Saturday 17th of January 2026 01:15:59 PM
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‘Clowns to the left, jokers to the right’: Willis-Richardson debate in doubt after ultimatum

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Finance Minister Nicola Willis (left) has challenged her predecessor Ruth Richardson. RNZ/Reece Baker/Supplied

Finance Minister Nicola Willis and her 1990s predecessor Ruth Richardson are now debating when and where to hold their promised debate.

Willis is refusing to favour a specific media outlet, while Richardson gave her opponent an ultimatum to agree to the showdown on NewstalkZB by 5pm.

The Finance Minister this week challenged Richardson – the chair of the Taxpayers’ Union group – to “come out of the shadows” and debate on the country’s finances after the TPU launched a campaign criticising the government’s finances.

Richardson first laughed off the request, but later agreed.

Labour said the debate was a “sideshow”, and the Public Service Association union said it was a “false flag” operation aimed at making Willis appear more moderate.

But after Willis said she was happy to debate “anytime, anywhere”, the debate going ahead may depend on whether the pair can agree on a time and a place.

“My proposal is that we hold it here at Parliament next week,” Willis told reporters on Thursday when heading into Question Time, “and that we do do it after the half-year update as Richardson has suggested”.

She said that was so that all media could attend.

“I’m an equal-opportunity person, I think it’s fair that all of your journalists get a go at recording the debate so that as many New Zealanders as possible can listen to it.”

Minutes later, Richardson put out a media release giving Willis an ultimatum to agree by 5pm to debate her on Newstalk ZB/Herald Now.

“Enough with the dilly-dallying. You laid down the gauntlet with ‘any time , any place’, and we have come back with the offer. Take it or leave it.

“We know you’re trying to negotiate with a taxpayer-funded, left-wing website – when the offer on the table is the largest broadcast audience in New Zealand … you have until 5pm or we’re out.”

The dispute over a venue came after the TPU sent fudge out to newsrooms across the country, insinuating Willis was “fudging” the numbers.

Willis denied that outright.

“Not at all, the numbers are all set out very clearly and we will update them again next week. We do full revelation of the numbers,” she said.

“The simple fact is that spending as a proportion of GDP has been lower under our government than it was under the last because of the significant fiscal savings that we’ve made, $43 billion of savings so far.”

Asked about the fudge, she said that if the TPU spent as much time on savings ideas as they did on fudge design, they could make a useful contribution to public debate.

“We reduced spending as a proportion of the economy. We also, I’d point out to the Taxpayers’ Union, reduced taxes – not only for all working New Zealanders but for businesses making investments in growth.”

She noted parties on the left were proposing more tax, with Labour advocating for a capital gains tax and the Greens and Te Pāti Māori calling for a wealth tax.

Asked about the PSA’s claim about the debate being a stunt, Willis replied: “Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. I’m stuck in the middle and that’s where New Zealand is too.”

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

Nine illegal gambling operations in Auckland found ‘hiding in plain sight’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The venues are believed to have offered unlicensed poker games. [dl.maxpixel.freegreatpicture.com] CC0 Public Domain

The public is being urged to stay alert after nine alleged illegal gambling venues were uncovered in Auckland raids.

The venues are believed to have offered unlicensed poker games in breach of the Gambling Act.

Equipment including poker tables, chips, cash, cryptocurrency and electronic devices were seized.

“These operations can be illegal commercial ventures hiding in plain sight,” Vicki Scott, director gambling, Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) said.

She warned people to check if a venue was legal before engaging in any gambling activities.

“Patrons are often unaware that by participating they are engaging in illegal activity and have no protection if things go wrong.

“Illegal gambling operators are predatory, and we are seeing some offer credit to participants which can result in significant debts being incurred.

“Illegal gambling can lead to financial harm, gambling addiction, and exposure to criminal activity. It also undermines trust in legitimate operators and community fundraising efforts.”

Scott also warned venues against hosting illegal activities – whether willingly or unknowingly.

“If you’re a venue operator, you need to know what’s happening in your space – turning a blind eye is not an option.”

Investigations were ongoing.

Where to get help:

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

Person seriously injured in Lower Hutt

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are investigating. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Police are investigating after a person was found with serious injuries at a property in Lower Hutt.

Emergency services were called to the Epuni address around 5am on Wednesday.

A police spokesperson said one person was taken to hospital in a serious condition, where they remain.

They said the investigation is ongoing.

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

The social media ban is just the start of Australia’s forthcoming restrictions – and teens have legitimate concerns

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Woodley, Lecturer and Research Fellow, Edith Cowan University

There has been massive global interest in the new social media legislation introduced in Australia aimed at protecting children from the dangers of doom‑scrolling and mental‑health risks potentially posed by these platforms during their developmental years

The platforms’ methods so far for verifying young people’s ages have shown mixed effectiveness.

The Australian Christmas period may be interrupted with cries of “I’m so bored without Insta”, but the Australian government is not done yet. New measures are scheduled to come into force before the new year, which will include further restrictions on content deemed age-inappropriate across a range of internet services.

What are the new restrictions?

While families grapple with the social media ban, Australia is about to dial up the volume on increased measures to further regulate the internet through the impending industry codes. These will eventually be implemented across services including search engines, social media messaging services, online games, app distributors, equipment manufacturers and suppliers (smartphones, tablets and so on) and AI chatbots and companions.

Over the Christmas break we’ll start to see hosting services (and ISPs/search engines) that deliver sexual content including pornography, alongside material categorised as promoting eating disorders and self-harm, start to impose various restrictions, including increased age checks.

However, there are concerns the codes may result in overreach, affecting marginalised communities and limiting young people’s access to educational material. After all, big tech doesn’t have a great track record, particularly in terms of sexual health material and associated educational content.

How will it work?

From December 27 (with some measures coming in later), sites delivering content that fall under the new industry codes will be required to implement “appropriate age assurance”. How they will do this is largely left to the providers to decide.

Age checks will likely be administered across the internet through various age-assurance and age-verification processes to limit young people’s access.

While much of the media coverage has focused on the social media ban, the industry codes have been much quieter, and arguably more difficult to understand. Discussion has focused on the impact and extent of the code with little focus on the very people that the changes are designed to impact: young people.

The quiet voices

Our new research explores the view of Australia’s teens on various age-verification and age-assurance measures – views that don’t appear to have been fully taken into consideration by policymakers.

Teens believe governments and industry should be “doing more” to make online spaces safer, but are sceptical about age verification measures. Unsurprisingly, consistent with other research, teens confess they will find ways around the ban, such as the use of VPNs, borrowed ID or using images of adults to overcome age verification and assurance measures. Biometric measures such as facial identification have also shown concerning racial, gender and age bias.

Miles, 16, told us:

There are nifty little ways around it. […] I think that’s one thing that all kids have, [a] knack to kind of — there’s a little thing, “oh I can get ‘round it, it’s a bit of fun”[…] There will be loopholes that people will find, there’ll be younger generations finding little knickknacks [VPNs] there’ll be ways around.

Much like adults, teens held concerns around the privacy and security implications of age verification.

Some measures require personal data to be either validated or processed by third-party companies, potentially outside Australia. Users are expected to trust such companies despite data being a highly valuable commodity in the modern age.

Previous research has indicated scepticism around the safety of allowing third parties to host such personal data. This raises justified security and privacy concerns for all Australian users – especially following the recent Discord data leak that disclosed photos used for age verification of Australian account holders.

Even research by the office of the eSafety commissioner itself indicates teens are tech-savvy and likely to bypass restrictions.

In the United Kingdom (where on the day of implementation, one VPN platform saw a 1,400% surge in uptake, minors are now using unstable free VPNs to overcome Ofcom’s age-assurance measures to access blocked pornographic content. While functional for the end-user, their use leaves them susceptible to sensitive personal data leaks and phishing, further compromising their safety.

Such concerns are exacerbated by uncertainty over the kind of data being captured by third parties and government bodies, (particularly if digital ID or temporary digital tokens are to be used as a measure in future). For teens, this possibility was of particular concern when considering access to online sexual content as the new rules come into force. As Miles told us:

What you’re consuming I think is a little bit too far. I think there are certain limits and prying into people’s personal sexual lives is a little bit too far [capturing] personal sexual interests and viewings.

Teens note that by restricting access to content, the government may actually be making the desire to access content more enticing too. Some may even see it as a challenge to find ways around the restrictions. Tiffany, 16, told us:

[I] don’t know if they [restrictions] actually work that much ‘cause I feel like where people lock something or disallow something it makes [them] want to look at it more, and see it more, so I feel it’s more incentive.

More relevant measures than age

Interestingly, some teens suggest that maturity would be a better measure of emotional and cognitive readiness for content than age. Tiffany put it this way:

[because] some people, they could be 13 or 14, and they could act much older than they are, and have an intellectual level much higher than their age, and then some people could be that same age, but their intellectual level is much younger. So, there’s a big variation in people’s personalities and their lives and how they think.

However, they conceded this would be very difficult to measure.

Teens were supportive of protections for younger children consistent with New Zealand research. Levi (pre-teen) said:

There’s probably a certain age that’s too young to see certain things like violence or sexually explicit content like pornography.

However, they also argue that for older teens there may be benefit to accessing both sexual content and social media for educational purposes, particularly for sexual information.

Teens argue that independence and autonomy is key in these crucial years of development as emerging adults. Tiffany said

[Teens] can’t really be their own person if somebody doesn’t have trust in them and let them have their own independence. It’s a necessity for somebody to be able to grow into their own person.

Many participants stressed they are able to self-regulate. Arguably, teens will inevitably access content, whether it be social media or sexual content online, and benefit from chances to build these skills.

What lessons need to be learned?

Such measures often overlook young people’s fundamental rights, including their sexual rights, and policymakers need to consider the views of young people themselves. Until recently, these views have been strikingly absent from these debates but represent valuable contributions that should be appropriately considered and integrated into future plans.

Findings indicate there is a growing need to separate older teens from children in policy. Teens also overwhemingly recognised education (including digital literacy and lessons relating to sexual health and behaviours) in offline and online spaces as powerful tools – that should not be withheld or restricted unnecessarily.

Giselle Woodley receives funding from the Australian Research Council for her research, the Australian Human Rights Commission, as an expert advisor on the “on your terms” consent survey, and the Daniel Morcombe Foundation for guest speaking at events concerning children and young people’s online safety.

Paul Haskell-Dowland does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The social media ban is just the start of Australia’s forthcoming restrictions – and teens have legitimate concerns – https://theconversation.com/the-social-media-ban-is-just-the-start-of-australias-forthcoming-restrictions-and-teens-have-legitimate-concerns-271754

How to handle teen ‘big feelings’ as the social media ban kicks in

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christiane Kehoe, Senior Lecturer in Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne

Maskot/Getty

Watching your teenager grieve the loss of their social media account can be confronting. Many are genuinely distressed or struggling with the change, and many parents are unsure how to respond.

Australia’s social media ban, which started this week, means teens under the age of 16, have lost accounts to platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram.

These are the platforms they relied on to talk to friends, find support, follow interests, or decompress after school.

While some teens feel relieved or not fussed, many are feeling sad, worried, powerless, helpless, disappointed or angry.

These aren’t signs of entitlement. They’re signs your teen may need support.

A mixed bag: here’s what more than 17,000 teenagers think of the ban.

Why losing social media hits some teens hard

There’s a neurological reason why the loss of social media can hit teens so hard.

Adolescence is a period of enormous social, neurological and emotional change. Teen brains are wired for peer connection, and their brains become more sensitive to feedback from their peers. Meanwhile the brain regions responsible for impulse control, managing strong emotions and long-term planning are still developing.

When teens say losing social media feels like being “cut off”, they aren’t being dramatic. Their neurological systems are reacting to a loss of social reinforcement.

Connect and validate their feelings

If your teen is upset, the instinct might be to justify the government’s decision or to explain why life offline is healthier. However, advice lands badly when a young person feels unheard. Teens often perceive even well-meaning advice as criticism.

Accepting their feelings about the changes helps validate their experience. You can say:

Feeling angry or sad makes total sense. I know you used those sites to stay connected with your friends.

Losing your account feels huge. It’s a big change to deal with.

Then pause and listen.

Or you can sit with them without saying much. Some teens prefer parents to just listen sympathetically.

Supporting your teen doesn’t mean you agree with their perspective. It means you’re acknowledging their emotional reality. When teens feel understood, they become more open to talking – and eventually, to problem-solving.

The first two weeks may be the toughest. Some teens may experience grief and withdrawal-like symptoms: boredom, anxiety, irritability, restlessness and a powerful urge to “just check once”.

Help teens understand these reactions are normal. Social media platforms are designed to keep users hooked.

Understand the ‘why’ together

It might help to explore the governement’s concerns about social media with your teen – but not as a lecture. The ban isn’t about social media being inherently bad, but about how platforms are designed.

You can talk about algorithms maximising engagement using the same mechanisms as gambling to encourage dependence and addiction. Or you can talk about how feeds are personalised to keep users scrolling for longer.

Ask your teen what they think about these concerns. This isn’t about convincing them the ban is right, but developing their awareness of how digital platforms work. This prepares them for use when they’re older.

Help teens rebuild what social media gave them

To support your teen, it helps to understand the function social media played in their life. Was it to:

  • connect with friends?
  • find community around a niche interest or identity?
  • share creative work, or find outlets for self-expression?
  • de-stress after a busy day?
  • know what others are talking about?

Once you understand this, you can help them find alternatives that genuinely meet their needs. They might be able to maintain:

  • connection by organising a get-together, make FaceTime calls, join clubs, or have group chats on allowed platforms
  • creativity by finding other outlets such as photography, video-making, music, writing, art, or gaming communities with safe age settings
  • relaxation by reading, exercise, podcasts, nature time, shows you can watch together.

Many teens won’t immediately know what they want to try. They may need time and space to have their feelings first. Once they are ready, inviting them to brainstorm a few options (without pressuring them) can help.

Problem-solve together, notice efforts

Once emotions settle, gently shift to collaborative problem-solving. You can ask:

What’s been the hardest part this week?

How could we help you stay connected in ways that are allowed?

What would make this change even a tiny bit easier?

Let your teen lead. Young people are much more likely to follow through on strategies they helped design.

Even small signs of coping deserve acknowledgement. You can say:

I can see you’ve been finding other ways to talk to friends. That takes maturity.

I’m proud of how open you’ve been about how you’re feeling.

But if something doesn’t work, treat it like an experiment. You can say:

OK, that didn’t help as much as we hoped. What else could we try?

Check in later

For teens, losing social media isn’t simply losing an app. It can feel like losing a community, a creative outlet, or a place where they felt understood.

Keep an eye out and offer opportunities to check in with how they are going. This ensures teens don’t navigate this transition alone or become secretive – and that your relationship remains a source of support.

The eSafety Commissioner website explains why the rules were brought in and how they will work; youth mental health service headspace has seven tips for navigating the social media ban; the Raising Children’s website explains how teens use technology for entertainment; tips for digital wellness and how to draw up a “contract” for use of a child’s first phone are also available.

Christiane Kehoe is a co-author of the Tuning in to Teens parenting program. Proceeds from dissemination of the program provide funding for development and research of the program. Program authors and the University of Melbourne are distributed royalties from proceeds of manual sales. Christiane is affiliated with the Parenting and Family Research Alliance and is Deputy Editor of the journal Mental Health & Prevention.

Elizabeth Westrupp receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She is affiliated with the Parenting and Family Research Alliance, Editor-in-Chief of Mental Health & Prevention, and is a registered clinical psychologist.

– ref. How to handle teen ‘big feelings’ as the social media ban kicks in – https://theconversation.com/how-to-handle-teen-big-feelings-as-the-social-media-ban-kicks-in-271726

Higher speeds lower productivity: what the data shows crash delays really cost Auckland

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Timothy Welch, Senior Lecturer in Urban Planning, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Another morning, another crash on one of Auckland’s major roads. Traffic isn’t moving. Drivers sit in their cars rehearsing reasons for being late again. Radio hosts offer the usual advice: leave earlier and find an alternative route.

It happens so often we barely notice anymore. But the costs add up fast, and they’re far bigger than a few delayed meetings.

Auckland had 34,628 reported crashes between 2022 and 2025. The “road toll” conversation typically stops at the obvious costs: injuries, deaths, emergency response. But it misses a lot.

A new analysis puts the true figure at NZ$9.23 billion over those three years (roughly 2% of Auckland’s $157 billion economy), including nearly $200 million that never enters the policy debate.

Transport agencies already put dollar figures on crashes. The New Zealand Transport Authority (NZTA) uses official methodology covering the usual: medical bills, lost productivity, property damage and the statistical value of a life. One fatal crash amounts to $15.2 million.

But buried in the technical reports is an additional cost category that most policy discussions ignore: network disruption.

False economies

Crashes on major roads hit more than just the people involved. Thousands of other drivers get caught in the delays that spread across the network.

Traffic engineering consultancy Flow Transportation Specialists recently worked out these network delay costs for Auckland Transport for the first time.

Using GPS travel time data and traffic counts, researchers tracked how crashes create congestion that extends far beyond the crash scene and persists long after vehicles are cleared.

A multi-vehicle crash on Auckland’s motorway network generates between $1.4 million and $3.5 million in network delay costs. Even a serious crash on an arterial road can cost $26,000 to $37,000 in lost time across all affected road users.

When applied across Auckland’s crash data, network delays add roughly $195 million to the region’s crash costs, a 2.2% increase over conventional estimates.

These costs matter to the debate over the current government’s rollback of its predecessor’s speed reductions. The claim is that moving traffic faster will boost productivity and grow the economy.

But there’s a problem with this logic. It counts time saved from higher speeds as pure economic gain, while ignoring the time lost when those higher speeds increase crash frequency and severity.

Drop speeds from 50 kilometres per hour (km/h) to 30km/h and pedestrian deaths in crashes fall from 80% to 10%. Faster speeds involve less time to react and longer stopping distances, meaning more crashes.

And higher speeds mean worse crashes that take longer to clear. A fatal crash can shut a road for hours. At 110km/h, there is more debris, longer investigations and longer queues compared with the same crash at 100km/h.

Productivity isn’t about speed

Transport agencies worldwide, including the NZTA, follow a “safe system” approach to road safety. The argument is that humans make mistakes, and road design should stop those mistakes from becoming deadly. Speed management sits at its core.

Rolling back speed limits moves New Zealand outside this evidence-based framework. It prioritises theoretical time savings over documented safety benefits, creating a false economy where minutes or even seconds saved in normal traffic come at the cost of hours lost, and billions spent, when crashes inevitably occur.

The crash cost estimates come with a few caveats. Flow Transportation Specialists developed their analysis with just four case-study crashes. Minor crash costs on major roads are extrapolated guesses rather than measured data.

And the methodology doesn’t account for vehicle operating costs during delays, cancelled trips, schedule reliability impacts and emergency vehicle delays. The true network delay figure is probably higher.

But even these conservative numbers run to hundreds of millions, costs that don’t show up when agencies decide which projects get funded. Underestimate crash costs by 3–10% and safety upgrades start losing cost-benefit battles they should win.

Crashes and consequent delays slow cities more than speed limits do. Productivity comes from fewer crashes and predictable journeys, not from letting people drive faster until something goes wrong.

Next time you’re sitting in traffic behind a crash, consider the actual bill: emergency response, medical costs, lost work hours, property damage. Now add the network delay costs hitting thousands of other drivers.

Rolling back speed limits means choosing to ignore those hidden costs.

Timothy Welch does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Higher speeds lower productivity: what the data shows crash delays really cost Auckland – https://theconversation.com/higher-speeds-lower-productivity-what-the-data-shows-crash-delays-really-cost-auckland-271734

Netflix is buying Warner Brothers. Is this the end of the cinema?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Liam Burke, Associate Professor and Cinema and Screen Studies Discipline Leader, Swinburne University of Technology

Jametlene Reskp/Unsplash

The world’s dominant streaming service, Netflix, has announced its planned acquisition of Warner Bros with a deal valued at US$82.7 billion (A$124.5 billion).

The acquisition has provoked criticism from film fans, the creative community and the United States government, including concerns for the future of filmgoing. News of the acquisition was also followed by a hostile bid (a bid that goes directly to shareholders, not the board), from Paramount Skydance.

Jane Fonda described the Netflix deal as “catastrophic”, saying it “threatens the entire entertainment industry”.

Since emerging as the global leader in streaming, Netflix has avoided acquisitions while its competitors have bought up legacy assets, like Amazon’s purchase of MGM in 2022. Rather than buy existing intellectual property, Netflix sought to build new brands such as Stranger Things and Squid Game.

However, it is rare that a 100-year archive like Warner Bros – which ranges from Looney Tunes cartoons to Emmy-magnet The White Lotus – would come up for sale. The deal would bolster Netflix’s library and save expensive licensing costs. There’s no need to pay for ten seasons of Friends if you own the company.

The acquisition raises questions on the consolidation of streaming services. But one of the most immediate concerns is the impact on filmgoing.

Do we still go to the cinema?

Cinema attendance has been falling since the rise of global streaming. This decline was exacerbated by the pandemic: 2025’s global box office will be down 13% from pre-COVID times.

Netflix occasionally releases films in a handful of theatres for extremely limited runs to qualify for awards such as the Oscars, which require a cinematic release. But Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos has repeatedly stated Netflix’s priority is at home rather than theatres.

While blockbusters from the Warner Bros studio like Batman and Minecraft are likely to still be released in cinemas under the new super-company, original and mid-budget films may not get the same opportunity.

Ironically, the proposed deal is coming at a time when Warner Bros is having a very successful run of auteur-led films in theatres, such as Ryan Coogler’s Sinners and Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.

Commenting on the deal, Sarandos said Netflix would look to make the time between films being exclusively in cinemas and available at home more “consumer friendly” – meaning the company will look to have short cinema runs and a quick pivot to streaming services.

Theatrical windows have been shrinking. The original Top Gun is often credited with starting the home video revolution when it sold a then-record 2.9 million VHS cassettes in 1987, but that was ten months after it had been a hit in cinemas.

Even in 2010, when the Walt Disney Company sought to shorten the home video release window of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland to 12 weeks, the British theatre chain Odeon threatened not to exhibit the film. Today, blockbusters like Wicked can fly to premium video on demand in a few weeks.

Many theatrical films earn the majority of their box office in the first two weeks of release, and so longer exclusive windows are arguably a case of diminishing returns. However, this doesn’t always hold true.

Earlier this year, Warner Bros’ vampire movie Sinners opened modestly in cinemas. But the film sustained its audience over several weeks on its way to becoming the highest grossing original film at the US box office in years, taking in over US$260 million (A$390 million).

Cinephiles argue original films like Sinners need time to find a cinema audience, and the film’s many musical and horror setpieces are amplified by the communal experience of the theatre.

Challenges ahead

Skydance is also looking to add the studio to its growing portfolio, after its recent purchase of Paramount.

Skydance owner David Ellison has demonstrated his commitment to cinemas by promising Paramount will release 30 films in theatres a year with “healthy traditional windows”.

The deal will also come under regulatory scrutiny due to antitrust concerns. It unites top streamers Netflix and HBO as well as the film studio, removing a significant buyer from the market. Such anti-competitive rationale was used under the Biden administration to successfully block the proposed merger of book publishers Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster.

One note of optimism is that Netflix has recently demonstrated a willingness to deviate from its founding principles. When the streaming service first launched, it positioned itself in opposition to broadcast and cable television by dropping all episodes of a season at once, not streaming live content or sport, and shunning advertising. Netflix has rolled back these three tenets in recent years in response to the shifting marketplace.

Perhaps the service’s stubborn refusal to embrace filmgoing is another long-held principle it will abandon if audiences are eager.

New research shows young people are craving in-person entertainment, still a novelty for digital natives.

This appetite for experiences has fuelled the recent success in cinemas of A Minecraft Movie, Taylor Swift concert films, and KPop Demon Hunters sing-along – months after it was originally released on Netflix.

If cinema’s reassert themselves as a lively communal space, perhaps this is one experience the newly diversified Netflix will buy a ticket for.

Liam Burke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Netflix is buying Warner Brothers. Is this the end of the cinema? – https://theconversation.com/netflix-is-buying-warner-brothers-is-this-the-end-of-the-cinema-271518

Fire sends smoke billowing near Wellington Airport

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Smoke can be seen coming from the hill at the southern end of the airport’s runway. RNZ/Lucy Emson

There are reports of a fire near Wellington Airport.

Smoke can be seen coming from the hill at the southern end of the runway.

Police say an officer has seen it and called it in.

RNZ has contacted Fire and Emergency for information.

More to come…

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

Politicians bank on people not caring about democracy – but research shows we do

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adele Webb, Research Fellow, Democracy and Citizen Engagement, Centre for Deliberative Democracy, University of Canberra

The Citizens’ Assembly/X

Across the world, democracies are grappling with a widening gap between citizens and those who govern. Australia is no exception.

Increasingly, people feel politics is something done to them, not with them or for them. Many believe the system no longer represents their interests or responds to their needs, and that it serves powerful actors rather than the public good.

Australian attitudes echo a broader global trend. People are increasingly questioning a model of democracy that reduces their role to voting every few years and leaving the rest to elected representatives. They’re seeking deeper ways to contribute, especially on complex, long term issues, such as responses to the climate crisis.

This isn’t a rejection of democracy as an ideal. It’s a loss of faith in how democracy is being practised. People don’t feel heard.

Surveys have recorded this frustration for several years. Yet they rarely ask the crucial follow up question: if people are unhappy with the way democracy is working, what changes do they want to see?

Our new report released today asks this question. Drawing on a nationally representative survey of 4,200 adults, it shows Australians don’t want less democracy, they want a more meaningful one. They want democracy that listens, responds, and creates genuine opportunities between elections, for people to have a say in the decisions that shape their lives.

Democracy through discourse

A common assumption is that people are too apathetic, distrustful, or busy to get involved in politics.

Our findings call this assumption into question.

We found strong support for a more “talk-centric” model of democracy. Nearly one in two Australians (48%) say the best way to make political decisions in a democracy is through dialogue with citizens and affected groups.

Only 9% think decisions should be left to elected representatives without public input.

On a similar note, Australians show more trust in their fellow citizens than is often assumed. More than a third (36%) say they would trust a group of everyday people, brought together to deliberate, to produce sound recommendations on their behalf.

This sort of initiative is called deliberative democracy. Rather than treating democracy mainly as a contest of votes, these processes complement elections by creating spaces for informed public discussion.

They bring together everyday people – often by random selection – to learn about an issue, hear from experts and stakeholders, deliberate with one another, and develop recommendations.

But would people actually be a part of it?

Survey respondents showed a strong willingness to participate in these sorts of forums. When asked if they’d be likely to take part if invited, 56% said they would. This points to an unmet demand for more direct and meaningful ways to contribute

That demand was strongest among the people often written off as “disillusioned”. Among those dissatisfied with democracy, 63% said they would be willing to participate in a deliberative forum.

National deliberation on Housing organised by AMPLIFY in February 2025.

Among those who distrust government, the figure is 59%.

People also saw deliberative processes as a sign of good political leadership. More than half (54%) view deliberative forums as evidence politicians are responsive – that they value the ideas and experiences of ordinary people.

Who’s standing in the way? Politicians

So given the public appetite, could deliberative democracy innovations work in Australia?

Australia already has a rich, if uneven, history of experimentation with deliberative engagement, particularly at the local and state level.

But at the national level, politics continues to rely mostly on elections and elite parliamentary deliberation.

By contrast, Ireland’s national citizens’ assemblies on issues from marriage equality to climate change show how deliberation can tackle complex and contested policy questions where legitimacy depends on structured public input.

Parliamentary committees and their inquiry processes also offer promising spaces to expand the opportunity and capacity of citizens to scrutinise parliamentary deliberations.

The main barrier to deliberative democratic reform is not citizen apathy. It is the reluctance of political elites – especially federal politicians – to trust citizens and to see them as capable partners in tackling hard problems.

Without that confidence, political leaders are unlikely to champion reforms that genuinely shift power towards the public, even when the evidence shows they can improve decision-making and legitimacy.

Promising signs for the future

The Department of Home Affairs’ recent Strengthening Australian Democracy report highlighted deliberative practices as one way to improve citizen engagement and democratic resilience.

The first national Guidebook for Deliberative Engagement, produced by the University of Canberra’s Centre for Deliberative Democracy, was recently commissioned by the New South Wales and federal governments to support agencies across Australia in designing and running these processes effectively.

Australians are not calling for the replacement of elections or the discarding of representative institutions. They are asking for a democracy that listens between elections.

Delivering that will require political leadership willing to pilot, scale and normalise new ways for citizens and decision-makers to work together.

The public appetite is there. The question is whether our institutions and political actors are ready to catch up.

The Conversation

Max Grömping receives funding from the Australian Research Council via DP220100050 ‘Public Interest Advocacy in Australian policymaking; and DP230101777 ‘Mapping & Harnessing Public Mistrust’.

Adele Webb and Emily Foley do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. Politicians bank on people not caring about democracy – but research shows we do – https://theconversation.com/politicians-bank-on-people-not-caring-about-democracy-but-research-shows-we-do-271106

King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard quit Spotify in protest, only for an AI doppelgänger to step in

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wellett Potter, Lecturer in Law, University of New England

Getty/Pedro Gomes/Redferns

Imagine this: a band removes its entire music catalogue off Spotify in protest, only to discover an AI-generated impersonator has replaced it. The impersonator offers songs that sound much like the band’s originals.

The imposter tops Spotify search results for the band’s music – attracting significant streams – and goes undetected for months.

As incredible as it sounds, this is what has happened to Australian prog-rock band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard

In July, the band publicly withdrew its music from Spotify in protest at chief executive Daniel Ek’s investments in an AI weapons company.

Within months, outraged fans drew attention to a new account called “King Lizard Wizard”.

It hosted AI-generated songs with identical titles and lyrics, and similar-sounding music, to the original band. (And it isn’t the first case of a fake Spotify account impersonating the band).

A Reddit post with the title 'Spotify now features AI band clones', with more than 3,000 upvotes.
Fans have taken to social media channels to vent their frustration over the King Gizzard imposter.
Reddit

The fake account was recommended by Spotify’s algorithms and was reportedly removed after exposure by the media.

This incident raises crucial questions: what happens when artists leave a platform, only to be replaced by AI knockoffs? Is this copyright infringement? And what might it mean for Spotify?

As an Australian band, King Gizzard’s music is automatically protected by Australian copyright law. However, any practical enforcement against Spotify would use US law, so that’s what we’ll focus on here.

Is this copyright infringement?

King Gizzard has a track called Rattlesnake, and there was an AI-generated track with the same title and lyrics.

This constitutes copyright infringement of both title and lyrics. And since the AI-generated music sounds similar, there is also potential infringement of Gizzard’s original sound recording.

A court would question whether the AI track is copyright infringement, or a “sound-alike”. A sound-alike work work may evoke the style, arrangement or “feel” of the original, but the recording is technically new.

Legally, sound-alikes sit in a grey area because the musical expression is new, but the aesthetic impression is copied.



Read more:
Taylor Swift’s Father Figure isn’t a cover, but an ‘interpolation’. What that means – and why it matters

To determine whether there is infringement, a court would examine the alleged copying of the protected musical elements in each recording.

It would then identify whether there is “substantial similarity” between the original and AI-generated tracks. Is the listener hearing a copy of the original Gizzard song, or a copy of the band’s musical style? Style itself can’t be infringed (although it does become relevant when paying damages).

Some might wonder whether the AI-generated tracks could fall under “fair use” as a form of parody. Genuine parody would not constitute infringement. But this seems unlikely in the King Gizzard situation.

A parody must comment on or critique an original work, must be transformative in nature, and only copy what is necessary. Based on the available facts, these criteria have not been met.

False association under trademark law?

Using a near-identical band name creates a likelihood of consumers being confused regarding the source of the AI-generated music. And this confusion would be made worse by Spotify reportedly recommending the AI tracks on its “release radar”.

The US Lanham Act has a section on unfair competition which distils two types of liability. One of these is false association. This might be applicable here; there is a plausible claim if listeners could reasonably be confused into thinking the AI-generated tracks were from King Gizzard.

To establish such a claim, the plaintiff would need to demonstrate prior protectable trademark rights, and then show the use of a similar mark is likely to cause consumer confusion.

The defendant in such a claim would likely be the creator/uploader of the AI tracks (perhaps jointly with Spotify).

What about Spotify?

Copyright actions are enforced by rights-holders, rather than regulators, so the onus would be on King Gizzard to sue. But infringement litigation is expensive and time-consuming – often for little damages.

As Spotify has now taken down the AI-generated account, copyright litigation is unlikely. The streaming platform said no royalties were paid to the fake account creator.

Even if this case was successfully litigated against the creator of the fake account, Spotify is unlikely to face penalties. That’s because it is protected by US “safe harbour” laws, which limit liability in cases where content is removed after a platform is notified.

This example demonstrates the legal and policy tensions between platforms actively promoting AI-generated content through algorithms and being “passive hosts”.

Speaking on the King Lizard incident, a Spotify representative told The Music:

Spotify strictly prohibits any form of artist impersonation. The content in question was removed for violating our policies, and no royalties were paid out for any streams generated.

In September, the platform said it had changed its policy about spam, impersonation and deception to address such issues. However, this recent incident raises questions regarding how these policy amendments have translated into changes to the platform and/or procedures.

This is a cautionary tale for artists – many of whom face the threat of their music being used in training and output of AI models without their consent.

For concerned fans, it’s a reminder to always support your favourite artists through official channels – and ideally direct channels.

The Conversation

Wellett Potter is a member of the Copyright Society of Australia and the Asia Pacific Copyright Association.

– ref. King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard quit Spotify in protest, only for an AI doppelgänger to step in – https://theconversation.com/king-gizzard-and-the-lizard-wizard-quit-spotify-in-protest-only-for-an-ai-doppelganger-to-step-in-271735

Reports of bee swarm in downtown Auckland

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland Council are investigating what appears to be a bee swarm. Supplied

Auckland Council staff are investigating an insect swarm in the central city this afternoon.

A member of the public alerted council at about 12.15pm to a swarm on the corner of High Street and Shortland Street.

In a video seen by RNZ, a swarm of what appears to be bees can be seen buzzing in downtown Auckland.

Auckland Council has confirmed it is investigating.

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

Firefighters hand Tongariro National Park back to DoC

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The fire started on Monday, a month after a large blaze. RNZ / Dan Jones

Firefighters have left Tongariro National Park and handed it back to the Department of Conservation (DoC) following a blaze earlier this week.

The fire began on Monday, just a month after a blaze covering almost 3000 hectares ripped through the park.

By Tuesday, the fire had been contained.

Fire and Emergency said thermal imaging drone flights found no fire activity or hotspots overnight.

Assistant Commander David Brown said the last firefighters left on Thursday morning, but the organisation would be ready to respond to any flare-ups.

“The maunga and the whole national park is a precious area with so many environmental and cultural values that any fire has a big impact.

“Fortunately, we were able to deploy firefighters and aircraft swiftly to get on top of the fire and contain it to a relatively small area in comparison with what was burnt last month.”

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

Police had no grounds to pepper spray man and push into his home, watchdog says

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / REECE BAKER

Hawke’s Bay officers had no legal grounds to pepper spray a man and force entry into his home, the police watchdog has found.

The incident happened in July last year, when seven officers went to arrest the man for breaching bail.

When police arrived at his Flaxmere home, he tried to shut the door on them but was pepper sprayed and they forced their way inside.

The man then barricaded himself in a room and threatened to kill himself with a piece of glass. Later, he was shot with sponge rounds and tasered before police arrested him.

The Independent Police Conduct Authority said the use of pepper spray, and going into the man’s house without a warrant, was unlawful.

But shooting him with sponge rounds and tasering him was justified.

The watchdog has recommended staff training, and that police fix the man’s broken door.

Police have acknowledged the report’s findings.

The report

The Independent Police Conduct Authority [IPCA] launched and investigation into the incident following a complaint from the man’s mother.

It said the man, referred to in the report as Mr Z, had strict bail conditions and was facing several criminal charges including presenting a firearm, assault, and resisting police.

When police arrived to arrest Mr Z at his Flaxmere home shortly after 8pm on 14 July 2024, he denied breaching bail and tried to shut the door on them.

Several of Mr Z’s young children were at home at the time, as were other family members who began filming on their phones, it said.

The tussle with the door broke two glass panels and Mr Z was pepper sprayed in the face before barricading himself in a bedroom.

The officers initially followed him into the house, but then retreated outside and called to him through the bedroom window to surrender.

At this point, the report said Mr Z went to the front door and held a shard of broken glass to his neck and yelled: “You just want me to f****** kill myself!”

The officers called out to him to stop, but when he didn’t, one officer fired a sponge round which hit Mr Z in the groin and he ran back to the bedroom.

The officers followed him into the house, but when they couldn’t get through the bedroom, they broke the bedroom window from the outside due to concerns that Mr Z would seriously harm himself.

Mr Z threw a full can of drink at the officers, striking one on the hip. The officers responded with another sponge round and taser through the window, both of which incapacitated him and he was arrested.

Findings and recommendations

It said the officers mistakenly relied on a section 7 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, which allows officers to enter a home without a warrant if they suspect a person is unlawfully at large.

It said because Mr Z was still inside his home, officers did not actually effect an arrest at his door.

“Consequently, police had no power to enter the house without permission and had no legal option other than to withdraw and apply for a warrant.”

The IPCA found the police had unlawfully entered Mr Z’s home, however it said subsequent entries were justified because they believed Mr Z was at immediate risk of self-harm.

Because Mr Z had not been arrested, the report said the use of pepper spray on him at the door was unlawful.

However, it found the officers were justified in shooting Mr Z with sponge rounds and a taser to prevent him from self-harming.

The watchdog said there was a widespread misunderstanding among police of section 7 of the Search and Surveillance Act 2012, and the powers available to them arresting someone for breaching bail.

It recommended written guidance on the scope of the law and further training for frontline staff.

The report also said police should implement a system that allows officers to obtain a warrant outside of court hours and recommended police repair the damage to the door at Mr Z’s mother’s house.

Police response

Police acknowledged the report’s findings and said it was working with staff to understand their obligations.

It said officers had spoken directly with the family and were making arrangements to repair damages.

Acting Assistant Commissioner Keith Borrell said the police would consider the practicality of implementing the IPCA’s other recommendations, in particular, a system for obtaining a warrant outside of the court’s opening hours.

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

If social media for kids is so bad, should we be allowed to post kids’ photos online?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

Jordan Siemens/Getty Images

As Australia’s ban on under-16-year-olds having certain social media accounts kicks in this week, debate on whether it’s a good idea or even legal rages on – both at home and overseas.

Yet barely acknowledged in this debate is what happens when a child doesn’t have an account, yet their entire childhood is still documented online. Should this be permitted?

“Sharenting” – when parents share their children’s lives online – entered the dictionary a few years ago. Awareness of potential risks has been increasing, but many parents still routinely share pictures and videos of their children online.

Sharenting is widespread and persistent. A review of practices over the past ten years describes that parents commonly share details such as children’s names, dates of birth, birthday parties, milestones (birthdays, school achievements), health info and photos. This produces a “digital identity” of the child long before they can consent.

And it’s not just parents. Dance schools, soccer clubs and various other community groups, as well as family members and friends, commonly post about children online. All contribute to what’s essentially a collective digital album about the child. Even for children not yet old enough to have their own account, their lives could be heavily documented online until they do.

This challenge moves us well beyond traditional approaches to safety messages such as “don’t share your personal details online” or “don’t talk to strangers”. It requires a deeper understanding of what exactly safety and wellbeing for children on online platforms looks like.

A passive data subject

Here’s a typical sharenting scenario. A family member uploads a photo captioned “Mia’s 8th birthday at Bondi beach!” to social media, where it gets tagged and flooded with comments from relatives and friends.

Young Mia isn’t scrolling. She isn’t being bullied. She doesn’t have her own account. But in the act of having a photo and multiple comments about her uploaded, she has just become a passive data subject. Voluntarily disclosed by others, Mia’s sensitive information – data on her face and age – exposes her to risks without her consent or participation.

The algorithm doesn’t care Mia is eight years old. It cares that her photo keeps adults on the app for longer. Her digital persona is being used to sustain the platform’s real product: adult attention. Children’s images posted by family and friends function as engagement tools, with parents reporting that “likes” and comments encourage them to continue sharing more about their child.

We share such posts to connect with family and to feel part of a community. Yet a recent Italian study of 228 parents found 93% don’t fully realise the associated data harvesting practices that take place, and their risk to the child’s privacy, security and image protection.

A public narrative of one’s life

Every upload of a child’s face, especially across years and from multiple sources, help create a digital identity they don’t have control over. Legally and ethically, many frameworks attempt to restrict commercial data profiling of minors, but recent studies show profiling is still happening at scale.

By the time a child is 16 – old enough to create their own account – a platform may already have accumulated a sizeable and lucrative profile of them to sell to advertisers.

The fallout isn’t just about data; it’s personal. That cute birthday photo can resurface in a background check for future employment or become ammunition for teenage bullying.

More subtly, a young person forging their identity must now contend with a pre-written, public narrative of their life, one they didn’t choose or control.

New laws aiming to ban children from social media address real harms such as exposure to misogynistic or hateful material, dangerous online challenges, violent videos, and content promoting disordered eating and suicide – but they focus on the child as a user. In today’s data economy, you don’t need an account to be tracked and profiled. You just need to be relevant to someone else who has an account.

What can we do?

The essential next step is social media literacy for all of us. This is a new form of literacy for the digital world we live in now. It means understanding how algorithms shape our feeds, how dark design patterns keep us scrolling, and that any “like” or photo is a data point in a vast commercial machine.

Social media literacy is not just for kids in classrooms, but for parents, coaches, carers and anyone else engaging with kids in our online world. We all need to understand this.

Sharenting-awareness campaigns exist, from eSafety’s parental privacy resources, to the EU-funded children’s digital rights initiative, but they are not yet shifting the culture. That’s because we’re conditioned to think about our children’s physical safety, not so much their data safety. Because the risks of posting aren’t immediate or visible, its easy to underestimate them.

Shifting adult behaviour closes the gap between our concerns and our actions, and the reality of children’s exposure to content on social media.

Keeping children safe online means looking beyond kids as users and recognising the role adults play in creating a child’s digital footprint.

The Conversation

Joanne Orlando receives funding from NSW state government.

– ref. If social media for kids is so bad, should we be allowed to post kids’ photos online? – https://theconversation.com/if-social-media-for-kids-is-so-bad-should-we-be-allowed-to-post-kids-photos-online-271387

White Ferns spinner Eden Carson to miss World Cup title defence

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Eden Carson of New Zealand celebrates with teammate Georgia Plimmer after defeating South Africa during the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup Final 2024. Francois Nel/Getty Images

White Ferns off-spinner Eden Carson will undergo surgery on her right elbow and is expected to be sidelined for six months, ruling her out of the team’s T20 World Cup title defence.

Carson sustained a partial ligament rupture in her elbow during the team’s training camp in Dubai ahead of this year’s Women’s 50 over World Cup and managed the injury throughout the tournament.

The recovery timeline means she will not be available for the remainder of the home summer nor the White Ferns title-defence at next year’s Women’s T20 World Cup in England and Wales in June and July.

With the injury affecting her bowling arm, head coach Ben Sawyer said they had opted for surgery.

“We’re all really gutted for Eden,” Sawyer said.

“The team has a big six months ahead and I know how difficult it was for her to make the decision to go through with the surgery now, but I fully support it.

“It’ll obviously be a huge loss for the team not having Eden available, especially for the T20 World Cup where she played a big role for us last year.

“At just 24-years-old she’s still got a long career ahead so it’s important we look forward and prioritise getting her back on the park and fully fit.”

New Zealand will next host Zimbabwe in February and March for three T20s and three ODIs in Hamilton, Wellington and Dunedin.

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

Wellington’s City to Sea bridge saved from demolition – for now

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Source: Radio New Zealand

People on Wellington’s City to Sea bridge. (File photo) RNZ / Pretoria Gordon

Wellington city councillors have saved the City to Sea bridge from the bulldozers for now, while planning continues on its future.

The CBD bridge was slated for demolition, but the works were paused while Wellington City Council awaited the outcome of the government’s earthquake-prone building review.

Councillor Nureddin Abdurahman filed a notice of motion for the council’s city strategy and delivery meeting today to revoke decisions made by the last council in December last year to knock the bridge down.

Following the government’s latest review council officers would now investigate options to save the bridge which they would bring back advice to councillors in February.

It was estimated last year it would cost at least $85 million to fully strengthen the structure under previous New Building Standard rules.

Abdurahman told the meeting the notice of motion was an opportunity to show the new council listened to the public.

“We followed the right process showing the respect for our community.”

The decision was 14 votes in favour and four votes against.

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

Call for public help after 3-week-old baby suffers broken leg in Hutt Valley

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Angus Dreaver

Police are asking for the community’s help to find out what happened to a three-week-old baby who suffered a serious injury in the Hutt Valley.

On 2 December, police were notified about a baby that had been brought into hospital by her family.

She had a broken leg – an unusual injury for such a young baby.

Her condition is improving, police said.

Detective Senior Sergeant Steve Wescott said the investigation has “uncovered contrasting narratives on the circumstances, and officers are appealing to the community to assist with understanding exactly how this baby girl bore such serious injuries to come forward”.

He thanked people who have come forward so far.

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

The Golden Spurtle dives into the world of competitive porridge making with heart and humour

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Thompson, Lecturer in Theatre, Australian Catholic University

Umbrella

If you were scouting about for a feature documentary subject, porridge might not be the first thing you’d think of. That is, unless you were Australian opera and theatre director turned documentary film maker, Constantine Costi, who has struck gold with his new documentary, The Golden Spurtle.

Now, I’ll admit to not knowing what a spurtle was before watching this documentary. (But now that I know, I’ve added one to my Christmas list.)

According to the Dictionaries of the Scots Language, a spurtle is “a short, round stick used for stirring porridge”.

Generally, they’re made of wood, but once a year in the Scottish Highlands’ village of Carrbridge, a much-coveted golden spurtle is awarded to the winner of the World Porridge Making Championships. The setting for Costi’s documentary is the 2023 competition – the contest’s 30th year.

A man in a blue jacket stands in the open doorway of a stone building.
The 2016 golden spurtle trophy.
Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

Porridge makers from all over the world arrive in Carrbridge each October to compete. They must make the best porridge from just three ingredients: oats, salt and water.

And 2023 was particularly significant because it was the year Charlie Miller – unofficial mayor of Carrbridge, avid spurtle maker and self-proclaimed chieftain of the Golden Spurtle since 1994 – was stepping down. If this film has a star, Miller is it.

Shot like a moving photograph

Costi and cinematographer Dimitri Zaunders have made strong cinematic choices that allow this story to tell itself.

First they’ve shot it in an aspect ratio of 4:3 – a pre-widescreen format evoking an “old-school” visual feeling reminiscent of 1950s films and other old video and television formats.

A man in a blue jacket stands in the open doorway of a stone building.
Self-proclaimed Chieftain of the Golden Spurtle, Charlie Miller, is a key character in the film.
Umbrella

Secondly, there’s no camera movement. Every scene is shot with a “locked-off” camera, giving everything a framed, photographic feel. This style relies on what we see within the frame being compelling enough to hold our attention without the enhancement of camera or editing techniques.

For the most part, this suits the subject matter. The scenery around Carrbridge and its quaint architecture are beautiful enough without needing to be tricked up in any way, and the personalities of the characters are quite magnetic.

Still, about halfway through the 75-minute runtime, the sameness of the visual style becomes (for me at least) dynamically inert. Then again, often that feeling was countered by something unexpected or funny happening within the locked-off frame.

A captivating cast and secret recipes

We meet several of the contestants over the course of the film, including Ian Bishop (the only local ever to win), Lisa Williams (a back-to-back winner known as The Queen of Porridge), Nick Barnard (a serious man who seriously wants to win after being a seven-time finalist) and Toby Wilson (an Australian taco chef who’s back for a second crack).

These characters are as idiosyncratic as the competition itself, and just as passionate.

An older man sits on a chair in a dimly lit room.
Ian Bishop is the only local ever to have won the Golden Spurtle.
Umbrella

If there’s one thing missing, it’s insight into the porridge-making process itself and how the judges make their decisions.

What makes a winning bowl of porridge? What difference do different kinds of oats make? Do you simmer or rapid boil? Should your spurtle stir clockwise or anticlockwise? Do the judges look for taste, or texture, or consistency, or other factors?

The closest the film comes to focusing on these questions is when an off-camera voice asks Ian Bishop which oats he will be using, to which he simply replies: “Why would I want to tell you? Other people would get to know.”

In October of this year, Melbourne food stylist Caroline Velik returned triumphant from the 32nd championship, having won the Speciality Dish Category.

I guess that’s another thing missing from the documentary: there’s a second category where contestants can add whatever they like to their oats. Seven-time-finalist Nick Barnard is a two-time winner in this category, but that doesn’t get a mention either.

Velik told the ABC she made her Aussie-flavoured porridge jaffle with bananas, wattleseed, Davidson plum powder and Bundaberg rum.

She was also runner-up in the main competition. “You think it’s all going to taste the same,” she said, “but you’d be surprised how many differences you can get with just those three ingredients.”

That conversation primed me for Costi’s documentary, so it was disappointing these things were left out.

Porridge earns its stripes

It’d be easy to trivialise this event and its organisers as little more than an old-fashioned eccentric curiosity. But reading between the lines, you come to understand that this is community engagement at its best.

A small group of volunteers in a tiny hall, in a quiet village, with not much more than their passion, dedication and love of an ancient dish have created an international event that celebrates three humble ingredients.

It is an event that has put porridge on the world stage. And much of this is captured in The Golden Spurtle. But like Oliver Twist and his oatmeal gruel, I just wanted some more.

The Golden Spurtle is in cinemas from today.

The Conversation

Chris Thompson does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

– ref. The Golden Spurtle dives into the world of competitive porridge making with heart and humour – https://theconversation.com/the-golden-spurtle-dives-into-the-world-of-competitive-porridge-making-with-heart-and-humour-269808

Māori smoking rates stall for the first time in over a decade

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Health officials are concerned by the rate of smoking. (File photo) RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King

For the first time in over a decade the decreasing trend of Māori smoking rates has stalled leaving health advocates devastated.

The latest New Zealand Health Survey showed daily smoking among Māori adults 15 and over has increased slightly from 14.8 to 15 percent.

That increase was considered “statistically insignificant” and was within the survey’s margin of error but, it still amounted to about 99,000 people. The total daily smoking rate was 6.8 percent.

General Manager of Hāpai Te Hauora Jasmine Graham (Ngāti Kuri, Te Aupōuri) said unfortunately she was not surprised by the result.

The repeal of Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products (Smoked Tobacco) Amendment Act (SERPA), which included the smokefree generation laws, has had a huge impact on New Zealand’s progress, or lack of progress, to Smokefree 2025, she said.

“It’s incredibly concerning and the reason is because these aren’t just numbers. These are people’s lives. So this is whakapapa. This is whānau who are passing away from tobacco-related illnesses from a product that is designed to firstly attract, addict and then kill.

“…We don’t want to see any stall in the numbers. We want to see those numbers decrease and especially reaching the end of 2025 and the goal that was set to be able to see a smoke-free Aotearoa by the end of this month.”

Graham said we still see about 5000 New Zealanders dying from the impacts of tobacco-related illnesses each year.

She said whānau Māori were going through a daily battle of addiction and having to make the conscious decision every day to try and not smoke.

“That’s not the fault of the whānau member or of the individual, that’s the fault of the industry. They’ve created this product to do just that, to keep you addicted. And when you have something as strong as nicotine in these products, that’s the problem.”

General Manager of Hāpai Te Hauora Jasmine Graham Supplied/Hāpai Te Hauora

She encouraged any whānau battling nicotine addiction to reach out to their local stop smoking service.

“I’ve had some people ask [if], you know… they’re the reason why we haven’t reached [Smokefree 2025] and they’re only thinking of the stat numbers. And I’m like, absolutely not. Because none of the responsibility is on our community or our people. All of the responsibility sits on the industry.”

Associate Minister of Health Casey Costello said New Zealand had made great progress in reducing smoking rates – especially since 2018 when vapes became widely available.

The gains had been particularly noticeable for young people and for Māori, she said.

“When the NZ Health Survey began in 2011/12, over 37 percent of Māori were daily smokers. In the latest survey that figure was down to 15 percent. Since 2018, Māori smoking rates have halved and the latest stats show 118,000 Māori have quit smoking in the last five years.

“These reductions are really significant, no other country is making this sort of progress. But of course we still have a way to go – we want to stop people smoking to reduce the health impacts and there’s a particular focus on supporting Māori and Pacific populations where rates are higher.”

Costello said the challenge was that we were down to the most “stubborn” smokers. The highest smoking rates were for those over 45, she said.

“Marketing activity is targeting these groups, as are the country’s quit smoking providers. This is important as people are around four times more likely to quit smoking by using a stop smoking service, than by trying on their own.

“An updated Smokefree Action plan released at the end of last year sets out the range of approaches that are being taken to stop people smoking and target key groups.”

One of the improvements needed was timely referrals to quit smoking providers, she said.

“I’d really encourage people to make contact with those services.”

Graham said it was worth celebrating there had been so many people who had gone through their quit journey and come out the other side to live a smokefree life.

At the same time there had been many Māori movers and shakers who led the kaupapa of tobacco control boldly who should be celebrated, she said.

“I think it’s to be celebrated that we still want to see a smoke-free Aotearoa, whatever the date is, that we’re looking to be able to save lives.

“We’re not just talking about numbers or stats, we’re talking about the livelihood of our people.”

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Local Water Done Well: Council plans to cost $9b higher than expected

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Local Government Minister Simon Watts. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Spending on water services will be nearly $9 billion higher under the Local Water Done Well model than councils previously estimated.

Councils had to submit water service plans to show how they would organise water services in a financially sustainable way as part of the reforms.

In a statement, Local Government Minister Simon Watts said all plans had now been signed off, with 44 councils handing over to a separate company and 23 keeping services in house.

“These numbers mean that 76 percent of New Zealand’s population will have water services delivered through a CCO model. This collaboration between councils offers significant assistance in addressing affordability challenges.”

He said the total cost estimate from the plans was nearly $9b higher than under the councils’ earlier long-term plans, which were not required to ensure capital investment was sufficient to achieve compliance.

“The $47.9 billion total estimated investment across all plans shows councils recognise that after decades of under-investment, water projects can’t wait any longer,” he said.

“We need to fix the pipes, and we must address an unacceptable level of non-compliance, but we must also future proof for a growing population. It’s important to strike the right balance.”

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Jetstar ordered to stop using faulty baggage scales at Wellington Airport

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Source: Radio New Zealand

File pic 123rf.com

The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has directed Jetstar to stop using two baggage scales at Wellington Airport after inspections found they failed to meet legal accuracy requirements under the Weights and Measures Act 1987.

Following a public complaint in September, Trading Standards, a business unit of MBIE, inspected two portable baggage scales Jetstar used to weigh carry-on luggage at Wellington Airport.

Both were found to be non-compliant because they were not level when tested and did not meet their approval conditions.

The scales were rejected, and Jetstar instructed to stop using them until they were re-verified by an accredited person.

The airline told Stuff that the inspection identified minor wheel misalignments that caused the scale plates to sit unevenly.

“This affected the stability of the units, not their weighing accuracy, and both scales were immediately removed from service,” Jetstar said.

MBIE’s national manager trading standards Stephen O’Brien said compliance instructions had been issued to Jetstar. As well, a formal corrective action request has been sent to the verifier involved to investigate the root cause of the issues identified and to put in place steps to prevent their recurrence.

Trading Standards would follow up with both parties to ensure effective resolution of the issues identified and that long term compliance is achieved.

O’Brien said businesses using weighing instruments for trade, including airlines, were responsible for ensuring their equipment was legally verified, level, and accurate. Instruments must be approved for trade use and verified by an accredited person. Regular checks and record-keeping are recommended to demonstrate due diligence.

“Consumers should be confident that the price they pay reflects the correct weight or measure. Investigations and compliance checks are carried out to protect people from being incorrectly charged due to inaccurate weighing.”

AFP

Airline denies any overcharging

Jetstar told Stuff the scales’ misalignment would not have resulted in higher weight readings and any additional baggage fees applied would still be correct.

“Any impact from this misalignment would have resulted in slightly lower weight readings, meaning customers would not have been overcharged and any additional baggage fees applied would still have been correct.”

By 15 October, 2025, Jetstar said every scale it used across New Zealand had completed its scheduled annual inspection, and all were confirmed to be fully compliant.

The airline said it recognised that carry-on baggage was “a pain point for customers” and it was “actively exploring ways to improve the carry-on experience and policy”.

Trading Standards’ Stephen O’Brien said with more than 20 million air traveller departures from New Zealand airports in the past year, even small inaccuracies in weighing instruments could have a wide-reaching impact.

Travellers were encouraged to check that baggage scales were level, start at zero, and carry a mark of verification.

If a scale appeared inaccurate or unverified, consumers could contact MBIE’s Trading Standards team, who investigate complaints and enforce compliance under the Weights and Measures Act 1987.

Trading Standards focuses on education and guidance to help businesses meet their obligations. If compliance was not achieved, enforcement options were available, including infringement offence notices or prosecution for serious or repeated breaches.

Penalties could reach up to $10,000 for individuals and $30,000 for companies.

Across sectors, O’Brien said Trading Standards helped build trust by ensuring accuracy, fairness and transparency in everyday transactions – whether people were flying, shopping, or using services charged by weight or measure.

More information is available here.

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How the world got talking about red-tipped bananas

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Red-tipped bananas are not new to Australian consumers, but have gone viral on social media this month after an inquisitive post from two bewildered British backpackers.

The video from travellers Mel Chekaoui and Phil Colia has been seen more than 11 million times on Instagram, with eager consumers commenting that they too were hungry to learn the reason for the red wax tip.

“My Dad told me it meant they were strawberry flavoured and I believed him until I was 16 years old. Nice to finally learn the real reason in the comments”

Travellers Mel Chekaoui and Phil Colia have gone viral with a video about bananas in Australia.

@melandphil / Instagram

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Students pair up with retirees and exchange lives through letters

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Children at St Heliers School and residents at Grace Joel Retirement Village has been pen pals for the past year. Ke-Xin Li

There’s nervous excitement as the children of Room 25 at St Heliers School get ready to visit their pen pals.

A five minute walk brings the kids to the Grace Joel Retirement Village, where their elderly pen pals are just as excited as the children.

“Hello hello hello hello hello, there he is, hello,” one resident pointed me to her pen pal.

Teacher Sarah Mill came up with the pen pal programme during Covid, after reading about rest home residents’ loneliness.

Each student has a resident to write to. They also visit several times through the year.

“In today’s modern age, too many students text or email, and they are losing the art of connection through a proper letter. Text is just a few words, whereas some of their letters are getting to two or three pages long.”

During Covid, Sarah Mill started the pen pal programme for her class after reading about the loneliness experienced by retirement home residents. Ke-Xin Li

Miss Mill said it means the kids get to build deeper relationships. And many stayed in touch with the residents as they grew up.

“I think it was important for them to share their lives with the residents, and then the residents would sometimes share things from their childhood that had come back to them as a result of reading what the children were doing, so, really interesting.”

After written 10 letters, this is the children’s third and last visit of the year.

But 8-year-old Vidhya Jooravan has told her pen pal – 85-year-old Joan Baggott – that it won’t be the last letter she sends her.

“I wrote I hope [we’re] still pen pals (in the future), more planet stuff, and more exciting things about Christmas.”

While visiting their pen pals, children from Room 25 also perform songs for Grace Joel residents Ke-Xin Li

Vidhya loves the friendship she has made with Joan.

“When we started writing letters, I was so excited to have a pen pal. And then when I started carry on writing letters, it started to build up a pen pal friendship and then it was just amazing. It’s so nice, it’s like having my granny and grandpa sitting here and talking to me. I feel happy and I feel nice inside.”

Joan grew up writing letters. But today, while she much prefers texting, she has enjoyed reading Vidhya’s letters and getting to know her.

“I love what she writes about because very often it’s straight from school, what the teacher’s written on the board, and I learn after all these years. I think, oh, I didn’t know that. She’s a lovely little girl and she sent me a letter once and it had all the little diamantes all the way around the envelope. So I knew she liked pretty things.”

And from then on, Joan made sure she decorated all her letters to Vidhya with cute stickers.

Joan Baggott and Vidhya Jooravan have been pen pals for the last year. Ke-Xin Li

Nine-year-old Oliver Qi tried to read Brian Cutting’s November letter, but had to stop nearing the end as he struggled with Brian’s cursive handwriting – a common struggle amongst the pen pals due to their age gap.

86-year-old Brian was still proud.

“It’s very impressive though to be able to read that writing, I think there is really something special for him.”

He helped Oliver finish reading the letter.

“I think it’s wonderful that you are learning Mandarin. It’s wonderful to know how to speak, read, and write in other languages. You are lucky. Once again, you have been learning interesting things at school. Things like our galaxy. Did you know there are billions of galaxies? Billions of them.”

And Brian tried to incorporate some Mandarin phrases he learned.

“So we started off, Dear Oliver, Ni Hao. And we ended it up, Zai Jian.”

Oliver Qi and Brian Cutting have been writing to each other for a year. Ke-Xin Li

Oliver corrected Brian’s pronunciation of “Zai Jian”, the phrase means “See you again”.

Without a carefully crafted closing statement, no letter is complete.

And everyone has their own preferences.

Oliver likes: “I look forward to seeing you again.”

Vidhya loves “warm regards”.

“Because it sounds sweet and sounds like half of ‘all the best’.”

Mark struggled with the cursive handwriting by 96-year-old Dr. M Mackendrick. Ke-Xin Li

Ngarie Jackson, 85, used “kind regards”, but said she would prefer something else.

“Well, I could have put love, but I didn’t know whether he’d like that or not.”

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Weather forecast: Temperatures creeping back down after scorching summer days

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Parts of the country saw temperatures in the high 20s or early 30s earlier this week. (File photo) RNZ/ Mohammad Alafeshat

After days of sweltering heat for much of the country temperatures should drop by a few degrees in coming days.

Earlier this week a heat alert was in place for Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne with temperatures reaching 34C at Napier Airport and 32C in Wairoa.

Over the weekend many regions experienced temperatures in the high 20s or even early 30s.

But MetService said on Thursday there was a reprieve from the heat on the way, with temperatures across the country heading back down towards normal.

MetService meteorlogist John Law, said it was still hot on Thursday, especially for Waikato, which would reach 29C to 30C.

Law said the last few days had been four or five degrees above average for the time of year.

“It’s nice for a few days but it takes its toll,” he said.

Auckland was sitting at between 26C and 27C but would likely drop to mid 20s by the weekend.

Law said it would still be beach weather with the weekend looking generally dry, fine and settled.

Things would be a bit cooler down in Christchurch with temperatures of 18C-19C for the weekend, but this would heat back up next week to the high 20s.

Some spots in the central North Island, including Taumarunui, Waitomo and Waikato were still experiencing above average days which could hit 30C.

Wellington seemed to have avoided the extreme heat, Law said, but added there had been some “very nice days here”.

The lower South Island was the only area which could expect some showers or even a rumble of thunder over the weekend, Law said, in Otago and South Canterbury.

“Law said it had been an unusually warm start to December and a “very warm” November.

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Why you might suddenly stop drinking milk

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Source: Radio New Zealand

You’ve long enjoyed a generous pour of milk in your morning coffee, or a big bowl of ice cream for dessert.

You’ve been fine with dairy most of your life, but you’re getting into middle age, and all of a sudden it’s not sitting right with you – creating lots of socially unacceptable symptoms and bathroom breaks and generally making you feel bloated and gassy.

You may not realise it right away, but you’re probably one of the millions of people who develop lactose intolerance as they get older.

Lactose is found in dairy products.

Supplied/ Synlait

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Biosecurity doubles Auckland’s surveillance zone for yellow-legged hornets

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Yellow-legged hornets (Vespa velutina) and their nests have been found in the Auckland region. Biosecurity NZ

Biosecurity NZ has more than doubled the surveillance zone for invasive yellow legged hornets in Auckland.

More than 30 queen hornets and 22 nests have been located and destroyed so far in the region, with trapping and ground searches expanded significantly across the city’s North Shore recently.

Horticultural sectors have been concerned about the impact the predatory hornet could have on New Zealand’s honey bee populations.

Nearly 650 traps have been set within a five-kilometre radius of detection sites, and more than 3500 properties have been searched within 200 metres of confirmed finds, Biosecurity NZ said.

Biosecurity’s North commissioner Mike Inglis said the surveillance zone was being extended from five kilometres from detection sites on the North Shore to 11, after advice from an independent technical advisory group.

He said the extended surveillance would involve working closely with more beekeepers, including more than 575 registered apiaries in the 11-kilometre zone.

“This will provide greater assurance that the hornet incursion is a single population contained to the local area and allow us to respond quickly if there has been any spread,” he said.

“From the very start, Biosecurity New Zealand’s response to the hornet detections has been driven by science and expert advice. This will remain the foundation of our approach.”

Yellow-legged hornets are an invasive species, and a danger to local honey and wild bees. Biosecurity NZ

Inglis urged Aucklanders and beekeepers to keep a watchful eye out for the pests.

“We’ve had more than 5610 public notifications so far. It’s been fantastic to see such enthusiasm. We are very keen for this to continue, as it helps us respond quickly to possible detections,” he said.

Biosecurity was also using different trap designs to hunt the hornets, as well as launching a national ad campaign to encourage sighting reports from the public.

It said it was purchasing electronic tracking gear to trace nests, by attaching transmitters to foraging worker hornets.

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External project management team to run Nelson Hospital redevelopment

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Nelson Hospital. RNZ / Samantha Gee

Health New Zealand is hiring an external project management team to run the Nelson Hospital redevelopment for the next six years.

The project aims to deliver new, refurbished and seismically strengthened buildings in three packages.

First up, design of a new 11,000 square metre inpatient unit and energy centre is due to begin next April.

Earthquake strengthening of intensive care, surgery and radiology buildings among others is last off the blocks, to run from mid 2027 till 2032.

The various projects range in value from $50 million to more than $150m each.

“Given the scale of the programme and HNZ’s internal capacity, HNZ is now seeking to engage a full-service external project management team … through to the anticipated completion in late-2032,” a tender document said.

The team would oversee the day-to-day and end-to-end delivery of each project.

Applicants had to have project managed a health construction project in Australasia worth at least $150m in the last five years, and a large regionally-based one outside the main NZ cities, too.

The tender said price would only be 15 percent of what was factored in on awarding the work, with experience 30 percent and team capability 40 percent.

The refurbishment of the two main hospital blocks called George Manson and Percy Brunette was due to run from 2026 to 2031.

“The current deficit of medical surgical beds is 16 and without redevelopment and model of care changes, this would have risen to 53 beds by 2043,” it said.

“Outdated facilities are preventing improvements to health equity, overall patient experience and time efficiencies.”

It also noted that poor seismic resilience “jeopardises post-disaster healthcare following a significant seismic event”.

Buildings had been categorised as earthquake-prone and had to be fixed or demolished by 2032.

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Three more arrests after murder of US student Kyle Whorrall in Auckland

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Kyle Whorrall, 33, was killed at a bus stop on St Johns Rd in Meadowbank, Auckland. SUPPLIED

A trio of teenagers are the latest to be arrested as Auckland police investigate the violent murder of American student Kyle Whorrall.

Six people have now been charged in connection with the homicide investigation, including five teenagers and a 33-year-old woman.

Whorrall, a PhD student at Auckland University, was killed in an attack at a Meadowbank bus stop on 19 April.

The Operation Aberfeldy team has since been investigating the homicide.

On Thursday, three additional people were charged after police searched properties in Kaikohe, Mt Wellington and Manurewa.

Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said as a result, two 18-year-olds and a 17-year-old have been charged jointly with murder and aggravated robbery.

“We have spoken with Kyle’s mother this morning, to keep her updated on this development, and it is not lost on us the profound impact this event has had on her family,” Baldwin said.

The investigation now shifts towards moving into the prosecution phase, Baldwin said.

“At this point we believe we have identified those allegedly involved, however the investigation remains ongoing.”

An 18-year-old male will appear in the Kaikohe Youth Court and the other two charged will appear in the Auckland Youth Court on Thursday.

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Farmers doing their bit to support those with intellectual disabilities in rural communities

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Kaye and her daughter check out the calves at the Temuka sale. Supplied

Strong beef prices are helping raise record funds as part of a fundraising scheme that’s been going for more than 40 years.

IHC has been around for 70 years supporting those with intellectual disabilities, particularly in rural communities.

For more than half that time, the IHC Calf and Rural Scheme has helped raised funds for the charity with farmers donating a weaned calf which is then sold and the proceeds donated.

National fundraising manager Greg Millar said some farmers donated multiple calves and had been doing so for generations.

“When they come to sale, [the calves] are often of amazing quality as well.”

Millar said the scheme was badly impacted by Mycoplasma bovis and Covid-19.

“We had to change everything about the way we ran the calf and rural scheme and tighten up a lot of our processes. At one stage we thought it could be the end of the scheme just because it was high risk.”

However, with farmers urging they persevered, it returned to full strength last year and raised $1.2 million.

He said this year is looking likely to be a record fundraiser.

“The sale prices have been great. The numbers we’ve been getting have been great.”

Millar said at the recent Temuka sale, which had more calves than the year before, the average price was about $100 per calf which meant the sale earned an extra $50,000.

He said he was always impressed by farmers generosity, which allowed them to help families of children with intellectual disabilities.

“I’m always astounded by how amazing and supportive the farming community is around New Zealand.”

With one more sale in January, he expects to know the final total in the new year.

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Millions of hectares are still being cut down every year. How can we protect global forests?

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Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Dooley, Senior Research Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne

David Clode/Unsplash, CC BY

Ahead of the United Nations climate summit in Belém last month, Brazil’s President Lula da Silva urged world leaders to agree to roadmaps away from fossil fuels and deforestation and pledge the resources to meet these goals.

After failing to secure consensus, COP president Andre Corrêa do Lago announced these roadmaps as a voluntary initiative. Brazil will report back on progress at next year’s UN climate summit, COP31, when it hands the presidency to Turkey and Australia chairs the negotiations.

Why now?

These goals originate in the outcomes of the first global stocktake of the world’s progress towards the Paris Agreement goals, undertaken in 2023.

At the COP28 talks in Dubai in that year, there was an agreement to transition away from fossil fuels and to halt and reverse deforestation and forest degradation by 2030.

Yet achieving these goals relies on a “just transition”, where no country is left behind in the transition to a low-carbon future, including a “core package” of public finance to address climate adaptation, and loss and damage. The Belém outcome fell short.

Forests need urgent protection

Forest loss and degradation is continuing, at an average rate of 25 million hectares a year over the last decade, according to the Global Forest Watch. This is 63% higher than the rate needed to meet existing targets to halt and reverse forest loss by 2030. Yet the climate pledges submitted for the Belém COP remain far off track from this goal.

In the 2025 Land Gap Report, my colleagues and I calculated the scale of this “forest gap” – the gap between 2030 targets and the plans countries are putting forward in their climate pledges.

We show the pledges submitted up until this year’s climate summit would cut deforestation by less than 50% by 2030, meaning forests spanning almost 4 million hectares would still be cut down. The pledges would lead to forest degradation – where the ecological integrity of a forest area is diminished – of almost 16 million hectares. This is only a 10% reduction on current rates.

Together, this equates to an anticipated “forest gap” of around 20 million hectares expected to be lost or degraded each year by 2030. That’s about twice the size of South Korea.

While this underscores the inadequacy of commitments, the analysis is based on pledges submitted up to the start of November 2025, at which point only 40% of countries had submitted an updated plan. Major pledges submitted during COP31, such as from the European Union and China, don’t change this analysis.

A graph which shows the rate of deforestation.
This graph shows that deforestation will only slightly decline to 2030.
The Land Gap Report, author supplied., CC BY-ND

Forest wins in Belém

A new fund for forest conservation called the Tropical Forests Forever Facility was launched in Brazil, attracting $US6.7 billion in pledges ($A9.9 billion).

The forest fund focuses on tropical deforestation, the leading cause of emissions from forest loss. But it has a key weakness: the limited monitoring of forest degradation, which could allow countries to receive payments while still logging primary forests.

The fund will establish a science committee and plans to revise monitoring indicators over the next three years, creating an opportunity to strengthen its ability to protect tropical forests.

The COP30 leaders’ summit also saw the launch of a historic pledge of $US1.8 billion ($A2.7 billion) to support conservation and recognition of 160 million hectares of Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ territories in tropical forest countries.

But global action on forests needs to extend beyond the tropics. Across both deforestation and forest degradation, countries in the global north are responsible for over half of global tree cover loss over the past decade.

Beyond tropical forests

A global accountability framework on forests is needed to increase ambition on climate action, including in countries and regions with extensive forests outside of the tropics, such as Australia, Canada and Europe.

In these regions, industrial logging is a major driver of tree-cover loss but receives far less political attention than tropical deforestation. Wide gaps in reporting – between deforestation and degradation – mean logging-related degradation often goes unreported.

In a recent report, only 59 countries said they monitor forest degradation. Of these, almost three-quarters are tropical forest countries.

The IUCN World Conservation Congress which convened in Abu Dhabi this year prior to the climate talks, passed a motion on delivering equitable accountability and means of implementation for international forest protection goals. This arose from a recognised need to promote greater equity between forest protection standards across countries.

All of this points to an urgent need to tackle accountability in global forest governance. The forest roadmap to be developed for COP31 in Turkey could help drive stronger alignment and transparency across UN processes – from the UN Forum on Forests’ 2017–2030 plan to the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework’s 2030 target to halt and reverse biodiversity loss.

Australia could lead on forests

Australia could help shape global forest ambition in the year ahead. It is currently the only country whose emissions pledge promises to halt and reverse deforestation and degradation by 2030 – a clear signal that developed countries must lead.

As President of Negotiations at COP31, Australia can also work to bring Brazil’s fossil-fuel and forest roadmaps into formal negotiations. But this depends on two things: credible leadership from developed countries and long-overdue climate finance. As a deforestation hotspot with ongoing native forest logging, Australia has considerable work to do to meet this responsibility.

The Conversation

Kate Dooley receives funding from the Australian Research Council and a number of philanthropic organisations. She is affiliated with Climate Integrity and the Minderoo Foundation.

– ref. Millions of hectares are still being cut down every year. How can we protect global forests? – https://theconversation.com/millions-of-hectares-are-still-being-cut-down-every-year-how-can-we-protect-global-forests-271305

Live: Black Caps v West Indies second test – day two

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Black Caps ripped through the West Indies on the first day of the second test in Wellington, but it came at a cost.

Late on day one the West Indies were dismissed for just 205, with a top score of just 48 from Shai Hope to put the Kiwis well in the ascendancy at 24 without loss.

However, after taking four wickets in the first innings, seamer Blair Tickner was forced from the field with a serious looking shoulder injury after landing awkwardly attempting to save a boundary.

Tickner joins Nathan Smith, Matt Henry, Kyle Jameison, Mitch Santner and Tom Blundell on the Black Caps injury list.

First ball is at 11am.

Squad: Tom Latham (c), Michael Bracewell, Kristian Clarke*, Devon Conway, Jacob Duffy, Zak Foulkes, Mitchell Hay*, Daryl Mitchell, Glenn Phillips, Rachin Ravindra, Michael Rae*, Blair Tickner, Kane Williamson, Will Young

*uncapped Test player

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Michael Bracewell Andrew Cornaga / www.photosport.nz / Photosport Ltd 2025

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People facing ‘imminent homelessness’ not eligible for emergency housing, Citizens Advice Bureau says

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Nick Monro

Welfare changes are biting so hard that people face losing the cars they call home or are struggling to provide the most basic needs, a Citizens Advice Bureau report has found.

The report, based on more than 10,000 requests for the bureau’s help, found people from all walks of life were struggling to meet basic living costs.

Government policy or law changes such as benefit sanctions, tighter emergency housing criteria and cuts to community services had exacerbated the hardship, the report found.

The bureau’s national policy advisor Louise May told Nine to Noon some of the people coming to them were in precarious situations – but instead of getting help, they were left to spiral.

“We are seeing people who may have young children or babies coming in and they’re facing imminent homelessness and they’re being told that they’re not eligible for emergency accommodation,” she said.

That was sometimes because they were told they had contributed to their own homelessness and did not qualify for support under a policy introduced by the government, she said.

Social Development Minister Louise Upston said she knew many New Zealanders had been finding things tough and the government was focused on easing the cost of living.

The report gave several case studies including a father of a disabled child who was spiralling into debt.

“Tegan is struggling with a large electricity bill because the heat pump broke down over winter and the landlord refused to fix it, requiring Tegan to only use his own oil heater instead. The landlord told Tegan that if they are cold, they can move out,” the report said.

Work and Income said he did not qualify for support because he was paying what he could to the power company so it was not threatening to cut him off. It suggested he stop paying his car and content insurance.

Another detailed a woman living in her car seeking help.

“Anya needs to repair her car and make it road legal but has been told by Work and Income that she cannot receive any support or loan from them as their new policy is not to fix cars. Anya needs to be able to maintain her car as she lives in it and cannot afford to be fined. She keeps getting tickets because it is not legal.

Another person living in their car was desperate for work but could not afford to wash their clothes or buy soap to be presentable.

The Citizens Advice Bureau was calling for a range of improvements including prioritising food, housing and utility security and reviewing compliance penalties.

May said people coming to see them often had many different case managers or struggled to get through to Work and Income on the phone.

There needed to be more face-to-face connection between WINZ staff and clients so they could build rapport and really understand the situations, she said.

The bureau was seeing more and more people who would not previously be considered vulnerable spiral into financial holes that they could not get out of.

Upston was not available for an interview with Nine to Noon but sent a statement.

“The government had always acknowledged that many New Zealanders [have] been finding things tough during a prolonged cost-of-living challenge,” she said.

“That’s why over the last two years, we’ve focused on fixing the basics, lowering inflation and interest rates to begin easing the cost of living, and reducing taxes to put more money in people’s pockets… New Zealand needs a growing economy, to create more jobs, and higher wages,”she said.

She understand MSD had promised to work with Citizens Advice to address operational issues around Work and Income raised in the report and would meet with them February next year, she said.

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

Children exposed to asbestos should be monitored long-term – public health experts

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The recalled sand products. Supplied

The Public Health Communication Centre says children exposed to asbestos contained in coloured play sands should be regularly monitored to ensure the best chance of successfully treating cancers – which could take decades to emerge later in life.

Hundreds of schools have been tested – with nearly 40 forced to temporarily close – following the discovery of naturally occurring asbestos, tremolite, in coloured play sands last month.

At least nine children’s activity products containing coloured sands were recalled over the last month after testing in Australia revealed the presence of the carcinogen in products.

Illnesses could take decades to emerge

University of Canterbury toxicologist, Professor Ian Shaw, said it could be decades before any illnesses related to the exposure emerged as symptoms.

“Mesothelioma, which is the cancer which is most likely to be caused by asbestos, tends not to be diagnosed early. The reason is that you don’t notice the symptoms – they’re the sort of things that you might just pass off.

“In kids that we know have been exposed, we would then want to monitor them – say, yearly – for many years so that if they did contract mesothelioma we could detect it really early and have a greater chance of treatment success,” Shaw said.

University of Canterbury toxicologist Professor Ian Shaw. Supplied

He said testing needed to be done to better understand the risks associated with exposure to the products.

“We need to know not only how much they’re breathing in – in terms of the concentration in air – but how long they’ve been breathing it because the higher the concentration, the longer the exposure, the greater the risk.

“It’s immensely complex but it’s really important because we’ve got kids exposed and what we do know about chemicals that cause cancer is that they tend to have a greater effect in children than adults. The reason for that is that kids are growing, their cells are dividing more frequently and cancer-causing chemicals generally only affect cells that are dividing. So there’s more chance of them affecting dividing cells in kids,” Shaw said.

Shaw said not everyone who breathed in asbestos would necessarily develop cancer.

“Even if somebody breathes a whole load of it for a long period of time they might not develop cancer. We mustn’t be thinking that everybody’s going to get cancer in this case ’cause they’re not,” Shaw said.

University of Auckland professor of commercial law Alex Sims said that in order to support the monitoring of children exposed to the chemical, the voluntary Asbestos Exposure Register – which stopped accepting new entries in 2023 – should be reinstated and expanded to include people who may have suffered exposure in a wider variety of environments.

“It was mainly to do with workplaces so if employees had been exposed to potential asbestos they could be on that register and it would allow for greater monitoring.

“Australia has one and – with the coloured play sand incident – people are being told to register there.

“As we’ve seen – with the coloured play sand – asbestos issues are far broader than just employees so that would be really useful,” Sims said.

University of Auckland professor of commercial law Alex Sims. Supplied

Enforcement of importing regulations lacking

Sims said importing regulations meant it was currently illegal to import products that contained asbestos without a permit but little was being done to back up the legislation.

“The problem is that there is no requirement to test products before they come into New Zealand so we’re just relying on people to test products but there’s no one checking to see whether anything has been tested.

“If people are importing things into New Zealand [and] if there’s a risk that a product could contain asbestos then testing should be carried out but, as we’ve seen, you can’t rely on importers to do this, so instead you need a government body – say, for example, MBIE (Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment) – to arrange for the testing and to do that at the importer’s cost,” Sims said.

Sims said consumers should consider choosing children’s products that had simpler, more natural, elements to avoid the risks associated with chemical contamination or poor manufacturing standards.

“We have product safety laws about toys – for example [you] can’t have loose batteries and other things – but we do rely on importers and suppliers following the law and they don’t always.

“When it comes to enforcement, the MBIE and Commerce Commission can’t be everywhere, it’s only when reports are made and sometimes reports come after harm’s been suffered.

“The law and the government can’t protect everybody and it’s very much up to people to take care and if you’re looking at something, just go ‘no that doesn’t look safe’ and don’t buy it. Just because it’s sitting on a shelf it does not mean to say that it’s safe.”

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

Hemp industry rules loosened in sweeping law change

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hemp industry laws are set to be loosened as Regulation Minister David Seymour announces sweeping changes.

Seymour says the current licensing rules are heavy-handed and outdated, and will be replaced with new rules.

Industrial hemp growers will no longer require a licence if the plants contain less than one-percent THC.

But Seymour says growers will need to notify police and the Ministry for Primary Industries before planting, so they’re aware it’s not illegal cannabis.

David Seymour visiting the Hemp NZ Food Factory in Ashburton today. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

He says industrial hemp has very low levels of THC and doesn’t need to be heavily regulated like cannabis.

Under the new settings:

  • Industrial hemp will no longer require a licence to grow or handle.
  • A clear THC threshold of less than 1% will distinguish hemp from high-THC cannabis.
  • Hemp biomass, including flowers and leaves, may be supplied to licensed medicinal cannabis producers under strict conditions.
  • Growers must notify Police before planting to avoid accidental enforcement and assist in controlling illicit cannabis activities.
  • Growers must also notify MPI at the same time as Police.
  • Hemp use remains restricted to fibre, seed, and oil, with additional permissions for medicinal cannabis supply as noted above.
  • Existing food safety and medicinal cannabis requirements will continue to apply

David Seymour speaks to media during his visit. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Speaking to media at the Hemp NZ Food Factory in Ashburton following the announcement on Thursday morning, Seymour said the industry had been treated like a criminal for too long.

“The industry has been held back by outdated, heavy-handed rules that treat growing low-risk crops like high-risk drugs. That ends now.”

Cabinet agreed to a package of changes to scrap the current licensing regime for industrial hemp and replace it with a more practical, proportionate regulatory approach.

Seymour said red tape for the sake of it had cost growers money and limited innovation.

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

He said the changes were expected to generate a benefit of $7.5m over 10 years, and about $41m in over 20.

“The changes will reduce costs and give certainty to growers and investors.”

Industrial hemp contained low levels of THC and was grown for food, oil, fibre and health products, Seymour said, and despite its low risk had been heavily regulated.

He said it was another example of why New Zealand needed the Regulatory Standards Act.

“If the Act was in place at the time these regulations were made, you would be able to see the low risks the crazy regulations were in place to ‘mitigate’.

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

“So far though, the disproportionately high costs of regulating the use and exchange of industrial hemp have been hidden.”

Under the new settings industrial hemp would no longer need a licence to grow or handle, a THC threshold of less than 1 percent would distinguish it from high-THC cannabis and hemp biomass including leaves and flowers could be supplied to licensed medicinal cannabis producers.

Growers would need to notify police and MPI before planting to avoid accidental enforcement and hemp use remained restricted to fibre, seed and oil.

The Ministry of Health would draft new regulatory settings.

RNZ / Nate McKinnon

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

‘Speed dating’ recruitment programme sees students get jobs

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Nathaniel Lua was one of the first to complete the programme and had taken a job as a machine operator at APL Manufacturing. Supplied

The manufacturing industry and government have come up with a plan to address the chronic and increasing shortage of skilled staff with a programme described as recruitment speed dating.

The Earn as You Learn programme was trialed earlier this year by Waikato manufacturers, Advancing Manufacturing Aotearoa, WINTEC, the Waikato Engineering Careers Association and Workforce Development Council Hanga-Aro-Rau.

The industry employed 220,000 people across 23,000 firms and contributed 8 percent of GDP and 60 percent of the country’s exports.

The initiative was developed to address New Zealand’s worsening manufacturing skills shortage at a time when the manufacturing, engineering and logistics sectors were facing a projected shortfall of 157,000 workers over the next five years.

Hanga-Aro-Rau deputy chief executive Samantha McNaughton said the model worked because it combined the strengths of classroom learning with on-the-job training.

“This programme brings together the strengths of classroom learning and in-work training in a way that genuinely reflects what employers need.

“Learners gain a recognised qualification while being paid, and employers get to see how they perform in real workplaces, which creates a practical and scalable way to close the workforce gap,” she said.

The 30-week model combined paid workplace rotations with classroom study, giving students two days a week at WINTEC’s Rotokauri campus and three days in hands-on roles across some of the region’s most advanced manufacturing firms.

Over the course of the programme, students rotate through three employers, gaining exposure to different production environments and technologies.

Employers said the training programme was expected to cut the costs of hiring staff, after delivering one of the highest completion and employment rates seen in the manufacturing sector.

APL Manufacturing general manager Howard Fountaine said one of the biggest surprises had been the calibre of people coming through the programme.

APL Manufacturing general manager Howard Fountaine. Supplied

“This is the closest thing to speed dating for recruitment. Instead of a half-hour interview, we get ten weeks with each learner, so the risk almost disappears because we already know how they work before offering them a job,” he said.

“These kids have genuinely surprised us with their engagement, aptitude and on-the-job analysis, and some have come in well above what we would normally expect at entry level.

“Of the ten students we hosted, we would have hired nine if positions were available, and we even held vacancies open because the calibre coming through was so strong.”

Of the 17 learners who met all course requirements, nine had secured full-time roles with their host companies.

A further two learners were already employed prior to joining the course.

“Two have already stepped straight into trainee leading hand roles, which shows the capability in this group. It is rare for a pilot to need almost no changes, but we may have got the recipe close to right because the structure has absolutely proved itself,” Fountaine said.

Nathaniel Lua was one of the first to complete the programme and had taken a job as a machine operator at APL Manufacturing.

He said the company had already offered him leadership training, which was something he never imagined straight out of school.

“It showed me I could build a long-term career at home, stay close to my family and still aim high,” he said.

Other employers had reported similar results, including Longveld Engineering, Hansa Products, Stainless Design and NZ Aero.

Fountaine said the success in Waikato had accelerated the national expansion of the initiative, with a regional steering group overseeing expansion to Lower Hutt, Canterbury and Auckland.

The goal was to grow graduate numbers from 17 in year one to between 100 and 150 by 2027.

Lower Hutt will run the programme next year, followed by Canterbury in 2027.

Exposure to industry-leading Waikato businesses also included Gallagher Group, ES Plastics, Stafford Engineering, Action Manufacturing, Loadscan and Supreme Stainless.

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

Person dies in Auckland CBD

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Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Marika Khabazi

A person has died in Auckland’s city centre, with emergency services called to the scene early on Thursday.

St John was at the scene near Sturdee Street and Custom Street West at about 6.30am.

It says an ambluance and a rapid response vehicle responded.

Police say the death is not being treated as suspicious.

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

Departing All Blacks assistant Jason Holland returns to Hurricanes

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Jason Holland is returning to the Hurricanes. PHOTOSPORT

Outgoing All Blacks assistant coach Jason Holland is returning to Hurricanes ahead of 2026 Super Rugby Pacific season.

Holland announced in October that after a two-year spell as an All Blacks assistant coach, he would depart his role following the team’s recent northern tour.

Previously a Hurricanes assistant coach from 2016 to 2019, and then head coach from 2020 to 2023, Holland will reprise his role as an assistant for next season.

Led by head coach Clark Laidlaw, Holland joins a coaching team that includes fellow assistants Jamie Mackintosh, Cory Jane, Brad Cooper, and Bryn Evans.

“I’m hugely grateful and excited by the opportunity to be back at the Hurricanes,” Holland said.

“It’s been awesome working alongside a great group of staff and players in the first few days since I’ve been back. They’ve created an exciting brand of Hurricanes rugby, so I’m expecting the upcoming season to be a lot of fun.”

During his initial stint with the Hurricanes, Holland was part of the coaching group that delivered the club its sole Super Rugby title in 2016.

Laidlaw said they were excited to have Holland return to the club.

“He obviously has a wealth of experience, not only at the Hurricanes as a head coach and attack coach, but also in the last couple of years with the All Blacks. We feel that, with his experience and ability and knowledge to help us with our attacking game, he’ll be a huge asset,” Laidlaw said.

He added that with an increased squad, as well as Holland’s experience and availability, it made sense to bring him back to the club.

“With the squad going up to 50 players during pre-season, we were looking for a coach to come in and help. The timing and opportunity for Alfie [Holland’s nickname] to come in, and his excitement and enthusiasm for the role, was too good to miss.”

Prior to his involvement with the Hurricanes, Holland enjoyed a successful period as Munster assistant coach between 2008 and 2012, before winning the 2013 NPC as a Canterbury assistant coach.

As a player, Holland represented both Manawatū and Taranaki in the NPC before making more than 100 appearances for Munster.

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

Hayden Wilde’s coach: ‘He was just like a total machine’

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Source: Radio New Zealand

NZ triathlete Hayden Wilde. PHOTOSPORT

A renowned coach, whose stable of runners has included British greats Paula Radcliffe and Sir Mo Farah, says Kiwi triathlete Hayden Wilde still has a lot of untapped potential.

Wilde will aim to achieve what some seemed impossible by claiming the T100 title in Qatar this weekend, after a horrific accident in May.

Gary Lough is one third of the world-class coaching team that Wilde assembled at the end of last year when he decided to take a break from the Olympic distance and the World Triathlon Championship Series (WTCS).

Wilde added a silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics to the bronze he won in Tokyo and also finished the year as the No 1 ranked male triathlete.

But Wilde has focused on longer-distance events this year in an effort to refresh himself for another tilt at an Olympic gold medal and has dominated this year’s T100 Triathlon World Tour.

Lough represented Great Britain in middle-distance running in the mid-1990s before a knee injury curtailed his career and instead started coaching his wife, Paula Radcliffe.

She won marathon gold at the 2005 World Athletics Championships, represented Great Britain at four Olympics, and set a women’s world record at the 2003 London Marathon, which stood for 16 years.

Sir Mo Farah became Britain’s most successful track athlete with his haul of four Olympic gold medals in the 5000m and 10,000m at the London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, plus multiple World Championship titles.

Gary Lough and Paula Radcliffe of Great Britain in 2007. Matthew Lewis

Lough began coaching Farah later in his career as he started focusing more heavily on marathon running and had great success.

At the end of 2024 Wilde parted ways with New Zealand coach Craig Kirkwood after eight years together.

Lough was approached by someone from Wilde’s team last year.

“I was aware of him, I’m interested in triathlon but I’ve never been involved with triathlon before. I’d watched him last year, primarily Olympics and WTCS stuff,” Lough said.

At first Lough didn’t really know what to think.

“When you see someone at a high level you sort of have to question why. I don’t coach that many people. I said it would be a good idea for us to meet because unless I get on with someone and I kind of gel with them, especially when a lot of stuff we have to do is remote, I feel like it would be very difficult.”

The pair ended up meeting and Lough said he liked him straight away.

“He’s a super cool guy, I could tell from just the way he was talking he was a hard worker, he got me to understand some of his performance stuff and got me thinking where we can actually take this.”

Wilde’s super charged coaching team

Coach Gary Lough and Mo Farah before the 2018 Chicago Marathon. Michael Steele

Lough has had just under a year coaching Wilde, who has covered all his bases with the trio of coaches he has enlisted.

His cycling coach is Spaniard Javier Sola, a performance coach at UAE Team Emirates, whose star rider is three-time Tour de France champion Tadej Pogačar.

He also has renowned French swimming coach Fred Vergnoux in his corner. Vergnoux coaches Canadian sensation Summer McIntosh, who won three gold medals at the Paris 2024 Olympics. McIntosh credited Vergnoux for helping her set three world records earlier this year.

The four have never actually been in the same room together.

“We spend a lot of time looking at each other’s faces on screens and we all have an app on our phones, where we can essentially put the pieces of the jigsaw down and then we put them all together to see what the week looks like.

“There was a plan at one point for us three coaches to have a training camp with Hayden in Spain where Javier is based but it didn’t quite work out. I have been with Fred a few times on training camps and we’ve met at different competitions but I’ve only ever spoken to Javier over the phone or online.

“It’s an interesting collaboration but one which I think has worked super well considering a lot of the challenges that have been thrown at us this year.”

Lough lives in Monaco, less than an hour’s drive from where Vergnoux is based in France. Wilde is in Andorra, which is sandwiched between France and Spain. The Kiwi is about an hour’s drive away from the main altitude training centre in France, where Vergnoux regularly takes his swimmers and Lough takes his runners.

Career threatening injuries

Hayden Wilde a few days after his accident. Hayden Wilde

Lough was with Wilde in May when he ran a personal best 10km in Tokyo and flew out the next day just before the Kiwi suffered severe injuries when he had a bike crash.

“I get off my flight, I open up my phone to messages, images of MRI scans, X-rays, crazy crazy stuff.”

Wilde broke several ribs, had a broken scapula, and a punctured lung after crashing into the back of a truck while on a training ride in Tokyo. Getting Wilde cleared for an emergency medical flight to Belgium so he could get shoulder surgery in a timely manner was the first priority.

“At the time and I think from the outside most people’s thought process was if he made it back for the last couple of T100 races of the year then he’d be doing super well. But we saw everyday the little incremental improvements to what he was able to do after such a short period of time.”

The 28-year-old’s season had started brilliantly when he won the opening T100 race in Singapore but he missed the next two rounds while rehabilitating.

Just three months later it was remarkable enough that Wilde made it on the start line for the T100 series race in London, let alone win it.

“We had been in the Pyrenees and we did a specific bike-run workout and it was obvious from that we knew where he was at so it wasn’t a surprise that he won London. But he was just like a total machine to do everything and anything that he could do to further his progress with the recovery.”

An emotional Hayden Wilde wins the London T100 Triathlon in August. T100 Triathlon via Getty Images

Wilde then won the next three races. His perfect record in T100 events ended in Dubai last month, after an extra-lap mix-up caught a few competitors out, and saw him finish 8th.

“He essentially would have been undefeated until now if he hadn’t made the mistake on the bike in Dubai but he’s done super well. It’s just a testament to him and the dedication he’s put in to his recovery.

“It’s been super challenging, still major restrictions with what he has in terms of his ability to swim. There’s a lot more rehab, a lot more stuff to be done to get him back to the swim level he needs to be at for the Olympic distance triathlon.”

A high ceiling

Lough said Wilde had made certain gains since switching distances this year. He believes he’s unlocked a different kind of potential on the bike and said Wilde’s running regime was very different to what he’s done before.

“We’ve increased things quite a bit, increased the amount of running he does per week, and increased the intensity.”

Lough said Wilde had a high ceiling.

“He’s very capable, if we put him in a half marathon on the road, he’d run super well. He hasn’t really had to kind of show what he’s capable of, he’s usually been so far away in the run in the T100.”

Lough’s current group of distance runners includes Belgian marathon star Bashir Abdi, who has won Olympic silver and bronze medals, and Swedish Olympian Suldan Hassan.

Legendary British runner Sir Mo Farah jumps on the track with Hayden Wilde in France. Hayden Wilde Youtube channel

Wilde has had training sessions with Lough’s runners. In July the New Zealander had track sessions with Abdi and Hassan, and Sir Mo Farah joined in.

“I’ve got my running group which includes athletes who are running low two hours for the marathon, setting European records, Olympic medallists. Sometimes Hayden has jumped off the bike and he’s jumped in with them and they’re looking at me and they’re thinking ‘how is this boy able to keep going for another hour after being on the bike?’

“So he’s got a lot of untapped potential but I’m super happy with where we’ve taken it in the first year and I’m excited to see where we can take it in the next couple of years.”

The Olympic challenge

Wilde’s plan is to switch back to the shorter Olympic triathlon distance in the lead up to LA28.

Lough said while the longer distances Wilde is doing now will help with his general conditioning, switching back will present challenges.

“I also think the shorter distance has changed, even since probably Paris last year, people have stepped up, Matt Hauser for instance from Australia.

“Those top triathletes are kind of being a bit more specific. There was a tendency to have a little bit of generic coaching, everybody did everything but now I think athletes are looking at run coaches, swim coaches etc.

“It’s a lot easier to move up from sprint distance to middle distance than it is from long distance down to sprint distance. The specificity which we need for the Olympic distance is quite different to what we are doing at the moment so that’s going to be the main focus for next year.”

Lough watched with fascination some of the tight finishes Wilde had with his fiercest rival Alex Yee. The British triathlete pipped the Kiwi on the run to win gold at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Wilde reacts with winner Alex Yee of Great Britain during the men’s Olympic triathlon in Paris 2024. photosport

Lough first met Yee when he was 16, and worked with him as a coach/team manager at British Athletics before Yee decided to specialise in triathlon.

Just this week Yee added a spectacular chapter to his career by becoming the second-fastest British marathoner in history, just behind Farah, at the Valencia Marathon.

Yee still had one foot in triathlon in 2025 but didn’t compete in the full WTCS series this year to focus on long-distance running.

But just like Wilde, the 27-year-old is expected to return back to Olympic distance triathlon full-time as he builds towards LA28.

“Come LA2028 it will be everyone out for himself on the start line,” Lough said.

Hayden Wilde 2.0

Lough said it was difficult to underplay what Wilde had been through this year.

“He really shouldn’t be able to do what he’s doing but it’s down to his dedication. We have a lot of work to do to get his swim back to where it needs to be …that is a little bit of the weak link in his chain at the moment but he’s very focused on getting that back. I’m looking forward to working with the new improved Hayden Wilde 2.0 in the next few years and bringing back more medals for New Zealand.”

Lough has been to a few of Wilde’s races this year but won’t be going to Qatar.

“There’s very little you can actually do on the day. I don’t know if it’s a trait of New Zealanders but Hayden Wilde is very very self-sufficient.”

Hayden Wilde trains with Belgian marathon star Bashir Abdi (left) and Swedish Olympian Suldan Hassan (right) in France, July 2025. Hayden Wilde Youtube channel

Wilde recently told World Triathlon’s Youtube channel that the T100 series had highlighted the importance of being complete at all distances.

“You need to be one of the better swimmers in the world to keep in the front group. You need to be able to ride a time trial bike and ride it hard for 80km. You need to back up with an 18km run at pretty fast paces. So for me it’s a challenge to show that I can be one of the most complete triathletes in the world,” Wilde said.

When Wilde reflected on his year he said he refused to give up after the accident.

“That’s the attitude I had, I was really happy to do enough to get back on the start line without doing any damage. That’s the most important part is knowing how your body works and not pushing it too hard but pushing it enough where it does get a response.”

A fourth finish at the T100 Triathlon World Championship Final will guarantee Wilde the series crown and NZ$345,000.

The race starts at 10:45pm NZ time on Friday.

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

Government launches ‘one-stop shop’ app

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Minister for Digitising Government Judith Collins. Nick Monro

The minister in charge of a new government app promises it will be “more secure than almost anything else you could think about”.

Minister for Digitising Government Judith Collins has launched the Govt.nz app this week after several years of development.

“It’s to enable people, say if there’s a life event, a baby’s born, go into the app and click on ‘we’ve got a new baby’ or something and it will come up with all the things you need to do around registration, services that you might want to be linked to,” Collins explained to Morning Report.

“It basically brings a lot of the government services into one place for people to link through to.”

The Govt.nz app as seen in the Apple app store. Supplied

In its current form, the app only included some public services.

“[Wednesday’s] launch was the very first iteration of the app, and it’s going to be changing and added to as we move on. Every six-to-eight weeks you’ll see changes,” Collins said.

“The idea is that it will become a one-stop shop for people who want to use it, and that’s the other important message: this is not compulsory, this is entirely voluntary. It’s for people, like, me who love to have apps and want to do all my work on them.”

An anticipated feature to be added to the app next year was digital driver’s licences and other identity credentials.

“[To do that] we need to change the law and we have that law change going through … That’s due to go through parliament in completion of the legislation early next year,” she said.

“We expect to have that digital driver’s licence uploaded third quarter of next year.”

Collins said the app would be backed by the government’s digital security system and be secure against hackers.

“Well they [can] get access now to people’s filing cabinets and everything else. [It’s] more secure than almost anything else you could think about because it’s backed up by the government’s digital security,” she said.

“If you were to go and rent a house … The first thing the real estate agent’s going to say is ‘where are all your identity documents,’ so you end up handing over a copy of your passport, driver’s licence, birth certificate, photo-copied and put into someone’s filing cabinet.”

“You’ve got no control over that and it’s a massive honeypot for someone who is trying to steal identity. This is so much more secure.”

Collins also confirmed that the app had no means of tracking users.

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

Nine to Noon live: Growing crisis in welfare support revealed in major report

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Minister for Social Development Louise Upston. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

A Citizens Advice Bureau report based on more than 10,000 requests for assistance has revealed what it calls “a growing crisis in welfare support”.

It said people from all walks of life, and all ages and ethnicities, were struggling to meet basic living costs.

The report, which was released on Thursday, said government policy changes such as benefit sanctions, tighter emergency housing criteria and cuts to community services had all exacerbated hardship.

Minister for Social Development Louise Upston acknowledged many New Zealanders were finding things tough, but said the government had been focusing on fixing the basics to begin to ease the cost of living.

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

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