Monday 20th of April 2026 01:43:24 PM
Page 7

Caitlin Johnstone: I hope the US loses and the empire collapses

By -

COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

I don’t mind admitting that I hope the US and Israel suffer a crushing, devastating defeat in Iran.

I hope this war collapses the entire US empire. My only loyalty is to humanity, and being on Team Human in today’s world means being against the US empire and against Israel.

I hope the empire falls. I hope the apartheid state of Israel is dismantled.

I hope humanity is able to pry the steering wheel from the fingers of the ghouls who currently rule our world, so that we can create a healthy planet and a harmonious future together.


I hope the US loses and other notes              Video: Caitlin Johnstone

YouTube has banned the channel that’s been creating viral AI Lego music videos criticising the US war on Iran. The Google-owned platform claims the Lego videos somehow constituted “violent content”, but we all know it was to facilitate the US propaganda effort by shutting down effective propaganda for the other side.

Silicon Valley is a crucial arm of US imperial control.

It chooses to advance the interests of the empire at every significant juncture. It’s a branch of imperial soft power in the same way the military is a branch of imperial hard power.

❖

The US and Israel have so normalised the assassination of national leaders that the mainstream press now discuss it as a standard military tactic. The other day The Washington Post ran an article by Marc Thiessen arguing that the US should “carry out a final barrage of leadership strikes, eliminating the Iranian officials who had been spared for the purpose of negotiations”.

“Iran’s leaders must be made to understand that their lives literally depend on reaching a negotiated settlement to Trump’s liking. If they refuse to do so, they will be killed,” Thiessen writes.

At some point one of America’s enemies is going to assassinate a US official and my replies are going to be full of shrieking, outraged Americans acting like I’m the bad guy when I say Washington had it coming.

❖

Even if the US wasn’t directly responsible for the Strait of Hormuz situation, it would still be the last country on earth with any business whining about it. They’re openly imposing a fuel blockade on Cuba while complaining that nobody should be allowed to block shipping lanes, for Christ’s sake.

❖

The Democratic National Committee voted to reject a resolution denouncing the influence of AIPAC in US politics. Eighty percent of Democrats have a negative view of Israel today. The DNC’s main function is to keep the Democratic Party and its representation on the ballot from reflecting the will of the public.

❖

Dear Trump supporters, send me all of your money. I have a plan to make America great again. I will end all the wars and drain the swamp. Don’t worry if it looks like I’m not doing any of those things, I’m playing 4d chess, trust the plan. Send me your life savings right now.

❖

It’s important not to let them pin this all on Trump, in the same way it’s important not to let them pin Israel’s crimes on Netanyahu. Everything we are seeing with this disastrous Iran war is the product of the entire power structure which gave rise to it, not one guy’s dopey decisions.

The warmongers in the DC swamp have been pushing war with Iran for decades. Trump is just the guy who was chosen by Zionist oligarchs and bloodthirsty empire managers to carry out the deed. He happens to be the face on the operation, but if it wasn’t him it would have been someone else.

American warmongering insanity didn’t start with Trump, and it isn’t going to end with him either. Don’t direct your rage merely at the fleeting puppets who come and go from the imperial stage as the US murder machine trudges onward. Direct it at the empire itself.

Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Greyhound trainers to be paid to look after dogs when ban comes into force

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Greyhound racing will be banned on 31st July. 123RF

Former greyhound trainers and owners will be paid to look after the dogs until they’re re-homed, once a ban on commercial greyhound racing comes into force on 31st July.

A new government agency set up to wind down the industry and rehome the roughly 1700 dogs has met with trainers and owners across the country this week.

Greyhound Racing Transition Agency head Heather Simpson told Checkpoint those who wish to re-home their greyhound will be paid a daily rate to cover care costs until a new owner is found.

“We are talking to the trainers and owners about that at the meetings we’ve just been having. And yes, we have said that there will be a daily rate paid to cover the costs of looking after the dogs in the meantime.

“We are still in the process of determining what that final daily rate will be, and it may differ according to the circumstances. But yeah, the cost of looking after the dogs will be met by the transition agency.”

Simpson said the agency is still determining what the rate will be, but she estimates it will be “in the $20s or the $30s” a day .

“I can assure you that the figure that we come up with will be based on the actual costs which are incurred by those people looking after them,” Simpson said.

She also said that “legislation guarantees that euthanasia is not the solution to this problem.”

“We are charged with looking after the welfare of these dogs, and that’s the commitment we’re making,” Simpson added.

Simpson said the money for the transition is coming from TAB.

“It’s money that was previously essentially going into greyhound racing and it’s being used to fund the transition programme.”

The agency aims to re-home all greyhounds in two years, but Simpson said it wasn’t going to be a “speedy process”.

Greyhound Racing New Zealand has been running a re-homing programme for a number of years and Simpson said there are already agencies set up to help with the re-homing.

“At the moment we re-home about 600 to 700 greyhounds a year anyway. We just want to increase that so that the 1700 odd greyhounds that are left don’t wait too long for a good home.”

Simpson was confident welfare standards of the dogs will be met, and she said the agency will also help with retraining, redeployment, and support for industry workers in partnership with the Ministry of Social Development.

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

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

ACT would ban voting rights for unelected appointees on local council committees if elected

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

David Seymour says the party first raised this issue in September last year. RNZ / Mark Papalii

The ACT Party would ban unelected appointees on local council committees from having voting rights within 100 days if elected, leader David Seymour says.

“If you’re voting on council decisions, you should be accountable to the people paying the bills. That means facing free and frequent elections,” he has told a town hall meeting in New Plymouth.

The party this week lodged a member’s bill under the name of MP Cameron Luxton, who had campaigned since 2025 on amending the law to ban unelected appointees on council committees from having voting rights.

With his amendment so far not prioritised by coalition partners National and New Zealand First, Seymour said if the member’s bill was not drawn, the party would make it an election commitment to pass it within 100 days.

“When we first raised this issue in September last year, the Local Government Minister told us he had other priorities. But ACT says democracy is fundamental and urgent,” Seymour said.

The issue has come to a head in the Far North, where ACT-aligned councillor Davina Smolders has been at odds with the mayor Moko Tepania over having iwi representatives on the council’s Te Kuaka Māori Strategic Relationships Committee.

The council voted on Wednesday morning to expand the committee to include two representatives of the Northland iwi chairs forum and eight hapū representatives, alongside six elected councillors including Smolders.

She spoke on Duncan Garner’s podcast last week, where the host said he believed the proposed committee makeup was undemocratic and illegal – though Tepania later confirmed it was within the law.

Tepania said the furore had taken him by surprise, given Māori liaison committees were nothing new.

He told LDR it was “a mechanism that allows us to meet our statutory obligations under the Local Government Act, which is to ensure that we include Māori participation in our decision-making”.

More than 100 people gathered outside the council chambers ahead of the vote, many carrying flags and home-made banners in a show of support for Tepania.

ACT had claimed in its Monday newsletter the council was “stacking its various committees with iwi representatives who can vote, diluting the power of those elected and creating a new political order”.

“ACT Local Councillor Davina Smolders is a New Zealand hero. She has stood alone asking hard questions of the Far North District Council, and so far got the Minister for Local Government to ‘engage’ with the Council (with a little help from ACT).”

Smoulders previously faced council code of conduct proceedings after she publicly congratulated Tepania, claiming he had been selected as the Labour Party’s candidate for Northland in the upcoming general election.

Tepania later confirmed he would be staying on as mayor, and would not be standing as an MP. He is expected not to seek re-election as mayor in 2028.

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

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

‘Really good at a bad ponytail’: Dads learning new hair skills

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dads in Hawke’s Bay will soon be able to tell their braids from a ponytail thanks to a new class helping fathers learn practical hair skills.

Eastern Institute of Technology hairdressing tutor and mum Courtney Cook told Checkpoint growing up her dad always did her hair, which she said was special for a number of reasons.

“One, he took the effort to learn and do something that meant a lot to me, but two, it was five or 10 minutes in a day where we could just sit and have that quality time and open that line of communication around how the day had gone or anything that may have been on my mind.”

Cook said she had been thinking about running the classes “for about 10 years”, and the first workshop was already booked out.

“I’ve been really, really happy with the response that we’ve been getting,” Cook said.

Cook said many of the participants were “very open” about their current capabilities, and were keen to learn skills.

But they were also keen to develop a stronger bond with their daughters.

“They also understand the quality time aspect and that relationship and that bond with them as well, which is cool to see.”

One dad told Cook he was “really good at a bad ponytail”, and said many of the participants were hoping to learn the basics of keeping hair off their daughter’s face.

Others have bigger ambitions.

“One was talking to me about getting to a point where his daughter can bring a picture and he’ll just be able to do it sort of thing, because he’ll have those foundation skills that we learn in the workshop to be able to go and take through to other styles, which will be cool.”

Cook said there was pressure on hair looking “perfect”, which meant many dads were intimidated to try even basic ponytails and plaits.

But she said the workshop wasn’t about the perfect hairdo.

“Daughters don’t remember the perfect braids. They remember the time that they’ve spent with their dad.”

Cook said the dads learn three styles in the workshops, as well as sectioning and the basics of hair care.

She is hoping to run the workshops once a month or every six weeks, and is also considering a class for mums.

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

Holi overstayers: Future visa applications from company to be scrutinised

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Immigration New Zealand says it will carefully assess any future visa applications linked to Delhi-based CD Foundation after 18 performers who arrived for a Holi celebration in Auckland in February overstayed their visas.

In early March, Immigration New Zealand told RNZ it was trying to contact cultural performers from India who remained in the country after their visas had expired.

More than two dozen people from India were part of a “cultural delegation” linked to CD Foundation and associated with a Holi celebration in South Auckland.

The organisation denied any involvement in immigration violations in March.

A letter obtained by RNZ in March showed the Consulate General of India in Auckland supported visa applications for the delegation.

Immigration New Zealand also confirmed to RNZ it had received a support letter from the Indian diplomatic mission in Auckland for 29 visa applicants.

Eighteen people from the group arrived in New Zealand. Of those, four had since left the country, while 14 remained, according to Immigration New Zealand.

“We continue to prioritise contacting individuals who are now in New  Zealand unlawfully, on a case‑by‑case basis, and we continue to assess any information we receive,” said Jock Gilray, acting deputy chief operation officer at Immigration New Zealand.

Asked by RNZ whether it planned to blacklist the CD Foundation, the agency said that while the group had support from the Indian Consul General, it was not a sponsor and had no formal role or responsibilities in visa applications.

Gilray said that CD Foundation was not an accredited employer, nor a festival and entertainment organiser.

“However, any future applications associated with CD Foundation will be assessed accordingly,” he said.

“For privacy reasons relating to the individuals involved, and to protect the integrity of our decision-making, compliance and investigation processes, we are not able to go into any further detail on this matter,” Gilray said.

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

The new National Defence Strategy feels written for a bygone era – and ignores the elephant in the room

By -

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Layton, Visiting Fellow, Strategic Studies, Griffith University

Sometimes new government strategies really aren’t newsworthy. The 2026 National Defence Strategy (NDS) is like that.

The biggest headline from the document is the additional defence spending of $53 billion over the next decade, which the government claims (with some accounting sleights of hand) will reach 3% of GDP.

While this technically meets US President Donald Trump’s demands for America’s allies in NATO and elsewhere to spend more on their militaries, there’s more to it than that. In particular, NATO measures are based on how much cash is spent annually, rather than the future spending laid out in long-term plans.

In terms of actual strategy, though, the main takeaway appears rather muted: there’s been “significant progress in implementing the 2024 National Defence Strategy”. That’s reassuring but surely that was the intent of that earlier document – to be implemented.

In being a warmed-up version of the 2024 strategy, the 2026 document seems to ignore what’s happened since – and that’s been considerable.

Over the last two years, there’s been a worsening war in Ukraine, an expanded conflict in the Middle East that has encompassed the entire region and sent shockwaves through the global economy, and many unpredictable American military adventures.

At times, the strategy is backward-looking to a bygone era, lacking courage and confidence.

Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles addresses the National Press Club in Canberra, Thursday, April 16, 2026. Lukas Coch/AAP

What does the strategy promise?

The 2026 NDS keeps in place Australia’s strategy of denial, that is, a defensive strategy that seeks to prevent an adversary from taking military action against Australia.

Even though the funding provided to Defence is somewhat increased, we will likely see higher inflation as a result of the US-Israel war against Iran. The planned allocations for operating and crewing the Australian Defence Force’s (ADF) current ships, aircraft and vehicles is unlikely to be enough.

Money to make up this shortfall may mean less is spent than planned on buying new equipment. What matters is what you get for your money, not how much is spent.

However, there are two notable investments mentioned in the strategy, even if they are relatively small compared to many other Defence projects.

The ADF will finally be getting a medium-range surface-to-air missile system able to shoot down incoming ballistic missiles.

Such threats might once have seemed remote, but missile attacks have become routine. In the last year, ballistic missiles have been fired by Russia, Iran and the Houthis in Yemen.

However, the ADF’s defensive missiles probably won’t enter into service for several years, as other nations are already in the shopping queue ahead of Australia.

The ADF will also be getting a range of autonomous uncrewed systems (drones in the air and water), such as the Air Force’s Ghost Bat and the Navy’s Ghost Shark and Speartooth. And in a boost to our national resilience, these are manufactured in Australia even if some of the parts are imported.

Read more: What Australia must learn from Ukraine about drone technology and the future of warfare

The recent wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have highlighted the importance of these systems, the strategy notes. And it adds, the future of warfare will involve both autonomous uncrewed systems and artificial intelligence (AI).

Disappointingly, though, compared to the huge spends on traditional crewed warships, submarines and armoured vehicles, there hasn’t been much allocated to these systems or the AI wave of the future.

Where else is missed?

Because this is a steady-as-she-goes document, it misses an important opportunity to convince an increasingly doubtful public of the wisdom of the hugely expensive purchases of nuclear submarines under the AUKUS program.

Dennis Richardson, a former secretary of the Defence Department, recently argued these vessels “are only worth having if they’re a net addition to defence capability.” The implication is the submarines are nice to have, but not essential, unlike other equipment.

The 2026 NDS could have placed the submarines into a coherent strategic framework, alongside the rest of Defence, and provided a clear and compelling reason for acquiring them. Or, as they say in defence speak: a strategic narrative. It didn’t.

The absence of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who is in Asia securing fuel shipments for Australia, from the strategy’s launch highlights another big miss.

The strategy’s title includes the word “national”, yet the nation is largely missing in it. This document, and the previous NDS, rightly declare that defending Australia involves a whole-of-nation approach that goes far beyond just the defence forces. But how this is approach is meant to work is only briefly noted.

The current fuel crisis suggests there is much to be done. Spending money on military hardware may be pointless if there is insufficient fuel to operate it. This was made clear in 2018 when a major air exercise in Darwin was apparently disrupted due to a tanker from Singapore being delayed.

The NDS does note the investments Defence has made in recent years to improve fuel security to remediate shortfalls. It has done trials on low-carbon, sustainable aviation fuels, but there are no plans yet to produce these on a large-scale for military use.

So far, it seems Defence is just nibbling at the edges of fuel security and resilience.

A changed America

Lastly, there is an elephant in the room: the Americans.

One can sympathise with the government wanting to keep a low profile when it comes to Australia’s major alliance partner. However, this alliance in an increasingly unstable world is arguably of overriding importance.

Earlier this year, the US released its own National Defence Strategy that called on regional allies to help defend the “first island chain”, running from the Philippines to Taiwan to the Japanese islands.

Through this America First, commonsense lens, America’s alliances and partners have an essential role to play – but not as the dependencies of the last generation. […] For too long, allies and partners have been content to let us subsidise their defence.

The Australian NDS discusses the alliance in the pre-Trump language of shared strategic interests, with just a nod to the importance of “upholding Australian sovereignty and increasing our self-reliance”.

The 2026 NDS needed to explain where an unreliable and unruly America now fits into Australian defence thinking, or does not.

– ref. The new National Defence Strategy feels written for a bygone era – and ignores the elephant in the room – https://theconversation.com/the-new-national-defence-strategy-feels-written-for-a-bygone-era-and-ignores-the-elephant-in-the-room-280727

Papatoetoe local charged over offensive graffiti released on bail

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

A Papatoetoe man has been released on bail after appearing in court charged over anti-Indian graffiti sprayed outside an Auckland school.

The message, which incited violence against the Indian community, was first spotted on Saturday near Papatoetoe Central School and the man was arrested on Thursday morning.

Another piece of graffiti with the same message was found inside a public toilet in Royal Oak.

The 61-year-old man appeared in Manukau District Court facing two charges of intentionally damaging a footpath.

Each carries a maximum three month prison term or $2000 fine.

He has also been charged with being offensive in a public place, with a maximum $1000 fine.

Bail was not opposed, and the judge ordered several conditions and granted interim name suppression.

Counties Manukau West Area Commander Inspector Dave Christoffersen earlier said a local man was arrested on Thursday.

“Given the threatening nature of the graffiti, our team has been making enquiries throughout the week which has led to a quick arrest,” he said.

Inspector Christoffersen said police were aware the incident had caused concern for communities.

“I can reassure the community that we have assessed this particular event as an isolated incident and that there is no wider risk to the community.

“We have made this assessment with information obtained through the investigation and after interviewing the man who has been charged.”

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

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

Nelson footbridge graffitied with hate speech targetting Jewish people

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

The graffiti appeared on a footbridge over the Maitai River, but was painted over an hour after the council was alerted to its presence. File picture. RNZ / Tracy Neal

Nelson City Council and the New Zealand Jewish Council have condemned anti-Semitic behaviour, after hate speech targeting Jewish people was graffitied on a footbridge over the Maitai River.

The council was alerted to the graffiti shortly before midday on Thursday, with contractors sent out within the hour and the graffiti painted over by 2pm.

Council’s executive directory of delivery Alec Louverdis said the behaviour was unacceptable and there was no place for anti-Semitic graffiti in Nelson.

The Jewish Council said the graffiti was deeply concerning.

President Juliet Moses said the threat was not abstract, but a direct call for violence, and anti-Semitic rhetoric and incidents had been rising both in New Zealand and internationally.

Recent data released by the council shows there were 143 anti-Semitic incidents here in 2025 which included assaults, threats, damage to Jewish sites, and harassment targeting individuals in their homes.

It comes in the same week that a man was arrested after graffiti inciting racial violence was found in Papatoetoe, Auckland.

A 61-year-old was charged with offensive behaviour and wilful damage, and was released on bail after appearing in Manukau District Court on Thursday.

A separate piece of graffiti carrying an identical message was found inside a public toilet in another Auckland suburb, Royal Oak, on Wednesday.

Moses said the council expressed solidarity with the Indian community and reiterated that hatred directed at any group was a threat to all.

“New Zealanders have a shared responsibility to reject hatred in all its forms,” Moses said. “We must be clear that there is no place in our society for messages that dehumanise or call for harm against any community.”

The New Zealand Jewish Council said it’s committed to supporting a society in which all people can live safely and freely express their identity, and calls on leaders and the public alike to speak out against all forms of hate.

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

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

NZ’s medicinal cannabis ecosystem hopes to harvest value-add opportunities

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Southern Medicinal has converted the old Mataura paper mill into a medicinal cannabis and hemp growing, testing and processing facility. Supplied / Southern Medicinal

The budding medicinal cannabis sector is struggling to put down roots and another specialist processing factory is set to close.

But regulators considering current rules and a new industry collective offer some promise to reduce New Zealand’s reliance on imported medicinal bud.

There was a buzz of excitement when medicinal cannabis was legalised then regulated in 2020 with a view towards growing a domestic sector and serving patients here and abroad.

However since then, a number of firms have shut their doors, including Greenfern Industries, Cannasouth and most recently, Helius Therapeutics.

The latter is planning to close its East Tāmaki factory, affecting 65 workers. It is one of only a few medicinal cannabis factories nationwide that holds a specialist processing certification called “Good Manufacturing Practice” (GMP).

Harvesting cannabis flowers at Puro’s Kēkerengū farm on the Kaikōura Coast. SUPPLIED/PURO NZ

Medicinal Cannabis Council executive director Sally King said under current rules, because most producers did not hold that certification, they could only put out raw bud ingredients, not processed products like more lucrative cannabis capsules.

“In New Zealand, what we’re doing quite a lot of here is we are exporting those ingredients which are made into higher quality, more dose-specific formats,” she said.

“That’s where the real growth is.”

She said medicinal cannabis, as for many other primary industries, struggled to keep value-add manufacturing on home soil.

“What would be great, would be if we could manufacture and add value onshore for offshore markets, but it is a bit of a challenge.”

King said enabling more on-shore processing would give doctors more product options for patients, improving competition and possibly bringing down prices.

“For all primary industries, the greatest question we have is ‘how do you add the value in export?’ I think it’s an important question for medicinal cannabis too.”

Cannabis flower at Rua Bioscience’s facility in Mangaoporo, Te Tairāwhiti. Rua Bioscience

Scale advantage for international manufacturers – Rua Bioscience

NZX-listed company, Rua Bioscience of Ruatoria sold its GMP factory in Tairāwhiti in 2023 to instead focus on exports, due in part to challenges associated with GMP manufacturing.

This week, it celebrated gaining new market access for its East Coast-sourced live cultivar clones into key market Canada for further processing there.

Aotearoa largely imported medicinal cannabis flower products, led by Canada, which built a multi-billion dollar local industry since legalising recreational use in 2018.

Chief executive Paul Naske said the extremely high standards of GMP should only be required for the steps after drying harvested biomass, as this would encourage more local supply into more finished products.

“The manufacture of medicine in New Zealand, yeah, it’s not easy, that’s called GMP manufacture.”

He said the company pivoted towards exports in recent years, focussing on genetic innovation and international partnerships.

“New Zealand doesn’t have a massive depth of medical manufacture in the country. We import a lot of medicine, by simple fact because it’s costly and large offshore manufacturers have a greater scale.”

Industry hopes for further regulatory change

Naske recently inked a letter with suggested regulation changes to the Minister for Regulation, David Seymour – who also investigated industrial hemp’s regulations.

These included the requirements for stability or shelf-life testing, GMP requirements, and requirements for European Union-bound exports that faced re-testing once on-shore.

It also wanted performance targets for verification assessments and for regulator staffing levels to increase.

Regulation Minister David Seymour visiting the Hemp NZ Food Factory in Ashburton in December last year. RNZ / Nate McKinnon

Seymour said he referred the letter on to the Ministry of Health as the previous government set up a medicinal cannabis agency to deal with this area of regulation.

“I will be asking them to report on whether they can make these changes and if not, why not?”

He said [https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/497357/medicinal-cannabis-industry-growing-as-regulation-overhaul-given-green-light

cutting red tape] had sped up the export licensing process, as the number of applications also increased.

“Now they are in the process of implementing changes to make the process even faster.”

There were 26 applications that took 22 working days to process in 2022/23.

Then in 2024/25, the 65 applications took 10 working days to process.

Seymour said Medsafe’s export licensing regime review last year meant applications became electronic as opposed to paper copies.

He said export volume of cannabis flower increased from 49 kilograms in 2021 to 2310kg in 2025.

“We need to get money into the country. Not everybody likes this stuff, but there’s a market for it.”

Early season growth at Puro’s Kēkerengū farm on the Kaikōura Coast. SUPPLIED/PURO NZ

A Medsafe spokesperson said it was committed to issuing export and import licences promptly, and was considering further feedback from industry on regulations.

“We have to strike the right balance between allowing industry to operate efficiently while also ensuring New Zealanders are accessing quality products,” it said in a statement.

In 2024, following feedback from the industry, it removed the requirement for exports to meet New Zealand’s minimum quality standards and removed duplicate requirements for assessing and verifying the products and ingredients.

It said it was also exploring possible alternative methods for stability testing, and GMP existed to ensure patients could access quality products.

“It’s important that when people use medicinal cannabis products, they can be confident they are consuming a medicine which has the stated amount of ingredient, is stable, and is free from harmful contaminants for example.

“Maintaining appropriate manufacturing requirements ensures New Zealanders can access quality products and allows us to uphold New Zealand’s reputation for producing high quality goods overseas.”

New grower collective created

Meanwhile, company Ora Pharm launched a new grower collective this week called NZ Grow Co to improve collaboration across cultivation, processing and marketing.

Ora Pharm chief executive Zoe Reece said the sector was looking to move beyond its early, fragmented phase.

“Regulatory clarity is critical to unlocking investment and participation,” she said. “What we are seeing now is the opportunity to build a more coordinated, export-focused industry that delivers real economic value.”

It said it was working with around two-thirds of licensed cultivators and had a new extraction facility in north Waikato, that was in the process of trying to obtain an EU GMP certification.

Harvest was now underway for New Zealand’s outdoor medicinal cannabis farmers, including the country’s largest grower Puro NZ.

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

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

Willis promises to be ‘frank and candid’ about impact of Middle East conflict at White House meeting

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nicola Willis is in Washington DC is attending the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has promised to be “frank and candid” in her White House meetings overnight, as she seeks clarity about when the conflict in the Middle East might end.

But Labour said Willis’ plan to ask when the situation would return to normal was “naive to the point of embarrassing”.

Willis spoke to RNZ on Thursday (NZ time) from Washington DC where she is attending the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings.

She had just wrapped several days of meetings with her counterparts from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and the Marshall Islands, as well as key leaders at the IMF and World Bank.

Early Friday morning (NZ time), Willis would sit down with one of President Donald Trump’s key economic advisers, Pierre Yared, and separately, outgoing under secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, Francis Brooke.

Willis said she would stress New Zealand’s concern about potential fuel supply disruption and to reiterate calls for a “swiftly negotiated end to this conflict”.

“I will be frank and candid that we are many, many miles away from the Middle East, and yet the waves of this conflict are hitting hard on our shores,” she said.

“We’ve already experienced a more than doubling in the price of diesel, on which our economy depends. We’ve seen a downgrade in our growth forecasts. We are worried about inflation.

“I will also be asking the US administration for their views on when this conflict will end, and what they think the ramifications for the global economy will be.”

The Post earlier reported that Willis intended to press US officials over when global conditions might return to “normal”.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told RNZ that was “naive to the point of embarrassing:”

“The world has changed, and things aren’t going to just go back to normal,” Hipkins said. “We’re going to be dealing with disruption for quite a prolonged period of time. The government needs to be far more realistic about that and show New Zealanders that they have a plan.”

Willis said she would also use her meetings to underline the anxiety of other Pacific nations, which were dependent on imported fuel, given the United States’ interest in the region’s stability.

Asked what commitments New Zealand had made to support its Pacific neighbours, Willis said the government would work with Australia and others to ensure the realm countries – Cook Islands, Nieu and Tokelau – had the fuel supply they needed.

“In the first instance, New Zealand is looking to secure fuel for our own population at home, and that’s why we’re taking extra steps to secure additional commercial arrangements to add to our New Zealand reserves.

“We will also take steps to support the Pacific to ensure that they can access fuel. I’d expect that in the first instance, those would be separate arrangements from those which we have.”

Willis said there had been no discussions with Australia about whether it would need to call on New Zealand’s reserves, nor reason to believe that would be necessary.

She said she had “bumped into” Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Thursday (NZ time) and passed on New Zealand’s concern about the fire at one of its refineries.

Willis said all her meetings to date conveyed a “clear and very shared concern” about the economic shock from the conflict, and a consistent view that responses needed to be temporary and targeted.

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

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

Two boys dead after water-related incident in Tarawera River, Kawerau

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Tarawera River, where two people died on Thursday. Google Maps

Two local children were killed when a riverbank collapsed in the Tarawera River near Boyce Park in Kawerau.

The boys were aged 10 and 12.

Emergency services were called about 11.30am on Thursday, after a report of a party getting trapped under a bank.

“A group of children had been fishing and playing on the northern side of the river, when the bank collapsed, trapping two of the children underneath,” police say.

“Two police officers on arrival swam across the river and attempted to locate and dig for the boys with their bare hands.

“They were soon joined by volunteer fire brigade staff who roped down the cliff area with equipment.”

The boys were found dead.

Local kaumatua have performed karakia and a rahui has been placed on the Tarawera River.

Inspector Phil Gillbanks, acting Eastern Bay of Plenty area commander said two police staff and the local volunteer fire brigade staff did everything they could to find the boys in what were perilous circumstances.

“This was extremely tragic and sad, and we feel for the families.”

A Kawerau rafting operator said the area was a popular swimming spot for children.

The man, who works for Rafting Adventure Tarawera and did not want to be named, said he was at the scene on Thursday to try to help out with the rescue.

He said the side of the river by Boyce Park has a tree and a rope swing, and he would often see kids swimming there.

Police said the deaths would be referred to the Coroner.

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

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

Police name two 15-year-olds who died in Hamilton crash

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

The crash happened on Wairere Drive in Hamilton on Monday. RNZ / Marika Khabazi

Two 15-year-olds have died in a crash in Hamilton.

The crash which happened on Wairere Drive on Monday involved a car, with four people inside, and a truck.

Police have now named those who died as Jrusc Wilson and Reef Gurnick, both aged 15.

“Our thoughts are with those close to them,” a police spokesperson said.

Two people remain in hospital in a serious condition following the crash.

“Police are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash,” the spokesperson said.

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

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

Businesses frustrated as large trucks use suburb for parking

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ/Supplied

Businesses in a South Auckland suburb say they are sick of 18-wheeler commercial trucks blocking their access paths, doing roadside repairs and leaving oil on the streets.

They often park on berms, blind corners and block driveways.

Janine Allen from local business Mfi Engineering said she has had a gutsful.

“They’re all the way along and they’re truck and trailers. They’re obviously cartage companies and they’re not having to pay for any fees for parking.

“We’ve taken so many photos of them doing work on their trucks, they’ll have vans there and they’re doing welding on the side of the road, they’re up on the footpath.”

Allen said during the day the roadsides are like open-air mechanic workshops.

When it rains, she said engine oil and coolant left on the road is flushed down into the gutters.

“We have a very high environmental threshold in our yard and yet, these guys are able to do that out on the road and put it down through into the waterways.

“We have to pay thousands of dollars, we get inspected, we have to do all this to keep on the right side of the law and these guys are out there on the roadside just dumping it.”

Down the road, Ron Salter from Salters Cartage Limited said the trucks parking on the roadside is a safety risk for his business.

“Because of our big units, our 60-tonne units, we can’t physically get out without jack-knifing the truck, because they park on both sides of the road and just block us in.”

Ron Salter said it’s been going on for at least five years and so far, his drivers have already had a few close calls.

“Because we cart petrol, diesel and oil, that’s what we’re frightened of someone hitting the side of our trucks, taking our valves out and causing a massive spill.

“We can’t control it; it will go straight into the Manukau Harbour and could end up by the airport.”

RNZ/Supplied

No enforcement of rules

Auckland Council brought in the Vehicle Use and Parking Bylaw in July last year to help manage the parking of vehicles if they’re causing obstruction, safety risks and damage to the environment.

But Gary Holmes from the Wiri Business Association said there’s no enforcement of rules by Auckland Transport.

Instead, the businesses association’s been self-funding patrols, and they’ve recorded 7000 heavy truck incidents.

Holmes said some trucks have been causing problems for seven to eight months, but they’re able to do it because of what he sees as shortcomings with the bylaw.

“The frustrating part is that they are technically parked legally.”

The business association outlined its concerns to Parliament’s regulation review committee last month.

“[We] argued the fact that there’s a gap in the legislation because it’s causing issues.”

Another issue is when the trucks park overnight, they often don’t have legally required red-rear-lights causing a crash hazard.

The fine is $255, but Holmes said tickets have only been issued because his patrols are reporting offending trucks to AT.

“Often there could be 15 to 20 trucks each night.”

Calls for amendments to bylaw

The Wiri Business Association’s submission to Parliament’s regulation review committee asks Auckland Transport and Auckland Council to pass mandatory restrictions.

They want amendments to the bylaw and to the Land Transport (Road User) Rule 2004 so there’s stronger legislation that enforces parking and environmental rules in all industrial zones.

Auckland Transport told Checkpoint there has been an increase in the number of heavy trucks parked in Manurewa, Otara, Takanini, Manukau, Wiri, Papatoetoe and Papakura.

Since the bylaw came in last July, AT has issued 1572 fines for trucks parked without a rear facing light, including 281 fines in Wiri, where the business association is patrolling,

AT’s parking services manager John Strawbridge said it’s not an offence to park in an unrestricted road if a vehicle has a valid Certificate of Fitness and registration.

Fines are issued in cases where they’re illegally parked.

He said when AT acts on a complaint they find that in 90 percent of cases the truck has moved or is legally parked when officers arrive.

Strawbridge said that trucks aren’t allowed to do roadside repairs or work that damages the road, or creates an obstacle, nuisance, disruption or safety risk.

Meanwhile, the Minister of Transport has consulted on a set of proposals including one to clarify signage requirements in the rules for councils to enforce berm parking.

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

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

61-year-old charged over anti-Indian graffiti in Auckland released on bail

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

A Papatoetoe man has been released on bail after appearing in court charged over anti-Indian graffiti sprayed outside an Auckland school.

The message, which incited violence against the Indian community, was first spotted on Saturday near Papatoetoe Central School and the man was arrested on Thursday morning.

Another piece of graffiti with the same message was found inside a public toilet in Royal Oak.

The 61-year-old man appeared in Manukau District Court facing two charges of intentionally damaging a footpath.

Each carries a maximum three month prison term or $2000 fine.

He has also been charged with being offensive in a public place, with a maximum $1000 fine.

Bail was not opposed, and the judge ordered several conditions and granted interim name suppression.

Counties Manukau West Area Commander Inspector Dave Christoffersen earlier said a local man was arrested on Thursday.

“Given the threatening nature of the graffiti, our team has been making enquiries throughout the week which has led to a quick arrest,” he said.

Inspector Christoffersen said police were aware the incident had caused concern for communities.

“I can reassure the community that we have assessed this particular event as an isolated incident and that there is no wider risk to the community.

“We have made this assessment with information obtained through the investigation and after interviewing the man who has been charged.”

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

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

NZ cricketers gaining vaulable experience in Asian conditions

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Shoriful Islam of Bangladesh celebrates the wicket of Glenn Phillips, 2023. Aaron Gillions / Photosport

Black Caps coach Rob Walter says it is fortunate that there are so many New Zealand cricketers experiencing conditions in Asia.

Walter’s side has arrived in Bangladesh for a white ball series that includes three ODI’s and three T20 internationals.

New Zealand A is currently in Sri Lanka playing limited overs and four day games, while there are 18 Kiwi players involved in the Indian Premier League and the Pakistan Super League.

Walter said having so many players experiencing sub-continent conditions is great.

“We have 54 cricketers right now playing in different parts of the world and that is just under half of our contracted players in the country so for us it is a massive positive.

“We’re trying to make sure we strengthen our whole system and not just a small group of players. Ultimately we have to make sure we’re ready for whoever we compete against we have a number of cricketers who are internationally ready.

“It is a plus for us to expose our next in line cricketers to quality opposition in foreign conditions is a massive positive for us.”

Eight players with international experience were initially selected for the A tour of Sri Lanka: Muhammad Abbas, Adithya Ashok, Kristian Clarke, Mitch Hay, Ben Lister, Rhys Mariu, Ben Sears, and Tim Robinson. Sears has since left the group to play in the Pakistan Super League.

“You can’t buy experience, so you actually have to get out into the cauldron and actually play,” Walter said.

“Most importantly we keep learning.”

The tour of Bangladesh will mark the return of three pace bowlers from injury.

Will O’Rourke hasn’t played for New Zealand since the tour of Zimbabwe last July while Matt Fisher and Blair Tickner suffered injuries over the summer.

The first ODI against Bangladesh is in Mirpur on Friday.

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

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

Willis promises to be ‘frank and candid’ about impact of Middle East confict at White House meeting

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nicola Willis is in Washington DC is attending the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Finance Minister Nicola Willis has promised to be “frank and candid” in her White House meetings overnight, as she seeks clarity about when the conflict in the Middle East might end.

But Labour said Willis’ plan to ask when the situation would return to normal was “naive to the point of embarrassing”.

Willis spoke to RNZ on Thursday (NZ time) from Washington DC where she is attending the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank spring meetings.

She had just wrapped several days of meetings with her counterparts from the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Germany and the Marshall Islands, as well as key leaders at the IMF and World Bank.

Early Friday morning (NZ time), Willis would sit down with one of President Donald Trump’s key economic advisers, Pierre Yared, and separately, outgoing under secretary of the Treasury for International Affairs, Francis Brooke.

Willis said she would stress New Zealand’s concern about potential fuel supply disruption and to reiterate calls for a “swiftly negotiated end to this conflict”.

“I will be frank and candid that we are many, many miles away from the Middle East, and yet the waves of this conflict are hitting hard on our shores,” she said.

“We’ve already experienced a more than doubling in the price of diesel, on which our economy depends. We’ve seen a downgrade in our growth forecasts. We are worried about inflation.

“I will also be asking the US administration for their views on when this conflict will end, and what they think the ramifications for the global economy will be.”

The Post earlier reported that Willis intended to press US officials over when global conditions might return to “normal”.

RNZ / Mark Papalii

Labour leader Chris Hipkins told RNZ that was “naive to the point of embarrassing:”

“The world has changed, and things aren’t going to just go back to normal,” Hipkins said. “We’re going to be dealing with disruption for quite a prolonged period of time. The government needs to be far more realistic about that and show New Zealanders that they have a plan.”

Willis said she would also use her meetings to underline the anxiety of other Pacific nations, which were dependent on imported fuel, given the United States’ interest in the region’s stability.

Asked what commitments New Zealand had made to support its Pacific neighbours, Willis said the government would work with Australia and others to ensure the realm countries – Cook Islands, Nieu and Tokelau – had the fuel supply they needed.

“In the first instance, New Zealand is looking to secure fuel for our own population at home, and that’s why we’re taking extra steps to secure additional commercial arrangements to add to our New Zealand reserves.

“We will also take steps to support the Pacific to ensure that they can access fuel. I’d expect that in the first instance, those would be separate arrangements from those which we have.”

Willis said there had been no discussions with Australia about whether it would need to call on New Zealand’s reserves, nor reason to believe that would be necessary.

She said she had “bumped into” Australia’s Treasurer Jim Chalmers on Thursday (NZ time) and passed on New Zealand’s concern about the fire at one of its refineries.

Willis said all her meetings to date conveyed a “clear and very shared concern” about the economic shock from the conflict, and a consistent view that responses needed to be temporary and targeted.

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

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

Groups call on fast-track panel to decline controversial West Coast hydro proposal

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Morgan Gorge. Neil Silverwood

Outdoors and environmental groups are calling on a fast-track panel to decline a controversial West Coast hydro proposal.

Westpower Limited have draft approval to build the $200 million Waitaha hydro scheme on conservation land between Hokitika and Franz Josef Glacier.

The plan is to build a weir to divert water through a tunnel to generate 23 megawatts of power, enough to power the equivalent of about 12,000 homes.

Westpower said it would improve the resilience of electricity supply on the West Coast and contribute to New Zealand’s climate change commitments.

Federated Mountain Clubs (FMC), Forest and Bird, Greenpeace, the Canyoning Association, the Buller Tramping Club and former Whitewater NZ President Kev England were critical of the project.

They had signed an open letter calling on the panel to reconsider its draft decision.

FMC president Megan Dimozantos said the project would destroy a unique wilderness area.

“If this goes ahead the river will be reduced to little more than a residual flow causing permanent and significant damage to both its recreational and ecological values,” she said.

“We recognise that renewable generation is important but not at the expense of one of the country’s last untouched pristine wild river gorges.”

Federated Mountain Clubs said it could not make a submission to the fast-track expert panel on the proposal.

“FMC requested to comment on the proposal. We also wrote to the panel directly. Ultimately we’ve been ignored. The hundreds of recreational users who visit the area every year have been ignored,” Dimozantos said.

“The panel itself acknowledged the significant effects the scheme will have on the Morgan Gorge and Kiwi Flat even after all mitigation measures are in place.”

The scheme was previously declined in 2019 by then-Environment Minister David Parker.

Westpower said it welcomed the panel’s draft approval when it was announced in March.

“We are encouraged to see the Waitaha Hydro Project move forward. This is a major step for renewable energy in the region and New Zealand. We are committed to progressing responsibly, in partnership with Poutini Ngāi Tahu and our local communities,” Westpower chief executive Peter Armstrong said, at the time.

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

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

Stewart Island trust raising money to build suitable homes for elderly residents

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Bruce Ford is head of the Stewart Island Seniors Cottage Trust. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Stewart Island resident Bruce Ford reckons there’s a problem with getting old on Rakiura – there’s nowhere suitable to do it.

The local of 60 years is the head of the Stewart Island Seniors Cottage Trust.

The trust is trying to raise an additional $1 million to build small, warm, accessible homes for elderly residents at a site in Oban.

It has already raised $750,000, purchased a section and drawn up plans for between six and eight one-bedroom duplex units.

Ford said seniors were stuck in ageing, draughty homes or paying housing costs beyond their means in a bid to stay put on the island.

“If there’s only one person in the house on a pension, you’re on about $28,000. By the time you take off $8000 of rates and insurance and perhaps another $4000 for electricity, you’ve still got to get some food and you’ve still got to do some maintenance on the property and it just doesn’t fit very well,” he said.

“We’ve got one chap here that lives on a boat because he doesn’t want to pay the insurance and the rates. And every day you’ve got to get in your dinghy and paddle ashore. If you’re in your 70s that’s a bit of a handful.”

Often people were being forced to leave the island and ended up in care facilities on the mainland far from friends, neighbours and familiar places, he said.

“People get medevac’d – perhaps they’ll have some ailment – so they get medevac’d and of course the chances are that they don’t get back because they can’t look after themselves quite well enough. We do have home help, some of those services are here, but some of the people that we’ve known have finished up in those rest homes and they die,” he said.

Seniors in Stewart Island are stuck in ageing, draughty homes or paying housing costs beyond their means in a bid to stay put on the island, Bruce Ford says. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Proud, independent islanders struggled to adjust to life in rest homes and retirement facilities, Ford said.

“You turn up in Invercargill or wherever and you don’t know anybody and, of course, you don’t know who to ask for any assistance or anything,” he said.

“There was one lady we went to see one day, a lovely old lady, and she said ‘oh, I wish I was home with my own place and cat and garden’… She said ‘I don’t like it here’.”

The existing donations included a gift left in late island character Sam Sampson’s will, Ford said.

The trust had a memorandum of understanding with Habitat for Humanity and the charity would help decide who would get to stay in the new houses, Ford said.

The Stewart Island Seniors Cottage Trust is trying to raise an additional $1 million to build small, warm, accessible homes for elderly residents at a site in Oban. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Southland mayor Rob Scott said he was right behind the trust.

“I take my hat off to them. They’ve certainly rolled their sleeves up and they’ve done a heap of really good work and they’ve managed to attract some really good funding to date,” he said.

The council did not have the ability to fund the homes but the benefits were clear, Scott said.

“We don’t have a magic pot of money that we can throw at it so I’m supporting with advocacy – whatever I can and wherever I can,” he said.

Age Concern says the issue of a lack of suitable housing for older New Zealanders is not restricted to Stewart Island. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Age Concern chief executive Karen Billings-Jensen said the need for seniors housing went beyond Stewart Island.

Many older New Zealanders faced the same choice – unsuitable housing or leaving their community, she said.

“In some of our cities there are suburbs where there are only large houses or double-storey houses, which don’t make it easy if you want to look to move somewhere accessible or to downsize. We know in rural communities, similar to Stewart Island, that there just aren’t the choices of housing,” she said.

It was crucial to have housing stock in place that allowed people to age – “so they can age where they know the community, where they have connections”, Billings-Jensen said.

“The proportion of people aged 65 and over who are renting is expected to double by 2048… As home ownership rates decrease and there’ll be more people looking in the rental market, and we know there’s some real challenges around rental stock,” she said.

Often people are being forced to leave the island and end up in care facilities on the mainland far from friends, neighbours and familiar places, Bruce Ford says. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Ford said he had sought help from the government but they were not forthcoming.

“I’ve written to many different government ministers and, as often as not, they come back full of encouragement and say ‘oh, I’m very sorry but there’s nobody registered for poverty at your end of the country. There’s no need, because you have to be registered social welfare, MSD, to be recognised as a region in need’. And of course our people are proud enough that they don’t get registered… they just stick it out and try and survive,” he said.

Ford remained optimistic the trust would meet its goal.

“It’s a big challenge but we’ve had big challenges before, community-wise. We have a new museum across the road – it cost $4 million and there’s no rates on it. It was all fundraising to get there. We have a town hall and stadium around the corner there and I believe it’s got insurance value of $6 million and it was all done with community work. The bowling green has a synthetic turf – that’s all done with local fundraising,” he said.

“Nothing’s impossible and we’re having a damn good try.”

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

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

A new minister in Victoria will tackle the manosphere. Here’s what they should do

By -

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Wescott, Lecturer in Humanities and Social Sciences, Monash University

Victoria has its first minister for men and boys. Part of a cabinet reshuffle, the role was given to Frankston MP Paul Edbrooke.

It comes with an explicit dual focus: on one hand, boys’ and men’s own wellbeing, and on the other, the harms boys and men perpetrate.

The role has also been signalled as being a response to the influence of online misogynistic cultures, including the manosphere.

The establishment of this cabinet position is politically significant and offers both substantial opportunities and potential risks. The key will be following the evidence, however uncomfortable.

A national first

Edbrooke’s new role represents the only formal cabinet-level “minister for men and boys” in Australia.

There have been calls from some men’s health advocates for such a role to be established federally. For example, Dan Repacholi was appointed by the federal government to be Australia’s first Special Envoy for Men’s Health in 2025.

Victoria has previously included a Parliamentary Secretary for Men’s Behaviour Change. The Coalition in New South Wales also announced earlier this year the establishment of a new portfolio dedicated to men’s health ahead of the 2027 state election.

But Victoria is the first government to identify “men and boys” as a distinct policy category, signalling that the influences shaping misogynist attitudes requires focused attention.

Why now?

The timing of this new portfolio is not accidental. It reflects a growing recognition that something has shifted in how misogyny is circulating, particularly among Australian men and boys.

In recent years, research has documented the rapid uptake of manosphere content in Australian schools. Teachers are reporting a marked increase in misogynistic language, resistance to women’s authority, and the normalisation of sexist and violent attitudes among some boys.

Crucially, Edbrooke acknowledged that responding to the manosphere will be a key focus of his portfolio.

Public concern about men’s violence against women has also intensified, alongside renewed attention to the drivers that underpin it. The connection between misogyny and violent political extremism now better understood, reinforcing the need for a strong prevention response.

Taken together, these help to explain why the need for a portfolio focused on men and boys has emerged at this time. The question is whether this opportunity will be used to create meaningful change where it is needed.

Proceeding with care

There is a risk this new ministerial role could deepen existing tensions if it is not carefully designed.

For instance, there are calls to do more to address men’s mental health. This is important work and should be done.

But improving boys’ mental health should not be overstated as the solution to gendered violence.

Responses that treat boys’ and men’s mental health as the key factor in violence against women ignore the complexity of the evidence. Abuse of women and girls is present across all socioeconomic demographics and among those with or without mental ill-health.

To make real progress, responses must be grounded in evidence and firmly focused on achieving the principles of gender justice.

The policies to prioritise

So to make a meaningful difference, what should the minister do? Schools would be a great place to start.

Australian evidence is clear that schools are a key site for preventing gender-based violence. This work is most effective when it is whole-school, properly supported and built into systems and curricula.

This means proper funding and meaningful support for Respectful Relationships Education, stronger teacher training in violence prevention, and a curriculum that helps young people think critically about gender, power and online influence.

It’s also essential that beliefs in boys and men “falling behind” or being victims of feminism and gender equality are strongly refuted. These beliefs are promoted by manosphere myths that cause significant harm.

The new minister’s policy response must also explicitly name misogyny as an increasingly mainstreamed ideology. This means recognising that it’s a predictor of all forms of violence.

United Nations bodies have recently warned about the risks of rising misogyny and all forms of violence. These risks are very real in Victoria and across the country.

Now is the time for misogyny to be named plainly and clearly, and for us to emphasise that misogyny appeals to boys and men because of the power it offers them, not because it provides a solution to their suffering.

Overall, the creation of a minister for men and boys signals the Victorian government is willing to engage with complex and sensitive questions about gender, men’s violence and misogyny.

Now the challenge is for policymakers and the minister to engage meaningfully with the evidence and be courageous enough to highlight the dangers of rising misogyny.

– ref. A new minister in Victoria will tackle the manosphere. Here’s what they should do – https://theconversation.com/a-new-minister-in-victoria-will-tackle-the-manosphere-heres-what-they-should-do-280733

What does the Geelong refinery fire reveal about Australia’s fuel supplies?

By -

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tony Wood, Senior Fellow in Energy and Climate Change, Grattan Institute

Late on Wednesday, Victorian firefighters were called to a large fire at Viva Energy Group’s oil refinery in Corio, a suburb of Geelong. The blaze is believed to have been an equipment failure. Thankfully, no-one was injured.

Viva is one of two refineries left in Australia, and supplies more than 50% of fuel in Victoria, and 10% of fuel in Australia. At the time of writing, the company was in a trading halt on the Australian sharemarket, pending an announcement regarding the impact of the fire.

In normal circumstances, Viva says the refinery can process up to 120,000 barrels of oil per day. The impact of the fire has been primarily to the production of petrol. The overall refinery will have to be assessed before it becomes clear whether diesel and aviation fuel production have been impacted.

In the immediate and short term, Viva’s supply of petrol will likely be met from storage, both on site and from other terminals. The fire will mean even greater pressure on securing supply from overseas. It is possible price changes may be no more than we have already seen, as they are currently being driven by the cost of imports.

So what does this mean for the supply and price of fuel in Victoria, and Australia?

Remind me, what do refineries do?

Using crude oil, refineries like Geelong produce liquid fuels for transport, including petrol for small cars, diesel for big cars and trucks, and aviation fuel for planes.

Crude oil is a hydrocarbon, created underground over millions of years from decaying organic matter. The chemical process of refining crude oil is highly sophisticated, and refineries are complex machines.

In Australia, almost 60 per cent of the fuel we consume is diesel. This is followed by petrol, and then aviation fuel. We consume more diesel per head of population than almost every other major economy, including the USA. This is because Australia has a large mining sector, and depends on long-distance road transport to move goods.

So what’s going to happen now?

Refinery fires are nasty because the fuels burn rapidly and the blaze can be difficult to extinguish.

This fire broke out in the plant’s primary petrol-production units, in an area of about 30 metres by 30 metres. The company has temporarily cut its output of petrol, diesel and jet fuel down to “minimum rates”, adding pressure on Australian fuel stocks. Although other parts of the refinery will still produce diesel and aviation fuel, and maybe some petrol, the overall volumes will be reduced.

In the short term, Viva will have a lot of product stored. But while it looks like diesel and aviation fuels might not heavily affected, the picture is less clear for petrol. They could still import petrol that has been refined elsewhere into Geelong to supply customers, which most refineries do. But this petrol is refined in countries like Singapore and Malaysia, which are already under since they source much or their crude oil from the Middle East and have their own domestic demand.

This is an undoubtedly frustrating turn of events in the current energy supply crunch. Optimistically, the damage will be repaired quickly and it won’t be too long until that part of the refinery is back on line. We must await a full assessment from Viva.

Even if the refinery is able to start production relatively quickly, this fire prompts us to consider the future role of liquid fuels in Australia.

Should we be building more refineries?

Firstly, to run a refinery you need crude oil. Where is that going to come from? At the moment, Australia sends most of the oil it extracts from the north-west shelf in Western Australia to nearby countries like Singapore and Malaysia.

In recent years, the Gippsland basin, offshore Victoria, has entered the depletion stage of its oil extraction after more than 50 years. While the north-west shelf remains a significant source of oil, very few other oil resources have been identified in Australia. Recently, there has been speculation about extracting it from the Taroom Trough, about 300 kilometres west of Brisbane. But that resource is speculative at present, being technologically challenging, and economically questionable.

Sometimes, bad things come in waves: the US-Iran war, Cyclone Narelle, and now the Geelong refinery fire. They underline the need to decrease our reliance on fossil fuels. And people are responding, which is good. For example we are seeing record numbers of people buying electric vehicles. In ten years from now, half of all car sales should be will be electric.

There’s other signs of rapid electrification. If you travel around Sydney or Melbourne you’ll notice electric buses and trucks have become more popular for short-haul trips. It was assumed it would take far longer for long-haul freight to electrify, but there’s now a company set up to run a fleet of 20 trucks between Sydney and Canberra.

The Geelong refinery fire adds another major challenge to Australia’s fuel crisis. It increases the urgency for a longer-term plan to rapidly electrify transport, more focus on biofuel production and, possibly, greater strategic onshore storage. This will be good for energy security and climate change.

– ref. What does the Geelong refinery fire reveal about Australia’s fuel supplies? – https://theconversation.com/what-does-the-geelong-refinery-fire-reveal-about-australias-fuel-supplies-280793

Police memo on bargaining campaign attempt to ‘intimidate members’ – union

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Union members were asking police, the Public Service Commission and government to “repay the risks endemic in the role of a police officer”.

The Police Association says it’s “extremely concerned” a police memo to staff regarding a pay bargaining campaign was “an attempt to intimidate members”.

The association also says the memo showed the campaign “has hit a nerve and having an impact”.

On Wednesday, the association issued a press release which said that for the first time in its 90-year history it was driving a pay bargaining campaign that included “active and visible advocacy from a workforce that is legally forbidden to strike”.

Bargaining starts on 1 May.

“On that day police officers throughout the country will be making their feelings known by engaging in activities aimed at drawing Police, public and political attention to their bid for remuneration that matches the risks they face in doing their job to keep New Zealanders safe,” the association said.

The campaign slogan was “Repay the Risk”.

Do you know more? Email sam.sherwood@rnz.co.nz

Association president Steve Watt said members were asking police, the Public Service Commission and government to “repay the risks endemic in the role of a police officer”.

“Those risks include exposure to violence and danger, unpredictable and traumatic incidents, increasing complexity in frontline policing, and the responsibility of protecting public safety.

“Members feel that when it comes to their pay negotiations, they are essentially invisible – no ability to work to rule, no marching in the streets, nothing to capture the attention of politicians or the public. That is why we are doing things differently this pay round.”

The press release said a significant part of the campaign strategy was direct engagement with politicians with postcards being sent from members.

.

“We welcome pro-active engagement from MPs who often know the officers in their districts. I urge them to take some time to ask about the pressures driving this unique campaign.”

On Thursday morning, a memo was sent to staff on behalf of Assistant Commissioner Deployment Jeanette Park.

The memo, seen by RNZ, said police had always “positively engaged” with the service organisations and had a “long history” of supporting staff in being able to advocate their position.

“This does not change.”

Park said ahead of bargaining it was “important to remind you that our values continue to be front and centre of how we operate”.

“One of those values is professionalism: look the part, be the part which requires us all to maintain standards and present a professional image to ensure our communities have trust and confidence in us.

“Stickers, decals, ribbons, clasps, lanyards or other non-branded police material are not permitted on uniforms, or any police assets such as police vehicles, equipment, buildings, office spaces and noticeboards.”

Park said it was “essential for us to maintain our professionalism to ensure New Zealanders have trust and confidence in us”.

Following the memo, the association wrote to staff.

The email, seen by RNZ, said the association “rejects police’s view that participation in the ‘Repay the Risk’ campaign is unprofessional”.

“Our view is that it is highly professional to care about your terms and conditions and take collegial action to seek improvements, thereby aiding the viability of your occupation.

“We are extremely concerned that this morning’s Pānui was an attempt to intimidate members and to undermine our campaign.”

The association said it was “vital” members’ right to participate in the union was protected.

“Your employer should respect that and refrain from imposing any restrictions inconsistent with other external material, such as claiming that because our campaign materials – wristbands and stickers etc – are non-Police branded they are not permitted within your workplace or while in uniform.”

Any members who experienced “retaliation” were asked to contact the union.

“Before ‘Repay the Risk’ was under way Commissioner [Richard] Chambers was advised about the material that was to be distributed. No concerns were raised.

“Accordingly, association president Steve Watt has written to the commissioner outlining our concerns. We have also indicated our willingness to take things further if we must.”

RNZ has approached police for comment.

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

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

When oil refineries burn, here’s what happens to your lungs and heart

By -

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian Oliver, Professor, School of Life Sciences, University of Technology Sydney

The fire at a major oil refinery in the Victorian city of Geelong has now reportedly been extinguished. But with thick smoke from the blaze lingering in the air on Thursday, many residents in Geelong and surrounding areas will understandably be worried.

What is released into the air when a refinery burns? And is the smoke bad for your health?

For most people, serious long-term health effects are unlikely. However, there can be short-term risks, and some groups are more vulnerable than others. So here’s what to look out for and how to stay safe.

What is in the air when an oil refinery burns?

Smoke from an oil refinery fire is made up of many different pollutants. The exact mix depends on what material is burning, how hot the fire is, and how long it lasts.

Typically, these fires release fine particles, known as PM2.5 and PM10, which are small enough to travel deep into the lungs.

They can also release toxic gases such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide, along with volatile organic compounds including benzene.

For people living further from the fire, fine particles are typically the main concern because they can travel long distances and linger in the air.

What are the health risks?

For most healthy adults living in the area, short-term exposure to these pollutants will cause irritation rather than lasting harm.

You may notice sore or watery eyes, a scratchy throat, coughing, headaches or a feeling of chest tightness. These symptoms are unpleasant but usually settle once air quality improves and exposure is reduced.

This kind of exposure is very different from the long-term occupational exposure experienced by refinery workers or emergency responders, for whom risks of cancer and lung diseases are much higher and better studied.

Who is most at risk?

When air quality worsens, people with existing lung conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are more likely to experience symptom flare-ups.

Smoke particles can irritate already inflamed airways, leading to increased breathlessness and coughing. For those with existing respiratory conditions, this may mean needing to use reliever medications more frequently than normal.

Those with heart disease are also at greater risk as air pollution can place extra strain on the cardiovascular system, increasing the risk of chest pain, irregular heartbeat and heart failure.

Older people are also generally more sensitive to poor air quality because they are more likely to have chronic diseases and their heart and lungs might not work as well as they did when they were young.

Children have the greatest risk of developing health issues in the longer term, as their lungs are still developing. But the risks from an isolated exposure, such as the Geelong fire, are relatively low.

A metal structure that forms part of an oil refinery.
The fire has caused some damage to the Viva Energy Geelong refinery in Corio, Victoria. Jay Kogler/AAP

Some studies suggest repeated or prolonged exposure to air pollution during pregnancy may increase the likelihood of adverse outcomes for babies, such as low birth weight. But again, the risk for pregnant people from an isolated incident such as this is low.

These kind of events often make people worry about cancer risk. But based on what we know, being exposed in the short term, from a single fire, does not meaningfully increase your risk of developing cancer – though these kinds of events are difficult to study, so evidence remains limited.

Cancers associated with oil refinery emissions are linked to years or decades of exposure, usually among workers and those in heavily polluted environments.

So while monitoring the air pollution and for any health issues is still necessary, it’s important to keep the risk in perspective.

Continued follow-up of workers directly involved in firefighting or cleanup will be essential, as their exposure levels are likely to be much higher than those in the surrounding community.

How to protect yourself from smoke

There are practical steps people can take to reduce their exposure if smoke or poor air quality persists.

It sounds obvious, but the less time you spend outside in smoke, the lower your risk of health issues cause by smoke inhalation.

Staying indoors with windows and doors closed can significantly reduce your exposure to particles, especially if air conditioning is set to recirculate indoor air.

If you have asthma or other chronic lung diseases, it’s important to keep your reliever close at hand, follow your existing written action plan, and seek medical advice early if symptoms worsen. This can prevent more serious flare-ups.

Well-fitting P2 or N95 masks can reduce inhalation of fine particles when worn correctly. Loose-fitting surgical or cloth masks provide much less protection against smoke.

Residents in and around Geelong concerned about air quality can check real-time monitoring data for the area at the Victorian Environment Protection Authority website.

If your symptoms worsen or persist, you should speak to a health-care professional, and in emergency always call triple 0.

– ref. When oil refineries burn, here’s what happens to your lungs and heart – https://theconversation.com/when-oil-refineries-burn-heres-what-happens-to-your-lungs-and-heart-280796

NZ’s $86 billion Super Fund failed to properly address human rights, court rules in Palestine case

By -

By Keiller MacDuff, RNZ News senior reporter

The managers of the New Zealand’s $86 billion Super Fund failed to properly address human rights issues when considering whether to exclude companies from its investments, the High Court has found

Justice Simon Mount granted an application by the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) for judicial review of Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation’s policies relating to ethical investment.

In a decision released today, Justice Mount declared parts of the fund’s policy documents, standards and procedures, and its sustainable investment framework were “unreasonable and unlawful”.

The court also ordered the crown entity to pay PSNA’s legal costs.

PSNA co-chair John Minto said the decision was a victory for Palestinian rights, while Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation said it was considering its next move.

The sovereign wealth fund was created in 2001 to help provide for New Zealander’s superannuation costs.

By law, Guardians are required to invest the funds on a prudent commercial basis, manage and administer the fund with best-practice portfolio management, and avoid prejudice to New Zealand’s reputation as “a responsible member of the world community”.

Backbone of case
That last duty formed the backbone of the case taken by PSNA, who have long lobbied the Guardians to divest from companies it claims to be complicit in human rights abuses in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Guardians excluded development, construction and technology companies involved in settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories in 2012.

In 2021, following years of lobbying by PSNA, the Guardians also excluded five Israeli banks from its portfolio on the grounds there was an unacceptable risk the banks were materially contributing to breaches of human rights standards and that engaging with the banks themselves was unlikely to be effective.

PSNA continued to request the exclusion of other investments due to alleged human rights breaches and focused on four companies that featured on a United Nations Human Rights Council database of companies trading with illegal Israeli settlements — Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia, and Motorola.

Justice Mount said the chief executive of the Guardians replied to the group in mid-2024 noting none of the companies “currently meets the exclusion threshold under our Sustainable Investment Framework”.

Justice Simon Mount . . . Super Fund policies failed to meet the basic requirements of the law when alleged breaches of human rights standards were concerned. Image: Stuff/Robyn Edie/RNZ

In later correspondence, the Guardians’ head of sustainable investment reiterated that stance, which led PSNA to indicate it would seek the judicial review.

In his findings, Justice Mount noted the Guardian’s 2020 policy documents identified several standards and benchmarks that were later removed — including the Principles for Responsible Investment, principles of the UN Global Compact, and a broad reference to “other good practice standards”.

Earlier policy removed
The earlier policy referred to several sets of standards described as “universally recognised by the world community — with signatories including investment managers, investee companies and the peers of Guardians — and unlikely to be superseded”.

The 2020 policy stated its applicable principles were based on the UN Global Compact, in particular the requirements to support and respect human rights and “no complicity in abuses”.

It also set a threshold for excluding government bonds where there was “widespread condemnation or sanctions by the international community and New Zealand has imposed meaningful diplomatic, economic or military sanctions”.

Justice Mount noted the almost 3000 pages of evidence filed for the judicial review allowed him to gain a picture of how the Guardians had used their policy documents in practice.

The judge noted the Guardians’ approach to excluding investments was not entirely coherent and the policies failed to meet the basic requirements of the law when alleged breaches of human rights standards were concerned.

The Guardians had a duty to reformulate its policy documents to be consistent with the Act, he said.

Minto celebrated the court’s ruling.

PSNA co-chair John Minto . . . The country’s leading sovereign wealth fund should . . . not be deriving money from war crimes and massive human rights abuses. Image: RNZ/Nate McKinnon

Fund raking in money
The group was confident the Super Fund would divest from Airbnb, Booking.com, Expedia and Motorola once it had rewritten its policies to comply with the law, he said.

The High Court judgment showed the Super Fund had invested $67 million in the four companies.

Minto said the fund was raking in money from appalling breaches of international law by Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territories of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The country’s leading sovereign wealth fund should be setting the benchmark for all New Zealand investment funds, not deriving money from war crimes and massive human rights abuses, he said.

The lack of a clear grounds to exclude companies from investment because of human rights abuses were particularly problematic, Minto said.

“This is beyond outrageous. Our largest sovereign wealth fund, owned by the government on behalf of the people of New Zealand, has no specific references to human rights standards in its investment exclusions policy.”

The case had revealed the exclusions policy was weakened and direct references to human rights standards were removed the year after the fund divested from five Israeli banks, Minto said.

Replaced with vague policy
“The Super Fund replaced a principled policy with an entirely vague and subjective assessment of companies which meant they could resist pressure from human rights groups such as PSNA.

“The fund was entirely making up legal sounding excuses as it went. It meant they could now keep on their books other companies which abuse the human rights of Palestinians,” he said.

“The Super Fund owes us all an apology and in particular an apology to Palestinians here and in Palestine, whose suffering is helping pay the price of the fund’s increasing wealth.”

Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation chief executive Jo Townsend said the crown entity was still considering its response to the decision.

“We recognise that we are investing on behalf of all New Zealanders, and that gives people a legitimate interest in how we manage the fund,” she said.

“We will thoroughly evaluate today’s decision and determine how best to respond to it,” she said.

The UN Human Rights Council database featuring the four companies is from a list of 97 companies involved with illegal Israeli settlements.

The database came about following a 2016 UN Security Council resolution, co-sponsored by New Zealand, that led to diplomatic rupture between the two countries and Israel recalling its ambassador.

Israeli media reported at the time that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned Foreign Affairs Minister Murray McCully proceeding with the resolution wold be considered a “declaration of war”.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

Public asked if council should borrow to help pay for Picton ferry redevelopment

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

An artist’s impression of one of the new ferries loading. FHL

Marlborough locals are being asked if they should pay Port Marlborough’s $110 million share of the Picton ferry redevelopment.

The work in Picton is estimated to cost $531m and is part of the $1.867 billion Cook Strait Ferry Replacement Programme.

The Marlborough District Council is proposing to borrow the money from the Local Government Funding Agency, with Port Marlborough to repay the loan in full, including interest, while also paying its annual dividend to the council.

The council previously agreed to borrow money from the Local Government Funding Agency on the port’s behalf to go towards the iReX upgrades, which has since been canned.

Marlborough Mayor Nadine Tayor said the community had fought for many years to keep the ferries in Picton, and Port Marlborough had successfully negotiated a 60-year commercial agreement to cement Picton’s role in the Cook Strait crossing.

“We have been here before of course, with public consultation in 2021/2022 to finance Port Marlborough’s contribution towards the previous ferry redevelopment programme. Since then, the government stopped the previous programme to replace the ageing Interislander fleet and progressed a revised approach, including different vessels and a new ownership model for infrastructure assets at Port Marlborough.

“Under the Local Government Act, Council is required to consult the public once again. This consultation proposal is for council to borrow the same $110 million through the Local Government Funding Agency at a favourable rate, to on-lend to Port Marlborough to pay for its share of the ferry infrastructure.”

The Bluebridge’s Connemara and Interislander’s Kaiarahi in Picton. RNZ / Samantha Gee

Taylor said the port’s business plan had been through a rigourous governance process.

“The financial principles and risk mitigations have been considered and approved by the boards of Port Marlborough and MDC Holdings, both of which have independent directors. The proposal has also been endorsed by councillors.”

She encouraged everyone with an interest in the project to read the statement of proposal document carefully, to attend one of the public meetings and to make a submission.

Public information meetings are being held on 13 May at the Port Marlborough Pavilion (1-3pm and 6-8pm) and at Lansdowne Hub, Blenheim on 14 May (6-8pm).

Submissions open tomorrow and close on 19 May and submitters can also choose to speak at hearings scheduled for 20 and 21 May, with a final decision to be made at council meeting on 26 May.

To make a submission, go to the online form at https://links.marlborough.govt.nz/haveyoursay

Queries can be emailed to portconsultation@marlborough.govt.nz

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

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

Major delays, serious injuries after two crashes in Northland

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

RNZ / REECE BAKER

Motorists are being warned to expect major delays after two crashes in Northland on Thursday afternoon.

Emergency services responded to a serious single-vehicle crash on State Highway 14, Tangiteroria about 2.40pm.

Police said initial indications was that there were serious injuries.

They were then advised of a second crash on State Highway 14, Maunu, involving two vehicles.

While the injuries appeared minor, the incident was causing significant delays in conjunction with the earlier crash.

Motorists were being advised to seek alternative routes as State Highway 14 was closed between Bob Taylor Road and Otuhi Road.

The Serious Crash Unit has been advised.

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

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

Business NZ seeks government loan support for firms moving away from gas

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

123rf

Business New Zealand is making what it says is a rare plea for business supports – in the form of below-market rate loans to help businesses shift away from gas.

The pitch comes on the back of a report by the group’s Energy Council, which has found up to 8 percent of GDP and about 264,000 jobs directly rely on businesses using gas, expanding out to up to $36 billion in GDP and up to 400,000 jobs indirectly.

The group’s director of advocacy Catherine Beard told RNZ that because gas fields had declined faster than expected, gas costs were going up.

“The reason it’s getting expensive is because there’s not enough of it. So if we actually free up a bit for those that you know can’t move for maybe 10 years, then we think the transition will go a lot better.

“It’s all sorts. It’s dairy, meat, food and beverage, product manufacturing, wood product manufacturing, textile, leather, clothing, footwear, cropping agriculture, but it’s also small businesses, from bakeries to breweries to dry cleaners, hot houses.

“It’s more of a central North Island problem because the South Island tends to be on bottled gas, and they’re not having the same cost increase. But, yeah, it’s right through the whole economy.”

The situation was created by the political decision to ban oil and gas while moving towards net zero, she said.

“The oil and gas ban certainly didn’t give anyone confidence to go out looking for more gas – so … a whole lot of businesses that are facing increased costs for gas which are pretty much threatening their survival.

“It’s not something that Business NZ would normally advocate for, you know – we’re not into calling for subsidies, but … we feel like this is a politically created problem and it’s not a normal market situation that you would kind of cut off access to a lower cost energy source before you had to.”

She said businesses faced a cost barrier in switching from gas to other energy sources, so interest-free or concessionary loans from the government could help.

“We need to have some sort of plan. Other countries do this, it’s very common. We seem to have just ended up in a very high cost energy situation, and it’s not really sustainable.

The $200 million the government set aside for co-investment in oil and gas exploration was unlikely to be used, she said, and could help fund the loans.

“We talked to the oil and gas companies as well and if there’s a case for them to invest, it normally stacks up on its own. And I’m not sure that it has removed the sovereign risk when you still have the opposition saying that they would continue with a ban of oil and gas if they get back in.

“That’s potentially money that is going to be sitting on the table and not used. So we would like them to do a pretty good, thorough investigation of what support is needed on the demand side.

“If I had a political legacy, I wouldn’t be happy to have have boosted energy supply and forgotten about the demand side – and there’s no point in having this energy in the future if there’s no one left to use it.”

RNZ has sought comment from Energy Minister Simeon Brown.

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

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

Why visitors to Western Springs (and other parks) shouldn’t feed the birds

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Auckland’s Western Springs Park is a home to numerous native waterfowl and other birds.

Older generations remember a time when feeding birds at the park was a popular weekend activity for many families.

But times have changed, and local authorities are now urging visitors to refrain from feeding the birds to prolong their lives and protect the local ecosystem.

Should visitors to Western Springs feed birds?

The short answer is no.

Imogen Bassett, head of Auckland City Council’s Natural Environment Specialist Services, said that feeding birds increased the likelihood of waterfowl becoming sick.

In severe cases, she said, it could even contribute to their death.

“If people feed birds in the waterways, it can affect water quality and increase the risk of birds getting sick with avian botulism,” Bassett said.

“Infected birds become weak and paralysed and can die, which is distressing not only for the birds themselves but also members of the public who witness the birds’ distress.”

Western Springs Park is home to numerous varieties of waterfowl. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Do birds at the park need food in the first place?

The park’s lake and surrounding natural areas provide sufficient food for bird species.

Auckland Council said feeding wild birds with food they couldn’t find naturally, such as bread, would provide birds with “poor nutrition”.

Feeding birds also artificially increased their population size and could lead to unnatural aggressive behaviour, it said.

Has this always been the case?

Prior to 2019, some signage discouraged visitors from feeding birds at Western Springs.

However, the local government authority overseeing the park erected new signage that year that “actively discouraged” the activity due to disease and environmental risks.

Signs at Western Springs Park discourage visitors from feeding the birds. RNZ / Yiting Lin

But bread’s fairly harmless, isn’t it?

Feeding birds bread is like giving them junk food, causing nutrient deficiencies and malformation such as “angel wing”.

Angel wing is a condition found in ducks, geese, swans and other waterfowl caused by a nutritional deficiency in vitamins and minerals combined with a high level of carbohydrates and sugars.

The disorder causes the last joint in one or both wings to unnaturally twist outward rather than lying flat against the bird’s body.

This, in turn, affects a bird’s ability to fly and the growth of its primary flight feathers.

Damage in fully mature birds is irreversible and likely fatal.

While several factors can be involved, human-fed bread can contribute to the cause.

What’s more, leftover food breaks down, polluting the lake and leading to toxic conditions.

Excess food also attracts high populations of rats and other rodents that can pose a threat to eggs.

What’s more, other introduced species such as koi carp and turtles affected water quality as well, Bassett said, adding that they ate native plants and animals that call Western Springs Park home.

Black swans are one of the park’s main drawcards. RNZ / Yiting Lin

Is there anything that won’t harm birds?

Simple oats or specific wild bird seed mixes are generally safe, but they are primarily known to attract introduced species, not native ones.

Are authorities considering the introduction of some mandatory measures?

Earlier this year, the government imposed a two-year ban on beachcombing in North Auckland to protect rock-pool marine life, which appears to have had a positive effect on reducing foragers.

Even so, local authorities are not considering introducing tougher measures such as fines.

Martin Wong, area operations manager of Waitematā/Orakei, said the agency relied on public awareness and compliance to keep visitors from feeding birds.

Wong said there were no plans to introduce additional measures at this time.

Western Springs Park is a popular destination for wildlife photographers. RNZ / Yiting Lin

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

Ex‑Xero staffer Ally Naylor lays complaint with police over Sir Rod Drury

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Sir Rod Drury is a former Xero chief executive and 2026 New Zealander of the year. RNZ / Diego Opatowski

Former Xero staffer Ally Naylor says she has laid a complaint with the police about former chief executive and 2026 New Zealander of the Year Sir Rod Drury.

The complaint alleges misconduct when Naylor was a junior Xero employee in 2017.

The accounting software company has launched a review into its handling of the allegations at the time.

Naylor told RNZ she expects to speak with police about her complaint next week.

Police have refused to confirm to RNZ whether they are investigating Sir Rod, who founded Xero in 2006 and was its chief executive until 2018.

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

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

Fletcher Building says third quarter sales improving but outlook uncertain

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fletcher Building says the third quarter ended in March and largely reflected the period before the war in Iran. Fletcher Building

Construction company Fletcher Building says third quarter sales are improving, though the outlook is less certain as conflict in the Middle East sees costs rise and supply chain risks increase.

“As was the case in prior quarters, trading conditions remained competitive, with ongoing margin pressure and compression continuing across business units and most notably in the Distribution division, Firth and the Steel business units,” Fletcher chief executive Andrew Reding said, adding the third quarter ended in March largely reflected the period before the war in Iran.

Since then, he said the plastic and resins Iplex business, as well as its urea-based businesses Laminex and insulation products, were being directly affected by cost increases.

He said fuel remained a material cost driver, with diesel representing the majority of consumption across the group.

“While the price increases to date are significant, the impacts are being partly mitigated through bulk purchasing, hedging and pass-through pricing mechanisms,” the update says.

“The group consumes nearly 36 million litres of fuel annually, with diesel accounting for 94 percent of total usage.

The Heavy Building Materials division accounted for more than half of the total consumption, with Construction division accounting for nearly a third.

It says price increases across divisions ranged from a modest 1- to 5 percent, while Plastics saw significant prices increase of up to 36 percent, which included fuel-linked surcharges.

While pressure from staff had been so far limited, there had been increased feedback from people wanting to work from home, as fuel-driven commuter costs cut more deeply into household budgets.

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

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

Govt gives fuel companies ‘fair warning’ over sharing of detailed information on shipments

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Associate Energy Minister Shane Jones says stronger action is on the cards next week. RNZ / Samuel Rillstone

Cabinet minister Shane Jones is putting pressure on fuel companies to share more information about their shipments, warning that the government could force them to do so via regulation if necessary.

The country’s fuel stocks have dropped in the past two updates, but officials said there was no need for alarm. The Taxpayers’ Union, however, called for more frequent updates and more comprehensive data.

Jones – who is associate energy minister – told RNZ the government relied on the oil companies to regularly provide high quality information and had the ability to regulate if that was not forthcoming.

“I’ve no doubt early next week, we will address this issue and update whether or not there’s further information that they can provide and any reluctance to provide it… we’ll move forward with alacrity.”

Officials would report on whether extra powers were needed to secure that information, Jones said.

“We have not been told to date that is absolutely necessary, but this is fair warning.”

The tone was much more strident than that of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon who told reporters on Wednesday that the government had had “very good engagement” with fuel importers from day one.

“They are sharing a lot of commercially sensitive information to us that’s giving us very good visibility over the picture,” Luxon said.

RNZ has sought a response from Z Energy, BP and Mobil. The Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment has also been approached for comment.

Coping with ‘fuel fiasco’

Jones said his “zest” for more information was driven by rising levels of uncertainty in the business community.

He acknowledged the fuel companies were dealing with massive logistical changes and operating in a competitive market, but he said the fuel crisis trumped any “minor confidentiality matters”.

“The fuel companies are nervous that their confidentiality of what they’ve got on the water, the names of the ships, the quantities, may be compromised, but we’re in the midst of a fuel fiasco,” he said.

“The fuel companies have line of sight, and we want to get as much certainty as possible.”

Speaking to RNZ from Washington DC, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said she was satisfied with the quality and frequency of information fuel companies were currently providing.

But she said the government stood “ready to regulate” if it became concerned that data was not being provided in a “timely and uniform way”.

“We’re asking for more information than they normally provide. They haven’t always been as fast in providing it as we would see in an ideal world. But there does appear to be goodwill and an understanding about why we need it. If they weren’t to provide it, then we would require them to, by law.”

Willis said the fuel importing companies had begun sharing “more granular data” about fuel consumption which would be critical if the country shifted up a level in the National Fuel Plan.

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

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

Two people dead after water-related incident in Tarawera River, Kawerau

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Google Maps

Two people have died after a water-related incident in Kawerau on Thursday.

Emergency services were called to Tarawera River near Boyce Park about 11.30am after a report of a party getting stuck under a bank.

Acting Eastern Bay of Plenty area commander inspector Phil Gillbanks said two people were located deceased a short time later.

The deaths will be referred to the Coroner.

More to come…

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

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

Black Ferns relive World Cup pain to prepare for Canada

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Black Ferns dejected after their World Cup semi-final loss to Canada. www.photosport.nz

Black Ferns hooker Georgia Ponsonby lay in bed last night watching another replay of her side’s heartbreaking World Cup semi-final loss to Canada seven months ago.

It might seem a touch masochistic, but Ponsonby’s approach is simple as her side prepares to meet their rivals for the first time since they ended the Black Ferns World Cup defence.

The Black Ferns play Canada in Kansas City on Saturday morning as part of the 2026 Pacific Four Series.

“I guess you’ve kind of got to go back and see where you went wrong if we want to have a chance of winning this weekend,” Ponsonby said.

“It was obviously a heartbreaking moment for us but absolutely went back and reflected on it, saw where we can be better, saw where they won the game and move forward and really looking forward to coming up against them this weekend.”

Black Ferns co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu said it was an experience that binded those players.

“The girls that went there [to the World Cup] we’ve sort of sat down and spoken about it but for this week we just wanted to prepare for this new era of our identity. We’ve put a lot of focus on ourselves …focussing on our discipline but we still want to come out and be really physical, and let our girls do their thing.”

New Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen, who was not part of the 2025 World Cup coaching team, said while it was important to acknowledge, the focus is on the game they are about to play against Canada.

“It sits there and it’s something that we’ve talked about in terms of ‘yes it’s there and yes it happened’ but this game’s about us and moving forward.”

Hansen has named an unchanged side from the team that defeated the United States 48-15 in last weekend’s Pacific Four Series opener in Sacramento, with prop Tanya Kalounivale returning to the bench after being cleared to play.

Kalounivale was sent off during the game for a dangerous cleanout contact at a ruck. She was initially yellow carded with the card later upgraded to red. But a disciplinary hearing on Wednesday determined that the action did not warrant a red card, making her available for selection.

“We wanted to challenge that based on what we saw and what we felt her intentions were and did that and got a result where the panel agreed with us.”

But Hansen said discipline has been a focus this week

“As much as possible we’ve got to try and take the referee out of the game and there were some things in that space that we could have avoided.”

Black Ferns coach Whitney Hansen. Marty Melville / PHOTOSPORT

Hansen said building some continuity was important.

“Stability probably was a priority in this space and having a really strong connection that we grow between key positions. We absolutely will look to grow opportunities for athletes that create depth but this wasn’t the game to do this in.”

The newly minted coach has talked about the Black Ferns entering a new era and establishing a “rugby identity”.

Hansen said it boiled down to wanting to see great rugby more often.

“Our rugby identity should be summed up by being a team that’s really unpredictable, so you won’t know what’s coming next but you’re excited for what it is. We’re a team that’s physically dominant, we’ve got different athletes to the rest of the world and we want to be able to showcase that.

“And we want to be relentless so work rate and I think the exciting thing is this team is the fittest it’s ever been before so that will allow us to work hard for each other. And then the last part of that is we work through the processes, we want to be a team that’s clinical.”

Black Ferns team-mates Kennedy Tukuafu (left) and Georgia Ponsonby. Andrew Cornaga/www.photosport.nz

The Black Ferns have been training at the headquarters of National Football League (NFL) heavyweights the Kansas City Chiefs.

“The facility is amazing, we are just on the training field, we haven’t been into any of the buildings unfortunately but it’s a spectacle, they’ve got a huge massive indoor area the length of about three rugby fields so it’s pretty impressive,” Ponsonby said.

Hansen said they hadn’t bumped into NFL mega-stars like Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes, yet.

“We’re trying really hard, you know there’s a lingering before getting on the bus it’s taking a wee bit longer than usual, but no haven’t been successful yet.”

Hansen said prop Marcelle Parkes, who has just been brought in as injury cover, is the biggest Chiefs fan in the team.

“She just joined us and I think that’s probably the highlight so far for her is that’s where we’re training. She’s definitely a day one [Chiefs fan], I’m sure there’s a couple of others that have tried to get on the bandwagon.”

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

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

Weather: A busy sport weekend will be met with wet, windy weather

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

MetService has issued warnings and watches for parts of the South Island. MetService/Screenshot

Raincoats and umbrellas will likely be essential on this busy sport weekend across most of the country as rain and strong winds hit the North and South Island.

A large low-pressure system with several fronts is making its way across the country and will reach Auckland on Saturday – just in time for the Warriors v Gold Coast Titans game at Mt Smart Stadium.

“Those heading to the Warriors game Saturday evening might want to pack a raincoat,” MetService meteorologist Braydon White said. “With the potential for showers during the game, those looking to stay dry may need to break out the ponchos and brollies.”

Warriors fans braving the rain in 2025. David Neilson

While the Blues v Highlanders game at Eden Park on Friday is less likely to be affected by bad weather, those headed to the Chiefs v Hurricanes at Waikato FMG Stadium might not be so lucky; Hamilton is also forecast for rain from Saturday afternoon.

For Sunday, the broad low-pressure system will lie “over the country” according to MetService, with several fronts “rotating around it bringing periods of rain but also fine gaps to most”.

This means those headed to the Auckland FC game at Mt Smart Stadium might also have to prepare for a wet afternoon.

The low-pressure system will stick around next week, with MetService forecasting winds to shift towards the southeast and the possibility of some persistent rain in eastern areas.

Warnings and watches for the South

The Crown Range road and Milford Road (SH94) both had snowfall on Thursday morning and MetService had issued road warnings for both roads on Wednesday.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the Westland Ranges, Buller and Grey and Headwaters of the Canterbury Lakes and Rivers about and south of Arthur’s Pass from Friday afternoon.

The NZTA Crown Range Webcam on Thursday morning showing snowfall near the road. NZTA/Screenshot

The Westland Ranges is expected to see between 120 to 150mm of accumulated rain and peak rates of 15 to 30 mm with thunderstorms a possibility. Other areas under warnings are expected to get up to 120mm of rain.

A heavy rain watch is also in place for Otago Headwaters from Friday morning till 9pm Friday night.

A strong wind watch is in place for Canterbury High Country from Friday afternoon through till Saturday morning, with northwesterly winds may approach severe gale in exposed places.

While there are minimal to moderate chances of the regions being upgraded to higher level warnings, MetService is cautioning that in some areas streams and rivers may rise quickly with surface flooding and slips a possibility.

It is also warning of difficult driving conditions and advising people to clear drains and gutters and avoid low-lying areas.

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

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

New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions drop slightly, latest data shows

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

123RF

New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions have slightly fallen, the latest data shows.

Numbers from the Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the country’s official record of emissions from human activities, shows the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other gases being produced dropped 0.1 percent between 2023 and 2024.

Once forests and other carbon sinks were taken into account, net emissions fell two percent, from 56 million tonnes of CO2-equivalent gases to 55 million tonnes.

New Zealand has a target, set through legislation, to reach net-zero emissions by 2050.

The largest increase in emissions came from energy production, after low hydro lake levels in 2024 forced the country to burn more fossil fuels to produce electricity.

However, that was partly offset by decreased emissions from manufacturing and construction, because the energy shortage forced some companies to slow and even stop production.

Agricultural emissions – which account for more than half of New Zealand’s total emissions, mostly through methane from livestock – decreased slightly, by 0.3 percent.

That was largely because there are fewer sheep in New Zealand.

The emissions from cattle, especially dairy cows, rose by 200,000 tonnes (0.8 percent) because cows were producing more milk.

New Zealand’s gross and net emissions peaked in 2006.

Net emissions have fallen by 15 percent since then, through a combination of reducing emissions at their sources and more forestry planting.

The inventory, which is compiled by the Ministry for the Environment each year, is the data that New Zealand reports to the UN Framework Convention on Climate change, the body that governs global climate change action.

Ministry chief science adviser Alison Collins said it provided an “annual update on the health of the climate”.

“It helps all of us see which parts of the system are putting pressure on the atmosphere, which parts are easing that pressure, and we might need to focus effort.”

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

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

ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for April 16, 2026

By -

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on April 16, 2026.

Nicole Kidman is training to be a ‘death doula’. What is a death doula?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Symon Braun Freck, PhD Candidate, School of Engineering, DeathTech Research Team, The University of Melbourne This week, Nicole Kidman revealed she is training to become a death doula. She told an audience at the University of San Francisco it “may sound a little weird”, but she was

Cyclone Vaianu: First impacts could be felt Saturday amid severe NZ warnings
MetService meteorologist John Law told RNZ Checkpoint the first impacts of the system could be felt on Saturday morning with large swells for north-eastern areas. “This is a multi-hazard area of low pressure that runs down. You can imagine that these strong winds rushing over the seas help to drive large swells across the open

Iran has a powerful new tool in the Strait of Hormuz that it can leverage long after the war
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University The Trump administration claims its blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is working, with nine ships complying with orders to turn around. One of those was a Chinese-owned tanker called the Rich Starry that turned around in the

The court ruling in Gina Rinehart’s mining dispute reveals a lot about the nation’s inherited wealth
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland In a decision described by the judge as “a half-win” for each side, mining magnate Gina Rinehart has been ordered to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in royalties to the heirs of Peter Wright, the business

Australia’s aged care algorithm is under fire. At last, someone’s listening
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hal Swerissen, Emeritus Professor of Public Health, La Trobe University The way Australians are assessed for home-based aged-care funding is being investigated by the Commonwealth ombudsman. Critics say assessment for funding under the Support at Home program is flawed, leaving some older people unable to access the

Deadly landslide claims 10 lives in PNG’s East New Britain, reports local media
RNZ Pacific Ten people have died in a landslide in Gazelle district in Papua New Guinea’s East New Britain Province following continuous heavy rain, according to local news media reports. The disaster occurred after the Toriu River burst its banks after intense rainfall and severe weather conditions experienced across the region over the past few

The Middle East crisis has exposed NZ to a global fertiliser shock. Where is its plan?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Murat Ungor, Senior Lecturer in Economics, University of Otago New Zealand and Australia like to think of themselves as food powerhouses. But right now, a war in the Middle East and China’s fertiliser export restrictions are exposing a dangerous blind spot: their farms depend on imported fertiliser,

How do teens really use AI companions? With more creativity than you might think
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Annabel Blake, PhD Candidate, Human-Computer Interaction, University of Sydney In 2022, the founders of chatbot startup Character.AI launched a platform where anyone could create interactive characters powered by artificial intelligence (AI). The app exploded, quickly growing to more than 20 million users who created more than 10

Trump’s naval blockade of Strait of Hormuz actually targets China
COMMENTARY: By Lim Tean Most of Iranian oil — 96.7 percent — is destined for China. If you note this figure, you will realise that the Americans are really trying to choke off the supply of Iranian oil to China by blockading the Strait of Hormuz. This is a major part of the American containment

Waking at 3am every night? Here’s what may be going on
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Talar Moukhtarian, Assistant Professor in Mental Health, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick It’s 3am. The room is dark, the house is silent, but your brain is suddenly wide awake. Many people find themselves waking at roughly the same time each night and start to wonder whether

Thousands of AI-written, edited or ‘polished’ books are being sold – an eerie echo of Orwell’s ‘novel-writing machines’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Beers, Professor of History, American University At some point in the next several months, I am hoping to receive a modest check as a member of the class covered in the class-action settlement Bartz v. Anthropic. In 2025, the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, best known for

The secret sensory life of plants: researchers are discovering how they see, hear, feel – and even remember
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samarth Kulshrestha, Research Fellow in Molecular Biology, University of Canterbury Plants are often seen as passive organisms, rooted in one place and largely unable to react to the world around them. But a new field of research is challenging these assumptions and showing that plants are as

Thinking about acupuncture or herbs for menopause? Read this first
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, Adelaide University Hot flushes, night sweats or swinging mood changes are some of the most common symptoms of menopause – the stage of a woman’s life when menstrual periods stop permanently, and she is no

Can we consider ‘play’ to be a religion? Bluey certainly thinks so
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Lawson, Academic Registrar at St Barnabas College in the University of Divinity, PhD Candidate in Ancient Linguistics, Faculty of Arts and Education, CSU, Charles Sturt University Most of us are used to thinking of “religion” in terms of a belief in God or gods. Perhaps the

The Greens are relaunching their party think tank. What do these organisations do?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Fioritti, Lecturer in Politics, School of Social Sciences, Monash University The appointment of former high profile Greens federal housing spokesperson and Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s arch nemesis, Max Chandler-Mather, as executive director of the party’s think tank – the Green Institute – raises several important questions.

What can you actually put in your yellow recycling bin? An environmental scientist explains
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emily Bryson, Lecturer in Science, CQUniversity Australia Most of us want to recycle, but it can sometimes be hard to know exactly how. Do jar lids and bottle caps go in the yellow bin? What kinds of plastic can be recycled? And given that food residue can

Employment data shows the early signs of AI job disruption are already here
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Clinton Free, Academic Director, Executive Education, Business School, University of Sydney There has been no shortage of bold claims recently about artificial intelligence (AI) and jobs — from mass unemployment to over-hyped distraction. Much of this debate is speculative. Often, coming from the tech giants promoting their

Albanese government will commit to boosting defence spending to 3% of GDP, but under a revised definition
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government will increase defence spending to about 3% of GDP by 2033 in its 2026 National Defence Strategy to be unveiled on Thursday. But it is using a revised definition that, in effect, makes the defence spend appear

Gallery: Standing up for the people of Iran . . . and Palestine, Lebanon, Venezuela, Cuba . . .
Asia Pacific Report A massive Stop Wars Aotearoa coalition rally and march on the US Consulate took place in Auckland Tāmaki Makaurau last Saturday, 11 April 2026. “We’re going to stand up for the people of Iran, stand up for the people of Palestine, stand up for the people of Lebanon, stand up for the

High Court takes an axe to Victoria’s political donations laws – and it will make federal MPs nervous
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor Emerita in Constitutional Law, University of Sydney The High Court has taken an axe to the Victorian Electoral Act, chopping out the entirety of Part 12. It deals with election spending, caps on political donations, three different types of public funding (for election campaigns,

Labour’s Russell says only tax policy its campaigning on is CGT, accuses National of lying about it

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Deborah Russell says it’ not the first time National has “lied” about Labour’s CGT policy. RNZ / REECE BAKER

Labour’s revenue spokesperson has clarified the only tax policy the party will be campaigning on is its already-announced capital gains tax – and has put her “full support” behind it.

It follows accusations from National that Labour was sending “mixed signals” on its tax policy, after Deborah Russell said there were “good suggestions” in a document calling for changes to the tax system.

On Wednesday, lobby group Tax Justice Aotearoa released its latest Tax Policy Statement, setting out proposals to “rebalance” the tax system.

The policy statement contained proposals including a tax surcharge on big corporates (such as a levy on major banks), a windfall profits tax, closing the shareholder loans tax loophole, moving the top tax bracket to $150,000 (as well as a tax-free threshold on the first $5000 of people’s incomes), a high-wealth tax, trusts tax, and wealth transfer tax.

Labour’s revenue spokesperson Deborah Russell told The Post there were some “really good suggestions” in the document, but “whether or not we would take them all up is a different matter”.

The party has released its tax policy for the election, which comprises a 28 percent capital gains tax (CGT) on the sale of investment and commercial properties from July 2027.

The revenue would be ring-fenced into a proposal to fund three free GP visits a year.

Russell told The Post Labour would “of course” have more tax policy than that, but it would be “centred around the integrity of the tax system and the transparency of it”.

The New Zealand Herald also reported Russell was “comfortable” with the CGT policy but would not say whether she felt it went far enough.

Her comments prompted National’s campaign chair Simeon Brown to issue a press release suggesting Russell had “pulled back the curtain” on more taxes.

“Labour has already announced a capital gains tax that would target households, KiwiSavers, and every single business in the country. Now, Ms Russell has made it clear they are open to going even further,” Brown said.

Simeon Brown put out a press release after Russell’s comments. RNZ / Mark Papalii

Labour has previously said the family home, farms, KiwiSaver, and other assets would be exempt from its CGT policy.

The Taxpayers’ Union also said the comments rang “alarm bells” for taxpayers.

“When the person in charge of tax policy won’t rule out going further, it’s a clear signal this tax could expand,” said spokesperson Tory Relf.

Russell told RNZ it was important different groups and people could present their views on New Zealand’s tax system, and while there were some “interesting ideas” in the document, “Labour has been clear that the only tax policy [we] will be campaigning on is our simple targeted capital gains tax, which nine out of ten New Zealanders will not pay.”

Russell said the CGT would shift investment from property speculation into the productive economy, level the playing field for businesses, and create jobs.

“I am in full support of the policy and I am looking forward to campaigning on it.”

She said it was not the first time National had “lied” about Labour’s CGT policy.

“We are absolutely clear that the only tax policy we are campaigning on is our tightly targeted capital gains tax.”

Asked what kinds of things Labour was looking at around the transparency and integrity of the tax system, Russell said it was not a policy to campaign on, and was something all governments were required to do.

“The law requires that the Minister of Revenue protect the integrity of the tax system to ensure the tax system is working as intended. These are usually technical fixes, and something every Minister of Revenue needs to do, regardless of which government is in power,” she said.

Tax Justice Aoteaora spokesperson Glenn Barclay said successive polls had shown solid support for tax reform and properly funding public services.

“New Zealanders realise maintaining the status quo is not an option,” he said.

Barclay said New Zealand was a low tax country compared to many other developed nations, and was not gathering enough revenue to fund “the things that matter for us to live good lives” like fully-staffed hospitals, affordable housing, resilient infrastructure, and nutritious school lunches.

“We rely very heavily on income tax and GST, so working people are carrying more of the load of funding our public services. And our failure to properly tax wealth and big corporates directly contributes to increasing inequality, erodes living standards and opportunities for ordinary people, like working towards owning your own home,” Barclay said.

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

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

Why police initially thought the Tongariro National Park wildfire was suspicious

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tongariro on Saturday 8 November 2025, a few hours after the fire broke out. Kristina Montgomerie / @kristinamonts

Police initially treated the wildfire that burnt through more than 3000 hectares of Tongariro National Park in November as suspicious.

The vegetation fire began alongside State Highway 47 within the national park about 3.30pm on 8 November.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) received the first 111 call at 3.10pm resulting in a large scale multi-agency Emergency Services response.

An investigation summary released under the Official Information Act said police responded to reports of a vehicle being pushed with a missing rear wheel.

“Initial reports to police described a vehicle near the fire’s point of origin being pushed or moved by multiple people and missing a rear wheel,” the summary written by Ruapehu detective Jono Finch said.

“This behaviour, combined with the later discovery of matches and alcohol containers inside the same vehicle, led police to initially consider the fire as potentially suspicious.”

The Operation Tongariro National Park Closing Summary said police located a Blue Nissan Terrano abandoned down a concealed farm accessway approximately 200-300 metres from the ignition point.

“The vehicle was in poor mechanical condition and was missing its left-rear wheel … [and] in a dangerous state and unsafe to operate.

“Recovered components-including brake drums, springs, and metal fragments-were consistent with a catastrophic mechanical failure, including loss of the left-rear wheel.”

A FENZ investigation concluded the wheel nuts had worked loose, causing the wheel to detach while the vehicle was in motion.

Police interviews confirmed that the left-rear wheel detached while the Nissan Terrano was being driven on SH47.

“After losing the wheel, the vehicle continued moving and was dragged on exposed metal components.

“The vehicle occupants confirmed proximity between the wheel detachment and the later fire location. They also described sparks or scraping as the vehicle travelled without a wheel.”

Witnesses who discovered the fire said they saw a tussock fire approximately 50 metres from where the vehicle had been seen moments earlier.

Additionally, police analysis of telecommunications data “did not identify any criminal communication, nor any evidence contradicting the accidental-ignition theory”.

The FENZ investigation concluded that the fire began when the vehicle’s left-rear wheel detached and the undercarriage dragged across the road surface, generating high-temperature sparks.

“These sparks ignited dry tussock vegetation and accumulated roadside debris,” the investigation summary said.

FENZ eliminated all other potential ignition sources, including powerlines, electrical fences, campfires, lightning, cutting/grinding tools, and accelerants.

FENZ classified the fire as “accidental”.

The combined police and FENZ view or “Final Cause Assessment” agreed.

“After integrating the police and FENZ investigations, the agreed cause of the fire is accidental ignition resulting from mechanical failure.

“There is no evidence of deliberate ignition or criminal intent.”

The investigation summary acknowledged the fire had caused significant cultural, environmental, and spiritual harm to Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro, who were the mana whenua and kaitiaki of the affected area.

In response, Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro had placed two rāhui:

  • A short-term rāhui to allow the land and mauri to settle and to support Fire and Emergency and DOC in immediate safety work.
  • A 10-year restorative rāhui (Rāhui Maunga Ora) to protect the whenua, guide long-term regeneration, and prevent invasive species from overtaking the recovering landscape.

The summary said iwi liaison sergeant Lane Demch would meet with iwi to advise them of the findings and the matter was to be filed with no further police action required.

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

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

Nicole Kidman is training to be a ‘death doula’. What is a death doula?

By -

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Symon Braun Freck, PhD Candidate, School of Engineering, DeathTech Research Team, The University of Melbourne

This week, Nicole Kidman revealed she is training to become a death doula. She told an audience at the University of San Francisco it “may sound a little weird”, but she was inspired after her mother died in 2024.

Observing how her family wasn’t able to provide the support they hoped they could, Kidman wished there were “people in the world that were there to sit impartially and just provide solace and care”. This is how she came to explore the field of death doulaship.

The concept of a doula is often familiar: you might have heard of a birth doula, who supports a family through pregnancy. A death doula works in a similar capacity, as a community partner offering support to the dying.

There is no singular definition for doulas, but those within the field often describe their work as “holding space” for their client. They act as a neutral third-party, working between the family, end-of-life care professionals and funeral professionals.

Though there are training programs that offer certifications for death doulas, their work varies widely depending on the preferences of the doula and the type of assistance sought by the client.

You may have even acted as a death doula within your own community, aiding the dying or their loved ones without the official title.

A new model for dying

Dying, death and funerals were once a sacred communal process taken care of by family in the comfort of their home. As death became institutionalised, medicalised and professionalised over the late 19th and early 20th centuries, loved ones were pushed to the wayside as they did not have the proper training to care for the dead in the eyes of the industry.

By the mid 1900s, the family parlor was no longer the central meeting spot to lament over mortality, and the funeral industry as we understand it today was in full swing.

This shift slowly gave way to a host of paraprofessionals. Death doulas and death midwives, an ancient practice, reemerged in the early 2000s.

Stemming from the Greek term δούλα, meaning female servant, doulas serve as community helpers in liminal periods, most commonly birth and death. They seek to fill the gaps medical and funeral personnel are unable to attend.

Clasping hands.

Death doulas seek to fill the gaps medical and funeral personnel are unable to attend. National Cancer Institute/Unsplash

Not everyone who acts in this role calls themselves a “death doula”. They are also known as soul guides, compassionate companions and vigilers, among other titles.

I volunteered, researched and worked in thanatology – the study of death and dying – for over a decade before completing my death doula training. The hands-on experience I gained working with death before my training program was crucial in shaping my ability to communicate about mortality.

Most people want to talk about death, but they’re faced with the conversation too late. In their most vulnerable hour, the dying and their loved ones are expected to make impossible decisions with little guidance. That’s where death doulas come in.

Easing the burden

Kidman said “as my mother was passing, she was lonely, and there was only so much the family could provide”.

While many family members are elected as surrogate decision-makers throughout the end-of-life process, it is common they feel highly uncertain about the choices they’re making.

The assistance and support of third-party advocates, like death doulas, helps ease the burden on family members and offers a neutral perspective during a vulnerable period.

I came into this work because I experienced deaths at a young age, and I understood my capacity to deal with death. Similarly to Kidman, many doulas I have interviewed came to the work after a loss of their own, with a newfound desire to share what they learned through their experience to help others in an inevitable time of need.

Death doulas can specialise their work, electing to work with pets, stillbirths, children, cognitive decline and many other types of loss.

Some doulas may enter work with a client years before a death, working on more administrative tasks like advanced care planning. Others may join right before a death occurs, focusing on sitting bedside. A third doula may specialise their work around funeral planning, coming in to help facilitate an at-home funeral.

No two doula practices are identical, just like no two deaths are identical.

If you are wondering if you should join a death doula training program, my response would be that increasing your death literacy is always beneficial, but there are many ways to get a death education.

Before diving in, explore what is drawing you to the profession and if you want to do this work for others or if you are seeking the knowledge for yourself. Both are wonderful motivations, but they could lead to different outcomes in the type of program you choose to attend or the kind of death education you seek.

We’re all going to die, and it’s never too soon to start talking about it.

– ref. Nicole Kidman is training to be a ‘death doula’. What is a death doula? – https://theconversation.com/nicole-kidman-is-training-to-be-a-death-doula-what-is-a-death-doula-280725

Would-be child sex offender went to playground just two days after prison release

By -

Source: Radio New Zealand

John Tekuru appeared in the Manukau District Court on Thursday. (File photo) RNZ / Liu Chen

A man who was jailed for trying to snatch a toddler with intent to sexually abuse her, went to a playground just two days after his release, in breach of his conditions.

John Tekuru was sent to prison for the attempted abduction and released on 10 March.

But a week later, on 17 March, he was back in custody accused of breaching his release conditions.

At the Manukau District Court on Thursday, he pleaded guilty to breaching his conditions as details of the breach were laid out.

“The brief facts are that you had been sentenced to two years imprisonment in Rotorua District Court in relation to a charge of abduction for sex with a girl under 12,” Judge Jonathan Moses said.

“On 10 March this year you were fully inducted into your release conditions at which you confirmed you understood those conditions and the consequence if you didn’t comply,” he said.

Judge Moses said Tekuru was subject to electronic monitoring and had a special condition he not loiter or enter a place where people under 16 are unless approved.

These included the likes of schools, early childhood centres, parks, libraries and churches.

Judge Moses said two days after his release, electronic monitoring information placed Tekuru in a playground.

He was questioned about this and issued with a written warning.

Judge Moses said other electronic monitoring information on 14 March, confirmed Tekuru had gone into the grounds of a school, which had an early childcare centre sharing an access way.

“You had therefore breached your conditions of release in that you were in the vicinity of a school or early childcare centre,” he said.

“You admitted walking past those facilities but said you were only walking within your local area,” the judge said.

Tekuru, through his lawyer, entered a guilty plea.

Judge Moses said he took Tekuru’s age, 20, and his one prior conviction into consideration.

“What I’m going to do today is to convict you and sentence you to imprisonment for a period of one month taking your guilty plea and those other features into account,” he said.

Tekuru has already been in custody since 17 March.

No extra conditions were imposed because Tekuru was still subject to his earlier ones and he will be moved to an address organised by Corrections.

At one point in the hearing, his lawyer apologised to the judge for his demeanour.

“He does have an awkward smile when these things are concerned but he does accept, sir, that he needs to comply with his release conditions otherwise he’s going to find himself in a cycle of being in custody,” Gaye Gurnick said.

“Ultimately, he’s done the punitive sanction,” she said.

Gurnick said told the judge she had “laboured a number of times” and emphasised with Tekuru the need to comply with his release conditions.

Tekuru’s case earlier sparked concern from the Sensible Sentencing Trust, which has called for him to face stricter monitoring.

He was released from jail under a provision that an offender be let out early if their sentence is two years or less.

The Trust said he served 12 months.

It has written to the Department of Corrections, it says in a rare action, urging it to consider an Extended Supervision Order (ESO), or Public Protection order (PPO).

It earlier told RNZ’s Checkpoint that Tekuru was “bound to offend again”.

Corrections earlier said no application had been made for an ESO or PPO but it took extremely seriously how offenders are managed in the community.

It said only a very small number of people are likely to have a Public Protection Order.

The Department said Tekuru was subject to multiple special conditions when he was released in March, including:

  • Electronic monitoring (GPS)
  • Residence at an approved address
  • No contact with children under 16 unless supervised by an “Approved Informed Adult” and authorised in writing
  • No entering areas where children are likely to be present (e.g., playgrounds, schools) without written approval
  • No contact with the victim
  • Mandatory psychological assessment and treatment
  • Mandatory alcohol and drug treatment
  • No use of alcohol or non-prescribed drugs
  • Prohibition on entering Rotorua without written approval

Extended Supervision Orders, imposed by the courts, allow monitoring for up to a decade after an offender is let out of jail

Corrections makes an application for one, and they are for people convicted of a sexual or violent offence who are assessed as having a real risk of further offending.

A Public Protection Order allows detention of “very high risk individuals” at a secure facility within a prison.

They must meet several set criteria including an intense urge to enact particular offending, and very poor self regulation.

Where to get help for sexual violence:

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

Cyclone Vaianu: First impacts could be felt Saturday amid severe NZ warnings

By -

MetService meteorologist John Law told RNZ Checkpoint the first impacts of the system could be felt on Saturday morning with large swells for north-eastern areas.

“This is a multi-hazard area of low pressure that runs down. You can imagine that these strong winds rushing over the seas help to drive large swells across the open waters, and they run in from the northwest.

Swells up to 6, 8 metres
“And I think around those northern coasts, places like Northland and the Bay of Plenty, swell heights could be as much as six to eight metres.

“Now, adding to that, the wet weather coming down the rivers, the strong winds, the extra boost of that sea by the extra low pressure, those coastal eliminations, that risk does increase.”

Law also said it was “very unusual” to see the entire North Island under weather watches and warnings.

“Normally our watches and warnings, we try and keep them to as small an area as possible to kind of really focus in on those areas impacting.

“So the fact that the whole island has got these severe weather watches and warnings … it is an indication of the severity of the system coming through, not just in terms of the wet weather, but that wind, I think, is going to be one of the key features as we head through the weekend.

“As this system runs across us, we’ll find our winds changing direction… as they come in to start with we’re looking at northerly winds, but as the system sweeps down to the south, strong south or westerly winds behind it will also be another issue.

“So that change in direction, something else to keep in mind.”

Orange heavy rain warnings
Meanwhile, Auckland, Great Barrier Island, Coromandel Peninsula, Bay of Plenty west of Whakatane including Rotorua, and Gisborne/Tairawhiti north of Tolaga Bay are all under an orange heavy rain warning from the early hours of Sunday morning.

Emergency Management and Recovery Minister Mark Mitchell says it will be a potentially significant and damaging storm, and Earth Sciences NZ predicted more than 200mm of rain could fall in some places across the upper North Island.

An orange strong wind warning is in place for Northland from 11pm Saturday until Sunday afternoon. Auckland, Waikato, Waitomo, Taupo, Taumarunui, Bay of Plenty and Rotorua, Gisborne/Tairawhiti, Hawke’s Bay, Taihape, Taranaki and Wanganui are all also under orange warnings which come into place overnight Saturday.

Aucklanders have been warned the Harbour Bridge might close due to strong winds.

FIFA matches advanced
FIFA World Cup qualifying matches due to be played in Hamilton on Sunday have been brought forward to Saturday to avoid the worst of it.

Officials said the decision was made to ensure the safety of participants and fans attending the games.

The Oceania semi-finals between the Football Ferns and Fiji and Papua New Guinea (PNG) and American Samoa were originally scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Hamilton.

They will now be played Saturday, with PNG playing American Samoa at midday and New Zealand playing Fiji at 4pm.

  • RNZ is New Zealand’s statutory civil defence lifeline radio broadcaster. That means RNZ will provide vital information and updates as they come to hand on air and online during an emergency.
  • Find the radio frequency for your area here and get prepared here.

This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

1...678...1,313Page 7 of 1,313
Listen on Apple Podcasts

- Advertisement -
© Copyright 2024 EveningReport.nz and Multimedia Investments Ltd. All rights reserved.