Source: Radio New Zealand

Some people are still isolated in Northland after heavy rain caused havoc in the region, the Whangārei mayor says.

Up to 200 millimetres of rain lashed Northland on Sunday, causing flooding and landslides.

Whangārei mayor Ken Couper told Morning Report a number of people are still isolated in a Department of Conservation campsite in Puriri Bay, which is next to the Whangaruru Harbour.

He said they are not short on food or supplies, but he will be looking to provide them with fuel for generators.

Couper said the main focus is on making sure they are ready for the next deluge of rain before the clean-up can begin.

MetService has issued a heavy rain watch for Northland from 6pm on Monday until 6pm on Tuesday. It said periods of heavy rain, with thunderstorms and localised downpours were possible.

The watch has a moderate chance of being upgraded to a warning, the forecasting agency said.

Earth Sciences New Zealand, formely Niwa, said the heaviest rain for the region was likely to be on Wednesday.

We’re expecting a busy week of weather around NZ as a subtropical low forms and moves south toward the country

Northland will see periods of rain early in the week, with the heaviest rain likely Wed-Wed night

By Thursday, rain (possibly heavy) could overspread other parts of NZ pic.twitter.com/5qOgXiGk2n

— NIWA Weather (@NiwaWeather) January 18, 2026

In addition to the rain, MetService said strong easterlies were expected in the north of the North Island, and there was low confidence that a wind warning would be needed for Northland and Auckland.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

WARNING: This story contains content that may be disturbing to some readers.

Police have prosecuted fewer than one in ten of the cases referred from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.

The inquiry found at least 200,000 people were abused, and even more neglected, by the state and faith-based institutions from 1950 to 1999.

More than 2300 survivors gave evidence to the inquiry with 110 referrals made to police.

Information released to RNZ under the Official Information Act showed, as of November, seven referrals had resulted in convictions and 11 remained open – including two scheduled for trial and one awaiting sentence.

However, 93 were closed without prosecution with 47 (42.7 percent) not meeting the test for prosecution under Solicitor-General’s prosecution guidelines.

Cooper Legal principal partner Sonja Cooper, whose firm had acted for hundreds of abuse survivors and victims, said she was not surprised by the statistic.

“To be perfectly blunt, it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest,” she said.

“I think it’s sad, but it doesn’t surprise me in the slightest.”

For a prosecution to be taken it had to pass two hurdles – enough evidence to prove the proposed charge beyond reasonable doubt and whether prosecution was in the public interest.

Cooper said she could see historic claims failing both tests in the eyes of prosecutors.

“We know in the past when we’ve assisted clients to make complaints to the police, we know that unless there is a reasonable cohort of victims – so at least three or four who are all making allegations against the same person – the police will generally not proceed,” she said.

“So you already need a solid mass of victims – even if it’s a very serious allegation – typically with the historic claims, the police have not proceeded if there’s only one victim or maybe two and have required at least three or four.”

Considering many survivors of abuse had themselves faced the criminal system, Cooper suspected police prosecutors also weighed their credibility as victims in deciding whether to prosecute alleged abusers.

“I think it’s a harsh test and particularly for survivors of abuse who’ve long had a lack of faith in the system this just reinforces why there is that lack of faith,” Cooper said.

Of the referrals made to police by the inquiry, 19 were closed because the suspected was dead (17.2 percent); in four cases the statute of limitations had expired (3.6 percent); suspects could not be identified four cases; in three the suspects were under the age of criminal responsibility (2.7 percent); and in 16 cases survivors did not wish to proceed with prosecution (14.5 percent).

“It is still the system silencing the victims in many ways,” Cooper said.

“It’s not giving them a public forum for their allegations to be tested, including before their peers, because many of these claims would be eligible for a jury trial.”

Police refused RNZ’s request for an interview but in written answers, Detective Inspector Warren Olsson, of the national criminal investigations group, said it was not possible to compare the prosecution rate of referrals from the Abuse in Care Royal Commission to other allegations.

“Obtaining sufficient evidence for historic matters is much more difficult than obtaining sufficient evidence for contemporaneous allegations,” Olsson said.

“This is one reason any historic allegation, not just RCOI-related allegations, may not proceed to prosecution. Another common reason is that the alleged offender in an historic allegation has died and then there are cases where victims ask police to investigate their complaint and then later decide they do not wish to proceed.”

The Royal Commission of Inquiry recommended police should open or re-open criminal investigations into possible torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, and that police should establish a specialist unit to investigate and prosecute historic and current abuse and neglect in care.

Police decided to maintain its current processes with then-Deputy Commissioner Tania Kura saying the organisation’s ability to investigate abuse and neglect had significantly improved since the period the Royal Commission investigated.

“Every report we receive is investigated appropriately, respectfully and with the sensitivity it deserves,” Kura said.

“Abuse and neglect are never acceptable in any context. Police is committed to identifying and prosecuting those responsible for these crimes, and continually improving our response to and support of survivors.”

But Cooper said she did not believe there had been a sea change in the attitude of authorities and investigators.

Survivor advocate Ken Clearwater said he was “shocked and surprised” so many referrals had failed to reach the threshold for prosecution.

The Royal Commission of Inquiry also recommended the Solicitor-General should amend the prosecution guidelines, including the establishment of a process for complainants to review the decision not to prosecute.

The prosecution guidelines should be reviewed, Clearwater said.

“In reality the Solicitor-General is part of the system that abused these kids,” he said.

“At the end of the day the crown are in charge of what happens and the crown were also in charge of those who abused the kids.”

Survivor Eugene Ryder, who co-chairs the board of the Survivor Experiences Service, said there was a case for reviewing the guidelines.

“It doesn’t seem fair that a subjective assessment has to be made because sometimes it may not be in the public interest to prosecute anybody, but the fact remains that a crime was committed,” he said.

Ryder was not surprised so many referrals ended without prosecution as traumatised survivors were often “blurry” about the details of the abuse they suffered and would struggle to meet the high threshold of the prosecution guidelines.

“That would be disheartening for a lot of survivors,” he said.

“It just seems quite damning that so many cases weren’t followed through with.”

Crown Law said its 2024 update to the prosecution guidelines responded to many of the issues raised by the Royal Commission, even though it was largely completed by the time the commissioners released their final report.

“The guidelines note that there is no statutory right to seek a review of a decision not to prosecute but that decisions not to prosecute must be explained to victims. The guidelines provide a detailed process for reviewing decisions in cases involving sexual violation,” Crown Law told RNZ.

“Decisions to prosecute should be made in accordance with agency’s prosecution policies and the test for prosecution as set out in the guidelines.

“As the Solicitor-General does not have visibility of the reasons behind the police decisions not to prosecute, she will not comment on those decisions. In general, the Solicitor-General does not think that the guidelines provide too great a scope not to proceed with prosecution or that the guidelines are being misapplied. She has confidence that people should be able to rely on decisions taken by prosecutors.”

Eight offenders had been convicted of dozens of sexual assaults and indecencies against 15 children as a result of referrals from the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care.

In four open investigations, suspects are currently believed to be overseas.

Where to get help:

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357.
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO. This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 or text 4202.
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666.
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 or text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz.
• What’s Up: 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787. This is free counselling for 5 to 19-year-olds.
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 or text 832. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi, and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254.
• Healthline: 0800 611 116.
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155.
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463.

If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111.

Sexual Violence

Family Violence

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Half a dozen fire trucks were called to a South Auckland egg carton factory overnight.

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said seven fire trucks were called to a commercial building on Bairds Road in Ōtara just after midnight Monday.

He said the fire was contained to just machinery, but it was well involved when crews arrived.

The fire was extinguished by 2am.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

It’s an idea that’s endured almost a century.

Since at least 1931 moving the South Island inter-island ferry port from Picton to Clifford Bay has been periodically floated and rejected.

The latest bid – dubbed the North South Express – has been submitted to the government’s investment agency and comes more than a decade after the previous bid was quashed.

For its proponents, the advantages of Clifford Bay are clear – its location offers a more direct, and faster run between the North and South Islands.

So far, the government’s dismissed the proposal and last week a large upgrade began at Picton’s wharf, ahead of the arrival of new Interislander ferries in 2029.

What’s the proposal?

CB Port Limited – the company behind an iwi and construction consortium promoting the North South Express – is seeking a public-private partnership for a multi-use ferry terminal at Clifford Bay.

The port would be privately funded at an estimated cost of $900 million, but the groups wants Crown money and cooperation for the necessary connecting road and rail infrastructure.

CB Port spokesperson Stephen Grice said the advantages of Clifford Bay, which sits on flat land 44km south of Blenheim, were clear.

“It’s a much faster voyage time of two hours sailing, as opposed to three-and-a-half on the journey to Picton. That means a faster transit for passengers and more efficient logistics.”

He said the shorter crossing – 74km between Wellington and Clifford Bay, compared to 104km to Picton – would enable more sailings and therefore quicker recovery from schedule disruptions.

With new ferries on the horizon in 2029, he believed the time had come to pull the trigger on the project.

“We want all of the desirable things of a first-world economy and growth and Clifford Bay offers that as new infrastructure.

“The geographic advantages of it completely outweigh continuing to pour money into infrastructure at Picton when it’s so geographically constrained.”

Although initially sceptical, Kaikōura and National Party MP, Stuart Smith has become a vocal backer of the idea, maintaining a new port at Clifford Bay was preferable to upgrading Picton.

“One is private capital – no cost to the taxpayer – and the other one is cost to the taxpayer and the ratepayers of Marlborough.”

However, instead the government has committed to upgrades at both Wellington and Picton ports, with contracts for the work expected to be finalised mid-year.

The redevelopment in Picton is currently estimated at $531m, of which $110m is to be contributed by Port Marlborough, a subsidiary of the Marlborough District Council.

The contingency for the entire project, which includes Wellington port upgrades, is $415m.

Seafarers get behind idea

Retired long-time Interislander captain John Brown said he’s been convinced of the superiority of Clifford Bay as a southern port for decades.

In the 90s, ahead of Tranz Rail’s resource consent application for the port – ultimately granted on appeal in 1999 – Brown took the Interislander ferry Arahura on an overnight run, leaving Wellington around 1am.

He said the ship arrived in Clifford Bay around 2-2.5 hours later.

“It was dark and I thought we’d just hang around until it gets daylight. The sun came up around four-thirty, quarter-to-five. We waited about half-an-hour and then I said, ‘Well, we better get back,’ because we had to do the 9.30am normal sailing.

“Not many people knew we ever went.”

The trip was smooth sailing, he said, “everything just went like magic”.

Brown said berthing in Picton “could be a handful” and the route through the Sounds was vulnerable to bad weather, sometimes forcing ships to take a longer detour via Queen Charlotte Sound (the northern entrance).

The issue of Clifford Bay’s suitability in bad weather has been dismissed by shipping expert Per Rold.

The Marlborough-based Dane, who was involved in the operation of three Danish ferry lines, said unlike some ports in Denmark – built on the open West Coast of the North Atlantic, “infamous for severe winter storms” – Clifford Bay was naturally sheltered from southerly swells by Cape Campbell to the south and was also a candidate for a breakwater.

However, Rold said Clifford Bay’s proximity to Wellington was its main advantage as an alternative port to Picton, and in his experience of Denmark’s competing domestic routes, “the shortest route always wins”.

Strait NZ Bluebridge declined to comment on the Clifford Bay bid, while a spokesperson for KiwiRail provided the following statement: “KiwiRail’s role is providing a safe and reliable service for [Interislander] passengers and freight across Cook Strait using our existing ships and to play our part in bringing the new ferries into service in 2029.”

Government not convinced

Smith was confident that if the Clifford Bay promoters built the port, the ships would come, but understood why a contract with KiwiRail was desired first.

Grice said a partnership with the Crown was imperative.

The Rail Minister’s office said Winston Peters met with the consortium last year, but the government has chosen to stay with Picton.

A spokesperson said although Clifford Bay was backed by private money, ultimately the cost would be shouldered by consumers.

“The Interislander is a commercial business where the cost of infrastructure ties back to the costs freighters and families pay.

“North South Express estimate their project will cost $900 million, while our works in Picton will cost just over $500 million.

“The higher the cost of infrastructure, including by private investors expecting a return, the more expensive the Interislander ticket.”

Grice has pushed back on those claims, saying the cost of Picton’s upgrades are also expected to be recovered will need to be funded through increased ticket costs, but without the efficiency gain of Clifford Bay.

In response to questions from RNZ, Marlborough mayor Nadine Taylor said the council was focussed on supporting the government’s ferry replacement and port redevelopment project.

“With the government’s commitment to provide two new ferries to serve road and rail for Cook Strait by 2029 confirmed, the Marlborough District Council has not undertaken any analysis of any other proposal and none is planned.”

She said once commercial details were finalised, the council would consult with ratepayers on the up to $110m loan to be obtained on behalf of Port Marlborough, to fund its portion of the upgrades.

In statement on 13 January, Port Marlborough chief executive Rhys Welbourn heralded the start of demolition on Picton’s old wharf.

He said as the gateway between the North and South Islands, Picton was grounded in geography, history and function, and that its redevelopment built on generations of investment and experience.

“The money spent here is not only for national benefit – it also circulates through Marlborough, supports local jobs and capability, and ultimately delivers returns to ratepayers.

“That is a very different outcome to infrastructure designed to serve private interests.

“With work now underway, there is no ambiguity about where the future of inter-island connectivity is being delivered.”

Grice, however, held out hope – claiming ambiguity would remain until Picton’s upgrades had final contracts and costings.

Ultimately, he said Clifford Bay was the future, it was just a case of when.

“Clifford Bay will happen in the economic lifetime of this country. It just has to happen. And we’re at this inflection point, so it just seems a wasted opportunity to not make it happen now and achieve the benefits.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

It was supposed to be a coming together, a celebration at a marae for a first birthday.

But the water, and lots of it, came by stealth in the dead of night.

Pattinson Wetere was in a small cabin on the side of the road to Ōakura.

He said the rain started early in the morning.

By 5am, he woke to feel the cabin he was in moving.

“I quickly opened the door, jumped into the raging flood, rushed to the other one before it could take off because our baby was in there and my partner was in there,” he told RNZ.

Soon, he was in knee-deep water trying to save not only his moko but his partner, who would be pinned by rising water and snared by a barbed wire fence.

He was in one of two small cabins when the water began pushing them along the ground.

He grabbed his 3-year-old granddaughter first and threw her into a four-wheel drive, but the water had come so fast it already had water in the footwell.

He got the ute and his moko across the road to Mokau Marae.

Wetere then went back for his partner and a grandson, Dayton.

“They were both hanging onto the fence because the current was too swift. Had they let the fence go, they would have got taken in the brown water,” he said.

Dayton was desperately trying to pull Wetere’s partner onto the road.

“But she was hooked against the fence on the barbed wire … by the time I had noticed, I put my hand down, ripped what she was wearing, we locked hands, me on one side and Dayton on the other, like a human chain, and we pulled her out of the current and through the gate,” he said.

“It was hard trying to get up onto the road because the current was so strong.”

Dayton had made the woman grab onto the fence with both hands.

“She was trying to hold her bag with her belongings and valuables in it to save, but by the time I had got back down there, he had told her to let it go and save ourselves.”

In daylight, part of her ripped pyjamas were still tangled on the barbed fence.

“We pulled her out of the ditch, and she was lost. She thought she was going to drown,” Wetere said.

Wetere and his grandson dragged his partner, hands still linked, onto the road.

Not that they could see it.

The water was over the road and level with the fence, Wetere said.

He described it as swimming for dear life.

At the marae, there was refuge for his partner and a hot shower.

“She was just traumatised that she could have died.”

Scores of people already asleep at the marae began to wake, and their own fears quickly heightened at the sight of the rushing water.

More than 100 people were there, sleeping and unaware.

“Everybody started to panic and I said ‘no, this is going to be our emergency hut for now’.”

Wetere said he pleaded with everyone to stay, fearing lives would be lost otherwise.

“Some tried their luck but only got to the base of the hill and turned around and came back,” Wetere said.

“I said as long as the water was that high, we’re not going anywhere.”

Wetere said he still could not believe how high the water was.

From the marae, Wetere can see the cabins across the road, shunted along the ground next to the caravan that wasn’t there the day before.

He took RNZ back to them, nervously, after the ordeal the night before.

They had moved several metres and had mud smeared inside.

His own ute, waterlogged, wouldn’t start.

Ōakura hammered

The road to Ōakura is caked in mud and littered with rocks and trees.

Paddocks are underwater, in some places up to the top of the fences.

Shanne McInnes, in his holiday home, has described finding everything in his garage afloat, including the boat on its trailer.

Donna Kerridge had water creeping up past her windowsills.

“Our bedroom, our shower is full of mud, it’s up over hand basins, up the wall, it’s all up to chest high, the flooding that came through,” she said.

But it’s the heart of the small beach community that has significant damage with mud, trees and debris taking aim at the Ōakura Community Hall.

It was only re-roofed and renovated about a year and a half ago after a fundraiser.

Glenn Fergusson chairs the Reserves Board, which the hall comes under.

He described torrential rain.

“The hill behind the hall has slipped, forcing the back wall of the hall inside the hall and also all of the trees and slip material is sitting now on our nice polyurethane hall floor,” he said.

“That’s the stage, that was the stage. Unfortunately, we had a group of people that had booked the hall for an unveiling, they had all their tables set out, all their food ready, everything was ready to go.

“To come back and find it like this was pretty devastating for everybody.”

Fergusson said the next step was to be in touch with the insurance company.

“Seeing what they say we need to do or can do or how we’re going to approach it to get it cleaned out because it’s all going to have to be removed by hand in a wheelbarrow out through the front door,” he said.

He estimated 50 or 60 cubic metres of mud would need to be moved.

Rallying people to lend a hand was also on the list of things to do.

“We’ve just got the hall finished and we put a new kitchen in it and got it all sorted and now we’re going to have to pull it all out and start again,” Fergusson said.

Whangārei District Council said on Sunday night that most roads were now accessible and campers have either left the area or made themselves safe.

About 300 had been evacuated from campgrounds.

A small number of people were still in marae being used for community-led Civil Defence centres, the council said.

The urgency of the current threat had now cleared, it said.

But it warned Civil Defence was now getting ready for more heavy rain that was forecast for later in the week.

It said the weekend deluge included 285mm falling at Punaruku.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Education Ministry error nearly cut the 2027 school year short by a single day.

An Education Ministry document supplied to RNZ under the Official Information Act said schools were supposed to be open for at least 380 “half-days” each year.

But the ministry forgot to allow for the Matariki holiday in its 2027 term date calculations, the report to Education Minister Erica Stanford said.

“An error has been identified in the 2027 Term 2 half-day counts, caused by the 2027 Matariki holiday being excluded from the calculations.

“With this public holiday included, the 2027 Term 2 and full year half-day counts will reduce by two, meaning the minimum half-days for the 2027 year falls from 380 to 378,” the report said.

The document dated 10 June 2025 said leaving the dates unchanged was not a good idea.

“ln order to maximise classroom learning time, reducing the minimum below 380 is not recommended, especially as the 2027 school year will already be affected by Easter holidays falling within term time.”

It said the only option for fixing the term dates was to shift the latest starting date for term 1 from Thursday 4 February to Wednesday 3 February.

The report asked the minister to approve the change by 11 June 2025.

It said the ministry would alert schools through its School Bulletin and publish a new notice setting the 2027 and 2028 school term dates in the official government journal, the New Zealand Gazette.

The document showed Stanford agreed to the change on 13 October 2025, but she disagreed with the ministry’s recommendation that the report be proactively published.

The New Zealand Gazette published the revised term dates on 16 October 2025 and the ministry updated the term dates listed on its website.

The ministry told RNZ it would alert schools to the change in a bulletin to schools in February.

The ministry’s report said it had ensured similar mistakes would not happen in future.

“To make sure that this type of error does not recur, we have created a checking tool to use alongside our existing term dates calculator. This will provide an additional check to our existing manual checking process.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

If you think about what you – or your parents – were spending your money on 30 years ago, it might be quite different to how you spend it now.

You’re not going down to the local Blockbuster at the weekend to pick up a VHS of a film, and you’re not paying to have photos developed at the local mall.

You might be making dinner from a My Food Bag kit in a cast iron wok rather than firing up your electric frying pan to cook saveloys and brussels sprouts (a strange mix, but you’ll see why shortly).

Stats NZ’s consumer price index (CPI) data gives a snapshot of what New Zealanders were spending their money on over the years, because it is adjusted at regular intervals to reflect our behaviour.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Half of Mercury’s Tararua wind farm in Palmerston North was taken offline for hours on Sunday evening after a wind turbine caught fire.

A Mercury spokesperson said half of the wind farm was taken offline while the affected turbine was removed from service and the rest of the farm returned to full service around 10pm.

Emergency services had responded to the fire after a member of the public alerted them.

“The fire was contained to a single turbine and a small number of minor ground fires, all of which were quickly extinguished,” the Mercury spokesperson said.

“There was no one near the turbine at the time and no injuries.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said they were called to the scene around 5pm on Sunday and crews left before 6pm.

“We responded with crews from Ashhurst and from Palmerston North.”

“The wind turbine put itself out”

Mercury expects the wind farm to return to full operation tomorrow, excluding the affected turbine and the cause of the fire will be investigated in the coming days.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

George Gee spends almost every weekend at his holiday home in on a low-lying part of Ōakura Road.

That same settlement was among the hardest hit by the Northland floods, which have isolated communities, destroyed homes and left some with nothing.

“It was about 4am this morning, and it was heavy, heavy, heavy rain, thunder and lightning as well,” Gee said. “Then we got up and we just saw all the water coming down – it just kept rising, rising, rising.

“We were standing on my deck and next thing, all the water started bubbling up through the deck, Then we look in the kitchen, and the kitchen was full of water and it was just everywhere.”

The water was about 10cm deep throughout Gee’s kitchen, but almost a metre deep – above the beds – in the cabins, where his children and grandchildren stayed.

His son brought a generator up from Whangārei, so they could start waterblasting away a layer of thick, sticky mud.

Gee said his carpet had to be ripped up throughout his house, while his neighbours had to take their couches, fridges and beds to the dump, due to flood damage.

He said water levels reached as high as his picket fence inside the neighbouring units.

“Huge amount of water in very short hours… in about four hours, very very fast,” Gee said emotionally.

“All of the houses coming into Ōakura are all underwater. Few cars are going to be carted away, they are going to be dumped, they all went underwater before they got taken out.”

Gee’s family helped with the clean-up and contacting his insurance provider.

Boat afloat inside garage

Flood devastation lingered throughout the small beachtown community, with Shanne McInnes’ situation at his holiday home no different.

“We were having a lie in, listening to the rain and then the [car] alarm went off, and then we got up and it was underwater… everything, everything was underwater.”

McInnes found his Holden ute in a on metre-high body of water, with the console fully flooded.

He said his house was a “little bit elevated”, but his garage was not.

“Everything was floating, including the boat on its trailer.”

McInnes had only been in Ōakura for a year, but said his neighbours had “never ever seen flooding like this”.

“It was insane… not a nice way to start the day,” he said.

What’s left of the community hall

Mud, trees and debris have also taken aim at Ōakura Community Hall.

The shared community space was devastated by a slip that smashed through the rear wall. Muddy water continued to flow out the hall’s front doors hours after the slip began.

The hall was only reroofed and renovated about 18 months ago, after a massive community fundraising effort.

Rātu Hiku, who lives at nearby Ohawini Bay, said it was “tragedy”.

“It left devastation along the bays… a lot of devastation around here

“The community hall has just been hugely devastated by the huge slip that has come through the back of the community hall, so that’s a bit of a tragedy for the local community.”

However, Hiku remained positive that the community would overcome the long road that lay ahead.

“We are a good strong community and we keep together and we will just push on through.

“I think one day at a time… I’m sure we will all get together and pull a rabbit out of the hat.”

Hiku said the last time he saw similar damage in the area was Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023.

No flooding mitigation plan

Donna Kerridge, who’s lives in Ōakura, said the settlement was missing a flooding mitigation plan.

“Homes that have never flooded before are now starting to flood. The homes all opposite us that never used to flood are now flooded throughout the house.”

Kerridge said she had personally lost the whole first storey of her home, with water creeping up past the windowsills.

“Our bedroom, our shower is full of mud, it’s up over hand basins, up the wall, it’s all up to chest high the flooding that came through.”

The Māori practitioner said she wished she could have saved her “irreplaceable” books and writings about rongoā Māori.

“It would have been the first thing we would have saved had we been here. It is devastating.”

She is hoping she may be able to save and retain some of the books.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A tramper who disappeared in Kahurangi National Park last month has been found alive.

Police Search and Rescue Sergeant Jonny Evans said Graham Garnett, 66, was found about 2.30pm Sunday at Venus Hut by contractors working in the area and extracted by Nelson Marlborough Rescue Helicopter operator GCH Aviation.

“Graham has been transported to Nelson Hospital, where he has been re-united with his family,” Evans said.

Garnett had failed to return home from a hike in the national park on December 30.

“This is an amazing result,” Evans said. “We are so pleased for Graham and his loved ones.

“Obviously, he has been through quite an ordeal and everyone involved in the search is delighted to hear that Graham has been found alive.”

Earlier this week, police search and rescue said they would suspend their extensive search for Garnett.

Four specialist canyon teams, as well as a Defence Force NH90 helicopter, were involved in the search.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The government is seeking urgent advice on dealing with the alleged stripping of rockpools by harvesters in the north Auckland area.

On Saturday, about a hundred people demonstrated at Army Bay in Auckland’s Whangaparāoa for the protection of local rockpools.

Residents told RNZ the bay had been ransacked of marine life by visitors, sealife gathers and general beach-goers.

Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones said he had asked Fisheries New Zealand officials for urgent advice about the situation at the bay. He said the matter was a result of a cultural clash.

“Kiwis, we’re fairly laidback and we make assumption that, when immigrants come to New Zealand, they won’t crap on the beach, they won’t slaughter all the periwinkles. Well, this is evidence that, as our democracy changes, we’re going to have to be more vigilant.

“The New Zealand public has got to wake up to the fact that unfettered immigration is going to import these problems, because a lot of the migrant communities have a different cultural mindset and, until they abide by the Kiwi ways, we are going to have to both educate and regulate.”

University of Auckland marine biologist Andrew Jeffs previously told RNZ he had witnessed this issue firsthand.

“I’ve been at the beach, and observed groups harvesting the organisms out of rock pools and taking them away by the bucketload.

“I’ve had conversations with people, where I’ve questioned what they are doing on the beach, and they said, ‘Well, they’re only little animals and it doesn’t matter’, but it does matter, because those animals often only live in a few small places in relatively small areas. Once you remove them, it’s very difficult for them to actually come back and re-establish.”

The Ngāti Manuhiri Settlement Trust has requested a two-year fisheries ban across parts of the north Auckland coastline.

Iwi chief executive Nicola MacDonald said that, while harvesting shellfish had long been common practice, as the area’s population had grown, the amount of harvesting had become unsustainable.

Fisheries said suspected illegal activity could be reported through the 0800 4 POACHER number (0800 476 224).

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Flooding in Northland has isolated communities, led to a deluge of calls to emergency services and prompted warnings that those affected should move to higher ground.

Just before 9am on Sunday, Fire and Emergency said it was dealing with multiple incidents throughout Northland. It was making plans to access properties, and was only able to respond to immediate life-threatening situations.

Have you been affected by the weather? Email us photos and videos: iwitness@rnz.co.nz

People affected by the flooding should to go to higher ground and be cautious to stay safe, but call 111 immediately if they were in life-threatening danger, FENZ said.

There had been a report of a landslide in the township of Ōakura, but no people or cars had been trapped underneath.

A bridge had also been washed out, and multiple houses flooded near Whangaruru Harbour, FENZ said.

MetService forecasters issued a heavy rain warning for Northland through to midday Sunday, with a warning the rain was expected to continue to accumulate after flooding overnight.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has died the day after a single-car crash near Whakatāne.

Emergency services were called to Tahuna Rd about 3.40pm on Saturday.

Two people were seriously injured in the crash initially, but police said one of the pair had now died.

The other person remained in a serious condition in hospital.

The road was closed but had since reopened.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has died after being struck by a vehicle in Northland’s Bay of Islands overnight.

Police said at 12.10am on Sunday, the pedestrian was hit on Puketona Rd, near the Garden Court intersection in Haruru.

The spokesperson said despite emergency services best efforts, the person died at the scene.

Puketona Rd was closed between Haruru Falls Rd and Te Karuwha Parade while the Serious Crash Unit did a scene examination, and had since re-opened.

Inquiries into the circumstances of the death were ongoing.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Drivers have been warned of flooding in some parts of Northland, after heavy rain, while some areas have been isolated by slips and floods.

On Sunday morning Whangārei District Council said drivers should not travel in or out of Ngunguru, Helena Bay, Ōakura, Punaruku, or Whangaruru.

MetService forecasters issued a heavy rain warning for Northland through to midday Sunday, with rain continuing to accumulate after flooding overnight.

Nearly 150 millimetres of rain was recorded at Ngunguru between midnight and 5:30am Sunday.

Whangārei District Council said heavy rain and surface flooding had closed roads, isolating some communities.

“Drive with great care expecting slippery roads and possible hazards like fallen trees or flooding,” they said on Facebook.

“Expect river and stream levels to be much higher than usual, and to be flowing with a lot more force. Levels may also continue to rise rapidly.”

Do you know more? Email iwitness@rnz.co.nz

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Pharmac is seeking clinical advice on whether weight loss medication should be funded.

New Zealand has the third-highest adult obesity rate in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).

One in three people over the age of 15 are classified as obese and one in eight children aged between 2-14.

Pharmac received two applications to fund Wegovy or semaglutide – a GLP-1 receptor agonist for weight loss.

The first was in September, for people with an established cardiovascular disease (such as someone who has had a heart attack or stroke) and a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 27 or higher. The second was in October, for chronic weight management in people with a BMI of 30 or higher, with at least one weight-related comorbidity.

Pharmac director of advice and assessment David Hughes said guidance was expected to be published later this month.

“Our expert advisors will assess how effective the medicine is compared with current funded options, and consider its impact on individuals, whānau, caregivers and the wider health system,” he said.

Hughes added that Pharmac also had an application to fund Saxenda or liraglutide for people with very high BMI.

That application was currently under assessment.

On Monday, Australia announced that Wegovy would be subsidised, after being listed on the country’s equivalent to Pharmac.

The ABC reported that Australia’s Health Minister Mark Butler committed to listing the drug on the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme for patients with an established cardiovascular disease and a BMI of 35 or higher. No clear timeline for was established.

However, that would reduce the cost to AU$25 (NZ$29) per script or AU$7.70 (NZ$9) for a concession card holder.

Wegovy costs $459.99 per month in New Zealand.

Associate Minister of Health David Seymour could not comment on what Pharmac should or should not fund.

“However, I am urging them to improve their budget bids for more money, by considering how funding new drugs might save the taxpayer money elsewhere,” he said.

“That shift could lead to drugs such as this one being funded sooner, but the final decision remains with Pharmac.”

Weight loss specialist Dr Gerard McQuinlan also believed that funding Wegovy would save the taxpayer money in the long run.

He told RNZ that obesity was related to more than 200 other diseases.

“If I just take one of them, like diabetes, the risk for developing Type 2 diabetes if you have obesity is about 12 times, right?

“If you look at the cost of Type 2 diabetes to the taxpayer – this is from the Ministry of Health – it costs about $2.1 billion per year, so just reducing just one disease, like diabetes, you can save a lot of money.”

He did not think funding Wegovy would create a shortage, especially once the pill form was available in New Zealand.

He said obesity was a chronic, relapsing and progressive disease, with a 95 percent chance the weight would return, if the disease was not managed through medication.

“We don’t want people to lose weight and then stop the medication, and the weight comes back on, because usually, they’ll gain more weight than what they started with,” he said.

“People put on more weight after dieting, eventually, because it’s not a willpower problem – it’s a hormone problem. It’s to do with hormones that regulate hunger, appetite and particularly the feeling that people have had enough food.

“That’s the problem with obesity – people don’t feel that they’ve eaten enough. The signal’s lost.

“The Wegovy, that is the hormone that controls satiety, the feeling that you’ve had enough to eat.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Staff at Te Nukuau Wellington Zoo are mourning the death of Sundar, one of the zoo’s popular red pandas and a familiar face to generations of visitors.

Sundar was euthanised last weekend at the age of 12 after his health declined, with keepers and veterinarians concerned he was experiencing ongoing pain from a hip condition and age-related dental disease.

Acting animal care manager Rob Harland said the decision was not taken lightly, but was made in the interests of Sundar’s welfare.

“He was a pretty old animal,” Harland said.

“Red pandas in the wild typically live between eight and 10 years. In human care they can live a bit longer, and Sundar was over 12 and a half, so he was quite elderly.”

Harland said Sundar had been closely monitored and received a series of medical interventions, but arthritic changes in his hips were increasingly affecting his ability to climb, a vital behaviour for the largely tree-dwelling species.

“If they lose the ability to climb efficiently, their ability to behave in a species-typical way is impacted quite a lot,” he said.

“We felt it was the kindest thing to do.”

Zoo staff said Sundar’s loss had been felt deeply by the team, many of whom had cared for him for more than a decade.

“It’s been a sad week for the keepers, the veterinary team, and everyone at the zoo,” Harland said.

“He was a beloved animal, and when you’ve invested so much time and care over so many years, saying goodbye is really hard.”

Sundar arrived at Wellington Zoo from Auckland Zoo more than 11 years ago as part of an international conservation breeding programme for the endangered species. He later became a father, with his son Ngima born at the zoo in a rare and celebrated breeding success.

Harland said Sundar was also one of the zoo’s standout animal ambassadors, particularly through the Close Encounter programme.

“Over the years he met thousands of visitors, helped people learn about red pandas, and even met prime ministers and other well-known guests,” he said.

“He was an incredible ambassador for his species.”

Red pandas are classified as endangered, with an estimated wild population of around 2,500.

Habitat loss remains the biggest threat to their survival, with many populations living in remote and politically complex regions.

“That’s what makes the work we do in zoos so important,” Harland said.

“It helps build understanding, knowledge, and support for conservation efforts in the wild.”

Wellington Zoo is now home to two red pandas: Sundar’s breeding partner Khusi and their son Ngima, who live separately in line with the species’ typically solitary nature.

While keepers believe the remaining pandas were unlikely to have been affected by Sundar’s passing, Harland said staff will take time to grieve.

“One of the things we focus on in zoos is making sure an animal’s welfare is prioritised at the beginning, middle and end of their life,” he said.

“As sad as it is, we know this was the right decision for Sundar.”

The zoo may look to bring in another red panda in the future as part of the international breeding programme, but for now the focus is on caring for Khusi and Ngima.

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