Source: Radio New Zealand

Officials are warning people of artificial images circulating online claiming to capture the fallout of last week’s weather, including the Mount Maunganui slip.

Images on TikTok show scenes of destruction with mud and wreckage not actually visible at the site – with captions like “Mount Maunganui Campground. Prayers for those possibly trapped”.

They depict destroyed tents and campervans – but also some seemingly completely unscathed amidst the ruin surrounding them – as well as a raging waterfall of brown water rushing down a mountain, and emergency workers digging.

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said it was aware some AI imagery “relating to the recent tragic weather events” was being shared online.

“It is important that the public has trust and confidence in reliable and accurate emergency information channels,” it said.

“In an emergency, our primary channel to get information out to the public is the media.”

NEMA worked closely with the media to ensure they provide verified, credible information to the public, it said.

“We encourage people to be vigilant, use trusted sources for their information, and find out if the source of information is credible before sharing it.

“We closely monitor what is being circulated during a response but we would encourage New Zealanders to call out suspicious images when they see them, or report them if there is a suitable way to do this.”

‘Check your sources’, AI expert says

Victoria University senior lecturer in AI, Dr Andrew Lensen, believed it was the first time AI images of a disaster in New Zealand had circulated online.

“But, and I always hate to say this, I’m not surprised,” he said.

“We’ve seen a lot of AI being used for all sorts of … image and video generation over the past year or so, most notably in things like politics, but I think disasters are unfortunately the sort of the next cab off the ranks.”

Lensen believed it would only get worse because it was so easy to create fake content.

“I think there’s also a question there, of course, as to why people do this. I think part of it is they get reactions, they … get clicks, they get engagement.

“But then there’s also of course some other people who have slightly more nefarious reasons as well.”

People who know Mount Maunganui or had seen the slip site would easily be able to tell some of the images were not real – but others, for example people who had never visited Aotearoa, may not.

Lensen said that had the opposite effect, too, with people from overseas seeing real images of the disaster online and believing them to be AI generated.

“My best advice is that we need to go back to those authoritative sources … what is NEMA reporting? What’s on the council’s Facebook page? What’s on the council’s website? What is Radio New Zealand or other public voices saying about this?” he said.

“You’ve got to check your sources, you can’t just rely on what someone you don’t know has posted, because it’s very hard to know whether or not it is real content.”

Netsafe, the online safety agency, had advice about how to spot AI-generated images and video, which includes looking for “strange details”, checking the source, and questioning who made it and why.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Mayor of Whangārei says the council will meet to discuss lifting the State of Emergency in the district.

Nearly twice the typical rainfall for the month of January fell on north eastern parts Northland over two hours last weekend.

Flooding and slips cut off communities and forced locals and stranded travellers to seek shelter in local marae and community centres.

Ken Couper said the council would hear advice from Fire and Emergency, police, Civil Defence and health care representatives.

“Part of [the] north east of our district has been really badly affected and for them it’s very, very real and we have to – and we will – look after them.

“For the rest of the district it’s been business as usual so maybe there’s an opportunity to shrink it down to the effected areas. We’ll have a look,” Couper said.

He said – on top of roading crews in the area – a team of about 25 people had come north from Auckland to assess buildings and the needs of the affected communities.

“We are making progress. Up till the end of Saturday there had been 34 assessments completed on houses. Five of them had been red stickered unfortunately – which means no access at all – 10 yellow with restricted access and 19 white ones – safe to enter but it would still pay the property owner to get them assessed,” Couper said.

Repairs to the Ngaiotonga Bridge – east of Kawakawa – had reconnected the towns of Ōakura, Punaruku to the rest of Northland, but a massive slip at Helena Bay hill was blocking access to Ōakura from the south and could take weeks to clear.

Couper said he was pleased that there was access – albeit restricted – about the district, but he said he was eager to see an outreach medical centre in Ōakura up and running to save people having to travel further in the difficult driving conditions.

Couper applauded the work of local marae in assisting locals and stranded travellers during and in the aftermath of the storm.

He said that this week the council would work towards restocking petrol and food for marae in the area – some of which were still hosting evacuated people.

“They’ve been outstanding. They look after the people, they’re open to everybody and they are well organised.

“After [cyclone] Gabrielle they went through an exercise of learning from that and they made sure they had provisions and the necessary things to cope and it stood them in good stead this time. They deserve a lot of credit,” Couper said.

Couper said the council was working closely with the Ngāti Wai iwi to make sure the marae were stocked with the supplies they needed.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A local council representative drove through the Mount Maunganui campground and directly past three slips about two hours before a deadly landslide, a camper who contacted emergency services at the time says.

The woman, who was woken by one of the victims, Lisa Maclennan, early that morning, has spoken to RNZ about efforts to raise emergency services earlier that morning, including her own call to police three hours before the landslide.

She has also provided the first images of the initial slips that caused the calls to emergency services.

The victims of the landslide have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15, and Max Furse-Kee, 15.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said she had been at the campground for about three weeks and was staying right next to Maclennan and her husband.

She said she was woken shortly before 5am on Thursday morning to Maclennan banging on her window.

“She’s like ‘Oh I’m so sorry I’m waking you up’, but the slip had pushed her campervan about a metre forward, so she said, ‘I’m just waking everyone up because I think everyone should move’.”

The woman moved her campervan straight away and Maclennan’s campervan was moved parallel to the shower block.

The woman said the group then went to the office, but there was no one there.

She said Maclennan had tried ringing the emergency number at the campground and could not get hold of anybody.

The woman said Maclennan told her she was going to try call Civil Defence. It was at that moment the woman called police.

Shortly before calling police, the woman took some photos and video of one of three slips, including one right at her campsite. An image, supplied to RNZ, was timestamped at 6.15am and the video, which shows the slips, was taken a minute later.

A call log provided by the woman confirms she called police at 6.18am. The outgoing call lasted eight minutes.

“I explained to them about the slips. I said, ‘look, I understand that you guys will be really busy, and this might not be anything, but this is what’s happened here’. 

“It was enough to push the ladies’ campervan forward, and there’s a homeless man in the toilet block, and he was actually going crazy and sort of banging on the walls and smashing things.

“And so I said, maybe you should send someone to have a look at that, just in case. You know, there’s a lot of kids here… and they said, yeah, it is a really busy night. It’s been a busy night. It’s a busy morning, we’ll try and get a unit there.”

The woman said no-one arrived until about 7.45am, when she said she saw what she described as a ute that was sign-written with Tauranga City Council. The ute stopped and the woman says she called out, “Look, I don’t know if you can see them from where you are, but there’s these slips up here, I think, you know, someone should look at them.”

The woman was unsure the man heard her. The woman said the ute then drove through the Pilot Bay side of the campground slowly past the slips that she had filmed directly in front of several campsites.

“I figured, well, everything will be fine. Someone from the council’s come, they’ve seen the slips, he’s driven past them, he’s driven through the water that was coming down from that corner that collapsed. So I had no worries after that.”

The woman then had a shower and left the campground to visit her parents.

It was not until about an hour after the fatal landslide that she returned. She said the emergency services at the scene were “amazing”.

It was about midday that she discovered that Maclennan was missing.

“The group of people that was … camping in the area, were all in tears. There was an older couple that we were sitting with in there, and he was heartbroken. It was just terrible and so incredibly unfair.

“I don’t think there was many people that were in the surf club for the day that weren’t, you know, in tears. It was pretty difficult.”

She said Maclennan, who worked at Morrinsville Intermediate School was “being a teacher”.

“She took control. She was making sure everyone was safe. She was, you know, literally rounding people and making sure they were all safe, and being the organiser.

“Lisa [Maclennan] and her husband were amazing. And if it hadn’t been for them there, I would imagine that there would have been many more people.”

Looking back, the woman said she believed there should have been staff at the campground at all times, given the weather warnings.

“I know nothing about running camping grounds, but it seems like a no-brainer to have had people in the campground during a red rain watch and a state of emergency. 

“Either they should have evacuated the campground, which is great in hindsight, but at the very least somebody, there should have been a number of people that worked for the campground or the council on the ground during a state of emergency, because the fact that there was no one there made us all think maybe it’s not that bad.”

She said the days since the landslide had been “awful”.

“It’s dreadful, not sleeping. It’s terrible,” she said.

“I think it’s feeling extraordinarily lucky to not have been hurt and grateful that Lisa woke us up and then just incredibly sad for the families whose people didn’t get out.”

RNZ approached the Tauranga City Council and police for comment on Monday evening on the woman’s account.

“Once the recovery efforts are completed, we have secured the site and have geotechnical assessments that the landslide area is stable, there will be a process undertaken to examine the events that took place before and during this tragic event,” the council’s controller Tom McEntyre said.

“It would not be appropriate to make any comment now that could affect that process or pre-empt the outcome.”

In response to earlier questions from RNZ, Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler confirmed FENZ received a 111 call at 5.48am on Thursday, 22 January, from a person reporting a slip near the Mount Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

“Our call takers made contact with the Tauranga City Council, the landowners of the camping ground, and notified them of this information at 5.51am.

“The landslip that was referenced in the 111 call received at 5.48am did not impact life or property and therefore Fire and Emergency did not respond firefighters to attend, instead we notified Tauranga City Council as the landowner responsible.”

Speaking to the New Zealand Herald, Tauranga City Council chief executive Marty Grenfell said there was no record of a 111 call being referred to the council.

However, a council statement released only hours later backtracked on this version of events.

“After further enquiries, we can confirm that the Tauranga City Council’s main Contact Centre received a call from Fire and Emergency New Zealand at around 5.50am on Thursday, 22 January.”

The council said the chief executive’s earlier comments referred specifically to information logged in the council’s Emergency Operations Centre, which did not receive a call.

At about 9.30am a slip came down at the Beachside Holiday Park at Mount Maunganui, smashing into campervans, tents, vehicles and an ablution block near the Mount Hot Pools.

WorkSafe’s head of inspectorate Rob Pope told RNZ’s Midday Report Tauranga City Council was one of the entities it needed to speak with and understand its part in the event.

When asked if it would be extraordinary for an investigation not to be launched given six people were presumed dead, Pope agreed but said they needed to understand the scope and context first before committing resources to a formal investigation.

A WorkSafe spokesperson told RNZ it was in the “very early stages” of assessing what its role may look like once the search and recovery phase was complete.

“We are currently bringing together a team of inspectors and will be working closely with New Zealand Police to determine next steps.

“We will be looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the holiday park, and whether or not they were meeting their health and safety responsibilities.”

Currently, the focus needed to remain on the recovery efforts, the spokesperson said.

“When the time is right, our inspectors will begin engaging with witnesses and technical experts and gathering evidence from a range of sources including the organisations involved in the operation of the holiday park and the scene.

“In the meantime, our local inspectors have also extended an offer of support to Emergency Management Bay of Plenty and other agencies to ensure that workers involved in the response are kept safe and healthy.”

Pope told RNZ WorkSafe was working closely with police to coordinate their responses after the “incredibly tragic event”.

He did not have a timeframe for when a decision on a formal investigation would be made but said the inspectors would be working at pace and focused on providing the right level of confidence for the families who wanted answers.

“We will be committed to addressing this issue as quickly as we can.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report he supported Tauranga City Council’s decision to conduct a full, independent review into the landslide.

“There’s lots of concerns that people have about why they weren’t evacuated sooner. I think they are very legitimate, very good questions that need answers.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Just a day after performing a crude act in a social worker’s office, Everest Oketopa repeatedly groped a paramedic in the back of an ambulance.

He was so insistent that the healthcare professional had to move to the front of the vehicle to avoid him.

Recently, the Waikato man appeared in the Hamilton District Court for sentencing on charges of assaulting a probation officer, after punching him in the face, doing an indecent act, and indecent assault.

Judge Kim Saunders had to decide whether to hand down a prison term, which would likely see him freed on a time-served basis, or give intensive supervision to help with his rehabilitation.

The first incident, in October last year, involved Oketopa punching a probation officer in the face, without warning, while he spoke with him and his family.

The next day, he was in his social worker’s office speaking to her when he suddenly stood up and began playing with the drawstring of his pants.

He then performed an indecent act and was quickly asked to leave.

Later that same day, he called an ambulance to get a mental health assessment in hospital.

While on the journey, he touched the paramedic “a number of occasions” on her leg.

After telling him to stop and pushing his hand away, the victim ended up moving to the front passenger seat.

‘No one wants to see that’

Judge Saunders noted Oketopa had attended a restorative justice conference with all of the victims, “that seems to have been positive for all”.

He told them he was now committed to re-engaging in treatment programmes, focusing on his mental health, taking his medication, and respecting emergency and professional workers.

He also assured them that he would identify himself if he needed their help again so that the victim didn’t have to deal with him.

Oketopa was already serving a sentence of intensive supervision for charges of assault, shoplifting, threatening behaviour, and possession of an offensive weapon at the time of the recent offending.

“There’s no doubt that your offending, which began as it has in 2025, is a direct result of your deteriorating mental health.

“You have drug-induced psychosis and alcohol and poly-substance abuse disorder.

“You have a significant history of using alcohol and drugs, particularly cannabis and methamphetamine, since your early childhood.”

Judge Saunders said it was clear to her that there was a nexus between Oketopa’s drug use and his offending.

He also appeared remorseful.

She regarded his offending as spontaneous, but “determined conduct”.

“All indecent assaults are serious because you are touching someone who does not want to be touched.

“All she was doing was trying to make you as safe and comfortable as possible.”

As for his indecent act, “no one wants to see that”, she told him.

She convicted Oketopa, issued him a first strike warning on the indecent assault charge as it was a qualifying offence, and sentenced him to 18 months’ intensive supervision.

This story originally appeared in the New Zealand Herald.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Regions across the North Island are recovering from last week’s deadly storms.

Homes were evacuated, floods covered districts, and slips blocked roads and took lives in the worst hit areas.

RNZ breaks down just how devastating last week’s storm was by the numbers.

Death toll

Nine people have been killed or are presumed dead after last week’s storms.

Police said some remains of victims had been found and six people were unaccounted for following the slip at a popular campground.

Two Auckland teenagers, a Swedish tourist and a Morrinsville teacher were among the missing.

In Pāpāmoa, a child was killed alongside his grandmother after a landslide struck a house in Welcome Bay.

The body of a 47-year-old man was found in Warkworth, North Auckland, after he was washed away while fording a river earlier last week.

In 2023, eight people were killed in Hawkes Bay during Cyclone Gabrielle. The total death toll in that storm was 11.

Rainfall

A number of places across the North Island saw their wettest day on record last week.

MetService said Tauranga, Whitianga, and Whakatāne all saw their records broken on Wednesday.

Tauranga received 274mm of rain, making it the wettest day on record, while Whitianga saw 247.6mm, and 114.2mm for Whakatāne.

From midnight on Wednesday to midday Thursday, Whitianga also saw a months’ worth of rain, 353mm.

Other places that faced a months’ rain in 36 hours Hicks Bay, Whakatāne, and Kerikeri, MetService said.

Slips

NZTA reported a number of slips across the roading network in storm hit regions.

There are 40 slip and debris sites now confirmed in the Waioweka Gorge, with seven severe sites.

“We estimate that in total a minimum of 1,000 more truck loads at of debris will need to be removed from the area.” said Rob Service, NZTA’s Controller for State Highway Two/Waioweka Gorge Response and Recovery.

Recovery work had also restarted at the Mount Maunganui slip on Monday morning.

Work was put on hold on Sunday due to the risk of further slips after a crack was spotted on the cliff face.

Property Damage

A number of buildings were badly hit during the wild weather.

In the Coromandel, ten properties had been red stickered, meaning they were unsafe to return to.

A further 16 had also been yellow stickered, while 16 others had been white stickered.

There been 115 properties damaged, however Thames Coromandel Civil Defence said that figure could change.

In the Bay of Plenty, four red placards and 11 yellow placards had been issued.

Tauranga City Council Controller Tom McEntyre said council conducted a number of rapid building assessments across the city.

“The assessed locations are dispersed across Tauranga, including Welcome Bay, Gate Pā, Bethlehem, and Ōtūmoetai,” he said.

Several properties in the Whangārei District had also been red and yellow stickered.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police have named the man who was found dead in the Mahurangi River near Warkworth as Tekanimaeu Arobati, 47, from Kiribati.

“Our thoughts are with his family and friends during this difficult time, and we are offering support to the family.”

Police had said earlier on Monday that a body was recovered after a driver was swept away in a car on Wednesday morning.

Searchers, including whitewater raft teams and drone operators had been scouring the area, as several North Island regions struggled with severe rain, flooding, landslides and storms this week.

Fire and Emergency earlier said two people had been in the car and attempted to cross a ford through the flooded river when they got into trouble. The passenger was able to escape, and seek help.

The death has been referred to the Coroner.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people have been taken to Auckland’s Middlemore Hospital after a reported dog attack.

Emergency services were called to Caspar Road in the suburb of Papatoetoe at about 7:45pm Monday.

Police told RNZ it was believed the people were injured by a dog.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Tearful mourners have gathered on Auckland’s domain this evening to remember one of the teens missing after a landslide at Mt Maunganui.

Sharon Maccanico, 15, is one of six people missing after the slip at a holiday park last week.

On Monday evening, about 100 people, many of them young, came together in mourning.

Many braved the early evening rain, to stand in quiet reflection.

Some sobbed as tearful prayers were said.

“Bring a light, a candle, or simply your presence. We’ll share music, quiet moments, and hold space to reflect on the joy, strength, and warmth [Sharon] brought into our lives,” an open invitation read.

During the vigil, two people shared a prayer with the crowd.

“Please take care of her, Lord,” one said through tears.

A shrine of candles and flowers had been set up in front of the crowd.

Pakuranga College confirmed Sharon was among two of its students who died in the tragedy, alongside Max Furse-Kee, also 15.

The school said it had been in close contact with both families and described the news as “deeply impacting” for staff and students.

Counselling and well-being support will be prioritised as the college community grapples with the loss under “incredibly sad circumstances.”

Maccanico was originally from southern Italy.

In attendance was the Honorary Consul to Italy in Auckland, Lindsey Jones, who said she could not imagine how Maccanico’s parents must be feeling.

She said every Italian in the country would be thinking of the Maccanico family.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A union representing Kiwi nurses has expressed “disgust” at the death of a fellow medical professional in the United States at the hands of government agents.

Alex Pretti, 37, was shot and killed by immigration officers during a protest in Minneapolis on Saturday (US time).

The government-employed intensive care nurse had been helping direct traffic during a protest against the Trump administration’s supposed immigration crackdown in the city.

Video showed he was assisting a woman who had been pushed to the ground by an agent when he was pinned to the ground, pepper-sprayed, disarmed and then shot 10 times by federal agents.

Government officials have said Pretti “approached” agents with a pistol and then “violently resisted” being disarmed.

While legally armed, video at the scene analysed by multiple media organisations shows Pretti did not draw his weapon during the confrontation.

Pretti was employed by the US Department of Veterans Affairs, which looks after the needs of the country’s military veterans.

The New Zealand Nurses Organisation (NZNO) said it was “increasingly concerned at the callous and aggressive attacks” by the US government on its own people. Pretti’s death came two weeks after a mother-of-three was shot dead by agents in the same city.

“It seems that nobody is safe, and when health workers are losing their lives on the street it is gravely concerning,” kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku said.

In both shooting deaths, Trump administration officials made claims about the circumstances that were contradicted by video evidence.

Pretti’s parents said a government claims he was an “assassin” and a “domestic terrorist” were “sickening lies”.

NZNO said it stood with “health workers everywhere and… with all peoples aspiring for freedom from an oppressive system and unprovoked attacks”.

“Nurses are always at the forefront of ensuring the safety and well-being of their communities,” Nuku said. “We are appalled that health workers and communities in general in the US live in constant fear of being indiscriminately harassed, assaulted and even killed.

“Nurses in particular are carers and protectors. Alex was an ICU nurse, so cared for patients when they were at their most vulnerable.”

Those who worked with Pretti described him as a “kind-hearted soul” and a “good, kind person who lived to help”.

Minnesota state officials have called for an end to the federal government’s operation in the city.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Police are investigating the death of a man at a Tākaka property.

They said they were notified at about 3am that the 75-year-old had died.

Police are treating the death as unexplained.

A scene examination has been completed at the property.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow the latest in RNZ’s live blog above

Work has resumed to recover six missing people after the landslide at Mount Maunganui.

The victims have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15 and Max Furse-Kee, 15.

An independent review, led by Tauranga City Council, has been opened into the events leading up to the landslide. Meanwhile, WorkSafe has announced it will be looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the Mt Maunganui holiday park.

Follow the latest in RNZ’s live blog at the top of this page

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Source: Radio New Zealand

• Three of the five members of the Ministerial Advisory Group for Victims of Retail Crime have resigned in the past month.
• One of the three, Retail NZ chief executive, has cited the group’s “very unpleasant environment”.
• The group’s chairman says resignations reflect normal leadership changes
• Justice Minister says external commitments and job changes behind exodus.
• The group has faced criticism for its spending.

The chief executive of Retail NZ says she quit a ministerial advisory group because her relationship with its chairman became untenable.

Carolyn Young is one of three business leaders advising the government on how to combat retail crime to have walked away in the past month, leaving just two members to complete the work.

Young’s departure follows that of Foodstuffs North Island senior manager Lindsay Rowles and Michael Hill national retail manager Michael Bell, who quit late last year.

The group is led by Sunny Kaushal, who remains as chairman, with one other member remaining, Hamilton liquor retailer Ash Parmar.

Young said while Kaushal had the confidence of Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith, he was not the right person to chair the group.

In an interview with Checkpoint on Monday, she told Lisa Owen about its “unpleasant environment”.

Goldsmith made the appointments to the group in mid-2024 and they were supposed to be for two years.

Since then, the MAG has faced criticism for its spending, including on catered meetings around New Zealand and for its inner-city Auckland office space.

It has also faced questions about its value for money after it was revealed that Kaushal invoiced more than $230,000 for work in its first 12 months.

Kaushal defends the group’s work, saying it operates under its $1.8 million annual budget, which comes from the proceeds of crime fund.

Ministerial advisory groups have been set up to provide expert advice to the government on issues such as aged-care funding and transnational crime.

The retail crime group was created after a sharp spike in crime in the sector. Members are appointed by the government.

‘Very unpleasant environment’

Young said her resignation was a difficult decision. It came after long conversations at the Retail NZ board level.

“We know that our members were really keen for me to stay on the group, but it really became untenable in terms of the relationship with the chair and just some of the ongoing communication that I’ve had from them and himself, really implicating my professionalism and who I am and how I work.

“I just didn’t think that was the right thing for me and a professional way to go about things.”

Young said the dairy owners sector group, previously led by Kaushal, had made a personal attack on her.

There were conversations within the MAG about that, which she described as “less than satisfactory”, as well as ongoing communication with Kaushal about engagement work by Young.

“It just felt like it was a continual battle to constantly be able to speak about what retailers are really looking for and how that plays out.

“It wasn’t wasn’t leading to getting good outcomes for retail, and that’s really the key thing that we’re after,” Young said.

“Certainly, it was a very unpleasant environment. It wasn’t a nice place to go and spend an afternoon in a meeting room, that’s for sure.”

She said the group’s effectiveness would be judged in time and, in her view, its key piece of work was about recommendations to strengthen trespass laws.

“But I’m not sure about anything else – whether it’s going to make a significant difference to retail crime and providing protections to retail workers.”

When asked about Kaushal, Young said it was important he was involved with the group.

“I’m not sure that he’s necessarily the right person as the chair, but the minister clearly has confidence in him and isn’t about to make a change – [that] is my understanding.”

On the group’s spending, Young said it was fine so long as it wasn’t out of kilter with other advisory groups.

She said the office space was significant for the group’s small number of people, and she was sure officials would make sure there was good accountability for what was spent.

Rowles and Bell were contacted for comment.

Resignations ‘reflect normal leadership movement’ – chairman

Kaushal said he was at the Indian Republic Day celebration event on Monday, so couldn’t be interviewed.

In a written response to questions from RNZ he said the changes “reflect normal leadership movement in any organisation”.

“Members hold other senior roles and when business demands increase, or people step into new appointments, they sometimes need to step back from external commitments,” he said.

“The work of the MAG continues. We have a busy year of new work ahead.

“The group remains focused on delivering practical, evidence-informed advice to improve safety for retailers and communities.”

He did not answer questions about whether, as chairman, he took any responsibility for the resignations; how the group worked together and if there was any conflict; and what work is in the pipeline for the group this year and if the resignations would affect that.

Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith was also unavailable for an interview.

“Due to external commitments and job changes, Carolyn Young, Michael Bell and Lindsay Rowles have recently resigned from the Ministerial Advisory Group,” the minister said in a statement.

“I thank them for their work and wish them well in their next endeavours.

“The MAG has been extremely busy over the last 12 months generating detailed policy proposals, including new citizens’ arrest powers, a shoplifting infringement regime and strengthening trespass laws.

“These were crucial in developing the Crimes Amendment Bill, which passed its first reading in December. We plan to pass this into law before the election.”

Goldsmith said the government was determined to give businesses more options, and to fix the basics in law and order.

“In order to achieve different outcomes, we need to try different things,” he said.

“We are now considering next steps.”

‘Clearly over-catered’

Just before Christmas RNZ revealed criticism of the group for its spending of almost $24,000 on a series of 22 well-catered stakeholder engagement meetings around New Zealand.

Two meetings in Auckland each cost more than $4000, while another cost more than $3000.

Rock melon, goat’s cheese and prosciutto crostini, mini chicken and leek savouries, and $9 bottles of Coke were among menu items around the country.

Kaushal said the meetings were an important part of his mission to fix retail crime in New Zealand.

After a select committee hearing, where the spending at one of the Auckland meetings came under fire, Goldsmith told the NZ Herald the event was “clearly over-catered” and “probably had too many scones”.

Labour MP Duncan Webb was critical of the cost of food at the meetings.

“It just sounds like he’s spending government funding lavishly,” he said.

RNZ has also revealed the Ministry of Justice, which provides back-office support to the group, has leased for it a central Auckland office space for $100,000 a year.

The ministry said the 389-square-metre space was used for meetings, video conferences and boardroom sessions, as well as having room for up to 70-80 people for engagements and events.

In his first year as the group’s chairman Kaushal billed $238,625, at a daily rate of $920.

Chairman of the Ministerial Advisory Group on Transnational, Serious and Organised Crime, Steve Symon, received the same rate, while chief victims adviser Ruth Money is paid $850 for every day worked in the role.

Kaushal can work up to 250 days a year and invoiced for the maximum amount.

Among the staff supporting the group are three principal policy advisers.

RNZ has previously revealed that one position earns $1261 a day for a contract ending next month, another earns $1126 a day on a contract finishing in March, and the third is on $1036 a day on a contract ending in September.

RNZ has also revealed how ministry officials have provided advice to Goldsmith about concerns to do with Kaushal, however, the minister won’t release the information.

‘On a mission’

In December Kaushal said the group had delivered five “legislative-ready major policy papers” – addressing citizens’ arrests, strengthening trespass laws and allowing retailers to use pepper spray to defend themselves.

“I am on a mission. My focus is on the bigger goal, fixing retail crime in New Zealand, which is costing $2.7 billion per year,” he said.

The ministry and the minister’s office refused to release advice and recommendations from the group last year, including about trespass and “personal safety aides”, which included pepper spray.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Four days on from a devastating storm, pockets of whānau remain cut off from one another on the East Coast.

The communities were still isolated following widespread flooding and slips, with helicopters delivering supplies.

Te Araroa – one of the worst-hit areas – has just been reconnected to Gisborne via State Highway 35 to the south.

According to local Four Square duty manager Wiremu Henare, the opening of the road – three times a day to allow convoys into the township – could not have come soon enough.

“They let a truck through yesterday, so our supplies are real good at the moment. We were running low on some stuff like bread, eggs, and flour, but we are stocked up again.”

The store has been working alongside Civil Defence to help whānau still cut off.

“We probably supply close to… 20-30 families at the moment, that’s out Horoera ways, East Cape, because they’re trapped at the moment.

“We have a team on the ground that’s got four-wheeler buggies and they go round on low tide and supply families with groceries.”

He said it was a beautiful part of the coast, but the entrance – surrounded by hills – was vulnerable to slips.

They had been pulling some big shifts in the store, he said, with one half of his team still cut off in Hicks Bay.

Emergency management controller Ben Green said while the opening of the highway to Te Araroa was a win, it was a different story further north, with the Hicks Bay area likely to remain physically isolated for another week.

He said about 30-odd houses in nearby Onepoto – evacuated due to the risk of landslide over the weekend – were yet to be given the all-clear.

Local Civil Defence kaimahi Trudi Ngāwhare said communities on the East Coast were no strangers to extreme weather, but it still took its toll.

“You want to help, you want to get in there and help and do what you can, but all we could do was watch it happen – and that was horrible to be honest, and you really feel for our whānau.

“A few people woke up and… lost everything. And then we hear our Hicks Bay whānau’s cut off, cut off for days.”

She said the level of destruction has been surprising, leaving a nearby mountain range with “open gash wounds”.

With multiple slips in the area, there was “quite a bit of mess,” and Ngāwhare begged people not to go sight-seeing.

Since the torrential rain, Hinerupe Marae – the Civil Defence base and welfare centre in Te Araroa – had been humming, she said, hosting about 30-40 people at any one time.

“A lot of people to feed… even our kitchen crew has been going hard.”

Ngāwhare said the next few days would be more of the same, and responding to where the need was greatest.

“The needs change everyday depending on how long your power’s out, how long your road’s closed.

“Just keeping dynamic, I guess, and we’ll only know what we need as the day rolls on and plan for the next day.”

She said the support from people “all around the motu” had been heard and felt, and wanted to express “huge gratitude” for everyone’s kind words, karakia, and donations.

“We’ll get there.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Slowly but surely, the seven turtles stolen from Cornwall Park in Hastings are finding their way home.

The red-eared slider turtles were taken after a large square hole was cut in the fence of the Cornwall Park aviary at the beginning of January.

The first turtle was found just days after the theft, sitting on the steps of a dance studio in Hastings.

Community support officer for Hawke’s Bay SPCA, Karen Hacking, said a member of the public called them after finding the turtle in Murdoch Rd.

“We asked them to keep it safe until we arrived,” Hacking said.

“They may be slow, but they can still move, and with a busy road and a nearby park, it was safest to keep the turtle contained.”

She said when the SPCA arrived, the turtle’s shell was very dry.

“We knew about the theft, so we took it back to the Hastings depot, set up an area with water and bought some food. It was obviously hungry, making short work of the food we put in the water.”

She said it seemed really social, responding to voices.

“Most turtles are shy and will retreat into their shells around humans, so that fact stood out to us and made us think it was most likely one of the stolen ones.”

The Cornwall Park aviary keeper visited the next day.

“He believed it was one from the aviary so it went back and by all accounts settled in well.”

A second turtle was dropped off at a Napier pet shop by a member of the public who also called Hastings District Council.

A council spokesperson said once it was confirmed to be one of the missing turtles, it was returned to the aviary.

“It was hungry but otherwise in good health.”

The third was returned by a Hawke’s Bay resident.

The council is also investigating a sighting of a turtle at Anderson Park in Napier.

The spokesperson said people had offered to gift turtles to the aviary.

“However, the pond is only large enough for a maximum of 14 turtles, so we are keeping the space for the return of those who have lived there all of their lives.”

Hacking said anyone thinking about getting a turtle as a pet should do their research.

“Just like any other pet, they need food and shelter. Turtles can live for a long time, and take just as much care as any other animal.”

Red-eared slider turtles can live for up to 50 years in captivity and grow to around 35cm in shell length.

At the time of the theft, a council spokesperson said it was vital the turtles were kept in a cool area with water.

“They should not be released into the wild as they are unlikely to survive and can cause harm to local ecosystems. They can prey on fish, aquatic plants, kōura and insects, as well as small birds such as ducklings, displace nesting wetland birds and degrade water quality.”

Four turtles are still missing.

A police spokesperson said at the time they’d received a burglary report that suggested the turtles had been stolen from the Hastings District Council-owned aviary sometime between midnight 2 January and 6am 3 January.

LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died in what police are calling a “serious” crash in Oakleigh, Whangārei.

Emergency services were called to the scene on State Highway 1 at 2:20pm on Saturday.

Police said one person died at the scene, while three others were taken to hospital – two in serious condition and one in moderate condition.

Enquiries into the crash are ongoing.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A big clean-up is underway in South Canterbury after a truck carrying port-a-loos crashed and sent hundreds of litres of human waste spilling onto the road.

The crash happened on State Highway 1 near Geraldine shortly before 2pm.

Fire and Emergency said about 500 litres of waste had poured onto the highway near Arundel Belfield Road.

Police said local authorities were assisting with the clean up of hazardous waste at the scene.

“It is an unfortunate incident,” a spokesperson said.

The road was down to one lane as emergency services and local authorities respond.

No one was hurt.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A man who is facing arson and firearms charges following a series of attacks on cellphone towers in Wānaka has refused to answer questions from a judge.

Daniel Miller represented himself at a hearing at the Queenstown District Court on Monday.

The 41-year-old declined to say if he understood the proceedings, instead demanding to know if Judge Catriona Doyle was using her full and legal name.

Judge Doyle said Miller appeared to be taking a sovereign citizen approach.

He has been remanded in custody while he awaits a trial later this year.

The attacks had been on numerous cell towers in Wānaka including Spark and OneNZ towers.

Detective Senior Sergeant Regan Boucher had previously said the “mindless” attacks were not only frustrating for the police but posed a serious risk to the public.

“They can disrupt vital connectivity, including access to emergency services such as 111. The last thing we want, and I would also hope the persons responsible want, is for someone to be hurt because they couldn’t call for help,” he said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A man who is facing arson and firearms charges following a series of attacks on cellphone towers in Wānaka has refused to answer questions from a judge.

Daniel Miller represented himself at a hearing at the Queenstown District Court on Monday.

The 41-year-old declined to say if he understood the proceedings, instead demanding to know if Judge Catriona Doyle was using her full and legal name.

Judge Doyle said Miller appeared to be taking a sovereign citizen approach.

He has been remanded in custody while he awaits a trial later this year.

The attacks had been on numerous cell towers in Wānaka including Spark and OneNZ towers.

Detective Senior Sergeant Regan Boucher had previously said the “mindless” attacks were not only frustrating for the police but posed a serious risk to the public.

“They can disrupt vital connectivity, including access to emergency services such as 111. The last thing we want, and I would also hope the persons responsible want, is for someone to be hurt because they couldn’t call for help,” he said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow the latest in RNZ’s live blog above

Work has resumed to recover six missing people after the landslide at Mount Maunganui.

The victims have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15 and Max Furse-Kee, 15.

An independent review, led by Tauranga City Council, has been opened into the events leading up to the landslide. Meanwhile, WorkSafe has announced it will be looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the Mt Maunganui holiday park.

Follow the latest in RNZ’s live blog at the top of this page

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The fire service received a 111 call about a slip near the Mt Maunganui holiday park nearly four hours before a fatal landslide, it can be revealed.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) say they notified the Tauranga City Council and the landowners of the camping ground within minutes.

Recovery work resumed at the site of the Mount Maunganui landslide on Monday, where six people remain missing following Thursday’s landslide.

The victims have been named as Lisa Anne Maclennan, 50, Måns Loke Bernhardsson, 20, Jacqualine Suzanne Wheeler, 71, Susan Doreen Knowles, 71, Sharon Maccanico, 15 and Max Furse-Kee, 15.

In response to questions from RNZ, Deputy National Commander Megan Stiffler confirmed FENZ received a 111 call at 5.48am on Thursday 22 January from a person reporting a slip near the Mt Maunganui Beachside Holiday Park.

“Our call takers made contact with the Tauranga City Council, the landowners of the camping ground, and notified them of this information at 5.51am.

“The landslip that was referenced in the 111 call received at 5.48am did not impact life or property and therefore Fire and Emergency did not respond firefighters to attend, instead we notified Tauranga City Council as the landowner responsible.”

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

At about 9.30am a slip came down at the Beachside Holiday Park at Mount Maunganui, smashing into campervans, tents, vehicles and an ablution block near the Mount Hot Pools.

WorkSafe’s head of inspectorate Rob Pope told RNZ’s Midday Report Tauranga City Council was one of the entities it needed to speak with and understand its part in the event.

When asked if it would be extraordinary for an investigation not to be launched given six people were presumed dead, Pope agreed but said they needed to understand the scope and context first before committing resources to a formal investigation.

A WorkSafe spokesperson told RNZ they were in the “very early stages” of assessing what their role may look like once the search and recovery phase was complete.

“We are currently bringing together a team of inspectors and will be working closely with New Zealand Police to determine next steps.

“We will be looking into the organisations that had a duty of care for everyone at the holiday park, and whether or not they were meeting their health and safety responsibilities.”

Currently, the focus needed to remain on the recovery efforts, the spokesperson said.

“When the time is right, our inspectors will begin engaging with witnesses and technical experts, and gathering evidence from a range of sources including the organisations involved in the operation of the holiday park and the scene.

“In the meantime, our local inspectors have also extended an offer of support to Emergency Management Bay of Plenty and other agencies to ensure that workers involved in the response are kept safe and healthy.”

Pope told RNZ WorkSafe was working closely with police to coordinate their responses after the “incredibly tragic event”.

He did not have a timeframe for when a decision on a formal investigation would be made, but said the inspectors would be working at pace and focused on providing the right level of confidence for the families who wanted answers.

“We will be committed to addressing this issue as quickly as we can.”

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told Morning Report he supported Tauranga City Council’s decision to conduct a full, independent review into the landslide.

“There’s lots of concerns that people have about why they weren’t evacuated sooner. I think they are very legitimate, very good questions that need answers.”

RNZ has approached the Tauranga City Council for comment.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Farmers on the East Coast are worried about how long it will take to reopen storm-damaged State Highway 2.

A large part of the Waioweka Gorge – which connects Gisborne/Tai Rāwhiti and Bay of Plenty – has been closed for just over a week, after heavy rain on 16 January caused about 40 slips.

New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) said it was going to take several weeks to clear the road.

But farmers were concerned taking the long detour to avoid the Waioweka Gorge closure raised animal welfare issues and put extra costs on farmers.

Federated Farmers’ Gisborne/Wairoa president Charlie Reynolds said it was no longer acceptable for the region not to have access through the gorge.

“The East Coast needs a plan B,” he said.

“Long-term, NZTA really need to have a really, really serious look at their road managements and rebuilding programmes, because we can’t handle this every 18 months, 36 months.”

He said the area needed a resilient road network.

“NZTA and the government really need to consider a seriously decent plan B if the [Waioweka] Gorge gets wiped out through slips or something, because we can’t have animals sitting on trucks for 10, 12, 16 hours going south to then go north.”

Chief executive of industry group Transporting New Zealand, Dom Kalasih, supported the call to improve resilience of the country’s roads.

“One of the impacts is these increased costs,” he said. “The detour, say Whakatane through to Gisborne, it’s an additional just over 200km. Time and money, that is a significant increase.”

NZTA was approached for comment.

Meanwhile, one of the country’s largest vegetable growers Leaderbrand said it had managed to get its produce out of the area via the road south.

It said while there had been a lot of rain, its produce was looking good and it was not expecting any shortages of broccoli or salad greens.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A woman died after being dropped from a hospital stretcher at Whangārei Hospital, a coroner has found.

Margaret Batten, 83, suffered a head injury after falling onto a concrete floor in the ambulance loading bay when a St John officer lost control of her stretcher during her discharge in May 2023.

Coroner Tracey Fitzgibbon said Batten was secured on a Stryker stretcher and was in the process of being moved down a ramp by a St John patient transfer service (PTS) officer when she fell.

“As the stretcher started to descend, the left wheel at the head of the stretcher has caught on the wooden kickboard and tipped down towards the loading bay floor. The stretcher has toppled. Mrs Batten landed on her left-hand side on the concrete bay floor,” she said.

“She was assessed by the PTS officer and HCA (healthcare assistant) and taken back to the emergency department for treatment. Mrs Batten sustained a fatal injury and died later that day.

“The cause of death was a traumatic brain injury sustained when she struck her head on concrete.”

The coroner said investigations were carried out into Batten’s death by St John and Health New Zealand, along with a WorkSafe inquiry.

“I am satisfied that the cause of the stretcher tipping into the ambulance bay was due to a loss of control by the PTS officer,” she said.

“The ramp was used on multiple occasions for transferring patients to ambulances. No previous incidents have been brought to my attention, and therefore, this was an isolated incident.”

The coroner outlined several contributing factors to Batten’s death, including the fact that the stretcher was meant to be operated by two people.

Fitzgibbon said the loading ramp outside Whangārei Hospital was also unsuitable for the use of Stryker stretchers.

“In hindsight, if the stretcher had two operators, at the foot and head, this likely would not have occurred,” she said.

If the ramp was the new configuration, the stretcher would not have tipped into the ambulance bay. I accept that the PTS officer also had to navigate through works being conducted at the ED entrance.”

Health New Zealand and St John had made a number of changes since Batten’s death and accepted the coroner’s findings.

“Of note, Hato Hone St John have increased training by two days to focus on the safe operation of stretchers as a single-use operator. This includes manoeuvring in a range of environments and loading/unloading,” the coroner said.

“By 2026, the replacement of non-powered stretchers to powered stretchers will be in place across the country. The powered stretchers are viewed as a safer option for single operators.”

The ambulance ramp reconfiguration at Whangārei Hospital was completed in August 2023.

Health New Zealand Northland group director of operations Alex Pimm said the organisation was “extremely sorry” about what had happened.

“We thoroughly investigated this incident with Hato Hone St John and have made changes to help prevent a similar event from happening again,” he said.

Whilst there were no formal recommendations made in relation to Health New Zealand’s clinical care, we have implemented recommendations from our internal review to improve safety when transferring patients between hospital and a patient transfer ambulance.

“These changes include regular meetings with Hato Hone St John regarding shared use facilities, improved systems for reporting concerns or issues with our facilities, and modifications to the ambulance bay ramp to improve patient safety.

“We have also developed a transit lounge where patients can be collected by ambulance for transfer to their home, which has purpose-built facilities and reduces traffic in the emergency department ambulance bay.”

Hato Hone St John ambulance operations general manager Debra Larsen said Batten’s death had a profound impact on everyone involved.

“We remain committed to learning from it and improving the safety of our services,” she said.

“Most of the recommendations have been completed or are underway, including working with Health New Zealand to improve the ramp and railings at Whangārei Hospital, establishing a formal communication system between Health New Zealand and Hato Hone St John to better manage overlapping safety responsibilities, refreshed training for staff involved in stretcher use, dynamic risk assessment training for single-crewed Patient Transfer Service (PTS) staff, carrying out risk assessment reviews of ambulance loading areas across New Zealand, and strengthening the content and guidance within Patient Transfer Service regional handbooks.

“We would like to reiterate how deeply sorry we are for what occurred and extend our sincerest condolences to Mrs Batten’s family.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The high cost of energy to produce a single Bitcoin seems to make little financial sense as the cryptocurrency’s price slips to about US$86,000 (NZ$147,000).

Latest data from Cambridge Bitcoin Electricity Consumption Index indicates the energy needed to produce one Bitcoin costs more than US$100,000 for 15 of the world’s top 20 producers, with Australia among the biggest spenders at nearly US$259,000.

New Zealand miners need to spend an estimated NZ$173,192.96 on energy to produce one Bitcoin, according to data provided by New Zealand industry organisation Cryptocurrency NZ.

Cryptocurrency NZ co-founder Nicolas Turnbull said there were more than 1000 Bitcoin miners active in New Zealand, though most were hobbyists rather than commercial producers.

“They purely want to mine it for exposure to it,” Turnbull said.

“It’s still a great asset to mine. It’s an exposure to a different asset class.”

Some miners contributed their computer power to global pools, in order to get a slice of what is known as the “Bitcoin block reward” which worked out to 3.125 bitcoin, valued at between US$280k to $300k, he said.

However, the energy cost per bitcoin was still outpacing the current market price, with three of the top five global producers, USA (171btc), China (95btc) and Russia (21btc), each spending more than US$100k in energy to produce one bitcoin, though Kazakhstan (60btc) was able to produce one bitcoin at the relatively low price of US$67k, with Canada at US$97k.

Still, Bitcoin sucked up a global estimate of 191 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy a year, though the Cambridge Centre for Alternative Finance noted Bitcoin miners were often able to tap into so-called ‘stranded’ energy assets that could not easily be put to productive use by other industries.

“In those cases, Bitcoin miners are not competing with other industries or residential users for the same resources, but instead soaking up surplus energy that would otherwise have been lost or wasted,” it said.

“Instances of this ‘non-rival’ approach has been observed, among others, with renewables curtailment in as well as gas flaring in North America.”

The UK topped the list with the most expensive energy needed to produce one Bitcoin a day, at US$266k or nearly three times the current market Bitcoin price.

However, Turnbull said price was not the only factor motivating hobbiests.

“There may be factors where it becomes unprofitable, but you can always offset it,” Turnbull said, adding some New Zealand hobbiests were generating their own renewable energy and using the output from high-powered mining computers to heat their homes.

“These machines give off quite a lot of heat, so you can actually use them for heating.”

There were other developments motivating Bitcoin enthusiasts, Turnbull said.

“The rules are changing, especially this year.”

He said an expected change in tax policy to exempt capital gains on any Bitcoin spending under $1000 is expected to extend the reach of Bitcoin.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Otago homicide detectives are continuing to investigate the death of a woman at a Clutha property, where a man was also found critically injured.

Emergency services were called to Adams Flat Road in Crichton at about 6.10pm on Friday after reports of a “serious incident”.

RNZ understands the woman who died was Jillian Clark, a well-known local veterinarian, and police were treating the case as a possible murder-suicide attempt.

A death notice published on Monday described Clark as a much-loved family member who was tragically taken.

No charges had yet been laid.

The man remained in a critical condition in hospital.

In an earlier statement, police said people in Crichton could expect to see an increased police presence in the area.

Where to get help:

• Need to Talk? Free call or text 1737 any time to speak to a trained counsellor, for any reason.
• Lifeline: 0800 543 354 or text HELP to 4357
• Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 / 0508 TAUTOKO (24/7). This is a service for people who may be thinking about suicide, or those who are concerned about family or friends.
• Depression Helpline: 0800 111 757 (24/7) or text 4202
• Samaritans: 0800 726 666 (24/7)
• Youthline: 0800 376 633 (24/7) or free text 234 (8am-12am), or email talk@youthline.co.nz|
• What’s Up: free counselling for 5 to 19 years old, online chat 11am-10.30pm 7 days/week or free phone 0800 WHATSUP / 0800 9428 787 11am-11pm
• Asian Family Services: 0800 862 342 Monday to Friday 9am to 8pm or text 832 Monday to Friday 9am – 5pm. Languages spoken: Mandarin, Cantonese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Hindi, Gujarati, Marathi and English.
• Rural Support Trust Helpline: 0800 787 254
• Healthline: 0800 611 116
• Rainbow Youth: (09) 376 4155
• OUTLine: 0800 688 5463 (6pm-9pm)

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

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