Source: Radio New Zealand

Giving aid to shore up your strategic position in the world isn’t the way to go about it, says an expert – because your aid won’t help if you’re not trying to help

If New Zealand’s foreign aid programme focused only on need, most of our money would go to sub-Saharan Africa. Instead, the lion’s share goes to the Pacific.

That’s not necessarily a bad thing, according to foreign aid expert Terence Wood, but it’s not purely based on largesse, either.

“Geo-strategic thinking is starting to motivate where we focus our aid and that’s just not a good driving force for aid-giving, you really want to be thinking about need, not who you perceive your threats to be,” says Wood.

“If you want to give aid effectively you really need to prioritise it based on the needs of developing countries and not your own geo-strategic preoccupations. Your aid won’t help if you’re not trying to help. And once upon a time New Zealand had pretty good motivations for giving its aid … its aid was more likely to help .. [but] the new cold war with China in the Pacific is undermining the quality of our aid, and that’s quite depressing.”

In the case of aid sent to the Pacific, “there are both good and bad reasons” for doing so.

“The good reason is that we have strong historical ties with the Pacific, or some Pacific countries, and then also it’s just kind of good aid practice to specialise in one part of the world. If you don’t spread yourself too thin you can build up country or regional expertise.

“The bad reason is that we are increasingly preoccupied with China’s presence in the Pacific.”

And it’s not just governments’ reasons for aid spending that are changing. Increasingly, countries are reducing their aid and backing out of commitments.

“Globally [the World Food Programme] had a 40 percent cut in our funding in 2025, and that’s massive. We were at 10 billion and we are now at about six billion. So it is a collective trend as opposed to an individual one,” says Samir Wanmali, the World Food Programme’s regional director for Asia and the Pacific region.

Much has been reported on the US dropping out of commitments, but Wanmali says globally, there’s been a “progressive reduction” in funding from OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC) countries, most notably from Europe.

He puts some of that down to post-covid budgets, and also to the war in Ukraine.

“I should also note that New Zealand and Australia have actually maintained your funding, so you have not reduced.”

But that’s funding to WFP – which is only a small part of the picture.

A report released last October by the Australian foreign think tank The Lowy Institute painted a grim picture. It said that over the next two years, New Zealand is expected to reduce foreign aid funding by about 35 percent.

Aid contributions are generally measured compared to the size of an economy, in a metric called the ODA over GNI (official development assistance over gross national income.)

“Generosity should really be measured compared to what you’re able to give,” says Wood.

“New Zealand’s never been a particularly generous aid donor.

“It’s around the median of OECD countries but it’s not particularly good and it’s also going to fall, as our aid budget falls, we’re going to end up looking worse on that metric.”

The same report said that Australia is filling the gap, making up about half of the funding to the Pacific region.

But Wood says that Australia’s not doing so well either.

“Australia gives a lot more aid than us in an absolute sense because it’s got a much larger economy but on the ODA over GNI metric it actually scores quite a lot worse. So they are more tight fisted than us – at least at present – we may overtake them in the race to the bottom though.”

Wood says that countries – including New Zealand – sometimes manipulate the figures.

“Often countries like New Zealand really are trying to cook the books.”

He says climate change is considered a ‘cross-cutting’ issue, and some aid can be claimed as helping countries adapt to climate change.

“It’s that type of aid where an awful lot of greenwashing goes on.

“So the New Zealand government will claim that all sorts of things that have really got very little relationship to helping countries adapt to climate change are in some way related to that.

“When we are presenting at international fora and so on we want to seem like a country that is concerned with these things but we don’t want to fork out any extra money.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Universities have revealed they are missing out on millions of dollars in government subsidies because there is not enough money to cover all of their students.

Seven universities told RNZ they collectively carried several thousand un-subsidised domestic students last year and expected more of the same this year.

The students paid fees but the universities missed out on government contributions starting at $7287 per student in the cheapest undergraduate courses.

It happened because the government did not provide the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) with enough funding for all enrolments in 2025 or 2026 – a situation expected to repeat in 2027.

Auckland, AUT, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Lincoln and Canterbury told RNZ they had unfunded domestic students last year and/or this year.

In addition Lincoln and AUT said TEC reduced their funding allocation this year though AUT said that was partly because its 2025 funding was increased to meet high demand.

Auckland said 1662 or five percent of its 31,302 domestic EFTS (equivalent full-time students) last year were not subsidised though the commission topped up its funding in some areas.

It said it was too early to provide numbers for this year.

Victoria University said two percent or nearly 300 of its domestic EFTS were unfunded last year and it could not comment on this year’s position yet.

Waikato University said it exceeded its agreed 2025 funding allocation of $100 million by 7.3 percent, meaning its 9222 domestic EFTS included several-hundred who would otherwise have attracted $7.3m in government funding.

It said this year its funding cap for domestic students was set at 110 percent and it was negotiating with the commission to exceed that.

Massey University said 92 of its 12,760 domestic EFTS last year were not funded because the university exceeded its allocation.

It said it was expecting to enrol 13,195 domestic EFTS this year with about 260 unfunded.

Canterbury University said it absorbed the cost of some unsubsidised students in 2025, but was still finalising the final figures and it was too early to confirm 2026.

Lincoln said it had 165 unfunded EFTS last year and expected 42 this year.

AUT said it exceeded its agreed enrolments by seven percent last year and 3.7 percent of its 16,723 domestic EFTS in 2025 were unfunded.

The university said it reduced new enrolments but had applied to again enrol up to 107 percent this year.

“In early 2026, AUT applied to TEC to enrol up to 107 percent – largely to accommodate ongoing growth in pipeline (Years 2-4) for students we already have an existing commitment to,” it said.

“It is in New Zealand’s interest that they graduate. Improved retention, a measure of student success, has been a key performance measure for all TEOs [tertiary education organisations], but there is currently not sufficient funding to support the increase in returning EFTS, along with levels of demand from new entrants.”

Otago University said all of its 2025 domestic EFTS were funded and this year it was experiencing 4.3 percent growth.

“We will not know how many, if any, unfunded EFTS we will carry until we have had further discussions with the TEC,” it said.

Otago’s director of strategy, analytics and reporting David Thomson said this year’s significant growth was “highly probable and predictable”.

He said the 2025 Year 13 school leaver cohort was significantly larger than in 2024 or any other recent year; academic achievement across universities had improved resulting in improved retention; and relatively high unemployment typically caused higher levels of progression to tertiary study, and higher retention.

Lincoln larger than ever

Lincoln University vice-chancellor Grant Edwards told RNZ the university had a record number of students.

“We currently have about three-and-a-half-thousand full-time equivalent students here in New Zealand of domestic and international students and we also operate transnational education on joint programmes, which will be approaching about 400 offshore full-time equivalent students as well,” he said.

“That’s a head count of about five-and-a-half-thousand students at this point in time, which is the largest the university has ever been in its history.”

Despite the growth, Edwards said Lincoln needed to make staff cuts because of “very strong signals” that domestic student funding was likely to be constrained in future.

He said TEC had indicated the university could lose funding for courses that were not priority areas.

Edwards would not say what those areas were or how much funding might be cut.

Meanwhile, he said Lincoln enrolled un-subsidised students last year and this year.

He said the numbers were significant enough for the university to try to focus enrolments into areas that were government priorities.

He said Lincoln was fortunate because its core focus of land-based subjects aligned well with the government’s priorities.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Until a few weeks ago you might have been forgiven for never thinking about where fuel comes from, other than the petrol station.

But given international uncertainty, a greater focus was going into what happens before you put the hose into your car at your local.

A global fuel crisis, limited supply and a sharp realisation Aotearoa sits at the bottom of the world, was being caused by the US and Israel’s ongoing war on Iran.

It’s hugely disrupted key supply chains and pushed Brent crude over $115 a barrel pushing the price at the pump up.

In New Zealand it’s created panic buying, huge queues and possibly even sabotage of an Auckland fuel line.

But fuel had a long road to travel before it made it to New Zealand petrol stations.

Enroute to the shores of New Zealand, refined fuels sit in tankers, the biggest of them arriving at former refinery, Marsden Point.

The AA’s Terry Collins said as it’s a deep-water port, it could take the largest ships – up to 120 million litres.

There were nine other import terminals and two inland terminals in New Zealand – Wiri in Auckland and Woolston in Christchurch.

Mount Maunganui, Wellington and Lyttelton could receive medium-sized ships that carried 40 to 50 million litres of liquid fuels

Napier, New Plymouth, Nelson, Timaru, Dunedin and Bluff were the smaller regional terminals.

Collins said the tankers deliver the refined product from the ships to what is called ‘tank farms’ or storage tanks.

“You’ll see them perhaps Seaview in Wellington and Marston Point, obviously.

“They have big tanks, steel tanks, and generally what they do is they have what’s known as a sinking lid on them. That’s to contain the vapor as they go down.”

From here, fuel was sent around the country by road.

“They have a trucking system where the drivers turn up, pick up the fuel, and then deliver them to the service stations to be used in our vehicles.

“Depending on who they’re delivering to, a schedule of service stations where they drive around and discharge compartments of fuel, different fuel into each of the underground tanks and service stations.”

Or in the case of Marsden Point, fuel was sent through a special pipeline from Ruakaka to Auckland – ending up in the Wiri Terminal and Auckland Airport for further distribution.

“They’ll send down various products through the pipeline, but maybe diesel at one stage, maybe petrol at another.

“And that’s used to basically maintain the storage around the Auckland area, being the largest city in New Zealand.”

Collins said the storage tanks were like a dam with water flowing in and water flowing out.

“The level will go up and down, depending on how often the ships arrive and the shipping schedules.

“But the demand is usually fairly consistent, which is that flow out from it.”

Some fuel starts to go off after about three months, but Collins said that doesn’t happen because nothing sits for that long.

He reiterated it was not a good idea to store fuel for that very reason.

On top of the main and regional fuel terminals there were also smaller tankers that go rurally to farms and mining sites.

Refineries optimised for certain oil

Before the fuel even makes it to our shores, it must be refined.

Since the closure of the Marsden Point Oil Refinery in 2022, New Zealand imported all its refined fuel.

Before it’s refined, it starts off as crude oil, sourced mainly from the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Refineries in South Korea, Singapore and Malaysia need to get their hands on it before it can turn it into essential fuels (gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, heating oil), petrochemicals, and materials like plastics, rubber, asphalt.

New Zealand gets 80 percent of its fuel supply from just South Korea and Singapore.

However Collins said it’s not so simple, since the trouble in the Middle East takes away key supplies.

“Refineries aren’t all equal and oil isn’t all equal.

“We know it’s been a bit of a concern because they had been sourcing a lot from that market and because the refineries are optimized to use that type of fuel.”

He said it’s their decision where they get the crude oil from, but it may not be the kind that makes it the best for their refinery.

“Their decision is like asking the Kellogg’s company where they get their corn for their corn flakes.

“They need corn for their flakes, but some corn makes better cereal than others.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Nurses caring for a killer at a forensic inpatient unit mistakenly believed he was there for “respite” as his notes were not accessible to them, a review into his care has revealed.

This meant the man, Leslie Parr – who killed his ex-partner in 1997 – did not receive a “comprehensive” mental state assessment required to identify any underlying symptoms of psychosis.

Five days after he was released back into the community he killed again, this time his mother.

The review also revealed that Parr, who had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and substance use disorder, tested positive for cannabis when he was admitted to the facility.

RNZ earlier revealed Leslie Raymond Parr killed his mother in 2024, more than two decades after killing his partner Fiona Maulolo in 1997.

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

The revelations of a second killing prompted the Chief Victims Advisor to call for a Royal Commission of Inquiry into forensic mental health facilities.

A “high-level” summary report into the case was released by Health New Zealand after the Supreme Court dismissed Parr’s application for leave to appeal a decision declining name suppression.

The report said Parr, referred to as “Person A”, had a diagnosis of schizophrenia and substance use disorder (mainly cannabis and alcohol).

Parr was released back into the community in 2012 as a special patient to independent living under the care of the Forensic Community Mental Health Team (FCMHT). Then, in 2021, his legal status was changed from special patient to being managed under the Mental Health Act under a Community Treatment Order.

The order required a patient to attend for treatment and accept treatment as prescribed. However, he was also no longer subject to the same restrictions as a special patient and had declined to continue with urinary drug screening (UDS) tests, did not want FCMHT to engage with whānau; had declined consent to whānau being provided with a copy of his wellness plan and had declined home visits by the FCMHT.

On 23 May 2024, Parr was arrested following an assault of a relative. The report said the co-response team contacted the Mental Health After Hours Team and after a crisis mental health assessment Parr was admitted to an inpatient stay at Stanford House, an extended secure forensic inpatient unit, for a period of assessment.

He remained as an inpatient for a week before being discharged to resume community care under the FCMHT on 30 May.

A follow-up appointment was arranged for 4 June. He arrived about midday and was administered his usual medication.

Later that afternoon a relative called Parr’s case manager to raise concerns about Parr’s mental health.

The case manager provided the relative with the responsible clinician’s phone number and updated them of the relative’s concerns. An appointment with Parr’s clinician was organised for 48 hours later.

In the early hours of 5 June Parr was arrested for killing his mother a day prior.

The report included the findings and recommendations of an external review of services provided by Central Forensic Mental Health Services team(CFMHS), an internal review of the services provided by Stanford House by Whanganui Mental Health Services, and a services review by the FCMHT, CFMHS and Whanganui Mental Health Services more broadly.

The findings of the internal review of services provided by Stanford House said the admission process was “safe” with the appropriate outcome of a directed period of admission.

“Some aspects of the procedure were identified as ‘grey areas’ needing clarification for future admissions”.

However, there was a “lack of clarity of the location and purpose of admission”.

The responsible clinician who was employed by CFMHS entered notes into the Mental Health, Addiction and Intellectual Disability Service (MHAIDS) patient system.

“The notes were not accessible to the Stanford House nursing staff and they did not see the Responsible Clinician’s assessment of Person A or the plan for the admission.

“This led to a misinterpretation by the staff that Person A was at Stanford House for respite/reset and did not receive the comprehensive mental state assessment that was required to identify any underlying symptomatology of psychosis.”

The review recommended establishing a process to ensure intentions of the psychiatrist, the Director of Area Mental Health Services and responsible clinician around admission location to Stanford House and the purpose are clearly communicated to all staff.

It also recommended working with the Mental Health Medical Directors with oversight of MHAIDS and Whanganui clinicians to develop a standardised section of the admission documentation to include a comprehensive plan to cover the first 48 hours of assessment, care and treatment on admission.

The review also found that Stanford House staff were not recently trained or experienced in providing the more acute forensic care required for patients who, like Parr, were admitted urgently unplanned.

“Documentation of mental state assessments was inconsistent across shifts. Evaluating underlying aspects of mental state for any clinician viewing consecutive shifts documentation of mental state was not achievable because there was insufficient detail recorded.

“The inpatient care plans are not fit for purpose and lacked sufficient details in goals, interventions, and evaluations significantly limiting the effectiveness of assessment and observation and the overall depth of the understanding of ‘what was going on for Person A’.”

It was recommended the Stanford House nursing staff were upskilled in thorough, more acute mental state assessment and consistent documentation of the acute forensic patient.

The review also revealed that when Parr was admitted to Stanford House on 23 May he was directed to provide a UDS sample. This was the first time he’d been directed to do so since December 2022 as testing was no longer required or made a condition once he ceased being a special patient. He had also “consistently refused” to consent when being asked to previously.

“The sample taken at Stanford house tested positive for cannabis.”

The review recommended ensuring community forensic pathway patients were “well supported” by Alcohol and Other Drug (AOD) clinicians if they have or develop substance use problems.

It was also recommended they engage all community clinicians in discussion regarding a successful way of negotiating with patients, at the time of reclassification, that would “motivate and move them” to provide urine drug screens when there was a high suspicion of alcohol and other drug use.

There was also “limited face to face whānau involvement” in Parr’s wellbeing plan.

“Family were not present at discharge hui despite having valuable insight into Person A’s substance use and daily challenges.

“Standards emphasise the expectation of active involvement of patient’s whānau in their care where possible.”

The findings of the external review, which the report said was still being finalised, included that FCMHT did not uphold MHAIDS Whānau Framework and Whānau Participation Policy and that there was an absence of senior medical staff and diffuse clinical leadership.

“Throughout and prior to the period of investigation there was a lack of a specialist psychiatrist within the FCMHT.”

Concerns were also raised in the review regarding the model of forensic community care.

“There was discrepancy between senior leadership views of the role and purpose of the forensic community team and those of clinicians. There were also differences in understanding and expectations regarding urine drug screens (UDS).”

There was also no agreed Service Level Agreement in place that described the relevant roles and responsibilities of Whanganui District and CFMHS in the care of forensic community clients in Whanganui.

“Due to well-established and collegial relationships, all parties worked in a coordinated manner through the review period. However, the complexity of the interservice relationships created gaps in service delivery.”

The review also found that not all FCMHT team members who interacted with Parr documented the interactions in the notes on a regular basis.

The external review had four “positive findings” including that FCMHT staff made “good efforts” to integrate key information across the separated clinical records of CFMHS and Whanganui District.

The review also said after Parr killed his mother there was “excellent collaboration” by all parties including police and crisis mental health services to ensure Parr was “safely transferred to an appropriate acute forensic inpatient setting as quickly as possible”.

Several recommendations had been identified as a result of the reviews. They were grouped into six themes including whānau engagement, clinical leadership and senior medical staff and model of forensic community care.

In response to questions from RNZ on Monday about the report HNZ national director of mental health and addictions Phil Grady said the reviews identified the practical and legal challenges of enforcing urine drug screening for people receiving care in the community under a Community Treatment Order.

“As a result, the reviews recommended that services clearly set out expectations and processes for urine drug screening for all relevant clients. Work to implement this recommendation is underway.”

In relation to nursing staff believing Parr was at Stanford House for “respite”, Grady said the reviews characterised this is a “system and process issue, rather than an individual failure”.

He said the reviews also highlighted several “improvement areas to reduce the risk of similar misunderstandings in the future”.

“The reviews found that a gap in information‑sharing contributed to misinterpretation of the purpose of the admission and affected how assessment processes were carried out during the admission period.

“These findings form part of the overall learning from the reviews and underpin several of the recommendations focused on assessment processes, documentation, and communication between services. Health NZ is actively progressing implementation of review recommendations.”

Chief Victims Advisor Ruth Money told RNZ on Monday she remained “very concerned about the length of time these reviews and then subsequent implementation of actions take”.

“Each review identifies similar issues to the last, which is why an independent inquiry across all regions that establishes nationwide best practice and improvement actions that are mandatory is my continuing advice to the Government.

“While this environment is complex, the multiple incident reports highlight that tragic events like this are preventable. Improvements should be made proactively, not reactively after someone has been tragically killed.”

Grady earlier said HNZ recognised that questions had been raised about aspects of Parr’s care and the decisions made at the time.

“These were complex clinical decisions based on the information available, and the external review has carefully examined those concerns.

“Where the review has identified areas that could be clearer or stronger, such as expectations around drug screening, information sharing, and clinical oversight, we are acting on those findings to improve consistency and strengthen practice across the service.”

An external review of the care Parr received was being finalised.

“We are committed to implementing any recommended changes so that we continue to strengthen the quality and safety of the care we provide.”

Director of Mental Health Dr John Crawshaw earlier said once the external review is available, he would consider whether any further actions were required.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Care workers’ unions are taking legal action against Health NZ, with carers in remote areas saying the price of petrol is so high they are losing money visiting their more remote clients.

The Public Service Association (PSA) and E tū have jointly filed an Employment Relations Authority claim against the health agency on the basis that it is illegal for employers to dictate how workers spend their money, yet the agency requires workers to pay for fuel and car maintenance.

The health agency denies carers are their employees, telling RNZ vehicle matters were the responsibility of third-party contracted providers.

Great Barrier Island workers driving hundreds of kilometres to see remote clients

Support worker Kerris Adlam lived on Great Barrier Island, where the price of petrol had reached $4.50 a litre, and diesel was not far behind.

She worked for Aotea Family Support Group, a charitable trust whose clients ranged from the injured or elderly, to those with mental health issues, to those needing palliative care – basically, anyone who had been allocated care hours by Te Whatu Ora.

Unable to afford the travel costs, Adlam told RNZ she had recently pared back her hours to three days a week, and was now driving a total of 164 kilometres, seeing three to four patients a day.

“I’ve budgeted myself now $60 a week for diesel, and now it doesn’t cover my costs”, she said.

Right now, Health NZ covered some of the fuel costs – namely, travel between clients. But it did not cover the cost of getting to that first client or getting home again, or taking the client to the supermarket or appointments.

The health agency funds the trust, which pays the carers.

By Adlam’s maths, she was getting just over 50 cents per kilometre, which did not come close to covering her costs.

“I jam as many people in as I can,” she said. “And the problem with that is […] I’m having to lump those care hours together, which means in the long run, their care is kind of unbalanced.

“Some people might need multiple visits during the day, but you just can’t do it, you can’t justify it, because you don’t get paid – you’re paying to have a job.”

She said care worker’s salaries had been low for a number of years now, and the price of fuel had just widened the gap.

“We’re not asking for a massive pay raise, we just want to be paid fairly. Which is, if it costs that much to go to someone’s place, then you pay them it.”

If not, some carers might start refusing to travel to far-away clients.

“We’re going to start seeing tragedies, we’re going to start seeing people not getting the care they need.”

Aotea Family Support Group general manager Angeline Young explained that mileage to travel between clients was covered, but trips to the first client of the day and home from the last were not.

Nor were trips to take clients to the supermarket or appointments.

“A lot of our clients don’t actually have vehicles,” she said. “We don’t have a public transport system on the island, so unless the care worker is taking them, they don’t get to go.”

While some carers were doing it tough, Young said she would not let affect their clients.

“If I can’t get more money out of Health New Zealand, I will use our crisis fund, because that’s what it’s there for.”

The charity had recently trailed a shuttle service for seniors to travel from the end of the island to the middle, using a small amount of one-off funding, which had been successful.

That could be expanded out, Young said, to take the burden of acting as a taxi off care workers.

Unions take legal action on basis of Wages Protection Act

The PSA and E tū were seeking a declaration from the Employment Relations Authority that Health NZ had not complied with the Wages Protection Act, affecting about 23,000 home support workers.

They were arguing that since HNZ was the funder of all home support workers, it was in a legal sense the controlling third party and therefore in breach of the section which said employers were not entitled to impose any requirement on any workers about how wages were spent.

According to the court documents, care workers were paid amounts ranging from the minimum wage up to approximately $29.10 an hour.

PSA national secretary Fleur Fitzsimons said by forcing workers to fund their own vehicle costs and accepting a mileage allowance that had not been increased in four years, the health agency was effectively dictating how workers’ wages were spent.

“These workers are providing an essential public service, funded by Health NZ,” she said. “They are among the lowest-paid workers in the country and had their pay equity claim cancelled. Yet they are the only publicly funded workers required to supply and maintain such significant tools of their trade as a car.”

They were seeking a declaration from the ERA that Health NZ had not complied with the Wages Protection Act.

She said Health NZ had the power to lift the mileage rate – which had not changed since 2022 – and it should do so with urgency.

HNZ denies care workers are their employees, puts onus back on providers

In a statement, HNZ’s Martin Hefford, acting director for funding, community and mental health, denied that care workers were employees of the health agency.

“In situations where Health New Zealand purchases home and community support services, the workers are employed by the contracted provider, not by Health New Zealand,” he said.

“The use of vehicles, and other employment agreement terms are a matter for the third-party provider that employs the workers.”

He said HNZ’s current funding arrangements recognised cost pressures faced by providers and their workforces, including fuel costs.

“Health New Zealand is currently considering funding settings for 2026/27, including the impact of rising fuel prices on third party providers.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Maritime NZ has detained Bluebridge’s Connemara at its Wellington berth after more than a week of cancelled crossings.

It has been 10 days since a technical fault forced the suspension of the ship’s services.

Connemara – which usually sailed four times daily – had not crossed the Cook Strait since 21 March, with cancelled sailings leaving passengers frustrated and scrambling to find alternative travel.

Maritime NZ said Connemara was detained following a “Port State Control Inspection” on Friday.

“As a result of findings identified from the inspection process, a decision has been made to detain the ferry.

“Currently, the ferry is berthed at Wellington, and the detention notice means it cannot sail until the notice has been lifted,” it said.

Neither Bluebridge nor Maritime NZ provided details on what the technical fault was.

StraitNZ Bluebridge spokesperson, Will Dady confirmed the detention but still hoped to return Connemara to scheduled services by Tuesday evening.

“We’d like to again apologise and reassure our customers we’re doing everything we can to get back to our regular service as soon as possible.”

A spokesperson for Maritime NZ said Bluebridge was responsible for making the repairs and sailings could only resume once the detention noticed had been lifted.

They said Maritime NZ appreciated the impact of continued cancellations on people and freight.

“Once the issues have been rectified and checked and approved by its classification society surveyor, its flag state (Bahamas), and our inspectors, we will remove the detention.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Waikato business owner who hosts dental tours to Vietnam says people are saving up to tens-of-thousands of dollars by getting their work done offshore.

It comes as calls grow louder for oral care to be integrated into New Zealand’s public healthcare system.

More than 1000 New Zealanders took part in a recent Talbot Mills Research survey, commissioned by advocacy group Dental For All.

Participants were asked whether they supported dental care being brought into the public healthcare system.

In findings released on Monday, 83 percent of participants said they supported the move. Twelve percent opposed the move and 5 percent were unsure.

Dental For All campaigner Hana Pilkinton-Ching said it would cost between $1-2b per year to integrate dental care into the public health system.

Earlier this month Damien Nikora from The Current Place took his first group of seven people to Da Nang for treatments including crowns, implants and extractions.

He started the tours after he paid $1700 for dental work in Vietnam, a procedure which was quoted for $22,000 in New Zealand.

Nikora told Checkpoint some dental procedures in New Zealand were too expensive.

“It’s a nightmare. It’s basically a mortgage, it’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

He said clients who had been quoted $90,000 for work in New Zealand, ended up paying $10,000 for the procedure in Vietnam.

“They’re absolutely stoked, there’s plenty of tears,” he said.

“They can’t believe they get to have a little holiday, get to deal with something that they’ve been traumatised or dealt since they were kids.

“It’s pretty awesome, it’s a really cool buzz.”

The cost of essential dental care in New Zealand was a barrier for people getting the work done, Nikora said.

He said none of his 250-plus clients had reported any post-procedure problems over the past two years since starting the tours.

The New Zealand Dental Association said complications were more likely to occur in patients who underwent complex treatment overseas, such as implants or crowns.

Chief Executive Dr Mo Amso said anyone travelling overseas for dental tourism needed to make sure the clinic they were attending was reputable.

Nikora said his tours usually ran for about 10 days and people were able to do online consultations before departing New Zealand.

“They get to talk with the dentists themselves. It’s pretty thorough,” he said.

“So the dentists know what to do with each client.”

ACC does not cover medical procedures or treatments performed outside of New Zealand.

Despite the lack of cover, Nikora felt it was worth the risk.

“The people we’ve dealt with haven’t had any problems,” he said.

“In the end what it comes down to is either never getting their teeth done here in New Zealand because they can never afford it.

“If they get the opportunity to be able to do it professionally and affordably, they’re more than willing to take that chance.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A new marae under construction in New Plymouth – a city that hasn’t had a functioning marae for about 150 years – represents a homecoming for mana whenua.

Ngāti Te Whiti hapū is building the $15 million Ngāmotu Marae, overlooking Port Taranaki, and hopes it will become a focal point for the wider community.

Julie Healey, who has a consents planning role at the hapū, has fond memories of Ngāmotu Beach.

“As little ones growing up, we used to come here quite a bit. There were baches all along the front here to the beach.

“We’d come down here as kids. dad and them would be there, all the old aunties would be there.

“It was so beautiful back in the days and, I tell you what, they were the best cooks. The big roasting dish of chocolates cakes and all that kai.”

The baches are long gone, but Healey said establishing Ngāmotu Marae adjacent to the beach would be better still.

“For me to be able to see my mokopuna on here, that’s a good thing, because my grandparents wanted the same.

“For us, it is a big deal putting a stake, a pou, in the ground, I guess. We’ve always been here.

“You can ask the archaeologists we work with. They’ll tell you Ngāti Te Whiti has been here a long time and they’re still here.

“They’re going to be here forever.”

Former board member Kura Ratapu also had childhood memories of Ngāmotu beach.

“This was our playground, this was our front yard and all of us kids during holidays, we would come down here.

“We would play, we would be down here all day and we’d basically go home at night had it, tired, hungry, but then we’d come back the next day and do it all over again.”

Ratapu explained the hapū had its land confiscated in the 1800s and many whanau were later moved out of the area.

“Once they decided they wanted to build a waterfront here, then basically, all of our whanau that were here all got kicked out.

“There was no compensation. It was, like, ‘Sorry, we want to take this land, we’re going to put up a wharf here’.”

Many whanau lost their connection to the area.

“A lot of them didn’t live in their own tribal or hapū area, because the land got confiscated, they had to move and they had to go where the jobs were – they had families.

“There were only a few whanau who were lucky enough to stay here and keep those home fires burning.”

Ratapu’s grandfather was among the first to lobby for a marae at Ngāmotu beach.

“It was because this is where they all grew up, this is where they lived, this is about their relationships, but it was also about, in later years, saying, ‘We’re still here, you can’t wipe us out’.

“People might say who is this Ngāti Te Whiti? Well, you come down once the marae is built and you’ll see who they are.”

Ratapu said Ngāmotu Marae would fulfil a vital role for the hapū.

“Through all of this, we can only hope that our mokopuna will see and learn their whakapapa, and get to realise that nobody can tell them where to go, nobody can say who they are or that they don’t belong, because they do.”

Ngāti Te Whiti chair Shelton Healey said the hapū had been without a home for too long.

“Time have been tough in terms of helping future generations understand who they are, what their whakapapa is and how to involve themselves being Māori in a Māori kaupapa space, such as a marae.

“For mana whenua here, we’ve always had to go onto marae as visitors.”

He said the marae build had not come without its challenges.

In 2019, then hapū chief executive and former police officer Shaun Keenan was jailed, after stealing about $500,000 from Ngāti Te Whiti, sending the then-$4.5 million project back to the drawingboard.

“It was an unfortunate situation that happened, and we were determined to fix that and make sure, for me and whanau members, that our future generations were going to have somewhere they could call home.

“One person wasn’t going to destroy that for us.”

Healey said the first phase of the project would include an atea, a wharenui sleeping 80 and wharekai catering to 100 people per sitting.

He was thrilled at the prospect.

“Knowing one day we’ll be able to sit inside a marae that’s going to build here for whanau, hapū members, kaumatua, our community itself, where we can come together as one and be one people even… yeah, it’s an exciting time.

“It’s an exciting time for Ngāti Te Whiti, but also the community.”

The hapū was still raising about $5 million with partners Taranaki Foundation to enable phase two of the project, which included an administration area, community facilities and support amenities.

Taranaki Foundation chief executive Josh Hickford said the charity had set up a page on its website to allow the public to donate to the project.

“This project brings tangible benefits to our city, from creating local job opportunities to enhancing cultural infrastructure for generations to come.”

Phase one of the marae build was expected to take about 15 months to complete.

Donations could be made via the Taranaki Foundation portal.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man is in custody after a major police response in Dunedin.

Police said they were told of a person acting erratically on Helensburgh St in the suburb of Wakari at 6pm.

A home was cordoned off while officers spoke with the man.

He was taken into custody just before 7.30pm.

A nearby worker said they saw about nine police vehicles and some ambulances.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Waikato business owner who hosts dental tours to Vietnam says people are saving up to tens-of-thousands of dollars by getting their work done offshore.

It comes as calls grow louder for oral care to be integrated into New Zealand’s public healthcare system.

More than 1000 New Zealanders took part in a recent Talbot Mills Research survey, commissioned by advocacy group Dental For All.

Participants were asked whether they supported dental care being brought into the public healthcare system.

In findings released on Monday, 83 percent of participants said they supported the move. Twelve percent opposed the move and 5 percent were unsure.

Dental For All campaigner Hana Pilkinton-Ching said it would cost between $1-2b per year to integrate dental care into the public health system.

Earlier this month Damien Nikora from The Current Place took his first group of seven people to Da Nang for treatments including crowns, implants and extractions.

He started the tours after he paid $1700 for dental work in Vietnam, a procedure which was quoted for $22,000 in New Zealand.

Nikora told Checkpoint some dental procedures in New Zealand were too expensive.

“It’s a nightmare. It’s basically a mortgage, it’s absolutely ridiculous,” he said.

He said clients who had been quoted $90,000 for work in New Zealand, ended up paying $10,000 for the procedure in Vietnam.

“They’re absolutely stoked, there’s plenty of tears,” he said.

“They can’t believe they get to have a little holiday, get to deal with something that they’ve been traumatised or dealt since they were kids.

“It’s pretty awesome, it’s a really cool buzz.”

The cost of essential dental care in New Zealand was a barrier for people getting the work done, Nikora said.

He said none of his 250-plus clients had reported any post-procedure problems over the past two years since starting the tours.

The New Zealand Dental Association said complications were more likely to occur in patients who underwent complex treatment overseas, such as implants or crowns.

Chief Executive Dr Mo Amso said anyone travelling overseas for dental tourism needed to make sure the clinic they were attending was reputable.

Nikora said his tours usually ran for about 10 days and people were able to do online consultations before departing New Zealand.

“They get to talk with the dentists themselves. It’s pretty thorough,” he said.

“So the dentists know what to do with each client.”

ACC does not cover medical procedures or treatments performed outside of New Zealand.

Despite the lack of cover, Nikora felt it was worth the risk.

“The people we’ve dealt with haven’t had any problems,” he said.

“In the end what it comes down to is either never getting their teeth done here in New Zealand because they can never afford it.

“If they get the opportunity to be able to do it professionally and affordably, they’re more than willing to take that chance.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Enjoy your evening walks while you can – daylight saving will soon come to an end for another year, which means we all get an extra hour of sleep.

But when do the clocks switch over? Why do we observe daylight saving? And how do you change it on your phone?

Here’s what you need to know.

When does daylight saving end in New Zealand?

Daylight saving time ends every year at 3am on the first Sunday in April – which this year will be at 3am on Sunday 5 April.

Do the clocks go forward or back?

To quote the immortal Doc Brown, great scott! We’ve got to go back to the future.

That’s right: Clocks go back for the winter, from 3am to 2am.

That means you get an extra hour’s sleep-in and it won’t be as dark when you wake up in the morning – at least for a while.

It also means the sun will go down an hour earlier in the evening, so if you’ve got outside chores to complete, get them done faster.

Why do we have daylight saving time?

Because the Earth is on a tilt (of about 23 degrees, for those curious), we are exposed to more sun during summer and less during winter.

That means the days are longer during the warmer months and shorter in the colder months.

Daylight saving is intended to make the most of those long daylight hours. It means an extra hour of light on summer evenings.

How long have we been doing this?

New Zealand first observed daylight saving in 1927.

However, the dates that clocks went forward and back, and the amount of time they were changed, varied over the following years.

In 1941, daylight saving was extended year-round under emergency regulations to help save energy during World War II.

Five years later, daylight saving time (or summer time as it was then known) was adopted as standard time, effectively discontinuing daylight saving.

In 1975, daylight saving was introduced again.

It was extended to its current dates – from the last Sunday in September to the first Sunday in April – in 2007.

How do I change the time on my phone?

Most smartphones will adjust to time zones automatically.

Here’s how to check if your smartphone does that:

• Android: Go into the clock app, tap more and then go into settings. Then go into change date and time, select set time zone automatically and then select use location to set time zone.
• iPhone: Open settings, select general, to go date & time and make sure set automatically is turned on.
• Samsung: Open settings, go to general management, select date and time and then make sure automatic date and time is turned on. This should mean your phone will automatically reflect the time depending on where you are.

When will daylight saving time start again?

Clocks will go forward one hour at 2am on Sunday 27 September.

What if I’m working when the time changes?

The rules around getting paid for working during daylight saving time are set out in the Time Act 1974.

It says that if you’re working when clocks go back an hour, you are entitled to be paid for that extra hour.

For example, if your shift started at 10pm and finishes at 6am, you will have actually worked nine hours and must be paid for nine hours of work.

If you’re working on 27 September when the clocks go forward, you are still entitled to be paid for your normal hours. In this instance, a 10pm-6am shift will only mean seven hours of work, but you must be paid for eight.

I’ve changed the wall clock – what’s next?

Emergency officials say that daylight saving is a good time to check the batteries on your smoke alarm by pushing the test button to sound the alarm.

Check the alarm’s expiry date too – most last a maximum of 10 years – and give the cover a clean to avoid false alarms from dust buildup.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A large police presence is being reported in Dunedin.

A worker at the intersection of Helensburgh and Taieri Rds said there were multiple police cars and ambulances in the area shortly after 7pm on Monday,

They said they saw about nine police cars.

MORE TO COME…

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Who is willing to try their luck and running prowess against a horse? Only fools, of course.

The Central Otago race Only Fools and Horses is back for round two on 11 April. There is a 40km race and a second shorter 25km fun run to entice more people to challenge their two- or four-legged foes.

Runners and riders have been testing out the course near Wedderburn, which traverses through tussock, along an ancient water race and up ridges.

When it came to long-distance running, Julia Chamberlain has had a go at nearly everything – including testing her mettle against the horses in last year’s race.

“The horses thrashed us, they were so quick. But it was a great run,” she said.

But in a race between Only Fool and Horses, why did she choose the Fools side?

“I’ve probably ridden a horse once in my life. I’m a runner so running against horses, when do you get that opportunity? It’s a couple of friends who have organised the race so it’s pretty cool to support them,” Chamberlain said.

“Such a foreign concept… it’s quite fun running along the water race with these huge beasts coming past you.”

She knew the odds were falling in favour of four legs.

“The only thing that’s really in our favour is endurance, but even then, they’ve still got great endurance,” she said.

“Endurance, speed – but they’ve got four legs, we’ve got two so arguably, they should always win. It would be good to get a great runner to beat the horse so the humans must win. They hopefully will at some stage.”

Rider Niam Tripp was eager to hit the trail.

“I love jumping. I love the adrenaline but also I do love just galloping over hills.”

She was keen for a redemption race after competing on Jeffery last year.

They stopped halfway as he was not quite race-fit, but she said he had been putting in the mahi this hunt season and was ready to go.

She laid down the gauntlet for runners – especially for her brother who, she said, did a dramatic sprint finish last year.

“We’re going to at least try to beat my brother this year,” Tripp said.

“It’s been an ongoing rivalry for a long time.”

Tripp was firmly on Team Horse.

“They’re better at running than we are. Horses are supreme and those runners, well, tough luck for them. They’re going to get beaten again,” she said.

Race co-organiser Steve Tripp – and Niam’s dad – said about 40 competitors had signed up so far, but he expected more would jump onboard.

“It’s the Maniototo. It’s all gold and blue and some wonderful views. You’ve got a historic water race to run along. It’s all on private land so it’s land that you can’t get to otherwise. There’s a lake, a silver birch forest.”

Locals would be cheering everyone over the finish line before the afterparty kicked off with a buffet dinner and dancing – last year, he said the runners outdanced the horse riders.

There was also some added incentive for a runner to cross the finish line first, he said.

“We’ve got a jackpot so it goes up $500 every year that a human doesn’t win it so it’s up to $1000. So if a human wins, it’s a $1000. If not, then it will be $1500 next year.”

The battle between hoof and foot will take place in Wedderburn on 11 April, with the money raised going towards supporting the Maniototo Area School.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Anglican Bishop of Auckland is being urged to intervene in a messy dispute over the ownership of a central Auckland sports ground.

The Hallyburton Johnstone Sports Club has hosted lawn bowls, tennis, and croquet at its Point Chevalier site since 1928.

But a charity, the Anglican Trust for Women and Children (ATWC), argues it is the legal owner of the land, which had a capital value of $5.15 million.

The trust was taking the sports club to the High Court as it wrestled to control the site.

Point Chevalier Bowls Club president Simon Munro said they were preparing for the legal fight.

After over 700 people turned up to a community meeting last month, the club raised $28,000 from the community.

Bowls Auckland also loaned the club $25,000.

But Munro said this would not this be enough for the court hearing, which was expected next year.

“I don’t want to go to the High Court. We can’t afford it as a club.

“We’ve spent close to $50,000 on legal fees so far, but our lawyers are telling us that it’s going to be hundreds of thousands of dollars by the time this goes to the High Court.”

He said the Anglican Diocese of Auckland had influence over the appointment of ATWC trustees.

“The club understands that while the Bishop has distanced himself from the ATWC’s actions, the Church does have the power to remove and appoint Trustees under the Anglican Church Trusts Act (1981).

“There’s a meeting of the Synod, which is the governing body of the church [Auckland Anglican Diocese], which happens every September.

“That meeting is chaired by the bishop, and it’s also where the trustees are appointed, but they can also be removed.”

In a statement, ATWC chairperson Kevin Brewer said they were approached by The Public Trust six years ago, suggesting the Hallyburton Johnstone trust was at an end, and the land could be transferred to them.

He said their trustees had a responsibility to consider how the ATWC could best sustain its mission of supporting vulnerable families across Auckland.

“We understand this is a matter people feel strongly about and our intention is simply to resolve the issue responsibly and allow the appropriate legal process to determine the next steps.”

In a statement, Reverend Ross Bay confirmed the ATWC did social service work within the Diocese of Auckland and under the umbrella of the Anglican Church.

But he said the ATWC was independently governed.

“The Diocese of Auckland has a strong relationship with the ATWC but has no power to direct or interfere in its governance processes.

“I recognise that the claim taken by the Trust in relation to land occupied by various Pt Chevalier sports club is a sensitive issue. I understand the concerns that this has evoked within the local community as a whole and especially among the members of the affected clubs.

“I will continue to monitor the process and hope that a fair resolution can be achieved for all parties.”

He said the ATWC did not have any plans for the future of the site should a ruling fall in their favour.

The MP for Mount Albert, including the suburb of Point Chevalier, Helen White, said forcing a local sports club to spend money it does not have to fight for land they have occupied for almost a century is not a good look.

“The community would be deeply upset [if the sports club was no longer there], and I think it would hurt the reputation of both the Anglican Church and the trust involved.”

She said taking away the site, which also had a community garden and playground, from the sports club, would be of no benefit to women or children.

“I think it’s going to do real damage if this litigation continues or if, in fact, that charity won, that would be a terrible outcome for women and children and for that community.

“This is actually a very special club. It has a whole lot of different community activities in it. It doesn’t have pokies because it is mindful that it needs to support families.

“These are the very sorts of things that help women and children. They keep our children out of violent situations. They support our families. And at this time, when it’s really hard out there, this is an affordable space for everybody in that community.”

White said it was clear the original benefactor, Hallyburton Johnstone, intended for his land to be used for community sports.

The MP had written to Reverend Bay, asking him to step in.

“I would love to speak to that trust, and I would like to speak to the trustees, not a PR person. I would like to speak to the bishop.

“These are issues of concern that both of those parties should be taking some notice of the community interest in.”

She said when she contacted the ATWC to share her concerns, she was referred to a PR company.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Warbirds Over Wānaka organisers are confident the withdrawal of modern military planes will not make a big dent in visitor numbers, with both Easter weekend days sold out for the biennial air show.

The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) would not participate in the event because of fuel costs, with the United States Air Force also withdrawing from the show, which means the F-22 Raptor fighter jets would no longer be taking part.

A Defence Force spokesperson said air force participation in displays and flypasts were always contingent on operational considerations.

“We always ensure our resources are focused on maintaining operational readiness and given the current international fuel situation, all Royal New Zealand Air Force activities have been reviewed,” they said.

“As a result, those not directly related to operational readiness have been de-prioritised and regrettably this includes air display support to Warbirds over Wānaka.”

The spokesperson said RNZAF engagement with communities and participation in aviation events was important and it was not a decision made lightly.

“We understand this will disappoint people attending the event but we appreciate the continued public support and understanding,” they said.

RNZ also approached the United States Air Force for comment.

Warbirds Over Wānaka general manager Ed Taylor said a few tears were shed when organisers received the news but they could not guarantee the appearance of any aircraft at the show and the military had withdrawn before for operational reasons.

The event had taken place every second year in Central Otago for almost 40 years.

Taylor was confident the change to the line up would not affect visitor numbers, with at least 64,000 people expected to attend the sold-out show on Saturday and Sunday and tickets still selling for Friday, despite the military pulling out.

“It’s still an action-packed weekend, we’ve got some magnificent aircraft here. I always say that Warbirds over Wānaka is far more than any one or two aircraft, it’s the sum of many parts,” he said.

Taylor said the event used around 50,000 litres of aviation fuel over five days, including practice flights.

“Most of our display aircraft are not big consumers of fuel, some of the jets can get through a bit, but they’re only doing like a 10-minute display,” he said.

The figure did not include fuel used to fly to Wānaka for the event.

Taylor said the biggest fuel consumption was people travelling to the air show.

“We have to pay to get our aircraft here, especially our civilian aircraft, we have an agreement with each of the owners and they don’t get rich out of it, they just cover their costs,” he said.

New Zealand consumes around 24 million litres of fuel per day, of which around four million litres is jet fuel.

Taylor said the trust had no issues procuring fuel for the event, just at a higher price, but it was covered by the cost of ticket sales and organisers had a contingency built into their budget.

“We’ve got a bit of leeway there in terms of funds, so we’re happy we’ll be financially OK at the end of it, we’re run by a community trust, we’re not here to make money, we’re here to give back to our community,” he said.

Accommodation in Wānaka and the surrounding towns like Cromwell, Alexandra and Omarama was booked out for the event, which was crucial to businesses in the region, Taylor said.

The airshow was tipped to inject at least $40 million into the regional economy.

Cardrona Hotel general manager Warren Barclay said rooms were fully-booked heading into Easter, with Warbirds over Wānaka a major drawcard.

“It’ll be interesting this year with a lot of the military pulling out. It is understandable and we’re not blaming anyone but we just feel a little bit kind of disappointed that this has happened at this time,” he said.

Barclay said there had not been any cancellations because of the change to the show’s line up or the fuel crisis but that could change.

“We’re just busy, we haven’t seen any drop off or anything so there’s nothing at this stage that we would do differently, fuel crisis or not, but time will tell and hopefully this thing will be over before it really kicks in and starts to really jeopardise our whole economic of recovery,” he said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Finding replacement flights for a group of students whose ferry sailing was cancelled after they competed at the Maadi Rowing regatta added nearly $500 to the cost of each child’s trip.

It has been nine days since sailings were halted aboard the embattled BlueBridge ferry Connemara due to a technical fault.

This morning, BlueBridge extended cancellations with the ferry no longer expected to resume services until at least Tuesday evening.

Vicki Feeberg – one of five parents overseeing a group of six Taupō-nui-a-Tia College students – said they were competing at the rowing regatta on Lake Ruataniwha near Twizel, when they learned their sailing was cancelled.

She said it was important to get the children back on time for their classes, but two parent helpers had to stay behind and reschedule the group’s two vehicles to alternative sailings.

“We managed to get some Jetstar flights for our kids to get home, [but] it has probably added around about $3000 to our total costs,” Feeberg said.

Feeberg said she was disappointed the children had to spend extra money from fund-raising that could have been put towards the rowers’ team activities.

“It would have been really nice for that to go into equipment for the kids and travel to other regattas [and] not be spending that on last minute travel hiccups,” Feeberg said.

She said what should have been a fun and social ending to the regatta was tainted by the stress of having to find out what was happening and book alternative travel.

“It’s been really, really hard to get information. We received a text just as we were turning up for one of the races. You had to phone to try and get on to other boats – you couldn’t get through on the phones – my husband sent an email as well and we were just left scrambling to look at other arrangements to get our kids back.

“It would have been really nice to know what was happening and why,” Feeberg said.

She said the group had taken advantage of special fares for the event and so had chosen to use Bluebridge.

“It’s not very good business is it? If you give a whole lot of people a discount to snaffle up the market and then don’t deliver. So it is disappointing,” Feeberg said.

Feeberg said she had never thought of taking out travel insurance for domestic travel, but after experiencing the added strain the situation had put onto the group’s time away, she would be looking into it for future trips.

Another traveller – who did not want to be named – said the ferry’s failure had added about $2100 to their family of three’s costs for returning home after a short holiday and wedding in Nelson.

The traveller said they were texted at 3am last Monday that their scheduled 2pm sailing would not go ahead.

They said the nearest passage available – on either ferry service – would have been 11 days later, so the family had to arrange homeward flights at a cost of $1500.

One family member then had to fly back at the end of last week to pick up their car, luggage and the family dog – which they had been forced to leave with relatives – and catch an Interislander sailing, which added another $600 to their bill.

“I understand that issues arise with machinery but the lack of support to a [situation] that has been generated by their vessels along with no compensation on extra costs added to travellers in trying to return home… is very frustrating,” they said.

The traveller said they had another booking in place for the end of the week and hoped the Connemara would be up and and running by that point.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

One of New Zealand’s most prolific sellers of illegal drugs on the dark web has been arrested, police say.

A “concoction of drugs” alongside $55,000 in cash was seized during a search warrant at a rural property in north Auckland.

A 35-year-old man and a 32-year-old woman were arrested, police said.

The search was part of Operation Lava, which is aimed at putting pressure on drug importers and suppliers operating on the dark web.

Detective Senior Sergeant Reece Sirl said police will allege an account was used to carry out around 2,800 individual drug transactions between June 2025 and March 2026.

“We estimate the value of these transactions over nine-months is around $1.2 million,” sergeant Sirl said.

“These transactions involved around 13 different types of drugs, including methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, GBL and ketamine.”

The man and woman are due to appeared before the North Shore District Court on a “significant number of charges” including the sale and supply of class A, B and C controlled drugs.

Further charges have not been ruled out and investigations are ongoing.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Supreme Court will tomorrow release its decision on David Tamihere’s last attempt to clear his name, 36 years after his double murder conviction.

Tamihere was found guilty in 1990 of murdering Swedish tourists Urban Höglin, 23, and Heidi Paakkonen, 21, in the Coromandel in a case that shocked the world.

Höglin’s body was found in 1991, Paakkonen’s never was.

Tamihere appealed to the Supreme Court last year, arguing the Court of Appeal should have quashed his convictions in 2025 when it found there had been a miscarriage of justice. Instead, the appeal court had said the convictions should remain.

Tamihere has been out of prison since 2010 but has been on a renewed quest to have his convictions overturned since a prosecution witness, prison informant Roberto Conchie Harris, was found guilty of perjury in relation to the case in 2017.

In 2024, the Court of Appeal judges said despite the miscarriage of justice, there was enough other evidence that meant they remained convinced beyond reasonable doubt Tamihere was guilty.

Last year, when Tamihere and his legal team appealed that decision, they argued the 1990 trial was “fundamentally defective” and argued the crown case was now different to the one it advanced then.

Crown lawyers countered that the case at trial still stood – even without Harris’s evidence, and the only reasonable conclusion to draw from the facts was that Tamihere was guilty.

There were some irregularities in the original trial but none of them reached the standard of making it an unfair trial, they said during the hearing.

They said if the Supreme Court did quash the convictions, the Crown would seek a retrial.

But the defence said a retrial would be almost untenable after more than 35 years. Some key witnesses had died.

Höglin and Paakkonen were last seen in Thames in 1989. They had been tramping on the Coromandel Peninsula.

Tamihere had been living in the bush in the area, having been on the run from police for about three years for an earlier rape.

In evidence presented in the original case, Tamihere had admitted stealing the Swedish couple’s car and selling their goods, but denied ever having met them.

Two trampers said they saw Tamihere in a bush clearing sitting with a woman fitting Paakkonen’s description and wearing a distinctive poncho later found in Tamihere’s home.

In the original trial, the now discredited Harris said Tamihere told him he had killed and sexually assaulted the couple and taken Höglin’s watch.

Höglin’s body was discovered the following year, in the Wentworth Valley, almost 70 kilometres away from where trampers said they saw Tamihere, and there was evidence he had been killed close by. Höglin’s watch was still on his wrist.

Tamihere maintains he did not kill the couple.

The court will release its decision tomorrow afternoon.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Biosecurity officers are wrapping up a large-scale fruit fly eradication operation in South Auckland.

Fruit and vegetables can move freely in and out of Papatoetoe for the first time since February as of Monday.

Restrictions were put in place after a single male Oriental fruit fly was found in a surveillance trap.

Biosecurity’s north commissioner Mike Inglis said despite three more males being found in the suburb in early March, he was confident the pest had been eradicated.

“It comes after no further evidence of the oriental fruit fly being in the area, and it brings to an end five weeks of intensive trapping and inspection of nearly 4000 kilograms of fruit.”

Inglis said there were 172 surveillance traps in the Papatoetoe area during the operation, which were regularly inspected by biosecurity officers.

“During this period, we’ve made over 1900 individual visits to check the 172 fruit fly traps, so it has been a significant effort.”

He acknowledged the cooperation of Paptoetoe residents, who had already dealt with an Oriental fruit fly incursion in 2025.

“There’s an imposition on individuals, whether that’s on their own produce, at markets, or businesses. People have been absolutely fantastic in understanding the importance of these restrictions and that we get this right, and we appreciate the community’s efforts.”

Biosecurity said 8000 traps nationwide had been checked regularly during this year’s peak fruit fly season.

Ingliss said these traps, as well as managing risks at the border with detector dogs and educating visitors about produce rules, would be important to prevent any future incursions.

“We’re not taking our foot off the gas.

“We’re protecting a massive primary industry, particularly in the horticulture space.

“With changing weather patterns and longer, warmer summers and an increased number of passengers coming through cargo, its important we continue to focus on this.”

Of the 172 traps, nine were part of Biosecurity New Zealand’s existing network of fruit fly traps across the country, including more than 4600 in Auckland. These will remain in place.

Biosecurity confirmed the remainder would be taken down and stored for any potential future use as needed.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are looking for a man who has been reportedly approaching young children over the last month in Wellington.

Reassurance patrols have been placed near the corner of Mt Albert Road and Volga Street, where the matters were reported to have happened.

Police said the information provided in the report was being assessed and enquiries were ongoing.

“We understand incidents like this can be unsettling to the community; however, we ask parents to be alert, not alarmed,” Wellington area prevention manager, inspector Jason McCarthy said.

“The children have done the right thing by avoiding the man and telling a trusted adult. We encourage parents and caregivers to have discussions around behaviours and actions that are inappropriate or that make a child feel uncomfortable.”

Police urged the community to report any suspicious behaviour.

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