global stocks to quickly rise.
But after the Wall Street markets closed, Trump told Republicans in Florida the US hasn’t “won enough.” At a news conference on Monday, ABC News reporter Selina Wang questioned Trump about the conflicting messages.
SELINA WANG: Mr. President, you’ve said the war is, quote, “very complete,” but your defense secretary says this is just the beginning. So, which is it? And how long should Americans be prepared for this war to last for?
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP: Well, I think you could say both. It’s the beginning. It’s the beginning of building a new country. But they certainly — they have no navy. They have no air force. They have no anti-aircraft equipment. It’s all been blown up.
“They have no radar. They have no telecommunications. And they have no leadership. It’s all gone.
“So, you know, you could look at that statement. We could — we could call it a tremendous success right now. As we leave here, I could call it, or we could go further.
“And we’re going to go further. But the big risk on that war has been over for three days. We wiped them out the first — in the first two days.
AMY GOODMAN: On Monday, President Trump said he had a good call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, who reportedly proposed a, “quick political and diplomatic end to the Iranian conflict”.
We begin today’s show with retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, who served as chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell during the run-up and early years of the US war on Iraq. He’s taught national security affairs at both George Washington University and the College of William and Mary.
Colonel Wilkerson, welcome back to Democracy Now! Can you respond to what has taken place over this last 11 days, starting with the diplomatic talks in Geneva between Iran and the United States? And as those talks were just wrapping up, US and Israel attacked Iran and killed the supreme leader there. Your response?
LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Yes, and, Amy, for the second time, we violated international law in that respect, and just common human decency. And your comments at the opening of the show were spot-on, but not nearly broad and deep enough.
I come from an administration of George W. Bush and Richard Bruce Cheney that committed war crimes, war crimes that Colin Powell and his lawyer Will Taft and I agonised over in trying to present some message to the American people about them. This administration has committed more war crimes in the last few days than I think any country since Adolf Hitler committed. And that is an incredible condemnation of this entire process.
We have bombed civilians relentlessly. We have bombed a school. We have bombed a hospital. We have struck facilities in the nature of Iran’s oil capacity that is now putting black poison all over 10-plus million people.
And we are essentially not bombing ballistic missile sites and bombing war materiel. We’re bombing people. We took a lesson from the IDF, if you will. We are bombing people, as, incidentally, they are still doing in Gaza and doing now in Lebanon.
These are all war crimes. And one wishes with fond hope that someday we might be called before the bar of justice and have to account for these war crimes. And what you just talked about is a crime also in the eyes of international relations and people who want to keep decent international relations ongoing in the world. We’re destroying that.
And on top of all of that — and this is the real serious problem here for America — Trump and Hegseth and Rubio and the other entourage of their national security complex have completely misjudged the nature of this war, as has, to a certain extent, Bibi Netanyahu.
This is a country as big as Western Europe, with 93 million people, probably 90 million of whom will fight us to the bitter death, who live in terrain that almost killed Alexander the Great. It is entirely inhospitable to military operations.
And Trump is talking about — actually talking about putting ground forces there. And the only way he will be able to claim any nature of victory is to do that. Only that will be the end of the empire’s presence in the Levant and the Middle East in general, because we will not be able to sustain that economically, physically.
We do not have the soldiers or Marines to do that. But that’s what he’s talking about. This is pure nonsense.
There was a column in Haaretz yesterday, and the title of the column, essentially, was “Trump will chicken out in this war, too.” I’m sorry, he’s not going to chicken out necessarily. That might be the tone and tint he puts to it. He’s going to be defeated, as are we.
“End of the Trump Presidency” – retired colonel slams war in Iran Video: Democracy Now!
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Colonel, I wanted to ask you — we played that clip with Trump talking about all the damage that Iran has sustained, but there’s been very little acknowledgment by the US military or the White House to the enormous damage that has occurred to the US military footprint in the Middle East for decades. All of these bases and radar, multibillion-dollar radar, were established throughout the region. And what’s your understanding of the nature of the damage that has occurred to all of these bases, not just among the Gulf states, but also even in Iraq and other places of the Middle East?
LAWRENCE WILKERSON: Yeah, that damage is enormous. And I think what you’re witnessing right now is the initial steps of the empire, the American empire’s retreat from the Levant and the Middle East in general.
I don’t think we’re going to be able to sustain our presence there after what’s going to happen here, particularly if we stay at this for a long time and really do take significant casualties. We’re already taking more casualties than people know about, because the media is not being apprised of it.
Yes, we had the ceremony at Dover, but there are people getting ready at Landstuhl, our throughput hospital in Germany, right now to accept multiple casualties coming in. They’ve stopped their civilian service and so forth at that hospital. And other things are being geared up, too, like Walter Reed.
I don’t think they have even a modicum of appreciation of what kind of casualties are going to result, though, especially if we put ground forces into Iran. And that is the only way, unless he just lies completely about it, that Trump is going to be able to assert any kind of real force with regard to this population.
And to your point, in Bahrain, they have taken out billions of dollars’ worth of US radar and equipment, including the vertical missile loading cranes, so now ships have to go all the way to Diego Garcia to load these weapons.
They have essentially obliterated our capacity to carry out combat actions from a number of places in Saudi Arabia and Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. Al Udeid is actually under under threat now, too.
And this is all part of the warp and woof of our ability to carry out combat operations in the region. I’m not even sure our biggest facility for passing on troops, throughput facility, that we used in both Iraq wars — is in Kuwait. I’m not even sure that that’s up now and able to do anything.
So, how would you even get Marines or soldiers, God forbid, into Iran? That’s a huge problem. They will sink the ships that are coming to deposit those troops wherever they’re coming.
We have not really damaged their ballistic missile capability. And the media blackout on Israel is keeping the American people from seeing the enormous degree of destruction to Israel, the latest component of which was a riposte to Israel’s having struck their oil facilities, on Haifa, their oil facility port.
And Haifa is being taken down much the way Eilat was taken down by the Houthis, the Allah Ansar, in the Red Sea, when we failed to be able to reopen the Red Sea. And that’s the next step.
The Bab al-Mandeb will be closed once the Houthis have gotten into action full time again. And 60 percent of the world’s commerce passes through the Red Sea. It’s not oil and gas exclusively. It’s all manner of things — foodstuffs, commodities and such.
So, this is a war with long legs. Trump has completely misinterpreted it. The only one who’s interpreted it correctly is Bibi Netanyahu, and I think he’s ready to use a nuclear weapon, should it become as bad as it looks like it might right now, because Iran has not even began to shoot its most sophisticated missiles.
And now the second and third class of those missiles is getting through almost without opposition. Imagine what these Mach 3, Mach 4 missiles, with huge warheads that have maybe a hundred different other warheads they display all across an area, are going to do to Israel once they’re fired.
They’re still there, and they’re still ready to fire.
JUAN GONZÁLEZ: And, Colonel, I wanted to actually — you mentioned the media coverage of what is going on in Israel. It has been amazing to me that all of the major US media are based in Israel, in Tel Aviv, yet we are seeing the least amount of coverage of what is going on within Israel.
I want to quote from a piece, an online piece, that CNN reporter Oren Liebermann posted earlier this week. And he wrote — and I’m quoting — “Every reporter in Israel — and every member of the public — is subject to a military censor. On national security grounds, the regulation authorises the censor to prohibit reporting or broadcasting any material that could reveal sensitive information or pose a threat to the country’s security interests.”
And he goes on to say, “This is particularly sensitive during wartime, where the military censor has made clear that broadcasting any images that reveal the location of interceptor missiles or military sites hit by enemy projectiles is forbidden, especially in live broadcasts.”
Now, they say this on their website, but they never mention this on air. And none of the networks are mentioning on air that they are strictly prohibited from showing any actual, real damage. I’m wondering your sense of the responsibility of the US media, especially since they’re always showing us the results of the plumes rising in Abu Dhabi or in Saudi Arabia or even in Iran, but not the direct hits that are occurring within Israel.
LAWRENCE WILKERSON: I’ll tell you what I told the senior editor to The Washington Post recently. I think it’s abominable, the lies that the American mainstream media, both video and print, is telling the American people. And they’re putting us in jeopardy in a real substantive sense, because the American people have no way of judging just how foolhardy, how stupid, how unwise, how violative of international dictum and rule this war is.
And when it gets to the point — I think this is the end of the Trump presidency, actually, because when it gets to the point where the pressure is so great and some of this has to come out and casualties are manifest, then the American people are going to ask really important questions: Why did you lie to us? Why did you tell us what you were telling us? Why did you start this war of choice?
Iran was no threat to the United States of America whatsoever. Did you go to war for Israel? We have heard you went to war for Israel. These are questions that are finally going to get out there in the hustings and going to have to be answered by someone, probably your local congressman, the supine body that has done nothing to check this president, particularly in the war power.
And we haven’t even talked about that.
This is a complete violation of the Constitution of the United States. Just as Kofi Annan said about the 2003 Iraq War, it’s an illegal war. And he went on to say it was a violation of our own Constitution. And he was absolutely right.
But this pales — or, that pales in comparison with what Trump is doing right now, and what he is going to probably have to do in order to seem to correct his errors.
And I’m truly worried that this destruction of Israel is going to reach a point — I listened to Netanyahu recently speaking in Hebrew to his clan, to his group — Ben-Gvir, Smotrich and others like that.
At the end of his remarks in Hebrew, which was translated for me very reliably, I think, he essentially said that if it went south, if it went bad, he was prepared to show the Iranians something they had never seen before.
I think he meant a nuclear weapon. And I go back to 1973 when Golda Meir told a BBC reporter — you can check, it was printed in London the next day on the front page — that she would use a nuclear weapon, in response to his question, “Would you use a nuclear weapon?”
Because at that time, they were pretty hard-pressed in the 1973 war. And she said, “Yes,” without equivocation. I think we’re back at that point again, and for probably a far more dangerous situation.
AMY GOODMAN: I know you have to go, Colonel Wilkerson, but I just want to point out you were the former chief of staff of Secretary of State Colin Powell, who dragged his feet on supporting the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, but ultimately gave that speech, that he would call a stain on his career, at the UN.
It was critical for Bush, President Bush, that it was Colin Powell who gave this speech, because he was seen as the reluctant warrior. And he gave that speech saying there was evidence of Saddam Hussein having weapons of mass destruction. Can you make a parallel to what we’re seeing today?
LAWRENCE WILKERSON: I can, but I think this is far greater a travesty and a tragedy. That was bad enough. And torture was the thing that broke my back, and ultimately it sort of broke Colin Powell’s back, too, because we realised that we had signed up not only to a war that was not necessary, we had signed up to a president of the United States for the first time in the nation’s history making public policy torture.
Other human beings being tortured was made presidential public policy. This is far worse, I think, and it’s been building for some time. It’s been building all since Trump was elected, and actually since his first administration. And I think it makes what we did — not to discount it, but it makes it pale by comparison, and it makes me deeply concerned about the future of this republic.
AMY GOODMAN: I want to thank you so much for being with us, Lawrence Wilkerson, retired Army colonel, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell from 2002 to 2005.
The war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up fuel prices.RNZ / Dan Cook
An energy sustainability expert thinks driving more efficiently could help the country get ahead of any future petrol shortages.
The war in the Middle East and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has pushed up fuel prices and caused concern about disruption to supply internationally.
Emeritus Professor in Climate Mitigation and Sustainable Energy at Massey University, Ralph Sims, says there are ways to reduce fuel consumption before extreme measures like returning to the car-free and fuel rationing days of the 1970s and 1980s are considered.
“We’ve got to anticipate that we need to take some actions now, ready for when we’ve got extreme situations, which might be in five or six weeks’ time.
“But people love their cars, and like driving them, and so enforcement is not the easiest of options I think the government has got.
“If this war continues and the oil price goes up and there’s a much higher cost when you fill your car up, then there will be an incentive there, not needing enforcement, for people to look at ways of saving on fuel.”
Sim suggested the government do a national education campaign on fuel-saving tips like avoiding heavy braking, checking tyre pressure, and taking things that add weight, like a roof rack, off their vehicle when they are not needed.
“Most people don’t understand how to drive a car efficiently. I see people accelerate to a red light and then brake heavily, and if you’re running on low tyre pressures, it consumes much more fuel.”
He said limiting how often people could use their cars or how much they could fill up at the pump would be difficult to enforce.
“Car-less days, for example, many people found ways to get around it by having a second car.
“We can learn from what we did before. Did it work? How successful was it? Are there other ways to do it nowadays that are better?”
He said nowadays we also have more transport options available.
“The world has changed a bit now in that we do have electric buses in various cities, and we’ve got electric cars, and electric scooters, and public transport is much better than it used to be.
“To encourage people to get out of their petrol or diesel cars and utilise public transport is one way to conserve fuel. But getting people out of their cars is very difficult.
“Unless you’ve got some extreme situation, then education is the only way to try and change public behaviour.”
Richard Bosselman, the editor of the website Motoring NZ, said electric vehicle (EV) sales had been dismal in recent years.
But he speculated that if people were paying more at the pump, that might change.
“We have to make some hard and fast decisions about what kind of transport we need in this country and how we do it. I think electric is something that we need to jump back onto again and promote.
“Maybe this war will be a wake-up call, and maybe New Zealanders will think more about their car choices going forward.”
He said bringing back the Clean Car Discount, which provided rebates for low and zero-emission vehicles, to encourage people to buy EVs might help the country curb fuel use if the war continues.
He said it could also be an opportunity to develop the country’s hydrogen technologies.
“We’re at the end of the world. We’re at the end of a very long supply chain, so everything that comes to us is going to become more expensive. But we are a very self-sufficient nation. We create a lot of electricity and we can create more.
“We have opportunities to create hydrogen, and there’s a whole hydrogen infrastructure that sits there that could work for transport.
“I think this is a good time for Kiwis to take stock, be creative, and try and be optimistic about the future and look for solutions rather than be worried about the ultimate doom and gloom scenario, no matter how dark it all looks just at the moment.”
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
New Zealand’s first full rubber road has been laid in Glentunnel, in the Selwyn district.RNZ / Tim Brown
New Zealand’s first full rubber road has been laid in Glentunnel, in the Selwyn district.
The local council is trialling three rubber surfaces on Glentunnel Domain Road with the possibility of rubber-based roads being used in other parts of the district.
One part of the road uses rubber chips, another uses rubber in the bitumen, and a third combines the two.
Selwyn District Council transportation delivery manager Steve Guy said the rubber came from recycled tyres – a lot of them.
“So this trial is … saving 29 tonnes of waste tyres – so tyres that would normally get sent from here up to the North Island, shredded and sent abroad. So that 29 tonnes of tyres if that had got incinerated, for instance, would equate to between 20 to 30 tonnes of carbon emissions. So we’ve saved that,” he said.
Selwyn District Council transportation delivery manager Steve Guy.RNZ / Tim Brown
“And ultimately there’s about 1797 mostly truck tyres that have gone into this trial, into this road.”
Cars, trucks, bikes and other road users would put the surfaces to the test over winter.
The rubber-based surface was longer lasting and cheaper over its lifetime despite a higher upfront cost, Guy said.
The product was produced by Treadlite.
Operations and engineering manager Richard Upperton said the company was in a position to rapidly increase production if demand increased.
“We could do hundreds of kilometres now, it’s just a case of how fast can the industry take it up and I’m confident we can keep up,” he said.
Treadlite operations and engineering manager Richard Upperton.RNZ / Tim Brown
Cost would probably prevent the product from ever becoming the standard surface on state highways, but it had applications due to it producing a quieter road surface, Upperton said.
But Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon said there were financial reasons to be excited about rubber roads.
“If we can take this trial and this can be implemented across the country, there’s savings for everyone,” she said.
“This is a circular economy as well. So we’re not having to export tyres off anywhere else, we can make use of the product we have and we can import less bitumen.”
Gliddon said the project reflected Selwyn’s commitment to smart, innovative thinking.
“Selwyn is always looking for fresh ideas that improve value for money and stronger results for our communities. We are determined to not just be building more infrastructure but building better, smarter infrastructure,” she said.
More than six million tyres reached end of life in New Zealand each year while around 180,000 tonnes of bitumen – almost all imported – was used on roads annually.
The council would look to trial the surfaces in other locations and on wider stretches of road if Glentunnel Domain Road was a success.
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
Wastewater testing is showing an increase in Covid cases, and hospitalisations are on the rise as New Zealand enters it’s ninth Covid wave.
National Clinical Director of the Public Health Service Dr Susan Jack told Checkpoint many people aren’t testing for Covid, and the best way to track numbers is through wastewater.
“It is a good reflection. These days we know that testing is not so available, so wastewater testing is a really good indication of if we have got a surge in cases.
“There has also been an increase in hospitalisations, correlating with what we are seeing in the wastewater.
“It does look like we are going into a wave. Maybe more a ripple than a wave compared to previous years.”
Dr Jack said many people can’t afford rapid antigen tests (RATs), and there is a reduced amount of people who are able to test. But Dr Jack said the wastewater testing does provide accurate information.
“It is good if you can afford it, please keep some RATs at home and test. But if not, we have the wastewater testing to fall back on.”
While wastewater testing provides an accurate account of Covid cases in the community, Dr Jack said one issue is that individuals do not know if they have Covid, and so the advice is to stay home if you have a runny nose, cough, or any sort of respiratory symptoms.
“If you do need to go out then we ask people to wear a mask.”
While Covid cases are on the rise, so to are vaccination numbers.
Dr Jack said last week around 20,000 Covid vaccinations were administered.
“Vaccinations have increased since this latest burst of media focus on Covid, and we are really encouraging people as we head into winter, if you are due for your Covid vaccination please get it at the same time as you get your Flu vaccination, and that will be widely available from the first of April.”
Dr Jack said over time immunity does wane, and the best way to counter this is by keeping up with Covid boosters.
While there is not one dominant strain of Covid at the moment, Dr Jack said that older vaccines will still provide some immunity against newer Covid strains.
“They have tweaked the vaccine variant and we have got a new one that has just been released. But the older one still provides good protection against what we have got circulating.”
Dr Jack also said it was a good idea to call your pharmacy ahead of getting your vaccine to ensure they have stock, but that the vaccine is widely available.
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
As soccer’s Women’s Asian Cup continues in Australia, much analysis will inevitably focus on the physical: the speed of Mary Fowler, the power of Sarina Bolden, the endurance of Yui Hasegawa and Ellie Carpenter.
However, in high-pressure environments, those who think the quickest and most creatively can have just as much impact as those who run the fastest.
This brings us to a crucial, under-researched frontier in sports science: the influence of women’s sex hormones that regulate processes such as the menstrual cycle, and what the central nervous system does for athletes.
My recent study analysed previous and current research that suggests the menstrual cycle can play a role in performance, while also drawing attention to the fact there is still so much we do not know.
The power of the brain
To produce their skills and make the right decisions, athletes need effective interaction between key body systems such as the nervous, endocrine (hormonal) and muscular systems.
The nervous system is primarily the command and communication system of the body and includes the brain, spinal cord and motor neurons.
A key function is to collect information that can then be used to make decisions (in the brain), then initiate and execute movements.
The brain is able to command tasks through regulating processes such as attention, memory, judgement and creativity. These processes also underpin learning, which ultimately allows us to perform.
The endocrine system meanwhile produces and manages hormones in the body, which also helps with communication. For example, sex hormones (oestrogen and progestrone) act as neurotransmitters and help regulate brain activity.
Oestrogen and progesterone fluctuate dynamically across the menstrual cycle, with low levels during week one of menstruation and a steady rise in week two. Oestrogen peaks just before ovulation (around the middle of cycle), while progesterone reaches its highest levels after ovulation.
Both hormones return to low levels in the days leading to the next bleeding phase.
But how is this relevant to sport performance? Let’s dig a little deeper.
How hormones can affect athletic performance
Consider your favourite Matildas team member: she is skilled, tenacious and renowned not only for her athleticism but her tactical nous.
She must read the play and either attack, defend, or set up play for others. That involves lots of thinking and making decisions under pressure.
Now imagine if a highly skilled and consistent athlete is a little off their game. Any number of factors could be at play, one of which is hormone fluctuations associated with the menstrual cycle.
During different phases of the menstrual cycle, hormones rise or dip, which can mean the brain may or may not be getting enough hormones to work efficiently.
A dip in hormone levels may impact performance positively or negatively: it may mean you are a little calmer, or you react a little slower. Likewise higher levels (around ovulation) may lead to increased errors, or more risk-taking.
But here’s the kicker – sometimes hormone fluctuations leave some women performing even better at certain stages of their cycle than they would anticipate.
Some emerging research has found women may be quicker to react during the bleeding (menstrual) phase, or their spatial awareness may be better during the first half of the menstrual cycle.
This knowledge is crucial in sport because it might be the difference between winning and losing.
Importantly, for athletes who experience changes in cognition due to hormone fluctuations or symptoms (not everyone does), it can lead to making a decision too late – potentially conceding a goal, losing possession, or moving in a way that causes an injury.
It must be noted any influence of menstrual phases on athletic performance is highly individualised.
It is also important to consider menstrual symptom management which can include pain, heavy bleeding, bloating, breast soreness and nausea – all of which are particularly difficult on training and competition days.
Athletes must manage the practical aspects of menstruating which may include carrying extra pain medication, heat packs, or highly supportive bras. Moreover, they must consider whether they have comfortable and effective ways to manage bleeding, and what facilities are available.
Some athletes may use hormonal contraception to reduce symptoms or skip periods and time bleeding onset.
Crucially, research indicates many athletes using hormone contraception report negative side effects such as mood swings and weight gain.
This emerging scientific area is beautifully complex and one we need to understand better if we truly want women to thrive and reach their full potential in sport.
Practical advice for athletes and coaches
As we close the knowledge gap, there is still much we can do in the field.
Athletes should understand sensitive medical information is theirs alone to share. Coaches should never use this information to bench an athlete, for example.
Tracking cycles allows women to see patterns – they can predict possible dips or highs in performance and implement mitigation strategies. Strategies may include athletes performing a longer or more specialised warm-up, or even resting a little more.
To help athletes mentally prepare for a game, and when they know hormone fluctuations may leave them a little distracted, coaches could also implement extra cognitive motor drills (tasks that make them think and move).
So as you gear up for the Women’s Asian Cup finals, look beyond the physical. Be curious about what drives these athletes’ performance and what may or may not influence their form.
Above all, appreciate the complexity of being an athlete in women’s sport.
Australia’s vulnerability to liquid fuel shortages and price hikes has intensified amid reports China has told oil refiners to halt all fuel exports. This adds to continued global uncertainty about the duration of the Iran conflict and its impact upon oil supplies.
On Friday, the Australian Financial Review reported China had notified oil refiners to halt all exports, casting doubt over at least two cargoes due to be shipped to Australia.
Two transport ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the world’s most important transport route, have also been blown up making it likely future ships will not make this journey while the conflict continues.
This means Asian refineries like those in China are receiving significantly less oil. This reduction in supply mean these refining countries must, in turn, assess their own strategic requirements for petrol, diesel and jet fuel.
China asks refineries to stop all fuel cargoes
Asia countries gets up to 90% of their oil from the Middle East. As a net importer of liquid fuels, Australia is heavily reliant upon exports from Asian refineries. This is particularly true for jet fuel.
Aviation experts have long warned of the susceptibility of Australia to jet fuel disruption. For example, the Sydney Airport’s chief executive officer, Scott Charlton, has indicated Sydney is completely reliant on jet fuel imports and has no refinery capacity.
This makes any decision by China to stop exports of jet fuel to Australia extremely concerning. Depending upon how long this continues, it is likely to cause significant disruptions to flight scheduling. In 2025 Australia imported about 32% of its jet fuel from China.
Without these exports, Australia must turn to other countries such as South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and India. However, they are also experiencing the impact of the Middle Eastern conflict, and it is possible further export restrictions from these countries may follow.
Australia gets about 30% of its aviation fuel from China.David Gray/Getty
When stockpiles really matter
If this happens, Australia will need to rely upon its strategic stockpile of jet fuel because it has very little domestic refinery capability. Unfortunately, these stockpiles are not significant.
As of mid-March 2026, the Department of Industry, Science and Resources confirmed Australia has approximately 29 to 32 days of jet fuel in reserve, which amounts to to approximately 802 million litres. These stocks are held either onshore at storage facilities or on ships located within Australia’s exclusive economic zone, which extends extends from 22 to 370 kilometres from the coastline of Australia and its external territories,.
This stockpile is consistent with the minimum domestic stockpile obligations imposed by the Australian government. However, Australia has not complied with the 90-day stockpiling obligation for members of the International Energy Agency (IEA), and cannot provide international assistance.
In recent days, the IEA has ordered its member states release the biggest oil stockpile reserves in history. Four hundred million barrels of emergency oil, representing a third of the total stockpiles of all member states, were released. This is far more than the 2022 release of 182 million barrels of oil by IEA countries following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
What will happen to Australian flights?
Australia’s jet fuel supply chain is designed around continuous tanker deliveries, rather than long term storage. Large airports store jet fuel in tank farms, with mutiple storage tanks, connected to pipelines and hydrant systems. These facilities can only hold a few weeks of jet fuel at a time.
This means airports will run out quickly if new supplies do not arrive.
There are many reasons why Australia has not increased its security stockpile of liquid fuel. These include a decline in domestic refining capacity, reliance upon cheaper global supplies and costs and space associated with fuel storage. However, the lack of a significant stockpile has now put Australia in a precarious situation.
If jet fuel deliveries to airports completely stop, airports will need to rely upon their reserves. Jet fuel reserves would run low within a few weeks, or less. Authorities are likely to prioritise emergency and military flights, reduce commercial aviation and impose fuel rations.
It is unclear what the current impact of fuel export restrictions upon flight scheduling will be. Qantas, the biggest user of jet fuel in Australia, has indicated it will need to increase its fares, however at this stage flights have not been cancelled. But this is on the cards if supplies do not arrive beyond March, and there is a need to impose fuel rationing.
Air New Zealand has already cut 1,100 flights from its service due to fuel pricing and supply issues. There are concerns this will lead to increased airfares, fuel surcharges, flight reductions and cancellations in the immediate future. In the longer term, we might also see the prospect of flight rationing.
Christ Church Cathedral Dean Ben Truman inside the cathedral.RNZ/Rachel Graham
The Christ Church Cathedral Dean is delighted by the Christchurch mayor’s suggestion that the city council should contribute millions of dollars more to the earthquake-damaged building’s restoration.
Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, which is managing the rebuild, mothballed the project in 2024 because of a $85 million funding shortfall.
The cost to rebuild the earthquake-damaged building had blown out to $248 million, before being revised down to $219m in 2024, leaving a shortfall of about $85m.
The group leading the rebuild, Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Ltd, currently plans to do the reinstatement work in stages to reduce the initial costs.
On Thursday mayor Phil Mauger told Newstalk ZB that he felt the $28.5 million budgeted for the Cathedral Square project was too much money and around half could go towards restoring the Anglican cathedral because, “we’ve got to get our centre back”.
Mauger was unavailable for interview on Friday.
Cathedral Dean Ben Truman said the mayor’s suggestion was pragmatic.
“I think what Phil’s comment shows is we can’t have a fully functional square until we have a fully functional cathedral. This really has to be the priority to open up the square and bring people back into the centre of the city,” he said.
Christchurch was undergoing a renaissance but the square was lagging behind, Truman said.
“We have Turanga, we have Te Pae, the new court theatre, but the square still doesn’t feel fully alive. We want to be part of getting that solution to get that back up and running.” he said.
The cathedral is holding another series of building tours from 13-15 March.RNZ/Rachel Graham
Truman said developers were halfway through the process of reopening the cathedral, with $24m from private donors and a promise of $20m from the Anglican church, leaving a shortfall of $40 to 45 million.
“Every little bit helps and the council has been a wonderful partner to us in the past and we look forward to working with them in the future,” he said.
In a statement, a council spokesperson said Mauger was keen to hear from the public about the city’s iconic buildings, including the cathedral, as part of the council’s draft annual plan.
The cathedral is holding another series of building tours from 13-15 March.
Around 12,000 people have taken part in the tours, which have been running for the past couple of years.
Truman said the free tours were fully booked, with 900 people in hi-vis and hard hats expected through the cathedral.
Visitors would see the recreated stained glass rose window and hear bird song designed to reflect the environment when work started on the cathedral in 1864.
Truman said the tours’ popularity demonstrated how important the building was to the people of Christchurch.
“People love this building, it’s part of our history, part of our story, part of our identity and part of our hope for the future of Christchurch,” he said.
Sign up for Nag 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
Professor Judith Trotman and Health Minister Simeon Brown.Supplied
The Health Minister has agreed to meet with a group of blood cancer specialists who wrote an open letter expressing their alarm at Kiwi patients dying unnecessarily because Aotearoa is lagging behind with treatments.
The dozens of doctors, nurses and clinician researchers say New Zealand blood cancer patients are being deprived of modern, funded treatments that are available globally, including the myeloma drug Daratumumab.
They’ve laid out a three-point plan, including an immediate increase in funding for the drug-buying agency for Pharmac,
Professor Judith Trotman, the Chair of the Australasian Leukaemia Lymphoma Research Group and an expat Kiwi-Australian haematologist in Sydney, who is treating Tawhai Reti, coordinated the letter.
She told Checkpoint that she and the dozens of doctors who signed the letter felt compelled due to the distress their New Zealand peers were experiencing.
“New Zealand is not funding drugs with a cascading effect on patients’ lives, on doctors’ morale, and drug development. Patients are being lost to their disease, and doctors lost to overseas,” she said.
“We really felt compelled to do something on behalf of but in lockstep with the cancer community.”
Trotman said blood doctors in New Zealand feel that they simply don’t have the tools of their trade and are seeing their patients dying earlier.
“They are not only dying earlier, they are not living well,” she added.
Blood cancer patients in New Zealand were constantly in hospital with recurrent infections. While patients with myeloma, in particular, are repeatedly breaking their bones, Trotman said.
A three-point plan put to the government calls for more funding for medicines that are considered ‘standard of care’ overseas, pointing out that only 0.4 percent of New Zealand’s GDP is spent on medicines, compared to the OECD median of 1.4 percent.
Trotman said New Zealand need to establish a funding trajectory for Pharmac to deliver these standards of care blood cancer medicines to levels comparable with OECD nations.
“When you are only spending one-third the equivalent of GDP of the OECD average, that’s a huge gap to fill. It will take some time, but it’s going to take far too many lives if it takes too long,” she said.
“Blood cancer patients are exquisitely sensitive to Pharmac funding. They can not be prevented with public health measures by the cancer control agency [and] they cannot be removed by the surgeons. They can only be treated with these life-saving, life-changing new therapies that only Pharmac can provide.”
Trotman said Health Minister Simeon Brown has offered to convene a round table with the local blood cancer community, both clinicians and consumer groups.
She said he acknowledged the problem and thanked the hardworking clinicians.
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
Harwoods Hole on Takaka HillSupplied – Department of Conservation
The Department of Conservation (DOC) has u-turned on its closure of the track to the country’s deepest natural sinkhole.
Harwoods Hole, which is a nearly 180-metre deep vertical shaft, is part of a cave system in the Abel Tasman National Park.
It’s estimated that up to 4000 people use the track each year.
The Department of Conservation closed the track to the site last month, citing safety risks. It warned that the area around Harwoods Hole has unstable rock and significant fall hazards, where slipping could be fatal.
It caused public backlash, with a collective of recreational groups claiming shutting the track was illegal and threatened legal action if DOC did not take down any material saying the track was shut.
DOC has since said it will no longer be providing a marked track to Harwoods Hole or promoting it as a managed visitor site.
DOC Golden Bay operations manager Ross Trotter said on Friday the department has updated wording on its website and will be updating the temporary signage to reflect this.
“We’ve taken these steps because the experience being offered at this site, including the hazards, and the type of visitor it was appealing to, did not match,” Trotter said.
He said people can still access the area at their own risk. However, DOC will not be actively managing visitor access or mitigating natural hazards at the site.
“Heavy promotion on social media and by third parties has set unrealistic expectations and implies viewing of Harwoods Hole from the track is possible, but it’s not. It’s not possible to look down Harwoods Hole from the top of the hole, as it flares out at the top entrance, or from anywhere on the track,” Trotter said.
“We appreciate that some people feel strongly about this place, but our first responsibility is ensuring visitors understand and can safely manage the risks involved.”
Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand president Megan Dimozantos said she received an email from DOC on Friday afternoon to confirm that the track is not closed, but that it will no longer be maintained.
“It’s all about words,” she told Checkpoint. “The use of the word closed has a different legal implication to the use of the words no longer maintained.”
Dimozantos said Section 13 of the Conservation Act only allows for closures of public conservation land where there is an emergency or inherent public risk.
“Obviously, this didn’t meet that very high threshold and we appreciate DOC taking measures to rectify the communication of the situation.”
Dimozantos believes there was an element of safety overreach.
“DOC’s role is not to wrap our public in cotton wool. It is to inform the public of what the risks might be at a particular site and allow the public to make their own decisions about whether they’d like to proceed or not.”
Dimozantos said the case has highlighted a number of other sites where similar “inappropriate” closures are in place.
The group is currently collating that information from the public and will address that with DOC as a separate matter.
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
But, today is a special anniversary in cricket history – it’s 70 years since New Zealand won its first test match, after 26 years of trying.
The victory over the West Indies at Auckland’s Eden Park came in the 45th attempt, going back to January 1930. They’d suffered 22 losses and drawn 22.
As the victorious cricketers walked off Eden Park many in the crowd jumped the fence and swarmed their heroes.
Among the fans sprinting to the middle was 11-year-old Anand Satyanand.
The future governor-general of New Zealand, now Sir Anand, rushed to see history unfold as it seemed the game was heading for a tight finish.
“I went from Richmond Road School with a small group of friends,” he said.
“We were a cricket-mad school, as I recollect, and from Richmond Road one caught the bus to the reservoir on the corner of Ponsonby and Great North Road and then walked along and across the gully to Eden Park.”
The Right Hon. Sir Anand Satyanand, former Governor General of New Zealand.RNZ
Once there he was among those snapped by press photographers capturing the euphoric scenes.
“I was sitting on the terraces with my friend Ken Pratt… and clearly in a moment of excitement we jumped the fence and walked across the ground, hence that photograph that appeared in the New Zealand Herald of the two teams coming off the field, surrounded by a group of cricketing followers.”
A copy of that now hangs in Sir Anand’s laundry. In the picture he’s carrying his school satchel over his shoulder.
It was a low-scoring match – both teams scored at less than 2 runs an over – and the West Indies on the final day needed 268 runs to win the series four-nil.
But the New Zealanders, especially medium fast bowlers Harry Cave and Don Beard, took advantage of the tricky conditions and bowled them out for 77.
The New Zealand line-up even included former West Indies player Sammy Guillen, but was missing the great batsman of the era, Bert Sutcliffe, who played 42 tests but was never once on a winning side.
Expectations heading into the game were low. The West Indies had thrashed New Zealand in the three preceding tests and it was only a year since New Zealand was humiliated – bowled out for 26 by England, still a world-record low score.
It was quite the turnaround. At the after-match presentations captain John Reid was hailed as a hero, as the crowd gave him more than one round of three cheers.
He later said it was the best day of his cricket career – the non-drinker even tasting champagne during the celebrations.
“For once it wasn’t us who bowled that one loose ball each over, or who dropped the vital catch,” he told journalist Joseph Romanos in their 2000 book, John Reid – A Cricketing Life.
Former New Zealand cricketer John F Reid.PHOTOSPORT
Bill Frith, who was then 10, remembers watching as much of the match as he could, rushing there on the final day from Mt Roskill Intermediate.
In those days you’d get into the last session for free.
“I remember being on the terraces, which were grass at that time. It was quite a good-looking ground at that time, and I can remember the jubilation at the end, with the players pulling the stumps out and souveniring them and and that sort of thing.”
Still years until daylight saving arrived, the players were battling the gloom, but New Zealand had conditions in its favour.
“In those days you could go out and inspect the pitch. And the pitch there, around where the ball pitched, was sort of like corrugated iron,” Frith said.
“I’d be interested to know what it was like on the day we bowled the West Indies out.”
The Press newspaper described the bedlum: “It was a memorable scene at the end. The ground, all green and gold, was besieged by the crowd of 7000 that watched the final act…
“The crowd, savouring to the full the flavour of the occasion, had not fully dispersed when the teams left the ground an hour later.”
Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack even reported local offices closing early to let workers head to the ground as victory drew near.
Frith and Sir Anand both thought the win might herald a period of success, but it wasn’t to be, and New Zealand struggled at cricket until the 1970s, not winning another test until the 1961-2 summer.
Since then the team has risen to be one of the best in the world – a long innings the pair have enjoyed watching.
Both men fondly remember watching cricket history take place.
“I follow cricket today, but not with the day-to-day enthusiasm of when I was 10 and 12,” Frith said.
“I used to go down to Eden Park and watch all the club games. I used to go and watch the Black Caps practice, and they’d sometimes bowl to me.
“I was the archetypal cricket tragic at that time.”
Sir Anand was similar, although he said his playing ability never matched his enthusiasm.
“I think it was a vital turn of the road for New Zealand cricket to to be able to foot it against a major cricket playing nation and to win,” he said.
“New Zealand had been treated as a rather secondary sort of member of the world cricket fraternity.
“England and Australia only played us on an irregular basis, but the victory against the West Indies was a pointer to the the modern game, where New Zealand is a contender that is treated very seriously.”
SCORES: New Zealand 255 (John Reid 84, Tom Dewdney 5-21) and 157-9 declared (Denis Atkinson 7-53) beat West Indies 145 (Hammond Furlonge 64, Tony MacGibbon 4-44, Harry Cave 4-22) and 77 (Cave 4-21, Don Beard 3-22).
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
Many students are worried over paying their expenses as they wait for their delayed student loan payments.Tri Wiranto/Unsplash
Stressed out students are struggling to pay rent, buy food and take the bus to class because their student loan applications are still not processed, weeks after courses began.
But the Ministry of Social Development, which runs StudyLink, said nearly all the applications made before its cut off date have been approved – and it’s tracking better than last year.
An Otago University student, who didn’t want to be named, applied for her student loan before December 16, which StudyLink’s website said was a very important date: “It’s a date students just can’t miss, it allows us to manage the volume of applications and help them get organised for the start of their study year.”
But she has still not received her loan payments.
“My savings are not gonna last that long, it’s really tough,” she said.
“I’m flatting this year, which means I need to obviously constantly make payments for … rent, and power … not having a steady income from allowance or loan, it’s just been really tough.”
Her mum Louise said her daughter had been without income for about three weeks, since the Jobseeker hardship grant she got over summer stopped.
“She’s very, very stressed,” she said.
“Currently we are supporting her financially, which again is quite stressful on us as well.”
Her daughter’s application had been in “final processing” for three weeks, she said.
“From what I believe or understand, everything has been done at our end and everything has been done at their end, they’ve got all the information they need.
“So what is this hold up?”
She was one of many parents and students in a social media group sharing their frustration about the delays and problems getting through to Studylink on the phone.
Amelia Bethell, who’s studying at the University of Auckland, applied on 14 January – later than the date Studylink was pushing for – because she had heard applications had quietened down by then, and it might get processed faster.
She had heard nothing since.
“After two months of calling, I finally got through to them on Wednesday and pretty much they said, ‘oh, it looks like your documents just haven’t been sent off, they’re sitting here, they’ve been sitting here since you sent them’.
“And they said they would put them through to process them.”
Studylink then asked her to resend some documents, she said.
Bethell felt lucky to have a scholarship that pays for her student accommodation, and a fees-free course, but she was struggling with day to day living costs.
“If I miss getting … a packed lunch from my halls, then I don’t eat all day because I can’t afford to just go and get food,” she said.
“My parents have been trying to send me just little bits that they can so I can catch the bus to go to my classes and to get home.”
But that was not easy for them, she said.
“My family’s a low-income family and it’s taking the money away from them, helping support my sister and my brother that live with them.”
Other students in her hall were worried about being kicked out of university because they could not pay their fees, Bethell said.
Most applications complete – StudyLink
The Ministry’s centralised services general manager, Paula Ratahi O’Neill, said students who applied by 16 December should “overwhelmingly” have had their applications wrapped up.
“A total of 87.5% of these applications have now been finalised. Completion peaks at between 88% and 90% each year because some students may submit an application but not complete it,” she said.
It was still working on about a third of applications made after 16 December.
On both counts, that was a better track record than last year, Ratahi O’Neill said.
“Processing of all applications is ahead of last year, with more completed, despite receiving more applications than last year. Around 11,000 more students have applied for student support compared to last year.”
Ratahi O’Neill said StudyLink’s still receiving thousands of applications each week, and staff have been working overtime since October to support more students.
She confirmed students would be backpaid, and said anyone who’s struggling students should contact them.
Student associations advocating for students
Victoria University Students’ Association president Aidan Donoghue said up to fifteen students had been in touch this academic year struggling with Studylink delays meaning they can’t pay their fees.
“We’ve been advocating within the university, pleading the case … and the university’s very receptive, and they’re very understanding of it not being within the students’ control, and have set up some more links to have representatives from Studylink be at campus, particularly during O-week, to get things sorted in person.”
Other student associations had also seen an increase in students reporting StudyLink application delays.
They acknowledged there were a number of factors at play, including application dates, and waiting for universities to verify students’ studies and grades.
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
