Source: Radio New Zealand

A former defence minister says the story of a young soldier with PTSD who was failed by the Defence Force is a textbook example of its mismanagement.

This come after former soldier Jack Wesley who attacked a taxi driver in a drunken rage said the NZ Defence Force (NZDF) failed to get him desperately needed help after a traumatic stint training Ukrainian civilians for war.

Wesley said he was a ticking time bomb when he got back from Operation Tieke in the UK, drinking heavily and haunted by the deaths in Ukraine of people he helped prepare for the front line.

Following his six-month deployment in 2023, he was diagnosed with PTSD.

Former defence minister Ron Mark told Morning Report he had seen this situation play out before, as a soldier and as minister.

“Sadness and disappointment to be honest,” Mark said.

“I’ve had concerns about, the way in which the military has treated their people who are suffering from mental health issues, in particular, PTSD for quite some time, both when I was in the opposition and when I was in government as a minister.

“It just saddens me that we still seem to be repeating the same mistakes.”

Mark said he was disappointed the culture around mental health had not improved.

“When I sat there as a minister talking to people, I get told, ‘Oh, we give them this book and they can go online and do modules’. I’ve got to say, as a former soldier myself, and as a former private in the army, and later an officer, and then as a person who’s tried to get the military involved … when I to try to get them to talk to Dion Jensen, who wrote an incredible book about PTSD, the positive story, and his way of dealing with it, the disinterest was palpable.”

It’s long accepted the military had a particular culture of harden up, toughen up, get through it, he said.

“People who were suffering from issues and PTSD, would be very reluctant, particularly junior ranks… to go and talk to anyone senior, for fear that would be detrimental to their career, it would hurt their reputation that they would seem to be weak.

“Very often, we always saw that their problems would manifest themselves through changes in behaviour, drinking, getting into trouble and problems at home, marriage break-ups and deterioration, and finally, generally, the person was exited from the service.”

He said that was exactly what happened in Wesley’s case.

“I bet it’s because no one has been observing, taking note or taking action.

“It does raise the questions that, what are you doing pre deployment to prepare people? What are you doing post deployment when they return home, to interview them and ascertain whether or not people have problems.”

Defence has failed to respond to questions about the timeline or delay in getting Jack Wesley care – something Mark said he finds deeply concerning.

A veterans’ charity said there was growing concern about the lack of mental health and transitional support within the Defence Force.

No Duff Charitable Trust’s Aaron Wood said Wesley’s case was “unfortunately a rinse, soak, repeat situation”.

There were too many soldiers being discharged from the NZDF without the support and help it itself indicates they require, he said.

In Wesley’s case, Wood said the NZDF’s representative told the judge in court that his sentence of home detention for his crimes would not affect his employment and that they would work around it.

Two months later, the NZDF held a retention hearing and terminated him, Wood said.

“His brigade commander specifically noted he needed, and I quote ‘appropriate support as he exits the service’ and he got nothing. Not transition plan, no handover to civilian services, no safety net. They cut him loose at his most vulnerable, right when continuity of care was critical.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Two people are dead after falling while climbing Aoraki Mt Cook.

Police said four people were attempting to summit the mountain just before midnight on Monday, when two of them fell near the summit.

The two surviving climbers called for help and were picked up by search and rescue.

The two other climbers were unable to be located overnight on Monday, but their bodies were spotted at about 7am Tuesday.

An operation was under way to reach the bodies.

More to come…

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

One of New Zealand’s young paralympic stars, Joshua Willmer, has set his sights on swimming past what some may think is possible.

At just 20-years-old, Willmer is preparing to defend his gold at next year’s Commonwealth Games, compete at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympics and eventually break the 100m breaststroke world record, all while finding enough time to fish.

Willmer, who is a left-arm amputee below the elbow, grew up near the water in Auckland’s Kaukau Bay. At just eight, he started swimming competitively for a club.

However, it wasn’t until last year after the Paris Paralympics that Willmer decided he wanted to become one of the swimming greats.

“Ever since I started international swimming, honestly, I went into it like ‘it’s just racing and nothing much would come of it’.

“But I feel like that definitely changed after Paris.

“There was a big mindset change where I was like, ‘well actually, I do want to be a really great swimmer, and I want to do big things’.”

Willmer, who competes in the SB8 classification for the 100m breaststroke, has since moved out of home, changed clubs and turned the dial up on his training.

“I went into [Paris Paralympics] expecting nothing, but I came out wanting more… and honestly, I haven’t looked back.”

Training under his new coach Michael Weston, Willmer looks to next year take another Commonwealth gold after his win at the Birmingham Commonwealth games, aged 17.

But beyond the pool, Willmer has had to make a lot of sacrifices.

“Like going from going out partying all the time to now swimming is, like, my main focus.

“And there is so much I’m still learning, like how recovery is just so important, and how you need to have the right nutrition, and just a whole lot of new things to learn.”

Pressure makes diamonds

Competing and training at such a high level also comes with intense pressure, Willmer says.

“I kind of get in the space where I really doubt myself… you’re always going to go into something like [the Paralympics] with a little bit of doubt and a little bit of like, ‘can I do it? Like, what will happen?’.

“But it’s just trying to realise, I’ve put in the work, we kind of know what times I can go… and just trusting the process. You’ve just got to trust the process.

“If I’m really struggling with pressure, I always go to my new coach, Michael, and we always have a little chat about it.”

When asked how he balances swimming and all life’s to-dos, Willmer’s answer was fishing.

“I really believe in having a really good life outside of swimming.

“People live and breathe swimming, and I’d love to say I do the same, but honestly, I never watch it on TV.

“If I’ve had a hard week and I get an afternoon off or something, I love going fishing with my mates or go play a round of golf – like anything but talk about swimming.”

Willmer’s in-season training schedule is full on, consisting of three gyms sessions, nine swims and three cycles a week.

Paralympic head coach Simon Mayne says Willmer has many strengths, but there is one that stands out to him.

“I think his strength is he doesn’t do what other people think he can do.

“So if someone says, ‘oh no, you’ll never make a final’, you know, there’s quite a lot of negative people out there… he doesn’t listen to that. He says, ‘no, I’m going to give this a go’.

“He knows why he’s training. He’s training because when he goes to a competition, he wants to smash it. He wants to be able to walk the walk.”

Sophie May, 21, is Willmer’s auntie and one of his closest friends. She seconds Mayne’s sentiment.

“He’d just smash all of it, even with having one-and-a-half arms, he’s never let it get in the way of things he does in his life.

“It was hard with other kids, they’re very vocal, making it pretty tough, you know, when you look different to everyone else. And I feel like he always rised above it all and just kept kind of pushing and always focused on his sport,” May says.

“I’ve found that if he’s not in the pool, he’s in the ocean, so he’s just always by water.”

‘Take the risk’

Willmer, looking to one day break the 100m breaststroke record, had some advice for other youngsters moving up the ranks – take the risk.

“The amount of fun that you get out of it as well as potentially making a team or anything, like you might as well do it when you’re young.

“You don’t want to go sit back at 30 and be like, I really wish I did that. If you really think that you can do it, I think just go for it.”

Willmer suggested cranking the tunes – Daughter by Pearl Jam to be specific – and getting into the mahi.

The current breaststroke world record for the SB8 classification is 1.07.01, Willmer’s personal best is currently 1.11.08.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Consumer New Zealand is doubtful Black Friday deals at four big retailers are actually a bargain.

The organisation spent 12 weeks tracking the prices of ten products from Noel Leeming, Harvey Norman, Farmers and Briscoes.

Head of research and advocacy Gemma Rasmussen told Morning Report for ten of the 12 weeks there were claims of good deals at some of these retailers, but in reality, the prices were not shifting that much.

In the lead up to Black Friday, Rasmussen said there was a lot of marketing and hype but in order to adhere with the Fair Trading Act, retailers could not mislead a consumer about an opportunity for a sale.

“The retailers are very aware of what the rules are and how to kind of skirt that fine line. So we would say that Briscoes and Farmers, the way in which the sale pattern is going up and down … that is actually within the rules because there is a genuine opportunity for a sale and then it is going back to a regular price.

“What we feel with Harvey Norman in particular, and Noel Leeming to an extent, is that there is potential that they could be misleading the customer because the price isn’t changing that much but the customer is very much getting an impression that there is a huge deal, sale or special opportunity to be had early ever single week and we think that’s a little bit sneaky, that’s not quite right.”

Rasmussen said retailers used persuasive language and scare tactics, both in store and online, for consumers to think they are getting a good price and need to buy now.

Such tactics include signs that say “super deal, huge deal, massive stock sell-out” or online messages saying there are only one or two products left, or someone else just put the product in their cart.

Rasmussen said it was important that people use websites such as PriceSpy and PriceMe to research prices of products to see if they are getting a good deal – or could find it cheaper.

“We are aware that shoppers are definitely a lot more vulnerable to sales at the moment, particularly with the cost of living being as high as it is so we would encourage people to just take a beat, don’t be sucked in, think about what your wants and needs are and to use sites like PriceSpy and PriceMe to really get a gauge.”

She reiterated that retailers were getting good at “skirting” the rules and would encourage the regulator to look at some retailers to ensure customers are not being mislead.

She said it was not fair to leave the onus on the customer to figure out what was or was not a good deal – saying it should be on the retailer.

RNZ has contacted Noel Leeming, Harvey Norman, Farmers and Briscoes for comment but has not yet ad a response.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

A person has been found dead after a fire in the Auckland suburb of Mount Roskill overnight.

Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Darvill said they were called to a fire on Katavich Place just before 2am on Monday.

When the fire was put out a body was found.

He said the death is being treated as unexplained, police enquiries are continuing and a scene guard remains in place.

A neighbour said her husband heard a loud scream and saw smoke coming from the backyard of a house.

She said people wearing forensic suits had been coming and going from the property for much of the early morning, but had since left.

Another neighbour told RNZ she saw police officers in forensic suits standing by a van about 6.30am.

She said a black bag was put on to a stretcher, which was carried into the van.

The woman said she heard car doors banging on Monday night and it sounded like people were arriving at the neighbours’ house.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

The Commerce Commission says it is taking legal action against Mobil New Zealand’s head office for pricing methods that it believes breach the Fuel Industry Act.

The regulator alleges Mobil is breaching fuel industry rules by not being transparent in the way it sets prices it charges independent petrrol stations.

The commission has filed proceedings in the High Court, alleging two ongoing breaches, one starting in November 2021, and the other in August 2022.

“We think that the wholesale prices methods Mobil New Zealand’s head office has used to calculate what they charge petrol stations (dealers) aren’t transparent enough to meet their obligations under the Act,” Commissioner Bryan Chapple said.

Chapple said a lack of transparent wholesale prices means independent petrol stations aren’t able to see and question the rates that Mobil is charging them, making it harder for retailers to offer consumers the best prices.

“The flow on effect is that Mobil head office is able to increase prices with minimal pushback, putting pressure on retail prices set by petrol stations.”

The commissioner said they take any suspected breaches very seriously.

More to come…

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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 blaze that’s torn through recycling facility in the Auckland town of Waiuku is being treated as suspicious.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it was called to the incident about 11pm on Monday, and found nearly 5000 square metres of plastic on fire.

Six shipping containers were also on fire.

Fire and Emergency said 16 fire trucks were in attendance at the peak, and the fire was contained as of 5am Tuesday morning.

The fire was not yet fully extinguished, however, and seven trucks were still at the scene.

The police said a scene guard remains in place and they will examine the scene later today.

Residents in the vicinity are asked to stay indoors and keep doors and windows shut, if possible.

“We also advise people in the affected area to wear a face mask or cover their nose and mouth with clothing if going outside for essential reasons,” said FENZ.

[embedded content]

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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 found dead after a fire in the Auckland suburb of Mount Roskill overnight.

Detective Senior Sergeant Anthony Darvill said they were called to a fire on Katavich Place just before 2am on Monday.

When the fire was put out a body was found.

He said the death is being treated as unexplained, police enquiries are continuing and a scene guard remains in place.

A neighbour said her husband heard a loud scream and saw smoke coming from the backyard of a house.

She said forensic people wearing boiler suits had been coming and going from the property for much of the early morning, but they have since left.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

An Auckland BMX club’s canteen has been destroyed after a fire it believes was deliberately lit.

Police said emergency services were called to the blaze at Waitākere BMX club on Glen Road in Rānui just before 2pm on Monday.

The club has posted photos of the canteen on Facebook, which show the standalone container-like structure blackened inside and out.

“Hours of volunteer work go into keeping the Waitākere BMX Club running, providing a place for riders of all ages to enjoy the sport and community we’re so proud of,” it said on Monday evening.

“The canteen is a major source of income that helps fund everything we do, and now, not only have we lost that income, but we face the challenge of fundraising for repairs, replacements, and putting in endless volunteer hours once again because of this act of destruction.”

The club said a “dedicated team of volunteers” had been working most of the day to get the club ready for the new season, making the fire “even more heartbreaking”.

“To see all that effort undone so quickly is gutting.”

The club said it has footage of the fire being lit, which it has handed to the police, who are investigating.

“Despite this setback, we want to assure our members and families that club nights will continue as planned.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Gynaecology services have been overwhelmed by thousands of referrals via the cervical screening programme since self-testing was introduced two years ago, pushing out wait times for all patients.

Northland gynaecologist David Bailey said many women skipped cervical screening when it involved the discomfort of a smear test using a speculum.

“But when they are offered the chance just to have a swab test, which they can do themselves, then suddenly a lot of people are getting screening who haven’t been screened for years, and many of them may have had untreated abnormalities for a long period of time,” he said.

“So we’ve been flooded with referrals for colposcopy which has completely overwhelmed the service, and I’m sure the same thing has happened elsewhere.”

The new cervical screening programme has been incredibly successful in boosting coverage, particularly for Māori (for whom it’s up 19 percent) and for Pacific women (whose participation is up 34 percent).

Overall, screening coverage has increased in the last two years from 66.9 percent to 74.7 percent. The target is 80 percent.

Women who test positive for the Human Papillomarivus (HPV) need a colposcopy: a physical examination of the cervix to check for abnormal cells or cancer.

In Northland, the gynaecology service has been forced to shift clinics for people with general gynaecology problems to doing colposcopies instead.

“Because these people are all being referred as possible cancers, they all have to be prioritised.

“So you get a flood of a large number of people who become ‘urgent’ and overwhelm the system.

“And this was entirely predictable because we knew what happened overseas, we knew what happened when there were pilot studies here – but they went ahead and launched the programme with no additional colposcopy resource.”

This was contrary to good screening practice, and the complete opposite to what happened with the bowel screening programme, he said.

“In that case, they did not roll it out in Northland until they had the capacity in place to provide the colonoscopies they knew they would need.”

Dr Bailey said he and his colleagues had been pushing for managers to take staffing and service size seriously for years.

“This is what frustrates us so much – we’re in this situation where things have been building up for years.

“Now that the problem has hit (and this was entirely predictable that this was going to happen) we’ve got this unmanageable backlog, and suddenly people are saying ‘We’ve set a national standard and we want this fixed by Christmas, or by June 30’. It’s not real world.”

Specialists in Northland had been doing extra sessions in the evenings and weekends, and drafted in GPs to help out.

They also plan to train specialist nurses to do routine colposcopies.

However, Dr Bailey said even if they got more staff, they would not arrive before next year.

Meanwhile, the pressure was unrelenting.

“When we receive a referral for somebody who should be having a colposcopy for a high-risk HPV screening, they should be seen within 30 days.

“Currently our wait time for seeing these people is seven months.”

Nearly half of high-risk cases wait too long

Health NZ data shows that in the three months to the end of June, only 55.3 percent of women who tested positive for the two highest risk strains of HPV were being seen within 30 days of referral.

The clinical director for screening programmes, Dr Jane O’Hallahan, said modelling suggested there would be some increased demand.

“But nevertheless we did not imagine it would be to this level.”

When monitoring showed wait times increasing, Health NZ took action, she said.

The government recently announced $900,000 was earmarked for an extra 1650 colposcopies during the next year.

“We have been addressing this, it’s absolutely important that women who test positive for HPV have access to specialist colposcopy services. So this has been a high priority for us to look at these waiting lists and address this issue,” O’Hallahan said.

Overall, about a third of women who were referred for all types of colposcopy were currently waiting longer than clinical guidelines, she said.

However, it varied between regions: with 38 percent overdue in Northland, 15 percent overdue in Midland/Te Manawa Taki, 21 percent overdue in Central/Te Ikaroa, and 26 percent overdue in South Island/Te Waipounamu.

When asked whether it was acceptable that colposcopy referrals had pushed out wait times for other gynaecology patients, Dr O’Hallahan admitted it was “a constant juggle” for specialists and services with competing demands.

“But nevertheless the colposcopy service is an important one and the districts are very skilled at working to ensure that women get the right service.”

Health NZ was looking at ways to “increase capacity to see more patients and faster”, Dr O’Hallahan said.

“We acknowledge it can be distressing for patients when they have to wait to be seen for colposcopy appointments.

“We are working to address this and expect to share more details on that in due course.”

“We’ve failed” – women’s health expert

The director of Te Tātai Hauora o Hine/ the National Centre for Women’s Health Research, Professor Bev Lawton, who is based at Victoria University, said multiple experts in the field – including her own institution – had warned Health NZ of the looming capacity problem.

“I think we failed in a sense – we did not put in the capacity, the extra appointments that we knew we would need. It’s not as if we didn’t know.

“And it hasn’t happened. So we have to ask, what is the solution? And it’s investment.”

Professor Lawton said however the current peak will pass from the end of next year, because women only need a test every five years.

“But for those women out there who haven’t been seen in a timely way, please ring up, check on your test and see what’s happening. We need to bring more diagnostic capacity into our hospitals to be able to deal with the volume.”

Professor Lawton said long-term, it was hoped the programme “will do itself out of a job”, as vaccination wipes out HPV and early detection and timely treatment eradicate cervical cancer.

“It’s the three pillar approach. Currently we are doing really well on screening, but we’ve got work to do on vaccination and treatment.”

About 80 percent of people are exposed to HPV over their life-time.

Currently only 58 percent of 15-year-olds are fully vaccinated against HPV, which not only causes cervical cancer, but a range of other malignancies in both genders, including penile cancer, anal cancer and throat cancer.

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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 popular Auckland mountain bike park is closed for two days after a rider’s death.

On Monday evening, a representative from Woodhill Mountain Bike Park took to social media to announce the death.

“We are very sad to share that a rider has passed away at our park today. Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.”

In the post, the representative said it would remain closed for the next two days, reopening on Thursday.

“We are also taking this time to support our staff and our riding community.

“Thank you for your understanding, patience, and care.”

In January 2024, the park also closed after a rider died.

At the time, police said medical assistance was provided but the person who fell from their mountain bike died at the scene.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Lawyers for a judge accused of disrupting a New Zealand First event want clarity over the legal test which will apply at her judicial conduct hearing.

A judicial conduct panel is looking into the behaviour of Acting District Court Judge Ema Aitken.

She is accused of interrupting a New Zealand First function at the exclusive Northern Club in Auckland last year in November, allegedly shouting that leader Winston Peters was lying.

Judge Aitken has argued she did not shout, that she did not recognise Peters’ voice and did not know it was a political event.

A bid she made for a judicial review of the decision to hold the Judicial Conduct Panel was dismissed in April of this year at the High Court in Auckland.

‘What is the test’

Under the District Court Act, a Governor-General can, on the advice of the Attorney-General, remove a Judge from the office on the grounds of inability or misbehaviour.

The Judicial Conduct Panel will consider Judge Aitken’s behaviour at a hearing in February next year. It will determine facts, and write a report to the Attorney-General including about whether the removal of the Judge is justified.

The panel is comprised of former Court of Appeal Judge Brendan Brown KC (who is the chair), Justice Jillian Mallon, a sitting Court of Appeal Judge, and Sir Jerry Mateparae, the former Governor-General.

In a preliminary hearing on Monday, counsel for Judge Aitken, David Jones KC, told the panel it was essential to know what the specific legal test for misbehaviour was.

“We are asking you to state the test, in advance of the hearing.

“You have to have something to aim at, you have to have something to establish.

“And here we have the difference – for example – between misconduct and misbehaviour, and we have to know how aggregious that has to be, in order for the contemplation of removal to be considered.”

Jones KC said it was essential to understand the legal test before the hearing took place, because it could affect the arguments or context the evidence is presented in at the hearing.

“You have a situation where if you have a test, and you know that you have to satisfy that test, or special counsel has to satisfy that test, then evidence can be adduced – potentially from experts to say – ‘look this is certain behaviour but it doesn’t get to this point, or it does’, or whatever.”

He said it was even more important these issues were nailed down in what he described as a “political context”, referring to how the report from the Northern Club was leaked to the media.

Jones KC said the hearing would need to establish Judge Aitken knew of the political context when she spoke – not what she, as a judge, ought to have known.

He said the political dynamic was critical to the hearing that would take place.

“If, for example, the people in the room… were a group of law students, or were from a book club, or whatever, and somebody said something as the words were spoken, and heard by the Judge, and she said something, would we be here? My submission is we wouldn’t.”

Special counsel Jonathan Orpin-Dowell, who is one of two lawyers presenting the allegations of misconduct to the panel, said the question of what the Judge knew or should have known when she spoke needed to come out in the evidence in the hearing.

He said parliament didn’t intend to set out a specific test for judicial misbehaviour.

Orpin-Dowell said the District Court Act lays out the grounds for removal as inability or misbehaviour.

He referred to Ministry of Justice advice to the 2004 select committee considering the law setting up the judicial panel, which aimed to avoid any potential misbehaviour from being excluded.

He said thresholds of misbehaviour come down to specific facts and situations.

“The panel isn’t a permanent court, or even a permanent tribunal, it’s an ad-hoc panel set up to deal with a particular reference about particular conduct, from a particular Judge, and it follows from that, that whether removal will be justified in any case is necessarily a question of fact and degree.”

Both lawyers referred to a previous case involving Justice Bill Wilson, where it found misbehaviour was conduct that “fell so far short of accepted standards of judicial behaviour as to warrant the ultimate sanction of removal”.

This is the third Judicial Conduct Panel that has been established since the law establishing the body was passed in 2004.

Elements of discussion in Monday’s preliminary hearing have been suppressed.

The panel is expected to file a decision on Monday’s application by the end of this week.

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Source: Radio New Zealand

Mānuka, rimu, ponga, kōwhai, harakeke, tōtara – we can probably all name a few of the commonly found New Zealand terrestrial trees and plants. But what about those that are out of sight and out of mind – on the bottom of our lakes and slow-moving rivers?

There are more than 75 species of native freshwater plants in Aotearoa, but they are disappearing.

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How do we know? Well, 19th century botanist accounts are one piece of evidence, says Mary de Winton.

“Back in the 1800s they had, you know, a huge raft of plant species growing right across the bed of the lake.” Today some of the same lakes are completely bare.

Mary is a freshwater ecologist with Earth Sciences New Zealand in Kirikiriroa Hamilton. She’s often diving in freshwater environments for science, and across her 40-year career she’s seen changes herself.

“We’ve seen a lot of lakes that have lost their vegetation over the last four decades. I can think of five in the Waikato off the top of my head that I’ve actually seen both in their vegetated state and in a de-vegetated state several years later.”

Pest fish, invasive weeds, high sedimentation rates, reductions in water quality – the challenges facing our freshwater ecosystems are numerous. For plants, lack of light can be a big issue, says Mary. “The water itself gets very murky, either from algal blooms or from suspended sediment. And when you get those kinds of environments, there’s very little light that’s getting down to the bottom where the plants are growing. And if you lose those plants, it’s incredibly hard to get them back again.”

That’s why a team at Earth Sciences New Zealand, in collaboration with local iwi and international researchers, began a project to investigate how native plants might be given a ‘helping hand’.

Inspired by roll-out turf, the stuff you might use on a lawn in a new build, the team investigated ways to grow plants in a type of matrix that could then be rolled out on the lakebed and left there.

For the ‘RotoTurf’ project to work, they needed their matting to be biodegradable, but also robust enough to stay together long enough for the plants to grow to a decent size. After trying a range of materials, they decided that wool and muka (the fibres from harakeke/flax) matting were the two most promising. Alongside the matrix trials, they also investigated which plants would be best suited to grow in the matting and be transplanted into a partially degraded lake. Milfoil and native pondweed came out on top as the most likely candidates.

To test their RotoTurf design the team ran trials at Lake Ohinawai. The turf was unrolled on the lakebed in December and left there until August to see how the plants went through the seasons. They were also surrounded by a plastic mesh cage, to keep pest fish, like koi carp, out.

After eight months the plants were still there, growing right to the surface, says Mary. The milfoil seemed to be doing particularly well.

A three-year funded project, RotoTurf has since wrapped up. Now there is some interest in the design from iwi groups and other agencies who are keen to return plants to their lakes.

But for proper restoration RotoTurf alone will not be enough, says Mary, without also addressing the lakes’ underlying water quality issues.

“The best candidates… are those that have already had some works undertaken in the catchment…. some intervention for the nutrient and sediment loads, that have had some riparian planting around the edge of the lake… that gives any kind of in-lake restoration the best chance of success.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Housing advocates say boarding houses are not appropriate for people with complex mental health or addiction needs and are calling for national data to be collected showing where people are discharged to after a hospital stay.

It comes after a woman raised concerns about the appalling conditions of a lodge her adult son was discharged to, following three weeks in an acute mental health unit in Auckland.

Lisa Hawkeswood said her son Jack lasted three days in the lodge before pleading to live with her because he hated his accommodation, which had blood on the carpet and other tenants were trying to get him to do drugs.

Tragically, he died in a suspected suicide after moving in with her.

Housing First Auckland programme manager Rami Alrudaini said vulnerable people need safe housing and good supports in place.

“What happened is totally unacceptable – no person who is vulnerable or needing support should be released into an unsuitable living situation,” he said.

“Across the housing sector, we continue to hear consistent anecdotal reports of people being discharged from acute mental health care into unstable or unsafe accommodation, including boarding houses. While these stories are deeply concerning, there is no comprehensive national data of where people are discharged to or the outcomes that follow.”

Health NZ earlier said its practice is not to discharge people to homelessness, but there is no reliable data on where people are sent to.

“What we do know is that the gap between acute care discharge and access to safe, supported housing is a critical failing in our system. Boarding houses are not appropriate for people with high mental health or addiction needs. They are not a substitute for adequate, stable housing with wrap-around support,” Alrudaini said.

“We need urgent cross-agency action and better data so we can fully understand the scale of the issue and design policies and deliver solutions that keep people safe. We can and must do better as a country. It is critical we make urgent system and data improvements now.”

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission released a report in June which monitored the mental health and addiction system.

It found there had been no change over five years in the proportion of people accessing mental health and addiction services who were homeless – in the 2023/2024 year six percent of specialist mental health and addiction service users were homeless.

Changing Minds engagement and insights manager Megan Elizabeth said everyone had a right to safe and secure housing, and there needs to be greater availability of housing for people experiencing substance abuse or mental distress.

“On the face of it, taking someone from an inpatient setting and putting them into a boarding house to avoid homelessness is a good measure but it is only part of the picture,” she said.

“The bigger question is not should this individual have been discharged to a boarding house but should they have been discharged into the community without a really comprehensive support for their wellbeing around them.”

Elizabeth said people needed to be discharged and supported into accomodation that is safe for their wellbeing and their situation.

“A roof over your head is only one element of wellbeing, you need to feel safe, you need to be able to progress your wellbeing journey in an environment that is supportive of your wellbeing.”

Meanwhile, the Mental Health Act is being repealed and replaced as part of the response to the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Historical Abuse in State Care and in Faith-based Institutions.

The Mental Health Bill, if passed, will replace the Mental Health (Compulsory Assessment and Treatment) Act 1992.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Three months after fainting and waking up paralysed, a Canterbury teenager is still searching for answers as to what caused the episode.

Angel Dagcutan has now regained mobility, but the episode has her concerned it may repeat in future.

Angel was only days away from her 18th birthday when she was struck by a flu-like illness in August.

She felt lethargic – even just moving felt draining, she said.

The illness also caused physical pain, especially in her head.

Then she started hallucinating.

“My head started spinning, like it was going round and round,” Angel said.

“Then the mail van came to drop off some things. I saw the mail van but then I started seeing it turn into different things. I saw it as a white van, then into an ambulance.”

Then she fainted.

“I just remember black and hearing noises, and feeling pain on my head. But I wasn’t sure if it was my headache at the time or because I fell.”

Her older brother David Dagcutan said he heard the noise as Angel collapsed and rushed into the room.

“She was on the ground and my mum was assessing her and calling her name, which was quite a terrifying experience,” he said.

“I didn’t know what was happening and I thought it might be serious condition because it’s never happened before.”

David said his sister was unconscious for several minutes and he was worried she might die.

When she regained consciousness, she was unable to speak or move.

“She tried to speak but it was gurgled and all like jumbled,” David said.

Angel said she awoke to her brother performing CPR and she tried to tell him to stop as the pressure was painful, but the words would not come out.

“I wasn’t scared, I was just mainly confused as to why this was happening and what they were doing,” she said.

“Nothing made sense to me at the time.”

Her family called emergency services and an ambulance arrived, but that was not the end of the teenager’s troubles.

“When we were about to leave, the ambulance had a flat tyre so they said we have to get the helicopter in,” she said.

On board was Canterbury Westpac Rescue Helicopter paramedic Libbie Faith.

“This patient was a bit of a puzzle about what was going on,” Faith said.

“We kept reassuring her, we kept monitoring her, testing her, seeing what was happening, and we knew she had to get to hospital pretty quickly.”

As the hours rolled on in hospital, Angel said she started to worry that she would never walk or talk again.

“I couldn’t feel anything,” she said.

“Any needle they would take for tests, I couldn’t feel. I couldn’t move. I just couldn’t feel anything so I wasn’t really in pain. I was just confused.”

Another round of tests were carried out early the following morning and Angel was finally able to push her hands and feet back against the resistance of the doctor.

It was only slight at first but she said she had since fully recovered her strength and her ability to speak.

A battery of tests was carried out, including an ECG.

However, Angel said the doctors were stumped as to what caused the episode.

“Physically it’s behind me but psychologically it’s always going to be a little thing that lives in the corner of my mind because I do think about it every now and then – how they never figured out what was wrong and how my heart suddenly stopped and why I got paralysed and why I fainted,” she said.

“There’s just these questions that keep coming back.”

However, the episode had highlighted to her and her family – who lived in rural North Canterbury – the importance of the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

“Living this far out, it’s so important to have the helicopter service available,” Angel said.

“The helicopter got to me so much faster than anything else could have. I really appreciate the paramedics involved who helped me. They were amazing and made a terrifying experience seem not so daunting.”

Faith said situations like Angel’s were why the rescue helicopter was so important.

“The helicopter is there to provide care for patients in rural, remote communities,” Faith said.

“That’s their lifeline and where we are best utilised as well – a time-critical patient that needs to get to hospital from a rural, remote community.”

Hanmer Springs Thermal Pools and Spa would be raising money for the Canterbury Westpac Rescue Helicopter and a new helipad in Hanmer Springs at the Night for Flight on 28 November.

Entry to the pool would be $10 with live music, food and raffles on offer and all proceeds going to the rescue helicopter.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Fossil fuel companies were given privileged, insider access to confidential drafts of legislation during a two-year campaign to weaken oil and gas regulation and overturn the offshore exploration ban, RNZ has found.

Internal documents show how the sector repeatedly lobbied Resources Minister Shane Jones to dilute New Zealand’s clean-up rules for ageing oil fields – rules brought in to protect taxpayers after the 2019 Tui Oil Field collapse left the state burdened with a $300m bill.

Some of the oil executives meeting with Jones had been closely involved in the Tui disaster, but were invited to confidential briefings anyway.

“That shows an extraordinary sense of self entitlement from the oil and gas industry,” said Greenpeace executive director Russel Norman. “That these same companies and same individuals are back in the room demanding that a loophole in the law be reopened so that the taxpayer has to pick up the bill once again for their mess – it’s really striking.”

Jones says the consultation was a normal – and integral – part of the legislative progress, and officials wanted to make sure the law would work. The lobbyists said the same.

Jones engaged closely with industry – including OMV, Todd Energy and Methanex – meeting them frequently, sharing in-house updates on his amendment bill, and signalling progress before the public or even Cabinet had seen the proposals.

Officials also ran closed-door workshops with industry ahead of ministerial decisions, circulated draft policy “in confidence”, and incorporated several company requests directly into the working text. In one briefing, officials noted OMV “intend to convey their thanks for the changes”, even though the legislation was not yet public and had not been signed off by Cabinet.

A political ‘over-reaction’

The briefing papers, released to RNZ under the Official Information Act, show the lobbying began as soon as the coalition government was formed in late 2023.

Jones, a New Zealand First MP and self-described champion of industry, entered office vowing to repeal the 2018 offshore exploration ban, but soon signalled he wanted a bill that went further.

Industry, led by Energy Resources Aotearoa (ERA), sought a comprehensive package of regulatory and financial support to boost investor confidence.

Its central argument was that Labour-era reforms – including the 2018 offshore exploration ban and the 2021 decommissioning regime – were a political “over-reaction” that spooked investors and “dramatically increased New Zealand’s reputation for sovereign risk”.

In meetings, letters and emails throughout 2024 and 2025, the sector framed the Labour-era, climate-focussed rules as a threat to national stability. It urged the government not only to lift the ban, but also to make laws protecting them against future policy shifts, to promote the sector, and to provide tax breaks incentivising drilling.

“If we are to stave off energy shortages we believe the changes made to the Crown Minerals Act since 2018 should be repealed, and urgently,” ERA wrote in a January 2024 letter to Jones.

Officials, meanwhile, warned ministers of the climate impact. Reopening exploration and boosting gas supply is expected to increase emissions by around 14.2 million tonnes of CO₂-equivalent, putting significant pressure on the next two emissions budgets.

The strongest lobbying focused on “decommissioning liability” – the hundreds of millions of dollars required to dismantle offshore structures and plug ageing wells. After the Tui collapse, the former government introduced strict rules requiring companies to fully fund this work, hold financial security, and – crucially – made former permit holders automatically liable if an operator collapsed. Directors could face criminal penalties in extreme cases.

The industry wanted those protections weakened across the board, labelling the regime a “gross overreach”.

“The dramatic regulatory over-reaction in the wake of the financial collapse of the Tui operator was an attempt to eliminate risk, without consideration of the costs borne by permit holders,” an ERA letter said.

ERA argued that trailing liability was “unnecessary”; that requiring companies to plan for full removal of infrastructure was too expensive; and that criminal liability for directors would scare off “quality candidates”.

‘Some companies may push back’

Despite the sustained pressure, officials warned Jones that parts of the industry’s decommissioning wishlist were “inconsistent with international practice”, noting the UK and Australia have broader trailing liability rules than what Jones was proposing. During a select committee process considering Jones’ replacement bill, submitters noted there was a loophole, which meant industry could avoid trailing liability altogether.

In an amendment paper to the Crown Minerals Bill, released in November 2024, officials moved to close that loophole and also tighten the law – extending liability to controlling shareholders as well as prior permit holders.

“Some companies may push back on the proposal – especially given the change comes at a late stage in the Bill’s development,” officials wrote in a warning to Jones.

They were right: Industry hated the changes, and launched a revolt. The ERA called it “piercing the corporate veil” and said liability should never be automatic.

The documents reveal officials’ response to the backlash was swift. They developed an alternative model – one that replaced automatic liability with ministerial discretion – and confidentially discussed it with Todd and OMV, who indicated the approach was an “improvement.”

By then, the companies had already had been granted significant insider access during the formation of the bill. In March 2024, for example, the ERA was given confidential pre-consultation on the options being considered to amend the decommissioning regime.

But this time, officials went further. Officials shared the draft Amendment Paper with the companies, including OMV, for feedback on the “workability” of the complex discretionary liability provisions.

OMV’s feedback resulted in officials clarifying the drafting to confirm the guarantee was limited to “unmet costs” or a “proportion of those unmet costs”, reducing the scope of potential liability OMV would face. OMV then thanked the officials, and Jones.

Officials promised to keep engaging industry as they finalised the policy and prepared the Cabinet paper.

The end result

On 31 July 2025, a 25-page Supplementary Order Paper, released 5pm the night before Parliamentary debate, revealed the final state of the proposed law. Industry didn’t get everything it wanted: Criminal liability for directors remains for the most “egregious” failures; and calls for government underwriting of exploration were not fully met.

But both the key tenets were there: the bill overturned the ban and replaced automatic trailing liability with ministerial discretion. Under the amended Crown Minerals Act, the resources and finance ministers can now decide case-by-case whether former operators must pay at all.

Ministers are also empowered to require, vary or waive outgoing financial guarantees, and Cabinet agreed to restore a promotional purpose to the Act and adopt a more flexible approach to financial securities.

Iwi and environmental groups were not consulted on the final draft.

Greenpeace’s Russel Norman said it made sense that the oil and gas lobby would be focused on decommissioning rules given the state of the country’s aging wells.

“The main next game for New Zealand oil and gas is going to be the cost of decommissioning those fields, which is going to be very high, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars,” he said. “What they’re wanting to do is either get out of that liability or reduce it as much as possible.”

ERA chief executive John Carnegie rejected that, saying the industry’s input on decommissioning had focused on “making sure the regime is clear, robust, and workable”, and making sure it was done safely, protected the environment, and with certainty.

Carnegie acknowledged it had been “extremely focused” in its efforts to see improvements made to the new law. He said there had been lasting damage caused by the 2018 exploration ban.

Green Party co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick says the level of access granted to the oil and gas companies during the legislative rewrite was “insane.”

“The question the minister could have asked was ‘how do we get the best solutions for New Zealanders and our environment?’ but instead he just asked one of the most unscrupulous industries on the planet to help draft our laws.”

Labour’s energy spokesperson Megan Woods – who introduced the 2021 law changes around commissioning as a minister – says Jones was putting the interest of oil and gas companies before the interests of the taxpayer.

“Shane Jones caved. As a minister he did not stand up for New Zealanders,” Woods said. “He is showing legislation to a very narrow group of people who have a clear vested interest, rather than consulting widely.”

But in a statement to RNZ, Shane Jones says the consultation was a normal – and integral – part of the legislative progress, and officials wanted to make sure the law would work.

“Feedback from industry on the draft Amendment Paper focused on the highly technical details, as opposed to the policy itself,” the statement said. “The final result is legislation which protects the Crown, while enabling industry investment in much-needed gas and oil exploration.”

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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

More than 60 firefighters tackled a large fire at a recyling facility in Waiuku overnight.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it was called to the incident around 10.55pm on Monday, and found a large area of plastic on fire – measuring 100 x 50 metres.

Six shipping containers were also on fire.

FENZ said 16 fire trucks were in attendance at the peak of the fire, which was contained as of 5am on Tuesday morning.

The fire was not yet fully extinguished, however, and seven trucks were still at the scene.

Residents in the vicinity are asked to stay indoors and keep doors and windows shut, if possible.

“We also advise people in the affected area to wear a face mask or cover their nose and mouth with clothing if going outside for essential reasons,” said FENZ.

The cause of the blaze is unknown.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Authors of a new report into university marking predict ‘A’s will soon be the most common grade awarded.

Think-tank, The New Zealand Initiative, analysed grade data from the country’s eight universities between 2006 and 2024.

Senior research fellow, Dr James Kierstead said the results showed that while A grades had risen, B and C grades had shrunk and that the most common grade – B – could soon be eclipsed.

“It’s about to be an A. The As [are] catching up with the Bs, basically. The Bs are going down and the As are going up as a proportion of all grades awarded.

“If current trends continue, I wouldn’t be surprised if actually this year A was the most common grade at New Zealand Universities.”

According to the report, ‘Fifty Shades of Grades: Grade Compression’, As had risen from 22 percent of all grades in 2006, to 36 percent in 2024 – an increase of 64 percent.

It said the expansion of As had crowded out other grades, resulting in a decline in the variety of grades awarded.

Kierstead said the study built on one published in August that focused just on A grades and pass rates.

He said factors that could contribute to higher marks had been ruled out, including more women (who tended to achieve higher grades), the ratio of staff to students, and smarter highschoolers.

He said it was also unlikely that better teachers were responsible for the current trend.

“The teaching would have to get a lot better because students are performing worse by international benchmarks at secondary school.

“So the teaching would have to be so good that not only is it making up for that … It’s taking worse students and taking them to a level that’s better than before.”

Kierstead said while it was unlikely to be intentional, academics had strong incentives to grade higher and believed the trend was in response to two main pressures that should be mitigated – class size and funding, and student feedback on teachers.

“If they don’t give out good grades there’s a risk that their student numbers will fall, and the main component of funding at New Zealand universities is the number of students you have in your class.”

He said student feedback forms had also become an important factor in assessing promotions, and during job cuts.

Kierstead said no one benefitted from a system where grades weren’t a reliable indicator of performance – it didn’t motivate students to work hard, and “shortchanged” those who did.

He said he’d also spoken to employers who had stopped relying on the university transcript to assess candidates, and were now conducting their own tests.

“They get all these job applications with students with stellar grades and then they start interviewing people, and some are good and a lot of them aren’t very impressive at all.”

Kierstead said if nothing was done to curb ‘grade inflation,’ New Zealand would find itself in the same position as universities in the United States, where A grades became dominant in the 90s and there was a perception that grades were given out “too cheaply”.

He said the rise in A grades in the US undermined public trust in higher education.

“What we’re trying to say with this research is: Beware, pay attention, wake-up New Zealand universities … this is about to be you.”

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Warning: This story discusses suicide.

The funeral for “three beautiful angels taken too soon” in a house fire in the Manawatū town of Sanson is being held this morning.

August, 7, Hugo, 5, and Goldie Field, 1, died on 15 November in what’s being treated as a murder-suicide.

Their father, 36-year-old Dean Field, also died in the fire at the family home. He is suspected of murdering the three children before dying by suicide.

The children’s funeral is being held at Crossroads Church in Palmerston North on Tuesday.

“Please wear bright colours,” a funeral notice said.

The notice described the children as “three beautiful angels taken too soon”, and said they’d be sadly missed by their families and everyone who knew them.

It also said they’d be united in Heaven with their big sister Iris, who was stillborn.

In a statement released late last week, the children’s mother Chelsey Field said Iris’ ashes were lost in the blaze. The family’s dog Marlo also died.

“This incident has left me heartbroken and devastated. My children did not deserve this,” Chelsey Field said.

She acknowledged emergency service workers and thanked the public for their support – a Givealittle page set up to support her had raised almost $400,000.

The statement also painted a vivid picture about August, Hugo and Goldie.

August would have turned eight on Thursday and was going to celebrate the milestone with his friends.

He was described as joined at the hip with his brother Hugo, who had made a flying start to school this year.

The boys also loved their younger sister, Goldie, who Chelsey Field said was “my special little girl I had waited so long for”.

“Her first words were ‘hi’ and ‘dog’. She even said ‘Marlo’ the dog’s name before she said ‘Mum’.”

Police finished their scene examination last week and handed the property back to the family.

They said it could take some time before they get answers about what happened.

Where to get help:

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

Family Violence

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

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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 shake-up to local government is imminent, as the government works to introduce its Resource Management Act replacement to Parliament by Christmas.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon told National party members there would be a “very serious shake-up coming” to local government alongside the upcoming RMA reforms.

“Watch this space,” he said.

Luxon later told media there would be “major reform coming” and the government wanted to “radically simplify” local government, but he would leave the details to RMA reform minister Chris Bishop and local government minister Simon Watts.

“I’m just signalling very strongly that, and it’s not a surprise in my conversations I’ve had with local government leaders as well, that this is a country that has so many layers of management and government that actually it’s stopping us from getting things done,” Luxon said.

“It’s hard and difficult decisions, but I’m sorry, we have to keep changing the way we run the country to make it simpler and easier to get things done.”

Earlier this year, regional development minister and New Zealand First deputy leader Shane Jones told a forum there was “less and less of a justifiable purpose” for keeping regional government once the RMA reforms went through.

In July, Bishop told councils to halt work on district plans until the new RMA legislation took effect.

Watts has also been tasked with bringing policy options for rates caps to Cabinet by the end of the year.

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

Source: Radio New Zealand

Heart Kids is warning it has no part in an event claiming to be fundraising for the charity.

In a social media post, it said a charity motorcycle ride, scheduled for Saturday 28 March 2026 in Morrinsville, was being advertised as fundraising for Heart Kids NZ, but it was not involved in organising or promoting this event.

“As we have no oversight of the fundraising, we cannot guarantee that any funds raised will be received by Heart Kids NZ,” it said in the post.

The charity said that earlier this year, the organiser ran a similar event promoted as supporting Heart Kids NZ, but despite “extensive and continued follow-up”, it had not received any money raised.

“We were deeply concerned when this event was brought to our attention [on Monday] – especially hearing that supporters from our heart community are purchasing raffle and event tickets at a significant cost, expecting Heart Kids NZ to receive the funds.”

Heart Kids said it was an incredibly disappointing situation.

“Like many charities, Heart Kids NZ is working hard in a very tough funding environment, and we know how tight things are for families and communities right now.

“People give in good faith believing their support is going directly to charity, and we want to make sure that trust is respected.”

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