Source: Radio New Zealand

The birds are calling in Cannon’s Creek reserve, and strands of Raupō flax wave tall fingertips in the breeze.

Members of the Wesley Community Action group Ngahere Korowai are measuring the water clarity at the pond, peering at a blue magnet down a large tube.

The group meets fortnightly, testing water, or helping to plant in the reserve, or up in the western side of Belmont Regional Park.

They want to see another Zealandia nature reserve created in Porirua.

Founding member John Mu said when Wesley Community Action’s Aotearoa Pasifika Men’s group visited Zealandia in 2019, they were stunned by what they saw.

“We looked around there and when we came back, we were fascinated by how we saw all the trees up there, beautiful trees, and insects – and we said, why can’t we have that out here, and that’s how Ngahere Korowai started.”

Agencies including Greater Wellington Regional Council and Porirua City Council backed the vision.

Since 2022, Greater Wellington has planted 120 hectares of land with native plants and trees on the western side of Belmont Regional Park, a spokesperson said.

This past winter, 88,000 plants covering about 35 hectares in the Takapu block were planted, along with 1800 in Waitangirua as infill, and volunteers planted about 5000 plants.

Porirua resident Roger Shore said he was initially sceptical about joining Ngahere Korowai.

“I was actually part of a walking group walking round Aotea Lagoon, and one of the guys there, who’d been part of that walking group for a while, said, well do you want to come and join our mens group?

“Well my picture of a men’s group is your usual bunch of old fellas, young fellas, grumpy fellas, grissly fellas, having a hard time fellas.”

He said he’s discovered a diverse movement involving biodiversity, conservation and pest eradication.

“It’s like I walked through a different doorway into a different realm of the society we live in. And all I can say is, before that – my knowledge of what’s been going on is probably about, a quarter of an inch.”

Riparian operations advisor for Porirua City Council, Dougal Morrison, said there’s a wide network of planting going on through the Porirua catchment too, with a goal to restore Porirua harbour.

Morrison said about 167,000 native plants have gone in the ground this winter – work done by contractors and community groups.

He points to some of the planting done by the lake in the reserve.

“So, we’ll just come to this area that’s just been planted – just about two weeks ago – quite late for our planting, but as you can see it’s very very wet here. These are sedge kind of type species, carex, cyperus, there’s some flax… just anything that can tolerate the wet ground.”

He said the plants provide a filter for pollutants, and are bringing back fish and bird life to the city.

“In Titahi Bay, I was down there a few weeks ago and this older guy pulled up and sort of knocked on the window, and put the window down and said ‘it’s great what you guys are doing the tuna (eels) are back’ – it’s really good in terms of the change that’s been bought about.”

Shore said it’s about restoring Porirua’s environment for future generations.

“You and I can come with our grandkids for instance and go, we got rid of all that flax for instance, it’s a beautiful lake there now, you can paddle boat on it, you can watch the fish and things underneath, and enjoy it.”

“And that would be a real plus… if you’ve got a legacy – money doesn’t leave anything, environment does.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A large fire in the Lismore Forest near Whanganui last night has spread to about 100 hectares.

Firefighters and helicopters will be back in full force on Monday morning, trying to contain a massive forestry blaze near Whanganui.

The fire in Lismore Forest began late on Sunday afternoon and spread to more than 100 hectares last night.

Fire and Emergency said it ripped through cutover pine forest across several gullies.

It said no homes in the area have been evacuated.

One crew has been patrolling through the night to put out spot fires.

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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

An immigration lawyer says authorities need to crack down on unscrupulous ‘ghost’ agents – not victimise migrants who were defrauded by them.

New Zealander Gorka Zozaya, 52, and his Chinese wife Weili Fu, 46, are leaving for Europe four days after Christmas, to comply with INZ rules.

His 21-year-old son Enzo will stay as he in his second year of a computer science degree at Waikato University.

Fu’s second visa application was rejected after INZ discovered her documents were different to the ones submitted by an agent in China, when she first visited New Zealand as a tourist.

The agency refused to give her a character waiver to allow her to stay with her husband, and told RNZ that applicants should be on the lookout for fraudulent agents.

Zozaya, a senior solution architect with a technology company, said his wife had always dreamed of travelling to New Zealand, and made the ‘fatal’ decision to apply through an agent recommended on Chinese social media site WeChat, sending him her documents and photos.

“And this Chinese agent just said, ‘okay, just leave it with me, don’t worry about anything, you don’t need to do anything else’,” said Zozaya. “And In a month’s time, this Chinese agent came back to her with an email, saying, yes, we’ve got your visa and it’s all ready to go. So she only received the visa, only the outcome of the application. She didn’t see what this Chinese agent sent to Immigration New Zealand.”

She flew to visit a niece in Malaysia and onto Auckland. The couple’s paths crossed in a Hamilton food court, he said. “I used to actually go there quite often, and then I suddenly saw this beautiful lady. And then we somehow connected and we just happened to be at the same food court a few times. And then we decided to talk a little bit. And then at the end of August is when we started going out.

“We felt like teenagers again. We developed such a strong connection that I asked her, ‘actually, would you like to move together to my house?’ The relationship is just incredible. She’s an amazing person. She’s an amazing lady inside and out.”

When they discovered that INZ had turned down her next temporary visa application, and the reason why, ‘this is where the whole nightmare started,’ he said.

But they were determined to be together, and got married in February.

“I bent my knee and I asked Weili to get married. We were completely in love and I said, let’s do the move. And I know that we are going to be living together until we go to the other side, I just love her to pieces.”

Their appeal to INZ over their visa had failed, and their last throw of the dice was asking the associate minister for a special direction. Instead of the minister, a delegated INZ staff member refused the request in October.

“And obviously, that was the last resort. That was the last step on this journey. And then they suggested that we needed to leave the country.”

INZ continues to say she was responsible for the original documents, and he maintains INZ should have recognised they were fraudulent when she applied. “The bad side of that is if she didn’t get the visitor visa, that means that I would not be married to her now. But anyway, the destiny is destiny.”

Moving to Spain

Associate Minister of Immigration Chris Penk said delegated decision-makers are used on his behalf ‘to help manage the high number of requests received by my office on a day-to-day basis’.

“Although I did not determine the outcome of this request, I follow the established practice of not commenting on the factors involved in individual cases in order to protect the privacy of all those concerned.”

The couple hope that they can continue their fight from Spain, where Zozaya was born before he moved to New Zealand 22 years ago. He counts himself lucky he has dual citizenship.

“I don’t want to leave her. So it is this drastic. And I’m leaving 22 years of living in New Zealand. I’m leaving my son. My job is going to be affected. It’s just a really, really stressful time for us. But I’m willing to follow the law, right? We want to show Immigration New Zealand that we want to follow what they are suggesting. But I’m not going to leave my wife alone.”

They have flights booked for 29 December, and will then reapply for her visa from Spain, while Enzo Zozaya will stay in New Zealand. His mother and father never married, and she moved to Australia.

“He has been feeling quite unwell recently. Weili and I are his only family here in New Zealand, and we see each other almost every day. He asked me to promise that, no matter what happens, we will return – and I gave him that promise.”

“We only want to just live our lives like anybody else, like a happy married couple. We love each other so much, it’s just incredible. I’m not a teenager, I’ve been single for more than 50 years. So we have something special, really special.

INZ warning

“I’m trying to be positive. If life gives you lemons, you just make lemonade. So that’s what we are just doing – every step, every day. I’m waking up every day trying to come to the office and keep going, right? And just moving next step, next step, next day, next day.”

The couple provided a privacy waiver so INZ could comment. The agency said it understood it was a ‘very difficult situation’ for them and their son. Its regional operations director Dominic Forde confirmed it found different documents were used in the two visa applications, and said providing false information was a criminal offence.

“Any fraudulent activity, including the provision of false or misleading information by an applicant or their agent, undermines the integrity of the immigration system.

“All visa applicants must ensure that all information and documents presented are genuine. To make an application, all applicants sign a declaration stating that the contents of their application are true and correct and acknowledge the consequences of providing false and misleading or fraudulent information to an immigration officer. “

Fu said she never signed the visitor visa application.

“Applicants must also inform INZ if there is an agent acting on their behalf so we can check if that agent is licensed or exempt.”

“If an applicant, or someone acting for them, provides false or misleading information any future visa applications require the applicant to be granted a character waiver, or the application may be declined on the grounds of not meeting character requirements.”

“A delegated decision-maker declined to intervene in Ms Fu’s case in October 2025.” Under immigration rules, the minister or delegate is not required to provide reasons for their decision.

He said visa applicants should ensure their immigration help comes from a lawyer or licensed adviser, and advised people to complain to the IAA if they are concerned about their agent – although that only applies to licensed advisers.

‘Punishing the victim’

Their lawyer Maricel Weischede said this was not an isolated case.

“Why does Immigration New Zealand continue to penalise migrants who are themselves victims of unscrupulous ‘ghost’ agents? We are increasingly seeing situations particularly involving offshore operations where vulnerable people are misled, misrepresented, and left bearing the full weight of the consequences. There is a genuine concern that this pattern may be occurring at scale in parts of China, and yet there appears to be little appetite to confront it, potentially due to tourism and economic considerations.”

Zozaya said his wife did not know the agent was putting forward false documents to get her visa approved.

“Of course, we believe that she’s allowed to stay because she was not responsible for it. It was completely a scam by this agent. He’s gone. We tried to contact this person, and this man disappeared. We are devastated. And we’ve been fighting saying that we didn’t see any of those documents. It was not her doing. And they kept saying that, well, she’s responsible for that.”

The stress involved in leaving his home of 22 years, his son and job in an international company supporting New Zealand firms – “I’m one-of-a-kind, if I may say” – is compounded by the uncertainty of whether INZ will approve a subsequent visa, or whether it will be a permanent move.

“I know that they need to follow the law. They need to follow what is right in terms of the government law and all that, but the personal side is also critical, right? They need to look at the situation from a global point of view. So who you are, what is your character, who is your husband, who are your friends, what type of person are you?

“I’ve been reading in the news that there is a lot of buzz going around that skilled migrants and skilled people are leaving New Zealand. So [I am] another one of those who are now feeling horrible and then saying, ‘okay, maybe we need to go somewhere else’.”

Nevertheless, they want to return here, as most of Zozaya’s adult life has been spent here and staying close to his son is very important to them.

“Weili came to New Zealand to fulfill a childhood dream-to experience a different culture and learn English for a few months. She never imagined that she would find love and make New Zealand her home.

“We only want to just live our lives like anybody else, right? Like a happy married couple.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

With a massive surge in passport applications expected next year, the government is urging people to renew early to beat the rush.

Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden said with the anniversary of 10-year passports coming up, more than 1.3 million were set to expire in the next two years.

She said about 622,000 people were set to renew next year and about 759,000 the year after, and called for people to get that done.

“We’re expecting quite a large surge above what we had in some previous years … we’re urging all people who haven’t checked their passports for quite a while to give your passport a look, check if it’s expiring quite soon, and make sure that you get your application in time.

“If you can get in early, that will certainly help us to smooth the demand over the year … it’s a reminder for everybody that a lot of countries out there do require you to have a passport that’s valid for up to six months upon your return back to New Zealand.”

She said the government had succeeded in reducing processing times for all passports down from 25 days in 2023, to just three days.

The government was not expecting wait times to exceed the 10-day timeframe set as an expectation, she said.

“We’re expecting to see a lot more demand, but we’re doing our best to try and keep those wait times low.”

She said it was easy and secure to renew a passport online at passports.govt.nz.

“The other thing is, if you do want really efficient service, the department says don’t use selfies, make sure you do get a proper photo taken, so that you can use that three day time. If a selfie is taken and it’s not accepted, that will just delay your application.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

An electronic gate is to be installed at one of Northland’s most popular – and ecologically precious – lakes in the hope of keeping out a hugely destructive aquatic pest.

The move comes amid long-running tension between groups who want Kai Iwi Lakes, about 35km north of Dargaville, permanently closed to power boats, and those who want continued access to a prime waterskiing and jetskiing destination.

Once the gate is operating, holiday makers will have to certify their boats have been cleaned before they can be launched in the near-pristine lake.

While the boat-access debate has been simmering for years, the stakes have risen sharply since the invasive freshwater gold clam arrived in New Zealand.

The clam is now found throughout the Waikato River and was last month discovered in Lake Rotomanu, near New Plymouth.

That lake is now being drained in a desperate bid to eradicate the fast-breeding pest and find out how far it has spread.

The gold clam, originally from Southeast Asia, has caused havoc with ecosystems and water infrastructure around the world and has never been successfully eradicated.

Last week’s unexpected vote by the Kaipara District Council to allow a boat-ramp gate at Lake Taharoa has been welcomed as a compromise offering at least some protection, especially after hours.

Lake Taharoa is the largest of the three Kai Iwi lakes and the only one where power boats are still permitted. It also has two council-owned campgrounds which can take a combined 500 guests.

It’s often described as “the jewel in the crown” of Northland’s summer tourism industry.

The boat ramp is monitored by biosecurity staff but only in the peak summer months from 8.30am to 4.30pm.

Northland Regional Council biosecurity manager Nicky Fitzgibbon said her organisation had wanted stronger measures to keep the gold clam out – but she was pleased the district council had acknowledged their concerns.

Once the gate was installed, boaties would have to complete an online cleaning checklist before they were given an access code.

Fitzgibbon said the gate, which would rely on self-certification, was not a “golden solution”.

It was, however, a way of encouraging people to do the right thing.

“It’s going to take a multitude of different actions. We really need our communities to get in behind us and look after the freshwater spaces they love. They need to make sure their gear, their boats, their life jackets are clean before they go to these places.”

Fitzgibbon said the gold clam was called an “ecosystem engineer” because of its ability to alter the habitat it lived in.

“They can have up to 400 babies a day so they’re highly reproductive. They basically smother everything and get into pipes and clog up infrastructure, so they become very expensive for people who have to clean them out. And they can out-compete our native biodiversity for food and space. They’re really, really tricky little creatures.”

Fitzgibbon said dune lakes like Kai Iwi Lakes were rare worldwide.

They were home to threatened species such as galaxiid fish and a plant so rare it had no common name – despite that, Trithuria inconspicua was still voted New Zealand’s Plant of the Year 2024.

If gold clams did spread to Kai Iwi Lakes, the result would be “devastating” for biodiversity, recreation and cultural values, she said.

Fitzgibbon said the focus had been on power boats because many came from outside the area and they were harder to clean, with ballast tanks and spaces that could trap water and carry young clams.

RNZ paid a visit to Lake Taharoa to gauge holidaymakers’ views on the gold clam threat, and find out what brought them to the area.

Lucy Thurston, from Sydney, said she chanced on the campground during a Northland road trip.

“From the second we got here we were all squealing in the car with excitement, just seeing the crystal blue water. It feels so magical out here,” she said.

Sixteen-year-old Alex Gamman, from the Bay of Plenty, said the lake was beautiful and she’d hate to see it disrupted by pests.

“I love the lake. Me and my family come here every year. It’s good to go swimming and spend some time away from devices and just get out and about.”

Howard and Anne Frost, from Te Awamutu, said they had spent six weeks camping at the lake every summer for more than a decade.

“We think it is a beautiful, beautiful part of New Zealand. Crystal-clear water, soft white sand, and a temperature that even I can swim in, occasionally,” Howard Frost said.

The couple said they brought a jetski and an inflatable kayak but those were only ever used in Lake Taharoa, so could not spread the gold clam.

Howard Frost said he would struggle to support a total ban on power boats.

“If people could be honest and good [about cleaning their boats], it is a lovely place for recreational purposes like boating.”

Anne Frost said many visitors would stop coming to the lakes if power boats were banned.

“Most of the people coming into the campground have a boat or jetski. They’re not going to come if they can’t bring their boat. So how’s that going to affect the revenue for the council?”

However, Howard Frost said they supported measures to keep the clam out.

“I would give them 10 out of 10 for trying to stop it, and I believe they should. Whether it will eventually get in here or not I don’t know, but it’s better to have tried and failed than to have never tried at all.”

The original recommendation debated by Kaipara District councillors at last week’s meeting in Mangawhai would have refused the regional council’s request to install the gate.

The council, which owns the 540ha Taharoa Domain, has in the past resisted restrictions at Lake Taharoa.

The Ministry of Primary Industries, which has national responsibility for biosecurity, has been reluctant to get involved, citing fears of a boatie backlash.

However, district councillors instead voted unanimously to allow the gate to proceed – on the condition the regional council covered the costs of both installation and upkeep.

The regional council had already committed to paying for the gate, estimated to cost $40,000, but had proposed the district council pay for maintenance.

Nicky Fitzgibbon said the maintenance costs would pale compared to the economic impact of a gold clam infestation.

“We understand they don’t want to contribute to the cost, but for us, protecting our waterways has always been one of our core functions and priorities. The cost of this clam to our rural economy, our infrastructure and environment is really serious, and it’s not considered eradicable if it becomes established here.”

Te Kuihi kaumatua Ric Parore, a member of the Taharoa Domain Governance Committee, said his hapū had long wanted power boats banned from the lake.

As well as the biosecurity risk, the hapū also had concerns about petrol pollution, with the ban on refuelling jetskis or boats on the water sometimes ignored.

The spread of gold clams to Lake Rotomanu was “a very worrying sign”.

Parore said gold clams reproduced so rapidly they could smother everything.

“They just mount up. They can be six feet deep, 10 feet deep. Anything else that’s in there is history.”

Parore said regional council biosecurity staff did “a great job” over summer and said the gate could help when the boat ramp was unmanned.

However, it would still rely on trust, and some visitors could be reluctant to wait in a queue or fill out forms when they wanted to set up their tents and launch their boats – especially if they had a car full of tired kids.

“I think it’ll help but it still depends on people. If they want to cheat the system, they can.”

Local business owner Rodney Field has long opposed a power boat ban, saying it unfairly picked on one type of boat when any watercraft could spread the clams.

He even offered nearby land for a hot-water boat washing station – high temperatures are needed to kill gold clam larvae – and campaigned on the issue in this year’s council elections.

Field was acutely aware of the threat posed by gold clams, having seen the effects first-hand in Lakes Tahoe and Powell in the USA.

He supported the gate because it reduced the problem of people arriving after-hours or outside the peak summer months, when there was no one present to check boats had been washed prior to launching.

However, the gate would rely on self-certification, so it still relied on trust.

Field said government agencies had been too slow to act against the gold clam threat, given it was first found in the Waikato River in May 2023.

“Knowing what we know from America, why has it taken so long for protection of New Zealand lakes and rivers? They thought they could just put a CAN (controlled area notice) in place to stop boats leaving the Waikato and use the trust model. Well, the trust model doesn’t work, and that’s been proven because it’s now in Lake Rotomanu in Taranaki.”

Staff from the Northland Regional Council, Te Roroa and Te Kuihi will monitor the Lake Taharoa boat ramp from 8.30am-4.30pm daily, starting on December 19 and including Christmas Day. The council plans to install the gate later this summer.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Five people have been injured – with one in a critical condition – following a two-vehicle crash in rural Waikato on Sunday evening.

St John ambulance was called to the crash in Parawera, at the intersection of Monckton Road and Arapuni Road, about 9.42pm.

It said one person was airlifted to Waikato hospital in a critical condition, and two others were also taken to Waikato hospital with serious injuries.

Two patients with moderate injuries were assessed at the scene.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A large fire has burnt through four hectares in an area with eucalyptus forest in Kerikeri on Sunday afternoon.

More than 20 firefighters, two helicopters and a digger have been battling the fire, in an area where eucalyptus forest is being cleared for a new development, since about 3.30pm.

Firefighters were hoping to have the major blaze close to the town centre contained by nightfall.

The fire was initially across an area of about 200 square metres, but high winds fanned it to a wider area.

The fire is off Fairy Pools Lane and close to the Heritage Bypass, about 500 metres from motels and homes along Kerikeri Road, as well as a church and a funeral home.

However, Fire and Emergency NZ said no property was threatened and there had been no evacuations.

Two Salt Air helicopters from Paihia were scooping water from the Fairy Pools – a popular swimming spot near the town centre – to dump on the burning gum trees and slash.

Incident controller Wayne Martin said the fire was 90 percent contained as of 7pm and he expected it would be fully contained by nightfall.

A forestry crew would monitor the fire overnight so the volunteer firefighters could go home.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

More than 400 Air New Zealand staff will no longer striking a week out from Christmas, after reaching an “agreement in principle” with the company.

The airline’s short-haul cabin crews, who work on domestic flights, as well as flights across the Tasman and Pacific, were originally planning to strike on 18 December over pay and conditions.

Unions have been negotiating with Air New Zealand since April.

E tū assistant national secretary Rachel Mackintosh said they decided to pull the strike yesterday, after reaching an agreement with the airline.

She said the deal for short-haul cabin crew was “close enough” to being finalised for them to call off the strike.

Mackintosh said some wording still needed to be finalised over the coming week.

Air New Zealand chief people officer Nikki Dines said it was pleased that disruptions to customers over the Christmas period had been avoided.

“Our negotiating teams have been working hard to reach an outcome that recognises the vital role our cabin crew play, while supporting the long-term health of the airline,” she said.

The union had negotiated with Air NZ since April and said its members would walk off the job around Christmas time, if they couldn’t reach an agreement with the airline.

Mackintosh previously said crews did not want to cause disruption for passengers, but that was the only tool left for them, when negotiations failed.

“This work is important and these crew are essential to the transport system of our country, to making sure that people in New Zealand can get where they need to go,” she said. “They should have decent work conditions to be able to deliver that service.”

A strike planned for 8 December had also been called off a few days before.

At the time, Dines said discussions with E tū were constructive and progressing well.

“We’re hopeful we’ll reach agreement and have all bargains in a position for our cabin crew to vote as soon as possible,” she said. “Bargaining at this scale inevitably creates pressure and uncertainty, and we acknowledge the impact this period has had across our cabin crew and wider operation.”

The airline originally estimated that strikes across all of its fleets could affect somewhere between 10-15,000 customers.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A large fire has burnt through four hectares of bush and trees in Kerikeri on Sunday afternoon.

Fire and Emergency said more than 20 firefighters and two helicopters were tackling the blaze that started in the bush area along Fairy Pools Lane about 3.25pm.

The fire was initially across an area of about 200 square metres, but high winds fanned it to a wider area.

FENZ said crews were called in from Paihia to assist and the fire was about 90 percent contained by 6pm.

It said no houses were at risk and it wasn’t aware of any evacuations.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Fourteen crews were tackling a large vegetation fire near Parakino in the Whanganui District on Sunday evening.

Fire and Emergency said it was called to the fire in an area of forestry alongside State Highway Four about 5.15pm.

Four helicopters with monsoon buckets were on their way to the site.

FENZ wasn’t able to share any information on the exact size of the fire, but asked drivers in the area to make way for emergency vehicles.

No structures were immediately at risk.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Firework bans have been issued at two visitor destinations in South Canterbury, as firefighters brace for summer.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the temporary bans covered the Mackenzie Basin and the area around Lake Clearwater, and took effect from Monday, 15 December, as part of ongoing efforts to reduce the risk of wildfire over the summer.

District Commander Rob Hands said 98 percent of New Zealand’s wildfires were started by people, and fireworks bans in both destinations were an annual fixture.

“Wildfire is an ever-present hazard in both areas, because of their dry and windy climate, the natural vegetation and topography.”

Hands said setting off fireworks was a highly risky activity over summer, when vegetation was tinder dry and outdoor fires were often challenging for firefighters to bring under control.

“While some parts of the countryside are still deceptively green, locals know how quickly conditions can change given a few warm and windy days,” he said.

“We are putting this measure in place now, when visitor numbers are starting to increase, so that we have a consistent approach all summer.

“It only takes one spark to start a wildfire, so we want visitors to understand the risks and leave their fireworks at home this summer.”

Signage would be installed over the next few days, with posters in campgrounds and shops to remind people not to let off any fireworks.

The MacKenzie Basin was currently in an open-fire season, meaning that a permit was not currently needed to light an open fire in the area.

However, Hands said anyone planning to light a fire in the open still needed to do it safely and with consideration for others,.

The temporary fireworks ban for the Mackenzie Basin would be in place until 31 March, 2026, while the Lake Clearwater Ban would end on 10 February.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A homicide investigation has been launched, after police found a man dead at a Tauranga address late Sunday morning.

Police said emergency services found the man’s body at a Fraser Street address about 11.40am.

They were speaking to a person about the incident and were not seeking anyone else over the matter.

“However we would like to hear from anyone who might have information about this incident or those involved.”

A scene examination was taking place at the property.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Ministry of Education says it contacted schools where auditors identified financial problems this year, but did not formally intervene in any.

Earlier this week, the Office of the Auditor General reported audits of schools’ accounts in the 12 months to the end of October found more problems with sensitive spending and more schools in financial difficulty.

They included schools that paid for principals’ private travel, borrowed money without education ministry authorisation or bought food parcels for local families.

The ministry said it contacted every school where the Office of the Auditor General made a finding, ensuring school staff and board members understood their obligations, and had taken appropriate action.

“We continue to work with them, until we are satisfied the school has acted on recommendations, including providing support to manage the issues raised,” it said.

“In many cases, action has already been taken by boards – schools receive their individual findings well ahead of the OAG’s sector report – to improve documentation and processes around spending.”

The ministry said it had a range of powers to influence schools’ behaviour, and intervene if it had significant concerns over school governance or compliance.

“We have not seen a need to exercise those powers following this year’s OAG report,” it said.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A bowel cancer survivor aims to develop a “customisable” prehabilitation programme to improve the quality of life and treatment outcomes for other patients.

Jodie Collins, who was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer in 2020 at the age of 44, said long wait times for diagnosis and treatment could often leave patients feeling anxious and powerless.

“When you’re diagnosed with cancer, it’s quite scary and nothing is in your control, because you’re waiting on tests, waiting for the specialists, waiting for the next thing.

“Exercise, nutrition etc those are things you can have control over.”

Collins has a masters degree in sport and exercise science, looking at increasing muscle mass in “pre-frail” elderly, and a background in community education.

She is also deputy chair of the Australasian Gastrointestinal Trials Group advisory panel, which aims to make cancer research more “patient friendly”.

“One thing I found, particularly going through my own journey, was there was a huge gap in, not only research, but also around the services that are provided in that prehab space in Aotearoa.”

With a scholarship from the Cancer Society, she will start her PhD at Auckland University next year.

She plans to work closely with patients, their whānau and health services to create a programme that suits each person’s needs, and supports them with exercise, healthy eating and mental wellbeing, so they feel stronger and recover better from surgery and treatment.

“It’s kind of a way to embrace a wrap-around service that will hopefully give patients some control and hope that it will help when they go for their next steps.”

Her personal connection with her research subject started before her own diagnosis, with her father and uncle, who both had colorectal cancer.

Her uncle, who was diagnosed in his 30s, was successfully treated.

“My father, who was in his 70s, had just eight months from diagnosis.”

That family history spurred her to consult her GP, when she developed non-specific symptoms.

A colonoscopy found a large mass in her bowel and the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes. It subsequently popped up twice in one of her lungs, requiring surgery.

“My last scan was clear – the first in five years – so that’s pretty exciting.”

This has given her the head space to throw herself into a huge research project.

“I can now think, ‘What next?’ Earlier, I didn’t want to start something, because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to see it through.

“It sounds a bit morbid, but that was my thought process.”

Collins, who lives in Taupiri in rural Waikato, said she had always been drawn to “under-served communities”, including rural people.

“I want to make something that works for people where they are at.”

Cancer Society awards more than $1m for cancer research

Over the past 10 years, the [www.cancer.org.nz/about-us/cancer-research/national-research-grants/ Cancer Society’s National Research Grants Programme] has invested more than $50m into research.

The 2025 round involves awards totalling more than $1m to fund post-doctoral fellowships, two project grants and Jodie Collins’ PhD scholarship.

Cancer Society Director of Research and Innovation Christelle Jolly said the fund was a key part of the Cancer Society’s commitment to supporting the cancer research workforce.

“Our support for post-doctoral fellowships has helped to propel researchers along their career path and has enabled significant progress to be made in a range of fields. We hope this new funding announced today will continue to build on that momentum.”

Dr Judy Ann Cocadiz from the University of Otago has received a post-doctoral fellowship to develop a small device to capture tiny pieces of DNA in the blood stream to be analysed for signs of cancer.

A second postdoctoral fellowship was awarded to Dr Yue Wang from the University of Auckland to investigate whether blocking growth hormone could improve the effectiveness of current melanoma treatments.

University of Auckland cancer pharmacologist Associate Professor Stephen Jamieson received a grant to develop new treatments to tackle melanomas caused by a mutation of the NRAS gene, which was found in up to 20 percent of melanomas.

Dr Andrea Teng, a public health physician and senior research fellow at the University of Otago, Wellington, and her team will explore the efficiency of treatment in screen-and-treat approaches for the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection, which is linked to 90 percent of stomach cancer cases.

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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

The best meteor shower of the year will be visible across New Zealand skies from Sunday night.

The annual meteor shower the Geminids, named after the constellation Gemini, comes from dust and debris left behind by the 3200 Phaethon asteroid.

Te Whatu Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki said it occurred roughly the same time each year, in mid December.

“It is basically Earth passing through a trail of debris which has been left behind by an asteroid and those little bits of rock and dust and ice fall into the atmosphere, that gives us the meteors or shooting stars, as they’re commonly known.”

While other meteor showers occurred, Aoraki said the Geminids were quite visible and consistent.

Those wanting to spot them should aim to have a clear and unobstructed view of the sky looking northeast, with the best chance Monday morning between 2am and sunrise.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Heavy rain and severe northwest gales are set to hit large parts of the South Island, with MetService issuing multiple orange warnings and watches as an active front is set to move across the country.

The national forecaster said a strong, moist northerly flow will bring intense rainfall and damaging winds, before conditions turn showery with westerlies later on Monday.

Orange heavy rain warnings are in force for several regions, including the Westland ranges, where between 160 and 200 millimetres of rain is forecast from 9am Monday until 3am Tuesday. Peak rainfall rates of 20mm to 30mm an hour are expected.

In Fiordland, about and north of Doubtful Sound, MetService is warning of 100mm to 150mm of rain between 6am and 4pm Monday, while the headwaters of Canterbury lakes and rivers south of Arthur’s Pass could see up to 180mm near the main divide from 3pm Monday until 3am Tuesday.

The headwaters of Otago lakes and rivers are also under an orange warning, with 120mm to 160mm of rain expected during the day.

MetService warns streams and rivers may rise rapidly, with surface flooding, slips and difficult driving conditions possible. People in affected areas are advised to clear drains and gutters, avoid low-lying areas and take care on the roads.

Strong wind warnings are also in place, with Fiordland facing severe gale-force north to northwest winds gusting up to 120km/h from 4am until 2pm Monday.

Similar conditions are expected in the Canterbury High Country from 9am Monday, with damaging winds likely until 3am Tuesday.

Damage to trees, powerlines and unsecured structures is possible, with the strong winds making driving hazardous, particularly for high-sided vehicles and motorcycles.

A yellow strong wind watch also covers Queenstown Lakes, Central Otago and inland parts of Southland, Clutha and Dunedin, throughout Monday, where winds may approach severe gale strength in exposed areas.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been hospitalised after an altercation in the King Country town of Te Kūiti.

Police were called to King Street East at 12:45am after reports of an altercation between people known to each other.

They said the injured person was taken to hospital where they remained in a stable condition.

A 19-year-old man was arrested and will appear in the Hamilton District Court on Monday on a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

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