Source: Radio New Zealand

Rising fuel prices appear to be keeping some travellers off the roads in the main centres.

Simplicity chief economist Shamubeel Eaqub helped RNZ compile NZ Transport Authority data showing traffic at sites throughout the country.

It shows Auckland’s light vehicle traffic numbers are down 2.2 percent and Wellington 4.5 percent.

Christchurch’s are up and heavy vehicle activity is also up across the country.

“Essentially what we are seeing in the very latest data from Auckland and Wellington is the volume of car driving has come off a bit, and that suggests that people are responding to the increase in prices and the uncertainty around fuel supply.”

He said that was a trend that was likely to continue.

“I think prices have risen even more since then and high prices discourage people from driving, so it’s not surprising.”

He said the early shift was likely to be among people who were able to choose to work from home but some people would find that difficult.

“We remember back during Covid, those people who were essential workers still had to come to work. Back then it was about exposure to virus, now it’s about exposure to cost.”

Infometrics chief executive Brad Olsen said it would take time to show the trend in the data.

“Some people will still be burning through the remaining fuel they might have purchased beforehand.

“I think it’s more one of those things that, given we have heard of a high level of public transport use, it does seem like there are some early suggestions that people are moving their sort of transport means and methods.

“But I think probably too early to make it definitive that you’re seeing an absolute switch in activity.”

AA spokesperson Terry Collins said he had noticed an increase in public transport use.

“The train to Greytown last week was chocka with 56 standing.”

At Gaspy, founder Mike Newton said he had heard from a number of people who were driving less or switching to cycling.

“People are definitely looking for alternatives.”

People who were able to work from home were likely to be doing so more often, he said.

But he said the drop in crude oil prices in recent days should help to stop prices from increasing as quickly.

“There’s so much uncertainty … I’m not sure we’ll see a drop but we might see the price levelling.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellingtonians will face “really steep” increases in their water bills over the next decade as its new water entity tries to fix old, failing infrastructure, its chairman says.

That would start with an average increase in water charges for Wellingtonians of 14.7 percent, or an extra $310 this year, with charges possibly increasing by 28 percent in 2027-2028, and more than doubling by 2036.

Put another way, an average household across Wellington’s four cities – Wellington, Lower Hutt, Upper Hutt and Porirua, was set to pay about $2418 per year this coming year, and pay $6831 (with inflation) by 2036.

Releasing the indicative charges in its water services strategy on Wednesday, Tiaki Wai board chairman Will Peet said he knew the price rises would be unpopular under cost-of-living pressures, but the topic needed to be addressed now.

“We’re conscious that everyone’s been facing rising costs over the past few years, and that any increase is challenging for people.

“And I think, also for me, It’s taken 30 years to get to this position, and it will take more than five minutes to fix.”

Tiaki Wai was replacing Wellington Water and inheriting the region’s assets – managing and providing drinking water, wastewater, and piped stormwater services from July.

Wellingtonians – those living in Wellington City, Porirua, Hutt City, and Upper Hutt – who had been paying for water through council rates, would receive a separate water bill from 1 July for water services, and would have to set up a new payment plan.

Peet said this year, the exact amount of bills would vary from city to city and property to property in the same way rates varied.

For example, this year Porirua residents would pay an average increase of $368 per year for water charges, Lower Hutt residents an extra $349, Upper Hutt residents an extra $278 and Wellington residents an extra $275.

The four councils’ rating model was being transferred to Tiaki Wai for the first year’s bills, but over time, the organisation would move to a common pricing model.

Peet said he wanted to be upfront with residents about what costs would look like, and to ask them for feedback on the organisation’s strategy.

“That said, these are still really steep increases and I know you’ll see some of that from other water authorities around the country, but these are significant increases.”

He said no one would have their water turned off if they were struggling to pay a bill.

According to its strategy document, Tiaki Wai had a hardship policy, including issuing reminder notices and contacting external debt collecting agencies if necessary, but Peet told reporters debt collecting was not what the organisation was considering right now.

Peet was blunt about the challenges for the organisation, saying it would take many years to catch up with decades of underinvestment.

“Infrastructure everywhere, you can’t keep on kicking the can down the road otherwise it comes back to bite you,” he said.

“We have been deferring expenditure in water for a long time, and it’s not my place to determine past decisions, what I can tell you now is that we need to make the hard decision and start to invest.”

The strategy document noted many critical assets were in a poor condition, too old and presenting a “significant risk of failure”, including that three out of four wastewater treatment plants were non-compliant, with problems going back many years.

Wastewater networks were overflowing and stormwater systems were regularly contributed to flooding and pollution, it said.

Added to this was the organisation’s financial position – Tiaki Wai needed more money to operate, Peet said.

The organisation would take over $9 billion of water assets and around $1.7b of debt from the councils, but the amount of revenue being collected by councils – about $385 million in 2025-2026 – had not been enough to meet the long term cost for water services.

One of the organisation’s main priorities from July was to fix the Moa Point Treatment Plant, Peet said, which was still spewing raw sewage into the sea after a catastrophic failure in February.

Peet would not comment on if there was a plan to stop that, and said it was a “bit early to say” how much it would take to fix the plant, referring those questions to current owner Wellington City Council.

“We’ll be working really closely with Wellington City, as they work through the Moa Point issue. I live near the South Coast myself, I know what an impact it’s having, we all know we need to do the right fix, at the right time to make sure it stops.”

He would also not comment on any current suppliers operating the plants, including Veolia.

The organisation had been set some strict targets by Wellington regions’ mayors and mana whenua partners, including that it would not receive any abatement notices, fines, or prosecutions from Greater Wellington Regional Council for non-compliant plants.

Peet said it was the right target to aim for, but with long-standing infrastructure issues, it would not happen in first year.

“We won’t be meeting those in the initial stages, because Wellington Water is not meeting them.

“What happens on the 30 June, will be pretty much what happens on 1st July – that said I think it’s an entirely reasonable expectation that the people of Wellington, through the partner’s committee, should set us some aspirational goals to improve things.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

A grieving dad renews his call for free meningitis vaccines as cases hit NZ students, and a deadly UK outbreak grows.

A grieving Kiwi dad, who lost his only daughter to meningitis, is renewing calls for free vaccinations for all New Zealand students as fresh cases emerge in Dunedin and a deadly outbreak unfolds at a United Kingdom university.

Gerard Rushton, chair of the Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa, has spent more than a decade campaigning for change after his 16-year-old daughter Courtenay died suddenly from the disease after Christmas in 2014.

Now, amid renewed concern about the spread of meningococcal disease among young people, both here and overseas, he says not enough is being done to protect students.

“We are calling on the government to do the right thing, to protect our young people, because we are losing the lives of our young people to a disease that is vaccine-preventable,” Rushton tells The Detail, arguing that the current vaccine eligibility window is too narrow and leaves many young people exposed.

“People do not need to die.

“We are losing these young people, these great young people – they are our future – and we are playing roulette with their lives because at present we haven’t got enough money to fund the vaccination project.

“People just aren’t aware of this fast-moving and incredibly aggressive disease that can take a life in 24 hours.”

Put simply, meningococcal disease is an infection caused by bacteria. It can lead to two very serious illnesses: meningitis – an infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, and septicaemia – blood poisoning.

There are different types of meningococcal bacteria, including A, B, C, W, and Y. Here, in New Zealand, most cases are caused by group B bacteria.

The disease is spread in similar ways to the common cold – by coughing and sneezing, or by contact with saliva, such as from kissing.

Meningococcal disease can develop rapidly and be life-threatening. It can become deadly in just a few hours.

People who survive meningococcal disease often have serious long-term effects, including amputation of limbs, hearing loss, seizures, brain injury, and permanent skin scarring.

Meningococcal vaccines are currently funded for children under 5 and for people aged 13 to 25 entering close-living situations like boarding schools or university halls.

But Rushton says that leaves a large number of students – including those flatting or living at home – without protection.

He wants universal access to the vaccine before students leave school, saying the current system is “not good enough”.

“All that people need to be aware of is they need to be protected from A, C, W, Y, and MenB, so there is one vaccination for A, C, W, Y, and they require two vaccinations for MenB, and they have got to be up to 8 weeks apart.

“That’s the concern; it does take a wee while to get our kids fully protected.

“And it is a concern that those in a lower-decile community simply cannot afford the vaccination. They are about $150 each, and you need three of them, so they are simply out of reach for a lot of New Zealanders. So, we can’t see why the government is not funding this.

“This present policy is really confusing, and we believe it actually discriminates against a large proportion of our at-risk population. And we can’t understand why New Zealand has a health policy at present that discriminates against these people.”

New Zealand Health authorities are dealing with at least two confirmed meningococcal cases in Dunedin this month, with officials treating the situation as an outbreak.

The cases involve students linked to the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, with close contacts offered antibiotics and vaccinations.

It comes as a major meningitis outbreak linked to students at the University of Kent in England has left at least two people dead and dozens infected this month.

Health authorities in the UK have since widened vaccine access and rolled out emergency antibiotics, with scenes reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic as students queue for treatment.

The outbreak has reinforced fears about how quickly meningococcal disease can spread in close-living environments such as university halls.

“We are watching the UK situation closely,” Rushton says. “It’s really concerning for us because we know this can happen in New Zealand at any time, because of our present low vaccination rates amongst our adolescent population.

“It is devastating for us to see it personally because we know the life-long effects it can have on family members, whānau, and the community.”

For Rushton, the campaign is deeply personal.

His only daughter, Courtenay, a “normal, healthy 16-year-old”, had received a standard meningitis vaccine as a youngster, but her family later learned she wasn’t fully protected against “all of the different strains”.

Twelve years ago, over the New Year period, she complained to her parents of feeling unwell.

“We took her to the doctor three times in two days, all after-hours, and it wasn’t until the last visit that she collapsed in the medical centre. She was ambulanced to Timaru … then flown to Christchurch … but then sadly we found out it had got to her brain and they had to turn the life support off.”

He says no family should have to endure what his has – and believes wider vaccine access could save lives.

“It’s been 12 years since I lost my daughter, and I still have tears in my eyes now. Every time we hear about a case, it just rips your heart out because you know what’s going to happen to those people. You know what their life’s going to be like, and you know it just doesn’t need to happen, that’s the crux of it.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

MetService says an “impactful” weather event is heading for the upper North Island this afternoon, with Northland likely to be upgraded to a red weather warning as it develops.

An orange heavy rain warning was in place for Northland from 4pm Wednesday and for Great Barrier Island and Coromandel Peninsula early Thursday, lasting until Friday.

Meteorologist Silvia Martino said the impacts might not be seen right away.

Several Watches have been issued for Heavy Rain, as well as an Orange Warning for Northland, which has a Moderate chance of being upgraded to a Red Warning

Wind Watches are also in place for Northland and Auckland for easterly to northeasterly gusts approaching severe gale pic.twitter.com/leZDsjeCDV

— MetService NZ (@MetService) March 23, 2026

“This will be a long event, it carries on for a couple of days, so while we might not get to warning amounts [today], we are expecting over time that rain to build up to warning levels.”

She explained forecasters would be working with local authorities to determine if a red warning was needed.

“The decision about whether to go to a red warning is one that’s made based on what the impacts are likely to be.

“What our expert forecasters will be doing is talking to the council, talking to people on the ground about what the impacts are expected to be from the amount of rain we’re forecasting, and then together they’ll make the decision about whether a red warning is appropriate.

“With the heavy rain, we’re looking out for the risk of surface flooding, of possibly areas being cut off, and reminding people to avoid floodwaters. If you can avoid travel then that’s for the best.”

Clear the gutters, put anything away that could be a source of danger from wind, Martino said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Two senior Corrections staff are under investigation including one who faces an allegation of sexual harassment.

The other person has been suspended following multiple allegations of bullying and harassment.

Corrections said the two cases, which both involve staff at Mt Eden prison, are separate matters and do not relate to each other.

RNZ understands both involve senior staff, however they are not at an executive level.

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

In response to questions from RNZ, Corrections deputy chief executive people and capability, Rebecca Powell, confirmed in a statement both staff worked in Pae Ora at Mt Eden prison.

According to Corrections’ website the Pae Ora Group is “responsible for delivering evidence-informed, culturally responsive health and rehabilitation services to people under Corrections management”.

Powell said Corrections could confirm one person had been placed on alternative duties outside of the workplace following an allegation of sexual harassment.

“Another staff member within Pae Ora has been suspended following allegations from multiple internal and external sources of bullying and harassment,” she said.

“These are separate matters and do not relate to each other.”

Powell said Corrections was one of the largest government departments in New Zealand with about 11,000 staff.

“The overwhelming majority of our people act with integrity, honesty and professionalism in what is often a high pressure and challenging environment.

“We are committed to ensuring that our workplaces are free from bullying and harassment. Our clear expectation is that staff uphold the standards of behaviour in our Code of Conduct and comply with the law.”

Powell said the outcome of any employment investigation cannot be pre-determined. Any employment investigation process must follow the requirements of the Employment Relations Act and uphold procedural integrity.

A staff member may be suspended when the staffer has admitted to misconduct but there would be some delay before a decision is made on any disciplinary action to be taken, or if the allegations were of such a serious nature that it is not appropriate for the staff member to continue to perform their duties or to remain in the workplace while an investigation is undertaken.

A staffer could also be suspended if their presence in the workplace or their contact with colleagues or offenders “might hamper a full and fair investigation” and/or potentially raise a safety risk to other staff, people in Corrections management, or themselves.

RNZ earlier revealed that Corrections commissioner of custodial services Leigh Marsh was facing an employment investigation.

In response to questions about the inquiry into Marsh, Corrections chief executive Jeremy Lightfoot said Corrections could confirm one senior leader would be investigated by an external independent investigator.

“The concerns raised relate to alleged conduct around management processes and bullying within the employment relationship.”

Marsh was one of three operational deputy chief executives who is going to undertake a six-month secondment into different DCE roles within Corrections.

“I had already been considering moving the operational DCEs into each other’s areas later this year. This is because I believe these secondments will allow each operational DCE to deepen their understanding of each other’s respective areas so we can continue building a coherent, cohesive organisation.

“Their employment agreements were developed to allow such secondments to take place.

“The decision to do this now was brought forward to ensure that a thorough and fair employment process for both parties in relation to the above complaint can be carried out.”

Marsh will be moving to Pae Ora.

RNZ asked Corrections what involvement Marsh would have with the investigations.

“In the two cases you are referring to, these were initiated while Juanita Ryan was deputy chief executive Pae Ora so any tier 2 (that is, deputy chief executive level) involvement in these matters, if required, will remain with her.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The Dunedin City Council will consider sanctioning first-term councillor Benedict Ong for breaching its code of conduct after publicly criticising a staff member.

Ong last month sent an email complaining about the staff member’s performance to the council’s chief executive and two local journalists.

The email accused the worker of “apparent political bias” and a “lack of political neutrality”.

An independent investigation by senior lawyer Steph Dyhrberg found Ong seriously breached the council’s code of conduct and his actions could have been a deliberate attempt to retaliate against the staff member for not supporting his account in an earlier complaint he made against another councillor.

Ong used social media to call the findings he victimised or discredited the staff member “wholly false”, saying he had never publicly named the staff member and claimed he had been forcibly silenced and forced to leave a council meeting. He was escorted out of a February meeting with tape over his mouth following concerns about his behaviour.

The council would decide on Wednesday if it agreed with Dyhrberg’s conclusion, provide Ong with an opportunity to address the council and consider possible sanctions if councillors agreed the code was breached.

Possible sanctions included a letter of censure, a demand to publicly apologise, a vote of no confidence, removal of council-funded privileges or an invitation to resign.

Ong also faced losing two external council representative roles that could cost him $15,000 in annual pay.

Mayor Sophie Barker made the request due to behaviour she described as “extremely disrespectful”.

Ong’s first six months as a councillor had not been smooth sailing with a series of controversies including speaking out after being asked to remain quiet about a code of conduct complaint he made against colleague John Chambers.

Ong claimed Chambers made inappropriate comments towards him.

Dyhrberg also investigated that complaint, but it was dismissed after her preliminary investigation found it lacked substance.

Part of the evidence she considered was a phone call transcript with a staff member who did not support Ong’s account of what was said.

The staff member also raised concerns Ong was known to share information with the media and might breach her privacy, prompting Dyhrberg to ask Ong to keep the information confidential when she shared it with him.

Ong sent the email to the council chief executive and local journalists about half an hour later in what might have been a deliberate attempt to retaliate or discredit her, Dyhrberg said, in a report following her investigation.

She regarded his attempt to discredit the staff member as a witness in a code of conduct process as particularly egregious.

While the staff member was not named, she was readily identifiable, Dyhrberg said.

He risked bringing the council into disrepute and compromising its obligation to be a good employer, as well as exposing it to potential litigation, through his public disclosure of sensitive material, she said.

Dyhrberg noted Ong was given several opportunities to respond to the concerns raised or comment but chose not to.

Ong had continued to defend himself in social media posts.

“I know in my heart and I know in my veins I am Right and I work relentlessly every moment every day for our Great City,” he said, in one such post.

Ong also faced possible removal from his council representative roles on the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board.

Barker wrote to Ong in February to inform him he was no longer deputy of the council’s technology portfolio and she was withdrawing the privilege of attending informal meetings with herself, councillors, MPs and invited guests after his “extremely disrespectful behaviour” towards her and his refusal to remove disparaging online comments about the chief executive.

She told him she would reconsider her decision when he removed the posts and apologised in writing.

Chambers was recommended to replace Ong as the new council representative for the Otago Settlers Association and the Toitū Otago Settlers Museum Board.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Documents show staff at Dunedin’s Columba College complained to education officials multiple times accusing the school’s board of bullying and interfering in the day to day running of the school.

In response, the college would later say the Ministry of Education’s apparent concerns were “not made out on the evidence” that it was “at risk of overstepping” and even that the board was concerned those involved at the ministry “may not be impartial”.

In a statement to RNZ this week the school said its relationship with the ministry was “highly collaborative and positive” and that information provided by the Official Information Act (OIA) process was a “valuable opportunity for transparency and reflection on previous issues”.

In October, the school announced its principal Charissa Nicol would not be returning.

Nicol, who had been in the role since June 2023, had been on leave since 30 July. The school earlier declined to say why she was on leave.

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

RNZ requested under the Official Information Act the total number of complaints made to the Ministry of Education regarding Columba College in the past two years, a summary of the complaints, and a copy of all correspondence between the school and the ministry regarding the complaints last year.

The OIA reveals the ministry received 19 complaints regarding the school last year.

In April the Ministry of Education Dunedin/South Otago manager of integrated services Judith Forbes emailed the presiding member of Columba College Board Graeme Riley and Nicol asking for a meeting.

“The Ministry of Education has received some complaints about the Columba College Board, and our first step in any situation like this would always be to discuss with the Presiding Member and the Principal the concerns that have been raised with us.

“I acknowledge that it may be unsettling to hear that the Ministry has received such correspondence.”

Ahead of the meeting, Forbes sent a summary of the complaints to Riley and Nicol as well as the president of the Board of Governors Amy Columb.

“Complaints have come from a number of staff [redacted] relating to the actions/behaviour of the Columba College Board. Summary statement from one complainant is that the board is ‘overreaching and interfering with the day to day running of the school, as well as not following policies/procedures – either by demanding certain things do or do not happen or by attempting to circumvent the limits of their reach to enforce what they wish to happen’.”

There were several examples given including the process for investigating and decision-making around a complaint against a teacher raised by more than one complainant as a breach of policy, applying additional scrutiny to departments and writing new policies to enforce decisions which would normally be made by management.

“We were particularly concerned to note that complainants stated that they were afraid to raise their concerns because of the perceived risk that they would then be targeted by past and current members of the board, with one stating that ‘targeting of complainants has unfortunately occurred in the past’.”

‘This seems like an escalation already’

In response, Riley said the board thought the usual process would have been to refer the complaints back to them in the first instance, or that any staff concerns would first have been raised with the board through Nicol.

“So this seems like an escalation already, and we are concerned that the Ministry seems to have made decisions about an appropriate process without the benefit of hearing the Board’s views or establishing the facts.”

Riley said the summary of concerns was “markedly similar” to concerns that had previously been expressed and were already being addressed by both the Board of Governors and the Board of Trustees.

He added the school had engaged education consultant Cleave Hay to work with it as a “specialist governance advisor”.

On 23 April, Forbes sent an email following the meeting.

“As discussed, the Ministry is concerned to have received complaints from staff regarding the way that the boards have been operating. These complaints have a common theme: that the boards may have, over time, developed an unusual degree of involvement in the day-to-day management of the school, and that this may be having a negative impact on the smooth operation of the school and on the wellbeing of its staff.”

Forbes said the ministry was “pleased” that Hay had been contracted to support the boards, and it was “reassuring” that both Columb and Riley were “perturbed” to hear staff did not feel safe raising their concerns more directly.

She said some school boards had, in such situations, done a staff wellbeing survey with “the protection of anonymity for all respondents”.

“It would be helpful to hear back from you what plan of action the school board is thinking of putting in place to address the concerns raised, so that the Ministry can determine whether or not any further action from us is warranted and/or necessary.”

Ministry concerned about ‘ongoing operation of the school’

On 9 May Forbes received an email from Anderson Lloyd partner John Farrow who said the school’s boards had asked for advice on her email from 23 April.

He said the boards were concerned she seemed to be “forming opinions about the College without providing the information on which those opinions are apparently based, and without properly explaining the apparent concerns”.

Farrow said the boards had taken the complaints “seriously” and were taking steps to address them, in consultation with Nicol and Hay.

“In those circumstances your follow-up email, and the indication that you were still considering ‘further action’ is cause for concern. We do not see how any Ministry action could be considered at all appropriate or necessary.”

On 23 June, the ministry’s Otago central manager of integrated services Chris Bryant sent an email regarding a meeting they had the day prior referring to several matters that had been discussed.

This included that the ministry had heard from a few sources, that there was a “significant break down in the relationship between the Governance and Management. This raises concerns for the Ministry about the ongoing operation of the school”.

‘The Ministry is at risk of overstepping’

On 11 July, Farrow emailed David Tapp, the director of education for Otago and Southland on behalf of the school board and Board of Governors regarding a meeting requested by Bryant.

“Mr Bryant’s email records an option the Ministry has is to consider using its legislative powers to compel such a meeting.”

Farrow said the boards considered the ministry’s apparent concerns were “not made out on the evidence; the Ministry is at risk of overstepping; and it is too early for Ministry intervention.”

The board said the ministry may be “taking into account irrelevant considerations, including complaints made with specific agendas unrelated to concerns about the governance and effective operation of the school”.

He also said the board was “concerned those involved at the Ministry may not be impartial”.

Farrow said it was “premature” for the ministry to require a meeting with the whole school board and “almost certainly too soon for the Ministry to formally intervene”.

In response, Bryant said the purpose of the meeting was for the ministry to gain assurance that Columba College could “continue to operate effectively”.

“This is not an intervention…”

The ministry still wanted to meet with the boards.

A meeting took place in October between the Ministry of Education, Riley, Columb, Hay as well as Farrow and Fiona McMillan from Anderson Law. Following the meeting Tapp sent an email to those who attended.

Most of the email was redacted.

In a subheading titled ‘complaints process’, the email said the ministry had received 11 complaints to date. Where the complainants had included their name and email addresses, the ministry had referred them back to the school’s complaints process.

A “fear of retribution” was the common theme among the complaints.

“We positively note that the actions in Cleave’s report show that the Board is reviewing its complaints and [Professional Learning and Development].

“We are keen to see your progress on this and importantly to see how you intend to have a well-functioning complaints process which is free from the perception of fear of retribution.”

‘We have seen improvement’

In a statement to RNZ, Tapp said the ministry was in “regular contact” with the school and continued to meet with school representatives to support both the board and the leadership team.

“Last year we identified concerns about governance and leadership at the school. Columba has taken positive steps since then. We consider progress needs to occur more quickly. Several key governance matters remain unresolved, and the school is clear about the performance expectations that must be met.

“We have seen improvement. The Boards of Governors and Trustees engaged an independent governance adviser, and a working group involving staff and union representatives was established and is meeting regularly. These actions show constructive movement to resolving the governance issues identified, and we are confident the school is heading in the right direction.”

Tapp said the school continued to “operate effectively” for students on a day-to-day basis.

“At this time, further intervention is not being considered.”

In response to questions from RNZ the school’s acting principal Aaron Everett and Riley released a statement they said had been reviewed and “endorsed by staff” and was supported by both boards and the principal.

The statement said there had been changes within the school board, with seven new members joining since the board election in September last year.

The boards and staff were “working in close, positive collaboration” the statement said including formalising a dedicated working group comprising board and staff members to “ensure a unified approach and a commitment to open communication”.

They were also working together to review procedures related to the management of concerns or complaints.

“We view the information provided via the OIA process as a valuable opportunity for transparency and reflection on previous issues. It allows us to gain visibility of feedback and provides the opportunity to address these historical concerns and issues.”

The statement said the school’s relationship with the ministry was “highly collaborative and positive”.

“We welcome their partnership as we strive to provide the best possible environment for our students, staff and wider community.”

They were “encouraged” by the ministry’s confidence in the school’s current direction and its confirmation that intervention was not required.

Asked about the concerns raised about impartiality from the ministry, the statement said any “historical queries” regarding impartiality had been “fully addressed”.

“Both Boards have complete confidence in the MOE’s impartiality and look forward to our continued partnership.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

John Beckenridge killed himself and his 11-year-old stepson in a vengeful act against his estranged wife, a coroner has ruled.

Coroner Marcus Elliot said the Queenstown man was angry, self-righteous and vengeful when he drove his car off a cliff in the Catlins in 2015.

Beckenridge and his stepson Mike Zhou-Beckenridge were last seen near Curio Bay in Southland in March 2015 and the 64-year-old’s car was later found in the sea at the bottom of a cliff.

Coroner Elliot, in a decision released on Wednesday, said the pair were not missing but had died in the crash in 2015.

It follows a coronial hearing in 2023, during which the boy’s mother Fiona Lu expressed doubt they had died and instead believed Beckenridge had staged their deaths and fled the country with her son.

The coroner did not intend to hold an inquest in the deaths but would instead issue in-chambers’ findings based on existing evidence.

The pair vanished after Beckenridge broke a court order and picked up Mike from school on 13 March 2015.

Beckenridge had been in a relationship with Lu since 2006 and they married in 2007.

They separated in 2013 and there was conflict over where Mike should live.

When police looked into the pair’s disappearance they determined the pair had died in a murder-suicide but Mike’s family are convinced they escaped overseas.

Coroner Elliot said he had looked at the theory but decided Beckenridge would have had to pull off the “perfect crime”.

That would have involved Beckenridge pretending to be increasingly angry, irrational and desperate and faking his dire financial situation, the coroner said.

“In short this theory requires Mr Beckenridge to have put on a convincing act, a complete sham, for months and even years portraying himself as someone other than who he really was,” he said.

However, he decided Beckenridge was fuelled by rage when he drove his car over the cliff, killing himself and Mike.

“Mr Beckenridge’s willingness to use Mike as a weapon against Ms Lu reveals a callous disregard for the harm he was causing Mike. He did everything he could to turn Mike against, and incite hatred of, his mother and [Lu’s new partner Peter] Russell,” Coroner Elliot said.

“The only conclusion one can draw from Mr Beckenridge’s indoctrination of Mike against his mother is that he was at least indifferent to the harm he was causing to Mike. He had become so vindictive towards Ms Lu and so self-obsessed and self-righteous that he was willing to harm Mike.”

Private detective Mark Templeman told the coroner, on behalf of Lu, that the pair had staged the crash and left the country.

Templeman claimed Beckenridge rigged a driverless vehicle to go off the cliff and left the country with Mike – probably by boat – travelling to a country or countries overseas and establishing new lives under new identities.

Part of the plan involved creating the impression Beckenridge could not afford to stage an escape from New Zealand, Templeman said.

However, he claimed Beckenridge had other funding options, including $11,400 in a Superannuation Fund in Sweden, which had not been investigated.

Beckenridge was born in Sweden and originally named Knut Lundh.

He lived in several countries as an adult and changed his name first to John Lundh and then John Beckenridge.

Templeman said Beckenridge set up the site at the top of the Cliff to create the illusion he had committed suicide.

Beckenridge was an experienced diver and sailor and was very familiar with the tide and currents, he said.

Beckenridge selected the spot so the car would submerge and be difficult to locate and reach, Templeman said.

The car is believed to have gone over the cliff on 20 March 2015 and debris was spotted two days later. But it could not be accessed by divers until 29 March due to the condition of the sea and the car was not recovered until early May.

Templeman said it would be dangerous to conclude Beckenridge and Mike were dead as all international monitoring would cease, which was exactly what Beckenridge wanted to happen.

But Coroner Elliot said the staging and escape theory was implausible.

“Mr Beckenridge’s actions illustrate that he either did not have or did not display the characteristics of the intelligent, resourceful, rational and well-prepared criminal which Ms Lu and Mr Russell believe him to be,” said Elliot.

The coroner also heard from Dr John Raine, Emeritus Doctor of Mechanical Engineering at Auckland University of Technology, who provided an independent report about the vehicle and clifftop scene.

Dr Raine said he did not think a driver could have left the vehicle as it was driven towards the edge and the only way the vehicle could have been launched off the cliff without a driver would be if it had been rigged to accelerate hard in a straight line towards its launch point.

When Dr Raine inspected the remains of the vehicle there was no sign of any fixtures to enable remote control and nothing was seen by the Police national dive squad.

It was “very, very improbable that a remote-controlled actuator system was used,” Dr Raine said.

Coroner Elliot said he had concluded Beckenridge and Mike were dead and their bodies lost at sea.

Mike was 11-years-old when he went missing and would now be 22 if he was alive.

Lu did not want to comment on the coroner’s decision. But at the hearing she said she thought about her son everyday and believed one day he would come back to her.

Detective Inspector Stu Harvey said the coroner had reached the same conclusion as police.

“We know this outcome will be difficult for members of Mike and John’s families, some of whom have held on to hope that the pair may still be alive. Our thoughts are with them today.”

Coroner Marcus Elliot said he now intended to open an inquiry into the pair’s death and would make findings using existing evidence.

He invited interested parties to make further submissions, including on whether an inquest should be held.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Hundreds of pieces of New Zealand history are set to be sold next month, as exhibits from the Tirau Museum go up for auction in the Waikato town.

The collection was a labour of love for local man Geoffrey Ernst, who died in 2023 – and was dedicated to preserving New Zealand’s rural and social history.

The collection comprises of and estimated 5000 items, including vintage signage, machinery, farm equipment, bottles, vehicles and even an aeroplane propellor.

Auctioneer charged with selling the collection William Britton told Morning Report the museum had been Ernst’s lifelong passion.

Ernst had been gathering the items since he was nine years old, and the collection had grown to cover some 13,000 square feet, he said.

“It covers everything that you can think of. You can find anything in there.”

One of the most prized items in the collection – an Indian motorcycle from 1941 – had been a service vehicle during WWII, he said.

“This bike’s very much complete and it’s not been restored which is quite rare these days.

“This one would have come over from America during World War Two and would’ve done service here. It’s missing a few pieces but it’s all there and it’s ready for someone to love again.”

Other interesting and rare lots included an antique ginger beer filling machine, the oldest tractor in the Waikato district and countess vintage petrol signs.

There was even an old TVNZ camera, which was one of six brought into the country in 1955, he said.

“It is very much a New Zealand collection.”

The auction comprised of 350 lots, amounting to about 1500 individual items, Britton said.

There had been lots of interest in the auction “from all walks of life”, he added.

Pre-bidding has opened online, but the auction itself will be held in Tirau on 12 April at 10am.

Britton said he was expecting strong bidding, but with auctions like these it was impossible to say which lots would garner the most interest.

“Sometimes we get surprises.”

‘It feels bittersweet’

Ernst’s daughter Emma Faire said throughout his life, Ernst had been many things to many people.

“Many of our memories of dad are of him either working hard at our family business, Tui Apiaries, or collecting all sorts of ‘things’ for his beloved museum,” she said.

“So many family outings ended in detours to wonderful places, searching for the next piece.”

“Mum often said he loved the hunt for anything old with a story. She remembers going out with him bottle digging, anywhere there was an old historic dump, he’d be there! It was so exciting, especially when you’d find a nice, whole bottle.”

Ernst had loved giving things a place where they would be appreciated, she said.

“A lot of our childhood was spent helping keep the museum spick and span. We spent hours playing and keeping things clean. Looking back, we probably took it for granted.”

Even later in life, Ernst was never far from the museum, she said.

“We all knew this day would come. Dad didn’t have the heart to close the doors and sell his collection. Now, as it goes up for auction, it feels bittersweet for our family.

“If we had it our way, it would stay just as it is forever. But we know that if it had to go, dad would have wanted it to go to people who will appreciate the stories, the passion, and the little pieces of his and our heart that each item holds.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

There has been a small eruption at Whakaari-White Island, with a plume of ash briefly visible.

Earth Sciences New Zealand said the volcano erupted at 5.35pm, with “a single slug of dark grey volcanic ash” rising to about 1300 metres.

It dissipated within a few minutes, but not before it was captured on an Earth Sciences camera on the Bay of Plenty mainland.

In a bulletin issued about the eruption, Earth Sciences duty volcanologist Steven Sherburn said the volcanic alert had been lifted to level to 3 because of the eruption – that indicated minor volcanic activity.

“While eruptive activity has ceased for now, volcanic activity could re-escalate with little or no warning,” he said.

“Further sudden, more explosive events could therefore affect the crater floor and immediate vicinity of the island, although ashfall affecting the mainland remains unlikely.”

The aviation colour code was lifted to orange which indicated heightened activity but little or no ash.

Whakaari had some had some minor volcanic activity and steam emissions in the past few weeks, Sherburn said.

Today’s eruption was also visible on MetService satellites.

Earth Sciences would continue to closely monitor the island for any changes in activity, but Sherburn noted they were relying on cameras and observation flights because there were no sensors on the island.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

The government’s support package for those struggling with the cost of fuel is simply not enough, an advocate for beneficiaries says, warning it could push people towards crime.

Almost 150,000 families with children will receive an extra $50 a week to help ease the pain from soaring petrol prices.

Speaking at a media conference earlier today, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said the relief would come through a boost to the in-work tax credit – part of the Working for Families scheme – and it will kick in from April.

Another 14,000 families will qualify for a part payment as part of the government’s “targeted assistance”.

The increase is temporary and will last a year or until the price of 91 octane petrol drops below $3 a litre for four consecutive weeks.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said the package struck the right balance and it was a “hard reality that we cannot alleviate the pressure of rising fuel costs for everyone”.

There is nothing for beneficiaries, superannuitants and those without children in the package, which will cost up to $373 million if it runs the full 12 months and is funded through new spending earmarked for the government’s May budget.

Willis noted the 1 April annual increases would provide a boost to benefits and superannuation payments, saying benefit rates remained “structurally higher” after increases under the previous government.

“We will be increasing main benefit rates on the 1st of April so a couple with children receiving jobseeker support receive an increase of nearly $20 a week.”

But Auckland Action Against Poverty co-chair Agnes Magele said that $20 a week would make little difference to those struggling to make ends meet.

“It’s a clear message to the people that the government really don’t care about the beneficiaries,” she said. “That extra $20, how can that be some sort of relief when people are still faced with food prices going up, now petrol prices are going up… that’s not going to make any difference at all.”

She said the fuel costs were forcing people into tough choices to survive.

“The cost of living doesn’t suddenly disappear just because someone isn’t in paid work.

“We had young ones coming in last week, and I’m being real when I say this – they’re looking at robbing the petrol station. And that’s the kind of effect that it has on the people on the ground.

“Normally the bills they have to choose from is either their rent, or their power, and they’re essential needs …. when people have to make a choice to sacrifice one of those that means the government’s not doing what they’re supposed to be doing in order to see that the people are thriving.”

She said the $50 boost was welcome for those who could receive it, but it would not go very far and was “a band-aid solution”.

Those on the benefit and looking for work would also struggle to get to appointments for training and interviews if fuel costs continued to rise, she said.

‘They can’t afford both transport and food’

Bonnie Robinson from the Salvation Army told Checkpoint while it was good news for those families who get that assistance, there would still be a lot of families who are struggling already to meet the basics who will not be getting anything.

She said that definitely included families who relied on a benefit who were already struggling.

“Eighty-five percent of the families who come to our food banks for food support are on benefits. So they are already struggling, the petrol price increase is going to make that harder and we are already seeing just in the last week or two, an increase in the number of people coming to a food bank for the first time.

“The petrol prices have pushed them over from coping to not coping and then needing to come for food support because they can’t afford both transport and food.”

Robinson said there was growing pressure on food parcel services as more people sought them out.

“We’re still delivering about 40 percent more food assistance than we did pre-Covid, it hasn’t dropped back to pre-Covid situation.”

She said when it came to tight budgets, food was the only area where they had wriggle room to cut back.

“And sometimes it gets trimmed to the point where people don’t have enough to eat.”

Whangārei Care Centre budget advisor Dianne Harris said her clients had not yet noticed a significant difference in fuel costs, but were very aware that it was happening.

“This extra $50 will help them, because it hasn’t hit yet”.

She told Checkpoint that the rise in food prices and the general cost of living was more of a concern at he moment, and her clients were becoming far more conscious of their budget than they ever had before.

“They are having to find watch they are doing more, they are having to think seriously about how many times they decide to go to the supermarket or go out.”

She was also concerned that people would get used to the extra $50, only to have it snatched away after a year.

“That’s when the struggle might happen again.”

Harris said there was an increase in the number of people using Afterpay and wanting to access their KiwiSaver funds, but stressed that this would not solve the problem.

“If a person has a minus in their budget but they are not paying any of their debts… the minus is still going to be there.”

The Greens had offered over the weekend to support National to introduce additional supports, including making public transport free, and other relief.

The government has maintained that supports during the fuel crisis must not increase debt levels, particularly after ratings agency Fitch downgraded New Zealand’s outlook from stable to negative.

Hipkins dismissed the Greens’ proposal as a “wishlist”, but said he would not be doing the same until he could see how much solutions might cost and how they would be delivered.

Magele said that was not good enough.

“They need to step up a little bit more. I think that they’ve been a little bit weak and not pushing back,” she said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Changes coming for Lotto will make it less likely that people will win the big prize – but more likely they’ll collect a small one.

In what it calls its first “matrix change” in 19 years, Lotto will increase the number of Powerballs in its draw machine from 10 to 14.

This reduces the chances of winning Powerball from about 1 in 38.4 million to about 1 in 53.7 million for every line on a ticket.

Lotto will also add a “division eight” prize, raise the starting Powerball jackpot from $4 million to $5m, and increase the maximum jackpot from $50m to $60m.

Lotto chief executive Jason Delamore said the jackpot would be more likely to roll over to the next draw, which would deliver larger prizes when people won, while prizes in all other divisions would also be increased as part of the changes.

“The new Powerball division eight is a gamechanger. We expect its introduction will lift the total number of weekly Powerball winners by 30 percent, from about 47,000 winners to 62,000 winners on average.”

The changes to Powerball take effect in the second half of 2026.

He said lotteries around the world regularly refreshed their games in response to changes in population, customer expectations, inflation and other factors.

“Powerball had just eight balls when we launched in 2001. The jackpot started at $1 million and topped out at $15 million.

“We’ve made tweaks to the game in 2007, 2010, 2015 and 2017, so the current gap since the last update has been longer than usual.

“The changes we’re announcing today are our most exciting yet, with more chances to win and bigger prizes, including the new starting jackpot of $5 million, up from $4 million today.

“We’re really happy that we’ve managed to retain what people love about Powerball, while making a few refinements along the way.

“Furthermore, the price to play the game will remain unchanged.”

Massey University marketing expert Bodo Lang said he did not think the move would hurt ticket sales.

“Why do people play Lotto? The superficial surface answer is because they want to win money and maybe stop working. But what you’re selling when you’re selling a Lotto ticket is you’re selling hope.

“And if that hope is sustained by the new scheme I think it could totally work.”

Koura KiwiSaver founder Rupert Carlyon said people needed to be clear that Lotto was a type of gambling – not an investment.

“We know that people with lower financial security are more likely to buy Lotto tickets as they are looking for a way out of their current situation. People are already prioritising Lotto tickets over feeding their kids and these changes will only make it worse.”

He said many people realised they did not need to win a huge jackpot. “Even though that would be lifechanging, I think a lot of people would be really happy with something in the hundreds of thousands because it would probably make a large dent in their mortgage.”

Delamore said evolving Powerball was a key part of the organisation’s future strategy as it approaches its 40th birthday next year.

“Lotto NZ is owned by all New Zealanders and all of our profits – totalling more than $6.7 billion since 1987 – go to the Lottery Grants Board for distribution to the community.

“This change to Powerball will help support consistent and predictable returns back to a wide range of causes, including grassroots sports, cultural groups and health organisations.”

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Golden Bay locals are continuing to campaign against a proposed gold mine, fearing it will harm the region’s famed Te Waikoropupū Springs.

Australian mining company Siren Gold hopes to extract billions of dollars worth of gold at Sams Creek in the Upper Tākaka Valley. Exploration drilling which began in 2022, is continuing while the application for a mining permit is assessed.

Environmental advocate Timothy Firkin said two activists locked themselves to the main drilling rig at Sams Creek for about 12 hours during the weekend.

They were joined by other Golden Bay residents who remained concerned about the potential impact of the mine on the environment and the lack of engagement with the community, Firkin said.

“We feel there’s no social licence and that Siren Gold is pushing ahead without any genuine community consent,” he said.

“These are the clearest waters in the Southern Hemisphere, some of the clearest water ever measured on earth and the headwaters of the Tākaka Valley feed the Arthur Marble Aquifer that runs into Te Waikoropupū Springs and, beyond that, that water services everyone in the community.”

The group were concerned about the suitability of the site for a mine given the combination of high rainfall and seismic risk, Firkin said.

They were also worried about the management of toxic waste, arsenic-laden rock and the likely use of cyanide for extraction, he said.

The actions of activists at the weekend were a bid to disrupt the exploration drilling and came after two years of campaiging against the proposed mine, he said.

“We’ve invited them to community talks, we’ve asked for direct engagement. They’ve answered none of our questions and said that they would wait until after the mining licence was granted to engage with community,” Firkin said.

“We feel that area of the Kahurangi National Park was cut out solely for prospecting and we feel that place alone is worth protecting. Sam’s Creek is one of the most beautiful waterways I have ever set foot on and that whole area around there … I would be so heartbroken if there was a giant open cast mine in the entranceway to the Kahurangi National Park.”

The group wanted to engage with Siren Gold and voice their concerns but did not hold out much hope, he said.

Community group mounts legal challenge

Environmental advocacy group Save Our Springs last year applied for judicial review of government decisions linked to the controversial proposal.

The application was filed against Siren Gold and its subsidiary Sams Creek Gold along with Resources Minister Shane Jones and Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment chief executive Nic Blakeley.

It sought declarations the exploration permit expired in March 2021 and the mining permit application should not have been accepted because it was lodged after the exploration permit’s expiry or because it did not include required information under the Crown Minerals Regulations 2007.

Siren Gold chief executive Zane Padman said the company had filed a statement of defence and a hearing date had been set for September.

The occupation over the weekend had a negligible impact on its exploration work, he said.

“I am more concerned for the safety of all involved. Entering work sites, climbing unharnessed on operating equipment and on buildings and flying drones where helicopters are operating is simply dangerous,” Padman said.

“The irony here is that the solutions to the concerns these members of the community hold are best informed by the results of the drilling.”

The company was willing to engage with people who were reasonable in their behaviour and were prepared to work with Siren Gold to identify responses to issues they hold, he said.

Exploration drilling was ongoing at the site as the company awaited the result of its mining permit application, he said.

“The mining permit is simply a procedural step that provides the holder with exclusivity to extract a specific resource from a specific location but does not give authority to activate mining,” he said.

“Any mine development is years away and any activity is required to undertake RMA consent processes for permissible activities, land owner approval, safety procedures and environmental standards to be met and community engagement including with iwi.”

Siren Gold said, in a recent update to the Australian Securities Exchange, it was part way through drilling 20 holes as part of its exploration work.

Its current estimate was that more than 800,000 ounces of gold could be mined at Sams Creek with a yield of about 2.8 grams of gold per tonne.

Drilling was expected to be completed by April with an updated mineral resource estimate to be completed after that.

MBIE minerals and offshore renewable energy national manager petroleum John Buick-Constable said the Sams Creek Gold mining permit application was still being assessed.

“There are no statutory timeframes for assessing or deciding a permit application. Each permit application brings its own complexities and there also may be times when more information is required to progress an application,” he said.

The average targeted timeframe for processing a tier one minerals mining permit was 240 working days.

The company’s existing exploration permit remained in force while its mining permit was being assessed, Buick-Constable said.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Wellington Airport has installed new runway safety zones with energy absorbing blocks at the end of each runway.

It said the engineered materials arresting system (EMAS), would provide additional safety in the unlikely event an aircraft accidentally overran the runway during take-off or landing.

It also effectively extended the usable length of the runway, providing a landing distance increase of 143m and a take-off distance increase of 37m.

Wellington Airport chief executive Matt Clarke said it had been hard work, which was done mainly between 1am and 6am each night to avoid impacting flights.

He said the most complicated part of all, occurred on Monday overnight, with the final changeover involving about 80 people.

“All of our line markings had to be updated in one go, for which we used 15 line marking trucks – pretty much every crew available in the lower North Island.

“We planned and rehearsed the sequence of everything to the minute to ensure we were all set for flights to begin on the new settings from 6am this morning.”

The new runway dimensions would mean the airport was now capable of handling widebody aircraft non-stop from major hubs in Asia and North America, Clarke said, along with enabling full passenger loads on outbound services to destinations which had previously been out of reach.

But, new services were not being announced at this stage, Clarke said, however, Wellington was the largest market in Australasia that did not have a direct connection to Asia.

“The turbulence currently felt by the travel industry will settle in time and we can all look forward to celebrating the arrival of long-haul flights to the capital when the time is right.”

Each EMAS bed was about 55 by 90 metres and made up of more than 3000 individual blocks which were made in the United States and shipped to Wellington in 2025.

Preparation on the project began in April 2025, and was completed a week ahead of schedule and within the $35m budget, Clarke said.

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