Source: Radio New Zealand

Is traffic already worse than normal or are Aucklanders just dealing with the usual shock of congestion as everyone returns to work and school?

The spike in Auckland traffic congestion is known as ‘March Madness’, but travel times are already picking up.

Director of transport advocacy website, Greater Auckland, Matt Lowrie told Nine to Noon travel times appeared to be normal.

“One of the things that happens is that we get lulled into a false sense of security of how easy it is when the traffic is low and during those school holidays.

“The numbers seem to suggest that it’s probably similar to last year … but it’s that we’ve often forgotten how bad it was at this time last year because even throughout after April when March Madness normally runs through to about Easter, it does drop off for sort of the rest of the year.

“We forget how bad it is at this time of year and I think that’s part of what is driving the experience that people are having is that we just forget that it’s super busy at this time of year and that creates a lot of pressure on all forms of transport.”

Lowrie said while they didn’t have road data yet, travel on public transport seemed to be about the same as last year.

However, he said indications were that roads were not at its peak yet, with far more congestion still to come in March.

“It’s the busiest period of the year on the roads and on public transport and it’s basically the highest level of transport demand that exists,” he said.

“There’s a number of factors behind it and that is things like kids going back to school, people who no longer have taken their holidays so they’re back at work and even things like sickness.”

There were fewer people sick at this time of year than perhaps in winter, Lowrie said.

“They tend to be more in the office more and then there’s also just, for example, university students, they’re about to go back shortly and they’re also at the start of the year,” he said.

“They’re quite keen to get into it and all excitement and before some of them start to sort of drop off or work their way around when their lectures are and what have you.

“It’s when most people are on the roads and on public transport and everything, travelling around to get to destinations.”

Lowrie said constant disruptions meant that trains were only operating at 60-65 percent of what it was prior to Covid.

He said it would take time for commuters to trust the network.

“City Rail Link will absolutely help that, and I think there will be a lot of people who decide to give it a go … it’s particularly from the west of Auckland where the travel times will be significantly lower as a result of the city rail.”

That’s where people will start to see some behaviour change and giving the trains a try, he said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Follow our live blog for updates above.

RNZ understands a person has been killed by dogs in Northland.

St John confirmed an ambulance and helicopter were called to the scene around 11.22 this morning.

They referred further queries to police.

The incident comes amid growing calls for an overhaul of dog control laws.

A resident of the Far North community of Ahipara last week told RNZ residents had been arming themselves with sticks to protect against roaming dogs.

Follow our live blog for updates at the top of this page.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Public Service Commission says the Teaching Council fell well short of public sector standards in its management of procurement and conflicts of interest.

The commission has published its investigation into procurement and conflict of interest management involving the advertising firm Clemenger, digital engagement services, and te reo Māori instruction, translation, and Māori cultural advice.

“Our investigation found that on multiple occasions between late 2018 and early 2025, the Teaching Council conducted procurement activities which did not comply with its internal policies and fell short of relevant system guidance. Some of these procurement activities also involved a conflict of interest which, in our view, was not appropriately identified or managed,” it said.

“This was not an issue of technical non-compliance. Key steps in the requisite processes did not occur, creating significant organisational and reputational risks. The Teaching Council’s management of these activities fell short (and sometimes well short) of the standards expected in the public sector. This has the potential to undermine public trust in the organisation.”

The report said the council’s chief executive, Lesley Hoskin, had a conflict of interest with regard to Clemenger because her husband is the company’s managing director and has shares in the company.

It said the council engaged Clemenger for three projects, and though Hoskin declared the conflict and was not involved in awarding the contracts there was “varying compliance” with the council’s procurement policy.

“Many of the contracts linked to these initiatives were not procured through competitive processes, and the grounds for exemption from this requirement in the Teaching

Council’s procurement policy were not thoroughly considered, documented or approved. We have particularly serious concerns about a contract related to the communications strategy initiative, which was finalised for a value of $570,000 (later varied to $530,000) following a Request for Proposal (RFP) indicating a value of $75,000. The description of services provided under this contract also differed significantly from the workstreams identified in the RFP.”

The report said the council engaged two contractors for “digital engagement” without a competitive process, creating a risk of perceived bias or favouritism, though there was no evidence of conflicts of interest.

It said multiple contracts for te reo Māori instruction, translation and cultural advice did not comply with internal procurement policy but there was no evidence that the deputy chief executive sponsoring the projects had a conflict of interest.

The report said the council had “low maturity” in conflict management because it relied on annual declarations of conflicts of interest rather than actively managing them.

“The Teaching Council’s sole approach to managing the Chief Executive’s conflict in relation to Clemenger was to exclude her from any procurement and contract management process. This was an overly simplistic approach and not sufficient to manage the Chief Executive’s conflict of interest. In particular, very little was done to manage the considerable perception risks arising from the conflict. To the contrary those risks were exacerbated markedly by poor procurement practices as

set out below,” the report said.

It said Hoskin did not declare her husband’s shareholding in Clemenger which created a financial interest in a company that benefited from contracts with the council.

“The Chief Executive did not disclose her husband’s shareholding to the Chair of the Governing Council, or to senior leaders managing contracts with Clemenger beyond the verbal declaration to Deputy Chief Executive A in 2018. While the Chief Executive reliably disclosed the conflict created by her husband’s position, her omission of the shareholding interest showed a lack of understanding of the nature of conflicts.”

RNZ has approached the Teaching Council for comment.

Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the report painted a concerning picture about the council.

“The Council is responsible for upholding high professional standards for teachers,” he said.

“It must also meet the highest standards itself. In this case, basic public sector expectations were not met, and in some areas the Council fell well short.

“These shortcomings created avoidable organisational and reputational risks and have the potential to undermine trust in the Teaching Council.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Pharmacists and Health New Zealand have reached an agreement on pay and conditions, with members of the union voting to accept HNZ’s latest offer.

Pharmacy Association of Professionals and Executive Employees (APEX) members – which include pharmacists, pharmacy assistants and technicians – will receive a 2.5 percent salary increase from January 2026, and a two percent increase in 2027.

HNZ spokesperson Robyn Shearer said the health agency welcomed the decision, which would affect about 300 workers.

“We would like to acknowledge and thank APEX for its commitment to reaching this settlement.”

APEX represents pharmacy workers employed across Aotearoa, including those working for Te Whatu Ora and in private practice.

Senior advocate Denise Tairua told RNZ they began bargaining in mid-October, prior to their old agreement expiring in November.

“There’s a month between expiry and commencement,” she said. “It was an issue for the members, however, given some of the other things and improvements, it was a small timeframe not to receive back-dating.”

Other benefits included an increase in HNZ’s contribution to membership fees. It had been a longstanding practice for HNZ to cover less than the full cost of membership fees for various professional associations required for their work.

Those fees ranged from $200 to $500 annually, she said.

“There’s been a slight uplift in those, getting [HNZ’s contribution] nearer to that 80 percent.”

A pharmacy engagement group had also been formed, which would look at longstanding issues around safe staffing, monitoring the use of professional development funds, and the duration and frequency of on-call periods.

The bar for ratification was to exceed 50 percent. “We did have quite a good turnout, so a high percentage of members voted to ratify this agreement.”

“We’re quite pleased that this one didn’t drag on,” Tairua said. “What’s really important will be work we can do within the engagement group to look at longstanding issues.”

Earlier this month, the union also reached a settlement for its psychologists, with similar pay increases to the pharmacy agreement, affecting 670 workers.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A 15-year-old boy has been arrested in relation to a fire that gutted a west Auckland BMX club last year.

The canteen at Waitākere BMX club on Glen Road in Rānui was destroyed late November. Police believed it was deliberately lit.

Police estimated the fire, which started in a bin filled with paper and other rubbish, destroyed more than $50,000 worth of property.

“The BMX Club worked really hard to set up the canteen and it was part of what kept them running,” Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting said in a statement.

“The alleged offenders’ thoughtless actions have done real harm to this community.”

He said 15-year-old male had been referred to Youth Aid.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Doctors and nurses at South Island hospitals have been struggling with clinical documents not being displayed or not being saved.

Health NZ on Monday issued a critical priority notice about service degradation of its electronic clinical record system that the South uses.

The notice at 12.30pm was resolved just after 4pm.

RNZ was told the example of a doctor losing some patient discharge summaries that they then had to recall and do again.

Someone familiar with the situation said the doctor talked about “the devastation of how much information has been lost that he has to re enter [and] time for which he does not have”.

“It’s all very well to have plans, intentions and work-around but when this is a daily issue it becomes very difficult, demoralising and dangerous. Who’s to say this House Officer is going to recall all that needs to go into the discharge summaries when he gets back to them?”

Health NZ has been approached for comment.

‘Fixing longstanding issues’

This follows at least four major IToutages at public hospitals last month.

In some, clinicians lost access to patient records that tracked medication and lab results.

Health NZ’s acting chief information officer Darren Douglass recently wrote to staff that “we are investing more than $200 million this year in essential upgrades to our core digital infrastructure and the systems people rely on”.

That would include replacing outdated hardware and “fixing longstanding issues that have built up over time”.

The $200m was from existing expenditure made up of depreciation funded investments (for example, lifecycle replacements and upgrades) and Crown expenditure (the drawdown of the balance of funding allocations from Budget 2021, 2022, and 2025), Health NZ said.

In 2024 about $300m was cut from its data and digital spending and scores of jobs.

‘The impact can be serious and immediate’

An internal memo about trying to improve the response when IT failed said, “when something fails, especially at scale, the impact can be serious and immediate: disrupting care, delaying treatment, or stalling vital work”.

Health NZ has repeatedly told the public it had workarounds and plans to protect patient care during outages.

It also said three of the four outages in January involved outside vendors, and it was working with them to speed up the response.

This had echoes internally, according to the memo late last month with reference to clinicians having trouble calling for IT help:

“Digital Services has listened to your feedback that it’s not always clear what to do, navigating support channels can be confusing, and response times have been lengthy.

“We’ve made changes to how incidents are prioritised, managed, and communicated.”

Work was going on to speed up the IT service desk response from three minutes to under two, set up a single 0800 number for the service desk, and put out a user guide so staff would know “what channels should you use”.

Health NZ told RNZ last week it was moving from regional IT service desks to a national model so support was clearer and more consistent.

It also said, “When there is a significant IT incident, our priority is restoring services safely and supporting clinical teams to continue care.

“We have established response and escalation processes in place, and we draw on expertise from across the country and our vendors to resolve issues as quickly as possible. Patient safety remains the central focus throughout.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A washout at a single lane bridge has completely cut off several settlements in southern Wairarapa, including Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser.

Torrential rain, which began on Sunday night, caused widespread flooding in rural and coastal areas, but the already isolated communities are now completely cut off, after the Lake Ferry Road bridge over the Turangaui River fell away overnight.

The bridge is the only access by road to communities in Lake Ferry, and along the Cape Palliser coast, such as Whāngaimoana and Ngawi.

South Wairarapa District Council said the the bridge was located between Warrens Road and the junction with Cape Palliser Road.

“The bridge is only one lane and is the main access route to Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser. This means those communities cannot currently be reached by road.

“Road crews and contractors are on site working urgently to repair the damage and reopen the road. The road is expected to reopen later this afternoon.”

Pirinoa Station farmer Guy Didsbury told Morning Report the bridge had been “gouged out” and following a wellfare check on a neighbour, Whāngaimoana Beach local Terry Shubkin went to see the damage for herself.

She said a four-wheel drive was necessary before even reaching the bridge.

“But even if you could pass that, you get to the bridge and the bridge itself is washed out.

“There’s about a three-metre gap.”

Despite the washout, Shubkin wasn’t too concerned about being trapped.

“We are lucky compared to other people, we are well set-up here.

“We have lost our water pump, but we do have a 10,000L tank here I just have to figure out how to get the freshwater out of it.”

Shubkin said other residents had floodwaters right through their properties – “they’re not so lucky”.

The storm itself was “pretty rough and scary” when it hit on Sunday night, she said with rising floodwaters stopping just two inches shy of the house.

“We do flood, but this is the worst I’ve seen in 23 years.”

Shubkin said power had since returned and she was impressed with Civil Defence on Monday who were undertaking door-knocks when the weather was still severe.

“When the storm was … still quite bad they actually came down the street a couple of times to check on people.”

Wairarapa Emergency Operations Centre Controller, Simon Taylor said the main priority on Tuesday was to establish communication with rural and coastal communities and understand their needs.

A reconnaissance helicopter flight on Monday was turned around due to bad weather.

It flew from Masterton to Lake Ferry and Cape Palliser, but the severe weather prevented its flight over Tora, Flat Point, Riversdale, Castlepoint and Mataikona.

He said food had been delivered to some rural communities in South Wairarapa by emergency services in four-wheel drives.

He understood people were “tired and frustrated,” particularly where power and water supplies had been disrupted and asked people to stay safe and check on their neighbours.

“One of the key things in the Wairarapa, we are a community that looks after ourselves and our neighbours.”

On Tuesday morning, Powerco said 1148 homes were still without power across Wairarapa, down from 3300 on Monday evening.

A boil water notice remained in place for Pirinoa following the inundation of the water treatment plant.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A Banks Peninsula farm worker had to swim stranded sheep to safety after huge downpours at Teddington.

More than 280mm of rain has fallen on parts of the Banks Peninsula from Sunday night to Tuesday morning. MetService meteorologist Silvia Martino said persistent rain was expected for much of the rest of Tuesday. An orange heavy rain warning was in until 6pm

Farmer Sir David Carter said more than 250mm of rain fell overnight at his property.

“The rain gauge was overflowing this morning. I’ve never seen so much rain and I’ve been farming here for 40 years.”

Carter said paddocks were flooded and trees were are down, which left him stranded on the farm.

“We moved stock to higher ground last night because we knew this was coming, but a farm assistant had to swim nine sheep to safety at 6.30am.

“I’d say there will be slips on the hills but we won’t know the extent of the damage until the rain stops.”

He said he didn’t think they had had stock losses.

Opawa flooding

In Christchurch, Stuart Payne, an Opawa resident of 35 years, told RNZ it was the second-worst flooding he’d seen in the area.

He said the response from council for the city’s metropolitan areas was delayed, despite flooding in various parts of the city, while most of the focus was currently on the Banks Peninsula.

He also questioned why the region hadn’t been placed in a state of emergency. No declaration had been made by 10am on Tuesday.

“Maybe they’ve been caught out.”

Payne sent RNZ photos from his drive on Fifield Terrace, where surface flooding has covered the road.

“It’s like a massive lake.”

His property was raised and wasn’t at risk of flooding, he said.

At 8.40am, Christchurch City Council published a list of city road closures on its website.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

One person has died following a head-on crash in West Auckland last night.

The crash between two cars at the intersections of Hepburn and Great North Rd in Glen Eden happened shortly after 11pm on Monday.

Three people were taken to hospital – one in a critical condition and two others with moderate injuries.

The person in a critical condition later died.

The police’s serious crash unit is investigating the cause of the crash.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Former students of St George’s Preparatory School in Whanganui have been stepping back in time on tours of the almost century-old campus ahead of its demolition.

The district council-owned site is being deconstructed – piece-by-piece – ahead of being repurposed for iwi health organisation Te Oranganui.

Built in the neo-Georgian style in 1927, St George’s was originally a boarding school for boys destined for nearby Whanganui Collegiate. In 1980, faced with declining rolls, it went co-ed before eventually relocating entirely to the Collegiate campus in 2017.

Former student Richard Austin’s father, Geoff, was headmaster from 1957 to 1977. He found the tour an emotional experience.

“I was thinking of those moments during my time there. Where I was sitting when I was told about the untimely death of my grandfather. I could just picture where I was sitting and where Dad told me.

“To walk onto the headmaster’s steps into his study. There were red steps where you were about to be caned. I could almost picture my dad’s binoculars hanging over the balcony balustrade.”

He reckoned his dad pumped up his role somewhat.

“He was more like a housemaster for 80 boarders all aged under the age of 12 or 13, and maybe 40 day boys. So, it was a boarding house, which I lived in, and the headmaster’s residence that was entirely discrete, but it didn’t stop me slipping through and helping myself to home food as well as school food.”

Austin – who had no qualms about the buildings coming down – looked back at his time at St George’s fondly.

“Our life there was a microcosm, we just lived a completely organised, regimented and caring life.

“School holidays were great. I had all these swimming pools I could use, all these tennis courts I could use or cricket fields I could play on. It was a wonderful time.”

Whanganui Heritage Trust co-chairperson Mary-Ann Ewing petitioned to save the school but had long accepted that was not possible.

“Our focus turned to salvage looking at the materials, the heritage materials, and we’ve been promoting to the council access for the public to walk through so that past students, teachers and grandparents can effectively say goodbye to it.”

The visit also moved her.

“It was quite emotional walking through. It’s such a beautiful building and we feel we’ve done the right thing arranging these days of walk-throughs, so people can see how much there is to salvage. The beautiful wood.

“And we were very impressed with ARC. They are passionate about salvaging as much as possible.”

ARC Asbestos Removal and Demolition chief executive Thomas Bishop was hoping to salvage up to 95 percent of the building materials.

“Your rimu, your matai, your totara, this material needs to be between 600 and 800 years old to mill. This building’s been up 100 years, so if it’s 600 to 800 years old before it’s even been installed in this building. We’re potentially talking about timber that is over 1000 years old which is pretty special. And it hasn’t seen moisture or the light of day in a hundred years.”

It wasn’t a responsibility Bishop took lightly.

“There is a lot of history here and we have a lot of focus on is being kaitiaki for this product, this native material. We want to see this last forever, so for us to make sure it gets a new lease of life or installed in something else is hypercritical.”

The brickwork was also a focus.

“So, these bricks were actually clayed and fired here in Whanganui. There’s over 500,000 of them at this stage. It was actually full height double-bricked so there was potential for a million bricks here at one stage, but we’ve got 500,000 potentially left on site which are going to be cleaned up and repurposed.

“We’re still doing a bit more of a deep dive into the roofing tiles to figure out what’s going on with them. I know they were used as ship’s ballast to travel to and from Aotearoa New Zealand back in the day.”

Heritage management consultancy, Geometria, was also going through the buildings with a fine-tooth comb recording every aspect of the school so that it could create a digital record of it – including a three-dimensional representation of it.

Whanganui District Council bought St George’s from the YMCA in 2019.

It has signed a 21-year lease with Te Oranganui which planned to use the site as a community-focused health and wellbeing campus.

Te Oranganui Mātaiwhetū chief executive Whetūrangi Walsh-Tapiata said the trust had been able to tour the buildings before the extent of its asbestos issues was known.

“So, we have known about the beauty of the materials, in particular the wood, and as we progressed towards a lease arrangement with the Whanganui District Council and in our conversations with the Whanganui Heritage Trust, we always anticipated that we would like to consider using some of those products as a part of our new development.”

Walsh-Tapiata said the trust wanted the new build, planned for the school’s cricket ground, to honour pre-colonial and more recent history.

“So we are very excited about the possibility of ongoing conversations with the Whanganui District Council to consider how we might be able to use some of those materials.

“We’ve also created an artist group and they’re part of the group that walked through the property earlier this month with a view of seeing how we might be able to utilise some of these products or some of these resources, some of these materials.”

Walsh-Tapiata said as news of the deconstruction of St George’s spread, she expected requests to come in from marae and hapū iwi.

“And I hope they do, because when I look at particularly the wood. I think, wow, what did our land look like 100 or 200 years ago?

“You’ve got to remember that a lot of our forests 200 years ago were shipped to, for example, Wellington, and were part of building our Parliament buildings. So, you know, that is the nature of the beauty of the materials that came out of this region.”

Walsh-Tapiata said Te Oranganui had operated in the region for more than 30 years and its more than 200 staff were often spread around multiple locations.

“One of our goals was to build a fit for purpose facility where we would all be together and that would reflect our values and the way in which we have a wellbeing approach to the services that we offer.”

Walsh-Tapiata said stage one and stage two of the development would be to locate a headquarters for Te Oranganui on the St George’s existing cricket field, while stage three would be to invite partners onto the site of the existing school to create a genuine wellness hub.

It was envisaged more than 100 Te Oranganui staff would be based there.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Residents of an affluent east Auckland suburb fear their quiet lifestyle could be shattered by a three-storey development in the middle of their neighbourhood.

With dozens of buildings looming high above her garden, Farm Cove resident Anne Moore said there was nowhere to hide.

“My sister’s room is curtains drawn because there are people building on the building site, and there’s no privacy,” she said.

Moore was leading the charge urging council to take action over the partly-completed construction.

With the support of her neighbours, she had sought legal advice, maintaining the development should no longer be allowed under Auckland’s recently changed planning rules.

The hammers and grinders echoing through her home office were hard at work on a pair of three-storey residential units, and they were right next door.

Moore worried the lack of privacy could be permanent once her new neighbours moved in.

“I think the fact that it looks right into our home and right into our property. We’ve got a spa pool, there’s two or three swimming pools in the surrounding area that they now look down on all of us,” she said.

Another neighbour, Lisa Anne Roy, said the new building towered over her property and blocked the sun.

“The impact’s been absolutely huge,” Roy said.

“We have an immune-compromised child, and taking all the sunlight away from the bedroom side of the house, I mean going up 11 metres, it’s just horrific.”

Roy only heard about the development through word of mouth after construction had already started.

“I have three dogs. To have that third dog on my property, I had to get every single neighbour to sign before council would let me have three dogs on my property,” she recalled.

“They didn’t have to get any signatures to totally change the landscape.”

The development in Farm Cove was allowed by the central government’s Medium Density Residential Standards (MDRS), introduced in 2022 and permitting three-storey buildings on most city properties.

Contractors at the site on Bramley Drive had just broken ground in October last year when Auckland Council pulled out of those standards, the result of an agreement with the government following the 2023 floods.

That change limited new builds in Farm Cove to two floors, but the development had already been consented for three.

Anne Moore said construction should stop, and was campaigning for the council to step in.

“I keep getting emails saying that, you know, he had a building consent, he got it under the MDRS, and so they’re not going to enforce it because he was given that at the time. Well, that’s all very well, but those rules don’t apply anymore.”

Auckland Council’s head of resource consents, James Hassall, said the development could go ahead despite the recent changes.

“The government is investigating changes to help remedy the situation. This has allowed Auckland Council to issue formal notices to affected consent holders confirming they can rely on their existing consents and continue with their developments while a permanent fix is investigated,” he said in a written statement.

The developers declined RNZ’s interview request, but reiterated that the council had given them permission to continue.

And continue it had. Within a few months, contractors had already erected the frame of the third floor, and the shape of the building was coming into view.

Moore said the noise was driving her crazy, work often dragging into the evenings and weekends.

“They are allowed to work until six in a residential area, but they often keep going and we all have to yell out, hey, time to go, because by then we’ve had enough. So we really want our privacy back for what little time we have it,” she said.

“They’re here Monday to Saturday, and then last Sunday some showed up to work last Sunday, which they’re not allowed to do.”

In an election year, she said National risked losing its previously loyal support in east Auckland.

“I think it’s going to make a difference at the polls this year, to be honest,” she said.

“And this area is a big stronghold for a certain party, and so people are outraged.”

Anne Moore said her community felt burned, and feared others may be put in a similar position.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are being lashed by heavy rain as the wild weather moves south, causing flooding in Akaroa.

MetService said a deep low east of New Zealand is moving slowly southwards, bringing more heavy rain to the lower North Island and eastern South Island.

However, it said the south-to-southwest gales over central New Zealand are easing.

Banks Peninsula is under an orange heavy rain warning until 6pm, with up to 100 mm of rain on top of what has already fallen.

A heavy rain watch is in place for Christchurch (apart from Banks Peninsula), and Canterbury Plains and Foothills between the Rangitata River and Amberley until 10am.

A heavy rain watch for Dunedin (east of Pukerangi) will linger for longer, and is due to expire at 9pm.

Christchurch City Council said it was closely watching the weather, with roading crews on standby overnight. Some surface flooding has already been reported, but more will be known as day breaks.

State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa was closed at 11pm on Monday because of flooding. An update on the road is due by 7am.

MetService said has also issued heavy swell warnings for the Wellington and Wairarapa coasts from midday, saying large waves and dangerous sea conditions are expected. Coastal inundation is possible about exposed coasts.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

“Human-machine teams” using leading-edge technology to defeat the enemy are part of the NZ Defence Force’s vision for the future.

The defence force’s new briefing to Parliament on the future of fighting technology contains visions of a digital twin for each soldier, laser weapons and drones using satellites to engage with targets before a human pulls the trigger

But it also includes warnings about the costs and ethical difficulties.

“Machines will increasingly operate systems, processes and capabilities independently of humans,” said the 66-page long-term insights briefing, which imagines a world after 2035.

“Machines will play an increasing role in targeting processes.”

The briefing said it was only talking about influences on military capabilities, and was not a shopping list, but some things were inevitable.

This included laser-fast targeting which integrated with other militaries’ systems and “will be a non-negotiable for defence forces to remain combat-capable and inter-operable with partners”.

The rise of machines looms larger than in previous briefings.

“It is not expected that autonomous systems will herald a wholesale replacement of human presence on the front-line,” but it added the more fluid and dangerous a situation was, the more machines would be a factor.

The future briefings are released every three years.

Three years ago, the defence ministry’s $12 billion Defence Capability Plan (DCP) was a long way off and the government was just beginning to ramp up its warnings about the state of world geopolitics.

Aukus was already well established, but while New Zealand has not joined up to it in the past three years, the country has made various arrangements and experiments with Five Eyes partners to develop emerging military technology – which is what Aukus Pillar Two was all about.

Public inclusion

The new briefing said one background shift would be from public engagement to public inclusion.

“Ensuring Defence maintains public trust will remain essential, and possibly more challenging.”

The defence ministry declined a request to be interviewed.

“The briefing itself provides a detailed overview of how technology innovations could influence New Zealand’s defence capabilities beyond 2035. We have nothing further to add at this time,” it said.

‘Who is going to build all of this?’

Defence analyst and former lieutenant colonel Josh Wineera said his main question was: “Who is going to build all of this?”

“Is the government thinking about declaring what are sovereign capabilities and therefore become priority investment areas for firms to be supported or even funded?” he asked.

That would help skirt global supply chain strictures, which Australia was doing. “Will the LTIB then see a similar investment?”

Wineera was speaking from Europe, where the Munich Security Conference is being held.

The US has struck a more conciliatory position towards Europe than at last year’s divisive conference.

But US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also stressed in his speech how immigration was a problem and how the US and Europe shared the “deepest bonds that nations could share, forged by centuries of shared history, Christian faith, culture, heritage, language, ancestry, and the sacrifices our forefathers made together for the common civilization to which we have fallen heir”.

‘Profound’ effect

The new future briefing said the new tech’s effect on New Zealand’s strategic context was “profound”, because distance was no longer any protection.

The new technology was opening up more types of fighting aside from actual open warfare, such as cyber attacks.

One issue would be the costs – not just to the country’s pocket but potentially to its values – with questions over how the technical and warfighting benefits weighed against sovereignty, legality and public licence.

“For many defence forces, these trade-offs could be challenging to manage, particularly if partner positions begin to deviate from international norms, or where the cost of capabilities enabled by advanced technology becomes prohibitive.”

Machine speed, precision and autonomy – including “self-mending” drones – were key themes in the briefing.

“The precision, range, and lethality of strike weapons is increasing.

“These advances will also lead to decisions increasingly being made independent of human analysis and inference, where it is lawful, and ethically and operationally sensible to do so.”

Weapons of the future

The briefing’s focus was on four areas – as well as human-machine teams, there was discussion of seamless command-and-control for target weapons shared in a network across partners.

It covered likely weapons of the future as well as some which exist today: “Breakthroughs in biotechnology are gradually delivering brain-machine interfaces that detect brain activity to direct machines with thoughts,” it said.

The NZDF has set out to acquire some of these. The DCP envisaged spending hundreds of millions of dollars on things such as drones and space surveillance over the next four years.

Beyond that, technology advancements could include a large drone that could last ages at sea and launch masses of smaller drones to surveil and deter an adversary; a minituarised sensor/micro-drone so advanced it could track individual soldiers, or be used in search and rescue; a special forces soldier with night vision contact lenses and adaptive camouflage; and an ‘avatar’ that updated in real-time when the person was injured and could measure blood loss and stress – then recommend a treatment.

“Bio- technologies are set to enhance defence force personnel in entirely new ways, while simultaneously introducing novel risks from pathogens and other weapons,” the briefing said ominously.

Human-machine teams

Human-machine teaming (HMT) was the most “uncertain, encompassing, and ethically challenging technology” in the briefing.

“Algorithms detecting, classifying, and prioritising targets, shifting the human role to verification and authorisation” was one of six types of HMT mentioned in the briefing.

The NZDF has already engaged in exercises with the US over what the Pentagon called “human-machine integration”.

Seamless command-and-control, which the briefing said was non-negotiable, has also featured in exercises and experiments between the Five Eyes militaries, in particular since about 2020.

‘C5ISRT’ meant “increasingly, algorithms will detect, classify, and prioritise targets at machine speeds, shifting the human role to verification and authorisation”.

Drones and satellites would feed the system data about “the environment and battlespace”.

“This will be possible without human intervention and with the ability to occur at machine speeds.”

The briefing noted an example of C5ISRT – America’s Project Maven. The system was already several times faster at targeting than human analysts, and the US was now expanding Maven.

“C5ISRT technology innovations will continue to open new opportunities to integrate defence systems with international partners,” said the future-look briefing.

“For New Zealand, this may include new policy infrastructure such as data-sharing arrangements that are consistent with domestic policy and law.”

More autonomy was also in the future.

“Robotic Autonomous Systems (RAS) will share data quickly and securely between themselves and crewed systems.”

Organic networks that self-heal and can build ad hoc networks will also support ‘technical autonomy’ – so a damaged subsea drone could repair itself.

The briefing did not look at future defence doctrine or geostrategic considerations.

It mentioned warfighting and war just a few times.

Its main real-world reference point was Ukraine versus Russia, citing how acoustic sensors have boosted missile spotting.

However, it also said the Pacific stand-off between US and China was key.

“Of particular concern is the rapid and non-transparent growth of China’s military capability.”

‘Stretch future budgets’

None of this would come cheap.

“Growing costs, especially from investing in advanced software and hardware, along with rising military inflation (… significantly higher than regular inflation) will stretch future budgets,” said the briefing.

“Making investment choices that balance the investments needed for future technology while also managing short-term capability gaps will be increasingly difficult.”

One answer to escalating costs was 3D printing drones close by a battlefield.

But partnering would be the big enabler.

“The growing pace and scale of defence innovation will mean that maintaining technological interoperability will become increasingly expected by allies, partners, other government agencies, and industry.

“The increasingly integrated nature of future defence technologies meant the research needed to focus on connectivity and understand the macro-trends that transcend capability sets.”

The other big barrier was ethics – how to deliver an “innovative combat-capable force, with strong adherence to domestic and international law.”

The briefing meets reality most closely in the NZDF’s Surveillance (Air) Project funded in the last Budget.

Defence is looking for drones that can hover for ages over the ocean for maritime spotting.

Last month it invited local and foreign business and researchers to workshops to “increase the overall understanding of platform supply, technology applications, training” among other things.

Because the workshops made no decisions and did not cost much, the MOD refused to identify who attended them, in its OIA response.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Workers, wine, and building new alliances – what New Zealand and India get from our free trade deal

It’s the free trade deal that was expected to take years more of relationship-building, but sprinted over the finish line.

Yet to be ratified by both parliaments, New Zealand’s agreement with India could be said to be very one-sided in our favour – access to 1.4 billion consumers with tariffs cut dramatically. India gets improved access for workers and students, in numbers that would seem like a drop in the bucket to such a populous country.

Yet it’s that aspect that has Kiwi politicians up in arms. Today on The Detail we look at a deal that the government has done a great job of nailing, but a poor job of explaining.

That lack of communication is especially puzzling when you consider that in order to enact ‘favoured nation’ status, we urgently need to get the ink dry on it. If the EU passes its free trade agreement with India first, any future drop in their tariffs won’t have to be matched in our deal.

Beyond trade, there’s also another aspect of the motivation behind the signing, and that’s the world’s changing geo-political scene, where countries are looking for fresh friends and alliances. New Zealand is the third Five Eyes nation to do a trade deal with India, and agreements with Canada and the US are in train.

Gaurav Sharma, a senior journalist with the RNZ Asia team, says when it comes to this deal, you can talk about immigrant visas and opportunities for students, but it’s mainly about geo-politics.

“Suddenly because of the rise of China, people have started looking at India differently,” he says.

That includes a new willingness to sit down at the table to discuss market access, but also talk about military alliances in the Indo-Pacific.

“In the last couple of years or so India has started looking at defence ties with New Zealand,” he says.

This includes visits from Indian military ships, and a visit by Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to a military base in Mumbai. He gave a speech during that visit on international security. The motive is the increasing presence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.

Sharma says there is significance in the appointment of the new Indian High Commissioner to New Zealand, Muanpuii Saiawi, who was formerly responsible for international security in Delhi. “It’s an important marker.”

He says the Indian diaspora here is over the moon with the deal – “it’s a stamp that India and New Zealand relations are moving to the next level.”

But he says there’s no hope that at some stage the agreement will make room for our dairy products, a notable omission from the deal.

“You have to realise that earlier this year India did a deal with the European Union and the US – two of the biggest marketing blocs and powerful economies in the world – they also didn’t get dairy.

“For New Zealand to think that in the next hundred years that India will open the market for dairy for New Zealand exporters, it’s not going to happen.”

New Zealand has insisted on having a clause in the agreement that if other countries at some stage get a look in, we will too. But India’s trade minister has categorically ruled out ever giving dairy concessions to any country.

Newsroom’s national affairs editor Sam Sachdeva was one of the sceptics who doubted the National government would get a deal over the line in its first term.

“I think the government, to its credit, did walk the talk. You saw multiple visits by [Trade Minister] Todd McClay, I think he said he’s been there eight, nine, 10 times … Christopher Luxon went, that was the first visit by a New Zealand Prime Minister in, it must have been close to a decade I think. Winston Peters himself went a few times. So you’ve had those political-level visits but I think there’s been other business delegations that have gone over there. That has helped kind of smooth the path.”

Many of the details of the agreement are still a mystery – until recently, even to the Labour Party which has been asked to help it pass.

Labour leader Chris Hipkins wrote to the Prime Minister this weekend expressing concern that it still hasn’t received a formal request to support it, and was only provided with a complete text of the agreement more than a month after negotiations were concluded.

“Your decision not to involve Labour at any point in the negotiation process – without consultation, despite your public assurances to the contrary – and the expectation that Labour would unconditionally support the agreement once presented with it as a fait accompli, falls short of best practice and is not in the spirit of bipartisanship,” the letter reads.

It says Labour will support it on the provision that concerns over migrant worker protections and international students are addressed, and it wants assurances over the expectations that the private sector will invest $33 billion into India over the next 15 years.

If the government’s promotion of this aim falls short, India has the right to revoke market access for the apple, honey and kiwifruit sectors.

But Sachdeva says that clause is not a hard fail line, and he doubts it will be enacted if the amount falls a bit short.

Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here.

You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Residents in Banks Peninsula are waking after heavy rain overnight, with up to 100 millimetres predicted to fall between Monday evening and Tuesday mid-morning, and flooding expected in some areas.

Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger warned people not to travel unless they had to.

“It might be a lot of rain, but it’s not for a long time, so we’re keeping an eye on it and hoping for the best.

“Keep an eye out for slips and water running off hills where it doesn’t normally run off a hill and report it, because that’s where slips and dropouts will start to occur.”

He said council staff had spent Monday checking sumps, stormwater outfalls and clearing culverts.

“I don’t mind if a road floods for a very short time, but I don’t want water into people’s houses, that’s not a good look.”

He said Civil Defence teams were ready to mobilise “at the drop of a hat” if needed.

Last May, Little River, about 30 kilometres south of Christchurch, was cut off after State Highway 75 through the town was inundated by half a metre of water.

Residents of the Banks Peninsula town were angry and frustrated and said opening the nearby Lake Forsyth to the ocean would have mitigated flooding in the area.

Mauger said Lake Forsyth / Te Roto o Wairewa had been closely monitored over recent days as water levels had risen and concerns but the weather conditions were too rough for it to be opened to the sea successfully.

Consent conditions determined when the lake could be opened. It had to reach a minimum level of 2.3 metres in summer, and could only be opened early if forecasts show it may rise above 2.7m.

Previous forecasts did not show the lake reaching that threshold, so it could not be opened and sea conditions in recent days had made an opening impossible.

“I think the council’s done all it can do at the moment, it’s cleared as many drains as it can and the culverts under the road, especially by Little River, to get the water into Lake Forsyth.”

Council staff were watching the conditions closely and expected to open the lake later this week, potentially on Wednesday, once conditions allowed.

Given the amount of rain forecast, Little River residents were warned to prepare for possible flooding, and other parts of Banks Peninsula to be aware of the potential for slips and road disruptions.

Mauger said the council had been working on a longer term solution to address flooding at Lake Forsyth and Birdlings Flat, with large pipes currently installed that could be mechanically opened to drain water to the sea when needed.

Christchurch City Council general manager of city infrastructure Brent Smith said teams had done preparation work in the areas expected to feel the greatest impact.

“We’re taking our usual precautions by ensuring beach outfalls and wet weather grilles are clear. Pumps and personnel are on standby for the Flockton area and the most critical location in Southshore. The upper Heathcote flood storage basins will be functioning as they should during this event, so people may notice fluctuating water levels in the river,” Smith said.

“Take care and drive to the conditions, do not drive in any floodwaters. If you do need to travel through pooled water, please drive slowly and carefully, and treat all floodwater as contaminated.”

Staff were also monitoring sensors in place on Lighthouse Road and the surrounding area for any land movement, with several homes in the area evacuated during heavy rain last May.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

When the huge storm closed State Highway 1 between Taihape and Hunterville on Monday, leaving hundreds of drivers stranded, the community at Winiata Marae knew just what to do.

They quickly put word out that warm food and a place to rest could be found at the marae on the outskirts of Taihape.

Lulu Simi is a force of nature herself and it was she who was directing the marae’s response to the storm – busy organising gas canister refills and making sure visitors were fed.

“We just knew it would be part and parcel of what we need to do for our community.

“Not only for our local community but for the many hundreds and thousands of people that travel through Taihape to get to their destinations.

“This morning when we woke up it was all back-to-back trucks and cars and families, so we had already put our number out last night.”

The Ngāti Hinemanu and Ngāti Paki hapū marae played a similar role during Cyclone Gabrielle.

At day’s end on Monday night more than 200 people had been through.

“Everyone here just knows that it’s part of our role underneath our marae to look after people and it always makes us feel good to be able to put it on at the drop of a hat.

“And to be able to provide all this kai, all these sleeping places to people who were going to sleep in their cars … you always walk away feeling proud.”

Helen Ropiha-waiwai was heading back to Feilding from the rugby league international in Rotorua with her husband.

She was in awe of the hospitality.

“For me not being from here it was beautiful just to see such a small community just come together and make such a big kai.

“They had enough kai for three bus-loads that they knew were stuck and all the truck drivers and stuff.”

Helen Ropiha-waiwai even bumped into Moana Steedman – aka Nan – who she knew from the sidelines of schoolboy rugby.

A Taihape local, Nan, reckoned helping others fed the soul.

“It was amazing, you know, not only do we help them but they help us and, you know, to be able to give back to people that’s the amazing part of it. That’s what it’s all about.

Aucklander Leilani Kwan-Him was travelling to Wellington with Max Briggs.

They got a tip off about Winiata Marae while killing time at the Taihape library.

“And then they gave us dinner and they were going to give us a place to stay. It was just so nice and we had a really nice meal .”

The food hit the spot too.

“We had chop suey, we had chicken curry – that’s one of the chefs over there – and we had some rice and there was tea and it feels like there was some nibbles. There was everything.”

Shadrack Simi put together the menu.

“For lunchtime today we had like a sausages and gravy, veggies and mashed potatoes. That was all stuff that we just had here on site.

“And then from donated stores and stuff we had here we put on a chicken curry and rice, a beef chop suey and a yellow split-bean curry, a vegan curry.”

Being nimble was the key to putting on such a spread at short notice.

“I guess it’s just resourcefulness looking at the ingredients you’ve got and then also looking at the day obviously I wanted something hot and nutritious.

“So, the meals had a lot of ginger, garlic, onion, but also things that I know the Kiwi palate will eat like a chicken curry and sausages and gravy.”

Meanwhile, Lulu Simi said the marae stood ready to help again next time wild weather strikes.

State Highway 1 reopened to two-lane traffic at about 6pm.

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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

In the aftermath of the latest destructive storm, South Wairarapa’s mayor is calling for a frank discussion about the country’s future from grassroots to government level.

Torrential rain and gale force winds caused widespread flooding and damage across Wairarapa – closing roads, isolating communities, and cutting power to thousands.

South Wairarapa mayor Fran Wilde said it was too soon to discuss the cost of the latest clean-up, but it wasn’t too early to talk about the long-term challenges, as she saw them.

“There are big concerns. These events are going to be more frequent and our whole roading system and our settlement pattern – they weren’t designed around these sorts of weather events.”

She said the problems weren’t isolated to South Wairarapa and back-to-back storms across the North Island in the past month highlighted issues faced nationwide.

“How are we going to manage this in the future? And what does it mean for our communities, for local government, and for central government?”

Wilde said the roading network was “fragile” in many places across the motu – built decades ago alongside houses that were now at risk of flooding and landslides – and once people had dealt with the brunt of the latest destruction, they needed to confront such issues.

“If you sit back and think longer term, they are serious ones that need to be part of a wider community consultation and discussion.”

She said adaptation was a focus for all councils and she urged the central government not to make it more difficult with changes to the planning framework.

“This is a serious issue and I think the last few months have demonstrated that,” she said.

“But … it’s not just for a few ministers to sitting at the table. The community themselves needs to be actively engaged in this and have an understanding of what the future might bring.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Tempers flared at a packed public meeting on Monday night about the meltdown at Wellington’s Moa Point sewage treatment plant.

Officials fronted the crowd of more than 300, but many left disappointed by a lack of clear answers about the disaster that has been sending sewage onto Wellington’s south coast for nearly two weeks.

The event, organised by Rongotai MP Julie-Anne Genter and Wellington Central MP Tamatha Paul, was billed as an opportunity to ask questions and speak directly with experts.

Wellington Water chief operating officer Charles Barker – standing in for his boss, whose flight was cancelled – said up front there was only so much he could say with a Crown review imminent, and insurance processes underway.

“So if at times I appear guarded, or I’m taking a bit longer to think, that’s because I’m probably getting close to that point where I have to be careful not to jeapordise any future inquiry, and especially everyone’s insurance,” he said.

That came into play when the big question was asked: what happened?

“Again, I just have to be careful talking about causality,” he said.

All Barker could say was that divers had inspected 300 metres of the 1.8 kilometre pipe that sends wastewater into the Cook Stait, and it appeared to be intact – but something was stopping “optimal flow”.

Mayor Andrew Little also could not say who would pay for the fallout or fix.

“There’s a whole bunch of insurance claims being made by all sorts of parties.

“I suspect insurance companies don’t want to do anything until they have a fair idea about what the possible cause is.”

The question and answer session was heated at times, peppered with yelling and interruptions.

“What are you going to do to improve that so we don’t face this damn catastrophe again?” cried one man.

Acting Wellington Water chair Bill Bayfield replied: “That will be the subject of the review.”

Taranaki Whānui trustee Benjamin Wynyard-Terry said he did not trust officials’ assurances, and wanted more transparency.

“Pull your heads together, and put your tent up on the beach where this has occurred, and … have a two-day wānanga, and you come up with a real solution so this will never happen again.”

Some had solutions of their own, which included composting or incinerating toilets for every ratepayer “for less than we paid for the sludge plant”.

Te Papa fish expert, Andrew Stewart, had good news for those with environmental fears. He said the weather, and the Cook Strait, massively diluted the sewage.

Had it happened in Wellington Harbour, it would have been an “unmitigated disaster”, Stewart said.

“It is ghastly what’s happened, but I don’t believe it’s going to have a long-term damaging effect.”

The crowd was pleased officials and experts had fronted, but frustrated that they left with only a little more clarity than they walked in with.

“Because of the investigation that is taking place, it feels like a really welcome safety blanket to not be able to provide any further information,” one woman said.

“I got the reassurance in terms of the ecological stuff … that was answered clearly,” said another.

“There was no apology whatsoever and it felt as if they were sort of trying to almost avoid any sort of blame,” one man said.

Wellington Water planned to hold more public meetings.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are being lashed by heavy rain as the wild weather moves south, causing flooding in Akaroa.

MetService said a deep low east of New Zealand is moving slowly southwards, bringing more heavy rain to the lower North Island and eastern South Island.

However, it said the south-to-southwest gales over central New Zealand are easing.

Banks Peninsula is under an orange heavy rain warning until 6pm, with up to 100 mm of rain on top of what has already fallen.

A heavy rain watch is in place for Christchurch (apart from Banks Peninsula), and Canterbury Plains and Foothills between the Rangitata River and Amberley until 10am.

A heavy rain watch for Dunedin (east of Pukerangi) will linger for longer, and is due to expire at 9pm.

Christchurch City Council said it was closely watching the weather, with roading crews on standby overnight. Some surface flooding has already been reported, but more will be known as day breaks.

State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa was closed at 11pm on Monday because of flooding. An update on the road is due by 7am.

MetService said has also issued heavy swell warnings for the Wellington and Wairarapa coasts from midday, saying large waves and dangerous sea conditions are expected. Coastal inundation is possible about exposed coasts.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The winds that struck Wellington on Monday were the strongest in more than a decade, MetService says.

Gusts of 193 kilometres an hour were recorded at Mount Kaukau, and 128km/h at Wellington Airport – the highest for both since 2013.

An orange heavy rain warning for the eastern hills of Wellington, Wairarapa and the Tararua Range, expired at 11pm Monday.

More than 30,000 properties lost power on Monday as wild winds brought trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton were evacuated due to the threat of falling trees.

Air NZ cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are now being lashed by heavy rain as the wild weather moves south, causing flooding in Akaroa.

Downpours have turned the harbour township’s recreation ground into a lake, with some streets awash near the sea.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the peninsula – where up to 100 millimetres of further rain could fall – until 6pm Tuesday.

Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains and foothills, between the Rangitata River and Amberley, are under a heavy rain watch until 10am.

Christchurch City Council said it is closely watching the weather and is aware of reports of surface flooding.

It said roading crews are on standby overnight, and more will be known in the morning.

Transport officials and councils are closely monitoring water levels in Lake Forsyth that could affect State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa.

See how the day unfolded in our blog:

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are being lashed by heavy rain as the wild weather moves south, causing flooding in Akaroa.

Downpours have turned the harbour township’s recreation ground into a lake, with some streets awash near the sea.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the peninsula – where up to 100 millimetres of further rain could fall – until 6pm Tuesday.

Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains and foothills, between the Rangitata River and Amberley, are under a heavy rain watch until 10am.

Christchurch City Council said it is closely watching the weather and is aware of reports of surface flooding.

It said roading crews are on standby overnight, and more will be known in the morning.

Transport officials and councils are closely monitoring water levels in Lake Forsyth that could affect State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa.

Further north, the winds that struck Wellington on Monday were the strongest in more than a decade, MetService said.

Gusts of 193 kilometres an hour were recorded at Mount Kaukau, and 128km/h at Wellington Airport – the highest for both since 2013.

An orange heavy rain warning for the eastern hills of Wellington, Wairarapa and the Tararua Range, expired at 11pm Monday.

More than 30,000 properties lost power on Monday as wild winds brought trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton were evacuated due to the threat of falling trees.

Air NZ cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

See how the day unfolded in our blog:

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Christchurch and Banks Peninsula are being lashed by heavy rain as the wild weather moves south, causing flooding in Akaroa.

Downpours have turned the harbour township’s recreation ground into a lake, with some streets awash near the sea.

An orange heavy rain warning is in place for the peninsula – where up to 100 millimetres of further rain could fall – until 6pm Tuesday.

Christchurch and the Canterbury Plains and foothills, between the Rangitata River and Amberley, are under a heavy rain watch until 10am.

Christchurch City Council said it is closely watching the weather and is aware of reports of surface flooding.

It said roading crews are on standby overnight, and more will be known in the morning.

Transport officials and councils are closely monitoring water levels in Lake Forsyth that could affect State Highway 75 between Christchurch and Akaroa.

Further north, the winds that struck Wellington on Monday were the strongest in more than a decade, MetService said.

Gusts of 193 kilometres an hour were recorded at Mount Kaukau, and 128km/h at Wellington Airport – the highest for both since 2013.

An orange heavy rain warning for the eastern hills of Wellington, Wairarapa and the Tararua Range, expires at 11pm Monday.

About 15 to 25 mm of rain is expected, on top of what has already fallen.

More than 30,000 properties lost power on Monday as wild winds brought trees and power lines down across much of the lower North Island.

Powerco said about 23,000 properties across its network have lost connections and in the Wellington region, about 10,000 have their connections cut.

Manawatū-Whanganui has been hit badly, and the region is under a state of emergency.

Meanwhile, homes on Lincoln Road in Masterton were evacuated due to the threat of falling trees.

Air NZ cancelled flights in and out of several major centres, including the capital, citing strong winds.

“Safety is paramount and we are continuing to closely monitor conditions, with winds expected to reduce later this morning when we expect to resume services,” chief operating officer Alex Marren said.

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